Big Ten Basketball: 3 biggest storylines for 2019 offseason

By Adam Childs | Apr 17, 2019

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 17: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates after beating the Michigan Wolverines 65-60 in the championship game of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 16: Ignas Brazdeikis #13 and Jordan Poole #2 of the Michigan Wolverines look on in the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 16, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

1. What underclassmen are leaving?

Each year teams are going to lose their seniors (although it seems like fewer and fewer teams actually have productive seniors on their team). This year the most notable one is Ethan Happ from Wisconsin. He had become a force in the Big Ten and helped bring the Badgers back to the top of the Big Ten after a down year.

There is nothing you can do about losing a senior, but what hurts a lot of teams is losing underclassmen to the NBA draft. Michigan may be hit the hardest this year as Charles Matthews (even though no one expected him to stay), Jordan Poole, and Big Ten freshman of the year Ignas Brazdeikis all have declared for the NBA draft. Under the new rules, they could still come back even though they hired an agent, but Brazdeikis sounded like a man gone. Poole is still up in the air, but if Michigan loses all three it will be a big blow. That would be three of their five starters gone from last year. With them they are a potential top-five team, without them, they may only be a top twenty team.

Maryland is losing Bruno Fernando but got lucky when Jalen Smith said he was going to stay. But had Fernando also returned Maryland would have the best frontcourt in the Big Ten and would be one of the favorites to win the conference.

Purdue is losing Carsen Edwards, which is no surprise, but with him, they could have also been a Big Ten favorite. But losing him along with senior Ryan Cline and it will be a wonder who will be able to hit threes for the Boilermakers next year.

Michigan State should get lucky, though, as their top underclassmen all look like they are returning. Reigning Big Ten POY Cassius Winston looks like he is staying, along with big man Nick Ward. The Spartans would become very inexperienced if they lost both of those guys, with Matt McQuaid graduating.

It should be an interesting couple of months leading up to the NBA draft to see who still might enter and who returns. How the upcoming months play out will go a long way in deciding who can compete for the top of the conference next year.

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