Never has there been such heavy turnover on college basketball rosters.
Heavily influenced by the transfer portal and the elimination of the requirement for transfers to sit-out for a season, many teams including Indiana will have a new look in 2021 when they take the floor in just over two months.
Here is a rundown of each team in the Big Ten, shown with key departures, returners, freshmen and transfers-in.
Not quite our first power rankings, we show the teams in two tiers, and in alphabetical order by those tiers.
TIER ONE
Illinois
The Illini have major shoes to fill after the loss of Ayo Dosunmu, but the return of Kofi Cockburn and a solid backcourt makes them a contender.
Who is gone: G- Ayo Dosunmu (20.1 ppg), G- Adam Miller (8.3 ppg), F- Giorgi Bezhanishvili (5.1 ppg), C- Jermaine Hamlin (1.0 ppg)
Who is back: C- Kofi Cockburn (17.7 ppg), G- Trent Frazier (10.2 ppg), G- Andre Curbelo (9.1 ppg), G- Da’Monte Williams (5.5 ppg), G/F- Jacob Grandison (4.6 ppg), F- Coleman Hawkins (1.4 ppg), C- Brandon Lieb (.8 ppg)
Freshmen: F- Ramses Melendez (4-star, No. 93), G- Luke Goode (4-star, No. 100), G- Brandin Podziemski (4-star, No. 107)
Transfers in: F- Omar Payne (3.8 ppg at Florida), G- Alfonso Plummer (13.6 ppg at Utah)
Indiana
A new head coach and a new look roster join a veteran frontcourt as the Hoosiers appear primed to return to the NCAA Tournament.
Who is gone: G – Armaan Franklin (11.4 ppg), G- Al Durham (11.3 ppg), C- Joey Brunk (6.8 ppg), F- Jerome Hunter (6.3 ppg)
Who is back: F- Trayce Jackson-Davis (19.1 ppg), F- Race Thompson (9.1 ppg), G- Rob Phinisee (7.1 ppg), G- Trey Galloway (3.6 ppg), F- Jordan Geronimo (2.2 ppg), G- Khristian Lander (2.1 ppg), G- Anthony Leal (1.6 ppg)
Freshmen: G- Tamar Bates (4-star, No. 30), C- Logan Duncomb (4-star, No. 72)
Transfers in: G- Xavier Johnson (14.2 ppg at Pittsburgh), F- Miller Kopp (11.3 ppg at Northwestern), G- Parker Stewart (19.2 ppg at Tennessee-Martin), C- Michael Durr (8.8 ppg at South Florida)
Maryland
The Terps have to replace veterans Aaron Wiggins and Darryl Morsell, but they appear to have addressed their needs very well in the transfer portal.
Who is gone: G- Aaron Wiggins (14.5 ppg), G- Darryl Morsell (9.0 ppg), F- Jairus Hamilton (6.5 ppg), F- Galin Smith (3.7 ppg), C- Chol Marial (1.6 ppg), G- Aquan Smart (1.4 ppg)
Who is back: G- Eric Ayala (15.1 ppg), F- Donta Scott (11.0 ppg), G- Hakim Hart (7.1 ppg), G- Marcus Dockery (1.4 ppg), F- James Graham III (1.3 ppg)
Freshmen: F- Julian Reese (4-star, No. 59), F- Ike Cornish (4-star, No. 113)
Transfers-in: G- Fatts Russell (14.7 ppg at Rhode Island), F- Qudus Wahab (12.7 ppg at Georgetown), G- Ian Martinez (5.2 ppg at Utah), F- Simon Wright (5.1 ppg at Elon), F- Pavlo Dziuba (0.4 ppg at Arizona State)
Michigan
The Wolverines suffered big losses, but claim the best recruiting class in the league, a key transfer, and a highly-talented returning 7-foot center.
Who is gone: F- Isaiah Livers (13.1 ppg), F- Franz Wagner (12.5 ppg), G- Mike Smith (9.0 ppg), G- Chaundee Brown (8.0 ppg), F- Austin Davis (5.4 ppg)
Who is back: C- Hunter Dickinson (14.1 ppg), G- Eli Brooks (9.5 ppg), F- Brandon Johns Jr. (4.9 ppg), F- Terrance Williams II (1.9 ppg), F- Jace Howard (1.1 ppg), G- Zeb Jackson (1.0 ppg)
Freshmen: F- Caleb Houstan (5-star, No. 10), C- Moussa Diabate (5-star, No. 16), G- Frankie Collins (4-star, No. 46), G- Kobe Bufkin (4-star, No. 45), F- Isaiah Barnes (4-star, No. 115), F- Will Tschetter (3-star, No. 139)
Transfer-in: G- DeVante’ Jones (19.3 ppg at Coastal Carolina)
Michigan State
Tom Izzo will have his hands full with this team, but who is doubting him at this point?
