– By Joey Bonadonna(@JoeyBonadonna)

Ladies and gentlemen, it is here. The fourth and final edition of the “Joey Bonadonna Big Ten Men’s Basketball Preseason Standings Predictions,” which has become more colloquially known as the “Big Ten Bible,” has arrived and is ready for public consumption. This year’s conference brings a lot of new faces (not teams, that was last year) in the form of four new head coaches, many high-impact transfers and freshmen and a LOT of international prospects.

Last season’s edition saw monumental improvement, with THREE teams finishing exactly where I predicted: Rutgers, Northwestern and Penn State. Unfortunately, none of those were in the top half of the conference and we once again are 0-3 on picking our conference champion. Purdue was my champion, and I said with my luck, they’d finish fifth. They couldn’t even do that and finished a lowly SIXTH in the final regular season standings. On the heels of spooky season, the biggest fear you should have as a college basketball coach this time of year is being my B1G champion pick!

Another key difference is that last year, I compiled a massive project tracking every player in the B1G and their entire career stats and trends, and to a point, was definitely overprepared for the creation of “The Bible.” This summer, I actually sought employment (shoutout to the 2025 Northwoods League champion Green Bay Rockers and IFL Eastern Conference champion Green Bay Blizzard) which took up so much of my precious free time that I only got about halfway through that project this year. But fear not, we will persevere and deliver everything you need to know about the B1G this season. 

Taking into account the preseason media polls via USA TODAY, as well as the KenPom H.U.M.A.N. Poll, here is, to the tee, exactly what will happen in the Big Ten men’s basketball season in 2025-26:

18: Rutgers (17th in media poll, 18th in KenPom poll) – Well, who knew? Rutgers’ experiment of taking two lottery picks and surrounding them with a painfully bad supporting cast did not go as well as planned. Now, Steve Pikiell is left high and dry with a seat as hot as ever and a team many prognosticators are selecting to finish last, including myself. First, let’s state the obvious: Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are gone, with not much to show for it from a season ago. How will the Scarlet Knights go about replacing them? *shrugs* How about going back to what Pikiell’s Rutgers teams have been built on in the past? Swarming defense. Looking at this roster through this lens, the pieces are there for some success. Jamichael Davis averaged about a steal per game and fellow returner Dylan Grant also stuffed the stat sheet defensively. While on the topic of returners, Emmanuel Ogbole needs to have a bounce-back year, most importantly, just staying on the floor. In the space that Lathan Sommerville left, he will be expected to do so as a defensive anchor in the post. Baye Fall could be a bit of a reclamation project in this spot too. Enough about defense, who’s putting the ball in the hoop? Darren Buchanan Jr. from George Washington is a good place to start. An A10 All-Freshman performer in his first season, Buchanan took a step back in his sophomore campaign, but will certainly be expected to find his form again to lead the charge for this Rutgers squad. Tariq Francis also comes over from NJIT, where he averaged almost 20 points per game for the Highlanders, albeit on not incredibly high efficiency and top-ten usage in the country. The brunt could also fall on freshman Harun Zrno who comes in as a contributor both on and off the ball. The only hope that things could be better for Rutgers is seeing more ball movement and cutting rather than the iso-heavy offense they saw last season. Perhaps the biggest weakness though, comes in the form of their three-point shooting. Zrno will have to play a big role in this regard, as will fellow international freshman Denis Badalau. Pikiell has been known to do more with less in the past, but even at that point, the ceiling just is not high enough for this team to sniff tournament contention. This is a roster built on reclamation projects and upside freshmen that ultimately does not have the legs to make a long enough run. They very well could find themselves interviewing candidates for a new head coach by February.

17: Penn State (18th in media poll, 17th in KenPom poll) – Penn State has not been able to capture magic under Mike Rhoades entering Year 3 in State College, finishing below .500 in B1G play in back-to-back seasons. That appears to be heading in a similar direction in 2025-26. The Nittany Lions lose all-conference performer Ace Baldwin, who has been tied to the hip to Rhoades for five years, along with Nick Kern, Puff Johnson and D’Marco Dunn, but the new-look backcourt does bring some excitement. Freddie Dilione V is the lone returning starter and served as one of the top secondary options a season ago. He struggled to find efficiency, shooting only .289 from deep and only averaged 9.4 points per game. His workload will likely be offset by two talented freshmen in Kayden Mingo and Melih Tunca. Mingo, the 37th-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, will bring a strong level of physicality that Rhoades will love to mold on both ends of the floor. Tunca, on the other hand, brings international experience from Turkey and will likely run the point for Penn State. With how Rhoades’ teams have operated in the past, this isn’t necessarily the worst recipe for success in his system but their ceiling is relatively low compared to the field. My biggest concern doesn’t lie in replacing Baldwin; it’s replacing the stellar post play of Yanic Konan Niederhauser. While his explosion onto the scene wasn’t necessarily predicted at this time last year, I’m not willing to make that jump with the current replacement plan in place. Sasa Ciani and Tibor Mirtic are the projected starters in the frontcourt. Ciani comes over from UIC where he led the Flames in rebounding at 7.6 per game. However, the major drop-off comes in the rim-defending category which was what YKN’s potential lied. At just 6’9, Ciani only blocked 0.5 shots per game. Mirtic comes in at a similar size, as does Cincinnati transfer Josh Reed, who will likely operate as a stretch four option, in replacement of Zach Hicks, who shot .413 from deep on high volume last season. Reed will have to pick up that slack left behind rather quickly. Ivan Juric and Justin Houser are other bench options, and while they do come in as true seven-footers, they don’t quite spell as much confidence as retaining YKN would have. The youth movement will have to play a significant role in getting the Nittany Lions off the ground, as eight freshmen pack out this rotation. While they have some fun commodities, they are not necessarily known, which leads to some concerns about most scenarios seeing them finish near the bottom three. Penn State’s style is perennially tough to play against, but also sees very high variability from game to game.

