Big Ten Basketball: Biggest storylines for each team entering 2024-25 season

As the countdown toward the 2024-25 NCAA basketball season gets shorter and shorter by the day, the new-look 18-team Big Ten is set to deliver many compelling storylines. From highly-coveted freshmen to transfer-heavy rosters to coaches trusting their development, every program has something different to prove with its roster. Despite this, for every program, the goal remains the same: a Big Ten championship. 

With that being said, take a look at the biggest storylines for each team as we enter the 2024-25 season.

Illinois Fighting Illini: New-look roster, unchanged expectations

Even with a new-look roster set to take the court on Nov. 4, the expectations at Illinois remain unchanged: Big Ten championship-level basketball.

There is no shortage of talent entering year eight of the Brad Underwood era. Its roster is overflowing with elite freshmen and transfers. Five-star F Will Riley and Lithuanian G Kasparas Jakucionis joined the fold this summer. Kylan Boswell (Arizona), Ben Humrichous (Evansville) and Tre White (Louisville) are among the notable transfer portal additions. According to BartTorvik’s preseason rankings, Illinois’ 2024-25 roster places second in the country in talent, only behind the reigning back-to-back champions, UConn.

There are lots of moving parts on the 2024-25 Fighting Illini. Given the high volume of talent Underwood has assembled, it may be hard to please everyone. Plus, how they fit together as a cohesive five-man unit remains a critical question. Yet, Illinois looks to pick up right where they left off. In short, it’s not a rebuild in Champaign. It’s a reload.