The 2025-26 Big Ten basketball season continues to draw closer. An important offseason milestone passed late last month, as early-entry NBA draft candidates had their deadline to either remain in the draft or return to college. The passing of that date, plus the conclusion of the recent transfer portal cycle, mostly finalizes each team's roster for the 2025-26 campaign. Notable players to initially declare for the draft before returning to Big Ten programs include
Wisconsin's John Blackwell ,
Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg (via UAB) and
Oregon 's Nate Bittle. That trio guarantees to play into the 2025-26 Big Ten race, as each of their respective teams projects among the conference's top eight. Lendeborg may headline that list, joining a
projected top-ranked Michigan team as the No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal, but Blackwell and Bittle shouldn't be forgotten in that equation. The latter two each enter 2025-26 with first-team All-Conference expectations, Blackwell as a top scoring option and Bittle as arguably the Big Ten's most impactful defender. With that listed trio officially back in college, as well as several others, CBSSports' Jon Rothstein recently posted the Big Ten's updated returning scoring numbers for the 2025-26 season. As is also the case on the gridiron, returning production can be a strong indicator of future success. Therefore, it's no surprise that several basketball programs with more than 50% of their 2024-25 scoring back in the lineup have sky-high expectations entering 2025-26. While the prevalence of the transfer portal complicates the longstanding relationship between returning scoring and future success, the stat can't be denied in the larger picture of preseason projections. With that, here are Rothstein's returning scoring numbers for every Big Ten team entering 2025-26.
T17. Maryland Terrapins
Maryland is not alone in this bottom spot, with practically its entire roster having turned over in a matter of months. New coach Buzz Williams did well in the portal, landing Myles Rice (Indiana), Pharrel Payne (Texas A&M), Solomon Washington (Texas A&M), Isaiah Watts (Washington State) and others. Maryland had nearly its entire production come from its starting five last season (64.7 of its 81.1 points per game). All five of those players are now elsewhere, whether in college or preparing for the NBA draft.
T17. Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana saw a top-down turnover before and after Darian DeVries' hire. Tucker DeVries (West Virginia), Reed Bailey (Davidson) and Lamar Wilkerson (Sam Houston) highlight a transfer class that will carry a significant load next season. Anything more than a low-seed NCAA Tournament bid would be surprising.
16. Iowa Hawkeyes
Returning Scoring: 1.7% Unsurprisingly, all of the programs that underwent offseason coaching changes are at the bottom of this list. Iowa saw nearly its entire team depart after Fran McCaffery's firing. New coach Ben McCollum brings immediate expectations of success, much of which is driven by five-star transfer and All-Conference candidate Bennett Stirtz (Drake). Still, an entirely new-look lineup would do well to enter the conference's top half.
15. USC Trojans
Returning Scoring: 2.9%
Badgers Wire Power Ranking: No. 9 There is a train of thought that sometimes, a small amount of returning production is a good thing. That thought resonates after USC went just 17-18 in 2024-25 in Eric Musselman's first year at the helm. Rodney Rice (transfer, Maryland), Chad Baker-Mazara (transfer, Auburn), Alijah Arenas (high school), Ezra Ausar (transfer, Utah) and Jacob Cofie (transfer, Virginia) headline an impressive offseason of recruiting. None should be surprised if USC starts to turn it around next season.
14. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Returning Scoring: 8.2% Minnesota is the fourth team on this list that made a coaching change after last season. New coach Niko Medved will have his hands full in year one. Not only does Minnesota return under 10% of its scoring from last season, but the program has proven to be one of the toughest places in the conference to consistently win.
13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Returning Scoring: 14.4% Rutgers' low returning scoring total of 14.4% is better viewed with the context that two of its top departing players -- Dylan Harper (19.4 points per game) and Ace Bailey (17.6 points per game) -- are set to be the No. 2 and No. 3 picks in the NBA draft, respectively. Their combined 37 points per game last season made up 48% of Rutgers' scoring. The team is likely to finish in the bottom tier of the conference with those two gone from the lineup.
12. Penn State Nittany Lions
Returning Scoring: 14.6% Penn State was one of the biggest losers of the early-entry decision deadline, as rising star center Yanic Konan Niederhauser elected to remain in the draft. The 7-foot center averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks (best in the Big Ten) last year. He would've been a top candidate for conference Defensive Player of the Year had he returned.
