Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

The cold winter months of January and February lead to college basketball fans spending most nights and weekends on their couch flipping through channels in search of the best game to watch on a given day.

This can be a difficult endeavor fans of the Big Ten, and an even tougher one for those that aren’t quite as acclimated to the conference’s style of play, which can best be described as a basketball/wrestling hybrid sport.

As a seasoned Big Ten Basketball “Appreciator”, I’m here to help.

Welcome to the Big Ten Basketball Watchability Index.

This exercise is inspired by Zach Lowe’s annual NBA League Pass Rankings and utilizes some of the elements that go into his final output. Let’s get to some housekeeping items.

There are five categories that went are factored into a team’s final score. Points are assigned for each category from 14 (highest) to 1 (lowest). The higher the score, the more watchable the team is.

Here are the five categories:

Relevance: This can essentially be boiled down to how much a team matters to the college basketball season.

Quality: How good is the team? Disclaimer: I took each team’s ranking in the conference in KenPom, T-Rank, NET, and KPI and averaged them together. The team with the highest average ranking gets the most points. (As of 1/9)

Style: Does the team play an entertaining brand of basketball and are they good at it?

Aesthetics: This includes appeals such as jerseys, court design, and overall home atmosphere.

Miscellaneous: Anything goes here. It could be star power, coach antics, or whatever else could make a basketball game fun to watch.

So there you have it. Please use this guide wisely.

14. Northwestern — 14 points

Northwestern doesn’t bring much to the table. Chances are, you probably aren’t tuning in for a Wildcat basketball game unless you are a current student or alum and have finished reminding everyone that you did in fact go to Medill. That, or your favorite team is playing them.

The team is bad. The uniforms and court design are sub par. The best reason to watch the Cats is for the possibility of Chris Collins being a weird dude on the sidelines.

Save your time and just wait for the memes to hit Twitter instead.

13. Nebraska — 17 points

You can split hairs between Nebraska and Northwestern between which team is the worst in terms of the actual quality of the team, but the Cornhuskers get a slight nod for stylistic purposes.

Fred Hoiberg’s group is tied for the fastest pace in the conference, and over 40 percent of their attempts come from behind the arc. Pinnacle Bank Arena is an underrated environment in the conference when the crowd is into it, and there is some level of star power with Hoiberg on the sidelines. At the very least, there will be points.

Nebraska could be potentially frisky towards the end of the season (like we saw against Iowa and Purdue) and have strong Bubble Burster vibes.

12. Wisconsin — 18 points

Wisconsin basketball is a chore. Save for the couple of years at the end of Bo Ryan’s tenure in which the Badgers had one of the nation’s best offenses for a two-year stretch, this has always been the case. This year’s team isn’t any different.

The Badgers play at 4th slowest tempo in the country. They don’t shoot the ball particularly well. Brad Davison has been in school for nine years and his flopping is still one of the most obnoxious things in college basketball.

Guhhhhhhhh.

Anyways, Greg Gard has extreme Assistant Manager at the local Sherwin-Williams store energy on the sidelines. The Kohl Center always brings ugly games because it’s roughly 45 degrees inside and the Badgers almost always get a pretty favorable whistle at home. This team definitely hasn’t dominated my favorite team for much of my life and made me resent everything about its existence. Not one bit.

11. Minnesota — 24 points

Ever since Richard Pitino took over at Minnesota, the Gophers are always just kind of there. This season is yet another campaign in the middle of the pack.

Stylistically, Minnesota is a pretty strong offensive team, ranking just outside the top 25 of offensive efficiency in KenPom. They’re among the better shooting teams from three-point range in the conference and threes make up a sizable portion of the Gophers’ offensive production (35.4%). Daniel Otoru is among the best big men in the conference and the country. From a purely basketball standpoint, you can do a lot worse than Minnesota.

The aesthetics aren’t great though. Maroon and gold isn’t a great color scheme, and the elevated court at The Barn can be concerning, especially when there is a lose ball on the sidelines.

Pitino is not quite the personality that is father was, but he can be counted on for the occasional screen grab.

10. Indiana — 31 points

If you are not familiar with me, I’m an Indiana fan. I watch every game. I do not consider that activity to be particularly enjoyable or rewarding.

