Big Ten Men’s Basketball Preview: Can a Deep Conference Produce a Title Contender?
Purdue looks poised to be the top team again, and Rutgers freshmen will be must-watch this season.
Big Ten Men’s Basketball Preview: Can a Deep Conference Produce a Title Contender?
- Thread starter Tango Two
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I also thought this was interesting. Nebraska's defense is going to be AWFUL.
15. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Losing Rienk Mast for the year after offseason knee surgery is a massive blow after he catalyzed the Cornhuskers’ first trip…I know it appears unanimous, amongst almost all the publications, plus the Big Ten media poll, as well ... I just do not get that:
1) Braden Smith is the pre-season Big Ten Player of the Year; and
2) Purdue is the favorite to win the Big Ten
I guess Painter is just respected THAT much ... the way Izzo used to be respected (or even more so).
It just seems to me that Purdue lost the best player in the country (Edey - who made everyone around him so much better), its #3 player (Jones) - and best wing defender, its best 3-point shooter and an important glue guy (Gillis) ... They did add 3 freshmen who ranked from 55th to in the top 100, and Heide was a top 100 recruit previously. But for Purdue to win the Big Ten again, they will need both Loyer and Smith to be better than they were last season (even without Edey around), AND for Heide, Colvin and Kaufman-Renn to make consistent and significant progress from last season, and MAY also need others to step up. Possible ... but likely? I just think people are underestimating how much better Edey's presence made every one else on the Purdue team.
1) Braden Smith is the pre-season Big Ten Player of the Year; and
2) Purdue is the favorite to win the Big Ten
I guess Painter is just respected THAT much ... the way Izzo used to be respected (or even more so).
It just seems to me that Purdue lost the best player in the country (Edey - who made everyone around him so much better), its #3 player (Jones) - and best wing defender, its best 3-point shooter and an important glue guy (Gillis) ... They did add 3 freshmen who ranked from 55th to in the top 100, and Heide was a top 100 recruit previously. But for Purdue to win the Big Ten again, they will need both Loyer and Smith to be better than they were last season (even without Edey around), AND for Heide, Colvin and Kaufman-Renn to make consistent and significant progress from last season, and MAY also need others to step up. Possible ... but likely? I just think people are underestimating how much better Edey's presence made every one else on the Purdue team.
I think it’s because Purdue has a lot of returning players that prognosticators are familiar with, whereas they can’t wrap their arms fully around teams that have assembled a lot of new players.
Those returning Boilermakers are certainly all high level players — and who’s going to bet against Matt Painter getting one of his 7 footers to become productive? — so it sort of makes sense that they are the near-consensus for #1 in the B1G. They’re the safe pick.
But quite honestly, I think the B1G is wiiiiiide open this year. Lots of quality, NCAA-caliber teams, but I’m not sure there is a surefire NC contender here like there is elsewhere.
Not sure why somebody edited out the full squibs here. It’s not like I cut and pasted the entire article. I just pasted two of the teams.
Weird.
I don’t know how good Illinois is, but if they finish second as this article predicts, they will have a first team all conference player.
My guess would be Kasparas Jakucionis who Vencenie has as the #6 player in the 2025 draft. Not Bailey/Harper level but not too far off. I also really like Humrichous, a 6-9 shooter supreme.
But the team is a mystery until they play.
My guess would be Kasparas Jakucionis who Vencenie has as the #6 player in the 2025 draft. Not Bailey/Harper level but not too far off. I also really like Humrichous, a 6-9 shooter supreme.
But the team is a mystery until they play.
Well they gave Gavin Griffiths, an elite defender. The guy who was never gonna leave Rutgers.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
