With the official start of practice next month, UM Hoops 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 first installment looking at players 40-31 for the 2024-25 season is available below:
40. William Kyle III, UCLA (6-foot-9, forward, junior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Kyle arrives in Westwood with major defensive accolades. He was the Summit League defensive player of the year last season at South Dakota State and should slot in as the starting five for Mick Cronin.
Offensively, he’s an explosive athlete who loves to finish above the rim. He was second in the country last season with 88 dunks and shot 62 percent on twos. While he might be flying under the radar in the preseason, Kyle looks like a solid bet to be one of the league’s more productive frontcourt players.
39. Ben Humrichous, Illinois (6-foot-9, forward, fifth-year senior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Humrichous has outperformed expectations at every stop in his college basketball journey. The Tipton, Indiana native began his career at Huntington University, an NAIA program in Indiana. He parlayed success there into a move to Evansville, where he made 2.2 3s per game last season and shot 41.4 percent from the perimeter and became a portal priority for high-major programs.
Now in his fifth season of college hoops, Humrichous should start at the four for Brad Underwood, who will utilize his floor stretching ability, which is unique for his size, on a revamped Illini roster.
38. Josh Dix, Iowa (6-foot-5, guard, junior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Dix came on late last season and averaged 12 points in 31 minutes in Iowa’s final 19 games, up from just five points in 16 minutes in the opening 15 contests.
He’s a lethally efficient offensive player – 62.5 percent on twos, 42.1 percent on threes – in one of the league’s most efficient offensive systems and there should be more shots available after Tony Perkins transferred out of Iowa’s backcourt.
37. Juwan Gary, Nebraska (6-foot-6, forward, senior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Gary isn’t a household name nationally, but he was one of the most valuable forwards in the Big Ten last season. He defends, he rebounds and he’s an efficient finisher.
Gary shot 60 percent on twos last season overall and 61 percent in Big Ten play, the sixth best mark in the conference. If Gary can improve his perimeter shot – 30.6 percent on threes last season – he’ll elevate his already efficient offensive rating.
36. Xavier Booker, Michigan State (6-foot-11, forward, sophomore)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Booker is a 6-foot-11 former five-star recruit who shot 33 percent from deep as a true freshman. The talent is undeniable and he has professional upside if he can put it all together for the Spartans. Booker’s freshman year was a disappointment, but it would be a mistake to ignore his upside.
He’s likely to step into a larger role in a frontcourt that loses several key contributors including Malik Hall.
35. Desmond Claude, USC (6-foot-6, guard, junior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Claude averaged 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game as a sophomore in the Big East last season. If Eric Musselman’s year one experiment works in Los Angeles, then Claude will certainly be a crucial piece of the puzzle. He’s a proven shot creator at the high-major level who is a 3-point shot away (27-of-113 last year) from being one of the better guards in the league.
34. Saint Thomas, USC (6-foot-7, forward, graduate student)
Why he could outperform this ranking: After two uninspiring seasons at Loyola Chicago, Thomas broke out in a major way last season at Northern Colorado. He was one of just four players in the country to average at least 19.7 points and 9.8 rebounds last season.
On a USC team that is totally revamped under Musselman, Thomas will be a featured piece alongside Claude. But it’s not just the scoring that makes Thomas special. He was sixth in the Big Sky last season in assist rate, ninth in block percentage and 14th in steal percentage. He also shot better than 85 percent from the foul line. If his game fully translates to the Big Ten, this ranking will be too low.
33. Selton Miguel, Maryland (6-foot-4, guard, fifth-year senior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Miguel is a high-level shot maker coming off of a career year at South Florida. He shot 39 percent on 182 3-point attempts, a skill that Maryland desperately needs after finishing 347th in 3-point accuracy last season. With four years of experience under his belt, Miguel could overachieve as he returns to the high-major level after beginning his career at Kansas State.
32. Frankie Fidler, Michigan State (6-foot-7, forward, senior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Another up transfer, Fidler arrives in East Lansing after averaging 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the Summit League. Michigan State needs wing scoring and Fidler will provide it.
He’s a career 36.4 percent 3-point shooter and his efficient offensive game will give Tom Izzo the confidence to get him shots regularly.
31. Kwame Evans Jr., Oregon (6-foot-9, forward, sophomore)
Why he could outperform this ranking: A five-star recruit in the 2023 class from Montverde Academy, talent has never been a question with Evans Jr. The left-handed forward showed flashes of his potential as a freshman and wisely opted to return for his sophomore season in Eugene.
He’s a fluid, mobile forward who got better as the season went along. With an expanded role this season – he averaged only 22.5 minutes last season – Evans Jr. has the potential to breakout as a star for the Ducks this season.
Those who just missed (or omissions that could come back to bite us): Aaron Bradshaw, Ohio State; Ty Berry, Northwestern; Eric Dailey, UCLA; Kobe Johnson, UCLA; Dylan Andrews, UCLA; Will Riley, Illinois; Derik Queen, Maryland; Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State; Steven Crowl, Wisconsin; Brandon Angel, Oregon; Cam Heide, Purdue; Myles Colvin, Purdue; Kanaan Carlyle, Indiana
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