Who is gone: F- Aaron Henry (15.4 ppg), G- Joshua Langford (9.7 ppg), G- Rocket Watts (7.7 ppg), G- Foster Loyer (4.2 ppg), F- Thomas Kithier (2.4 ppg)
Who is back: F- Joey Hauser (9.7 ppg), G- Gabe Brown (7.2 ppg), G- Malik Hall (5.0 ppg), F- Julius Marble II (4.0 ppg), F- Marcus Bingham Jr. (3.5 ppg), G- A.J. Hoggard (2.5 ppg), F- Mady Sissoko (1.1 ppg)
Freshmen: G– Max Christie (5-stsr, No. 19), F- Pierre Brooks (4-star, No. 60), G- Jaden Akins (4-star, No. 52)
Transfers-in: G- Tyson Walker (18.8 ppg at Northeastern)
Ohio State
The Buckeyes must replace their starting backcourt but return several key veterans. Chris Holtmann should once again have this team in the running for a league crown.
Who is gone: G- Duane Washington Jr. (16.4 ppg), G- CJ Walker (9.5 ppg), G- Musa Jallow (2.9 ppg)
Who is back: F- E.J. Liddell (16.2 ppg), G- Justice Sueing (10.7 ppg), F- Kyle Young (8.6 ppg), G- Justin Ahrens (5.7 ppg), F- Zed Key (5.2 ppg), F- Seth Towns (3.8 ppg), G- Jimmy Sotos (1.7 ppg), G- Meechie Johnson Jr. (1.2 ppg), G- Eugene Brown III (1.2 ppg)
Freshmen: G- Malaki Branham (4-star, No. 37), F- Kalen Etzler (3-star, No. 150)
Transfers-in: G- Cedric Russell (17.2 ppg at Louisiana), G- Jamari Wheeler (6.8 ppg at Penn State), C- Joey Brunk (6.8 ppg at Indiana)
Purdue
Typically one of the league’s overachievers, many have this veteran Purdue squad as the Big Ten favorite, and it is easy to see why.
Who is gone: F- Aaron Wheeler (3.9 ppg), C- Emmanuel Dowuona (1.3 ppg)
Who is back: C- Trevion Williams (15.5 ppg), G- Jaden Ivey (11.1 ppg), G- Sasha Stefanovic (9.3 ppg), C- Zach Edey (8.7 ppg), G- Eric Hunter Jr. (8.5 ppg), G- Brandon Newman (8.0 ppg), F- Mason Gillis (5.2 ppg), G- Isaiah Thompson (4.2 ppg), G- Ethan Morton (0.6 ppg)
Freshmen: F- Trey Kaufman (4-star, No. 43), F- Caleb Furst (4-star, No. 63), G- Brian Waddell (NR)
Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights suffered big losses from their NCAA Tournament team but return the dynamic duo of Harper and Baker and should continue to be a tough out.
Who is gone: G- Jacob Young (14.1 ppg), G- Montez Mathis (8.3 ppg), C- Myles Johnson (8.0 ppg), C- Mamadou Doucoure (1.3 ppg)
Who is back: G/F- Ron Harper Jr. (14.9 ppg), G- Geo Baker (10.4 ppg), G- Paul Mulcahy (5.9 ppg), G- Caleb McConnell (5.7 ppg), C- Cliff Omoruyi (3.8 ppg), F- Mawot Mag (2.0 ppg), F- Jaden Jones (0.8 ppg), F- Oskar Palmquist (.8 ppg), F- Dean Rieber (.8 ppg)
Freshmen: G- Jalen Miller (3-star, No. 188)
Transfers-in: F- Ralph Agee (11.1 ppg at San Jose State), F- Aundre Hyatt (4.2 ppg at LSU)
TIER TWO
Iowa
No one suffered greater offseason losses than Iowa, and they do not appear to have done nearly enough to fill the voids.
Who is gone: F- Luka Garza (24.1 ppg), G- Joe Wieskamp (14.8 ppg), G- CJ Fredrick (7.5 ppg), F- Jack Nunge (7.1 ppg)
Who is back: G- Jordan Bohannon (10.6 ppg), F- Keegan Murray (7.2 ppg), F- Patrick McCaffery (5.2 ppg), G- Joe Toussaint (3.7 ppg), G- Connor McCaffery (3.3 ppg), G- Tony Perkins (1.6 ppg), G- Ahron Ulis (1.6 ppg), F- Josh Ogundele (.9 ppg), F- Kris Murray (.6 ppg)
Freshmen: F- Payton Sandfort (3-star, No. 171), C- Riley Mulvey (3-star, No. 205)
Transfers-in: F- Filip Rebraca (16.8 ppg at North Dakota)
Minnesota
It is a complete overhaul in Minneapolis with the Gophers the early favorite to finish last in the league.
