Legitimate league title contenders
1. Michigan
This obviously hinges on Hunter Dickinson’s decision to remain in the NBA Draft or return for his sophomore year. My guess: He comes back. If that’s the case, this Michigan team, despite losing a ton in Franz Wagner, Isaiah Livers, Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown,
is still loaded with talent. Juwan Howard is bringing in perhaps the best recruiting class in the county and pairing it with solid returnees such as Dickinson (he hopes), Eli Brooks, Coastal Carolina transfer point DeVante’ Jones, Brandon Johns Jr. and Terrance Williams. Amid a major exodus of stars in the Big Ten this offseason, there’s a lot to like at Michigan, starting with Dickinson, who will be a legitimate first-team All-American candidate. The big questions will be if Jones can make the steep jump from the Sun Belt to the Big Ten and how ready the freshmen are. Caleb Houstan, a wing, has the chance to be the conference’s top freshman.
2. Purdue
Assuming Trevion Williams bypasses the draft and returns to West Lafayette, Matt Painter will bring back every piece from a roster that went 13-6 in the league and ranked third in conference-only defensive efficiency and fifth in conference-only offensive efficiency. Combine that talent and experience with Painter’s coaching and, yeah, Purdue is an easy pick to finish toward the top of the standings. Beyond Williams, who will be a league player of the year candidate, and other trusted vets Eric Hunter and Sasha Stefanovic,
there’s reason to be excited about the potential freshman-to-sophomore jumps by Zach Edey, Jaden Ivey and Brandon Newman, plus the arrivals of top-50 freshmen Trey Kaufman and Caleb Furst.
3. Maryland
Last year’s Terps were an odd mix of undersized pieces who figured out how to make it work. There are questions about what next year will look like, based on the pending stay-or-go pro decisions for Eric Ayala and Aaron Wiggins, and if Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Darryl Morsell will withdraw from the transfer portal and return, but at least Maryland will have a proper big man. Georgetown transfer Qudus Wahab will be among the most impactful newcomers in the Big Ten. Fatts Russell, who posted 1,594 points and 411 assists at Rhode Island, is another big-name transfer, but has much to prove, as does this whole roster. If some combination of Ayala/Wiggins/Morsell returns, rejoining Donta Scott and Hakim Hart, the Terps will have a high degree of depth and talent.
4. Ohio State
Another one with serious NBA Draft decisions on the table. There’s a wide range of possibilities here. If E.J. Liddell and Duane Washington are both back, this might be a preseason top-10 team. If Liddell goes and Washington stays or both go, well, some questions start to arise.
The Buckeyes bring back a handful of familiar names such as Kyle Young, Justice Sueing and Seth Towns, and add intraconference transfer Jamari Wheeler (Penn State) and Joey Brunk (Indiana), plus top-50 guard Malaki Branham.
5. Michigan State
Aaron Henry is off to the NBA, and that’s no small matter, but Tom Izzo brings in one of the best transfer point guards in the county in
Tyson Walker (Northeastern) and a terrific recruiting class headlined by Max Christie. Joey Hauser will look to erase what was a relatively underwhelming first season in East Lansing, while Gabe Brown and Marcus Bingham are suddenly seniors.
There’s more to like here than not, starting with the program having an actual point guard after spending last season rudderless in the backcourt.
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