This started a thread to keep track the changes on Big Ten rosters this offseason but morphed into a full on preview. Quarantining is a hell of a drug. Transfers, recruits, etc are generally only updated when they're officially official.
Illinois
Graduating
Andres Feliz, G
Kipper Nichols, SF
Likely Gone (Draft)
Ayo Dosunmu, PG
Outgoing Transfers
Alan Griffin, G
Incoming Recruits
Andre Curbelo, PG (4*)
Adam Miller, SG (4*)
Coleman Hawkins, PF (3*)
Newly Eligible Transfers
Austin Hutcherson, G/F (Wesleyan)
Jacob Grandison, G/F (Holy Cross)
Summary
Losing Ayo Dosunmu is going to be the big headline but the Illini are very much positioned to reload rather than rebuild. Trent Frazier is still there at guard, and they'll have a lot of other weapons to plug in and see what works. Curbelo is the obvious Dosunmu replacement and though he likely won't be as dynamic, he won't have to be. Hutcherson was an obvious misfit at the D3 level where he dominated, and Grandison was a very good player at Holy Cross. Kofi Cockburn and Giorgi Bezhanishvili will be back (it appears), and adding Coleman Hawkins to the big man rotation will help alleviate some floor spacing issues.
Indiana
Graduating
Devonte Green, G
De'Ron Davis, C
Incoming Recruits
Khristian Lander, PG (5*) - Possible reclassification
Anthony Leal, G (4*)
Jordan Geronimo, SF (3*)
Trey Galloway, G (3*)
Summary
The Hoosiers of next year will look a lot like the Hoosiers of this year. Trayce Jackson-Davis has already announced he'll be returning to school rather than exploring draft options, so they'll have proven scoring inside with him and Joey Brunk. They'll need to infuse some shooting with Devonte Green leaving, as Al Durham was the only other decent shooter on the roster last year. It seems like 2021 5* Khristian Lander will reclassify and should help a lot, as Rob Phinisee hasn't been able to truly take the reins at PG.
Iowa
Graduating
Ryan Kreiner, F
Bakari Evelyn, G
Incoming Recruits
Aaron Ulis, G (3*)
Tony Perkins, G (3*)
Josh Ogundele, C (3*)
Keegan Murray, F (3*)
Kris Murray, F (3*)
Summary
The Hawkeyes success in 2019-20 was surprising for a few reasons. For one, they were playing with an extremely short bench with a shallow to roster to begin with and then injuries hit. Secondly, two guys who ran point after Jordan Bohannon got hurt were not threats to shoot at all, so teams could simply sag off. So for them to have the 5th best offense in the country says a lot about how good Luka Garza, CJ Fredrick, and Joe Wieskamp are. As of now it seems like they'll be back, though Wieskamp and Garza could certainly dip their toe in the NBA waters. With Bohannon, Jack Nunge, and Patrick McCaffrey returning from injuries plus five new recruits (it's a good bet at least one will break through as a solid Big Ten player as a freshman) the Hawkeyes are set up well. There are always going to be some defensive limitations because of Bohannon and Garza, but they'll easily make it up on the offensive end.
Maryland
Graduating
Anthony Cowan, G
Likely Gone (Draft)
Jalen Smith, C
Incoming Recruits
Marcus Dockery, G (3*)
Aquan Smart, G (3*)
Summary
So, obviously they're losing their two best players. But they DO bring everybody else back. Donta Scott showed well as a freshman and guys like Aaron Wiggins, Eric Ayala, and Daryl Morsell have all shown glimpses. But there's no obvious replacement for Cowan at point guard, and so much of their offense was structured around the attention that he and Smith provided. Without those two present in the offense, it's unclear who will be able to take over when needed. Big man Chol Marial is a former top-10 recruit but he's a walking injury and even when healthy didn't really get in the rotation this year. Neither of the incoming recruits seem primed to plug-and-play, but Cowan wasn't a top recruit either and Mark Turgeon made it work quickly with him.