16: Minnesota (16th in media poll, 16th in KenPom poll) – Finally, a Minnesota preview where I don’t have to lament about Ben Johnson AND they’re not last! Good for them. With that, however, comes a lot of turnover that will take a lot of quick work to put back together. Niko Medved makes the move back to his alma mater after a great stretch with Colorado State and this was unequivocally the right hire. Medved brings NCAA Tournament experience to a program that desperately needs a boost of confidence to get them back to the dance. He returns just one player who saw minutes a season ago: Isaac Asuma. Asuma, a top-100 recruit a season ago, is a great place to start this grassroots movement to get the Golden Gophers back to relevance. He can do a little bit of everything to anchor the backcourt. Now, to dive into this gigantic portal class, let’s start with Cade Tyson who comes over from North Carolina. This is perhaps one of the biggest reclamation projects in all of college basketball, after Tyson’s extremely limited role in Chapel Hill last year. After finishing as a two-time all-Missouri Valley recipient at Belmont, he drops back down a level and could be a big part of Minnesota’s scoring punch from the wing this season. In a Medved offense that can cater to a number one scorer instantly, he could re-emerge as one of the best primary options in the conference. But, Minnesota has been there, done that, with Dawson Garcia the last couple of years. Another similarly-charged option could be Bobby Durkin from Davidson. Durkin comes straight from the A-10 as one of the highest-usage shooters in the country last season and could take on a similar role at Minnesota. If efficiency is more your style, look no further than Langston Reynolds from Northern Colorado. The senior guard averaged 16 points on almost 60 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep for a Bears team that won the Big Sky regular season title. Defensively, Minnesota will have their fair share of perimeter defending options. Chansey Willis, who could eventually thrust himself into the starting point guard role, averaged almost two steals a game for Western Michigan a season ago and BJ Omot from Cal has been a capable, bruising defender as well. Aside from them, I think lineups consisting of Durkin and Tyson could be potentially a net negative with their shortcomings defensively. Still, my biggest fret with the Gophers is their lack of true size in the post. They lack a true seven-footer that could hinder their ability to control the paint on a consistent basis. Ultimately, the Gophers feel like a team that could have some fun from time to time this season, but that lack of a paint presence will prove to be their Achilles’ heel against some of the teams in the top half of the conference. However, don’t be surprised to see this offense have some big nights to get some of them on their heels. For a team ranked this low, I have surprisingly little issues with this roster but someone has to finish 16th, and luckily for them, everyone makes the B1G tournament this year, so no sweating out a trip to Chicago for Goldy.

15: Nebraska (15th in media poll, 13th in KenPom poll) – Nebrasketball may have had their dream at an NCAA Tournament bid cut short by missing the B1G tournament, but hey, at least they were able to round things out with something called the College Basketball Crown! I hate to get off on a side tangent here, but if I ran for college basketball commissioner, I would run on the platform of making the NIT great again. I digress. The Huskers will forever go down as one of the best teams to not make it to their own conference tournament (a relatively new and short-lived phenomenon) but they certainly used that momentum this offseason towards putting together another fun roster under Fred Hoiberg. The biggest development for Nebraska is the return of Rienk Mast from injury. The former Bradley Brave redshirted last season after undergoing surgery in the offseason, but his addition is welcomed after losing guys like Juwan Gary and Andrew Morgan in the frontcourt. Pairing him alongside Berke Buyuktuncel will only be a positive for the latter’s development and take a little less pressure off of him in that rotation. As for the backcourt, there has to be a search for a replacement for Brice Williams. Calling my shot now, but Kendall Blue has a lot of potential in that category. The Badgers kicked the tires on him this last portal cycle, but he ultimately lands with a projected starting role in Lincoln. His athleticism and versatility will be a fun addition. Speaking of fun additions, how about a MARFO? Jamarques Lawrence returns to the Huskers after a year at Rhode Island where he was able to stay consistent as a scorer and distributor and will be expected to do the same at the point guard position for Nebraska. Finally, what would a Nebrasketball team be without its shooters? The incumbent Connor Essegian (#oldfriendalert) is coming off a campaign where he led the bench unit and poured in over double figures a night on high volume shooting. If he doesn’t tickle your fancy, how about Pryce Sandfort, brother of Payton and transfer from rival Iowa? Once again, while this is a fun offense and my love for Kendall Blue, there does seem to be a lack of that proven go-to scorer, which puts the pressure back on the inside-out game. Can Rienk Mast’s passing ability be enough to keep this unit going when things run stagnant? On the other side of the ball, I also question whether Nebraska’s rotation has enough defensive capabilities to stay consistent on both fronts. Sam Hoiberg has been a savior in that regard for the last couple years, but how long can you rely on him? The aforementioned Juwan Gary can’t head up that side of the court for you anymore, so who steps up? This team seems to be relatively high ceiling-low floor (as most Nebrasketball teams are) so let’s take the ride with them and see where they land.

