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

5. Ohio State Buckeyes

The biggest x-factor in all of Big Ten Basketball might not be a player but rather a head coach, with Jake Diebler entering his first full season as the leader of the program. He went 8-3 to end last season but we’ll see if it was a fluke or not. He’ll have a capable roster to prove it, even without key guys like Roddy Gayle and Jamison Battle.

The lone main piece of last year’s core back happens to be their best player, Bruce Thornton. He led the Buckeyes with 15.7 ppg and 4.8 apg and will be a preseason contender for Big Ten Basketball Player of the Year. Replacing Gayle as his backcourt mate is Meechie Johnson, a former Buckeye who led South Carolina to the NCAA Tournament last season, averaging 14.1 ppg and 2.9 apg.

Replacing Zed Key and Felix Okpara in the frontcourt are a pair of former 5-star prospects looking for larger roles. Aaron Bradshaw is a 7’0 big man from Kentucky, while Sean Stewart is a 6’10 forward from Duke. We’ve seen previous players leave those programs and excel at their new spots with more playing time and if that happens with both of these guys, the Buckeyes will be a legit contender in the league.

Ultimately, the only sure thing on this roster is Thornton but he alone gives them a high floor. It’ll come down to both the coach and the rising sophomore big men to determine the overall ceiling.