The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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[ 2023-24 BASKETBALL PREVIEW ] NOVEMBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 39 1. Michigan State (21-13, 11-8 Big Ten last season) The Spartans have the conference's best backcourt in graduate Tyson Walker, senior A.J. Hoggard and junior Jaden Akins, fresh off their first Sweet 16 appear- ance since 2019. Graduate forward Malik Hall is also back, and the Big Ten's No. 1 recruiting class, per the On3 Industry Ranking, adds some juice. 2. Purdue (29-6, 15-5) Zach Edey, last year's National Player of the Year and the 2023-24 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, headlines the defending Big Ten champions. Head coach Matt Painter's young guards, sophomores Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, fizzled down the stretch last season but are a year older. The Boiler- makers have loads of depth and are intent on bouncing back after losing to No. 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 3. Maryland (22-13, 11-9) The Terrapins struck gold with Charlotte transfer point guard Jahmir Young last season, and they did so again with his return for a fifth season of college basketball. Most of their key pieces are back, in fact, with junior Julian Reese and fifth-year senior Donta Scott making up an experienced frontcourt. Four-star freshman wing DeShawn Harris-Smith, the nation's No. 35 recruit according to the On3 Industry Ranking, was a big addition for the Terps. 4. Wisconsin (20-15, 9-11) Head coach Greg Gard's crew found itself on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble last season, but the Badgers' entire starting five is back. St. John's transfer guard AJ Storr (6-foot-7) led all Big East freshmen with a 40.4 three-point field goal percentage a year ago, and he will make an impact. 5. Illinois (20-13, 11-9) Fifth-year senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr., a Texas Tech transfer that Michi- gan nearly landed last offseason, is back after the Illini's clunky 2022-23 season considering their talent level. There's a question mark at point guard, but the Illini have skill and are a veteran squad. 6. Indiana (23-12, 12-8) Sixth-year senior point guard Xavier Johnson is healthy after missing most of last season with an injury. Head man Mike Woodson has taken the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two years, and he has a young star to work with in five-star freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako, the No. 12 overall player in his class per the On3 Industry Ranking. 7. Ohio State (16-19, 5-15) The Buckeyes massively underachieved a season ago and went 2-9 in games decided by two possessions or fewer. They ended on a high note, though, winning five of their last seven games, including three victories in the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State was young last season but returns most of its produc- tion. It also added fifth-year senior Minnesota transfer forward Jamison Battle, who has a career scoring average of better than 11 points per game in the previous four seasons. 8. Nebraska (16-16, 9-11) The Cornhuskers were another team that heated up late in 2022-23, winning six of their final eight regular-season outings. Most of fifth-year head coach Fred Hoiberg's teams have been injury-ridden and young, but now he says he has the league's oldest group, with 50 percent of its scoring back and five up- perclassman transfers coming in. 9. Michigan (18-16, 11-9) The Wolverines are flying under the radar after missing the NCAA Tourna- ment last season for the first time since 2015 and losing their top three scor- ers, two of whom are in the NBA. Graduate transfers Nimari Burnett (guard, Alabama), Tray Jackson (forward, Seton Hall) and Olivier Nkamhoua (forward, Tennessee) are veterans on what is now an experienced team. Sophomore guard Dug McDaniel and classmate Tarris Reed Jr. at forward will also be key contributors. 10. Rutgers (19-15, 10-10) Coach Steve Pikiell says his team is more athletic than in past years — led by senior rim protector Clifford Omoruyi at center — which is significant consider- ing the Scarlet Knights finished sixth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency in 2022-23, per Kenpom analytics. Sophomore guard Derek Simpson is a bucket-getter who could become one of the conference's top breakout stars. 11. Northwestern (22-12, 12-8) The Wildcats had a magical 2022-23 campaign, winning 10 games against top- 50 Kenpom opponents and earning their second-ever NCAA Tournament berth. That level of success will be hard to replicate, though, even with the return of graduate guard Boo Buie, a first-team All-Big Ten pick, for his fifth season. Notably, the Wildcats lost co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Chase Audige, now in the NBA as an undrafted free agent. 12. Iowa (19-14, 11-9) There's no first-round pick in the form of a Murray brother — neither Keegan nor Kris — on this roster, and it's hard to pinpoint who the go-to guy will be on an Iowa offense that typically has one. Couple that with the fact that the Hawkeyes are never good defensively under Fran McCaffery and they may take a step back this winter. 13. Penn State (23-14, 10-10) The Nittany Lions were one of the top stories of the league in 2022-23, when they made the Big Dance for the first time in more than a decade. But their head coach, Micah Shrewsberry, left for Notre Dame, and new head man Mike Rhoades, who came from VCU, has 10 newcomers on the roster. Ace Bald- win Jr., the 2022-23 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, followed Rhoades to Penn State and will be one to watch. 14. Minnesota (9-22, 2-17) The Golden Gophers finished last in the conference last season and still look like a major work in progress heading into their third year under coach Ben Johnson. — Clayton Sayfie BIG TEN PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS Center Zach Edey, last year's National Player of the Year, returns for another season with Purdue. The Boilermakers are look- ing to bounce back from their shocking first-round upset to No. 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in the NCAA Tournament. PHOTO BY CHAD KROCKOVER/GOLDANDBLACK.COM TOP FIVE PLAYERS IN THE BIG TEN Zach Edey, C, Purdue Jahmir Young, G, Maryland Terrence Shannon Jr., G, Illinois Tyson Walker, G, Michigan State Boo Buie, G, Northwestern