With everyone giddy for 2025 celebrations, it’s time to look at New Year’s resolutions for each Big Ten basketball team. Many teams like Oregon, UCLA, Michigan, and Michigan State have put their name in the conversation for the Big Ten Championship. Meanwhile, preseason favorites Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, and Rutgers have been underwhelmed thus far.
New Year’s Resolutions for Every Big Ten Basketball Team
Illinois – Veteran Leadership
The Fighting Illini have had a huge youth movement in Champaign. After having big roster turnover from last season, Illinois has relied heavily on many new faces. Ty Rodgers looked like a veteran who could have made up for all the departures but decided to sit out and redshirt . Kylan Boswell was a major transfer, and given his experience at Arizona, he was expected to be a top scorer and passer. Thus far, he’s been outshined like the rest of the roster by freshman Kasparas Jakucionis . It’s not bad to have plenty of young talent in your midst, but the biggest concern is where the veteran leadership will come from.
Indiana – Lazy Bigs
The Hoosiers’ biggest resolution is the lack of effort from their big men. Indiana had an awful trip to the Bahamas in November, completely outclassed by a mid-Louisville team. They find themselves on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament before they have even hit the heart of Big Ten play. For a team loaded with talent, Indiana’s Oumar Ballo and Mackenzie Mgbako have both lacked effort at times this season. Given both players’ sizes, they can’t afford to be lazy. At least Myles Rice delivers every night.
Iowa – Defense
The Hawkeyes have been a pretty stout scoring team for what feels like forever. Yet one issue remains: the Hawkeyes can score but also give up many points. That won’t get them far against the best teams in the Big Ten. Iowa is 80th nationally in defensive efficiency , well behind the other top-level teams. The Hawkeyes are a borderline NCAA tournament team. They aren’t that far off, but letting teams like Utah State score 77, surrendering 88 against Utah, and 70 against New Hampshire, isn’t the best.
Maryland – Meaningful Wins
The Terrapins have been playing excellently so far, and their record showcases that at 11-2 (1-1). Their two losses have come at the hands of Marquette and Purdue, their two highest-rated teams at the time on the schedule. That begs the question: who has Maryland beaten that is a good win? Looking at their slate, their best win was against Ohio State. Other than that, Maryland is lacking meaningful wins so far. They will have plenty to chase after in the new year.
Michigan – Win Close Games
Dusty May has the Wolverines right in contention atop the league. That is significantly better than their 2023-24 school record worst 8-24. The “Area-51 duo” continues to drive Michigan. However, in their three losses, they have squandered late leads to only lose by a combined five points. Michigan has to take advantage of leads in close games. It’s only going to get tougher in Big Ten play. Look how close they came to losing at home against Iowa earlier this month. Michigan has to find a way to win the close ones.
Michigan State – Find Clutch Player
Michigan State is back to a level they haven’t been in several years. They finished the first half of the season 11-2 and already have two Big Ten wins in the bag. It will only get tougher, but the Spartans have been great with production. But they have to find someone to be a clutch player. Is it Jaden Akins , the team’s leading scorer? What about freshman Jase Richardson ? There isn’t quite a Tyson Walker , but someone has to step up in the clutch, especially in the Big Ten.
Minnesota – Save Coach’s Job
Coach Ben Johnson is a proud alum, but things have taken a turn for the former Gopher player. After making the NIT last season, the Gophers quickly fell to the bottom of the barrel in a tough 18-team Big Ten. Despite having experience led by Dawson Garcia, Minnesota is trending in the wrong direction. The fans are taking notice, and Johnson could be coaching his last season in Minneapolis. Minnesota needs to try to win some important games to save his job. Or at least keep him around through the rest of the season.
Nebraska – Continue Hot Streak
Nebraska has been one of the biggest surprise teams this season and quickly built a tournament resume. They are trending in the top half of the Big Ten right now. Since losing to Michigan State by 37 points, Coach Fred Hoiberg’s Huskers have flipped a switch. Brice Williams is playing arguably like the best player in the Big Ten right now. They take a five-game winning streak heading into 2025. They must keep the streak rolling, especially with a trip to UCLA to start 2025.
