Big Ten men’s basketball preseason rankings: Purdue, Michigan lead this season’s deepest conference

Is it possible the Big Ten is this year’s SEC?

The SEC was the best league in college basketball, placing a record 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament. It’s hard to believe that will be repeated, but the Big Ten’s depth could be unrivaled in 2025-26.

Seven teams could begin the year in the preseason Top 25, and the computers love the league. The Torvik ratings have 15 Big Ten teams in the top 50, and only one (Penn State) outside the top 100. Based on preseason projections, Purdue and Michigan look like potential No. 1 seeds.

The most repeated stat when it comes to the Big Ten is that the league hasn’t won a national title since 2000. This could finally be the year.

Note: For freshmen, the ranking next to their name comes from the recruiting services consensus index (RSCI), which combines multiple ranking services to produce a consensus ranking.

Title contenders1. Purdue

Last season: 24-12, Sweet 16

Coach: Matt Painter (21st season)

Purdue’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Braden Smith

Sr.

15.8 PPG, 8.7 APG

Omer Mayer

Fr.

Fletcher Loyer

Sr.

13.8 PPG

Trey Kaufman-Renn

Sr.

20.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG

Oscar Cluff

Sr.

17.6 PPG, 12.3 RPG

Top bench players: Daniel Jacobsen (6.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.5 BPG); C.J. Cox (6.0 PPG); Gicarri Harris (3.8 PPG); Antione West Jr. (freshman, NR); Liam Murphy (13.0 PPG at North Florida)

Biggest losses: Myles Colvin (5.4 PPG); Cam Heide (4.7 PPG); Caleb Furst (4.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG)

Why they’re here: Any offense with Smith, Loyer and Kaufman-Renn is going to be elite, and it gets even better with the addition of Mayer, a homegrown talent from Tel Aviv in Israel who is one of the best young guards overseas. Mayer will be Purdue’s next great point guard after Smith graduates, but he should be able to provide some extra playmaking and scoring next to Smith this season. He’s a big upgrade at the second guard spot for the Boilers, who missed Lance Jones last year.

The Zach Edey void was also felt last year, but more on defense than offense. Purdue allowed opponents to shoot 55.6 percent from inside the arc, which ranked 332nd nationally. The Boilermakers were also a below-average rebounding team. For both areas, Painter hit the transfer portal and landed a dirty-work center in Cluff. He was a star at South Dakota State last season, but his role before that, when he was more of a rebounder/defender at Washington State, is more pertinent to what Purdue needed. Washington State had the 26th-best defense in 2023-24 with Cluff as the starting center; he should help Purdue get closer to the 12th-ranked defense it had in Edey’s final year. The return of Jacobsen, the 7-foot-4 center who fractured his tibia in the second game of the year last season, should also help.

Painter is one of the best coaches in the game, and this roster fits him perfectly. Star power, experience and a real effort in the offseason to plug the holes. Hard to see this team not being one of the best in the country.

Dusty May led Michigan to a Big Ten tournament title in his first season in Ann Arbor. This year’s team could contend for a national title. (Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)

2. Michigan

Last season: 27-10, Sweet 16

Coach: Dusty May (second season)

Michigan’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Elliot Cadeau

Jr.

9.4 PPG, 6.2 APG

Nimari Burnett

Gr.

9.4 PPG

Yaxel Lendeborg

Gr.

17.7 PPG, 11.4 RPG

Morez Johnson Jr.

So.

7.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG

Aday Mara

Jr.

6.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG

Top bench players: Roddy Gayle Jr. (9.8 PPG, 2.2 APG); Trey McKenney (freshman, No. 18); Will Tschetter (6.4 PPG); L.J. Cason (4.3 PPG); Winters Grady (freshman, No. 62); Oscar Goodman (redshirted)

Biggest losses: Vladislav Goldin (16.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.4 BPG); Danny Wolf (13.2 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 BPG); Tre Donaldson (11.3 PPG, 4.1 APG)

Why they’re here: A bet on talent and outside-the-box roster building. Last year, it was a question of whether May could play two 7-footers together, but the Wolf/Goldin frontcourt became one of the best in college basketball. This season, May might try to prove he can play a frontcourt that goes 6-foot-9, 6-foot-9, 7-foot-3. May employs lots of switching defensively and could come up with a scheme that makes this work and keeps Mara in the paint.

