Preseason Big Ten Basketball Top Five: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan and More

The league has a pair of surefire national title contenders – and a few others that have the potential to make some noise

Mar 7, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) and Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) battle for position during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The Big Ten, as per usual, is chock full of talent, along with mastermind coaches on the sidelines. Whether one of the conference clubs reloaded in the transfer portal or brought back nearly the same entire squad (which Purdue has made pretty much a category of one), there appear to be a handful of teams poised to compete for a national title, as well as several others that, at the very least, can challenge for the Big Ten throne.

Here is Illinois on SI’s first edition of our 2025-26 Preseason Big Ten Top Five.

No. 5: Oregon

Oregon is set to be led by one of the conference’s top returning players, and arguably its best big man, in Nate Bittle (14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last season), along with key returnees Jackson Shelstad and Kwame Evans. Add respected coach Dana Altman at the helm and some low-volume but high-quality work in the portal (the addition of three four-star transfers), and the Ducks appear to be a lock for at least the Big Ten's second tier.

No. 4: Illinois

Illini coach Brad Underwood has matched top international talent (David Mirkovic and Mihailo Petrovic) and a gifted transfer in Cal's Andrej Stojakovic with a squad that already stars big man Tomislav Ivisic and experienced senior guard Kylan Boswell. An injury to swingman Ty Rodgers hurts the Illini, but their all-around firepower keeps them firmly within the top five of the league. If the Balkan-forward roster comes together in time, Illinois may even push Purdue for a conference title.

Illinois viewed Andrej Stojaković as the missing piece to a championship roster.

The 6-7 wing is coming off a breakout season, averaging 17.9 PPG — including back-to-back performances of 37 and 29 points in the ACC Tournament.

Ultra-skilled three level scorer thrives at getting… pic.twitter.com/LENqKLFbno

— GREENLIGHT MEDIA (@greenlightbball) June 17, 2025

No. 3: UCLA

New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent is a game-changer, and former Michigan State stretch big Xavier Booker was another massive addition. The rest of the projected starting lineup will be filled out by Skyy Clark, Eric Dailey and Tyler Bilodeau – returners with experience in coach Mick Cronin’s system. Expect the Bruins to be excellent defensive unit, with Dent running the show on offense and boosted by a stellar supporting cast. The only uncertainty around UCLA is its depth – which could be a concern for a team that is foul-prone at times.

No. 2: Michigan

With the best transfer haul in the country, headlined by top-ranked portal entrant Yaxel Lendeborg and a pair of Big Ten bigs in Aday Mara (UCLA) and Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois), the Wolverines are stacked with talent. Although the lack of returning experience is a theoretical concern worry (essentially just Roddy Gayle Jr., Nimari Burnett and Will Tschetter – none of whom played leading roles), there’s no reason to overthink it. The Wolverines may need some time to start firing on all cylinders, but once they do, they’re a legit national title contender.

No. 1: Purdue

College basketball's likely preseason No. 1, Purdue is in a tier of its own in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are the only conference club that returns even one All-Big Ten first teamer – and they return two. The dynamic hardwood duo of Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn is a force to be reckoned with, as is the on-court/off-court coaching combination of Smith and coach Matt Painter. With their Wooden Award candidate controlling the game on both ends (Smith averaged 2.2 steals last year), the Boilermakers 2025-26 campaign knows no bounds.

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