The start of the 2024-25 NCAA basketball season is right around the corner and the new-look, 18-team Big Ten is as wide-open as it has been in recent memory. This season, there is no clear-cut top team and many programs have positioned themselves to take serious jumps forward. In short, there will be no such thing as off nights in the 20-game Big Ten schedule.
Take a look at where each Big Ten team ranks, including the top team to beat.
18. Penn State Nittany Lions
Returning over 60% of its minutes, second-year head coach Mike Rhoades had put together a competitive unit in State College. The problem? Somebody has to be last. And that’s the case with Penn State.
The key for the Nittany Lions in 2024-25 is no other than the Big Ten’s reigning DPOY Ace Baldwin Jr., who will, without a doubt, provide a much-needed spark on both ends of the floor. Another big year lies ahead for him. Zach Hicks and Nick Kern Jr. round out a quality trio for Penn State but it’s the frontcourt that makes the Nittany Lions more of a mystery than a proven commodity this season. Keep an eye out for 6-foot-10 freshman Miles Goodman.
Mike Rhoades has a proven track record of winning, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Nittany Lions play spoiler throughout the 20-game schedule. But I need to see it to believe it.
17. Washington Huskies
Washington basketball is entering a new era with the offseason hire of fast-rising head coach Danny Sprinkle, who was previously at Montana State and Utah State. Joining him is do-it-all big man Great Osobor, the reigning Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and one of the top transfer portal players available this cycle. Osobor, who reportedly landed a $2 million NIL deal, expects to be the driving force behind Washington’s success this season, just as he was for Utah State last year.
Butler transfer DJ Davis and Rice transfer Mekhi Mason will add depth and keep the Huskies competitive. Transfers Luis Kotright and Tyree Ihenacho are solid backcourt options. With a roster full of newcomers, the team will need time to gel and it may not have enough to rise from the bottom of the Big Ten.