Big Ten Basketball: 2024 offseason grades for each team

It's been a "big" offseason for the Big Ten these past few months, for multiple reasons. One if the many somewhat surprising results from the transfer portal/NBA Draft process, along with the addition of four notable programs from the Pac-12.

With 99% of the rosters confirmed for the 2024-25 campaign, what grades should each Big Ten get for the offseason moves? Here's a recap of what happened and a final grade.

Illinois Fighting Illini - Grade: B

There were a ton of roster departures for the Illini this offseason. The two most important ones (Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask) ran out of eligibility but the rest entered the portal, including key big man, Coleman Hawkins, along with backup bigs, Dain Dainja and Amani Hansberry.

There are two ways to judge what Illinois has done, in my view. First is the transfer portal class, which was middle-of-the-road. The top veteran newcomer is Tre White, a double-digit scoring wing from Louisville. Kylan Boswell was the starting guard at Arizona but could be inefficient at times, while Ben Hemrichous is a stretch forward from Evansville who they’ll need to be an impact frontcourt player to help replace Hawkins.

Where Coach Brad Underwood and the Illini did shine was with the incoming freshmen class, which is now one of the best in the nation. Guard Kasparas Jakucionis and 7’3 center Tomislav Ivisic are two of the top international newcomers, while former 5-star wing prospect Will Riley reclassed to join the team this upcoming season.

Illinois is set to be one of the youngest teams in Big Ten Basketball next season and there are a lot of questions when it comes to the top of the roster. But as long as the young building blocks work out, there’s a lot to like “long-term” with this group.