With the additions of UCLA, Oregon, Washington, and Southern Cal, the Big Ten has a totally different look to it. The world of College Basketball as a whole should field some very talented, veteran groups by proxy of the transfer portal and extra eligibility. In this case, we’ll look at what should be a wide-open Big Ten in 2024-25.
5. Purdue
Purdue is going to have to navigate the post-Zach Edey world. Despite many picking the Boilermakers to win the league, there could be more growing pains than people are willing to admit. The guard play should be rock-solid. The two-headed monster of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer returns. Losing Mason Gillis to Duke was a blow to the frontcourt. With that said, the team seems rather bullish on the development of Trey Kaufman-Renn and Caleb Furst. Daniel Jacobsen (7’4″) and Will Berg (7’2″) continue Purdue’s tradition of having exceptionally tall centers.
When it comes down to it, this team’s success will sit with the guards. Smith has been billed as the Preseason Conference Player of the Year. To make up for the production lost with Edey’s departure, the aforementioned guards likely will have to average a combined 40 points a contest if Purdue is to be a title contender this season. The team will also hope to improve defensively when it comes to keeping opposing guards from beating them off the dribble. Myles Colvin could be the anecdote to this potential issue.
4. Oregon
Jackson Shelstad should be one of the best players in this league. A virtual Payton Pritchard clone, he can score off the bounce and from behind the arc at a very efficient rate. Players/fans of this league will soon learn his name as a guy who can terrorize any team on any given night. Former Wazzu/Villanova transfer TJ Bamba is the perfect complement to Shelstad as an athletic wing who can score and defend. Keeshawn Barthelemy and Jadrian Tracey return as experienced guard options.
A host of former 5-star recruits (Kwame Evans Jr., Nate Bittle, Mookie Cook) litter the roster. Evans Jr. in particular should be a mismatch for larger, more plodding big men. Georgetown transfer Supreme Cook averaged nearly a double-double in the Big East for Georgetown last year. Assuming he starts in the frontcourt with Evans Jr., the Ducks will have two mobile bigs to utilize. 6’8″ Stanford transfer Brandon Angel is a big threat from three, as he connected on nearly 45-percent of his shots beyond the arc. Oregon should not be slept on — if for the mere fact that Dana Altman is among the best and most innovative coaches in the country. He’s got the deepest team he’s had in years, and this team’s collective athleticism should bother many of the slower-tempo Big Ten squads.
3. Illinois
We’re banking on Illinois’ talent overcoming potential turnover issues and a lack of experience. The team lost six of its leading seven scorers from a year ago with only Ty Rodgers returning. Though little can be gleaned from a preseason scrimmage, Illinois did commit 22 turnovers to Ole Miss in a 91-74 defeat. There’s still a lot to like about the roster Brad Underwood has constructed. Freshmen Will Riley and Kasparas Jakucionis are projected first-round picks. Riley in particular is a fluid athlete with elite size at the small forward spot. Some mock drafts have Jakucionis going in the Top 10 of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Kylan Boswell (Arizona), Ben Humrichous (Evanston), and Jake Davis (Mercer) all should play vital roles on this team. The same can be said for 7-foot Croatian freshman center Tomislav Ivisic and USC/Louisville wing Tre White. If Boswell and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn provide the team with some outside shooting, coupled with the expected potential of Jakucionis and Riley, this team will could be a tough out as we get toward March.
2. UCLA
UCLA has revamped its roster through the transfer portal. Last year’s team was reliant upon a seven-man freshmen class which included four players from overseas. Only one of those guys (Aday Mara) is back on the roster. Mick Cronin’s NIL program is quite healthy, and as such it was able to land six transfers through the portal this offseason. On the surface, four of those additions — Skyy Clark (Louisville), Eric Dailey Jr. (Oklahoma State), Tyler Bilodeau (Oregon State), Kobe Johnson (USC) — figure to start alongside returning PG Dylan Andrews. The depth on this team is fantastic, and there are seemingly big improvements in terms of length, athleticism, and guard play.
UCLA might not possess a sure-fire first-round pick. At the same time, you’d be hard-pressed to find a deeper team. It’s so deep, in fact, that Cronin is likely going to redshirt three scholarship players. Keep an eye on a trio of reserve guards — Sebastian Mack, LMU transfer Dominick Harris, and McDonald’s All-American Trent Perry. Each brings something unique to the table, and you can be sure all three will see time in some capacity.
1. Indiana
Indiana arguably had the best transfer class of any program this offseason. Mike Woodson and his staff poached multiple players from teams in what was previously considered the Pac-12. Oumar Ballo (Arizona) and Myles Rice (Washington State) potentially become the team’s two best players. Ballo is a load in the paint, able to score over both shoulders. His wide frame enables him to gobble up rebounds and put real pressure on opposing defenses. Rice is underrated nationally. Playing up on the Palouse, he flashed some real ability as a smooth combo guard with the ability to put up points in a hurry.
Those two are joined by fellow transfers Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford), Luke Goode (Illinois), and three returning players (Malik Reneau, Mackenzie Mgbako, Trey Galloway) who all averaged double-figures last season. A Ballo-Mgbako-Reneau frontcourt is tantalizing from a size and athleticism standpoint. Indiana will likely play around with a couple of combinations. In terms of flow and flexibility, it makes sense to have one of Mgbako or Reneau come off the bench in order to add some shooting for spacing purposes. Either way, this team has a lot of talent across the board.
