Could the 2024-25 college basketball season be a rebuilding year for the Big Ten?
The conference only had four teams listed in the preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll on Wednesday, with Purdue leading the way at No. 13 a season after falling to UConn in the national championship game.
REQUIRED READING: Michigan basketball opens Dusty May era with rout of Oakland — and a lot of 3-pointers
The Boilermakers will have to find a way to replace the production left by back-to-back national player of the year Zach Edey, who was drafted ninth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft to the Memphis Grizzlies. However, they do return guard duo Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, who should make up one of the best backcourts in the country this season.
The Big Ten was rounded out by Indiana, Illinois and conference newcomer UCLA in the preseason Coaches Poll.
Here’s the full top 25 of the preseason Coaches Poll, including where Big Ten teams landed:
College basketball rankings: Big Ten teams in preseason men’s basketball polls
Coaches Poll
First-place votes in parentheses. Big Ten teams in bold.
-
Kansas (15)
-
Alabama (6)
-
UConn (6)
-
Houston (4)
-
Duke
-
Iowa State
-
Gonzaga
-
Baylor
-
Arizona
-
North Carolina
-
Auburn
-
Tennessee
-
Purdue
-
Creighton
-
Texas A&M
-
Arkansas
-
Marquette
-
Indiana
-
Texas
-
Cincinnati
-
Florida
-
UCLA
-
Kentucky
-
Illinois
-
Ole Miss
Others receiving votes: Texas Tech (23-11) 60; Rutgers (15-17) 57; St. John’s (20-13) 42; Xavier (16-18) 26; Michigan State (20-15) 25; Brigham Young (23-11) 16; Oregon (24-12) 16; Kansas State (19-15) 11; Boise State (22-11) 9; Saint Mary’s (26-8) 9; Clemson (24-12) 8; Dayton (25-8) 7; Ohio State (22-14) 7; Maryland (16-17) 4; Grand Canyon (30-5) 3; Mississippi State (21-14) 2; Princeton (24-5) 2; San Diego State (26-11) 2; Virginia (23-11) 2; Wake Forest (21-14 ); Wisconsin (22-14) 1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: College basketball rankings: Big Ten teams in preseason Coaches Poll
