2025-2026 B1G Basketball Thread

[ELA]

Seems as simple got one shot to get a big payday, and hes not going to get it as a backup PG.  

[LetsGoPeay]

Just saw the MSU Booker has entered the portal.

He was never going to work out at Michigan State. In my opinion, he's not a P4 player. Far too soft. My kid, who is 6'5" and was an excellent, albeit not very athletic, high school player kicked Booker's ass just by being tough and physical with him. When undersized, small school high school players push you around, it doesn't bode well for Big Ten success. He should go somewhere like Butler or Loyola and be a solid rotation player. 

[bayareabadger]

Seems as simple got one shot to get a big payday, and hes not going to get it as a backup PG. 

Outside of how weird that’s going to look on a resume, that’s honestly one of those that makes a level of sense.

you stick around for three years. You’re not good enough to hold onto the starting spot (having someone benched, and you replace them only for you to in turn get benched). if your coach isn’t gonna pay you to be a valuable rotation player , then maybe you do look around.

I do wonder if there’s a situation where the coach might say “if you can’t find a better offer, we would love to have you back.“, But I know coaches don’t particularly like that behavior.

[ELA]

I think he would be totally welcomed back, but it sounds like his agent already got him his money, and it won't really be an open recruitment.

Yeah, this is one of those that only feels weird given how recent this all is.  He's a rotational piece, and a captain.  But he's a backup on a very good P5 team.  He could probably start at 75% of P5 programs.  And hell, given how crazy it is now, I could see him starting at a very good school.  If MSU didn't have Fears, Holloman would be a perfectly acceptable starting PG.  But he's not REALLY a PG, and there are increasing rumors that Richardson is coming back for his sophomore year, so he likely won't be starting next year either.

I don't know what MSU's total NIL commitment is, rumors are it's top 12ish.  But keeping around good 4 year reserves is a luxury almost no school can afford next year.  because it's not just him.  If you match what do guys like Carson Cooper do?  Is it a locker room issue?  Does he then leave to get an equivalent offer?  I don't feel sorry for coaches, they are well compensated.  But I don't blame the ones who don't want to do it anymore either.

[ELA]

He was never going to work out at Michigan State. In my opinion, he's not a P4 player. Far too soft. My kid, who is 6'5" and was an excellent, albeit not very athletic, high school player kicked Booker's ass just by being tough and physical with him. When undersized, small school high school players push you around, it doesn't bode well for Big Ten success. He should go somewhere like Butler or Loyola and be a solid rotation player.

Yeah, he was a low top 100 kid, who had a growth spurt, and everyone just kind of assumed he was going to be this elite stretch 4.  He never was able to defend or rebound.  He wasn't that good of a shooter.  And it seemed like he was struggling to grow into his new body.  I think there's a good player in there, just maybe not with the physicality of being a big man in the Big Ten

[medinabuckeye1]

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-basketball/2025/03/155432/ohio-state-center-aaron-bradshaw-enters-transfer-portal-after-one-year-with-buckeyes

I don't know how much NIL the Buckeyes spent on Aaron Bradshaw but it was a complete waste.  He was a 5* hped recruit to Kentucky where he was underwhelming as a freshman in the 23/24 season then came to Ohio State where he averaged 6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks as a sophomore in 24/25.  

The Buckeyes also apparently swung and missed on Xavier Forward Dailyn Swain.  

If anyone knows where I can find it, a website that simply tracks all the coming and going for Ohio State (and other schools but I'm obviously primarily concerned with Ohio State) would be helpful.  Every time I try to type out something about Ohio State's status I get lost because I have to look up each player individually to try to figure out who is staying then look for internet rumors about possible additions.  

Short version, leaving:

• SR G Meechie Johnson to the Portal to USCe (played at tOSU then USCe then tOSU now back to USCe)
• JR G Evan Mahaffey to the Portal to Akron (played at PSU then tOSU now Akron)
• SR G Micah Parrish to graduation.  
• SR G Ques Glover to graduation.  
• SO C Aaron Bradshaw to the Portal.  
• SO C Austin Parks to the Portal.  He couldn't get minutes from Bradshaw/Stewart/Njegovan so probably not a big loss.  

