Big Ten Basketball: Predicting teams at the top for 2019-20 season
A look at the top projected teams for Big Ten Basketball this upcoming season. Who are the likely contenders to Tom Izzo’s juggernaut team?
College Basketball is nearly a month away and practices have already begun. Last year, Michigan State, Purdue, and Michigan all took turns at the top but ultimately the Spartans and Boilermakers shared the Big Ten Basketball regular-season title.
The top of the Big Ten likely won’t be as competitive this year. Tom Izzo’s squad is simply much more talented. But teams 2-7 will be much closer in talent and it will make for an interesting conference season.
7. Illinois
Key players lost: Aaron Jordan
Key players returning: Ayo Dosunmu, Trent Frazier, Georgi Bezhanishvili, Andres Feliz, Kipper Nichols, Tevian Jones
Key newcomers: Kofi Cockburn
The Fighting Illini have been receiving plenty of preseason buzz and for good reason. Despite a slow start, the Illini were much better in the second part of conference play last season. Most of the young core is back, losing only one starter.
The best returning player is easily Ayo Dosunmu. A projected 2020 first round pick, Dosunmu averaged just under 14 points per game as a freshman. Dosunmu is expected to make a big leap as he was the No. 9 player on Andy Katz’s preseason Cousy Award watchlist. Dosunmu could easily be one of the best players in the conference.
They also return fan favorite Georgi Bezhanishvilli who was a pleasant surprise for the Illini last season down low. Pesky on ball defender Andres Feliz is returning as well. Two wings, Tevian Jones and Alan Griffin are also back. Jones is a former top 100 recruit who has the tools to be a stud. Meanwhile, Griffin had a breakout summer after a rough freshman campaign. If one of those two guys can breakout, it will fill a huge void for the Illini.
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The development of rising junior Trent Frazier is another key storyline to follow. He was one of the best freshman guards in the Big Ten in 2017-2018 but was not exponentially better last season. If Dosunmu can draw more defenders, it could create plenty of open looks for Frazier.
Another question for the Illini is the fit of Bezhanishvili and four-star big man Kofi Cockburn. Bezhanishvilli was the starting center for the Illini last year but now the 6’11, 290-pound Cockburn will fill that role. Neither has shown the ability to shoot from the perimeter and Brad Underwood traditionally likes to play super fast with smaller players at the power forward. Maximizing the effectiveness of the two bigs will be critical to the Illini’s success.
Illinois has clear talent, but it remains to be seen how the pieces fit together. Is a Frazier-Feliz-Dosunmu trio to small on the wing? Can the two bigs stay on the court together? If Brad Underwood can find the solutions to these problems, then the Illini can be one of the better Big Ten teams.