The possibilities are enticing because of how both Mara and Johnson grade out defensively. UCLA allowed just 95.6 points per 100 possessions with Mara on the floor, per CBB Analytics, and opponents were scared to go inside the arc, shooting 49.5 percent of their shots from deep and making only 43.9 percent of their 2s. How he played only 13.1 minutes per game is a mystery. The Illini interior defense was even stingier with Johnson on the floor; opponents made just 39.8 percent of their 2s, per CBB Analytics. No matter how May distributes minutes, Michigan will have at least one elite rim protector on the floor.

Lendeborg, one of the best transfers in the country, should inherit the Wolf role and keep the big-big pick-and-roll alive. The hope is he’s skilled enough to put three bigs on the floor together. And if those giant lineups fail, May has perimeter weapons to play smaller. Gayle, McKenney and Cason would start a lot of places and should bring instant offense off the bench. Shooting is the one concern, especially swapping out Donaldson for Cadeau. But Cadeau could help Michigan cut down on its turnovers, which were a major issue. He’ll also help make sure the bigs get their touches. There’s too much talent here to fail, even if some of the early lineup experiments don’t work out.

Wouldn’t be a shock if they won3. Illinois

Last season: 22-13, second round

Coach: Brad Underwood (ninth season)

Illinois’ projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Mihailo Petrovic

Rs.

Kylan Boswell

Sr.

12.3 PPG, 3.4 APG

Andrej Stojakovic

Jr.

17.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG

Ben Humrichous

Gr.

7.6 PPG

Tomislav Ivisic

Jr.

13.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG

Top bench players: David Mirkovic (international); Keaton Wagler (freshman, NR); Zvonimir Ivisic (8.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.9 BPG); Brandon Lee (freshman, NR); Jake Davis (3.0 peg)

Biggest losses: Kasparas Jakucionis (15.0 PPG, 4.7 APG); Will Riley (12.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG); Tre White (10.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG); Morez Johnson Jr. (7.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.1 BPG)

Why they’re here: Underwood had five straight top-five finishes in the Big Ten until last season’s seventh, when the Illini were a game back of finishing tied for fourth. He’s become a coach worth betting on his team finishing high in the league. He also gets credit for having a clear plan and going all in.

The Illini were early adopters dipping in the international pool to go buy players rather than going heavy in the transfer portal. Underwood doubled down this year, bringing two more players from the Adriatic League (Petrovic and Mirkovic) after Tomislav Ivisic was a huge hit coming from that same league last year. (International import Jakucionis also thrived.) Petrovic, the replacement for Jakucionis, is a 22-year-old point guard who was an MVP candidate last season, and Mirkovic put up better numbers than Tomislav Ivisic in his final year in the same league. The team chemistry could be streamlined with five players with Baltic blood in the rotation, two of whom are brothers.

Those players fit with a pro-style offense big on spacing, passing and finding mismatches. Underwood has gravitated toward skilled perimeter players with size, and the ceiling raisers on this roster are Stojakovic and Wagler. Stojakovic put up numbers on a bad team, but he has the kind of skill that you’d think would translate on a more talented roster. Wagler, at 6-6, can play both guard positions and Underwood is convinced that he’s way better than where recruiting experts slotted him. I’m also betting on Illinois having a progression-toward-the-mean shooting season. The Illini shot a ton of 3s last year but hit them at only a 31.3 percent clip, yet still finished 14th in adjusted offense. Imagine if they start making shots.

From the bottom toward the top

Bennett Stirtz, the Missouri Valley player of the year, followed his coach Ben McCollum to Iowa. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

4. Iowa

Last season: 17-16, no postseason

Coach: Ben McCollum (first season)

Iowa’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Bennett Stirtz

Sr.

19.2 PPG, 5.7 APG

Brendan Hausen

Sr.

10.9 PPG

Cooper Koch

R-Fr.

4.6 PPG

Alvaro Folgueiras

Jr.

14.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG

Cam Manyawu

Jr.

