Ranking Big Ten basketball programs: Tournament teams abound, but is anyone elite?

The Big Ten hasn’t won a national championship in men’s basketball since Michigan State went all the way in 2000, and there’s a good chance that title drought will continue this season. You won’t find a Big Ten team in the top 10 of most preseason rankings or a roster that looks elite on paper.

But depth is a strength of the league, especially with the additions of UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington, which could make this as wild of a conference race as we’ve ever seen. You could craft a scenario where any one of the top 15 or so teams in these projections wins the league. To that point: The Big Ten could put a dozen teams in the NCAA Tournament, but not a single No. 1 or No. 2 seed. The transfer portal has given just about everyone hope and provided reasons to be skeptical of just about any roster. So when it comes to picking a Big Ten favorite, let’s go with the one program where continuity matters.

1. Purdue

Biggest losses: Zach Edey (25.2 ppg, 12.2 rpg); Lance Jones (11.7 ppg, 1.9 apg); Mason Gillis (6.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg)

Returning rotation players: Braden Smith (12.0 ppg, 7.5 apg); Fletcher Loyer (10.3 ppg, 1.9 apg); Trey Kaufman-Renn (6.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg); Cam Heide (3.3 ppg); Myles Colvin (3.3 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 69 Gicarri Harris

Top 100 transfers added: None

Why they’re here: When in doubt, just bet on Matt Painter. Purdue has been the league’s most consistent program in the last decade, finishing in the top four in nine of the last 10 years with four regular season titles during that stretch, including the most recent two. Painter does it while mostly staying out of the transfer portal and smartly identifying underrated players. His ultimate development project, Edey, is gone now, but the leftovers are pretty good.

Smith is one of the best returning guards in college basketball and just needs a new pick-and-roll buddy. Kaufman-Renn is the favorite for that role; he was Purdue’s go-to scorer in the summer of 2023 when it did a foreign tour without Edey. Another option could be 7-foot-4 freshman center Daniel Jacobsen, who made a name for himself this summer playing for the USA Basketball under-18 team that won gold at the AmeriCup, averaging 9.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game. He looks like another recruiting steal for Painter. He’s one of three centers 6-11 or taller on the roster — incoming 6-11 freshman Raleigh Burgess and Will Berg, Edey’s 7-foot-2 understudy the last two years, being the others.

The Boilermakers are still going to throw the ball inside but will probably be less reliant on post-ups now that Edey is gone. That should be fine because this team has plenty of shooting and some athletic wings ready to make the leap. Colvin and Heide would fit the mold as breakout candidates. Also keep an eye out for Caleb Furst, who got squeezed out of a deep frontcourt last season because he didn’t fit best alongside Edey but has the size and skill to be a productive big in the Big Ten. And in Painter’s system, you can bank on the returners getting better and a new star emerging.

2. Michigan

Biggest losses: Dug McDaniel (16.3 ppg, 4.7 apg); Terrance Williams (12.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Olivier Nkamhoua (14.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg); Tarris Reed (9.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg); Tray Jackson (5.0 ppg); Jaelin Llewellyn (5.2 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Nimari Burnett (9.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Will Tschetter (6.8 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: None

Top 100 transfers added: No. 13 Roddy Gayle Jr. (Ohio State), No. 20 Danny Wolf (Yale), No. 31 Vladislav Goldin (Florida Atlantic), No. 88 Sam Walters (Alabama)

Why they’re here: Michigan should have one of the best frontcourts in the country. Goldin was one of the nation’s most efficient low-post scorers last season, averaging 15.7 points on 67.3 percent shooting. Wolf’s ability to play from the blocks or the perimeter could equip the Wolverines with a great high-low approach. (Time for new coach Dusty May to study old-school Bill Self offense.)

