Big Ten Basketball: Iowa rises, Michigan State falls in updated WTE 2024-25 rankings

8. Illinois Fighting Illini

Outside of those who went through coaching changes, no Big Ten Basketball team lost more production this offseason than Illinois, with its top four scorers now gone. Three of them (Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask, and Quincy Guerrier) ran out of eligibility while starting forward Coleman Hawkins transferred over to Kansas State.

The two lone returning players are versatile guard Ty Rodgers and Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn, who will be looking for a larger role in the backcourt. The projected starting guards are transfers Kylan Boswell and Tre White, two double-digit scorers from Arizona and Louisville, respectively.

The frontcourt includes Mercer transfer wing, Jake Mercer, while former Evansville forward Ben Humrichous and Notre Dame transfer Carey Booth are the key bigs to watch. Four incoming freshmen are joining as well, including highly-touted international prospects, Kasparas Jakucionis and Tomislav Ivisic, center and twin brother of Arkansas big man Zvonimir Ivisic.

Depending on how good the freshmen are, Illinois may not have much of a drop-off. Plus, Coach Brad Underwood has a good history of getting the best out of transfers. But they’ll need someone to become the next breakout star and all-league player or else they could be on the bubble next year.