Express: Big Ten Hoops At A Glance

Big Ten play resumes this weekend after its December appetizer. GoldandBlack.com takes a brief look at each squad in the league and what Purdue can expect when it faces each foe.

Illinois

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 10-3, Big Ten 1-1 KenPom No. 9, AP Poll No. 20

Good wins: Texas Tech, Tennessee, Ohio State

Notable losses: Alabama, UConn, Nebraska

Players to watch: Kylan Boswell, Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic

Most underrated player: Zvonimir Ivisic

The skinny: Illinois’ international-heavy roster has delivered mixed results thus far. A rivalry game thumping of Missouri before Christmas boosted the mood of the Illini faithful, but expectations remain high in Champaign. The offense fires on all cylinders, ranked second nationally in offensive efficiency, but defensive improvement will help keep Illinois in the mix at the top of the league. The lone meeting with Purdue: a Saturday showdown in Mackey Arena on Jan. 24.

Indiana

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 10-3, Big Ten 1-1, KenPom No. 31, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: None inside KenPom top 50

Notable losses: Minnesota, Louisville, Kentucky,

Players to watch: Lamar Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries, Tayton Conerway

Most underrated player: Conor Enright

The skinny: At the turn of the calendar, Darian DeVries’ team has won the games it’s supposed to win and lost the games it’s been the underdog in. The best win: at home over KenPom No. 72 Kansas State. Indiana loves to shoot three-pointers, doing so on over half its field goal attempts, making it a high-variance opponent. Can it overcome a lack of depth to make a push towards the top half of the conference? Purdue squares off with its in-state rival twice: in Bloomington on Tuesday, Jan. 27, and in West Lafayette on Friday, Feb. 20.

Iowa

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 11-2, Big Ten 1-1, KenPom No. 18, AP Poll No. 25

Good wins: None inside KenPom top 50

Notable losses: Michigan State, Iowa State

Players to watch: Bennett Stirtz

Most underrated player: Cooper Koch

The skinny: After years of playing at a frantic pace, Iowa now plays at one of the country’s slowest tempos. New head coach Ben McCollum boasts an impressive resume, but his Hawkeyes have yet to take down a top 50 team per KenPom. Stirtz, who won MVC Player of the Year at Drake, will need to play at an all-Big Ten level for Iowa to content in the top third of the league. Purdue hosts the Hawkeyes in two weeks on Wednesday, Jan. 14 and spends Valentine’s Day in Iowa City.

Maryland

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 7-6, Big Ten 0-2, KenPom No. 100, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: None inside KenPom top 100

Notable losses: Georgetown, Gonzaga, Alabama

Players to watch: Pharrel Payne, David Coit, Darius Adams

Most underrated player: Elijah Saunders

The skinny: Following Kevin Willard’s late departure, Buzz Williams needed to overhaul the Terrapins’ squad completely ahead of this season—the early results: not so good. Maryland struggles on offense with a high turnover percentage and poor shooting numbers, a troubling combination in conference play. The Terps look destined to finish towards the bottom of the conference. Purdue plays in College Park on Sunday, February 1.

Michigan

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 12-0, Big Ten 2-0, KenPom No. 1, AP Poll No. 2

Good wins: Auburn, Gonzaga, Villanova

Notable losses:

Players to watch: Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, Aday Mara

Most underrated player: Nimari Burnett

The skinny: Michigan looked suspect in a couple of early-season contests against Wake Forest and TCU. Since then, the Wolverines have dominated every opponent. They average 95 points per game and lead the nation in defensive efficiency. With an ultra-big starting lineup, Michigan poses real matchup problems. Six Wolverines average 10+ points per game. Purdue hosts Michigan on Tuesday, Feb. 17 in a game that will loom large in the Big Ten race.

