Projecting the long-term professional stock of teenagers and early twenty-somethings is, as you might imagine, an inexact science. But every year ESPN publishes its Big Board of top 100 prospects for the upcoming NBA Draft, and truth be told, the experts have become sharper at this stuff over time.

That’s why, beyond the fun of looking ahead, we’re able to take stock and make some reasonable assumptions about fluctuations of talent levels across college basketball. At Duke, for instance, there’s only one takeaway that can be made based on these rankings: The Blue Devils are back. Coach Jon Scheyer and his staff have locked down seven of the ESPN’s top 100, including six of the top 50 and the prize of all prizes: No. 1 Cooper Flagg.

Below is a glance at how the Big Ten fared in securing the best non-professional talent from ESPN’s latest Big Board. One surprise: Rutgers, where Steve Pikiell, in his ninth season leading the Scarlet Knights, landed commitments from the Nos. 2 and 3 prospects. Illinois fans likely have already familiarized themselves (and grown appropriately jazzed by) the group brought in by coach Brad Underwood and his staff this offseason. Enjoy ’em while they’re on campus, folks.

No. 15 Kasparas Jakucionis, PG, freshman
No. 22 Will Riley, SG/SF, freshman
No. 75 Kylan Boswell, PG, senior
No. 79 Ben Humrichous, PF, senior

In Champaign, Underwood has assembled the most Big Boarders of any Big Ten program. Can he get them all rowing in the same direction within [checks watch] a few weeks? Humrichous, a deadeye stretch 4 who arrived from Evansville through the transfer portal, has been the talk of the offseason, while Boswell – an Arizona transfer – should step in immediately to create and finish plays. But the pair that have Illini fans really buzzing are Riley, one of 2024’s best American high school talents not named Flagg, and Lithuania’s Jakucionis, who should be an instantly commanding force.

No. 2 Ace Bailey, SG/SF, freshman
No. 3 Dylan Harper, PG/SG, freshman

The Scarlet Knights, who finished 15-17 last season – including second-to-last in the conference – are suddenly the talk of the Big Ten. Thank Bailey, who, at 6-foot-10, has length, explosiveness and scoring prowess to spare; and Harper, a big (6-foot-6) combo guard with excellent vision and a mature court sense that should translate to immediate results on the floor.

No. 52. Sam Walters, SF/PF
No. 92 Danny Wolf, C

Exit Juwan Howard, enter Dusty May. Fresh off three straight NCAA Tournament trips with Florida Atlantic (including 2023’s magical Final Four run), May doesn’t have his predecessor’s Big Blue pedigree – but maybe that’s a good thing. Walters and Wolf are expected to bring substance to a Wolverines roster that had plenty of style but needed steadier direction.

No. 25 Derik Queen, C, freshman

Queen’s NBA potential will be sketchy until he’s able to extend his shooting range, but for the immediate future, he has the size, skill and athleticism around the rim to quickly ramp up to being one of the conference’s more productive big men.

No. 39 Kwame Evans Jr., PF, sophomore

Much of Evans’ potential is projection (though we could say that for most of the young men on this list). As a rangy, 6-foot-9 freshman in Eugene last season, he showed the ability to quickly cover ground on defense and in transition. But Evans, like so many players in his position, will ultimately have to prove he has the handle and shooting range to make an impact as a pro.

No. 43 Kanaan Carlyle, PG/SG, sophomore

Carlyle averaged 11.2 points per game as a Stanford freshman, but he also shot it poorly and finished the season with more turnovers than assists. That’s to be expected, though, for nearly any teenager thrown the keys to a Power 6 offense. A year smarter and stronger, and with the benefit of so much initial on-court experience, Carlyle should hit the ground running in Bloomington.

No. 58 Payton Sandfort, SF

Sandfort, a 6-foot-8 forward who last season finished ninth in the Big Ten in scoring (16.4 ppg), is a rarity on this list: a senior who is nearly a finished basketball product. Sandfort will be one of the most polished shooters in next year’s NBA Draft, and he showed more rebounding grit and playmaking ability as a junior. Think of him as the Midwest’s answer to Joe Ingles.

No. 64 Kobe Johnson, SG/SF, senior

Johnson slipped across town from USC to UCLA over the summer – a move that isn’t nearly as big a deal as it would have been 20 years ago. Still, it adds a fun wrinkle to the crosstown rivalry, and certainly gives coach Mick Cronin a potential superglue guy as he attempts to rebuild the Bruins. Johnson is a do-it-most swingman who can defend multiple positions and create offense for himself and others. If he had a reliable jumper, he’d be an NBA lottery pick.

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