The Big Ten's National Championship title drought is over after Michigan brought home the title last season. Now as the calendar is flipped to the upcoming season, the Big Ten projects to be one of the deepest conferences in the college basketball, but that doesn't mean that there still aren't questions surrounding each team.
Illinois Fighting Illini: How good will the defense be?
There are little doubts for what Illinois will be offensively, and as the Illini have National Championship aspirations, the question becomes can the defense do enough?
Illinois finished 20th in KenPom's defensive ranking last season, so there's reason to be optimistic. However, Illinois lost their best perimeter defender, and on paper, there isn't a lot of individual defensive talent now.
Indiana Hoosiers: There's a lot of talent on the roster, but will it fit together?
After an up-and-down first year for head coach Darian DeVries, he went all in this offseason, getting plenty of size and talent. This wasn't a cheap roster, and Hoosier fans are waiting for Indiana basketball to get back to major status. There's enough talent for this team to succeed, but there's no guarantee the roster works as a unit.
Iowa Hawkeyes: What does life without Bennett Stirtz look like?
Head coach Ben McCollum had a tremendous first year at Iowa, taking the Hawkeyes to the Elite Eight. But now that superstar point guard, Bennett Stirtz, is off to the NBA, what does this team look like this season?
Iowa got bigger this offseason with the additon of 7-foot-3 center Andrew McKeever which should help change Iowa's style a bit. Sophomore guard Ty'Reek Coleman and senior guard Kael Combs project as two players who could be used as the point guards this season.
Maryland Terrapins: Can Buzz Williams get the talent on this roster to mesh?
Last season went sideways for head coach Buzz Williams due to roster construction and poor injury luck. This roster has talent, though, and they're seemingly healthy. Can the Terrapins fit Williams' style of physical defense and unstructued offense? If so, this team could surprise some people this year.
Michigan Wolverines: How much of an impact will the departure of head coach Dusty May have?
Only three months after Michigan won the National Championship, head coach Dusty May took a job with the Dallas Mavericks. Mike Boynton leads the team now and there are some new faces on the roster. It's his first head coaching job since being fired at Oklahoma State in 2024 after only one tournament appearance in seven seasons.
Michigan State Spartans Can Jeremy Fears Jr. lead this offense to new heights?
Michigan State's defense should be one of the best in the country. The Spartans have National Championship aspirations though, and point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. is the reason why.
Fears enters the season as arguably the best player in all of college basketball, and easily the best passer in the sport. He has manufactured offense single-handidly for rosters that didn't have the most talent. Now as he enters his fourth season at MSU, he'll need to be able to do even more.
Minnesota Golden Gophers: Will a lack of front court size limit their upside?
Minnesota has a better roster than most realize, returing a lot of the core that made Minnesota tough to play last season.
However, they lack real front court size. 7-foot-2 center Malick Kordel is the only player taller than 6-foot-9 on the roster, and he rode the bench during his freshman season at Michigan. This is a roster suited to Niko Medved's style of play, but will it hold up again during Big Ten play?
Nebraska Cornhuskers: Was last season's success just lightning in a bottle?
Nebraska was the story of college basketball last season, starting 20-0 and winning their first ever NCAA Tournament game on their way to a Sweet Sixteen appearance.
Nebraska returned Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager, giving the Cornhuskers talent in their starting wing room. However, Nebraska projets to have to rely on multiple transfers in a system that takes a bit to learn.
Northwestern Wildcats: How will Nick Martinelli be replaced?
Nick Martinelli averaged 23 points per game last season for Northwestern, but now the Wildcats have to figure out how to replace it. Jack Karasinski is a name to watch as he averaged 21.7 points per game for Bellarmine last season.
Ohio State Buckeyes: How good can 5-star freshman Anthony Thompson be?
Anthony Thompson heads to Ohio State as a top-10 ranked player in his high school class. The 6-foot-9 forward has elite upside offensively while bringing good length to the defensive side of the floor. The Buckeyes have talent surrounding him, so Thompson won't have to do everything by himself, but he's the one who can take Ohio State to another level.
Oregon Ducks: Can anyone have a breakout year on this roster?
Tony Stubblefield takes over as head coach of Oregon after Dana Altman retired just a month before the season starts. Stubblefield inherits a roster filled with players who haven't hit their ceiling yet. The bet that Oregon's making is that at least one or two players breakout this season.
Penn State Nittany Lions: Will the defense be able to be respectable?
Penn State had the worst defense among high major teams last season, and were 230th in defense in the country. On paper, this roster may be a bit worse defensively, but head coach Mike Rhoades is a defensive coach that may be able to elevate the floor.
Purdue Boilermakers: Will anyone emerge as the clear go-to guy?
With Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn gone, Purdue went into their first offseason since Zach Edey's breakout questioning who is "the guy."
Antione West Jr. has gotten a lot of buzz this offseason as someone to watch for. CJ Cox and Omer Mayer are two other guards that flashed their capabilities last season but will need to do so in a larger role this year.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Can this roster survive the difficult shots the offense creates?
Few high major teams live in the mid-range more than Rutgers does. A team known in the past for their physical defense and high-energy play, Rutgers has limited themselves offensively by relying on such an inefficent shot. Tariq Francis can explode for 20 points on any given night, but will there be consistent support scoring the ball?
UCLA Bruins: Can the front court hold up in the physical Big Ten?
UCLA has talent up and down their roster, but they lack proven physicality in the front court. Xavier Booker and Eric Dailey Jr. are talented offensive players, but neither are the prototypical Big Ten bigs with size and strength.
USC Trojans: Can Eric Musselman find any stability with this roster?
Eric Musselman's time at USC has been entertaining, if nothing else. After dealing with a plethora of injuries last season, and also having Chad Baker-Mazara be kicked off the team, USC is hoping for more stability with a talented roster this season.
Washington Huskies: What is the identity of this roster?
Danny Sprinkle hasn't found success coaching at Washington yet, and there's more pressure this year to find some. However, resources were limited this off season, and the roster reflects it. There isn't a singular thing at the moment that stands out as Washington's identity, but that can change quickly.
Wisconsin Badgers: Will Owen Foxwell be the next breakout scorer?
Wisconsin has had elite scorers on the wing for the last half decade, often seeming to pull them out of thin air. With John Blackwell and Nick Boyd gone, Owen Foxwell projects as the next player to fill that role.
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