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The Big Ten Conference is ushering into a new era where 18 teams battle it out not just for the pride and honor of their schools but for the titles – Big Ten regular season and Big Ten Tournament – and NCAA Tournament slots that go by it.
Adding former Pac-12 teams Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington spice up the conference battles. Seeing how these teams size up against conference powers like Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State and Illinois will be interesting.
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The media days for women's and men's basketball are slated on Wednesday and Thursday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Here are a few things that college basketball fans should keep an eye on for this event.
Big Ten welcomes Oregon, USC, UCLA, Washington
The breakup of the Pac-12 has benefited the Big Ten, Big 12 and the ACC as 10 teams joined the three groups.
The Big Ten welcomed Oregon, USC, UCLA and Washington; while Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah moved to the Big 12. The ACC, meanwhile, opened its doors to California and Stanford, making the three conferences more competitive.
Oregon looks to improve on their second-round finish in the NCAA Tournament despite losing key players Jermaine Couisnard and N'Faly Dante. The Ducks will be led by Jackson Shelstad, who is coming off an impressive freshman season and will be supported by nine newcomers, including four-star recruit Jamari Phillips.
Washington, which is seeking to make its first NCAA Tournament since 2019, enters the Big Ten with 10 newcomers, including Preseason All-Big Ten selection Great Osobor.
The USC Trojans bring in 11 transfers, including high-scoring guards Saint Thomas and Desmond Claude and four-star freshmen Jalen Shelley and Isaiah Elohim. UCLA, meanwhile, parades three returnees plus an impressive group of newcomers, led by USC transfer guard Kobe Johnson.
Braden Smith leads Post-Zach Edey Purdue
Unanimous Preseason All-Big Ten selection Braden Smith ushers Purdue to a new era without back-to-back National Player of the Year Zach Edey. The all-around Smith needs to step up big time, considering the big shoes he would fill in for Edey, who now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Shooter Fletcher Loyer and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn return for another season under coach Matt Painter and they'll help Smith with the leadership duties for this young Purdue team, which has an impressive freshman lineup led by Gicarri Harris and centers Raleigh Burgess and 7-foot-3 Daniel Jacobsen.
New coaches Dusty May, Danny Sprinkle, Eric Musselman seek to make Big Ten splash
New coaches Dusty May, Danny Sprinkle and Eric Musselman will hope to lead their respective teams to an impressive finish in the cut-throat Big Ten race, which already has arguably the most impressive roster of coaches in Mike Woodson, Tom Izzo, Matt Painter, Mick Cronin, Dana Altman, Fred Hoiberg and Brad Underwood.
May, who led Florida Atlantic to the 2023 Final Four, replaced underperforming mentor Juwan Howard in Michigan. May, who returns to the Big Ten scene after working as Indiana manager under the great Bob Knight, rejected a 10-year contract extension offer by the FAU to coach the Wolverines.
On the other hand, Sprinkle comes into his first season with Washington after leading Montana State and Utah State to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments. The former Montana State player, who has a record of 80-25 during that span, took over from Mike Hopkins on the belief that he will guide the Huskies to its first NCAA Tournament since 2019.
Musselman, meanwhile, replaced former USC coach Andy Enfield as he attempts to lead USC to another era of prominence after having a 15-18 record last season. Musselman previously coached in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings and has a ton of experience in college basketball, previously calling the shots for Nevada and Arkansas. He has a combined record of 221-93 in nine seasons of coaching in the collegiate ranks.
The Big Ten has pulled off impressive moves that shook up the collegiate sports landscape during the offseason. College basketball fans hope those measures will bring more excitement this coming season and lead to a conference representative winning the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Which teams are you most excited to see in Big Ten action next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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