Who is gone: G- Marcus Carr (19.4 ppg), C- Liam Robbins (11.7 ppg), G- Gabe Kalscheur (9.2 ppg), F- Brandon Johnson (8.9 ppg), G- Jamal Mashburn Jr. (8.2 ppg), G- Both Gach (6.8 ppg), G- Tre’ Williams (5.8 ppg), F- David Mutaf (3.3 ppg), G- Martice Mitchell (1.3 ppg), C- Sam Freeman (1.1 ppg), F- Jarvis Omersa (1.7 ppg)
Who is back: C- Eric Curry (3.7 ppg), F- Isaiah Ihnen (2.8 ppg)
Freshmen: C- Treyton Thompson (3-star, No. 181)
Transfers-in: F- Jamison Battle (17.3 ppg at George Washington), E.J. Stephens (16.4 ppg at Lafayette), G- Luke Loewe (16.2 ppg at William & Mary), G- Payton Willis (13.4 ppg at Charleston), Sean Sutherlin (12.8 ppg at New Hampshire), C- Charlie Daniels (4.6 ppg at Stephen F. Austin), G- Abdoulaye Thiam (junior college), Parker Fox (division two), Danny Ogele (division two).
Nebraska
An improving roster has things looking up in Lincoln with a respectable backcourt, but Fred Hoiberg still has a long climb.
Who is gone: G- Teddy Allen (16.5 ppg), G- Dalano Banton (9.6 ppg), G- Shamiel Stevenson (5.5 ppg), G- Thorir Thorbjarnarson (3.9 ppg), F- Yvan Ouedraogo (3.4 ppg)
Who is back: G- Trey McGowens (10.7 ppg), F- Lat Mayen (8.6 ppg), G- Kobe Webster (8.1 ppg), F- Derrick Walker (5.9 ppg), F- Trevor Lakes (3.2 ppg), C- Eduardo Andre (2.7 ppg)
Freshmen: G- Bryce McGowens (5-star, No. 28), F- Wilhelm Breidenbach (4-star, No. 102), G- Quaran McPherson (3-star, No. 210), F- Oleg Kojenets (3-star, No. 213)
Transfers-in: G- Alonzo Verge Jr. (14.0 ppg at Arizona State), G- C.J. Wilcher (3.3 ppg at Xavier), G- Keon Edwards (1.8 ppg at DePaul), G- Keisei Tominaga (junior college)
Northwestern
The Wildcats return enough to be competitive but don’t have the look of a contender.
Who is gone: F- Miller Kopp (11.3 ppg), G- Anthony Gaines (3.9 ppg)
Who is back: G- Chase Audige (12.3 ppg), F- Pete Nance (11.1 ppg), G- Boo Buie (10.3 ppg), C- Ryan Young (7.8 ppg), F- Robbie Beran (5.7 ppg), G- Ty Berry (5.1 ppg), G- Ryan Greer (2.7 ppg), C- Matthew Nicholson (1.0 ppg)
Freshmen: F – Casey Simmons (4-star, No. 101), G- Julian Roper (3-star, No. 149), G- Brooks Barnhizer (3-star, No. 151)
Transfers-in: F- Elyjah Williams (13.9 ppg at Fairleigh Dickinson)
Penn State
First year coach Micah Shrewsberry has some veterans back but this looks like a challenging year one.
Who is gone: Myreon Jones (15.3 ppg), Izaiah Brockington (12.6 ppg), Jamari Wheeler (6.8 ppg), Trent Buttrick (3.0 ppg), Kyle McCloskey (0.6 ppg), D.J. Gordon (0.5 ppg), Patrick Kelly
Who is back: F- Seth Lundy (10.1 ppg), C- John Harrar (8.8 ppg), G- Sam Sessoms (8.2 ppg), G- Myles Dread (7.3 ppg), G- Dallion Johnson (.6 ppg)
Transfers-in: G- Jaheam Cornwall (14.1 ppg at Gardner-Webb), F- Greg Lee (13.0 ppg at Western Michigan), G- Jalen Pickett (12.9 ppg at Siena), F- Jalanni White (3.9 ppg at Canisius) F- Jevonnie Scott (junior college).
Wisconsin
With a mass exodus and cultural challenges, this could be a long year in Madison.
Who is gone: G- D’Mitrik Trice (13.9 ppg), C- Micah Potter (12.5 ppg), F- Aleem Ford (8.7 ppg), F- Nate Reuvers (8.3 ppg), G- Trevor Anderson (3.1 ppg)
Who is back: G- Brad Davison (10.0 ppg), G- Jonathan Davis (7.0 ppg), F- Tyler Wahl (5.2 ppg), F- Ben Carlson (2.9 ppg), C- Steven Crowl (0.8 ppg), G- Jordan Davis (0.6 ppg), F- Carter Gilmore (.2 ppg)
Freshmen: G- Chucky Hepburn (3-star, No. 124), F – Matthew Mors (3-star, No. 148), F- Markus Ilver (3-star, No. 146), F- Chris Hodges (3-star, No. 153)
Transfers-in: C- Chris Vogt (5.0 ppg at Cincinnati), G- Jahcobi Neath (3.8 ppg at Wake Forest)
(Recruiting rankings based on 247Sports Composite as of the publication date)
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