Continuing from Part I:
7)MICHIGAN STATE
I know incoming freshman Max Christie (#16 ranked nationally) is expected to be a star but my guess is it takes some time and I just don’t see the typical talent that MSU produces on this roster. I think they’ll be good but not MSU good……in fact, they might even finish lower in the Big Ten.
I could be proved wrong if Northeastern point guard transfer Tyson Walker, who averaged 18.8 per game last year comes in and forms a dynamic duo in the backcourt with Christie but that’s a big if
Up front, Hauser, Gabe Brown, Bingham Jr., and Malik Hall are all solid but where are the studs that we are used to??
Top 100 freshmen Jaden Akins and Pierre Brooks should help off the bench but overall I don’t think this will be Izzo’s finest
One name that could surprise is Keon Coleman…..the reason I bring him up is he was a high school All-American football recruit, who picked MSU for football but will now also be playing basketball as Izzo wanted him also….why?.....he was a two-time all-stater who averaged 30.1 per game last year and also had 63 in one game…….maybe he’ll make an impact.
8)MARYLAND
While Illinois is celebrating the return of Kofi and Rutgers welcomed back Ron Harper Jr., the Terp fans were being nut punched with the news that Aaron Wiggins will be staying in the NBA draft.
This is a HUGE loss…..as in they would have been a contender to win the league with him but now I just don’t see it.
Their off-season started great with the addition of two big transfers: Georgetown center, Qudus Wahab, a seven-footer, who helped lead the Hoyas to the NCAA tournament last year and Fatts Russell, a guard from Rhode Island, who averaged 15 pts a game.
But then Darryl Morsell transferred to Marquette and Wiggins left for the draft……ouch!!
Eric Ayala and Donta Smith return along with a few solid freshmen and what should be a decent bench. Overall, Maryland should be good enough for the NCAA tournament next year but I don’t see them contending for a Big Ten title.
NIT HOPEFULS (these four could really finish in any order between 9-12):
9)NEBRASKA
This might surprise some but Hoiberg, should have an outstanding backcourt next season:
They just landed Alonzo Verge (yes, that Alonzo Verge) to join incoming freshman guard, Bryce McGowens, who is the #24 ranked recruit in the country….he decommitted from Florida State during the season and picked Nebraska so he could play with his brother, Trey McGowans.
Those three, along with Lat Mayen and Derrick Walker, should start and Hoiberg has actually brought in a lot of depth including European big, Oleg Kojenets and top 100 seven-footer, Wilhelm Breidenbach. Point guard Kobe Webster, Keon Edwards, a former DePaul commit and Xavier transfer C.J. Wilcher will also help off the bench.
10)NORTHWESTERN
This team beat some good teams last year and returns almost everyone…….the problem is they lost a lot of close games and if they don’t start winning those close games, this could be the last season for Chris Collins.
Up front, the trio of Pete Nance, Ryan Young, and Robbie Beran should control the 4-5 man positions. The small forward position was occupied by Miller Kopp but he took off for Indiana so they replaced him with Elyjah Williams, who averaged 14 a game for Fairleigh Dickinson last season.
The backcourt is filled by the underrated duo of Boo Buie and Chase Audige.
Two very good freshmen: Casey Simmons and Julian Roper should help off the bench.
11)IOWA
They will be replacing Luka Garza with North Dakota transfer Filip Rebraca (he did average 17 and 8 but he a huge step down from Garza) and Joe Wieskamp with Connor McCaffrey (major step down also)
They’ll round out the starting five with Keegan Murray (underrated), Patrick McCaffery, and Joe Touissant and it perfectly spells one thing: MEDIOCRITY.
The Hawkeyes bench has some solid players (almost all freshmen and sophomores) but I just don’t think this roster is an NCAA tournament team.
12)WISCONSIN
Yes, the Badgers could finish this low.
Don’t believe me…..tell me one guy who is even close to being a star on this roster:
Forwards:
Tyler Wahl, Jonathan Davis, Matthew Mors, Markus Ilver, Chris Hodges
Centers:
Chris Vogt (Cincinnati transfer, who averaged 5 points last year), Ben Carlson, and Steven Crowl
Guards:
Brad Davison, Jahcobi Neath (Wake Forest transfer), Chucky Hepburn (4-star recruit), Jordan Davis, and Lorne Bowman
No main go-to-guy….will likely be weak defensively…….just don’t see it for the Badgers this year.
THE BAD:
13)PENN STATE
The most exciting thing about Penn State basketball this year will be the last name of their new head coach: MICAH SHREWSBERRY…….pretty great in my opinion
They return four mediocre players from last season and bring in three mediocre transfers…….what that gets you in the Big Ten is 13th place.
Transfers Greg Lee (Western Michigan) should help up front and Gardner Webb’s Jaheam Cornwall, who averaged 14 and Siena’s Jalen Pickett, who average 13 should be their starting backcourt but overall there is very little depth
My advice for Micah is that it would be very SHREWD to get a lot more talented players or he’s in for a very tough job at Penn State.
14)MINNESOTA
Literally everyone is gone except Eric Curry and Isaiah Ihnen, who are two post players who have done NOTHING in their careers…..Curry has had like nine knee surgeries and Ihnen is just not good.
In a weird twist, Payton Willis, who used to play for the Gophers, transferred back to play for the Gophers.
They did add transfers from George Washington (Jamison Battle), William & Mary (Luke Loewe), Lafayette (Eylijah Stephens), and New Hampshire (Sean Sutherlin) but none of these guys are going to help get the Gophers out of the basement
Their interior game will be very weak and their bench will be even worse.
So that’s it…..hope you enjoyed this…..Happy Kofi Returns Day to ALL!!!
