Big Ten's Best Over the Past 25 Years

As you may or may not know, I'm kind of retarded when it comes to stats, especially when it comes to Big Ten football and basketball. I have no idea what prompted me to try to figure out which basketball program has been the best over the past 25 years, but it seemed like something I would enjoy. So I did, and I did. I tried to come up with categories that were as objective as possible and that gave the best gauge of a team's success over the past 25 years. Here is what I came up with:

• Overall wins
• Overall winning percentage
• 20-win seasons
• Losing seasons
• Big Ten regular season wins
• Big Ten regular season titles
• Big Ten tournament record (note: the Big Ten tournament began in 1998)
• Big Ten tournament titles
• NCAA tournament appearances
• NCAA tournament wins
• NCAA tournament winning percentage
• Final Fours
• NCAA championships
• Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball winners (i.e., Big Ten MVPs)

Excluding Penn State (since they joined in 1993), I ranked every Big Ten team in each of these categories, from 1 to 10. Here are some things you must know before jumping into the fun:

• I compiled stats from the 1982-83 season through the 2006-2007 season, which means this season is not included in the stats. If I miscalculated anything, let me know.
• A team ranked first in a category gets 10 points, a team ranked second gets 9 points, and so on down the line.
• Aside from the "Losing seasons" category, when a team gets a "0" in a given category, it receives zero points. For instance, Northwestern has not had a 20-win season in the past 25 years. Therefore, they get 0 points in that category, rather than 1 for being last. I do not reward futility.
• Several teams have forfeited wins and titles over the past 25 years, on account of taking money from boosters, massive-scale academic fraud, and the like. I did not exclude those forfeited wins or titles.
• The Chicago Tribune apparently stopped awarding the Silver Basketball after the 2004-2005 season (or at least I couldn't find anything showing that it awarded it in 2006 and 2007). Therefore, for 2006 and 2007, I went with the MVP as chosen by the coaches and media (Terence Dials from OSU in 2006 and Alando Tucker from Wisconsin in 2007).
• I did alternate scoring methods, perhaps to ensure fairness. The first method was simply a straight, whole number scoring system. Thus, if two teams tied for first place in a category, I awarded both teams 10 points. The second method split the points that would have been awarded if there were no ties. Thus, if two teams tied for first place, they would split the points that would be available for first place (10) and second place (9), giving each team 9.5 points. I have added up the point totals using both methods. As you will see, there is not much of a difference in the final rankings when the second method is used. I put the points earned for each category in parentheses on each line, and, if different, the point totals under the fractional method in parentheses after that.
• Yes, I realize I am a psycho. A psycho for college basketball. And sex.

Wins
1. Illinois - 550 (10)
2. Indiana - 547 (9)
3. Michigan State - 518 (8)
4. Michigan - 516 (7)
5. Purdue - 502 (6)
6. Iowa - 497 (5)
7. Ohio State - 471 (4)
8 (tie). Minnesota - 424 (3) (2.5)
8 (tie). Wisconsin - 424 (3) (2.5)
10. Northwestern - 259 (1)

Winning percentage
1. Illinois - .696 (10)
2. Indiana - .685 (9)
3. Michigan State - .657 (8)
4. Purdue - .647 (7)
5. Michigan - .644 (6)
6. Iowa - .629 (5)
7. Ohio State - .605 (4)
8. Wisconsin - .556 (3)
9. Minnesota - .553 (2)
10. Northwestern - .362 (1)

20-win seasons
1. Illinois - 19 (10)
2. Indiana - 17 (9)
3 (tie). Michigan 16 (8) (7.5)
3 (tie). Iowa - 16 (8) (7.5)
5 (tie). Michigan State - 13 (6) (5)
5 (tie). Purdue - 13 (6) (5)
5 (tie). Ohio State - 13 (6) (5)
8 (tie). Minnesota - 6 (3) (2.5)
8 (tie). Wisconsin - 6 (3) (2.5)
10. Northwestern - 0 (0)

Losing seasons
1. Indiana - 1 (10)
2 (tie). Illinois - 2 (9) (8.5)
2 (tie). Michigan State - 2 (9) (8.5)
4 (tie). Iowa - 4 (7) (6.5)
4 (tie). Purdue - 4 (7) (6.5)
6. Michigan - 5 (5)
7. Ohio State - 6 (4)
8. Minnesota - 8 (3)
9. Wisconsin - 9 (2)
10. Northwestern - 20 (1)

Big Ten regular season wins
1. Indiana - 278 (10)
2. Illinois - 276 (9)
3. Michigan State - 258 (8)
4. Purdue - 256 (7)
5. Michigan - 239 (6)
6 (tie). Iowa - 222 (5) (4.5)
6 (tie). Ohio State - 222 (5) (4.5)
8. Wisconsin - 188 (3)
9. Minnesota - 179 (2)
10. Northwestern - 86 (1)

