Victory Bell Rings
Fansided

Big Ten basketball preseason power rankings: Where do the former Pac-12 teams fit in?

A Big Ten basketball season preview and a ranking of all 18 teams

By Justin Segal

Purdue point guard Braden Smith (left), Purdue head coach Matt Painter (right)
Purdue point guard Braden Smith (left), Purdue head coach Matt Painter (right) / Jamie Squire/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
8 of 9
Next

. . . . 488. . . Nebraska. . 15

  • Key returning players: Brice Williams, Juwan Gary, Rienk Mast (injured - will redshirt 2024-25 season)
  • Key losses: Keisei Tominaga, CJ Wilcher, Jarmarques Lawrence, Josiah Allick, Eli Rice
  • Incoming notable transfers: Rollie Worster, Andrew Morgan, Berke Buyuktuncel, Connor Essegian, Gavin Griffiths, Braxton Meah
  • Incoming top 150 recruits: Nick Janowski

Nebraska made its first NCAA tournament with head coach Fred Hoiberg last season, and while they can look to build upon it, the road back to the dance might be tough for the Cornhuskers. Keisei Tominaga and CJ Wilcher are tough losses, along with other role players. Hoiberg stayed active in the portal, landing an abundance of players. However, quantity is not always better than quality. They return Brice Williams and Juwan Gary, who should yet again be the backbone of this team, but Nebraska just recently lost Rienk Mast for the season due to a knee injury. Struggling to see other players who will step up for Hoiberg, Nebraska slides towards the bottom of the Big Ten preseason power ranking.

. 16. . . . . northwestern. . . 489

  • Key returning players: Brooks Barnhizer, Ty Berry, Nick Martinelli, Matthew Nicholson
  • Key losses: Boo Buie, Ryan Langborg
  • Incoming notable transfers: Keenan Fitzmorris, Jalen Leach
  • Incoming top 150 recruits: KJ Windham

Boo Buie has been the driving force of Northwestern basketball since 2019, and he led the Wildcats to their second and third-ever NCAA tournament victories in the past two years. However, the bad news for the Wildcat faithful is that he is out of eligibility. Head coach Chris Collins has big shoes to fill in regards to Buie, and this offseason, he struggled to get talent to Evanston. The good news for Northwestern is that they retained four key contributors Brooks Barnhizer, Ty Berry, Nick Martinelli, and Matthew Nicholson. They are just lacking a true star and focal point of the team, and it is questionable if Barnhizer can become that this season. They slot towards the bottom of the conference due to the loss of Buie, and the shallow depth they obtain.

Home/NCAA Basketball