Despite a 12–3 record, Indiana ranks towards the bottom of the conference in every widely used ratings system (including those used in this article). The Hoosiers can’t shoot from the outside and almost refuse to do so (they’re 326th in 3-point rate). On most nights, the offense can be summed as throwing the ball at the rim, grabbing an offensive rebound and converting on second chance points. Indiana spends a TON of time at the free throw line, ranking second in the country free throw rate.

The Hoosiers do get a boost for the visuals, boasting some of the best jerseys in the country and a home environment that is as good as any when it gets up for big games. However, Indiana is merely a mediocre team that does not generate much excitement on a consistent basis aside from the occasional Trayce Jackson-Davis dunk fest.

Proceed with caution. Trust me.

9. Illinois — 33 points

Illinois and Indiana are kindred spirits. The two have similar statistical profiles, but Illinois does it just a little bit better. They’re a touch more efficient on offense and a touch better on defense now that Brad Underwood has learned that trying to jump every passing lane and leaving the rim uncontested isn’t conducive to an effective defense.

The Illini benefit from having a legitimate star in Ayo Dosunmu, who’s a potential first round NBA draft pick and one of the toughest covers in the conference. Kofi Cockburn (pronounced Co-burn, you heathens) who is a mountain masquerading as a freshman basketball player. Seriously, the dude is MASSIVE.

Brad Underwood is always worth keeping an eye for a meltdown, and he adds some extra flair when he goes with the orange suit on the sidelines.

More coaches should wear colorful suits! Spice things up!

8. Purdue — 35 points

If this space had a heartbeat last year, Purdue would have been near or at the top of this index. This year, however, the Boilermakers lack The Juice. Their offense is not nearly as potent as last year, and Wisconsin is the only team in the league that plays slower than them.

Purdue compensates for that by being a top 10 defense nationally. Matt Painter is among the best coaches in the country at doing more with less. Trevion Williams is a thicc boy that’s one of the best post scorers in the conference. He’s Caleb Swanigan lite. Schematically, Painter is capable of orchestrating an offense that looks like it has a semblance of an idea of what it’s trying to do, at the very least.

Those Who Know will admit that Mackey Arena, not Assembly Hall, might be the loudest home environment in the conference. Purdue’s games won’t be pretty, but they’ll likely be close.

7. Rutgers — 36 points

Are you emotionally prepared to talk to your children about a Rutgers basketball program that actually matters and is nationally relevant? This is not your father’s (or Jim Delany’s) version of the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers has a case for being the hottest team in the conference and is slowly creeping into the spotlight enough to get Top 25 Poll consideration. Steve Pikiell is having a breakthrough in year four after incremental improvement in the first three years of his tenure. A top 20 defense in the country has propelled them to a 12–3 record.

They’re winning by owning the paint. Only Indiana attempts fewer threes, and their offense gets a ton of its production at the rim. Myles Johnson is looking to block and dunk everything in sight. If the NCAA Tournament started today, Rutgers would be in comfortably for the first time since 1991!

Rutgers basketball! Catch the fever!

6. Penn State — 37 points

Are you ALSO prepared to talk to your children about Penn State basketball? Penn State and Rutgers just played a game this week that was, like, a big deal! In January! The Nittany Lions have been ranked in the AP Poll for the last four weeks. The Big Ten is the deepest conference in college basketball, and it’s a refreshing to have teams like Penn State and Rutgers involved in the national conversation for a change.

Penn State wants to push the tempo, playing at the fastest pace in the conference at just under 73 possessions per game. As a result, they’re in the top three in the conference in scoring average and are at the top in 3-point attempts per contest.

Lamar Stevens doesn’t get enough love for being one of the best players to come through the Big Ten in the last five years. He currently ranks 25th on the Big Ten’s all-time scoring list and could very easily climb into the top 10 by the time he’s done. Mike Watkins is as intimidating of a post presence as anyone on both ends of the floor, and Myreon Jones can shoot it with the best of them.

Penn State’s biggest knock comes from the relatively bland jerseys and a mic placement at the Bryce Jordan Center that always conveniently ends up next to a fan that screams for THE ENTIRE GAME.