14: Northwestern (14th in media poll, 15th in KenPom poll) – Northwestern consistently earns the benefit of the doubt under Chris Collins and while their ranking might not reflect that, I hope this glowing review can make up for that. The Wildcats suffered the massive loss of Brooks Barnhizer towards the beginning of B1G play last season, but it didn’t seem to matter much because Nick Martinelli emerged as the next primary scorer to take his role. However, they really struggled to find that signature win after Barnhizer was eventually done for the season and took some really long losing streaks to boot. As for 2025-26, they’ll welcome back Martinelli with open arms. Collins’ offensive scheme has revolved around having an isolation scorer who can get paint touches and proceed to distribute to strong shooters, where he perfectly fits. The next issue though will be finding that secondary scoring. I like some of the options available here. First, KJ Windham, one of the key returners for Northwestern, is looking for a sophomore breakout campaign. He saw a late surge as the season came to a close, seeing his usage and efficiency develop in tow. Collins took a couple of exciting transfers in Jayden Reid and Max Green. Reid, from South Florida, has been a strong (but inefficient) scorer for the Bulls, but has impressed in the preseason in Evanston. Green comes over from Holy Cross after a strong freshman season as a shooter for the Crusaders. The scoring punch will be there for Northwestern this year. A big piece of Northwestern’s identity I see taking a step back, though, is being able to balance it with their defense. In the past, the Wildcats have boasted several two-way options that allows their lineup to keep a relatively high floor at all times. The defensive ability is there for this team, despite the losses of Barnhizer and Matthew Nicholson. Justin Mullins has proven to be a strong defensive presence and Cincinnati transfer Arrinten Page has the metrics to back up his ability as a shot-affecter as well. The issue though is they are both either a non-factor offensively or are incredibly inefficient. Reid was a defensive pest at USF but stands at just 5’11 and in the Big Ten, that will inevitably come back to bite you in the matchups against the elite scorers of the conference. Can freshman Tre Singleton be a part of that solution? The top-100 recruit can be that two-way athletic bruiser the rotation needs, and they’ll need his impact quickly. Chris Collins will have to find a way to balance his lineup situationally to have success. While he has proven his chops as a coach year-in and year-out, this may prove to be a tall task. I don’t mind the outlook on this team being higher than 14th, but I don’t feel particularly strong enough to put them that much further up the standings. The A-10 arena but suffocating home-court advantage known as Welsh-Ryan Arena will be enough to pick off one or two of the league’s best this year and this roster has the potential for more, but it remains to be seen where the ceiling is for this season for Northwestern.

13: USC (11th in media poll, 12th in KenPom poll) – Last season, USC welcomed in Eric Musselman with a brand new roster, which turned into a sub-.500 finish for the Trojans. In Year #2, they pretty much run it back with the same process with a slightly different recipe: actually getting high-major talent in the portal. The lone returner for USC is former Michigan man Terrance Williams II who put together a strong performance in the early going of last year’s campaign, but suffered a season-ending injury after just seven games. He will return for his sixth year of college basketball and again, provides the only semblance of continuity to last year’s squad. The top option to replace will be Desmond Claude, who entered the portal late and moved to another former PAC-12 rival in the Big Ten in Washington. Early on, I’m led to believe Rodney Rice will be that guy for USC’s offense, coming off a tremendous campaign at Maryland. Rice may have been a big reason for Claude’s departure, so there might be some trust there for him to take on a bulk of the offense. The more controversial option has to be Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara. CBM is one of the most senior players in college basketball, but to put it lightly, he doesn’t act like it at times. This is perhaps one of the biggest high risk, high reward takes of the transfer portal cycle. He will need to fall in line quickly to make this relationship pan out for both sides. Those three will be the offensive punch for this USC team, but some intriguing options from the mid-major ranks could also rise to the occasion from time to time. Jordan Marsh from UNC Asheville averaged almost 20 points per game last season, but as is the trend, it came on high usage, low efficiency. Jaden Brownell from Samford can stretch the floor as a big as well. Outside of that, I’m not sold on many of the other offensive weapons for this USC team. Ezra Ausar and Jacob Cofie held it down to an extent out of the frontcourt at their previous Power Five stops, but they don’t necessarily jump off the page on either side of the ball. Amarion Dickerson was a defensive menace for Bobby Mo last season and should provide some great minutes defensively, but I don’t think his offensive game has much translatability to the Big Ten. Another Horizon league transfer, Gabe Dynes, comes in at 7’5 (supposedly???) and definitely will be used in certain matchup situations. I think the big X-factor for this team will be how much they end up getting out of blue chip freshman Alijah Arenas, who has had an incredibly difficult offseason before getting to campus. Arenas was involved in a car accident in April and was placed into a coma, but recovered well. Shortly thereafter, he suffered a torn meniscus, which is the main point impacting his availability at this point. If they can get him back at all this season, the ceiling of this team is significantly raised. Until that day comes, if it comes at all, I have some concerns about this backcourt gelling together enough to thrust USC into the top ten of the conference. For about ten minutes in April, it looked like it could be among one of the best in the sport, but now, I’m left with more questions than answers. The ceiling is certainly higher than this point, but I’ll leave them here for now.

