Big Ten Roundup: Conference Projections Following NBA Draft Withdrawal Deadline

As the deadline to stay in or withdraw from the NBA Draft passed this week, Big Ten basketball rosters are close to being finalized. With plenty of roster reshuffling from the draft and transfer portal, here is how college basketball analysts view the Big Ten.

USA Today

The deadline to stay in or withdraw from the 2022 NBA Draft has passed, meaning Big Ten basketball rosters are close to being finalized. There could still be a few incoming or outgoing transfers, but the conference is starting to take shape.

Let's take a look at how college basketball analysts view the Big Ten in their preseason rankings.

CBS Sports, Gary Parrish

• Indiana: 16
• Parrish: The Hoosiers' ranking is based on Indiana returning the top three scorers from a team that made the NCAA Tournament - among them Trayce Jackson-Davis, who could be a candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year. Indiana's recruiting class is ranked fifth nationally and highlighted by 5-star prospects Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau.
• Michigan: 18
• Purdue: 22
• Ohio State: 24
• Michigan State: 25

NCAA.com, Andy Katz

• Indiana: 7
• Katz: Trayce Jackson-Davis is ready for prime time to lead the Hoosiers to the top of the Big Ten. 
• Michigan State: 13
• Illinois: 15
• Michigan: 17
• Rutgers: 20
• Purdue: 21
• Wisconsin: 28
• Iowa: 31
• Ohio State: 34

247Sports, Kevin Flaherty

• Illinois: 14
• Indiana: 15
• Flaherty: Trayce Jackson-Davis pushing back the NBA for another season gives the Hoosiers Big Ten title hopes (and three returning starters). If players improve the most between their freshman and sophomore years, the Hoosiers have a ton of breakout candidates, and then there are the five-star freshmen Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau.
• Iowa: 20

CBS Sports, Jon Rothstein

• Indiana: 13
• Purdue: 19
• Michigan: 26
• Ohio State: 33
• Michigan State: 35
• Illinois: 37

ESPN, Jeff Borzello

• Indiana: 14
• Borzello: Given that the Hoosiers have finished better than ninth in the Big Ten once since 2016, it feels like a risk saying this, but here goes: With Trayce Jackson-Davis withdrawing from the NBA draft and returning to Bloomington, Indiana will likely enter the season as the Big Ten favorite. Jackson-Davis is a dominant force on the interior and will get preseason All-American recognition in some circles, and he's leading a core of four returning starters from a team that won 21 games in Mike Woodson's first campaign at the helm. The Hoosiers are also adding five-star recruits Malik Reneau and Jalen Hood-Schifino, as well as ESPN 100 prospect Kaleb Banks. Expect a step forward from former top-25 prospect Tamar Bates, too. The glaring issue for Indiana is going to be perimeter shooting; the Hoosiers shot just 31.9% from 3 in Big Ten play last season, ranking next-to-last in the league.
• Michigan: 20
• Illinois: 25

Stories related to Indiana basketball:

• BIG TEN ROUNDUP: NBA DRAFT, TRANSFER PORTAL UPDATE: The deadline to withdraw from or stay in the 2022 NBA Draft has passed, providing more clarity to what Big Ten basketball will look like next season. Here's a breakdown of the biggest storylines from the NBA Draft and transfer portal in the Big Ten. CLICK HERE
• BIG TEN ROUNDUP: TOP 25 INCOMING FRESHMEN: The 2022 freshman basketball class will be arriving to campuses around the Big Ten soon, so it's time to take a look at which schools are bringing in the top talent. CLICK HERE