Big Ten regular season titles (includes co-champions)
1 (tie). Illinois - 6 (10) (8.5)
1 (tie). Indiana - 6 (10) (8.5)
1 (tie). Ohio State - 6 (10) (8.5)
1 (tie). Purdue - 6 (10) (8.5)
5. Michigan State - 5 (6)
6 (tie). Michigan - 2 (5) (4.5)
6 (tie). Wisconsin - 2 (5) (4.5)
8. Minnesota - 1 (3)
9 (tie). Iowa - 0 (0)
9 (tie). Northwestern - 0 (0)

Big Ten tournament record
1. Illinois - 18-8 (10)
2 (tie). Iowa - 13-8 (9) (8.5)
2 (tie). Ohio State - 13-8 (9) (8.5)
4. Michigan State - 11-8 (7)
5. Wisconsin - 11-9 (6)
6. Indiana - 8-10 (5)
7. Michigan - 7-9 (4)
8. Minnesota - 6-10 (3)
9 (tie). Purdue - 4-10 (2) (1.5)
9 (tie). Northwestern - 4-10 (2) (1.5)

Big Ten tournament titles
1 (tie). Illinois - 2 (10) (8.5)
1 (tie). Iowa - 2 (10) (8.5)
1 (tie). Michigan State - 2 (10) (8.5)
1 (tie). Ohio State - 2 (10) (8.5)
5 (tie). Michigan - 1 (6) (5.5)
5 (tie). Wisconsin - 1 (6) (5.5)
7 (tie). Indiana - 0 (0)
7 (tie). Minnesota - 0 (0)
7 (tie). Purdue - 0 (0)
7 (tie). Northwestern - 0 (0)

NCAA tournament appearances
1. Indiana - 22 (10)
2. Illinois - 21 (9)
3. Purdue - 18 (8)
4. Michigan State - 17 (7)
5. Iowa - 15 (6)
6 (tie). Michigan - 12 (5) (4.5)
6 (tie). Ohio State - 12 (5) (4.5)
8. Wisconsin - 11 (3)
9. Minnesota - 7 (2)
10. Northwestern - 0 (0)

NCAA tournament wins
1. Indiana - 32 (10)
2. Michigan State - 31 (9)
3. Illinois - 29 (8)
4. Michigan - 26 (7)
5. Ohio State - 22 (6)
6. Purdue - 19 (5)
7. Iowa - 16 (4)
8. Wisconsin - 11 (3)
9. Minnesota - 9 (2)
10. Northwestern - 0 (0)

NCAA tournament winning percentage
1. Michigan - .703 (10)
2. Michigan State - .660 (9)
3. Ohio State - .647 (8)
4. Indiana - .604 (7)
5. Illinois - .580 (6)
6. Minnesota - .563 (5)
7. Wisconsin - .542 (4)
8. Iowa - .516 (3)
9. Purdue - .514 (2)
10. Northwestern - .000 (0)

Final Fours
1. Michigan State - 4 (10)
2 (tie). Indiana - 3 (9) (8.5)
2 (tie). Michigan - 3 (9) (8.5)
4 (tie). Illinois - 2 (7) (6.5)
4 (tie). Ohio State - 2 (7) (6.5)
6 (tie). Minnesota - 1 (5) (4.5)
6 (tie). Wisconsin - 1 (5) (4.5)
8 (tie). Iowa - 0 (0)
8 (tie). Purdue - 0 (0)
8 (tie). Northwestern - 0 (0)

NCAA championships
1 (tie). Indiana - 1 (10) (9)
1 (tie). Michigan State - 1 (10) (9)
1 (tie). Michigan - 1 (10) (9)
4 (tie). Illinois - 0 (0)
4 (tie). Purdue - 0 (0)
4 (tie). Iowa - 0 (0)
4 (tie). Ohio State - 0 (0)
4 (tie). Minnesota - 0 (0)
4 (tie). Wisconsin - 0 (0)
4 (tie). Northwestern - 0 (0)

Big Ten MVPs
1. Indiana - 6 (10)
2. Michigan State - 5 (9)
3 (tie). Illinois - 3 (8) (7)
3 (tie). Michigan - 3 (8) (7)
3 (tie). Ohio State - 3 (8) (7)
6 (tie). Purdue - 2 (5) (4.5)
6 (tie). Wisconsin - 2 (5) (4.5)
8. Minnesota - 1 (3)
9 (tie). Iowa - 0 (0)
9 (tie). Northwestern - 0 (0)

Total (whole-point scoring)
1. Indiana - 118
2 (tie). Illinois - 116
2 (tie). Michigan State - 116
4. Michigan - 96
5. Ohio State - 86
6. Purdue - 65
7. Iowa - 62
8. Wisconsin - 51
9. Minnesota - 36
10. Northwestern - 6

Total (fractional scoring)
1. Indiana - 115
2. Michigan State - 112
3. Illinois - 111
4. Michigan - 91.5
5. Ohio State - 79
6. Purdue - 61
7. Iowa - 58.5
8. Wisconsin - 48
9. Minnesota - 34.5
10. Northwestern - 5.5

So, Hoosier fans, don't feel too bad about this whole Sampson debacle.