12: Maryland (12th in media poll, 10th in KenPom poll) – I’ve made some passionate swings on Maryland over the years and have come up empty a couple times, so I think I’ll stay the course on my opinions this season. The major difference is this is no longer Kevin Willard at the helm, it’s Buzz Williams. The Terps should be a competitive program under Williams who has been a model of consistency over his career, aside from the fact that he has a different job every five years or so. They have no returners who played last season, but once again, have an interesting roster that’s all about fit. Buzz brings two players over from College Station who figure to play a major role in the rotation. Pharrel Payne returns to the Big Ten after spending time at Minnesota and putting together a productive season for the Aggies. He’ll hold down the frontcourt, as will Solomon Washington, the other holdover. Washington was a defensive maestro and fits perfectly with the “Buzz Ball” style. Elijah Saunders will finish out his collegiate career in College Park after stints with San Diego State and Virginia. Despite those programs being known for their defensive identity, Saunders has been more of a presence on the offensive side of the ball. He hasn’t been the most efficient scorer in his career but can do a lot from a versatility standpoint and again fits well with Maryland’s scheme. A couple of former Wazzu Cougars in Myles Rice and Isaiah Watts head up the backcourt. Rice spent last season at Indiana and failed to recapture the success he had in Pullman, but he should have success playing alongside his former running mate in Watts. David Coit also joins the roster after a small role at Kansas last season, but being a primary option at Northern Illinois for several years before that. This roster might not have a Wade Taylor-esque scorer that Williams rode to success the last couple of years, but Darius Adams does intrigue me as a talented freshman. He can step in as a strong offensive weapon, but also possesses the athleticism necessary to be a plus defender in this rotation. Unfortunately, when we talk about fit, this roster also fits the growing trend under Buzz Williams of not having strong shooting teams. Adams and Coit are probably the best shooters on the roster, but the lack of depth in that department does hamper their ceiling a bit. This team thought will clearly reflect what Buzz Williams-led teams do. They will break you down defensively, pick up extra possessions in transition or on the glass and give you forty minutes of tough basketball. We’ve reached the point in the standings where I would not be surprised to see a tournament team and Maryland fits that bill. If they can keep their identity consistent with what both Maryland and Buzz Williams have done over the past couple years, don’t be shocked to see them playing meaningful basketball in March.

11: Ohio State (8th in media poll, 8th in KenPom poll) – This is probably my hottest take in the rankings this year, but Ohio State has gotten to the point where I think we’re hyping them up a bit too much. Jake Diebler got his audition and debut, but now, this is crunch time and I’m still not sure I entirely trust him. He’ll have his fair share of fun toys to play with though, starting with this star-studded backcourt. Bruce Thornton has been dominant all throughout his collegiate career and will carry a heavy load again in 2025-26. He has statistically been one of the best options as a point guard on a national scale. I’ll be fair to Thornton, because I’m about to sing the praises of John Blackwell in a few paragraphs from now. He is one of the premier guards of the conference. I’m not quite willing to put him on the level of All-American, or even project him as a first-team All-B1G guy, but he is incredibly capable of everything you’ll ask out of a collegiate point guard. That is legalese for “I think he’s starting to creep a tad towards overrated, but I’ll give credit where it’s due, because he is eerily similar to where I think John Blackwell will be this season.” I will however buy in on John Mobley making a sophomore leap this year. He really came on strong towards the end of last season and has some work to develop as his own creator, but he will work well alongside Thornton. Devin Royal also returns and should provide some mismatch opportunities for the backcourt, of which I have little concerns. My major problem is with the new-look frontcourt, despite the exciting mid-major additions for the Buckeyes. Let’s start with Christoph Tilly. If you know much about my college basketball allegiances, I love Santa Clara basketball, meaning I watched quite a bit of Christoph Tilly over the past couple seasons. He is a solid player, but I struggled with his inconsistency quite a bit over his time with the Broncos. With the backcourt strengths Ohio State possesses, it may not matter much, but he was too passive on the boards for me to say he was the top center on the market as he was ranked at times during this cycle. He will provide his strengths on offense, but I can’t buy his impact on defense right now. Brandon Noel who comes from in-state Wright State and was sensational for the Raiders. He can play as a bruiser at 6’8 and has experience playing the five, but will likely play the four in this lineup. Generally, my concerns lie on the defensive end once more with Ohio State. I don’t see a lot of plus defenders projecting into this lineup and may have to win track meets on a consistent basis in the Big Ten to find sustained success. As I mentioned for Diebler, this feels like a make or break year for him to continue on in Columbus. It might be unfair expectations for the former interim, but Ohio State should be a place that is making the NCAA Tournament on a consistent basis. This roster feels like a strong one, but there will need to be a decent chunk of development to their defense and their bench unit to get to where they want to be. 

10: Washington (13th in media poll, 14th in KenPom poll) – If Washington hadn’t finished dead last in the conference last year, I think we’d be talking about this roster in a much better light than we are on the national scale. I am a massive fan of the roster overhaul Danny Sprinkle put this program through going into Year 2. To say last year was a disaster would be an understatement, but the starpower is much deeper for the Huskies. First, remember when we just talked about Desmond Claude for USC? He makes the move to the Pacific Northwest to head up this Washington offense where he did similar yeomen’s work for the Trojans last season as one of the best slashing guards in the conference. He brings a fellow USC teammate along with him in Wesley Yates III who brings similar expectations with him after a stellar freshman campaign. That pairing is proven production, point blank. Quimari Peterson will likely round out the backcourt as a traditional point guard, after finishing last season at ETSU as a strong shooter, facilitator and defender. If he doesn’t float your boat, Sprinkle has a couple young options at his disposal. Zoom Diallo returns from last year’s roster where he poured in double digit scoring, but wasn’t as strong of a shooter as Peterson. Freshman JJ Mandaquit will likely see some time as a ball handler, but he and Diallo will likely be projects as the season comes along. The frontcourt has some dynamic options as well, starting with Hannes Steinbach, who has been one of the most hyped international freshmen in the conference. Sheboygan native Jacob Ognacevic suffered an injury in the offseason and is expected to miss some time to start the season but those two should provide some great spacing for Franck Kepnang. I’ve previously described Kepnang as the “best worst player of all time” because his style of play isn’t really traditional and he is prone to some of the dumbest mistakes you might see, but I’ll be darned, he makes it fun to watch. Lathan Sommerville is another project who showed some flashes of excitement at Rutgers, who often fell in the shadows of his fellow freshmen All-Americans. I already mentioned it a bit, but I believe the biggest setback this team might face is health. With Ogancevic already sidelined and Kepnang with an extensive injury history, the wheels could fall off the bus if too many health problems stack up. Defense has also never totally been a part of Sprinkle’s identity, but there’s a lot to like about the potential of this offense. If they can find some strong shooting seasons from Peterson and Yates, Claude can help be the catalyst for this group that is primed for one of the biggest improvements in college basketball.