At Florida Atlantic, May leaned into spreading the floor with playmakers and shooters. This team will have a different look. He still has some shooting — Walters was one of the best young shooters in the portal — but he has really leaned into positional size. Michigan could roll out a lineup that includes a combo of Rubin Jones (North Texas), Burnett or Gayle — all 6-foot-5 — in the backcourt, the 6-10 Walters on the wing and then the two 7-footers Goldin and Wolf inside. Incoming 6-foot-3 guard Tre Donaldson (Auburn), plus freshmen Justin Pippin (6-3) and Durral ‘Phat Phat’ Brooks (6-2), are the only players under 6-5 who could be part of the rotation.

Even with a smaller team at FAU, May coached a switch-heavy defense, and this team is built for that. Will the pieces fit together on offense? We’ll see. But playing through bigs usually wins in the Big Ten, and Michigan is competing with Indiana for the best frontcourt in the league.

3. Indiana

Biggest losses: Kel’el Ware (15.9 ppg, 9.9 rpg); Anthony Walker (5.1 ppg); Xavier Johnson (7.6 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Malik Reneau (15.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg); Mackenzie Mgbako (12.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Trey Galloway (10.6 ppg, 4.6 apg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 21 Bryson Tucker

Top 100 transfers added: No. 10 Myles Rice (Washington State), No. 14 Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford), No. 40 Oumar Ballo (Arizona)

Why they’re here: Indiana brought in one of the most impressive hauls of the transfer cycle. Rice and Carlyle have plenty of upside, Ballo is a proven double-double machine and Luke Goode (Illinois) is a much-needed shooter who made 61 3s last season. It’s still debatable if Indiana has enough shooting, but maybe it doesn’t matter, considering Indiana has ranked 321st, 354th and 351st in 3-point rate in Woodson’s three years in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are going to play through Ballo and Reneau. What this roster has that last year’s team lacked are guys who can create their own shot or set up others, particularly Rice and Carlyle. Rice averaged 14.8 points and 3.8 assists for an NCAA Tournament team. Carlyle was not as consistent but had some flashes of brilliance, cooking Arizona with 28 points in an upset win and going off for 31 in a loss against Washington State.

Mgbako got better as the 2023-24 season progressed and is a breakout candidate as a sophomore. This team has so much depth and talent that a veteran like Galloway could end up coming off the bench. But there’s also reason to be skeptical when it comes to Woodson, whose best finish in the Big Ten so far has been 12-8 … and that was with an All-American on the team. His boosters have been kind, providing the NIL money to put together what’s arguably the best blend of talent and experience in the league. Is this the year Indiana looks like a blue blood again? Or will the same spacing and shooting issues haunt the Hoosiers?

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Biggest losses: Terrence Shannon (23.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg); Marcus Domask (15.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.9 apg); Quincy Guerrier (9.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Dain Dainja (6.1 ppg; 3.6 rpg); Luke Goode (5.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg); Justin Harmon (5.6 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Ty Rodgers (6.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 19 Will Riley, No. 30 Morez Johnson Jr.

Top 100 transfers added: No. 53 Kylan Boswell (Arizona)

Why they’re here: Should we use caution when projecting Illinois, especially considering what happened at UCLA last year? Nah. Brad Underwood has it rolling, and Kasparas Jakucionis — a potential 2025 first-rounder — looks too good. The 6-foot-6 guard is one of the players we’re most intrigued to watch early in the year. He had an awesome summer, averaging 19.4 points and 5.3 assists for Lithuania at the under-18 EuroBasket. He also averaged 19.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists playing for FC Barcelona’s second team last year. (For context, FC Barcelona is one of the most successful franchises in the EuroLeague.) Jakucionis seems like a good candidate to inherit the Domask role: a big facilitator who can also score in isolation. But Underwood leaned even further into the international pipeline, landing 7-foot-1 Croatian center Tomislav Ivisic — the twin brother of Arkansas’ Zvonimir Ivisic (aka Big Z) — to go along with his two highly rated North American recruits. The 6-foot-8 Riley is a prospect we’ve also heard rave reviews about.