11. Washington Huskies
Returning Scoring: 19.8% Washington fans will expect a big step forward in Year 2 under Danny Sprinkle after the team went just 13-18 overall and 4-6 in Big Ten play last season, finishing dead last in the conference standings. The departure of senior forward Great Osobor (14.8 points, eight rebounds and 3.4 assists per game) doesn't help that projection. Late-cycle addition, former USC guard Desmond Claude (15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game), will play a major role in the team's success.
10. Wisconsin Badgers
Returning Scoring: 35.9%
Badgers Wire Power Ranking: No. 4
9. Michigan Wolverines
Returning Scoring: 40.1%
Badgers Wire Power Ranking: No. 2 Michigan lost its top two players in Vlad Goldin (16.6 points, seven rebounds per game) and Danny Wolf (13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists per game). It then landed a top transfer class of Lendeborg, center Aday Mara (UCLA), forward Morez Johnson (Illinois) and Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina). That group, plus returning contributors Roddy Gayle Jr. (9.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists per game) and Nimari Burnett (9.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists per game), has the Wolverines projected as a top-five team in the sport next season.
8. Michigan State Spartans
Returning Scoring: 40.4%
Badgers Wire Power Ranking: No. 5 Michigan State loses notable players Jase Richardson (NBA draft), Jaden Akins (graduation), Frankie Fidler (graduation), Szymon Zapala (graduation) and Tre Holloman (portal) after winning the Big Ten last season. Their departures shouldn't raise much concern, as Tom Izzo has a proven ability to reload his roster year-to-year. The Spartans always seem to enter the mix atop the conference standings.
7. Northwestern Wildcats
Returning Scoring: 47.2% Northwestern returns a bulk of its scoring in the form of All-Big Ten forward Nick Martinelli, whose 20.5 points per game accounted for nearly 30% of the team's 72.4 points per game last season. Standout guards Brooks Barnhizer, Ty Berry and Jalen Leach, plus forward Matthew Nicholson, are all gone to graduation. It wouldn't be surprising if Martinelli scored 35% of the team's points next year.
6. Oregon Ducks
Badgers Wire Power Ranking: No. 8 Bittle's return is major news for an Oregon team that was night-and-day better with him in the lineup last season. The Ducks also return starting point guard Jackson Shelstad (13.7 points per game), who, with Bittle, forms one of the conference's better leading duos. They would do extremely well to lead Oregon to another 25-win season. The team doesn't project to have the requisite depth to contend for a conference title.
5. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Returning Scoring: 48.1% Nebraska lost leading scorers Brice Williams (20.4 points per game) and Juwan Gary (14.6 points per game) after the 2024-25 season. It returns third-leading scorer Connor Essegian (10.7 points per game), plus 2023-24 standout center Rienk Mask (12.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, three assists per game in 2023-24). The team still has major question marks after its collapse to close the 2024-25 campaign.
4. Illinois Fighting Illini
Returning Scoring: 52.1%
Badgers Wire Power Ranking: No. 6 Illinois lost top-end freshman contributors Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley to the NBA draft and Morez Johnson Jr. to the transfer portal. However, it still returns more than 50% of its scoring from last season, plus welcomes in Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic (17.9 points per game) and Arkansas transfer Zvonimir Ivisic (8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds per game), among others. Brad Underwood has cemented his team's position near the top of the Big Ten standings, regardless of its year-to-year continuity.
3. UCLA Bruins
Returning Scoring: 55.5%
Badgers Wire Power Ranking: No. 3 UCLA will have legitimate Final Four aspirations entering 2025-26. The team returns more than 55% of its scoring, plus welcomes in top transfer point guard Donovan Dent (20.4 points per game at New Mexico in 2024-25). The team's question may come in the frontcourt, where Mara transferred to conference rival Michigan.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
Badgers Wire Power Ranking: No. 7 All-Conference guard Bruce Thornton (17.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists per game) headlines the Buckeyes' strong returning cast. The 2024-25 team appeared much better than its final 17-15 record shows. Fans will enter 2025-26 hoping for further development from Thornton and, more importantly, better results in close games.
1. Purdue Boilermakers
Badgers Wire Power Ranking: No. 1 Purdue's returning production is staggering. It's a primary reason the team is likely to enter the season ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll. All-American guard Braden Smith (15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game) and All-Conference forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (20.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists per game) lead the Boilermakers' returning group. They'll enter the year as the
Big Ten's clear top two players .