7.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG

Top bench players: Tavion Banks (10.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG at Drake); Trey Thompson (freshman, NR); Isaia Howard (4.5 PPG at Drake); Kael Combs (3.8 PPG); Tate Sage (freshman, NR); Trevin Jirak (freshman, NR)

Biggest losses: Payton Sandfort (16.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG); Josh Dix (14.4 PPG); Owen Freeman (16.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG); Pryce Sanford (8.8 PPG); Brock Harding (8.8 PPG, 5.3 APG)

Why they’re here: McCollum has won the league he’s coached in for 12 straight seasons and just went 31-4 in his first Division I season at Drake. McCollum got it done by bringing his best players with him, and he’s trying that strategy again at Iowa, most notably convincing Stirtz, our top-ranked transfer, to follow him. McCollum also added one of the best shooters in the portal in Hausen, and a big who can pop in Folgueiras (41.3 percent from 3 last season). Thompson and Jirak also have potential as playmaking bigs who could be dangerous in the pick-and-roll.

Iowa could be this year’s Michigan, winning a bunch of close games and the numbers suggesting there’s a bit of luck involved. But in reality, Iowa is going to be a team that’s exhausting to play against. The possessions will be low. It’ll be difficult to get good shots. And McCollum is going to steal a bucket or two with a smart design that will be the difference. Just ask Missouri Valley coaches.

5. Washington

Last season: 13-18, no postseason

Coach: Danny Sprinkle (second season)

Washington’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Quimari Peterson

Sr.

19.5 PPG, 3.7 APG

Desmond Claude

Sr.

15.8 PPG, 4.2 APG

Wesley Yates III

So.

14.1 PPG

Jacob Ognacevic

Gr.

20.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG

Hannes Steinbach

Fr.

Top bench players: Zoom Diallo (11.1 PPG, 2.7 APG); JJ Mandaquit (freshman, No. 50); Franck Kepnang (6.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG); Mady Traore (junior college); Bryson Tucker (5.4 PPG at Indiana); Lathan Sommerville (8.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG at Rutgers)

Biggest losses: Great Osobor (14.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.4 APG); Tyler Harris (11.8 påg, 5.0 RPG); Mekhi Mason (9.9 PPG); DJ Davis (8.7 PPG)

Why they’re here: Sprinkle’s first year didn’t go so hot but Washington had one of the best offseasons in the sport. It started with signing Steinbach.

I spent the summer asking coaches and scouts which international players they think will hit, and Steinbach was on every single list. He was terrific in the U-19 World Cup, averaging 17.4 points while making 74.2 percent of his 2s and also grabbing 13.0 rebounds per game to lead Germany to a silver medal. I’d put him with Cam Boozer as one of the best two bigs in the 2025 class. Next to Steinbach, Sprinkle has options, and the most likely starter is Ognacevic, who was one of the most efficient scorers in college basketball, making 70.7 percent of his 2s.

The backcourt is also an interesting mix. Peterson was the SoCon Player of the Year and is a fast, jittery guard who can make 3s. Then USC’s top two leading scorers in Claude and Yates. Diallo had a solid freshman season and it was a win to retain him, and I also really liked the steady guard play of Mandaquit in the U19s. And then Tucker, a top-20 player in the 2024 class, is a fun upside swing. Unless I talk myself out of it, I’ll be ranking Washington in my preseason Top 25. The roster is that good. Buy stock now.

Retention can be a good thing

After narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament, Ohio State returns an experienced team in 2025-26, led by Bruce Thornton. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)

6. Ohio State

Last season: 17-15, no postseason

Coach: Jake Diebler (second season)

Ohio State’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Bruce Thornton

Sr.

17.7 PPG, 4.6 APG

John Mobley Jr.

So.

13.0 PPG

Devin Royal

Jr.

13.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG

Brandon Noel

Gr.

19.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG

Christoph Tilly

Sr.

12.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG

Top bench players: A’mare Bynum (freshman, No. 60); Mathieu Grujicic (international); Josh Ojianwuna (7.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG at Baylor); Gabe Cupps (0.8 APG at Indiana)

Biggest losses: Micah Parrish (13.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG); Meechie Johnson (9.1 PPG); Sean Stewart (5.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG); Aaron Bradshaw (6.0 PPG)

Why they’re here: Ohio State was the highest-ranked team (No. 37) to not make the NCAA Tournament, per KenPom, and luck could have been the variable that held the Buckeyes out. KenPom had OSU 334th in his luck rating. This team had moments where it looked like a tourney team, most memorably by smoking Kentucky on a neutral floor and winning at Purdue.

