The Massive Ten will look drastically completely different through the 2024-25 faculty basketball season with Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington becoming a member of the league. The additions of the 4 West Coast-based applications will swell league membership to 18, tying it with the ACC for the most important energy convention within the nation.
Due to convention realignment and enlargement, the Massive Ten Event will even look completely different, with the underside three from the regular-season standings ignored of the 15-team bracket.
Purdue reached the NCAA Event title sport this spring however fell brief to the juggernaut that’s UConn within the closing sport of the 2023-24 season. The Boilermakers’ loss within the nationwide title sport prolonged the Massive Ten’s nationwide title drought to 24 years. Michigan State (2000) stays the final program from the Massive Ten to win a nationwide championship.
The Massive Ten is broad open, which is mirrored in our CBS Sports activities knowledgeable picks. Whereas Purdue stays the favourite to win the common season title for the third consecutive 12 months, Indiana, UCLA and Illinois are well-liked picks to complete on the prime of the standings.
The Massive Ten obtained six bids to the 2024 NCAA Event, and there’s a robust risk the quantity this season may very well be double-digits due to the anticipated parity within the new-look convention. The convention despatched 9 groups to the NCAA Event in 2021 and 2022.
Massive Ten Preseason Participant of the Yr
Braden Smith | Purdue | G | Junior
Zach Edey could also be gone, however Purdue does have the luxurious of returning among the best guards within the nation. Smith averaged 12.0 factors, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals final season and served as an ideal second choice to Edey en path to the Boilermakers reaching the nationwide title sport.
Smith ranked second within the nation (tied with former Minnesota guard Elijah Hawkins) in assists. With Edey gone, search for Smith to tackle a extra outstanding position in scoring the basketball. Smith shot 43.1% from distance on 3.3 makes an attempt per sport, and his total quantity ought to improve with Edey off to the NBA. Smith is now the star of the present for the Boilermakers and his play would be the deciding think about Purdue’s success.
Massive Ten Preseason Freshman of the Yr
Dylan Harper | Rutgers | G
The hype across the Rutgers program is actual due to the additions of Harper and Ace Bailey, two star freshmen. Rutgers is considered one of 10 recruiting lessons within the 247Sports period that options two top-five signees, however subsequent success will not be assured. 5 of the eight groups that signed two top-five gamers from the identical class failed to succeed in the second weekend of the NCAA Event.
Harper, the No. 3 total participant within the 2024 recruiting cycle, is a talented southpaw able to taking up a sport. He was a powerful rebounder for his dimension on the AAU circuit and can be among the best guards within the sport from Day 1. Harper underwent a voluntary process on his proper knee earlier this summer season, however all indicators level to him being 100% for the season. Rutgers may need the largest “growth” or “bust” potential as a workforce within the convention, and its success can be dictated by its star freshman residing as much as the lofty expectations set.
4 extra gamers to observe
Nice Osobor | F | Washington: Washington’s “$2 million man” was first-year coach Danny Sprinkle’s largest offseason win. Osobor performed for Sprinkle at Montana State and Utah State and adopted his coach to his subsequent vacation spot for the second consecutive offseason when he transferred to Washington. Osobor is coming off a season through which he averaged 17.7 factors. 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. His type of play is ideal for the Massive Ten.
Myles Rice | G | Indiana: Indiana coach Mike Woodson had a busy offseason recruiting the switch portal and one of many largest additions was Rice from Washington State. Rice was among the best feel-good tales within the sport final season. Rice did not play through the 2022-23 season, as he was receiving chemotherapy remedy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He averaged 14.8 factors, 3.8 assists and three.1 rebounds. He instantly turns into among the best level guards within the Massive Ten.
Ace Bailey | F | Rutgers: Rutgers has two highly-touted first-year gamers coming into this system giving Steve Pikiell a stable basis of expertise to doubtlessly attain the NCAA Event for the third time in 5 seasons. Bailey is a talented ahead who initiatives as an early lottery choose within the 2025 NBA Draft. If he places it collectively early, Rutgers may very well be in retailer for its finest season in a long time.
Kobe Johnson | F | UCLA: Johnson did not need to go far to search out his subsequent vacation spot. Johnson transferred from USC to crosstown rival UCLA to present coach Mick Cronin a defensive anchor. Johnson needs to be one of many early favorites to win convention (and doubtlessly even nationwide) Defensive Participant of the Yr. Johnson has averaged 2.2 steals per sport the final two seasons, and his presence on the defensive finish is among the many the explanation why UCLA is poised to have success in Yr 1 of the Massive Ten.