9: Iowa (9th in media poll, 11th in KenPom poll) – The final Frantrum has come and gone, as Fran McCaffery is no longer at the helm in Iowa City. Enter Ben McCollum, who helped Drake to a wire-to-wire Missouri Valley title and an NCAA Tournament win, just one year from coaching in Division II. He along with Bennett Stirtz has been one of the best stories in college basketball over the last couple years. All this to say I am not ready to anoint them as one of the best teams in the conference like some are proclaiming. This is a massive culture shift for Iowa going from Fran’s high-paced style to McCollum’s grind-it-out patient approach and while it comes with new faces, that will mean something. Starting with Stirtz though, he will obviously be one of the best transfers in the sport considering his body of work from start to finish last year. I have very little concerns about him translating to the Big Ten as he’s proven that, it’s the rest of the roster I’d like to pump the brakes on. Alvaro Folgueiras comes over from Bobby Mo and will play as one of the best guard-big tandems in the conference with Stirtz. I’m not necessarily anticipating an All-B1G campaign out of him though. Four other transfers come over from Drake in the form of Cam Manyawu, Isaia Howard, Tavion Banks and Kael Combs. Banks saw the most minutes of the holdovers, but was not much of a threat to space the floor, along with Manyawu as well. Those two had strong pick-and-roll action together at Drake and that may be their best role together in this offense. The combo that will likely have the largest impact for this Iowa team will be Brendan Hausen and Cooper Koch, the latter being the only returner for the Hawkeyes. Shooting in this offense is crucial, but in a different way than it was under the previous regime. These two will have to make the most of their opportunities to surround Stirtz with power-conference level production. I don’t see the upside that others do for this Iowa roster, but there is a lot of intent behind this roster-building. I think this spot is incredibly realistic for how much change there is and how much of a jump is required for much of this roster. The relationship between McCollum and Stirtz is good enough to get them into the top half of the conference. Who else can step up to take them further? Are they already limited as is with their size, depth and athleticism? For now, leaving this team on the bubble feels good for me and should be viewed as a successful first year. That won’t be enough for Ben McCollum though. He just wins. And he might just win again at Iowa.

8: Indiana (10th in media poll, 9th in KenPom poll) – The reign of terror is over in Bloomington as Mike Woodson just never panned out for the Hoosiers. Enter Darian DeVries: shocker, another former Drake coach in the Big Ten. DeVries put together a strong start in Year 1 in West Virginia and quickly jetted for the appealing job and resources at Indiana after injuries (wink wink) derailed the season for the Mountaineers. He brings along his son Tucker DeVries who walked, so Bennett Stirtz could run at Drake. He manages another year of eligibility after suffering an injury and getting a medical redshirt which lifts a massive piece of the burden off of Dad’s shoulders in putting together his inaugural roster. However, I don’t think he needs that much help. This roster is pretty solidly built with production, with a major caveat. It’s a lot of mid-major production. Seven players saw over 30 minutes per game last season, and simple math will tell you, there’s not that many minutes to go around and there’s also only one basketball to score with. That sign can’t stop me though, because I can’t read. Lamar Wilkerson was one of my favorite pickups in the portal from Sam Houston, who helps hold down the backcourt alongside DeVries. Tayton Conerway is a strong facilitator at the point who can get those two going offensively. If there’s one strength of this team, it will be their options to shoot at a high level. Both DeVries and Wilkerson are proven shooters, but Nick Dorn, Jasai Miles and Conot Enright did it at a high level at their previous stops. If their usage drops a bit, perhaps their efficiency can creep closer to 40%. Blue chip freshmen Trent Sisley and Aleksa Ristic can also provide some depth on the perimeter as well. The most intriguing piece for Indiana has to be Reed Bailey, who shot over 40 percent and scored almost 20 points per game for Davidson last year at 6’10. He was one of the most coveted bigs in the country for a reason. The issue though with him and the rest of this Indiana frontcourt will be their physicality, mostly on the defensive end. Sam Alexis and Josh Harris are the only other players with collegiate experience at the five and none have proven it at the Big Ten level. The paint presence feels like it will be a work in progress all season. There is no Oumar Ballo level producer on this roster, nor Kel’el Ware, nor Trayce Jackson-Davis. For a program that has been very paint-oriented for some time, Darian DeVries is flipping the script. At its roots, I think this roster has a higher ceiling than any of the teams below it. But, I also know Indiana basketball. They can bark, but at what point do we see the bite? DeVries is a step in the right direction as a program though, and I think this team has a shot at an NCAA Tournament berth with a solid body of work this season.

