Big Ten rosters for the 2026-27 season are mostly set and it’s time for our first set of offseason power rankings looking ahead to next winter.
The conference had a major shakeup earlier this week with the news that Dusty May, who led Michigan to the Big Ten’s first national championship since 2000, has departed to coach the Dallas Mavericks.
It will be worth monitoring the Michigan roster over the coming weeks to see if the Wolverines experience any attrition following the departure of May and the hiring of Mike Boynton as the program’s interim head coach.
Here’s our first Big Ten forecast for the 2026-27 season:
18. Penn State
The Nittany Lions were the worst team in the Big Ten last season and Mike Rhoades didn’t improve the roster in a meaningful way.
Kayden Mingo left for Baylor after a somewhat promising freshman season and Freddie Dilione V, who averaged 14 points per game, is now at Georgia.
Penn State will be extremely dependent on younger players and up transfers, which isn’t a recipe for success in the Big Ten. It will be a surprise if the Nittany Lions aren’t a bottom-three team by season’s end, which would put Rhoades firmly on the hot seat.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Ivan Juric, Reggie Grodin
Arriving: Jay Rodgers (from Central Connecticut), Brant Byers (from Miami OH), Roberts Blums (from Davidson), Tim Oboh (from Buffalo), Thomas Allard (from Alabama Huntsville), Dasonte Bowen (from St. Bonaventure), Roko Pkracin, Francois Wibaut, Andy Gemao
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Penn State Nittany Lions
17. Rutgers
A year removed from the Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey experiment, the Scarlet Knights missed the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight season in 2025-26.
It will be difficult for Rutgers to move up in the Big Ten despite winning six league games last season. Rutgers returns Tariq Francis, Darren Buchanan Jr. and Jamichael Davis but needs consistent production up front from incoming transfer Christian Gurdak and Dorin Buca.
Steve Pikiell’s teams are typically solid defensively but the last two seasons have represented major steps backward. Rutgers has ranked 116th or worse nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency the last two years, a trend that must be reversed if the Scarlet Knights are to outperform meager expectations.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Tariq Francis, Jamichael Davis, Kaden Powers, Darren Buchanan Jr., Gevonte Ware, Angelino Mark
Arriving: Lewis Duarte (from New Mexico State), Darin Smith Jr. (from Central Connecticut State), Christian Gurdak (from Virginia Tech), Will Sydnor (from Manhattan), Dorin Buca (from Kansas State), Rasheed Jones (from Coastal Carolina), Imahri Wooten
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
16. Northwestern
The Wildcats were a tough out last season with Nick Martinelli, who averaged 23 points per game, leading the charge. Martinelli graduated and promising forward Tre Singleton, an Indiana native, transferred to Iowa State.
So what’s returning for Chris Collins to work with? Only Jake West, one of the better freshman guards in the league last season, is a proven contributor at the Big Ten level.
The rest of the cast is comprised of low and mid-major up-transfers and the Wildcats need several of them to hit in a major way to escape the league cellar. Jack Karasinski averaged close to 22 points last season at Bellarmine and should provide West with a capable scoring mate. Collins is a solid coach, but there’s only so much he can do at a program with limited resources to acquire and retain talent.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Jake West, Angelo Ciaravino
Arriving: Jack Karasinski (from Bellarmine), Luke McEldon (from Mount St. Mary’s), Colin Smith (from UC Santa Barbara), LA Pratt (from Northeastern), Okku Federiko (from Drake), Aleksej Kostic (from BYU), Ryan Soulis (from Columbia), Dylan Williams (from Penn), Jayden Hodge, Symon Ghai
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Northwestern Wildcats
15. Washington
Danny Sprinkle looked like an excellent hire two years ago when the Huskies plucked him from Utah State after just one season. Sprinkle was coming off three straight NCAA tournament appearances, with the first two of those coming at Montana State.
Through two seasons in Seattle, Sprinkle has yet to build momentum and he’s entering a critical year three. Washington lost freshman star Hannes Steinbach to the NBA, but retained Wesley Yates III, who should be one of the better scoring guards in the conference. Yates III, who battled injuries last season, must stay healthy.
The addition of point guard Ryan Beasley from San Francisco should also aid the backcourt and forward LeJuan Watts arrives from Texas Tech after averaging 11.6 points and six rebounds. That’s a solid trio. If Lathan Sommerville can solidify the post, Washington will be competitive.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Wesley Yates III, Lathan Sommerville, Mady Traore, Jasir Rencher, Nikola Dzepina
Arriving: Parker Friedrichsen (from Davidson), Steele Venters (from Gonzaga), Ryan Beasley (from San Francisco), LeJuan Watts (from Texas Tech), Lattimore Ford, Wini Braga, Tristan Devers, Boris Tisma
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Washington Huskies
14. Oregon
Injuries and limited derailed the Ducks last winter as Dana Altman failed to win 20 games for the first time in his tenure in Eugene.
