Big Ten naysayers were out in full force last season when the conference sent just three teams to the NCAA Tournament, the league’s worst showing in 20 years.

The critics are nowhere to be found now.

The conference was soundly beaten in the sixth annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge, but lost in the 7-2 tally was Illinois’ 91-73 thrashing of then-No. 1 Wake Forest.

Others also made an impression — Minnesota lost by one in the final seconds to Florida State, and Michigan State gave Duke a tough time before falling by seven at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Since then, the Big Ten has regained its place as one of the premiere conferences in the country.

On Jan. 4, the Big Ten was ranked third in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), a rating system that analyzes teams and ranks them according to win-loss record, schedule strength and quality of wins.

The conference was ranked sixth last season, but this year only the ACC and the Pac-10 are rated higher.

“Everyone seems to be doing a little better, certainly better than last year,” NU coach Bill Carmody said. “There are more top teams.”

At the head of the class is the league’s defending regular-season champion, Illinois, which is off to its best start (14-0) since the 1988-89 season. The Fighting Illini leapfrogged No. 2 Kansas in the AP poll in early December and have stayed in the top spot since.

Things got so good for Illinois that ESPN recently contacted coach Bruce Weber and asked if his team wanted to be featured on an ESPN Original Entertainment production. Weber’s inclination was to say no, but he’s keeping the option open.

“It just seemed a bit overwhelming … but I’m going to talk to the players and see how they feel,” Weber said.

The prospect of facing Illinois — which won its final 10 regular-season games last year — was enough to keep Ohio State coach Thad Matta restless during New Year’s Eve.

“I watched them after our St. Joe’s game (Friday night),” Matta said. “There’s no doubt in my mind … they are the best team in the country.”

While Illinois’ strength is no surprise, not many predicted Ohio State would have its share of early-season success. Currently 11-2 and ranked 20th in the RPI, the Buckeyes have played as if their self-imposed sanctions for NCAA violations under former coach Jim O’Brien weren’t there.

But the Buckeyes will be tested in the next six days. After playing at Illinois today, they host No. 14 Iowa (12-1) before going to Wisconsin (9-2), where the Badgers currently hold a nation-best 36-game home winning streak.

Iowa grabbed some headlines early in the season in the EA Sports Maui Invitational with two wins against No. 17 Louisville and No. 15 Texas. Since, the Hawkeyes have shown they’re for real with an 83-53 blowout of Texas Tech in a nationally televised game.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, enters Big Ten play fresh off a 76-62 trouncing of No. 19 Alabama.

Then there’s No. 20 Michigan State (8-2), whose only two losses have been at No. 5 Duke and at No. 24 George Washington. Along with Illinois and Wisconsin, Iowa coach Steve Alford said the Spartans remain one of the teams to beat.

“I think until it’s taken from them, those are the three you have to continue to talk about,” Alford said.

And how does NU stack up?

“We’re not doing as well,” Carmody said bluntly.

But then he added, “It’s the Big Ten now. We’ll find out.”

Let the games begin.

Reach Anthony Tao at [email protected]