UPDATED:Golden Window Down Two Teams, Huskers Picked No. 13, NCAA Tournament Exploring Single Location

(Updated with Media Poll 11/17, 12:08 PM ET)

Big Ten Preseason Media Poll

In the unofficial preseason Big Ten Media Poll conducted by The Athletic and the Columbus Dispatch, the Nebraska Cornhuskers were picked to finish No. 13 in the Big Ten. No Husker players earned any preseason honors.

28 writers around the conference were polled, two for each team, and on no ballot did Nebraska finish higher than No. 12. Illinois was the preseason favorite over Iowa and Wisconsin. The Huskers finished ahead of Northwestern.

Big Ten Poll Results:

1. Illinois 376 (16)

2. Iowa 350 (6)

3. Wisconsin 347 (6)

4. Michigan State 323

5. Rutgers 249

6. Michigan 241

7. Ohio State 229

8. Indiana 212

9. Purdue 179

10. Maryland 141

11. Minnesota 121

12. Penn State 72

13. Nebraska 54

14. Northwestern 47

Player of the year votes:

Luka Garza, Iowa (24)

Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois (4)

Freshman of the year votes:

Adam Miller, Illinois (12)

Khristian Lander, Indiana (10)

Hunter Dickinson, Michigan (4)

Zeb Jackson, Michigan (1)

Ethan Morton, Purdue (1)

First-team All-Big Ten (unanimous selections in caps):

LUKA GARZA, Iowa (28)

AYO DOSUNMU, Illinois (28)

Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana (24)

Kofi Cockburn, Illinois (11)

Nate Reuvers, Wisconsin (11)

Franz Wagner, Michigan (11)

Also receiving votes: Marcus Carr, Minnesota (7); Aaron Henry, Michigan State (7); Geo Baker, Rutgers (6); Joey Hauser, Michigan State (2); Joshua Langford, Michigan State (1); Micah Potter, Wisconsin (1); D’Mitrik Trice, Wisconsin (1); Rocket Watts, Michigan State (1); Joe Wieskamp, Iowa (1).

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Golden Window Tournament

The Golden Window Tournament has already lost a team just over a week before it is slated to start. The Illinois State Redbirds have withdrawn from the tournament and will play the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 25 instead and participate in a Columbus tournament.

The Redbirds have opted for the slightly closer campus location of Columbus (347 miles driving distance) for their season opener rather than Lincoln (492 miles driving distance). Ohio State withdrew from the relocated Battle 4 Atlantis tournament at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota as a result of the COVID-19 rate in the Mount Rushmore state and opted to hold their own tournament event in Columbus. The Cornhuskers are reportedly looking to play McNeese State to open the season instead and then will play in the now seven team field for the Golden Window Tournament.

(Updated 11/18 11:50 AM ET)

Golden Window Loses A Second Team

The tournament has lost a second team, and is now down to just six teams. After Texas A&M pulled out of the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in South Dakota, Northern Iowa has chosen to join that event instead of the Golden Window Classic in Lincoln.

With the field remaining, all but Nebraska and Nevada won at least 20 games last season. The Wolf Pack went 19-12 (12-6 in the Mountain West) last season.

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NCAA Tournament News

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee announced yesterday that they are making plans to host the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament entirely in the metro region of Indianapolis this season.

This will be a stark contrast to normal years where the first and second rounds are held at eight sites across the country (nine if counting the last four in round). The second weekend’s Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games are also played at four different regional sites from the first weekend games before the final location for the semifinals and championship game. That location for 2021 was slated for Indianapolis this year. Last year’s canceled tournament was scheduled for Atlanta for the Final Four and title game.

The NCAA has reportedly reached out to city and state officials in Indianapolis, Indiana to explore the possibility of hosting all tournament games in the greater Indy metro area. The committee included the following in their official press release for the reasons they are exploring a singular location:

The committee emphasized the importance of conducting the championship in a manageable geographic area that limits travel and provides a safe and controlled environment with competition and practice venues, medical resources and lodging for teams and officials all within proximity of one another.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers last made the NCAA tournament in 2014. The Huskers also played in Indianapolis in the final game of the Big Ten season last year when UNL lost to Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten Conference Tournament before the event was cancelled the following morning in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The conference tournament for 2021 is still currently scheduled for the United Center in Chicago.