Michigan State

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 12-1, Big Ten 2-0, KenPom No. 14, AP Poll No. 9

Good wins: Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Iowa

Notable losses: Duke

Players to watch: Jaxon Kohler, Jeremy Fears, Carson Cooper

Most underrated player: Jaxon Kohler

The skinny: Izzo’s squad replaced a fair amount of production from last season’s Elite Eight team, but it’s once again in the mix atop the conference. Michigan State does so with a daunting defense and high-level point guard play, as Jeremy Fears has matched Braden Smith assist-for-assist thus far. The Boilermakers and Spartans will play on Thursday, Feb. 26 in Mackey Arena, the lone meeting this season.

Minnesota

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 8-5, Big Ten 1-1, KenPom No. 99, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: Indiana

Notable losses: Missouri, San Francisco, Purdue

Players to watch: Cade Tyson, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson

Most underrated player: Isaac Asuma

The skinny: Niko Medved inherited a challenging situation in Minneapolis, and it’s showing in year one. A home win over Indiana stands as the lone noteworthy victory, as some suspect losses to mid-majors mar the Gophers’ resume. Cade Tyson will rank among the top scorers in the conference, but it looks unlikely that Minnesota will break out of the league’s cellar. Purdue’s 85-57 win over Minnesota on Dec. 10 is the only time Matt Painter and Medved will face one another this season.

Nebraska

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 12-0, Big Ten 2-0, KenPom N0. 24, AP Poll No. 13

Good wins: Creighton, Wisconsin, Illinois

Notable losses:

Players to watch: Rienk Mast, Pryce Sandfort, Braden Frager

Most underrated player: Sam Hoiberg

The skinny: Perhaps the story of the season in the sport, Nebraska remains unbeaten entering the New Year. Fred Hoiberg’s Cornhuskers take care of the basketball and take quality shots. A win in Champaign proved that Nebraska is “for real.” How much of a threat is Nebraska towards the top of the Big Ten? We’ll find out early with some road tests and a home game against Michigan State. Purdue travels to Lincoln on Tuesday, Feb. 10 to take on Nebraska.

Northwestern

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 7-5, Big Ten 0-2, KenPom No. 54, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: None inside KenPom top 50

Notable losses: Oklahoma State, Virginia, Butler

Players to watch: Nick Martinelli

Most underrated player: KJ Windham

The skinny: Four of Northwestern’s five losses have come by five points or fewer. The Wildcats aren’t far off from a better record entering the turn of the calendar, but they’ll need a huge run in Big Ten play to boost a resume that lacks any quality wins. Nick Martinelli will once again flirt with the top of the conference scoring leaderboard, but he’ll need more help for Northwestern to make noise in league play. Purdue won’t see Northwestern until Wednesday, March 4 in Evanston.

Ohio State

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 9-3, Big Ten 1-1, KenPom No. 33, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: None inside KenPom top 50

Notable losses: Pitt, Illinois, North Carolina

Players to watch: Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr., Devin Royal

Most underrated player: Christoph Tilly

The skinny: Similar to Northwestern, a pair of one-point losses to Pitt and North Carolina haunt Ohio State. The Buckeyes lack a signature win from non-conference play, but Bruce Thornton is performing at an All-American level. Jake Diebler needs to make an NCAA Tournament, and a good showing in Big Ten play will likely get the Buckeyes into the field of 68. Purdue will head east to Value City Arena on Sunday, March 1.

Oregon

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 7-6, Big Ten 0-2, KenPom No. 71, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: None inside KenPom top 100

Notable losses: Auburn, San Diego State, Gonzaga

Players to watch: Nate Bittle, Jackson Shelstad, Kwame Evans Jr.

Most underrated player: Sean Stewart

The skinny: Although Oregon returned Bittle and Shelstad from last year’s strong group, early-season results don’t mirror the team that earned a five-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Oregon lacks any impressive victories, and several of the losses came in a fairly non-competitive fashion. For any chance of reaching the NCAA Tournament, Oregon must turn in an impressive run in Big Ten play. The Ducks come to Mackey Arena on Saturday, Feb. 7.