Oregon lost Nate Bittle to graduation and Jackson Shelstad and Kwame Evans Jr. transferred. Only Sean Stewart remains from a team that finished last season 12-20. That might not be a bad thing if some of the incoming pieces work out for Altman, who is in the final stages of his career.
The Ducks have a solid influx of talent with Tyrone Riley IV, Jasper Johnson, Andrew Meadow, Dwayne Aristode, Tajh Ariza, Taylor Bol Bowen and Fred Payne but there isn’t a clear go-to scorer or star on the roster. After being completely dependent on Bittle and Shelstad a season ago, however, this is a better-balanced roster and Oregon could be in the NCAA tournament conversation.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Sean Stewart
Arriving: Tyrone Riley IV (from San Francisco), Andrew Meadow (from Boise State), Pharaoh Compton (from San Diego State), Jasper Johnson (from Kentucky), Taylor Bol Bowen (from Alabama), Jerry Easter II (from USC), Fred Payne (from Boston College), Dwayne Aristode (from Arizona), Tajh Ariza, Kendre Harrison, Seven Spurlock
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Oregon Ducks
13. Minnesota
Bart Torvik’s current projections have the Golden Gophers as the second-worst team in the Big Ten for next season.
This ranking, however, is a nod to Niko Medved and his first season in Minneapolis that netted eight conference wins. The Golden Gophers lost Cade Tyson to graduation but return a solid nucleus that includes Isaac Asuma, Bobby Durkin and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson.
The key portal addition is Kyan Evans, who will reunite with Medved after an underwhelming season at North Carolina. Evans, who played for Medved at Colorado State, will slide into the backcourt alongside Asuma. There are always teams that outperform preseason expectations and Minnesota has enough talent and coaching to be near the middle of the pack.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Isaac Asuma, Bobby Durkin, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Grayson Grove, Kai Shinholster
Arriving: Winters Grady (from Michigan), Malick Kordel (from Michigan), Nolan Groves (from Texas Tech), Kyan Evans (from North Carolina), Malachi Palmer (from Villanova), Nolen Anderson, Chadrack Mpoyi, Cedric Tomes
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Minnesota Golden Gophers
12. Maryland
Year one of the Buzz Williams era in College Park was a disaster. The Terps lost Pharrel Payne early in the season to an injury and never recovered.
Payne is back (or should be, assuming his waiver request is granted) and should be one of the best bigs in the country next season. Maryland also added Baba Oladotun, a top 10 player in the 2026 class who should be a star right away.
Whether Maryland leaps into the middle of the pack of the conference standings will depend on its backcourt play, which will feature DJ Wagner, Bishop Boswell and the returning Andre Mills. Wagner and Boswell bring experience from NCAA tournament appearances at their previous stops, and Mills showed promise last season, averaging 12.2 points per game.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Andre Mills, Pharrel Payne, Rakease Passmore, George Turkson Jr., Guillermo Del Pino
Arriving: Tomislav Buljan (from New Mexico), Robert Jennings II (from Oklahoma State), Bishop Boswell (from Tennessee), Maban Jabriel (from Queens), DJ Wagner (from Arkansas), Michael McNair (from Boston University), Baba Oladotun, Kaden House, Adama Tambedou, Austin Brown
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Maryland Terrapins
11. Wisconsin
Is this the season Wisconsin takes a significant step back? It seems like an annual question for Greg Gard in the transfer portal era.
The Badgers lost John Blackwell to Duke and have a brand new backcourt with Trey Autry, Owen Foxwell and Eian Elmer. There will be a lot placed on the shoulders of Foxwell, who arrives from the NBL in Australia. Wisconsin needs him to produce, given what the program lost with Blackwell’s transfer and the graduation of Nick Boyd.
The frontcourt is more settled with Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp returning and we know the Badgers are going to take care of the ball while making a healthy amount of 3-pointers. Winning 14 Big Ten games is unlikely to happen again, but it’s hard to bet against Gard after the consistency he’s displayed over the last decade.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Austin Rapp, Nolan Winter, Jack Janicki, Hayden Jones, Zach Kinziger, Will Garlock
Arriving: Trey Autry (from George Washington), Victory Onuetu (from Hofstra), Eian Elmer (from Miami OH), LaTrevion Fenderson, Jackson Ball, Isaac Riddle, Owen Foxwell
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Wisconsin Badgers
10. Iowa
The Hawkeyes made a surprising run to the Elite Eight thanks to the brilliance of Bennett Stirtz and Ben McCollum. Iowa kept McCollum, who reportedly drew interest from North Carolina, but Stirtz is now in the NBA after being taken No. 16 overall on Tuesday night.