What you’ll notice about all of the additions is size (and usually skill). Underwood has been very intentional in trying to build a modern roster with positional size and plenty of shooting. Boswell (6-2) and sophomore Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (6-1) are the only players under 6-6 who figure to be part of the rotation. Outside of Boswell, the Illini’s other transfer additions — Carey Booth (Notre Dame), Ben Humrichous (Evansville), Tre White (Louisville) and Jake Davis (Mercer) — are all 6-6 or taller and can play on the perimeter. Underwood has had five consecutive years of top-half Big Ten finishes, so putting such an unproven team this high is partly a bet on a coach who is committed to sticking to a formula.

How will Brad Underwood follow up a Big Ten tournament championship and Elite Eight run? (Steven Branscombe / Imagn Images)

5. UCLA

Biggest losses: Adem Bona (12.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg); Will McClendon (4.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg); Berke Buyuktuncel (4.5 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Dylan Andrews (12.9 ppg, 3.7 apg); Sebastian Mack (12.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg); Lazar Stefanovic (11.5 ppg. 6.1 rpg); Brandon Williams (3.1 ppg); Aday Mara (3.5 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 31 Trent Perry

Top 100 transfers added: No. 35 Kobe Johnson (USC), No. 69 Tyler Bilodeau (Oregon State)

Why they’re here: Mick Cronin missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010, and it’s probably best to bank on last season being an outlier. Cronin bet on a young backcourt — Andrews was a sophomore and Mack a freshman — and then tried to go the international route with guys like Mara, Buyuktuncel, Ilane Fibleuil and Jan Vide. It didn’t end up working out, but both Andrews and Mack did put up solid numbers and got enough reps that they’re more like vets now. The assumption was the international guys, because of their experience overseas, could produce right away. Sometimes freshmen struggle no matter where they’re from. Mara, the holdover, is sort of a wild card. With a year under his belt and less pressure of expectations, maybe his talent will start to really shine through.

For insurance, Cronin hit the portal to rebuild the frontcourt. Bilodeau was a productive player (14.3 points per game) on a bad team and should benefit from playing with better players. Watching his tape, it didn’t appear his production was a result of a someone-has-to-score situation. William Kyle (South Dakota State) was one of the most athletic bigs at the mid-major level, and while we’re not sure his game will immediately translate at the high-major level offensively, he should be able to block some shots, catch lobs and rebound. Johnson has had moments in his career where he looks like an NBA wing. He can really guard and could benefit from a change of scenery and a culture that puts an emphasis on defense. The Bruins needed more shooting and scoring, and both Dominick Harris (14.3 ppg and 77 made 3s at Loyola Marymount) and Skyy Clark (13.2 ppg at Louisville) provide some pop. This is another team with so much turnover that it’s hard to say how the talent will blend together, but Cronin usually figures it out.

6. Oregon

Biggest losses: Jermaine Couisnard (16. ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.3 apg); N’Faly Dante (17.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg); Kario Oquendo (7.2 ppg); Brennan Rigsby (6.1 ppg); Jesse Zarzuela (10.0 ppg, 2.2 apg)

Returning rotation players: Jackson Shelstad (12.8 ppg, 2.8 apg); Jadrian Tracey (7.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg); Kwame Evans (7.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg); Keeshawn Barthelemy (7.9 ppg, 2.3 apg); Nathan Bittle (10.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 48 Jamari Phillips

Top 100 transfers added: No. 57 TJ Bamba (Villanova)

Why they’re here: This is a sneaky dangerous roster. Dana Altman has had no problem attracting talent to Eugene, but not every highly rated recruit has lived up to the billing. There are four former top-30 recruits on the roster, and two — Bittle and Mookie Cook — have had injury-riddled, underwhelming careers thus far. Both played only five games last season. Bittle scored 30 points over his first two games of 2023-24, and although he’s mostly been forgotten as a prospect, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him break out this year. Shelstad, another top-30 recruit, was one of the best freshmen guards in college basketball last season. Evans wasn’t as productive but did start 29 games as a freshman for an NCAA Tournament team.

