Big Ten Basketball: 10 biggest storylines to watch for 2022-23 season

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 10: Head coach Mike Woodson of the Indiana Hoosiers reacts after getting called for a technical foul in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines during the Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 10, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

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5. Michigan looking for a 3rd wheel

The Wolverines can’t look past this upcoming season because they have one of the best players in college basketball in Hunter Dickinson, who averaged 18.6 ppg and 8.6 rpg as a sophomore last year. He’s set to be one of the three best players in Big Ten Basketball but the key topic for the team is how the supporting cast works out after losing most of the rotation.

Michigan added two transfers in Jaelin Llewellyn, a 15 ppg scoring guard from Princeton, and Joey Baker, a 5th-year wing from Duke. Baker’s role likely won’t be much different this upcoming season, just mainly to be a sharpshooter when on the court. Llewellyn, assuming he’s able to make the transition from the Ivy League to the Big Ten, will likely be the second or third leading scorer on the team.

The rest of the cast is unproven to this point. Returning players such as Terrence Williams, Kobe Bufkin, and Isaiah Barnes are set for larger roles, while a top-15 incoming freshmen class that includes Jett Howard, Dug McDaniel, Tarris Reed, and Youssef Khayat all have a chance at breakout campaigns and being a featured part of the offense.

Last season, five-star freshmen, Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan, had their ups and downs and the team nearly missed out on the NCAA Tournament as a result. They’ll need production from a few of these young players to remain on the right side of the NCAAT cutline.

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