5. Iowa — 46 points

The Hawkeyes don’t get enough credit for being fun as hell year in and year out. They boast a top five offense in the country this year and share the ball as well as anyone.

Luka Garza is putting together an All-American campaign with an old-fashioned game that will make your grandpa smile. Joe Wieskamp has never seen a shot that he doesn’t like and always subscribes to the “Shooters Shoot” method. There is always the possibility for a collapse. There might not be a team in the Big Ten with more variance between their good and bad games than Iowa.

The biggest boost to Iowa’s watchability is Fran. There isn’t a coach in college basketball that blows a gasket better than Fran McCaffery. The Francon Alert System is always on watch.

4. Maryland — 52 points

The top four teams in the Big Ten are a clear cut above the rest of the pack. Maryland is among the best teams in the country and are considered to be a potential Final Four and national championship contender.

The Terps checked in as the №2 team in the Quality metric thanks to a stifling defense and an offense that can hurt you inside and out. Anthony Cowan is one of the best lead guards in the country, and Jalen “Sticks” Smith is starting to establish himself as one of the most versatile bigs in the country. Chol Marial is now eligible and ready to either block every shot with his 7'2" frame.

The other teams in the top four have Maryland beat in the aesthetics category. Under Armour jerseys are, in general, kind of ugly, and the Terrapins are not an exception. Mark Turgeon can’t make up his mind on whether to be a Tie Guy or not.

Maryland is good. The other three teams ahead of them are just slightly more watchable.

3. Ohio State —56 points

The Buckeyes haven’t won since before Christmas, but Chris Holtmann’s squad is still rated as a top five team on KenPom and has spend a majority of the season in the top 10 of the AP Poll.

The leader of Ohio State’s balanced offensive attack is Kaleb Wesson, a beefy big that’s been giving opposing big men fits all year. A guy that is listed at 270 should not be allowed to shoot above 40% from three in addition to being a load to handle in the post. He’s a likely All-American and contender for Big Ten Player of the Year.

The supporting cast is fun too. The other Wesson, Andre, is hitting above 40 percent from deep. DJ Carton is a fearless freshman guard that shares the backcourt with another diminutive lefty in CJ Walker. An all-lefty backcourt? Sign me up. Lefty guards are more fun, it’s just a fact. As a whole, Ohio State can score from just about anywhere on the court consistently.

Their standard jerseys aren’t terribly exciting, which hurts them in the aesthetics category. They need to make these script jerseys the default because they are fantastic.

2. Michigan — 58 points

Juwan Howard has picked up right where John Beilein left off by keeping Michigan in the national spotlight.

Under Howard, Michigan has upped the tempo a little bit, but the engine remains the same. Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske are still one of the best guard/big duos in the country, and their song and dance pick-and-rolls are one of the most lethal actions in the conference. When healthy, Isaiah Livers is one of the toughest matchups in the Big Ten. Franz Wagner is following in his brother’s footsteps and showing signs of Being A Guy.

Ever since Michigan made the switch from Adidas to Jordan and ditched the atrocious highlighter-esque yellow jerseys, their uniforms are simple yet clean. The aesthetics and play style of Michigan helped them narrowly edge out Ohio State and Maryland.

Michigan State — 68 points

Not only is Michigan State the most watchable team in the Big Ten, it might be the most watchable team in the country. After a slow start to the season, the Spartans haven’t lost in over a month and are the nation’s most efficient offense thanks to the best assist rate in the country. They are in the upper echelon of national title contenders.

Cassius Winston is one of the most enjoyable players to come through college basketball in recent memory, and few can take over a game like he can. He’s already in the conversation as an all-time great Spartan guard.

Xavier Tillman’s development into one of the most well-rounded bigs in the country has been fun to watch, making him the perfect partner for Winston in the pick-and-roll. Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown continue to develop as sophomores, and Brown has become one of the most entertaining bench guys in the country.

The Breslin Center is always a great environment, especially when the Izzone is rocking right on top of the court. Aside from the neon green jerseys, the Spartans’ threads are always strong.

Michigan State is the perfect mix of being a talented team with national title aspirations, star power on the court and sidelines, and a great home environment. The Spartans are the most watchable team in the Big Ten and it isn’t particularly close.