Not surprisingly, the computers like this group again. Torvik has Ohio State at No. 19 and as the fifth-best Big Ten team. One reason why is the Buckeyes have something few teams do: actual retention. Diebler brought back Thornton, Mobley and Royal.

The additions also made this group much better. Tilly was an efficient scorer at Santa Clara and has the game and body to translate up to the Big Ten, and Noel gives the Buckeyes a frontcourt player who can make 3s, something last year’s team was missing. Also, those players give the Buckeyes a maturity their frontcourt was missing. Then the freshman class has a lot of upside. Bynum is a name I considered for this list, and Grujicic is a super-skilled wing who comes from Barca, a club that is known for producing some of the best prospects in basketball. (Ricky Rubio, Pau Gasol and Kasparas Jakucionis.) It could be a prove-it year for Diebler, and it feels like he’s built the right roster to give him a chance.

Could make me look bad for slotting too low7. UCLA

Last season: 23-11, second round

Coach: Mick Cronin (seventh season)

UCLA’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Donovan Dent

Sr.

20.4 PPG, 6.4 APG

Skyy Clark

Sr.

8.5 PPG, 2.7 APG

Eric Dailey Jr.

G/F

Jr.

11.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG

Tyler Bilodeau

Sr.

13.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG

Xavier Booker

F/C

Jr.

4.7 PPG

Top bench players: Trent Perry (2.9 PPG); Brandon Williams (redshirted); Jamar Brown (17.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG at UMKC); Eric Freeny (redshirted); Steven Jamerson II (10.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG at San Diego)

Biggest losses: Sebastian Mack (9.6 PPG); Kobe Johnson (7.9 PPG, 2.9 APG); Dylan Andrews (6.9 PPG, 3.4 APG); Aday Mara (6.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.6 BPG)

Why they’re here: UCLA was good enough defensively a year ago but its offense needed someone to make the game easier for everyone else. Cronin likely landed that player in Dent, who was one of the best guards in the country and should help Dailey and Bilodeau be the best versions of themselves. Cronin’s best teams at UCLA have had a high assist rate point guard and have suffered since Tyger Campbell graduated. Dent has had a 30-plus assist rate the last two seasons. The hope is he takes UCLA’s offense from good to great.

The computers are likely going to love the Bruins. Torvik has them at No. 9 in his preseason ratings and KenPom usually aligns pretty closely. I’m a little more skeptical, especially because I’m not sure swapping out Mara for Booker was smart. Both came in with high expectations and struggled to get consistent playing time, but Mara had excellent on-off numbers — as I said earlier, it was a bit of a mystery why he didn’t play more — and Booker’s on-off numbers suggested Tom Izzo made the proper assessment. The upside of Booker, a former five-star, is that he’s a stretch 5 who can also be a lob threat at the rim. The issue is he hasn’t made shots or impacted the game in any way that demanded he get more minutes.

The other starters are good enough that UCLA should be a lock to be an NCAA Tournament team; I’m just not sure I see the Bruins rising to the top 10. But the Torvik rating does give me pause that maybe I’m overthinking this.

Darian DeVries spent just one season at West Virginia before moving to Indiana this offseason. (Ed Zurga / Getty Images)

8. Indiana

Last season: 19-13, no postseason

Coach: Darian DeVries (first season)

Indiana’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Conor Enright

R-Sr.

7.5 PPG, 6.2 APG

Tayton Conerway

R-Sr.

14.2 PPG, 4.8 APG

Lamar Wilkerson

Sr.

20.5 PPG

Tucker DeVries

R-Sr.

14.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG

Reed Bailey

Sr.

18.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG

Top bench players: Nick Dorn (15.2 PPG at Elon); Jasai Miles (15.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG at North Florida); Jason Drake (11.1 PPG, 3.1 APG at Drexel); Sam Alexis (4.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG at Florida); Aleksa Ristic (international); Trent Sisley (freshman, No. 78); Andrej Acimovic (international)

Biggest losses: Oumar Ballo (13.0 PPG, 9.1 RPG); Mackenzie Mgbako (12.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG); Malik Reneau (13.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG); Myles Rice (10.1 PPG, 2.8 APG); Luke Goode (9.1 PPG); Trey Galloway (8.8 PPG, 4.7 APG)

Why they’re here: The Hoosiers spent in the portal and landed a class that has produced at the mid-major level. It’s just hard to say how this group is going to translate to the high-major level. DeVries has been a good evaluator of talent in his time as a head coach. What’s also promising is his son is healthy and West Virginia performed like a Top 25 team in the eight games he played a year ago. If Lamar Wilkerson can be Javon Small-level good, the rest of the core on paper is more talented than what DeVries had in Morgantown.

