A post NBA draft early entry deadline look at who’s coming and going in the Big Ten for the 2019-20 season
With the spring signing period in full swing and the deadline to declare for the 2019 NBA draft now in the rearview mirror, it’s time for our first updated look at who is coming and going in the Big Ten for the 2019-20 season.
(Note: This is the second post in a series that will be updated multiple times in the coming months. In most instances, only scholarship players are included. If we missed anything, please email corrections to [email protected] or post in the comments.)
Illinois
· Returning: Alan Griffin, Trent Frazier, Kipper Nichols, Tevian Jones, Andres Feliz, Ayo Dosunmu, Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Da’Monte Williams, Samba Kane, Anthony Higgs
· NBA draft early entrants: None
· Arriving: Kofi Cockburn (247Composite top 100), Antwan January, Bernard Kouma
· Departing: Aaron Jordan (graduation), Adonis De La Rosa (graduation)
Notes: The Illini are a top half Big Ten team entering next season with nearly every notable piece returning, including Dosunmu, who didn’t even test the NBA draft process.
Indiana
· Returning: De’Ron Davis, Justin Smith, Al Durham Jr., Race Thompson, Jerome Hunter, Rob Phinisee, Damezi Anderson
· NBA draft early entrants: Romeo Langford, Devonte Green
· Arriving: Trayce Jackson-Davis (247Composite top 100), Armaan Franklin, Joey Brunk (graduate transfer from Butler)
· Departing: Juwan Morgan (graduation), Evan Fitzner (graduation), Zach McRoberts (graduation), Jake Forrester (transfer), Clifton Moore (transfer)
Notes: The Hoosiers added Brunk, a Butler grad transfer, last week. But Archie Miller still needs to address the biggest issue on this roster: a lack of perimeter shooting.
Iowa
· Returning: Jordan Bohannon, Jack Nunge, Isaiah Moss, CJ Fredrick, Ryan Kriener, Connor McCaffery, Cordell Pemsl, Luka Garza
· NBA draft early entrants: Joe Wieskamp, Tyler Cook
· Arriving: Pat McCaffery (247Composite top 100), Joe Toussaint
· Departing: Nicolas Baer (graduation), Maishe Dailey (transfer)
Notes: The Hawkeyes are likely to lose Cook to the draft, but Wieskamp looks like a near certainty to return for his sophomore season. Iowa should be a NCAA tournament team again next season.
Maryland
· Returning: Jalen Smith, Eric Ayala, Joshua Tomaic, Aaron Wiggins, Serrel Smith Jr., Darryl Morsell, Ricky Lindo Jr.
· NBA draft early entrants: Bruno Fernando, Anthony Cowan
· Arriving: Makhi Mitchell (247Composite top 100), Donta Scott, Makhel Mitchell, Hakim Hart
· Departing: Ivan Bender (graduation), Trace Ramsey (transfer)
Notes: Mark Turgeon is hoping that Cowan will return for his senior season in College Park to lead a talented roster that will also include a likely 2020-first round pick in Smith.
Michigan
· Returning: Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske, David DeJulius, Isaiah Livers, Austin Davis, Adrian Nunez, Colin Castleton, Brandon Johns, Eli Brooks
· NBA draft early entrants: Jordan Poole, Ignas Brazdeikis, Charles Matthews
· Arriving: Jalen Wilson (247Composite top 100), Cole Bajema
· Departing: None
Notes: The Wolverines had three players enter the draft and it seems unlikely that any of them will be on next season’s roster. As a result, John Beilein is in hot pursuit of William and Mary grad transfer Justin Pierce and German Franz Wagner, the younger brother of Moritz Wagner.
Michigan State
· Returning: Cassius Winston, Joshua Langford, Aaron Henry, Kyle Ahrens, Xavier Tillman, Foster Loyer, Gabe Brown, Thomas Kithier, Marcus Bingham Jr.
· NBA draft early entrants: Nick Ward
· Arriving: Malik Hall (247Composite top 100), Rocket Watts (247Composite top 100), Julius Marble
· Departing: Matt McQuaid (graduation), Kenny Goins (graduation)
Notes: The Spartans return one of the preseason favorites for national player of the year in Winston, but are likely to lose Ward to the NBA draft.
Minnesota
· Returning: Eric Curry, Gabe Kalscheur, Daniel Oturu, Jarvis Omersa, Marcus Carr, Michael Hurt, Payton Willis
· NBA draft early entrants: Amir Coffey
· Arriving: Tre Williams, Sam Freeman
· Departing: Jordan Murphy (graduation), Isiah Washington (transfer), Dupree McBrayer (graduation), Brock Stull (graduation), Matz Stockman (graduation)
Notes: If Coffey comes back, Minnesota could be an NCAA tournament team. If he doesn’t, the Gophers are unlikely to finish in the top half of the conference.