Iowa kept the bulk of its roster intact and returns three starters in Kael Combs, Cooper Koch and Cam Manyawu. The Hawkeyes landed a pair of transfers who figure heavily into next season’s outlook: guard Ty’Reek Coleman, who was productive as a freshman at Illinois State, and Andrew McKeever, a 7-foot-2 center who averaged 8.2 points and 9.2 rebounds last season at Saint Mary’s.
Some regression has to be expected with the loss of Stirtz but this looks to be a solid NCAA tournament team.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Kael Combs, Cooper Koch, Cam Manyawu, Isaia Howard, Trey Thompson, Tate Sage, Trevin Jirak, Joey Matteoni
Arriving: Ty’Reek Coleman (from Illinois State), Andrew McKeever (from Saint Mary’s), Ethan Harris, Jaidyn Coon
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Iowa Hawkeyes
9. Purdue
Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn are gone, which is a sigh of relief for other Big Ten programs after the trio led the Boilermakers to high-level success over the last four seasons.
A new era of Purdue basketball is here following those three graduations. Plenty of experience remains with C.J. Cox and Gicarri Harris returning and Omer Mayer and Daniel Jacobsen also back in West Lafayette.
The Boilermakers are hopeful Caden Pierce, a transfer from Princeton, will be an impact addition and are high on freshman guard Luke Ertel, a top 50 recruit nationally from Mount Vernon.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Omer Mayer, C.J. Cox, Gicarri Harris, Daniel Jacobsen, Jack Benter, Antione West Jr., Raleigh Burgess
Arriving: Caden Pierce (from Princeton), Luke Ertel, Jacob Webber, Sinan Huan, Jamyn Sondrup, Rivers Knight
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Purdue Boilermakers
8. UCLA
The Bruins won 13 Big Ten games last season and lost only one home game, despite having one of the least intimidating home-court advantages in the league.
The graduations of Donovan Dent and Tyler Bilodeau sting, but Trent Perry and Eric Dailey Jr. are back and Mick Cronin has a solid mix of other returnees and newcomers to blend.
The ceiling for UCLA will ultimately be decided by its defense. Cronin’s best UCLA teams have been elite defensively. Last season, however, the Bruins ranked just 49th in adjusted defensive efficiency last season, according to KenPom.com.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Trent Perry, Eric Freeny, Eric Dailey Jr., Xavier Booker, Brandon Williams
Arriving: Filip Jovic (from Auburn), Sergej Macura (from Mississippi State), Jaylen Petty (from Texas Tech), Azavier Robinson (from Butler), Joe Philon, Javonte Floyd, Gunars Grinvalds
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: UCLA Bruins
7. Indiana
The Hoosiers were firmly in the NCAA tournament conversation last spring before losing five of six games to close the regular season. Leading scorer Lamar Wilkerson graduated, as did five other seniors, and IU also lost every player eligible to return to the portal, except Trent Sisley.
While some may meet all the attrition with skepticism, the reality is that IU didn’t lose anyone of note to the portal other than Nick Dorn, a solid perimeter shooter who was inconsistent.
The headliners of this portal class are point guard Markus Burton and big man Aiden Sherrell, who should give the Hoosiers a solid one-two punch. The supporting cast includes big man Samet Yigitoglu, Bryce Lindsay, Darren Harris and Jaeden Mustaf, all of whom figure to play significant roles next winter. After disappointing in year one, Darian DeVries needs this group to be a solid NCAA tournament team.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Trent Sisley
Arriving: Bryce Lindsay (from Villanova), Aiden Sherrell (from Alabama), Darren Harris (from Duke), Markus Burton (from Notre Dame), Samet Yigitoglu (from SMU), Jaeden Mustaf (from Georgia Tech), Justin Monden (from Maryland Eastern Shore), Prince-Alexander Moody, Vaughn Karvala, Trevor Manhertz, Clemens Sokolov
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Indiana Hoosiers
6. Ohio State
Ohio State reached the NCAA tournament last season as Bruce Thornton’s loyalty to the program was rewarded with a March Madness appearance. Thornton graduated but there is reason for optimism in Columbus.
John Mobley Jr. is back as one of the better returning guards in the conference and A’mare Bynum appears ready to break out as a sophomore. The Buckeyes will also have one of the best newcomers in the league in freshman forward Anthony Thompson, who many believe will be a one-and-done.
While Jake Diebler’s hold on the Ohio State job seemed tenuous at times last season, he can firmly establish himself with a repeat trip to the NCAA tournament next spring.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: John Mobley Jr., A’mare Bynum, Josh Ojianwuna, Ivan Njegovan
Arriving: Justin Pippen (from Cal), Andrija Jelavic (from Kentucky), Jimmie Williams (Duquesne), Curtis Givens III (from Memphis), Anthony Thompson, Alex Smith, Vuk Lazarevic, LJ Smith
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Ohio State Buckeyes
5. USC
A once-promising USC season went off the rails down the stretch as an 18-6 start turned into a campaign that finished with an 18-14 mark.
