2024 Big Ten Basketball Media Days: Storylines to watch

This week, all 18 Big Ten teams will make their way to Rosemont, Ill., for the conference’s 2024 basketball media days. A new era is here for the league, and there are plenty of storylines to watch.

Four new members will join the fray as Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington come on board. That means a conference which ranked No. 3 in the KenPom rankings last season will add four Top-100 teams – further building strength in the league schedule.

Women’s basketball media day took place Wednesday. Thursday, it will be the men’s teams’ turn to meet with reporters Thursday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Here are a few of the storylines to monitor throughout the event.

Conference realignment’s impact on Big Ten basketball

Conference realignment made its mark on Big Ten football this season, and the basketball side will now see the impact. Oregon, USC, UCLA and Washington are all on board after finishing in the Top 100 of KenPom last year – but they’ll have some new looks.

USC and Washington both have new coaches taking the reins this season. The coaching carousel was active once again, and it led Eric Musselman back to California. The former Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings head coach spent the last five years at Arkansas, and brings 13 new faces with him to SoCal, led by 11 transfer additions.

Washington, meanwhile, parted ways with Mike Hopkins and brought in Danny Sprinkle to replace him. The Huskies haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2019, but will now enter a new era with a group of 10 newcomers led by Preseason All-Big Ten selection Great Osobor, who previously played for Sprinkle at Utah State.

Oregon and UCLA are both sure to be interesting in the Big Ten this year after some key departures. The Ducks lost Jermaine Couisnard and N’Faly Dante, but bring back Jackson Shelstad after an impressive freshman season. As for the Bruins, they’ll have to notably make up for Adem Bona’s departure, but return three players who averaged double-digit scoring and made a splash in the portal by landing former USC guard Kobe Johnson.

Purdue looks to the post-Zach Edey era

For the last two years, Zach Edey served as the most important piece for Purdue. Not only did he win back-to-back National Player of the Year awards, but the Boilermakers were a No. 1 seed both seasons he did so.

But now, Edey is off to the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies. He leaves some big shoes to fill – and it’ll be interesting to see how Purdue fares without him in its quest for another Big Ten title.

Braden Smith is sure to be an important part of the operation once again, especially after coming in as the conference Preseason Player of the Year on Tuesday. Fletcher Loyer will also be back as his running mate as Purdue returns two of its top four scorers and came in first in the Big Ten preseason media poll.

Matt Painter brings back plenty of experience from last year to go with a group of newcomers led by freshman guard Gicarri Harris. It’s safe to say Purdue will take on a new look without the man in the middle, but it bodes well for the Boilers’ chances of staying toward the top of the Big Ten.

Welcome to the Big Ten, Dusty May

After parting ways with Juwan Howard, Michigan landed arguably the hottest name on the coaching carousel this offseason. Thursday, Dusty May will make his Big Ten basketball media days debut as the Wolverines’ head coach.

It’s a return to the Big Ten for May, who famously worked as a manager at Indiana under the late Bob Knight. Of course, he made a name for himself at Florida Atlantic, where he built the Owls into a Final Four team in 2023 and found immediate success in the American Athletic Conference last season.

Overall, May amassed a 126-70 record at Florida Atlantic, including a 61-39 conference record between Conference USA and the AAC. After the Final Four run, the school gave him a lucrative 10-year contract extension, but he opted to leave for Michigan following the 2023-24 season.

As he settles in as the Wolverines’ head coach, May will now take over a completely revamped roster with nine new faces coming aboard. That includes Vladislav Golden – who shined at FAU – Danny Wolf and Roddy Gayle Jr., who all arrived as highly rated transfers to help replace some big-time production.

What will Tony Petitti say about current landscape?

As he goes through his second year as Big Ten commissioner, Tony Petitti will meet with reporters. He’ll hold breakout sessions twice during basketball media days – once ahead of women’s basketball on Wednesday and again prior to men’s basketball on Thursday.

There are sure to be plenty of questions about the ever-changing landscape, particularly with the landmark House v. NCAA case. It will mark Petitti’s first press conference since judge Claudia Wilken sent attorneys “back to the drawing board” for a revised settlement, which was submitted last week amid concerns about third-party NIL restrictions.

If the House settlement is approved, the NCAA could face some $2.75 billion in back damages paid over 10 years, and roster limits would go in place for all sports. For basketball, that number would be set at 15.

Petitti will also likely get questions about the Big Ten’s upcoming meeting with the SEC. The two conferences are expected to meet next week in Nashville to discuss a variety of issues in college football, particularly when it comes to College Football Playoff access and the number of bids. Last year, they announced a joint advisory group to address “significant challenges” in college sports, and their partnership will surely be a topic in Rosemont.

It’s shaping up to be a busy couple days in Rosemont as the Big Ten unofficially lifts the curtain on the 2024-25 basketball season. With all 18 teams making their way around the convention center, there appears to be plenty to discuss about the year ahead.