Michigan State
Graduating
Cassius Winston, PG
Kyle Ahrens, F
Incoming Recruits
Mady Sissoko, C (4*)
AJ Hoggard, PG (4*)
Eligible Transfers
Joey Hauser, F (Marquette)
Summary
Like Illinois and Maryland, the Spartans are losing their heart-and-soul point guard but returning nearly everything else of consequence. Hoggard figures to get the ball early, with Rocket Watts seeing some time at point as well... It's worth noting that when Hoggard committed, their previously-committed PG decommitted a few days later. So it's clear he has the talent. They lose Ahrens but basically replace him with the much better version in Joey Hauser, an absolutely sharpshooter from distance at 6'9". Xavier Tillman will be back to grab seemingly every rebound and guys like Malik Hall, Gabe Brown, and Aaron Henry practically have BREAKOUT CANDIDATE tattooed on their foreheads. Do not expect much of a step back.
Michigan
Graduating
Zavier Simpson, G
Jon Teske, C
Austin Davis, C
Possibly Gone (Draft)
Isaiah Livers, G/F (Declared 3/30, did not sign with an agent)
Incoming Recruits
Isaiah Todd, PF (5*)
Josh Christopher, SG (5*) - Not committed but considered a strong Michigan lean
Hunter Dickinson, C (4*)
Zeb Jackson, SG (4*)
Terrance Williams, PF (4*)
Jace Howard, SF (3*)
Summary
The Wolverines brought Juwan Howard in partly because they thought he'd be a good recruiter... and they've been proven right. Their 2020 class is loaded and that's not even counting 5* Josh Christopher. Assuming Livers leaves, they'll be young with only one senior in Eli Brooks, but the talent is undeniable. Dickinson and Todd will easily replace the frontcourt production of Teske, and Christopher and Jackson will combine with Brooks and David DeJulius to anchor down the backcourt in Simpson's absence. It'll be a different-looking team to be sure but I would expect the same kind of results that we've seen these past few seasons.
Minnesota
Graduating
Alihan Demir, F
Michael Hurt, F
Gone (Draft)
Daniel Oturu, C
Possibly Gone (Draft)
Marcus Carr, G (Declared 3/30, did not sign with an agent)
Incoming Recruits
Jamal Mashburn, Jr., G (4*)
Martice Mitchell, PF (3*)
Summary
With the unsurprising news that Oturu will enter and remain in the draft, the Gophers outlook stays murky. This will be a heavily perimeter-oriented team, a departure from what we've seen with Oturu and Jordan Murphy before him. Marcus Carr is still one of the more dynamic guards in the league, and Mashburn Jr. will at least give him a break from needing to do everything for 40 minutes. Gabe Kalscheur slumped badly this past season but is still a quality shooter (as is Payton Willis). But they got almost nothing out of their freshman class so they'll need a breakout from a guy like Isaiah Ihnen to surprise people.
Nebraska
Graduating
Haanif Cheatham, F
Matej Kavas, C
Transferring Out
Dachon Burke, G
Jervay Green, F
Samari Curtis, G
Who The Hell Knows
Cam Mack, PG
Eligible Transfers
Derrick Walker, F (Tennessee)
Shamiel Stevenson, G (Pittsburgh)
Dalano Blanton, F (Western Kentucky)
Kobe Webster, PG (Western Illinois)
Kobe King, SG (Wisconsin)
Incoming Recruits
Teddy Allen, G (JUCO)
Lat Mayen, PF (JUCO)
Summary
Well, it's a Fred Hoiberg team so there's gonna be a lot of roster turnover. Let's start with Cam Mack, who got suspended 4 or 5 separate times this past season and recently declared for the NBA Draft. It's tough to see him remaining in, but if he does return to college it may not be with the Huskers. Or maybe the suspensions don't matter and he and Hoiberg will be fine. Who knows! He was a really good PG on a really bad team last year, and if he does come back he'll have a lot more weapons. If not, things get turned over to Kobes Webster and King. Webster was a decent passing guard for WIU but he's undersized and their team defense stunk, and he's not a great shooter. Kobe King was playing decently for Wisconsin, but the team got a lot better pretty much immediately after he left. So there's that.