Fortunately for Eric Musselman, the Trojans navigated the offseason by retaining three key pieces: Rodney Rice, Jacob Cofie and Alijah Arenas. USC also nabbed big man Eric Reibe from UConn and guard KJ Lewis from Georgetown and has an elite recruiting class with Christian Collins, Adonis Ratliff and Darius Ratliff.
This is one of the most talented rosters in the league and should help Musselman succeed in his third season in Los Angeles.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Rodney Rice, Jacob Cofie, Alijah Arenas
Arriving: KJ Lewis (from Georgetown), Eric Reibe (from UConn), Jalen Cox (from Colgate), Aaron Hunkin-Claytor (from Hawaii), Joshua Hughes (from Evansville), Jadis Jones (from Lindenwood), Isaac Bruns (from South Dakota), Adonis Ratliff, Darius Ratliff, Christian Collins
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: USC Trojans
4. Nebraska
Nebraska came out of nowhere last season after being picked near the bottom of the Big Ten. The Huskers won an NCAA tournament game for the first time in program history, reaching the Sweet Sixteen before falling to rival Iowa.
Fred Hoiberg welcomes back Pryce Sandfort, one of the top players in the league, as well as Braden Frager, one of the Big Ten’s best freshmen last winter.
To sustain success, Hoiberg needs several of his portal additions to hit, including Trevan Leonhardt, Sam Orme and Boden Kapke, all of whom averaged double figures last season at their previous stops.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Braden Frager, Pryce Sandfort, Connor Essegian, Cale Jacobsen, Leo Curtis, Will Cooper
Arriving: Sam Orme (from Belmont), Trevan Leonhardt (from Utah Valley), Kadyn Betts (from Montana), Boden Kapke (from Boston College), Taj DeGourville (from San Diego State), Damon Wilkinson (from South Dakota State), Colin Rice, Jacob Lanier
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Nebraska Cornhuskers
3. Michigan
Michigan ended the Big Ten’s national championship drought in remarkable fashion last season, winning 19 Big Ten games and then winning five of its six NCAA tournament games by at least 13 points.
The Wolverines appeared set up for long-term success under Dusty May until news broke earlier this week that the former IU manager was departing to coach the Dallas Mavericks. Assistant coach Mike Boynton is now the interim head coach in Ann Arbor.
Michigan still has one of the best rosters in the country and should be a solid top 10 team entering the season. However, the Wolverines must retain their roster and Boynton must prove he’s grown as a coach after reaching the NCAA tournament just once in seven seasons at Oklahoma State.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney, L.J. Cason, Oscar Goodman, Ricky Liburd
Arriving: J.P. Estrella (from Tennessee), Moustapha Thiam (from Cincinnati), Jalen Reed (from LSU), Brandon McCoy, Quinn Costello, Lincoln Crosby, Joseph Hartman, Malachi Brown, Marcus Moller
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Michigan Wolverines
2. Michigan State
Tom Izzo is the longest-tenured coach in the Big Ten and it feels like he’s waiting for one final run at a national championship before retirement.
The Spartans are No. 7 nationally in Bart Torvik’s projections for next season and return the likely Big Ten preseason player of the year in Jeremy Fears Jr.
Michigan State has one of the best guard and wing stables in the country. The frontcourt rotation, however, is a little less certain as Izzo will need Anton Bonke and Jess McCulloch to produce following the graduations of Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Jeremy Fears Jr., Kur Teng, Coen Carr, Jordan Scott, Jesse McCulloch, Cam Ward, Kaleb Glenn
Arriving: Anton Bonke (from Charlotte), Ethan Taylor, Jasiah Jervis, Carlos Medlock Jr., Julius Avent
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Michigan State Spartans
1. Illinois
After Dusty May’s decision to leave for the NBA, Illinois is the favorite to win the Big Ten next season.
The Fighting Illini reached the Final Four last season and return Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic and Jake Davis.
Brad Underwood dipped into the portal for Providence guard Stefan Vaaks and also landed five-star guard Quentin Coleman, who was attracted to the program in large part because of what Keaton Wagler did last season.
2026-27 roster:
Returning: Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Jake Davis, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jason Jakstys
Arriving: Stefan Vaaks (from Providence), Quentin Coleman, Lucas Morillo, Ethan Brown, Landon Davis, Zavier Zens, Lincoln Williams
Read more: 2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Illinois Fighting Illini
(Photo credit: Illinois Athletics)
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