With 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball starting next month, teams are building their rosters. With some players making it into the NBA after their collegiate careers, there are others who are starting a new journey in their basketball career.
The Big Ten Conference includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Washington and Wisconsin. Hence, there will be a lot of talent on display. Let's have a look at the top five college basketball freshmen who will play in the Big Ten Conference:
Top 5 college basketball freshmen looking to impact the Big Ten out of High School ft. Ace Bailey
#5 Derik Queen, Maryland
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19-year-old Derik Queen is one to look out for in the Big 10 Conference. According to On3's college rating, Queen is ranked No. 78, however, as a recruit, he was ranked No. 14 nationally and No. 3 in his position. The power forward from Montverde Academy has the ability to score on the block and shows confidence on the ball.
In his senior year at Montverde, Queen played 33 matches, averaging 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per contest. He committed to Maryland after rejecting offers from Indiana, Kansas and LSU.
#4 Will Riley, Illinois
A four-star recruit from Kitchener, Ontario, Will Riley was ranked as the No. 24 recruit nationally and at the 10th spot in the small forward position. Director of scouting for 247Sports Adam Finkelstein described Riley as a high-volume scorer.
The Phelps School player who received 21 offers averaged 26 points per contest. His Final Four list included Illinois, Kentucky, Alabama and Arizona before he decided to join coach Brad Underwood.
#3 Jase Richardson, Illinois
Hailing from Denver, Colorado, Jase Richardson had offers from Alabama, Cincinnati and Arkansas. However, the No. 34 recruit chose to play in the Big Ten Conference for the Illinois Fighting Illini. The No. 5 point guard in the class of 2024 received a 95 rating from 247Sports.
In the last season for Columbus High School, Richardson played 30 games, averaging 15.3 points, 3.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 0.6 blocks.
#2 Dylan Harper, Rutgers
The 2023-24 MaxPreps National Player of the Year, Dylan Harper was the No. 3 recruit in the country and No. 1 in the combo guard position as well as in New Jersey. The Don Bosco Prep player is the son of 5x NBA champ Ron Harper and is coming off a terrific season for his high school.
Harper led his school to an impressive 29-3 record, posting averages of 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights won the race of recruiting Harper in the Big Ten Conference against Duke and Indiana.
#2 Ace Bailey, Rutgers
The 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year, Ace Bailey was the No. 2 recruit nationally and in the small forward position. The McEachern High School player stated that he modeled his game around Kevin Durant, Paul George and Jayson Tatum, in an interview with On3.
In his senior year, Bailey averaged a double-double, scoring 31.7 points, crashing the board 15.2 times, dishing out 3.4 assists, and blocking the ball 2.2 times per contest. While there was a huge prediction of him going to the Auburn Tigers, Bailey chose the Big Ten Conference and Rutgers.
