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

7. Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines ended the Coach Juwan Howard era and replaced him with former March Madness star, Dusty May of Florida Atlantic. With it came a complete roster turnover, with the lone returning pieces being Nimari Burnett and Will Tschetter.

Among the newcomers is a talented group, including a former rival. Roddy Gayle comes from Ohio State, averaging 13.5 ppg and 3.1 apg on 45% shooting from the field. He’s a proven Big Ten performer and will be the go-to guy, joined by transfer ball-handlers, Rubin Jones and Tre Donaldson. Freshmen Durral Brooks, Lorenzo Cason, and Justin Pippen will be fighting for rotation spots.

The frontcourt is where the real potential lies. Former four-star prospect Sam Walters is a breakout candidate to watch from Alabama, pairing with Tschetter as stretch forwards. And there aren’t many center duos better than FAU transfer Vlad Goldin and former Yale big man Danny Wolf, who each could start at most Big Ten Basketball schools.

There’s a chance that those two could play together on the court but even if not, Michigan’s collective frontcourt should be enough to keep them in most games. If the point guard situation is figured out by the season’s start, they have a good shot at getting back into the NCAA Tournament mix.