2022 Big Ten men’s basketball preview
The Big Ten conference has consistently been one of the top conferences in the nation and this season should be no different. Teams with high expectations and sleeper teams everywhere make the Big Ten so intriguing this year.
The preseason favorite in the conference is Indiana, which are ranked at 13 in the AP Poll. The Hoosiers are in year two under head coach Mike Woodson, and have high expectations this time.
They will be led by Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Trayce Jackson-Davis. Jackson-Davis is one of the premier players in the Big Ten, averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds last season, and expects more improvement this year.
Jackson-Davis is not alone on this Hoosiers’ squad, as he has help led by guard Xavier Johnson and forward Race Thompson. Johnson and Thompson are veterans in the Indiana program, and plan to use their experience to help create magic in Bloomington.
Indiana has high expectations entering this year, and will need their big three to play great for them to live up to their lofty expectations.
No. 23 Illinois has been near the top of the Big Ten for the last three seasons, and this season should be no different for Brad Underwood’s team. The Fighting Illini are trying to fill a huge void in the middle of the floor with the departure of superstar big Kofi Cockburn to the NBA Draft.
Underwood plans to do that with a good mix of veterans, transfers and a top 10 recruiting class in the nation. Baylor transfer Michael Mayer and Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon expect to be huge additions to the Illini, while also relying heavily on junior Coleman Hawkins, who will be replacing Cockburn at the five.
Underwood continues to build a strong roster in Champagne and their talent level should be good enough to keep them near the top of the Big Ten throughout the season.
The Big Ten had three teams ranked in the preseason AP poll, the final being No. 22 Michigan, which could be in for another great season under Juwan Howard. Similar to Indiana, the Wolverines return their most important player in center Hunter Dickinson, who continues to improve in his time in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines will be relying heavily on Princeton transfer Jaelin Llewellyn to hit as he will be expected to take a lot of the load at the point guard position. If the first-team All-Ivy League star can form a connection with Dickinson, the two can create one of the best guard-big combos in the entire country.
Michigan also welcomes in a top 10 recruiting class, highlighted by wing Jett Howard. Howard is the son of head coach Juwan Howard, and has generated a lot of buzz and could be a key contributor for his father’s team this year.
Michigan went to the Sweet 16 last season, and could be looking for a similar run this time around.
The Big Ten is so deep this season with sleeper teams all throughout the conference, and Penn State could be the most intriguing team to watch. The Nittany Lions enter this season with their top-ranked recruiting class in program history, and a good mix of veterans from last year’s team that coach Shrewsberry did not have in year one.
Penn State also adds transfers Andrew Funk from Bucknell, Camren Wynter from Drexel and Michael Henn from Denver to give them depth. After positive momentum created in Shrewsberry’s first year, the Nittany Lions could be a real dark horse for the entirety of Big Ten play this year.
The Big Ten is consistently great, and this season should be filled with exciting moments in one of the deepest conferences in all of basketball.
Adam Sheetz is a third year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ads360@psu.edu.