7)MICHIGAN STATE
I know incoming freshman Max Christie (#16 ranked nationally) is expected to be a star but my guess is it takes some time and I just don’t see the typical talent that MSU produces on this roster. I think they’ll be good but not MSU good……in fact, they might even finish lower in the Big Ten.
I could be proved wrong if Northeastern point guard transfer Tyson Walker, who averaged 18.8 per game last year comes in and forms a dynamic duo in the backcourt with Christie but that’s a big if
Up front, Hauser, Gabe Brown, Bingham Jr., and Malik Hall are all solid but where are the studs that we are used to??
Top 100 freshmen Jaden Akins and Pierre Brooks should help off the bench but overall I don’t think this will be Izzo’s finest
One name that could surprise is Keon Coleman…..the reason I bring him up is he was a high school All-American football recruit, who picked MSU for football but will now also be playing basketball as Izzo wanted him also….why?.....he was a two-time all-stater who averaged 30.1 per game last year and also had 63 in one game…….maybe he’ll make an impact.
8)MARYLAND
While Illinois is celebrating the return of Kofi and Rutgers welcomed back Ron Harper Jr., the Terp fans were being nut punched with the news that Aaron Wiggins will be staying in the NBA draft.
This is a HUGE loss…..as in they would have been a contender to win the league with him but now I just don’t see it.
Their off-season started great with the addition of two big transfers: Georgetown center, Qudus Wahab, a seven-footer, who helped lead the Hoyas to the NCAA tournament last year and Fatts Russell, a guard from Rhode Island, who averaged 15 pts a game.
But then Darryl Morsell transferred to Marquette and Wiggins left for the draft……ouch!!
Eric Ayala and Donta Smith return along with a few solid freshmen and what should be a decent bench. Overall, Maryland should be good enough for the NCAA tournament next year but I don’t see them contending for a Big Ten title.
NIT HOPEFULS (these four could really finish in any order between 9-12):
9)NEBRASKA
This might surprise some but Hoiberg, should have an outstanding backcourt next season:
They just landed Alonzo Verge (yes, that Alonzo Verge) to join incoming freshman guard, Bryce McGowens, who is the #24 ranked recruit in the country….he decommitted from Florida State during the season and picked Nebraska so he could play with his brother, Trey McGowans.
Those three, along with Lat Mayen and Derrick Walker, should start and Hoiberg has actually brought in a lot of depth including European big, Oleg Kojenets and top 100 seven-footer, Wilhelm Breidenbach. Point guard Kobe Webster, Keon Edwards, a former DePaul commit and Xavier transfer C.J. Wilcher will also help off the bench.
10)NORTHWESTERN
This team beat some good teams last year and returns almost everyone…….the problem is they lost a lot of close games and if they don’t start winning those close games, this could be the last season for Chris Collins.
Up front, the trio of Pete Nance, Ryan Young, and Robbie Beran should control the 4-5 man positions. The small forward position was occupied by Miller Kopp but he took off for Indiana so they replaced him with Elyjah Williams, who averaged 14 a game for Fairleigh Dickinson last season.
The backcourt is filled by the underrated duo of Boo Buie and Chase Audige.
Two very good freshmen: Casey Simmons and Julian Roper should help off the bench.
11)IOWA
They will be replacing Luka Garza with North Dakota transfer Filip Rebraca (he did average 17 and 8 but he a huge step down from Garza) and Joe Wieskamp with Connor McCaffrey (major step down also)
They’ll round out the starting five with Keegan Murray (underrated), Patrick McCaffery, and Joe Touissant and it perfectly spells one thing: MEDIOCRITY.
The Hawkeyes bench has some solid players (almost all freshmen and sophomores) but I just don’t think this roster is an NCAA tournament team.
12)WISCONSIN
Yes, the Badgers could finish this low.
Don’t believe me…..tell me one guy who is even close to being a star on this roster:
Forwards:
Tyler Wahl, Jonathan Davis, Matthew Mors, Markus Ilver, Chris Hodges
Centers:
Chris Vogt (Cincinnati transfer, who averaged 5 points last year), Ben Carlson, and Steven Crowl
Guards:
Brad Davison, Jahcobi Neath (Wake Forest transfer), Chucky Hepburn (4-star recruit), Jordan Davis, and Lorne Bowman
No main go-to-guy….will likely be weak defensively…….just don’t see it for the Badgers this year.
THE BAD:
13)PENN STATE
The most exciting thing about Penn State basketball this year will be the last name of their new head coach: MICAH SHREWSBERRY…….pretty great in my opinion
They return four mediocre players from last season and bring in three mediocre transfers…….what that gets you in the Big Ten is 13th place.
Transfers Greg Lee (Western Michigan) should help up front and Gardner Webb’s Jaheam Cornwall, who averaged 14 and Siena’s Jalen Pickett, who average 13 should be their starting backcourt but overall there is very little depth
My advice for Micah is that it would be very SHREWD to get a lot more talented players or he’s in for a very tough job at Penn State.
14)MINNESOTA
Literally everyone is gone except Eric Curry and Isaiah Ihnen, who are two post players who have done NOTHING in their careers…..Curry has had like nine knee surgeries and Ihnen is just not good.
In a weird twist, Payton Willis, who used to play for the Gophers, transferred back to play for the Gophers.
They did add transfers from George Washington (Jamison Battle), William & Mary (Luke Loewe), Lafayette (Eylijah Stephens), and New Hampshire (Sean Sutherlin) but none of these guys are going to help get the Gophers out of the basement
Their interior game will be very weak and their bench will be even worse.
So that’s it…..hope you enjoyed this…..Happy Kofi Returns Day to ALL!!!