Penn State

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 9-4, Big Ten 0-2, KenPom No. 125, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: None inside KenPom top 150

Notable losses: Providence, Pitt

Players to watch: Freddie Dilione V, Kayden Mingo

Most underrated player: Dominick Stewart

The skinny: The good news: Penn State avoided a truly ugly loss in the non-conference, squeaking out wins against Harvard and winning by single digits against Boston, Navy and Fairfield. The bad news: Penn State remains winless against power conference competition. A 41-point loss at Indiana and a a 34-point loss to Pitt paint an ugly picture for Mike Rhoades’ third squad in State College. Purdue will enter as a heavy favorite when Penn State comes to West Lafayette on Saturday, Jan. 10.

Rutgers

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 7-6, Big Ten 0-2, KenPom No. 158, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: None inside KenPom top 100

Notable losses: Central Connecticut, Notre Dame, Seton Hall

Players to watch: Dylan Grant, Tariq Francis

Most underrated player: JaMichael Davis

The skinny: This isn’t the same Rutgers team that gave the Big Ten fits from 2020-2023. Rutgers built an identity of tough defense and enough offensive firepower to scare opponents. Now, Steve Pikeill’s group is the lowest-rated power conference team per KenPom. Purdue and Michigan each thumped the Scarlet Knights early on in league play. Recently, Rutgers needed a buzzer-beater to defeat Penn. The Boilermakers won’t see Rutgers again this season.

UCLA

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 10-3, Big Ten 2-0, KenPom No. 32, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: Washington

Notable losses: Arizona, Cal, Gonzaga

Players to watch: Tyler Biolodeau, Skyy Clark, Donovan Dent

Most underrated player: Eric Dailey Jr.

The skinny: The Bruins missed out on some opportunities to pick up nice wins in the non-conference, and they dropped a game to Cal that needed to fall in the victory column. Still, UCLA looks like a tournament team. It shoots well from three-point range,

USC

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 12-1, Big Ten 1-1, KenPom No. 38, AP Poll No. 24

Good wins: Seton Hall

Notable losses: Washington

Players to watch: Chad Baker-Mazara, Rodney Rice

Most underrated player: Jacob Cofie

The skinny: So far, so good for the Trojans. USC won the Maui Invitational and has itself in the NCAA Tournament mix with a 12-1 record. A home loss to Washington might not age well, but it avoided a catastrophic loss with a 3OT win against Troy. No duo in the conference scores more than Baker-Mazara and Rice, and USC gets to the free-throw line better than anyone in the country. Purdue plays at USC on Saturday, Jan. 17.

Washington

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 8-4, Big Ten 1-1, KenPom No. 47, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: USC

Notable losses: Baylor, Colorado, Seattle

Players to watch: Hannes Steinbach, Wesley Yates III, Desmond Claude

Most underrated player: Quimari Peterson

The skinny: Washington snagged Yates and Claude from USC with hopes of an improved 2025-26, but early results don’t match expectations. The Huskies faced a light non-conference schedule, but they lost to Baylor in their best opportunity for a significant win. Washington’s roster looks better on paper than the early results show. Could it be poised for a strong second half of the season? It comes to Purdue next Wednesday.

Wisconsin

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Record 8-4, Big Ten 1-1, KenPom No. 43, AP Poll unranked

Good wins: None inside KenPom top 50

Notable losses: BYU, TCU, Villanova

Players to watch: John Blackwell, Nick Boyd, Nolan Winter

Most underrated player: John Blackwell

The skinny: After an impressive 2024-25, Wisconsin hasn’t quite picked up where it left off. The Badgers enter Big Ten play without a noteworthy win, and a 30-point loss at Nebraska turned heads to start Big Ten play. John Blackwell remains one of the conference’s better players, and Nolan Winter is a dangerous big man. Purdue re-opens Big Ten play in Madison on Saturday and closes it with a home game against the Badgers on Sunday, March 7.