Big Ten Basketball: Ranking of top 25 players entering 2023-24 season

2. Terrence Shannon Jr. – Illinois

The major catalyst for the raised expectations in Champaign is the return of Terrence Shannon Jr. for one final season. After three solid years at Texas Tech, Shannon landed with the Fighting Illini last season, averaging 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists across a pretty solid senior season. Things will be slightly different in his fifth collegiate year.

This season should see Shannon solely at shooting guard, able to become a major offensive weapon for the Fighting Illini. He earned First Team All-Big Ten honors and was one of the league’s top scorers last season and you’d expect a similar season this year. There’s still a lot of talent around him at Illinois, even with a few different names and faces; he’ll just hope for a bit more consistency from outside the arc, making just 32% of those attempts last year.

1. Zach Edey – Purdue

Standing 7’4 on the basketball court is menacing enough, but Edey truly transformed into an elite weapon last season. He won all of the National Player of the Year awards after averaging 22.3 points and 12.9 rebounds for a talented Purdue squad that won the Big Ten but faltered in the Big Dance. Now, he’s back for his senior season, the rare returning top college basketball player.

Last year saw Edey emerge as the nation’s top rebounder, its most efficient player, and a dominant frontcourt force for the Boilermakers. With Purdue returning most of last year’s talent, Edey will still be surrounded by talent all over the court and in great position for another unforgettable season. There really isn’t much more to say about Edey, whose size and talent cannot be easily defended; he’s unquestionably the best piece in the Big Ten today.