Atlman is surrounding a solid returning nucleus with three transfers who fill in the holes. Ra’Heim Moss (Toledo) and Bamba should help replace the production of Couisnard. Bamba played on a misfitting Villanova squad last year, but the year before he starred at Washington State and averaged 15.8 points per game. He’s a solid defender and career 38 percent 3-point shooter. Moss has played on winning teams at Toledo and was an All-MAC and All-Defensive team selection last year. Forward Brandon Angel (Stanford) is coming off averaging a career-best 13 points per game and shooting 44.7 percent from 3.

Altman should have one of the best shooting teams in the league with great spacing. If you’re looking for a super dark horse to win the league, this could be it.

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7. Michigan State

Biggest losses: Tyson Walker (18.4 ppg, 2.8 apg); Malik Hall (12.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg); A.J. Hoggard (10.7 ppg, 5.2 apg); Mady Sissoko (3.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg)

Returning rotation players: Jaden Akins (10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Tre Holloman (5.7 ppg, 2.4 apg); Carson Cooper (3.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg); Coen Carr (3.1 ppg); Xavier Booker (3.7 ppg); Jeremy Fears (3.5 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 32 Jase Richardson, No. 53 Kur Teng

Top 100 transfers added: No. 67 Frankie Fidler (Omaha)

Why they’re here: This is a transition year for the Spartans now that veterans Walker, Hoggard, Hall and Sissoko have finally moved on via graduation or transfer. Last year, the preseason hunch was that Michigan State’s veteran core would benefit from the talent influx from freshmen Fears, Carr and Booker. Annnnd not so much. The Spartans were the preseason No. 4 team and just barely got in the NCAA Tournament, finishing 20-15. To their credit, those three freshmen stuck around. Now they have the opportunity to show they had the talent and just needed time.

If they can make the leap, and if Fidler — who averaged 20.1 points at Omaha last season — can handle the huge jump in levels, and if Akins has a bounce back year, then maybe this is a Big Ten contender. Ranking the Spartans this low could be an overreaction to the usual prognostication error that happens this time of year: overinflating how good Sparty will be. Tom Izzo is still a really good coach and usually finds a way to make the NCAA Tournament, but the Spartans are also 43-38 in the Big Ten over the last four years. The middle of the pack seems about right for this roster.

8. Nebraska

Biggest losses: Keisei Tominaga (15.1 ppg); Rienk Mast – injured (12.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.0 apg); C.J. Wilcher (7.7 ppg); Josiah Allick (7.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Jamarques Lawrence (6.9 ppg, 2.5 apg)

Returning rotation players: Brice Williams (13.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Juwan Gary (11.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Sam Hoiberg (3.4 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: None

Top 100 transfers added: No. 77 Berke Buyuktuncel (UCLA)

Why they’re here: This feels like a Fred Hoiberg roster. Remember Georges Niang and Royce White, uber-skilled bigs whom Hoiberg allowed to play point forward? The next one in that line could be Buyuktuncel, who showed some playmaking flashes at UCLA last season but never really seemed to fit stylistically. He transferred to the right spot to give himself a chance to show his skill. Hoiberg made his name in the transfer game at Iowa State, finding skilled guys, putting them in space and pumping them full of confidence. Junior Connor Essegian (Wisconsin) and sophomore Gavin Griffiths (Rutgers) are two shooters who could benefit from the Hoiberg system. Essegian averaged 11.7 points and made 69 3s as a freshman, then saw his playing time drastically decrease as a sophomore, when he went from playing 27.4 minutes per game to 7.3. The 6-8 Griffiths averaged 5.8 points and shot 28.2 percent from 3 as a freshman, but he is a much better shooter than that number.

