A vicious middle class has been a staple of the Big Ten for years, and while the league is a-changin’, the depth of good – but maybe not special – teams remain intact. The Big Ten’s dominant showing in the college basketball transfer portal should help keep the basketball-obsessed league more than relevant. Eight different Big Ten teams landed at least one top-50 transfer, including Indiana which has three ballyhooed transfers headlining its No. 2-ranked transfer portal haul in the country.
Established coaches at spots like Maryland, Illinois, Indiana and UCLA dove headfirst into the transfer portal to hold serve in the arms race.
New coaches like Washington’s Danny Sprinkle, Michigan’s Dusty May and USC’s Eric Musselman were forced to almost exclusively use the portal to build a roster. That lifestyle wasn’t adopted by everyone. Legendary Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo dipped his toe into the shark-infested portal pool for just one major addition after loudly and proudly sitting out the portal for two cycles in a row. Purdue’s Matt Painter, a future Hall of Famer, stayed out of the transfer portal entirely. The reigning Big Ten champions and National Championship runner-ups are the lone Big Ten program without an addition from the portal in the 2024 window.
Which plan will work best? We’re about to find out in a league that’s as flat as anyone can remember. There’s not a gigantic gap between No. 1 and No. 18 in the Big Ten. You can’t say that about many high-major leagues. The hits (and misses) from the transfer portal will have its fingertips all over this league race.
RELATED: Realistic expectations for every 2024-25 ACC basketball transfer
Let’s dive into the realistic expectations for each of the 85 transfers set to suit up in the Big Ten next season.
