The NBA Draft Withdrawal deadline has passed, the transfer portal dust is almost settled and freshmen are arriving to campus for Summer practice. Seems like a perfect point to take stock and do an updated premature power rankings!
1. Purdue
I wanted to put MSU here, but I think what makes more sense is the Purdue will have a better regular season and Michigan State will have a better Tournament run. Zach Edey returning solidifies Purdue as the team to beat in the Big Ten this season. Another year older for Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer could elevate a team who was already a 1 seed last year. Myles Colvin and Camden Heide should add some punch to the team as well.
2. Michigan State
The Spartans are loaded and every ranking will have them and the Boilers at the top. Core players AJ Hoggard, Tyson Walker, Jaden Akins, Malik Hall are back. Freshmen Tre Holloman, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper are all eligible for leaps. MSU fans hope Mady Sissoko makes one too. A top 5 recruiting class featuring Jeremy Fears Jr, Coen Carr, and Xavier Booker all will have an opportunity to earn big minutes. Tom Izzo has a Final Four level team once again.
3. Illinois
The biggest mover from the first premature power rankings is Illinois. I thought Terrence Shanon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins were gone for sure. Them coming back changes expectations as TSJ is a POY candidate (if voters have Edey fatigue) and Hawkins will bring continuity and connectivity. Brad Underwood has pivoted nicely from Jayden Epps and Skyy Clark flaming out by grabbing plenty of experience in the portal with Marcus Domask, Justin Harmon, Quincy Guerrier, and most recently Jeremiah Williams. Illinois has talent from the underclassmen too in Dain Dainja, Ty Rodgers, Sencire Harris, and the freshmen class of Zacharrie Perrin, Niccolo Moretti, Amani Hansberry, and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn.
4. Indiana
Offseason hype makes you want to put IU higher than this, but the Hoosiers still have a lot to prove with fit and chemistry before they jump the other three above them. Nobody in the conference had a splashier offseason/portal season landing Kel’el Ware, Mackenzie Mgbako, Payton Sparks, and Anthony Walker. Xavier Johnson also was granted a medical waiver and will return to bring some stability. Mike Woodson is off to a good start in the post-TJD era. Now, go prove you should be higher.
5. Wisconsin
Wisconsin has a simple formula for being here. Bring everyone back and add onto it. Tyler Wahl, Chucky Hepburn, Steven Crowl, Max Klesmit and Connor Essegian are all back. La Lumiere product Gus Yalden will bring some youth and energy off the bench and St. John’s transfer AJ Storr has breakout potential to push the Badgers further up the list.
6. Maryland
Maryland finished tied for 5th last year and will bring back some pieces but not everything. Jahmir Young and Julian Reese could be the best pick and roll duo in the conference. Donta Scott could make a jump with Hakim Hart gone and Don Carey graduated. Kevin Willard brought in Chance “Sniper” Stephens, Mady Traore, and former Hoosier Jordan Geronimo to round out the roster. A talented recruiting class featuring Jaime Kaiser and Deshawn Harris-Smith could raise the Terps higher up the rankings or lower them if they aren’t ready.
7. Ohio State
Speaking of recruiting classes, Ohio State has another good one. Last year, I overreacted and ranked the Buckeyes too high because of recruiting rankings. I’m not making that mistake this year. Still, seven is as low as OSU can be as the core of Bruce Thornton, Zed Key, Felix Okpara, Roddy Gayle Jr paired with the league-best recruiting class of Taison Chatman, Devin Royal and Scotty Middleton is impossible to ignore. Chris Holtman also went portaling and brought in former Gopher Jamison Battle, former Nittany Lion Evan Mahaffey, and former Baylor Bear Dale Bonner who will bring more experience to the Buckeyes. There is certainly a minutes crunch for OSU, but with Holtmann the cream of the crop always rises to the top.
8. Iowa
I am higher on Iowa than most I think. Fran McCaffery has had top 5 finishes for 4 straight seasons now. Time to stop counting them out. They lose Kris Murray and Filip Rebraca, but they will still have Tony Perkins, Patrick McCaffery and Payton Sandfort as potential next stars for the Hawkeyes. Iowa has been good at developing talent so expect bigger roles from Dasonte Bowen and Josh Dix in year 2. Owen Freeman, Ladji Dembele and Pryce Sandfort (yes Payton’s younger brother) will bring some potential to the roster too. McCaffery also added two bigs in Even Brauns and Ben Krikke to fill the big man position. Still, Iowa’s defensive limitations prevent them from being higher.
9. Northwestern
Listen, Boo Buie being back is great. Yet, Julian Roper transferred, Chase Audige stayed in the draft and Robbie Beran now plays for the Hokies. I think Brooks Barnhizer will be awesome next year and Ty Berry should make a jump too. Like usual, their recruiting class and portal haul leaves more to be desired. To me, it seems more likely that Northwestern will fall down the table as compared to staying up at the top.
10. Nebraska
This was a last minute decision but I’m jumping Big Red up a few spots. Keisei Tominaga is back after withdrawing, joining upperclassmen like CJ Wilcher and Juwan Gary. Fred Hoiberg brought in one of the best portal classes with former Hawkeye Ahron Ulis, Josiah Allick, Rienk Mast and Brice Williams. Jamarques Lawrence and redshirt Ramel Lloyd Jr. bring potential from the underclassmen. Nebraska ended the season on a great stretch and momentum could carry into next season. At the 10 spot, the Cornhuskers would be a bubble team for March Madness, not the NIT.
11. Penn State
I’m high on Penn State and Mike Rhoades and that still has them finishing eleventh in the power rankings. If Indiana had the splashiest portal haul, Penn State might have the most economical one. Ace Baldwin will likely compete for an All-Big Ten spot. Rayquawndis Mitchell and Puff Johnson are exciting. Coach Rhoades brought in FIVE other transfers that will fill up the minutes too. There is enough here for the Nittany Lions. Now, we will have to see how Rhoades does in a power 5 conference.
12. Michigan
It feels wrong to have Michigan this low, but the reality is they maybe should be lower. The Wolverines lost Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard to the draft, Hunter Dickinson to the portal, incoming freshman Papa Kante to Pitt and Caleb Love to academics. Nimari Burnett and Tray Jackson are not saviors from the portal. Neither is Jaelin Llewellyn. Juwan Howard will be asking a lot of Dug McDaniel and Tarris Reed Jr. I really like George Washington III, but he is their only incoming recruit. Michigan will get more in the portal but given what’s left it won’t be enough to move the needle much.
13. Rutgers
This one seems mean… but yeah Rutgers needs to be low. A team who tied for ninth in the Big Ten, lost in their first game in the Big Ten tourney and NIT, and lost both their best defender in Caleb McConnell and best scorer in Cam Spencer is supposed to drop lower in power rankings. Noah Fernandes, Gavin Griffiths and a leap from Derek Simpson isn’t enough to make me want to move Rutgers up. Clifford Omoruyi coming back provides more hope, while Paul Mulcahy’s non-announcement provides some questions about what is happening in New Jersey. Ace Bailey is still coming right?
14. Minnesota
Do I need to waste sentences on why Minnesota is at the bottom? I hope for Gophers’ fans sake that they improve, but after losing Jamison Battle and Ta’lon Cooper to the portal it seems like it will be another long season for them. You can be optimistic about Mike Mitchell Jr. and Elijah Hawkins, but I would still expect for them and the rising sophomore class to have a painful year of growth before a jump to really competing.
Anyways, thanks for reading! We will update our power rankings again after more movement. Probably closer to the start of the season.
Until then, read Exit Survey’s for your favorite team here or read our latest articles below.