Key Takeaway From Big Ten Openers: Illinois, Michigan, Purdue Stand Apart

The Illini, Wolverines and Boilermakers have set themselves apart – even through one game

Mar 5, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter and Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood chat before the start of the game at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Every new college basketball season brings more questions than answers. And although one game doesn't allow for many conclusions to be drawn, we’ve already come to one: Purdue, Michigan and Illinois are all alone in the Big Ten’s premier tier.

Purdue, Michigan and Illinois separating from the Big Ten pack

Jan 24, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May shares a moment with Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter before the game at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

First off, let’s clarify again: It has been one game. UCLA, Michigan State, Oregon and Wisconsin, along with the rest of the league, still can grow into dominant ball clubs.

But based on what we saw in their respective openers, those squads aren't quite there yet. That patented Mick Cronin defense was nowhere to be found for the Bruins (Eastern Washington shot 53.7 percent), who barely escaped with an 80-74 win.

Meanwhile, Michigan State struggled (but still won 80-69) with an admittedly feisty and hot-shooting Colgate team (11 threes). Wisconsin actually looked relatively solid – aside from allowing Campbell to stick around in the first half (48-38 at the break before cruising 96-64).

As for Oregon, it was a full-blown nightmare. The Ducks turned the ball over 21 times, shot 36.2 percent from the field and looked entirely lost on both sides of the floor. To add insult to injury, center Nate Bittle was baptized by Hawaii’s Dre Bullock. Take a look at this must-watch highlight:

Good lord @Quandre_3 💥

📺 Big Ten Network#ManaOhana x #GoBows pic.twitter.com/ckuaF148XT

— HAWAII BASKETBALL (@HawaiiMBB) November 5, 2025

Oregon somehow survived, but it needed a go-ahead bucket with three seconds left to get past Hawaii with a 60-59 win. (Worth noting: The Ducks were without star guard Jackson Shelstad.)

As for the clear juggernauts of the Big Ten, the trio of Illinois, Michigan and Purdue were expectedly dominant. As we’ve been hammering home in this space, you can't overreact to one showing (especially against a lower-level opponent), but feel free to read between the lines.

Illinois

Feb 22, 2025; New York, NY, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Here are the main takeaways from the Illini's steamrolling of Jackson State 113-55: 1) Freshman forward David Mirkovic has gone from a virtual unknown to a borderline star in the past few weeks; 2) Illinois hit 17 threes and, more unexpectedly, looked phenomenal defensively; and 3) the Illini did all of this down two starters (Andrej Stojakovic and Mihailo Petrovic).

Highlights of our 113-55 season opener win over Jackson State. pic.twitter.com/KMHcitqEu1

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 4, 2025

Michigan

Nov 3, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May yells during the first half against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Wolverines wiped the floor with a usually gritty Oakland team. Morez Johnson Jr. went for an easy 24 points in 20 minutes, and even attempted a pair of threes (missing both), while freshman Trey McKenney shone with 21 points off the bench. As a team, Michigan hit 19 threes on 54.3 percent from deep. The talent in Ann Arbor is off the charts, and once Michigan puts it all together on defense, the sky truly is the limit.

🎥 Highlights from Win No. 1! pic.twitter.com/TvjTU0iMiH

— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) November 4, 2025

Purdue

Nov 4, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter in the second half against the Evansville Purple Aces at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Matt Painter is one of one. He’s well-established as an offensive genius, and his roster-building ability is probably the best in the country. Yet it was Purdue’s defense that starred Tuesday. Again, it was a mid-major opponent (Evansville), but the Boilermakers still held the Purple Aces to just 51 points and 30.0 percent from the field. Oh, and Fletcher Loyer poured in 30 points on the other end.

♨️ Fletcher Loyer was cookin' all night.

Career-high 30 points and career-high tying seven 3-pointers. pic.twitter.com/77UHoD4krN

— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) November 5, 2025

The only discouraging sign was Purdue’s inability to control the glass, as both clubs had 40 rebounds apiece. Nevertheless, if the Boilermakers can operate at that level defensively, their ceiling may be even higher than initially imagined, which says a lot for the nation’s top-ranked team.