DeVries was smart to go get Enright, his old point guard from Drake. He has plenty of shooting and scoring, and a pass-first point guard fits. Ideally, it’d be nice to have a few more proven high-major players. We did get a sneak peek of the Hoosiers in August when they played back-to-back games against Mega Superbet. In the first, IU trailed by 23 and won by 22. In the second, the Hoosiers won 81-80. How good is Mega? Its point guard was Savo Drezgic, who only played in eight games for Georgia last season. Reason to worry? I had one coach suggest as much. I’m more in a wait-and-see mode.

9. Michigan State

Last season: 30-7, Elite Eight

Coach: Tom Izzo (31st season)

Michigan State’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Jeremy Sears Jr.

R-So.

7.2 PPG, 5.4 APG

Trey Fort

Sr.

14.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG

Coen Carr

Jr.

8.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG

Jaxon Kohler

Sr.

7.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG

Carson Cooper

Sr.

5.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG

Top bench players: Cam Ward (freshman, No. 52); Jordan Scott (freshman, No. 55); Kur Teng (0.5 PPG); Jesse McCulloch (redshirted); Divine Ugochukwu (5.3 PPG, 2.3 APG at Miami)

Biggest losses: Jaden Akins (12.8 PPG); Jase Richardson (12.1 PPG); Tre Holloman (9.1 PPG, 3.7 APG)

Why they’re here: After a redemption season that saw Michigan State win the Big Ten, I’m predicting a return to where the program was the previous four seasons, when the Spartans finished around .500 in the Big Ten. The reason to believe in this group is there are several impactful returners, but losing leading scorers Jaden Akins and Jase Richardson is concerning for the offense. The Spartans scored 121.3 points per 100 possessions with those two on the floor, per CBB Analytics, and that number dropped around 10 points whenever one of the two was off the floor. Losing Holloman to the portal was also a blow. It was rare last season that Izzo would ever have all three on the bench.

Their losses could nudge Izzo toward some lineups where Carr is at the 3 and the spacing really suffers. Carr is at his best as an undersized power forward, but is there enough perimeter pop to only play him there? I’m not so sure.

Defensively, this team should still be pretty good, but scoring could be difficult. The freshmen and Fort are going to need to contribute right away. That’s a tough chore for freshmen in the Big Ten and Fort, who shined in one year at Samford, played just 11.2 minutes per game the season before at Mississippi State.

Jackson Shelstad is the best returning player from an Oregon team that was a No. 5 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

10. Oregon

Last season: 25-10, second round

Coach: Dana Altman (16th season)

Oregon’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Jackson Shelstad

Jr.

13.7 PPG, 2.7 APG

Takai Simpkins

Sr.

16.4 PPG, 2.6 APG

Kwame Evans Jr.

Jr.

6.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG

Sean Stewart

Jr.

5.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG

Nate Bittle

Sr.

14.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG

Top bench players: Derrick Lindsay (medical redshirt); Efe Vatan (international); Jamari Phillips (1.4 PPG); Devon Pryor (3.2 PPG at Texas); JJ Frakes (freshman, NR)

Biggest losses: TJ Bamba (10.5 jpg, 3.0 APG); Keeshawn Barthelemy (10.0 PPG, 2.5 APG); Brandon Angel (8.3 PPG)

Why they’re here: Shelstad and Bittle form one of the best duos returning in the Big Ten and give Oregon a fairly high floor, but there’s not a lot else to get excited about. Oregon had a very meh portal season and only signed one freshman in Frakes, who ranks 239th in the class, per 247Sports. Maybe when you have two experienced stars, it doesn’t matter as much what is around them as long as everyone plays with effort and defends. We’ll see. Altman is a great coach and a reason not to slot the Ducks super low, but this feels like a middling Big Ten team.

