With the official start of practice next month, UMHoops and Inside the Hall have partnered to bring you our annual preseason breakdown of the top players in the Big Ten. This year, the list has been expanded after the addition of four programs to the conference.
The series is broken into seven parts with one post each weekday through Friday, August 30. Our sixth installment looking at players 6-10 for the 2024-25 season is available below:
10. Bruce Thornton, Ohio State (6-foot-2, guard, junior)
2023-24 stats (35 games): 15.7 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.7 rpg, 1.2 spg, 42.7% FG, 33.3% 3PFG in 33.7 mins
Why he could outperform this ranking: Thornton is a two-year Big Ten starter and a proven scoring lead guard. He averaged 15.7 points as a sophomore and was remarkably efficient. He finished the year with a 121.5 offensive rating on 23.3 percent usage. He creates for his teammates (28.5 percent assist rate) while almost never turning it over (9.1 percent turnover rate). He shoots nearly 50 percent from two (49.2 percent) and makes threes at volume (58-of-174) while consistently getting to the charity stripe, where he shoots 85 percent. There aren’t many more productive and polished offensive players in the league.
Why he could underperform this ranking: Thornton has started every game of his career, but both Ohio State seasons have gone poorly. The Buckeyes lost 14 of 15 games during Thornton’s freshman year and their coach was fired mid-season last year. Ohio State struggled defensively during that stretch and Thornton’s perimeter defense leaves something to be desired. He’ll need to improve on that end of the floor and hope that a fresh start does the program well.
9. Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern (6-foot-6, forward, senior)
2023-24 stats (34 games): 14.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.8 spg, 42.9% FG, 34.8% 3PFG in 36.7 mins
Why he could outperform this ranking: Barnhizer is arguably the most versatile player in the conference. He’s an impact defender at multiple positions, can space the floor and hit threes, has underrated playmaking ability and played almost every minute for Northwestern last season.
Now, he has an opportunity to take a significant step forward after Boo Buie’s graduation. Barnhizer’s role will surely expand, but it is hard to predict precisely what that looks like. His size, passing and versatility could allow him to serve as something of a point forward for the Wildcats.
Why he could underperform this ranking: There might not be enough help around him. If the supporting core of Ty Berry, Jalen Leach and Matt Nicholson lacks the firepower to compete at the top half of the league, Barnhizer and Northwestern could struggle after back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
8. Oumar Ballo, Indiana (7-foot, center, redshirt senior)
2023-24 stats (36 games at Arizona): 12.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 65.8% FG in 25.9 mins
Why he could outperform this ranking: With Kel’el Ware’s departure to the NBA, Indiana went in the portal and landed Ballo, one of the best bigs available. A first-team All-Pac 12 selection last season at Arizona, Ballo averaged a double-double, and his size and physicality makes him tough for most post defenders to handle.
It’s no secret Mike Woodson loves to play through the post, which should give Ballo ample touches. Given his efficiency as a finisher – 72.1 percent at the rim – and his rebounding, modest improvement in his overall numbers from last season at Arizona will have Ballo in the conversation for the best big man in the league.
Why he could underperform this ranking: Indiana has a lot of potential offensive weapons this season and Ballo could be more of a third or fourth option rather than a go-to guy. Ballo’s free throw shooting is also a major hole in his game. He shot a dreadful 49.5 percent from the line last season, which could put him on the bench in late-game situations. There’s also a chance that Indiana finds more success going small at the four, which could push Ballo to the bench more often than anticipated.
7. Ace Bailey, Rutgers (6-foot-10, forward, freshman)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Bailey is the most talented player in the Big Ten entering the season. If there’s a player who could challenge Cooper Flagg to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Bailey is the name you read most often. With his size, athleticism and ability to create his own shot from anywhere on the floor, Bailey has as high of a ceiling as any player in the conference. With his size and his fluidity, he can guard multiple positions.
If Bailey quickly adjusts to the physicality of the college game and learns to make the simple play rather than opting for the spectacular play, he’ll be an All-Big Ten first-teamer.
Why he could underperform this ranking: Freshmen are difficult to project, even those who look like long-term can’t miss prospects. With a tremendous amount of pressure to perform in what will be his only season of college hoops, Bailey could underperform if his shot selection doesn’t improve. There’s no doubt he’ll be given the green light in the Rutgers offense, but his efficiency will suffer if he doesn’t tighten up his decision making and shot selection from his high school days.
6. Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State (6-foot-1, guard, fifth-year senior)
2023-24 stats (33 games): 14.2 ppg, 6.0 apg, 2.7 rpg, 2.7 spg, 38.9% FG, 32.9% 3PFG in 35.9 mins
Why he could outperform this ranking: A relentless ball hawk who plays with pace and little fear, Baldwin had no issue moving up from the Atlantic 10 to the Big Ten last season. He struck a solid balance between scoring and facilitating, finishing second on the Nittany Lions in scoring and first in assists.
Now in his fifth season of college hoops, Baldwin is the best on-ball defender in the conference and one of the league’s most experienced guards at 23 years old. His scoring numbers could improve slightly with the departure of Kanye Clary and better efficiency with his shooting should be a clear priority. Given that he shot better than 41 percent on 3s as a sophomore at VCU and is a career 79.4 percent free throw shooter, a bounce-back season with his 3-point shooting isn’t far-fetched.
Why he could underperform this ranking: Penn State is one of the Big Ten’s worst teams on paper, and it’s not often that a player from a bottom dweller ends up competing for a first-team All-Big Ten spot. The Nittany Lions made a few transfer portal additions but returned the core from last season’s group that was 9-11 in league play. If Baldwin’s shooting doesn’t bounce back, he doesn’t have the ceiling as several of the other point guards on this list.
The post Big Ten’s top 40 players for the 2024-25 season: 10-6 appeared first on UM Hoops.com .