With returners like Williams and Gary, Hoiberg has the best collection of talent at those 2-3-4 spots he’s had since he’s been in Lincoln. Rollie Worster (Utah), who averaged 9.9 points and 5.5 assists last season, could be a nice connective piece who will help get guys like Essegian and Griffiths shots. The Huskers will miss Mast, who was really good as a playmaking center last season but is out for the year after undergoing knee surgery. Hoiberg has options at center in former Washington center Braxton Meah — a former All-Pac 12 defensive selection — and Andrew Morgan (North Dakota State), who averaged 12.9 points and 5.0 rebounds last season. It’s not clear Nebraska has enough speed in the backcourt — Iowa transfer Ahron Ulis could help there — but it’s going to be fun to see what Hoiberg does with this offense.

9. Ohio State

Biggest losses: Jamison Battle (15.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg); Roddy Gayle Jr. (13.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.1 apg); Zed Key (6.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Felix Okpara (6.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg); Dale Bonner (4.9 ppg); Scotty Middleton (4.4 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Bruce Thornton (15.7 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.7 rpg); Devin Royal (4.7 ppg); Evan Mahaffey (4.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 49 John Mobley Jr.

Top 100 transfers added: No. 63 Meechie Johnson (South Carolina), No. 87 Sean Stewart (Duke), No. 97 Aaron Bradshaw (Kentucky)

Why they’re here: Going 8-3 as interim coach last season, including an upset of national runner-up Purdue in his first game, was enough to earn Jake Diebler the full-time gig at Ohio State. Now it’s on him to get the Buckeyes back to the NCAA Tournament regularly, after just five appearances in the last decade. Retaining Thornton and bringing back Johnson, who began his career in Columbus, were two critical first steps; those two could be among the Big Ten’s better backcourts, and their on-court fit — Thornton as more of a distributor, Johnson as an attacking scorer — makes a lot of sense.

In the frontcourt, Diebler swung for the fences on a pair of high-profile recruits who underperformed as freshmen: Bradshaw, the No. 5 player in the 2023 class, and Stewart, the No. 17 player. Bradshaw screams stretch-five potential but has no discernible back-to-the-basket game and struggled mightily defensively; counting on him as a full-time starter is a sizable risk-reward gamble. Stewart has a higher floor with his proven athleticism and rebounding prowess. The underrated addition, though, is wing Micah Parrish (San Diego State), a defensive stalwart with national title game experience. This team seems bound for the bubble, with frontcourt production as the likely X-factor.

Bruce Thornton’s 15.7 points per game is good for third-most among Big Ten returnees. (Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

10. Iowa

Biggest losses: Tony Perkins (14 ppg, 4.6 apg, 4.4 rpg); Ben Krikke (13.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Patrick McCaffery (8.9 ppg); Dasonte Bowen (4.4 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Payton Sandfort (16.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg); Owen Freeman (10.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg); Josh Dix (8.9 ppg); Brock Harding (3.4 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 86 Cooper Koch

Top 100 transfers added: None

Why they’re here: After three straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2021 to ‘23, plus a Big Ten tournament title in 2022, Iowa fell back to earth last season and finished seventh in the conference. That doesn’t sound great, but doing so again this season, Fran McCaffery’s 15th with the program, would be even more impressive, especially with the league’s four new members.

McCaffery always conjures up a competent offense — the Hawkeyes have been top-30 nationally in ten of the last 11 seasons — and should have another on deck, especially with All-Big Ten wing Payton Sandfort back; he’ll be one of the more high-usage players in the league. Add in reigning Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year Owen Freeman and Josh Dix — a top-100 3-point shooter nationally last season, at 42.1 percent — and McCaffery has three proven scorers at the Big Ten level … but on a shallow roster, that trio will have to do some heavy lifting. McCaffery realistically needs a fourth contributor to emerge; the early money is on incoming 6-foot-7 wing Seydou Traore (Manhattan), whose athleticism and defensive prowess earned him All-MAAC Freshman Team honors last season. Short of Sandfort or Freeman making a full star turn, this should be another good-not-great squad that spends most of the season on the bubble. The McCaffery special!