NCAA Tournament-caliber11. Wisconsin

Last year: 27-10, second round

Coach: Greg Gard (11th season)

Wisconsin’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

John Blackwell

Jr.

15.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG

Nick Boyd

Sr.

13.4 PPG, 3.9 APG

Andrew Rohde

Sr.

9.3 PPG, 4.3 APG

Nolan Winter

Jr.

9.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG

Austin Rapp

So.

13.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG

Top bench players: Jack Janicki (1.9 PPG); Braeden Carrington (7.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG at Tulsa); Elijah Gray (9.0 PPG at Temple); Zach Kinziger (freshman, NR); Aleksas Bieliauskas (international); Hayden Jones (international); Jackson Robison (0.5 PPG)

Biggest losses: John Tonje (19.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG); Steven Crowl (9.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG); Max Klesmit (9.2 PPG, 2.7 APG); Kamari McGee (6.5 PPG)

Why they’re here: Gard has had a losing record in conference only one time. Wisconsin is never terrible, so anywhere below the middle is probably a bad projection. Gard filled holes nicely in the portal, especially on the perimeter. Boyd and Rohde come from good programs and know how to play. Neither is going to be a star, but they’re solid.

Last year’s team exceeded expectations because Tonje performed at an All-American level. It would take Blackwell going to that level for the Badgers to finish in the top five again. I also think the middle of the league is better this year. This feels like a team that’ll likely be on the bubble, but I’m betting on the Big Ten being good enough that double-digit teams make the tournament.

A healthy Rienk Mast could be the key for Nebraska returning to the NCAA Tournament this year. (Peter Aiken / Getty Images)

12. Nebraska

Last year: 21-14, winners of the College Basketball Crown

Coach: Fred Hoiberg (seventh season)

Nebraska’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Jamarques Lawrence

Sr.

9.9 PPG, 2.5 APG

Connor Essegian

Sr.

10.7 PPG

Pryce Sandfort

Jr.

8.8 PPG

Berke Buyuktuncel

Jr.

6.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG

Rienk Mast

Sr.

Medical redshirt

Top bench players: Kendall Blue (12.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG at St. Thomas); Sam Hoiberg (3.9 PPG, 1.4 SPG); Braden Frager (redshirted); Jared Garcia (9.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG at Tulsa); Ugnius Jarusevicius (16.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG at Central Michigan); Fridrik Leo Curtis (freshman, NR); Quentin Rhymes (freshman, NR)

Biggest losses: Brice Williams (20.4 mpg, 2.9 APG); Juwan Gary (14.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG); Andrew Morgan (8.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG); Rollie Worster (7.0 PPG, 2.6 APG)

Why they’re here: Nebraska was an NCAA Tournament team with Mast as the hub of the offense two years ago. The Cornhuskers do not have a true point guard but they have two good playmaking bigs in Mast and Buyuktuncel, and Hoiberg has always thrived with those types of players. Hoiberg also loves shooters and he has two elite ones in Essegian and Sandfort.

What this team might be missing is a high-usage perimeter scorer, but again, Hoiberg’s best offense at Nebraska was one that included Mast playing an integral role and had Lawrence at point guard. He’s back after a year away. If Mast can return to his 2023-24 form, the floor cannot be too low and the Huskers could be competing for a spot in the tourney.

13. Maryland

Last season: 27-9, Sweet 16

Coach: Buzz Williams (first year)

Maryland’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Myles Rice

Jr.

10.1 PPG, 2.8 APG

Isaiah Watts

Jr.

11.0 PPG, 1.7 SPG

Elijah Saunders

Sr.

10.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG

Solomon Washington

Sr.

4.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG

Pharrel Payne

F/C

Sr.

10.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG

Top bench players: Darius Adams (freshman, No. 26); Collin Metcalf (4.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.4 BPG at Northeastern); George Turkson Jr. (redshirted at Texas A&M); Andre Mills (redshirted at Texas A&M); David Coit (5.1 PPG at Kansas); Rakease Passmore (0.7 PPG at Kansas); Aleks Alston (freshman, NR)

Biggest losses: Derik Queen (16.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG); Ja’Kobi Gillespie (14.7 PPG, 4.8 APG); Rodney Rice (13.8 PPG); Julian Reese (13.3 påg, 9.0 RPG); Selton Miguel (11.6 PPG)

Why they’re here: To stick with the formula he won with at Texas A&M, Williams needs Rice/Watts/Adams to be Wade Taylor IV and Zhuric Phelps while the bigs clean up the misses. By getting Washington and Payne to follow to Maryland, Williams has the rebounders. I’m not so sure he has the firepower on the perimeter. This works if Rice is closer to what he was at Washington State than what he was at Indiana.