7: Michigan State (5th in media poll, 5th in KenPom poll) – They say never doubt Tom Izzo. After all, the preseason expectations are about the same as they were last season when they won the regular season title. I think I might have to doubt Tom Izzo this year. Not too much, but enough to have them outside my top five. There are a lot of losses to recover from that this roster doesn’t seem quite prepared for. Perhaps my mind will be changed rather quickly. Jeremy Fears heads into his redshirt sophomore year looking for that breakout campaign that I believe he will have. He averaged over five assists per game, but he’s looking for that next step of creating for himself, where he struggled last season. The frontcourt also retains a solid core of Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper. I thought this was a unit that should have played together more often last year and they will certainly see a good chunk of minutes as a duo this season. Then lies the enigma that is Coen Carr. He might be the best athlete in college basketball, bar none. Carr makes it work for himself on both ends of the floor. This aforementioned 3-4-5 combo should wreak havoc defensively and steal a lot of extra possessions for this squad. In the portal, the Spartans didn’t go for quantity. Nor quality either. You certainly would feel a lot better about this class if Kaleb Glenn hadn’t suffered a season-ending knee injury in the summer, but they still got a couple pieces that could be really effective in pulling this rotation together. Trey Fort averaged 14.6 points per game for Bucky McMillan and Samford last season and fit into the scheme like a glove there. Izzo will hope he can help elevate this offense with his ability to pull a quick trigger from deep. Divine Ugochukwu certainly needs a redemption year after a tough campaign for Miami last year. He will likely be the only bench guard worth something behind Fort and Fears, unless Kur Teng puts together a strong sophomore jump. Cam Ward (no, not the first overall pick from Miami) and Jordan Scott bring some excitement as freshmen and may be called upon for some early minutes to help elongate this rotation again like last year. The gist of what Izzo’s teams have been should be the same. This will be a strong defensive team in man-to-man and have the ability to get out and run a balanced transition offense. Outside of that, though, I don’t have much confidence in Michigan State to elevate their game much further than that. The depth just simply isn’t where it was last year that made them so dangerous as a collective unit. The Spartans should consistently be a tournament team. I fear that may be cutting it close in 2026. To be fair though, I never seem to get Michigan State right, so I could be completely off base here.

6: Oregon (7th in media poll, 6th in KenPom poll) – The Ducks were a team I was high on last year, and while they fell short of those expectations in the conference last year, Dana Altman put together a strong inaugural B1G campaign and was able to retain the same core of stars to run it back in 2025-26. First, I sang the praises of junior Jackson Shelstad of becoming a true superstar for Oregon. While that didn’t necessarily come true, he did have a strong year and will look to build on it alongside his big man Nate Bittle, who found another year of eligibility and returned to Eugene. Bittle ended up being the catalyst on Shelstad’s off nights last year as he was one of the most efficient post scorers with a plus ability to stretch the floor to boot. If Bittle is able to keep the Ducks in games long enough, Shelstad can find the clutch shot to secure a win. Kwame Evans will share the frontcourt with Bittle, which was a strong defensive pairing last year, but on the other side of the ball, could see opportunity for growth as well. The Ducks did hit the portal for a few impact transfers as well. TK Simpkins stands out as the main pickup for Oregon after averaging 16 points per game last season at Elon. He will have to break the trend of being a mid-major scorer on high usage and low efficiency, but his role as a third option in this offense should help ease the pressure. Devon Pryor comes over from Texas seeking a larger role and likely fits in at the wing. On the flip side of Simpkins, perhaps something can unlock for Pryor with a larger role. The backcourt alongside Shelstad is no TJ Bamba or Keeshawn Barthelemy, but I feel confident in them doing enough to elevate the guys at the top to keep this offense moving. Finally, Sean Stewart heads to his third school in as many years after being a defensive stalwart and board cleaner for the Buckeyes last season. He likely can slide in at either frontcourt spot and provide some additional bench support. The Ducks also were strong in their international recruiting this offseason. Ege Demir was a tremendous shot blocker in Turkey and helps put together a strong frontcourt unit for Oregon. However, the man who has stolen the show in the preseason is Chinese prospect Wei Lin. The two-time CBA All-Star makes the move to college basketball and by all accounts has the potential to be an electric scorer for Altman this season. If he’s able to continue his rise, it is possible he overtakes Shelstad as the primary option by the end of the season, which would be a strong development for this squad that desperately needs that established scoring that he brings to the table. The core of Bittle and Shelstad has proven enough to be a strong tournament team, but will this team be deep enough to make any further run? Finding that third star will be paramount towards higher goals for Oregon this season.

5: Wisconsin (6th in media poll, 7th in KenPom poll) – U-rah-rah. The Badgers come in right where they finished in last season’s standings, and Greg Gard has truly proven that his teams will figure it out in some way, shape or form to be a competitive team despite whatever the expectations are. The downside of that is now, there are expectations placed on this team and they’ll be under a watchful eye at the beginning of the season. The dark shadow of not making a Sweet 16 in almost ten years also looms, but despite all this, I strongly believe this team is up to those tasks. Replacing the All-American production of John Tonje is checklist item #1 and while there likely is no one-to-one replacement for him, there’s a guy who has come pretty close in terms of preseason hype. John Blackwell returns after testing the NBA Draft waters and has looked as advertised in the first couple opportunities to see him in action in October. Not much has changed on the scouting report for him, but it’s a strong one. Blackwell is a three-level scorer with the defensive capability to call himself a plus in that department. He will have to step into that alpha role from Day 1. The other key returner with a decent amount of NBA buzz is Nolan Winter. The junior forward has completely molded his game from where he was as a high school prospect, while maintaining the skills that made him so intriguing as a big man. He will have large shoes to fill at the five replacing four-year starter Steven Crowl, but he has been one of the most hyped breakout candidates of the offseason. Next, the meticulously-selected transfer portal class that helps continue this offensive renaissance in Madison. The crown jewel has been Nick Boyd, who comes by way of San Diego State and Florida Atlantic, boasting strong NCAA Tournament experience. The lefty point guard fits in seamlessly in the backcourt with Blackwell as someone who can elevate the pace of the offense. The pick-and-pop opportunities will be aplomb with the addition of reigning WCC Freshman of the Year Austin Rapp. One of the best-shooting big men in the country last season also seems a strong fit in an offense that’s built around the three ball, but he’s also seen development as a true paint scorer as well. Finally, you can’t forget about the Brookfield native Andrew Rohde. He helps round out the starting five as a strong defender, facilitator and opportunistic scorer as well. The interesting development for Wisconsin will be their bench. There aren’t the veteran pieces like Kamari McGee or Carter Gilmore coming to give you impact minutes every night, but the options exist. Start with Jack Janicki who alongside Gilmore was one of the best walk-ons in the country last season. Now he’ll be expected to head up this bench unit alongside Tulsa transfer Braeden Carrington. This is a bounce back spot for Carrington who was at the school across our western border for a couple seasons before returning back to the Big Ten for his final year of college basketball. Aside from those two, there is not much returning experience expected to be in the rotation. In fact, four freshmen are the next guys up. Aleksas Bieliauskas looks like he will be the first big off the bench and from all accounts, it appears he’s capable of quite a lot as a frontcourt option. Some of the big mistakes will need to be shored up quickly for the Lithuanian prospect, as he may have some frustrating moments at times. Local product Will Garlock is the other seven-footer on the roster and he seems to be much more developed at this point than even I anticipated. Hayden Jones can man down the other backcourt minutes with his tweener capabilities and FRCC legend Zach Kinziger could also be called upon with his deadly shooting ability. It will be that lack of experience off the bench that could come back to bite Wisconsin but the developments are positive for the potential of that unit. There may also be nights where a lineup that’s built to win off the three-ball doesn’t hit their threes which may be frustrating at times as well. At this point, this Badgers team feels like one of the safe outcomes of the season: 20+ wins, upper echelon of the B1G, first weekend exits, rinse and repeat. Right? Or maybe there’s something more on the bone for this group. To be determined.