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11. Rutgers

Biggest losses: Aundre Hyatt (10.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg); Cliff Omoruyi (10.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg); Mawot Mag (9.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg); Derek Simpson (8.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg); Noah Fernandes (6.4 ppg); Gavin Griffiths (5.8 ppg); Austin Williams (4 ppg); Antwone Woolfolk (3.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

Returning rotation players: Jeremiah Williams (12.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg); Jamichael Davis (5.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 2 Ace Bailey, No. 3 Dylan Harper

Top 100 transfers added: None

Why they’re here: Schools that have landed two of the nation’s top-3 recruits in the last decade: Duke, twice (2018 and 2022) … and now, Rutgers. Just like everyone envisioned, right?

Adding Bailey and Harper, two projected top-10 picks in next summer’s NBA Draft, makes the Scarlet Knights fascinating, if nothing else. But will they be any good? Steve Pikiell is an underrated coach who has lifted this program to newfound heights, but at a time when college basketball has never been older, Pikiell has gone the opposite direction. Rutgers has a staggering eight freshmen on its roster this season, and on top of that, Pikiell’s three most experienced players are all newcomers: Tyson Acuff (Eastern Michigan), Zach Martini (Princeton), and PJ Hayes IV (San Diego).

Williams is back, at least, and although he only played in the team’s final 12 games, he was impactful once he did. He, Harper and Bailey are going to shoulder an enormous load, but the two freshmen are good enough to singlehandedly win the Scarlet Knights a few games. Just maybe not enough to matter, especially given the team’s complete lack of frontcourt size and talent. Emmanuel Ogbole, who played 81 total minutes last season, is Rutgers’ only veteran big.

Biggest losses: Jahmir Young (20.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.2 apg); Donta Scott (11.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg); Jamie Kaiser Jr. (4.4 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Julian Reese (13.7 ppg, 9.5 rpg); DeShawn Harris-Smith (7.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Jordan Geronimo (5.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Jahari Long (4.7 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 12 Derik Queen

Top 100 transfers added: No. 28 Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Belmont)

Why they’re here: Young was one of the most productive individuals in the Big Ten last season, and it was all basically empty calories, as Maryland still finished with a losing record (16-17) and the league’s second-worst offense in Kevin Willard’s second season in charge. But the Terps’ offseason additions — including three, if not four, new starters — should have them back in NCAA Tournament contention this season.

In comes Gillespie, an All-Missouri Valley guard (and All-MVC Defense honoree), to fill the void Young left behind. Given Willard’s historic success with combo guards, we’re betting on a big year for Gillespie, with an outside shot at all-conference honors. And with Reese and Queen, the program’s first five-star commit since Jalen Smith in 2018, Maryland should have one of the Big Ten’s more formidable frontcourts. Throw in Rodney Rice (Virginia Tech) and Selton Miguel (South Florida), the Most Improved Player in the American last season, and Willard has balance across the board, even if he lacks size on the perimeter.

Shooting and spacing are concerns — it would help if Chance Stephens, who missed last season with a ruptured patella tendon, regained his 2022-23 sharpshooting form — but at the very least, there are enough pieces here to compete for a postseason berth.

13. USC

Biggest losses: Boogie Ellis (16.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3 apg); Isaiah Collier (16.3 ppg, 4.3 apg); Kobe Johnson (10.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.3 apg); DJ Rodman (8.4 ppg, 5 rpg); Joshua Morgan (5.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg); Vincent Iwuchukwu (5.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg); Oziyah Sellers (5.2 ppg); Bronny James (4.8 ppg); Kijani Wright (3.9 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Harrison Hornery (3.3 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 51 Isaiah Elohim, No. 62 Jalen Shelley

Top 100 transfers added: No. 29 Chibuzo Agbo (Boise State), No. 43 Desmond Claude (Xavier), No. 60 Saint Thomas (Northern Colorado)

Why they’re here: Little did we know at the time how consequential Eric Musselman’s move from Arkansas to USC would be, as it ended up paving the way for John Calipari to leave Kentucky. What we did expect, though? The makeup of Musselman’s first team in Los Angeles: almost no returners, but plenty of individually talented transfer portal pickups.