Perimeter shooting and spacing are also concerns. The three perimeter starters are all mid-to-low 30s 3-point shooters, and Washington shot 18.9 percent from 3 last year. It’s hard to win in today’s college basketball with that kind of shooting. It also usually takes Williams a few years before he starts to stack winning seasons. He made the NCAA Tournament in his third season at Virginia Tech and his fourth at Texas A&M. So don’t be surprised if it takes a few years at Maryland.

After reaching a Final Four with Auburn, Chad Baker-Mazara transferred to USC for his sixth season of college basketball. (Alex Slitz / Getty Images)

14. USC

Last season: 17-18, College Basketball Crown second round

Coach: Eric Musselman (second season)

USC’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Jordan Marsh

Jr.

18.8 PPG, 3.7 APG

Rodney Rice

Jr.

13.8 PPG

Chad Baker-Mazara

G/F

Gr.

12.3 PPG, 2.7 APG

Ezra Ausar

Sr.

12.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG

Jacob Cofie

So.

7.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG

Top bench players: Terrance Williams II (10.6 PPG); Ryan Cornish (17.1 PPG, 3.3 APG, 4.9 RPG at Dartmouth); Jerry Easter (freshman, No. 43); Amarion Dickerson (13.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG); Jaden Brownell (14.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG at Samford); Gabe Dynes (6.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.1 BPG at Youngstown State); Alijah Arenas (freshman, No. 29)

Biggest losses: Desmond Claude (15.8 PPG, 4.2 APG); Wesley Yates III (14.1 PPG); Chibuzo Agbo (11.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG); Saint Thomas (9.5 PPG); Rashaun Agee (9.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG); Josh Cohen (5.9 PPG)

Why they’re here: USC retained only one player in its rotation from last season, and I’m not sure the roster is much better than a year ago. Deeper? Probably. But would you rather have Claude and Yates or Rice and Baker-Mazara? I’d lean toward the former.

Musselman’s massive roster turnover also hasn’t worked so hot the last two years, as he’s gone a combined 13-25 in SEC/Big Ten play.
Musselman relies a lot on picking on mismatches, and I’m not sure Rice or Baker-Mazara are the types of scorers who can win in isolation. They’re both better as spot-up guys. Success could be tied to how well Marsh levels up. Last year’s team was missing a true point guard. We’ll see if Marsh can be that guy. He was a high-usage, average efficiency player at UNC Asheville, a team that finished tied for second in the Big South.

The bottom four15. Northwestern

Last season: 17-16, no postseason

Coach: Chris Collins (13th season)

Northwestern’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Jayden Reid

Jr.

12.6 PPG, 3.6 APG

Max Green

So.

14.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG

Justin Mullins

Sr.

4.4 PPG

Nick Martinelli

Sr.

20.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG

Arrinten Page

Jr.

3.5 PPG

Top bench players: K.J. Windham (5.6 PPG); Angelo Ciaravino (3.1 PPG); Jake West (freshman, NR); Tyler Kropp (freshman, NR)

Biggest losses: Brooks Barnhizer (17.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.2 APG); Jalen Leach (14.3 PPG, 3.4 APG); Ty Berry (10.6 PPG); Matthew Nicholson (5.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG)

Why they’re here: Martinelli was a breakout star in the Big Ten last season but the supporting cast around him is not nearly as good. The Wildcats had bad injury luck last season but even when healthy, they were just 3-7 in the Big Ten. Reid was a nice pickup and should help the defense at the point of attack, but there’s just not enough talent to compete in the Big Ten.

Niko Medved led Colorado State to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season before Minnesota hired him. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

16. Minnesota

Last season: 15-17, no postseason

Coach: Niko Medved (first season)

Minnesota’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Isaac Asuma

So.

5.6 PPG, 2.1 APG

Chansey Willis Jr.

Jr.

16.8 PPG, 5.8 PPG

Cade Tyson

G/F

Sr.