The other three transfers (Walker, Stevenson, and Blanton) all have Big Ten bodies and athleticism but they were all nonfactors at their previous schools. So it's anyone's guess as to what they'll give. The returning big men, Kevin Cross and Yvan Ouedraogo, were, uh, let's say "young." Nebraska got destroyed on the board and while they'll have better team rebounding thanks to the athleticism boost, they've yet to address the other paint issues. But again, it's Fred Hoiberg... he'll pull in another transfer or two this off-season.
Northwestern
Graduating
Pat Spencer, G
AJ Turner, F
Eligible Transfers
Chase Audige, G (William & Mary)
Incoming Recruits
Ty Berry, G (3*)
Matt Nicholson, C (3*)
Summary
The weird lacrosse experiment with Pat Spencer... actually kind of worked better than I thought? Northwestern wasn't good, of course, but they were never going to be good. They were a young team last year and they'll be young again, with only one senior on the roster. Buie showed flashes of being a capable PG but he also showed flashes of being the 327th ranked recruit in his class. They really seemed to find something that worked with Miller Kopp and Ryan Young, though, and they'll need to lean on those guys while hoping that Buie, Robbie Beran, and Pete Nance can take strides foward. Audige is eligible after a sit-out year and he should help out in the shooting department, something desperately needed: Nobody besides Kopp and Beran shot above 30% on at least 17 attempts.
Ohio State
Graduating
Andre Wesson, F
Possibly Gone (Draft)
Kaleb Wesson, C
Transferring Out
DJ Carton, PG
Alonzo Gaffney, F
Eligible Transfers
Seth Towns, F (Harvard)
Justice Sueing, F (California)
Incoming Recruits
Eugene Brown III, SG (4*)
Zed Key, F (3*)
Summary
We'll have to wait and see what Kaleb Wesson does, but my guess is that Seth Towns did not commit here without thinking Wesson would be gone. Towns is a terrific player but has had trouble staying healthy in his career. He can replace a lot of what Wesson gave on the perimeter in terms of spacing (as will Justice Sueing), but they'll be missing a paint presence. It's likely they'll look to the transfer market here. Of course, it's all academic if Wesson does return, and it would set the Buckeyes up as a real threat to win the conference. CJ Walker admirably controlled the PG position once Carton took a break to address his mental health, and they have quality shooting with Duane Washington, Luther Muhammad, and Justin Ahrens.
Penn State
Graduating
Lamar Stevens, F
Mike Watkins, C
Curtis Jones, G
Incoming Transfer
Sam Sessoms, G (Will be a sit-out unless the rules are changed or he gets a waiver)
Incoming Recruits
Dallion Johnson, G (3*)
DJ Gordon, G (3*)
Valdir Manuel, F (3*)
Caleb Dorsey, F (3*)
The last of Pat Chambers' prized Philadelphia recruiting classes are gone in Stevens and Watkins (along with Tony Carr a few years ago). Now we'll see if he can rebuild. The two best pieces now are Myreon Jones, one of the best shooters in the conference, and Seth Lundy, who showed promise as a freshman. Izaih Brockington and Myles Dread are also playable options on the outside. John Harrar isn't bad inside but you'd rather have him as a second banana than a starting center. We saw it took Wisconsin a long time to figure out how to play once a high-usage guy (Ethan Happ) left and Penn State is going to have similar issues next season without Stevens. But I don't think the rest of the PSU roster is as good as the Wisconsin roster was without Happ. They could really use an impact transfer this off-season.
Purdue
Graduating
Jahaad Proctor, G
Evan Boudreaux, C
Incoming Recruits
Jaden Ivey, G (4*)
Ethan Morton, F (4*)
Zach Edey, C (3*)
Summary
This team's record was not indicative of their overall strength if you trust the computer numbers. Trevion Williams and Matt Haarms is a nice combo inside, and you figure Williams will continue to get better on defense. Eric Hunter and Sasha Stefanovic might not be Ryan Cline and Dakota Mathias, but they're good shooters nonetheless. Aaron Wheeler is a much better player than we saw in 2020, too. Nojel Eastern is a total wildcard but he's a plus defender and any offense you get from him is gravy. The team desperately missed a playmaking guard last year... Proctor filled those shoes here and there but not consistently. Jaden Ivey might be the solution there, and could open up their entire offense. They also have another quality freshman in Morton, and a redshirt freshman in Mason Gillis who will help on the wings.