Northwestern – Stay Healthy
The Wildcats had some injury concerns coming into the 2024-25 season, with senior Brooks Barnhizer missing the first four games. Since he made his return, he and Nick Martinelli have been a two-man wrecking crew for Northwestern. Ty Berry also looks back to full strength after getting hurt late last season, which cost the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament. The goal moving forward is to keep everyone healthy. In this new Big Ten, that will be a tall task.
Ohio State – Build Confidence
The Buckeyes have had arguably one of the tougher schedules of all the teams in the Big Ten. Since losing against Texas A&M, Pittsburgh, Maryland, and Auburn, Ohio State has gotten back on track, winning three straight games. This group has a chance to make some noise with Michigan State visiting Columbus to start 2025. They have the talent to make a run; they just have to focus on building confidence. One player who is as confident as ever is sophomore Devin Royal .
Oregon – Survive Big Ten
The Ducks are one of the highest-ranked teams in the Big Ten. They only have one loss so far, but that defeat came from conference foe UCLA. Oregon has been playing great, and everyone is taking notice. This is why their resolution is to survive the Big Ten gauntlet. They are going to be getting everyone’s best.
Penn State – Take Advantage of Others
The Nittany Lions have had a great start to the campaign. They have been taking advantage of other teams’ struggles, and it’s paying off. There is a long way to go, but Penn State looks like a NCAA Tournament team so far. Can they take advantage, especially on their home floor?
Purdue – Find Consistency
Purdue is off to their worst start in arguably five years. The Boilermakers have four losses before January. That is unheard of around West Lafayette. They won all their home games, but not getting wins against top-level opponents isn’t helping. The Boilermakers have still yet to get over the Daniel Jacobsen injury . Trey Kaufman-Renn gives everything he’s got, but it isn’t enough. This team lacks consistency, especially in the post. Braden Smith remains excellent, but Purdue isn’t as elite as they have been.
Rutgers – Win Games
Rutgers got a much-needed win against Columbia in their final game of 2024. The race for the NCAA tournament has taken plenty of bumps for the Scarlet Knights, especially with losses against Kennesaw State, Alabama, Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Princeton. This team has talent, especially with two lottery picks in the fold. However, it will be all for nothing if they don’t start getting wins against some of the better teams. Steve Pikiell is a good coach, but if he can’t get a team with the best recruiting class in school history to at least the NIT, then it’s a failure.
UCLA – Be Ready For Long Road Trips
The Bruins will be facing a lot of funky travel, with plenty of games being played in the Eastern time zone. They haven’t made a trip into the heart of Big Ten country yet, but they soon will. This team looks like a contender, but will they be able to adjust to the different time zones?
USC – Avoid the Bottom Three
The Trojans have had a decent start, going 9-4 in the first year under Eric Musselman. They still have plenty of work to do. The biggest thing for USC is to avoid finishing in the bottom three. That’s also everyone’s goal in the Big Ten, given that the bottom three of the 18 teams will not qualify for the tournament. Despite plenty of roster changes this season, USC appears to have found a nice pairing behind the scoring of Desmond Claude and Chibuzo Agbo .
Washington – Survive Year One in Big Ten
The Huskies look like the worst off of the four new teams in the Big Ten. Coach Danny Sprinkle has had success everywhere he has coached, but he hasn’t been enough to get Washington competitive. They look destined for many losses this season, so their goal is to survive year one in the Big Ten.
Wisconsin – Avoid a Collapse
The Badgers had a fiery start with a win over then-ranked number nine Arizona. They also won the Greenbrier Tip-Off Mountain Division Championship. Then they hit a brick wall, losing both of their early Big Ten Games. Throw in a rough loss at rival Marquette as well. Their number one New Year’s resolution is avoiding a collapse. Plenty of teams have had good starts and fallen apart, especially in the Big Ten.
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