Some outstanding players will no longer compete in Big Ten basketball. But great transfers arrive, and the conference is still at its peak.
1. Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
2025-26 stats: 15.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 9.4 APG, 1.3 SPG
Fears isn’t just the top player in the Big Ten. He’s arguably the top player in the country. As a junior, Fears was incredible, and if it weren’t for Braden Smith’s history-making, Fears really had the better year as a passer. He may not be as gifted as a scorer as some of the other players in Big Ten basketball, but his playmaking takes his game to the next level. The Spartans are a Final Four favorite and Fears is a major reason why.
2. David Mirkovic, Illinois
2025-26 stats: 13.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 37.5 3P%
Mirkovic could have gone to the NBA after having an incredible freshman season. However, he was sometimes overshadowed by another frosh on the Illini, Keaton Wagler. Of course, he’s off to the NBA, and while lots of talent returns to Champaigne, Mirkovic figures to be the go-to guy offensively. This should be his last year in orange and it’s tracking to be a big one.
3. Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
2025-26 stats: 18.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 41.6 3P%
Sometimes metrics get lost and confused about one key component: pure balling. Sandfort is a baller, even if he doesn’t playmake like a point guard or rebound like other forwards. That’s just not his calling, and that’s okay, because if you need a bucket from one guy in Big Ten basketball, Sandfort has to be your top choice.
4. Rodney Rice, USC
2025-26 stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 38.5 3P%, 6 GP
When he’s on the floor, Rice is one of the top players in the Big Ten. He showed that in small doses last year, but his season was cut short to six games after a right shoulder injury. But a healthy Rodney Rice is a DOMINANT player. In fact, Rice dropped 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game against Illinois State last year. If he’s at full strength, it turns USC into a contender in the conference.
5. Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
2025-26 stats: 10.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.9 APG, 37.6 3P%
When you’re the starting point guard of a National Championship-winning team and decide you want to return to school, you return with a huge target on your back. Luckily, Cadeau is a seasoned vet at this point, sticking it out for two years at UNC before finding greener pastures in Ann Arbor. Without star big men Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara, what will the outlook on Cadeau be this season? It might be a struggle at first, but the keys are truly his – now he just has to drive it for a senior sendoff.
6. John Mobley Jr., Ohio State
2025-26 stats: 15.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, 41.1 3P%
Could John Mobley be a 20 PPG scorer this season? While Ohio State certainly has other talent around him, he no longer has to share shots with Bruce Thornton and Devin Royal. Last season, Mobley averaged nearly 16 PPG and only took about 11 to 12 shots per game. Part of the reason for his success was a 41.1% clip from three. Now, he’s more of the go-to guy for the Buckeyes, and we could see some really big numbers for his junior year.
7. Trey McKenney, Michigan
2025-26 stats: 9.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.9 APG, 39.1 3P%
McKenney was a very crucial and underrated player on Michigan’s National Championship team, playing in all 40 games but never starting once. Still, he averaged just a touch under 10 PPG, shot just under 40% from three, and improved as the season drew on, averaging 12.0 PPG during the NCAA Tournament. He enters this season as Michigan’s top returner, and we could see the numbers and the play drastically improve. Don’t be surprised if McKenney even blossoms into the top player in Big Ten basketball by season’s end.
8. Trent Perry, UCLA
2025-26 stats: 12.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.8 APG, 39.2 3P%
Could Trent Perry go from a rising star to a superstar in Big Ten basketball? The junior saw his numbers quadruple as a sophomore, and now finds himself not having to play next to another scoring star in Donovan Dent. Perry was efficient and a three-point sniper last season, so all signs point to a fantastic junior year at UCLA.
9. Aiden Sherrell, Indiana
2025-26 stats: 11.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 2.2 BPG, 53.9 FG% (Alabama)
There’s a reason to believe that Aiden Sherrell could be dominant in his junior year with Indiana. After playing sparingly at Alabama as a freshman, things clicked last year, as he turned into a dominant two-way big man with the Crimson Tide. Now in Bloomington, Sherrell looks to help IU compete with the many outstanding big men in Big Ten basketball. As a powerful, yet also athletic big man, Sherrell should have Indiana fans very excited about his potential.