Rutgers
Graduating
Akwasi Yeboah, F
Shaq Carter, C
Incoming Recruits
Oskar Palmquist, F (3*)
Mawot Mag, F (3*)
Dean Reiber, F (3*)
Summary
Losing Yeboah hurts, and Rutgers will need players to step up to fill his shot-making role. Geo Baker and Caleb McConnell are better than the sub-30%s they put up from three-point range, but they need to bring that to the table consistently. It'll also help if Palmquist can be a reliable shooter and if Mag and Reiber turn out to be at least capable (so, 30% guys instead of 25% guys). The defensive intensity will always be there, and Jacob Young at least figured it out a little bit offensively toward the end of the year. Adding some size behind Myles Johnson has to be the off-season priority (not jinxing anything, ahem). Assuming a slight defensive regression to the mean, the keys are if Baker and McConnell can regain their shooting form, and just how much can Ron Harper Jr. improve.
Wisconsin
Graduating
Brevin Pritzl, G
Transferring Out
Kobe King, F
Incoming Recruits
Ben Carlson, F (4*)
Johnny Davis, G (3*)
Lorne Bowman, G (3*)
Steven Crowl, C (3*)
Jordan Davis, F (3*)
Summary
The Badgers got really hot in the second half of the season, finishing on an eight-game winning streak. Not coincidentally, this happened when Kobe King transferred and Micah Potter was fully integrated into the lineup. They'll miss Pritzl's shooting but this a balance, senior-heavy team with Brad Davison, Nate Reuvers, D'Mitrik Trice, Aleem Ford, and Potter all in their final season. They know how good they can be and as long as they get enough from their role players, which is a Wisconsin signature, they'll come close to that ceiling.
Illinois
Graduating
Andres Feliz, G
Kipper Nichols, SF
Likely Gone (Draft)
Ayo Dosunmu, PG
Outgoing Transfers
Alan Griffin, G
Incoming Recruits
Andre Curbelo, PG (4*)
Adam Miller, SG (4*)
Coleman Hawkins, PF (3*)
Newly Eligible Transfers
Austin Hutcherson, G/F (Wesleyan)
Jacob Grandison, G/F (Holy Cross)
Summary
Losing Ayo Dosunmu is going to be the big headline but the Illini are very much positioned to reload rather than rebuild. Trent Frazier is still there at guard, and they'll have a lot of other weapons to plug in and see what works. Curbelo is the obvious Dosunmu replacement and though he likely won't be as dynamic, he won't have to be. Hutcherson was an obvious misfit at the D3 level where he dominated, and Grandison was a very good player at Holy Cross. Kofi Cockburn and Giorgi Bezhanishvili will be back (it appears), and adding Coleman Hawkins to the big man rotation will help alleviate some floor spacing issues.
Indiana
Graduating
Devonte Green, G
De'Ron Davis, C
Incoming Recruits
Khristian Lander, PG (5*) - Possible reclassification
Anthony Leal, G (4*)
Jordan Geronimo, SF (3*)
Trey Galloway, G (3*)
Summary
The Hoosiers of next year will look a lot like the Hoosiers of this year. Trayce Jackson-Davis has already announced he'll be returning to school rather than exploring draft options, so they'll have proven scoring inside with him and Joey Brunk. They'll need to infuse some shooting with Devonte Green leaving, as Al Durham was the only other decent shooter on the roster last year. It seems like 2021 5* Khristian Lander will reclassify and should help a lot, as Rob Phinisee hasn't been able to truly take the reins at PG.