Few coaches are as comfortable wading through the portal as Musselman, who has as many hits in his career as he does misses, and this group has the potential to be one of his better classes. Agbo, a 6-foot-7 flamethrower who made 40.6 percent of his 5.3 3-pointers per game at Boise State the last two seasons, will be critical for a team lacking other dependable marksmen. At the very least, between Agbo, Claude, Thomas, and Terrance Williams (Michigan), Musselman should have solid versatility, size and athleticism on the perimeter.

The Trojans could be a sleeper in their first Big Ten season, but we’re of the “wait and see” approach with this many up-transfers and newcomers.

Biggest losses: Boo Buie (19.0 ppg, 5.0 apg); Ryan Langborg (12.7 ppg, 2.5 apg);

Returning rotation players: Brooks Barnhizer (14.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg); Ty Berry (11.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Nick Martinelli (8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Matthew Nicholson (5.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Luke Hunger (3.8 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: None

Top 100 transfers added: None

Why they’re here: Northwestern has a solid core of returners, and Barnhizer is one of the best in the league. Ty Berry shot 43.3 percent from 3 last season. Martinelli and Nicholson were solid, efficient contributors last year. But Northwestern leaned so heavily on Buie, and outside of Edey, is there a player in the league who will be harder to replace?

Chris Collins did bring in a veteran scorer to potentially take Buie’s spot in the lineup. Jalen Leach averaged 16.2 points per game last season, but he’s one of those up-transfers that gives us some pause. He averaged single digits his first three years at Fairfield, and in five career games against high-major opponents, he has averaged … 3.2 points. The Wildcats are coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids, and Barnhizer could turn into this season’s Marcus Domask. If Northwestern puts the ball in his hands, employs booty ball and surrounds him with shooting, it could work.

15. Wisconsin

Biggest losses: AJ Storr (16.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Tyler Wahl (10.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Chucky Hepburn (9.2 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.3 rpg); Connor Essegian (3.2 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Steven Crowl (11.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg); Max Klesmit (9.9 ppg); John Blackwell (8 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Top 100 freshmen added: None

Top 100 transfers added: None

Why they’re here: Had Greg Gard held onto everyone he could have, Wisconsin would’ve been an upper-third Big Ten team … but he did not. Still, Gard has won at least 20 games in seven of his nine seasons as head coach, and although the Badgers could hit that total again this season, bubble life seems like their best-case scenario.

Crowl, Klesmit and Blackwell at least give him three proven high-major contributors who know the system, and considering how much Blackwell overperformed as a true freshman, there may still be more to him. Gard also brought in three transfers to round out what might be a shallow rotation: John Tonje (Missouri), Xavier Amos (Northern Illinois) and Camren Hunter (Central Arkansas).

Tonje suffered a foot injury last summer and barely played for the Tigers before shutting it down for the season, but before that, he was a nearly 15 point-per-game scorer for Northern Colorado. There are minutes available on the wing if he’s healthy. Amos is a stretch four who should fill Wahl’s old role, only with more 3-point prowess. And then there’s Hunter, who missed last season with a Jones fracture in his left foot but who averaged 15.5 points per game — albeit inefficiently — in his first two seasons of college basketball. If Tonje and Hunter are healthy and can add the scoring punch they used to, Wisconsin should be a tough Big Ten out, but the margin for error is thin.

Biggest losses: Cam Christie (11.3 ppg,3.6 rpg); Pharrel Payne (10 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Elijah Hawkins (9.5 ppg, 7.5 apg, 3.6 rpg); Joshua Ola-Joseph (7.5 ppg); Braeden Carrington (4.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Returning rotation players: Dawson Garcia (17.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg); Mike Mitchell Jr. (10.2 ppg); Parker Fox (5.1 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: None

Top 100 transfers added: None

Why they’re here: Minnesota is just 41-54 three seasons into the Ben Johnson era, but with one of the Big Ten’s most experienced rosters this season (the Golden Gophers have a staggering 10 scholarship seniors), there’s the potential for this to be Johnson’s best team yet. Realistically, it also probably needs to be, if there’s going to be a fifth season for Johnson in Minneapolis.