4: UCLA (4th in media poll, 4th in KenPom poll) – The Bruins managed a top-4 finish in last year’s standings despite a disastrous start to their conference season. Mick Cronin has proved himself to be one of the most polarizing figures in the sport, but he has generated results for years and this year will be no different. What is different is that he might have found his generational point guard that he’s been missing for *checks notes* three years. It hasn’t been an incredibly long time since the Tyger Campbell era but Donovan Dent fits the bill as a true difference maker in the backcourt for UCLA. Again, if you know anything about my college basketball allegiances, I’ve been a strong proponent of the New Mexico Lobos over the past couple years and Dent has been a large part of what has made them so fun to watch. He will most certainly slide right in as a potential All-American contributor for the Bruins. Alongside Dent is a steady group of returners, headlined by Tyler Bilodeau. The senior forward can do a little bit of everything from the four-spot and will greatly benefit from Dent’s addition, working with the inside-out game. Eric Dailey also quietly had a very strong campaign last year, averaging over double figures and being a plus defender as well. If he can find a tinge of consistency, he can be the catalyst of a potent UCLA offense. Jamar Brown comes over from UMKC, where he handled a little bit of everything from the wing and shot over 40 percent from 3 on incredibly high usage. The question marks remain in the other spots in the lineup and the conundrum we like to call the “Former McDonald’s All-American” dilemma. Somehow, some way, senior Skyy Clark is still finding himself on potential breakout lists in the big 2025, but maybe these lists might be onto something. He does everything you want out of a two-guard and again, with Dent’s addition, a little pressure is lifted and he can focus on being a spot-up shooter and a strong defender. Not that he can’t handle the ball, but it’s not something I’d want to see a lot of. The other piece of the dilemma is Michigan State transfer Xavier Booker. The former top-10 recruit never broke out under Tom Izzo, so he joins Cronin’s squad that desperately needs a true five after the departure of Aday Mara (who we’ll talk about in a brief moment). Booker, himself, desperately needs minutes on the floor, as even in MSU’s deep rotation last year, he barely cracked 12 minutes a game. Both parties need to hope that potential that was once coveted shines through in 2025-26. Steven Jamerson from San Diego is the only other option to play the five (aside from Bilodeau in some lineups) but I wouldn’t bet on his impact as much as I have hope for Booker. Still, I believe this roster is set up for success. You’ll be hard pressed to find an option that isn’t a plus shooter and a plus defender, which is a recipe for a good team in Westwood.

3: Michigan (2nd in media poll, 2nd in KenPom poll) – The defending B1G tournament champions, fresh off of a Sweet 16 run, have reloaded in a big way in Year 2 under Dusty May. After losing Danny Wolf to the draft and Vlad Goldin to graduation, the frontcourt needed to be addressed, and boy, was it ever addressed. Yaxel Lendeborg headlines the portal class after operating as a double-double (and even triple-double at times) machine at UAB last season. The 6’9 forward did test the draft waters, but ultimately, he decided to return to college and head to Ann Arbor. He is one of the most skilled bigs in the country and will play like it at Michigan. A few other former B1G bigs make the move to play for the Wolverines, continuing with Morez Johnson from Illinois. He missed time last year during his freshman campaign with the Illini and you could tell his rebounding ability was sorely missed while he was gone. He likely slides in at the five, unless the aforementioned Aday Mara has something to say about it. If you only watched Mara against Wisconsin, you’d think he’d be the best player in the country and the next Zach Edey. I wouldn’t go that far to describe him, but he’s certainly a matchup nightmare for any team trying to guard him. None of these guys can shoot as well as Wolf or Goldin, but luckily, Will Tschetter is still somehow playing college basketball. He will see valuable minutes as the stretch four while the other three can gum it up inside. The backcourt sees some continuity as both Roddy Gayle and Nimari Burnett return. Burnett was the only consistent semblance of shooting for Michigan last season, but Gayle kicked in some strong scoring numbers as well. They will need a boost from one of those two to help their offensive potential reach true contender status. The backcourt also sees some new faces in Elliot Cadeau who in all likelihood will replace Tre Donaldson. This was an interesting saga in Michigan’s offseason. Donaldson wasn’t a world beater, but he was their best guard by far last season. Then, he jets off to Miami and they replace him with the biggest point guard name on the market, but maybe not the best value in Cadeau. He has some value as a distributor but I really want to see the backcourt start making impacts with their scoring. Maybe freshman Trey McKenney will be a big part of that? The 6’4 guard comes in with a level of physicality and shooting that could see him grab some extra minutes, as he may be the better fit ultimately. If this backcourt sees some jumps from a scoring perspective, I am comfortable saying this Michigan team will be among the upper echelon in college basketball. At the end of the day, Dusty May can flat out coach and he will find a way to win when it matters. The roster is star-studded and while the schematic fit may be off at times, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt to maximize the talent at his fingertips.

