The first and only public preseason scrimmage is in the books, and the main takeaway is clear: this Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team could make some noise in 2025-26. We’re still trying to figure out the line-up and depth chart of course, and it may take awhile for all the new pieces to coalesce.
But when all is said and done, this Illini basketball team should be very good, so let’s take a look at how they stack up in the Big Ten’s balance of power.
Purdue the Top Class of the League
#1 in both polls for a reason, the Boilermakers are on their own plane, high above everyone else. Like Michigan State took the title of conference bellwether from Indiana a long time ago, Purdue has now taken it from MSU.
Reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith is back, and ready to take it up yet another notch. Trey Kaufman-Renn is as good as it gets when it comes to a sidekick, and Fletcher Loyer (we have an exclusive with him coming up soon) is an excellent third piece.
League Title and NCAA Tournament 2nd Weekend Contenders
Illinois Fighting Illini
Illini basketball coach Brad Underwood has made it clear, over and over again, the standard here is to compete for national championships. That’s what this program is aiming for.
We’re not sure if this team, led by the Illini BasketBalkans, is top three in the league, but we know they’re top five for sure!
Michigan Wolverines
Adding Morez Johnson, as shocking as that was, is absolutely key. He’s exactly what UM needs. While football season has shown us that the AP poll is absolute joke, and more irrelevant than ever, Michigan at #7 in the nation still feels and sounds right.
They might be the second best team in the league.
UCLA Bruins
Ranked #12 in both polls, the storied program in history may finally be on their way back to the mountain top. This time, we mean it, really.
We had exclusives with both Tyler Bilodeau and Skyy Clark at Media Days, so when we publish those, we’ll dive into the Bruins in depth.
Oregon Ducks
Last season saw center Nate Biddle set career highs in scoring, blocks, rebounds, minutes, steals, assists, you get the idea. He’s a top level NBA Draft prospect, and in an exclusive with Ratings.org, he discussed what he’s working on to improve his draft stock.
“I think I was at 33% from three, had a couple games where I had a slump going on,” he said.
“So getting out of that, and getting those percentages up, changing my body and then just still being a defensive factor, you know, being able to come help side, block shots, and just be there for my teammates.”
His head coach, Dana Altman (go here for our exclusive with him, discussing U of O NIL resources) had a lot of great insights into this topic as well.
“I think the most important thing is he’s just got to prepare himself physically,” Altman added. “He’s had some injury concerns over the years, so they (NBA people) want to see him be healthy.
“They want to see him be durable. That starts with being in great shape, and getting your body right. He’s worked hard at that, and he’s watching what he eats a lot closer.
“The NBA process really helped him, hearing that from NBA teams. We’ve been telling him that, but it’s nice to hear it from the NBA- where he wants to go.”
The Ducks are the second team just outside the top 25, in both polls. After these five teams, the level of quality in the league drops off substantially.
The Next Tier, Your Old Standard Bearers, Tourney Teams
Michigan State Spartans
Sleep on Sparty at your own peril, but they’ll take a step back this season. Tom Izzo is very strong in his opinions about the transfer portal having jumped the shark, as he just doesn’t build/maintain his program that way.
Maybe that will really work against him this season? Maybe not, and once again, his side will be the last one standing in March, among Big Ten teams
Wisconsin Badgers
In John Blackwell, the Badgers have a true alpha dog, and one of the best players in the league. Ranked #24 in both polls, they may not be the best team in the conference, but they’ll be a major factor.
Greg Gard has some kept them relevant and solid, but they have yet to reach the same heights that the program saw under Bo Ryan.
Iowa Hawkeyes
This program had plateaued under Mr. Anger Management Issues, so it was time for a refresh. Under Ben McCollum, they should be at the same level that they were during some of the better years under Fran McCaffery. Iowa received three votes in the coaches poll and six in the AP.
This bunch will definitely entertain, and our exclusive with Iowa’s top gun, point guard and draft lottery prospect Bennett Stirtz, was as enjoyable as watching their style of play.
After these eight teams, the level of quality drops off a bit to the rest of the league.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.