10. Cade Tyson, Minnesota
2025-26 stats: 19.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.1 APG, 50.0 FG%, 41.3 3P%
Tyson is awaiting to find out his eligibility, but if he is able to step onto the floor, he emerges as a candidate to lead the Big Ten in scoring. Much like Sandfort, if you’re not going to do a bunch of different things on the court, you better be great at one, and Tyson is a scorer among scorers. Plus, heading into another year with Niko Medved, the product on the court could be a lot better, which would help to make Tyson’s stats less “empty.”
11. Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois
2025-26 stats: 10.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.6 APG
The more offensively talented of the Ivisic bros, Tomislav’s potential could reach new heights as he enters his junior year. And without Keaton Wagler, every Illinois player who returns will now see a few more looks on offense. But when you’re a 7-footer who can shoot from outside, you don’t need to beg for looks – they will find you. There’s a lot of upside there in Ivisic’s game, and those who follow the Big Ten know he’s about ready to explode.
12. Nolan Winter, Wisconsin
2025-26 stats: 13.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.2 BPG, 56.9 FG%
With three years down in Madison, Winter is in line to be one of the top four-year Badgers in recent memory. But could it reach a new level this season? So far, he’s been known as an efficient inside scorer with some range, a strong asset on the glass, and definitely some defensive prowess. But without Steven Crowl there anymore, Winter now turns into the main focus in the Badgers’ frontcourt. It could mean for huge things in his senior season.
13. Justin Pippen, Ohio State
2025-26 stats: 14.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.9 SPG (Cal)
How will Justin Pippen translate from Cal in the ACC to Ohio State, playing alongside John Mobley Jr.? Obviously, Mobley will now be the main offensive option for the Buckeyes, but don’t count Pippen out of having a huge season himself. He’s both a scorer and a playmaker and is an asset on defense too. If you’re Ohio State, you’ve got to love what he can bring to this team and this backcourt.
14. Moustapha Thiam, Michigan
2025-26 stats: 12.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 0.5 APG, 1.6 BPG, 52.5 FG% (Cincinnati)
Thiam’s potential with Michigan is through the roof, literally. The big man was definitely one of the better ones in the Big 12 a season ago, and now comes to a Wolverines program that is starting to rival Purdue as being known for getting the most out of 7-footers. Thiam’s offensive potential could be worked with even more by this new Michigan staff, and his defensive capabilities will be some of the best in the conference. It’s a great addition for a program looking to keep up its championship pedigree.
15. Pharrel Payne, Maryland
2025-26 stats: 17.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.1 BPG, 62.4 FG%, 10 GP
Payne only saw the court in 10 games last season, but before his injury, he was dominating for the Terrapins, averaging over 17 PPG. And look, I know Maryland was not good at all last season, and someone virtually has to lead a team in scoring. But it’s hard to view a bruising big man as having empty stats, because if it’s efficient and outplaying opponents, it’s a good quality to have. If Payne stays on the court this year, he’s automatically one of the best big men in the Big Ten.
16. Amare Bynum, Ohio State
2025-26 stats: 9.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, 50.6 FG%
I don’t know if anyone in Big Ten basketball has more potential to break out than Amare Bynum. He’s viewed as a rim-rattler and a guy who plays outside-to-in, with enough of a three-point shot to keep teams off balance. As last season wore on, his outside shot got better, and his overall scoring started to peak. And that’s just what we saw of Bynum as a freshman. He can legitimately turn into a top-10 player in Big Ten basketball by season’s end.
17. Braden Frager, Nebraska
2025-26 stats: 11.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.0 APG, 35.2 3P%
Last year’s Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, Frager now returns to Nebraska and looks to step up for what the team lost in Rienk Mast, Sam Hoiberg, and most of a senior-led squad. He’s both a shooter and a rim attacker and is honestly a bit underrated as a pure scorer. So as a sophomore with a lot to prove, Frager can definitely become more than just another option on a great team.