Nebraska
· Returning: Karrington Davis, Brady Heiman, Amir Harris, Dachon Burke, Thorir Thorbjarnarson
· NBA draft early entrants: Isaiah Roby
· Arriving: Jervay Green, Akol Arop, Haanif Cheatham (graduate transfer from Florida Gulf Coast)
· Departing: Isaac Copeland (graduation), James Palmer Jr. (graduation), Thomas Allen (transfer), Glynn Watson Jr. (graduation), Tanner Borchardt (graduation), Johnny Trueblood (graduation), Nana Akenten (transfer)
Notes: Fred Hoiberg already added a grad transfer in Cheatham, but he won’t be the last addition this spring for the Huskers. Expect Nebraska to stay active on the transfer market to fill out next season’s roster.
Northwestern
· Returning: A.J. Turner, Ryan Greer, Miller Kopp, Pete Nance, Anthony Gaines, Ryan Young
· NBA draft early entrants: None
· Arriving: Robbie Beran (247Composite top 100), Jared Jones, Daniel Buie
· Departing: Aaron Falzon (transfer), Barret Benson (transfer), Vic Law (graduation), Dererk Pardon (graduation), Jordan Ash (transfer), Ryan Taylor (graduation)
Notes: The Wildcats add a very solid recruit in Beran, but lose three of their top players in Law, Pardon and Taylor. It could be another long season in Evanston for Chris Collins.
Ohio State
· Returning: Musa Jallow, CJ Walker, Andre Wesson, Luther Muhammad, Duane Washington Jr., Justin Ahrens, Kyle Young
· NBA draft early entrants: Kaleb Wesson
· Arriving: DJ Carton (247Composite top 100), Alonzo Gaffney (247Composite top 100), EJ Liddell (247Composite top 100), Ibrahima Diallo
· Departing: CJ Jackson (graduation), Jaedon LeDee (transfer), Keyshawn Woods (graduation)
Notes: The Buckeyes look like a top tier team in the Big Ten if Wesson returns to school.
Penn State
· Returning: Myles Dread, Rasir Bolton, Daniil Kasatkin, Izaiah Brockington, Myreon Jones, Mike Watkins, John Harrar, Jamari Wheeler, Trent Buttrick
· NBA draft early entrants: Lamar Stevens
· Arriving: Seth Lundy, Abdou Tsimbila, Patrick Kelly
· Departing: Josh Reaves (graduation), Deivis Zemgulis (graduation)
Notes: The Stevens stay or go decision is one of the biggest in the conference. With him, it’s possible that the Nittany Lions could challenge for an NCAA tournament berth. Without him, Pat Chambers could be staring down the barrel of another sub-.500 season.
Purdue
· Returning: Matt Haarms, Aaron Wheeler, Eric Hunter, Trevion Williams, Emmanuel Dowuona, Evan Boudreaux, Sasha Stefanovic, Nojel Eastern
· NBA draft early entrants: Carsen Edwards
· Arriving: Mason Gillis, Isaiah Thompson, Brandon Newman
· Departing: Ryan Cline (graduation), Grady Eifert (graduation)
Notes: Edwards is staying in the draft, but Matt Painter has a solid returning nucleus and also adds a very good shooter in Newman, one of the top prep players in Indiana this past season.
Rutgers
· Returning: Geo Baker, Eugene Omoruyi, Myles Johnson, Mamadou Doucoure, Montez Mathis, Shaq Carter, Ron Harper Jr., Caleb McConnell, Jacob Young, Peter Kiss
· NBA draft early entrants: None
· Arriving: Paul Mulcahy
· Departing: Shaquille Doorson (graduation), Issa Thiam (dismissed from program)
Notes: Slowly but surely, Steve Pikiell is building a respectable program in Piscataway. If Baker and Omoruyi make another offseason jump, it’s possible that the Scarlet Knights could make a postseason tournament next season.
Wisconsin
· Returning: D’Mitrik Trice, Brevin Pritzl, Micah Potter, Aleem Ford, Kobe King, Brad Davison, Nate Reuvers, Trevor Anderson, Taylor Currie, Joe Hedstrom
· NBA draft early entrants: None
· Arriving: Tyler Wahl
· Departing: Ethan Happ (graduation), Charles Thomas (graduation), Khalil Iverson (graduation), Tai Strickland (transfer)
Notes: The Badgers are tough to project following the graduation of Happ, one of the most decorated players in program history.
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