I *THINK* that is all the known departures.  

Additions:

• SO G Taison Chatman from injury.  
• SO G Gabe Cupps from the Portal from Indiana.  He has only one year of experience due to missing nearly all of 24/25 with a torn meniscus.  
• FR(to be) G Dorian Jones a 4* HS Recruit who was recently named Ohio's "Mr Basketball".  
• FR(to be) C A'mare Bynum a 4* HS Recruit out of Missouri.  

By my count tOSU is down four guards and two centers and up three guards and one center so net they are -1 G and -1 C.  

According to 247 Ohio State's class is #4 in the B1G and #29 nationally.  Michigan is #1 in the B1G.  Not to rain on Michigan's parade but, as I see it, these rankings are meaningless until final because one MAJOR Portal addition could probably push almost any team in the league ahead of Michigan.  Furthermore, you really need to look at it as a "net" thing.  Who knows what kind of money is being offered by our schools in the Portal which seems like a glorified auction.  

[CatsbyAZ]

Maryland basketball hires Buzz Williams:


https://twitter.com/OdjHoops/status/1905680981572370697

[grillrat]

Purdue's Camden Heide to the portal.

Losing Colvin was bad, but losing both hurts a lot.

[LetsGoPeay]

Purdue's Camden Heide to the portal.

Losing Colvin was bad, but losing both hurts a lot.

Hmmmm, that's a curious one to me. 

[boilerbanger]

Purdue's Camden Heide to the portal.

Losing Colvin was bad, but losing both hurts a lot.

really surprised at Heide going in.  Disappointing for sure.

[Gigem]

Maryland basketball hires Buzz Williams:


https://twitter.com/OdjHoops/status/1905680981572370697

A&M is probably just a bad basketball school.  We're like most other football centric schools, nobody really gives a shit about BB.  Surprised it hasn't been said, but I think we lost our last coach (who at least won the SEC in BB) Mark Turgeon to Maryland as well.  

Buzz probably reached a ceiling here at A&M, but he went out this year with a whimper.  Gave up a couple of games to bad teams where we were winning handily, and played like complete crap in 3-4 other games that we should have easily won.  

[bayareabadger]

I think he would be totally welcomed back, but it sounds like his agent already got him his money, and it won't really be an open recruitment.

Yeah, this is one of those that only feels weird given how recent this all is.  He's a rotational piece, and a captain.  But he's a backup on a very good P5 team.  He could probably start at 75% of P5 programs.  And hell, given how crazy it is now, I could see him starting at a very good school.  If MSU didn't have Fears, Holloman would be a perfectly acceptable starting PG.  But he's not REALLY a PG, and there are increasing rumors that Richardson is coming back for his sophomore year, so he likely won't be starting next year either.

I don't know what MSU's total NIL commitment is, rumors are it's top 12ish.  But keeping around good 4 year reserves is a luxury almost no school can afford next year.  because it's not just him.  If you match what do guys like Carson Cooper do?  Is it a locker room issue?  Does he then leave to get an equivalent offer?  I don't feel sorry for coaches, they are well compensated.  But I don't blame the ones who don't want to do it anymore either.

A team like MSU this year has to be tough in the current era. They seemed to platoon at like 3-5 spots. That’ll be hard to hold together.

[bayareabadger]

Back end of UW bench may be cleared out. Sounds like the four-star freshman point was at least another year away. Transfer who was never healthy left, as did a guy who was allowed to hang on with the roster (UW, still trying not to directly cut kids). Rumors a late add project big is in that mix to depart. 

I don’t think I’m the most concerned, but we’ll see. 

[Gigem]

Now I know that I don't care about BB at A&M.  I had the coaches mixed up, Turgeon never coached A&M in the SEC.  He left in 2011, Billy Kennedy was our coach when we won the SEC.  I had literally forgotten all about him, and he was one of the best coaches we ever had.