18. Zvonimir Ivisic, Illinois
2025-26 stats: 6.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.3 APG, 1.9 BPG, 50.9 FG%
Zvonimir may not be the same offensive threat as Tomislav, but defensively, he’s a crucial player for this Illinois team. At nearly two blocks per game a season ago, he regularly affects games on that side. The Big Ten is full of star big men, and Illinois has TWO of them. But just because Tomislav may score more doesn’t mean Zvonimir doesn’t have the skills in his own right.
19. Coen Carr, Michigan State
2025-26 stats: 12.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 51.8 FG%
Carr might not be a playmaker or a pure scorer, but when you’re the best dunker in college basketball, you can pretty much pick out some buckets and create fear in opponents. No one wants to be put on a poster, and Carr pretty much seeks that out any chance he can get. This year, Spartans fans hope his game takes a new trajectory, but even with where it is right now, it’s really, really good.
20. Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois
2025-26 stats: 13.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 50.0 FG%
When you have such a talented team like Illinois, stats are sometimes skewed. That’s very true for a guy like Stojakovic, who could easily be the leading scorer for most other teams in Power Five hoops. While that may be true even on this Illinois team, the lack of a consistent three-point shot is what holds him back. I guess that will just always be Peja’s trait! Regardless, Stojakovic is still a unique scorer who understands pacing and has separated himself as a unique talent in Big Ten hoops.
21. Stefan Vaaks, Illinois
2025-26 stats: 15.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, 35.0 3P% (Providence)
With so much of last year’s talent returning, there’s really no telling how well Vaaks will fit in with the Fighting Illini. But after starring in the Big East as a freshman at Providence, there’s no reason why he can’t be a tremendous lift to a team that looks to replace Wagler and Kylan Boswell at the guard position. It would be nearly impossible for Vaaks to be a carbon copy of Wagler, but he can still find buckets and control the offense, and should be a huge asset to this Illinois squad.
22. Tariq Francis, Rutgers
2025-26 stats: 17.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 35.1 3P%
I don’t want to call them empty stats, but averaging 17 a game at Rutgers just isn’t the same as at Ohio State or Illinois. But Francis is still a very, very talented offensive player, who truly has one job – give buckets to every Big Ten team he goes against and keep the Scarlet Knights in games. It may not be winning basketball all the time, but that type of talent will never truly go out of style, and it’s still an incredible game to have to be able to do that night in and night out.
23. CJ Cox, Purdue
2025-26 stats: 8.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 37.3 3P%
What could we get out of C.J. Cox as a junior? Through two seasons, he has quickly turned into the next Matt Painter project, showing some star potential last season. And as Purdue’s roster undergoes a complete overhaul, Cox steps in as one of the main options offensively for the first time in his college career. We haven’t seen enough to believe this makes him a top 10 or 15 player in the conference, but when Painter and the Boilermakers put that trust in you, it must mean you’re capable of big things.
24. Jacob Cofie, USC
2025-26 stats: 9.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.8 BPG, 51.0 FG%
Cofie can score a bit, but he’s more known as a defensive asset. That’s no slight, because at nearly seven boards and two blocks per game, he can absolutely help change games for the Trojans. Not everyone can be Rodney Rice – some players need to be dominant in other ways, and Cofie can be a game-wrecker on the defensive end for USC.
25. Markus Burton, Indiana
2025-26 stats: 18.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, 10 GP (Notre Dame)
At his best, Burton is a top-15 player in Big Ten basketball. But when you only play in 26 games as a sophomore and 10 as a junior, it raises the question of how a team can trust your ability to stay on the court. As the old saying goes, availability is the best ability. That just hasn’t been true enough for Burton. What is true is his ability to give teams buckets, much like a Tariq Francis. But most teams would take the player who can stay on the court, even if Burton’s talent is a little bit more. Still, if he can stay healthy for the full season, the Hoosiers may have picked up a diamond in the rough.