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 fourth installment looking at players 16-20 for the 2024-25 season is available below:
20. Sebastian Mack, UCLA (6-foot-3, guard, sophomore)
2023-24 stats (33 games): 12.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 38.7% FG, 28.3% 3PFG in 26.8 mins
Why he could outperform this ranking A top-60 recruit in the 2023 class, Mack soaked up a ton of experience as a freshman in Westwood for a disappointing UCLA team.
The Pac-12 All-freshman team honoree is wired to score. He reached double figures 19 times last season and had 20 or more points on five occasions. Mack does an excellent job using his body to create contact and get to the line. He ranked eighth in the Pac-12 last season in free throw rate and converted at a 72.7 clip from the line. He also has the athleticism and physicality to develop into a lockdown defender under Mick Cronin, one of the best defensive coaches in the country.
Why he could underperform this ranking: UCLA has a plethora of guards on its roster, including Dylan Andrews, Skyy Clark and Trent Perry. The expectation is Mack will remain a starter, but his efficiency must improve. He shot just 28 percent on 3s last season and 42.9 percent on twos. If those numbers don’t improve, Clark, a transfer from Louisville, or Perry, a highly-touted freshman, could push him for minutes.
19. Mackenzie Mgbako, Indiana (6-foot-8, forward, sophomore)
2023-24 stats (33 games): 12.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 apg, 39.5% FG, 32.7% 3PFG in 27.0 mins
Why he could outperform this ranking: If you are looking for a sophomore-year breakout star in the Big Ten, Mgbako is one of the most obvious choices. His per-game averages ticked up steadily throughout his rookie season in Bloomington. He averaged 7.2 points per game in November, 12 points in December and January, 13.9 points in February, and 15.8 points per game in March.
Mgbako will be asked to bridge the gap between IU’s talented frontcourt and backcourt with his size and shotmaking on the wing. He shot 38% from 3-point range in Big Ten games, up from 24% in non-conference play.
Why he could underperform this ranking: There are a lot of mouths to feed in Indiana’s rotation, and Mgbako might not be optimized positionally. The Hoosiers brought in a pair of ball-handling guards, Malik Reneau returns and Oumar Ballo will demand touches in the paint. Mgbako feels like the perfect floor spacing four, but he’s likely to spend most of his time as an oversized three next to a pair of bigs.
18. Meechie Johnson, Ohio State (6-foot-2, guard, fifth-year senior)
2023-24 stats (33 games at South Carolina): 14.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.9 apg, 39.9% FG, 32.1% 3PFG in 29.1 mins
Why he could outperform this ranking: An All-SEC second-team selection last season, Johnson returns to Columbus to utilize his extra year of eligibility granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He’ll slot in right next to Bruce Thornton in the Ohio State backcourt and will immediately become a go-to scoring option for the Buckeyes.
But there’s more to Johnson’s game than scoring, as he’s also a capable distributor who averaged nearly three assists last season for the Gamecocks. Johnson has improved every season of his career, and there’s no reason to believe that another season of improvement isn’t in store this winter.
Why he could underperform this ranking: For such a high-volume 3-point shooter, Johnson has been poor from a percentage standpoint throughout his career. Over the last two seasons at South Carolina, he shot 130-for-401 (32.4 percent) from distance. If the poor shooting numbers continue and Thornton continues his rise as one of the Big Ten’s top guards, Johnson could be more of a complementary piece for the Buckeyes.
17. Roddy Gayle Jr., Michigan (6-foot-5, guard, junior)
2023-24 stats (36 games at Ohio State): 13.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 44.9% FG, 28.4% 3PFG in 30.9 mins
Why he could outperform this ranking: Gayle projects to be Michigan’s go-to perimeter scoring option after making the rare transfer north from Ohio State. He’s a proven Big Ten guard who averaged 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game as a sophomore amidst a chaotic season in Columbus.
Gayle is a well-rounded perimeter threat who can play with or without the ball. He shot 51% on twos and excelled at getting to the free-throw line, where he made 83% of his freebies. He’s also an underrated passer, which should fit in nicely in Dusty May’s offensive system.
Why he could underperform this ranking: Gayle’s swing skill is three-point shooting. He shot just 28% from outside as a sophomore, down from 43% on limited attempts as a freshman. He battled a wrist injury during his sophomore year, but his confidence and ability to take and make threes will determine his ceiling. He has All-Big Ten upside if he can rediscover that freshman-year form.
16. Owen Freeman, Iowa (6-foot-10, forward, sophomore)
2023-24 stats (34 games): 10.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 1.2 apg, 61.4% FG in 22.8 mins
Why he could outperform this ranking: Foul issues and conditioning are all that kept Freeman from being even more productive as a freshman in Iowa City. His surprising rookie campaign ended with him being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the media and co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches. Freeman was an excellent finisher – 65.2 percent on 2s in Big Ten play – and also ranked in the top ten in the conference in offensive and defensive rebounding percentage and block percentage. With an offseason to work on his game and his conditioning, he should blossom into one of the premier frontcourt players in the league.
Why he could underperform this ranking: There will be far more attention on Freeman this season in the Iowa frontcourt after the graduation of Ben Krikke and he’ll be the clear focus of opposing bigs throughout the league. The foul issues are a legitimate concern – 4.8 per 40 minutes per KenPom – and if he can’t improve there, it’s unlikely he’ll play enough minutes to reach his full potential.
The post Big Ten’s top 40 players for the 2024-25 season: 20-16 appeared first on UM Hoops.com .