Iowa
Graduating
Ryan Kreiner, F
Bakari Evelyn, G
Incoming Recruits
Aaron Ulis, G (3*)
Tony Perkins, G (3*)
Josh Ogundele, C (3*)
Keegan Murray, F (3*)
Kris Murray, F (3*)
Summary
The Hawkeyes success in 2019-20 was surprising for a few reasons. For one, they were playing with an extremely short bench with a shallow to roster to begin with and then injuries hit. Secondly, two guys who ran point after Jordan Bohannon got hurt were not threats to shoot at all, so teams could simply sag off. So for them to have the 5th best offense in the country says a lot about how good Luka Garza, CJ Fredrick, and Joe Wieskamp are. As of now it seems like they'll be back, though Wieskamp and Garza could certainly dip their toe in the NBA waters. With Bohannon, Jack Nunge, and Patrick McCaffrey returning from injuries plus five new recruits (it's a good bet at least one will break through as a solid Big Ten player as a freshman) the Hawkeyes are set up well. There are always going to be some defensive limitations because of Bohannon and Garza, but they'll easily make it up on the offensive end.
Maryland
Graduating
Anthony Cowan, G
Likely Gone (Draft)
Jalen Smith, C
Incoming Recruits
Marcus Dockery, G (3*)
Aquan Smart, G (3*)
Summary
So, obviously they're losing their two best players. But they DO bring everybody else back. Donta Scott showed well as a freshman and guys like Aaron Wiggins, Eric Ayala, and Daryl Morsell have all shown glimpses. But there's no obvious replacement for Cowan at point guard, and so much of their offense was structured around the attention that he and Smith provided. Without those two present in the offense, it's unclear who will be able to take over when needed. Big man Chol Marial is a former top-10 recruit but he's a walking injury and even when healthy didn't really get in the rotation this year. Neither of the incoming recruits seem primed to plug-and-play, but Cowan wasn't a top recruit either and Mark Turgeon made it work quickly with him.
Michigan State
Graduating
Cassius Winston, PG
Kyle Ahrens, F
Incoming Recruits
Mady Sissoko, C (4*)
AJ Hoggard, PG (4*)
Eligible Transfers
Joey Hauser, F (Marquette)
Summary
Like Illinois and Maryland, the Spartans are losing their heart-and-soul point guard but returning nearly everything else of consequence. Hoggard figures to get the ball early, with Rocket Watts seeing some time at point as well... It's worth noting that when Hoggard committed, their previously-committed PG decommitted a few days later. So it's clear he has the talent. They lose Ahrens but basically replace him with the much better version in Joey Hauser, an absolutely sharpshooter from distance at 6'9". Xavier Tillman will be back to grab seemingly every rebound and guys like Malik Hall, Gabe Brown, and Aaron Henry practically have BREAKOUT CANDIDATE tattooed on their foreheads. Do not expect much of a step back.
Michigan
Graduating
Zavier Simpson, G
Jon Teske, C
Austin Davis, C
Possibly Gone (Draft)
Isaiah Livers, G/F (Declared 3/30, did not sign with an agent)
Incoming Recruits
Isaiah Todd, PF (5*)
Josh Christopher, SG (5*) - Not committed but considered a strong Michigan lean
Hunter Dickinson, C (4*)
Zeb Jackson, SG (4*)
Terrance Williams, PF (4*)
Jace Howard, SF (3*)
Summary
The Wolverines brought Juwan Howard in partly because they thought he'd be a good recruiter... and they've been proven right. Their 2020 class is loaded and that's not even counting 5* Josh Christopher. Assuming Livers leaves, they'll be young with only one senior in Eli Brooks, but the talent is undeniable. Dickinson and Todd will easily replace the frontcourt production of Teske, and Christopher and Jackson will combine with Brooks and David DeJulius to anchor down the backcourt in Simpson's absence. It'll be a different-looking team to be sure but I would expect the same kind of results that we've seen these past few seasons.