Garcia returns as Minnesota’s centerpiece, although the Gophers’ only all-conference honoree last season needs to rebound from behind the 3-point line, where he shot a career-worst 31.9 percent. That’s especially imperative considering he’s probably best suited as a stretch four next to Trey Edmonds (UTSA). But the most intriguing thing about the Gophers is how Johnson manages a crowded backcourt. Mitchell Jr. is his best 3-point threat and will play a ton, but he brought in three other guards — Lu’Cye Patterson (Charlotte), reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year Tyler Cochran (Toledo), and Femi Odukale (New Mexico State) — who earned all-conference honors at their previous schools. That’s without counting Caleb Williams, who has a wide range of outcomes after averaging 19.6 points last season at D-III Macalester.

The age factor alone should make Minnesota competitive, but one of Johnson’s new additions would need to really surprise for the Gophers to rise out of the league’s bottom third.

GO DEEPER

Which Big Ten teams won and lost in college basketball’s transfer portal?

17. Washington

Biggest losses: Keion Brooks (21.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg); Sahvir Wheeler (14.3 ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.5 rpg); Moses Wood (11.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Koren Johnson (11.1 ppg); Paul Mulcahy (5.5 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3 rpg); Braxton Meah (5.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg); Nate Calmese (4.1 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Franck Kepnang (8.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg); Wilhelm Breidenbach (5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg)

Top 100 freshmen added: No. 43 Zoom Diallo

Top 100 transfers added: No. 4 Great Osobor (Utah State)

Why they’re here: The best part about Washington hiring Danny Sprinkle — aside from Sprinkle being a good enough coach to go from Montana State to the Big Ten in two seasons — is the package deal with Sprinkle’s best player at Utah State: Osobor, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year. He will be the focal point of Sprinkle’s offense, and quite frankly, he’s going to have to be, given how much production Washington lost.

The only consequential returner Sprinkle inherits is Kepnang, who played just 10 games before suffering a season-ending right knee injury. Assuming he’s healthy, he and Osobor are an intriguing frontcourt combo with complementary skill sets. The other notable newcomer here is DJ Davis, a former All-Big West guard whose game translated nicely to the high-major level at Butler last season. Aside from being the best free-throw shooter in the nation (95 percent), Davis can score from all over the floor and thrives at finding space in a defense. It’s not tough to imagine he and Osobor forming a nasty pick-and-roll duo, even if Sprinkle has to spam that action somewhat.

This is still a multi-year rebuild, though, no matter how effective Osobor and Davis are.

Biggest losses: Kanye Clary (16.7 ppg); Qudus Wahab (9.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg); Jameel Brown (4 ppg)

Returning rotation players: Ace Baldwin (14.2 ppg, 6 apg); Nick Kern (8.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Zach Hicks (8.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Puff Johnson (7.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg); D’Marco Dunn (6.8 ppg)

Top 100 freshmen added: None

Top 100 transfers added: None

Why they’re here: No team is just its top two players, but Baldwin, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and Hicks, an every-game starter last season, are as consequential a duo as any team has in the league. That pair represents a staggering 74 percent of Penn State’s career made 3s and 55 percent of its career minutes played. Baldwin, especially, is already a star, and he’ll have one of the greenest lights in all of college basketball given the Nittany Lions’ relative inexperience otherwise.

It’s at least a positive that PSU has as much continuity as it does, but for a team that went 16-17 and was average on both sides of the court, is that actually a good thing? Mike Rhoades didn’t inherit a ton of talent when he arrived from VCU last offseason, but Penn State’s reinforcements this summer were underwhelming, especially given some of the other incoming transfers in the conference. It might be a long winter in State College, but at least Nittany Lions fans have a realistic path to the expanded College Football Playoff!

(Top photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)