2.6 PPG

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson

Jr.

9.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG

Robert Vaihola

R-Sr.

7.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG

Top bench players: Langston Reynolds (16.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.4 APG at Northern Colorado); Bobby Durkin (13.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG at Davidson); B.J. Omot (10.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG); Chance Stephens (1.3 PPG at Maryland); Grayson Grove (redshirted); Kai Shinholster (freshman, NR)

Biggest losses: Dawson Garcia (19.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG); Lu’Cye Patterson (11.6 ppt, 3.3 APG); Mike Mitchell (8.6 PPG); Femi Odukale (6.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG)

Why they’re here: Medved took a year or two to get things rolling at both Furman and Colorado State and that could be the case at Minnesota. He needs to significantly upgrade the talent. It’s unfortunate for Medved that he wasn’t able to make the move when he had a strong core of underclassmen who could follow him. He brought just one player off his Colorado State roster, and it’s usually advantageous for coaches to be able to have some continuity to help with the transition.

There are some interesting pieces here who could potentially pop. Most notable is Tyson, who couldn’t get on the floor at UNC but was a hot transfer a year ago after averaging 16.2 points and shooting 46.5 percent from 3 at Belmont. He is a better fit in Medved’s system. Maybe, as he often did at CSU, Medved has found some gems and can outperform expectations. But it’d be a lot easier to steal some wins in a transition year in a league that’s not so stacked.

17. Penn State

Last season: 16-15, no postseason

Coach: Mike Rhoades (third season)

Penn State’s projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Kayden Mingo

Fr.

Freddie Dilione V

Jr.

9.4 PPG, 1.7 APG

Melih Tunca

Fr.

Josh Reed

Sr.

4.8 PPG

Saša Ciani

Jr.

9.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG

Top bench players: Mason Blackwood (freshman, NR); Eli Rice (medical redshirt); Dominick Stewart (2.8 PPG); Justin Houser (freshman, NR); Ivan Juric (freshman, NR); Reggie Grodin (freshman, NR); Tibor Mirtic (international)

Biggest losses: Ace Baldwin (14.0 PPG, 7.1 APG); Yanic Konan Niederhauser (12.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG); Zach Hicks (11.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG); Nicholas Kern (11.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG); Puff Johnson (10.2 PPG); D’Marco Dunn (8.4 PPG)

Why they’re here: The Nittany Lions lost their five leading scorers off a team that won only six games in the Big Ten. Losing Konan Niederhauser was especially tough. He still had a year left of eligibility and would have been one of the best returning centers in college basketball, but it was the right move for him to leave early after going 30th in the NBA Draft. And unlike most who are trying to win right away through the portal, the Nittany Lions are trying to build something with eight freshmen on the roster.

This season could be rough, but it’ll be interesting to see how this experiment works over the next few years.

18. Rutgers

Last season: 15-17, no postseason

Coach: Steve Pikiell (10th season)

Rutgers’ projected starting 5

PlayerPos.Yr.Last season statsLast season school

Jamichael Davis

Jr.

4.6 PPG, 1.7 APG

Tariq Francis

Jr.

19.2 PPG, 3.6 APG

Darren Buchanan Jr.

Jr.

10.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG

Dylan Grant

So.

5.9 PPG

Emmanuel Ogbole

Sr.

3.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG

Top bench players: Baye Fall (2.5 PPG at K-State); Chris Nwuli (freshman, No. 95); Lino Mark (freshman, NR); Gevonte Ware (Freshman, NR); Bryce Dortch (1.1 PPG)

Biggest losses: Dylan Harper (19.4 PPG, 4.0 APG); Ace Bailey (17.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG); Lathan Sommerville (8.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG); Jeremiah Williams (7.0 PPG); Jordan Derkack (5.7 PPG)

Why they’re here: Life after one-and-done lottery picks is tough. Pikiell has always won with defense and strayed from that last season. The Scarlet Knights had three top 10 adjusted defense finishes and had never finished outside the top 70 until last season’s 116th. Maybe they can get back to guarding this season.

The goal should be to find their identity again. This is another program that seems set on building more for the future than trying to compete this season. If your administration is behind you, it’s not a bad strategy.

(Top photo of Braden Smith: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

Big Ten men’s basketball preseason rankings: Purdue, Michigan lead this season’s deepest conference

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