Minnesota
Graduating
Alihan Demir, F
Michael Hurt, F
Gone (Draft)
Daniel Oturu, C
Possibly Gone (Draft)
Marcus Carr, G (Declared 3/30, did not sign with an agent)
Incoming Recruits
Jamal Mashburn, Jr., G (4*)
Martice Mitchell, PF (3*)
Summary
With the unsurprising news that Oturu will enter and remain in the draft, the Gophers outlook stays murky. This will be a heavily perimeter-oriented team, a departure from what we've seen with Oturu and Jordan Murphy before him. Marcus Carr is still one of the more dynamic guards in the league, and Mashburn Jr. will at least give him a break from needing to do everything for 40 minutes. Gabe Kalscheur slumped badly this past season but is still a quality shooter (as is Payton Willis). But they got almost nothing out of their freshman class so they'll need a breakout from a guy like Isaiah Ihnen to surprise people.
Nebraska
Graduating
Haanif Cheatham, F
Matej Kavas, C
Transferring Out
Dachon Burke, G
Jervay Green, F
Samari Curtis, G
Who The Hell Knows
Cam Mack, PG
Eligible Transfers
Derrick Walker, F (Tennessee)
Shamiel Stevenson, G (Pittsburgh)
Dalano Blanton, F (Western Kentucky)
Kobe Webster, PG (Western Illinois)
Kobe King, SG (Wisconsin)
Incoming Recruits
Teddy Allen, G (JUCO)
Lat Mayen, PF (JUCO)
Summary
Well, it's a Fred Hoiberg team so there's gonna be a lot of roster turnover. Let's start with Cam Mack, who got suspended 4 or 5 separate times this past season and recently declared for the NBA Draft. It's tough to see him remaining in, but if he does return to college it may not be with the Huskers. Or maybe the suspensions don't matter and he and Hoiberg will be fine. Who knows! He was a really good PG on a really bad team last year, and if he does come back he'll have a lot more weapons. If not, things get turned over to Kobes Webster and King. Webster was a decent passing guard for WIU but he's undersized and their team defense stunk, and he's not a great shooter. Kobe King was playing decently for Wisconsin, but the team got a lot better pretty much immediately after he left. So there's that.
The other three transfers (Walker, Stevenson, and Blanton) all have Big Ten bodies and athleticism but they were all nonfactors at their previous schools. So it's anyone's guess as to what they'll give. The returning big men, Kevin Cross and Yvan Ouedraogo, were, uh, let's say "young." Nebraska got destroyed on the board and while they'll have better team rebounding thanks to the athleticism boost, they've yet to address the other paint issues. But again, it's Fred Hoiberg... he'll pull in another transfer or two this off-season.
Northwestern
Graduating
Pat Spencer, G
AJ Turner, F
Eligible Transfers
Chase Audige, G (William & Mary)
Incoming Recruits
Ty Berry, G (3*)
Matt Nicholson, C (3*)
Summary
The weird lacrosse experiment with Pat Spencer... actually kind of worked better than I thought? Northwestern wasn't good, of course, but they were never going to be good. They were a young team last year and they'll be young again, with only one senior on the roster. Buie showed flashes of being a capable PG but he also showed flashes of being the 327th ranked recruit in his class. They really seemed to find something that worked with Miller Kopp and Ryan Young, though, and they'll need to lean on those guys while hoping that Buie, Robbie Beran, and Pete Nance can take strides foward. Audige is eligible after a sit-out year and he should help out in the shooting department, something desperately needed: Nobody besides Kopp and Beran shot above 30% on at least 17 attempts.
Ohio State
Graduating
Andre Wesson, F
Possibly Gone (Draft)
Kaleb Wesson, C
Transferring Out
DJ Carton, PG
Alonzo Gaffney, F
Eligible Transfers
Seth Towns, F (Harvard)
Justice Sueing, F (California)
Incoming Recruits
Eugene Brown III, SG (4*)
Zed Key, F (3*)
Summary
We'll have to wait and see what Kaleb Wesson does, but my guess is that Seth Towns did not commit here without thinking Wesson would be gone. Towns is a terrific player but has had trouble staying healthy in his career. He can replace a lot of what Wesson gave on the perimeter in terms of spacing (as will Justice Sueing), but they'll be missing a paint presence. It's likely they'll look to the transfer market here. Of course, it's all academic if Wesson does return, and it would set the Buckeyes up as a real threat to win the conference. CJ Walker admirably controlled the PG position once Carton took a break to address his mental health, and they have quality shooting with Duane Washington, Luther Muhammad, and Justin Ahrens.