2: Illinois (3rd in media poll, 3rd in KenPom poll) – Brad Underwood and the Fighting Illini are trying this interesting strategy that’s all the craze in college basketball of recruiting straight out of Europe and considering they developed a lottery pick last season in Kasparas Jakucionis, it’s not a bad one to try. This roster sees some pretty significant losses, but the replacement of taking guys with professional experience feels like it should pay early dividends for this squad. First, let’s talk about the main returner from overseas in Tomislav Ivisic. During his time on the court last season, he proved himself as one of the most skilled bigs in the country and can do a lot of everything to help this offense get going. His brother Zvonimir Ivisic brings experience out of the SEC and can also stretch the floor for this unit. This frontcourt will be appointment television all season long with how well they can play off each other and the backcourt isn’t far behind, if at all. Starting with Kylan Boswell in Year 2 in Champaign, he’s still looking to find his own form of consistency, but when he’s on, he’s one of the most exciting two-way guards in the conference. He’ll likely handle point guard duties alongside Mihailo Petrovic who was recently granted his eligibility by the NCAA. The 23-year old possesses so much experience that will fit in seamlessly with what Illinois wants to do on both sides of the ball as well. In trying to replace Jakucionis’s scoring, they went out to get former Cal Bear Andrej Stojakovic who’s preparing for a breakout junior campaign. The opportunity will certainly be there for him. I still don’t think we’ve hit the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the talent on this team. David Mirkovic can spell the Ivisic brothers as a bruiser at the four. Keaton Wagler has received a lot of praise in the preseason for his maturity as a freshman, which could earn him some early playing time. The X-factor for this Illinois team that separates them from good to great will be the transfers from last season’s team that generally disappointed Illinois fans in 2024-25. Ben Humrichous struggled to make the B1G-level jump required of him but his expectations should be much more manageable this year. Where were you for the Jake Davis game against Oregon last year? What if he did a lot more of that for the Illini this year? That would be pretty cool. Unless you’re playing against him. Additionally, while not under the transfer category, Ty Rodgers redshirted last season, but suffered a new injury this offseason that may sideline him again this year. Those little things are what could separate this roster from the next level. Ultimately, this roster should gel together pretty well and mostly requires some growth on the margins to make them a true contender. At their minimum, they’ll have a strong argument for being a double bye candidate in Chicago this year. Speaking of Chicago, maybe this Illini team can play themselves into being in their home state for NCAA Tournament play on the second weekend. That would also be pretty cool. Unless you’re playing against them.
1: Purdue (1st in media poll, 1st in KenPom poll) – Finally, here come the Purdue Boilermakers as the official pick as my B1G champion. Again, I am 0-3 on picking a champion, but there’s no way at this point in the season that anyone should pick against this roster. Matt Painter has a philosophy and he’s sticking to it and it’s turned into one of the most consistently successful programs in the country. Braden Smith is the ideal college basketball player, in the sense that he might not be NBA-caliber but he will be one of the best players in the country as long as he’s on a college floor. He just finds a way to get it done to get this offense going on a nightly basis. For what he lacks in size or athleticism, he makes up for in incredible vision and creation ability. He’ll have no shortage of weapons to work with, including Trey Kaufman-Renn. This combo proved that it wasn’t just Zach Edey that was keeping things going at Purdue, these two are equally capable of playing off each other. Perhaps, it might not hurt though to add another piece in the post in the portal. After not attacking the transfer market at all in 2024, Painter dips in and grabs the best center on the market in Oscar Cluff from South Dakota State. Cluff bounces back to Power 5 basketball after a dominant campaign that is incredibly translatable to the Big Ten. His size and physicality will be a monster on the glass, gobbling up extra possessions for the Boilermakers. Getting back to the returners, Fletcher Loyer answered the bell as the third scorer for this team, putting up efficient numbers in the process. Omer Mayer has also received rave reviews and he may catapult into the starting five when all is said and done. It may require some time before he can become a true threat, but I buy him being a key piece towards success in West Lafayette come March. The biggest key towards unlocking Purdue’s potential will be their post defense. While TKR was strong enough offensively and wasn’t a complete sieve defensively, opponents enjoyed the extra spacing that Edey didn’t take up last year. Cluff could play a big role towards that, but I await the return of Mount Horeb native Daniel Jacobsen to the Purdue lineup. Jacobsen played in just two games during his freshman season before suffering a season-ending injury, but his impact was certainly an exciting prospect for last year’s squad. They would love for him to contribute and stay healthy to reach their summit. This is a Final Four team for me. Barring disasters with the injury bug, this is a well-constructed roster with true aspirations to finally end the Big Ten title drought that’s going on half-a-century long. Of course, this means Purdue will finish fourth in the conference, get a 4-seed in the tournament and lose to 12-seed South Florida in the round of 32. But, this is ONLY November. Take it all in and enjoy the ride. Happy college basketball season!