Penn State
Graduating
Lamar Stevens, F
Mike Watkins, C
Curtis Jones, G
Incoming Transfer
Sam Sessoms, G (Will be a sit-out unless the rules are changed or he gets a waiver)
Incoming Recruits
Dallion Johnson, G (3*)
DJ Gordon, G (3*)
Valdir Manuel, F (3*)
Caleb Dorsey, F (3*)
The last of Pat Chambers' prized Philadelphia recruiting classes are gone in Stevens and Watkins (along with Tony Carr a few years ago). Now we'll see if he can rebuild. The two best pieces now are Myreon Jones, one of the best shooters in the conference, and Seth Lundy, who showed promise as a freshman. Izaih Brockington and Myles Dread are also playable options on the outside. John Harrar isn't bad inside but you'd rather have him as a second banana than a starting center. We saw it took Wisconsin a long time to figure out how to play once a high-usage guy (Ethan Happ) left and Penn State is going to have similar issues next season without Stevens. But I don't think the rest of the PSU roster is as good as the Wisconsin roster was without Happ. They could really use an impact transfer this off-season.
Purdue
Graduating
Jahaad Proctor, G
Evan Boudreaux, C
Incoming Recruits
Jaden Ivey, G (4*)
Ethan Morton, F (4*)
Zach Edey, C (3*)
Summary
This team's record was not indicative of their overall strength if you trust the computer numbers. Trevion Williams and Matt Haarms is a nice combo inside, and you figure Williams will continue to get better on defense. Eric Hunter and Sasha Stefanovic might not be Ryan Cline and Dakota Mathias, but they're good shooters nonetheless. Aaron Wheeler is a much better player than we saw in 2020, too. Nojel Eastern is a total wildcard but he's a plus defender and any offense you get from him is gravy. The team desperately missed a playmaking guard last year... Proctor filled those shoes here and there but not consistently. Jaden Ivey might be the solution there, and could open up their entire offense. They also have another quality freshman in Morton, and a redshirt freshman in Mason Gillis who will help on the wings.
Rutgers
Graduating
Akwasi Yeboah, F
Shaq Carter, C
Incoming Recruits
Oskar Palmquist, F (3*)
Mawot Mag, F (3*)
Dean Reiber, F (3*)
Summary
Losing Yeboah hurts, and Rutgers will need players to step up to fill his shot-making role. Geo Baker and Caleb McConnell are better than the sub-30%s they put up from three-point range, but they need to bring that to the table consistently. It'll also help if Palmquist can be a reliable shooter and if Mag and Reiber turn out to be at least capable (so, 30% guys instead of 25% guys). The defensive intensity will always be there, and Jacob Young at least figured it out a little bit offensively toward the end of the year. Adding some size behind Myles Johnson has to be the off-season priority (not jinxing anything, ahem). Assuming a slight defensive regression to the mean, the keys are if Baker and McConnell can regain their shooting form, and just how much can Ron Harper Jr. improve.
Wisconsin
Graduating
Brevin Pritzl, G
Transferring Out
Kobe King, F
Incoming Recruits
Ben Carlson, F (4*)
Johnny Davis, G (3*)
Lorne Bowman, G (3*)
Steven Crowl, C (3*)
Jordan Davis, F (3*)
Summary
The Badgers got really hot in the second half of the season, finishing on an eight-game winning streak. Not coincidentally, this happened when Kobe King transferred and Micah Potter was fully integrated into the lineup. They'll miss Pritzl's shooting but this a balance, senior-heavy team with Brad Davison, Nate Reuvers, D'Mitrik Trice, Aleem Ford, and Potter all in their final season. They know how good they can be and as long as they get enough from their role players, which is a Wisconsin signature, they'll come close to that ceiling.
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