Big Ten’s top 40 players for the 2025-26 season: 30-26

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With the official start of practice in September, UM Hoops and Inside the Hall have partnered to bring you our annual preseason breakdown of the top players in the Big Ten for the 13th straight season.

The series is broken into seven parts and we continue with our second installment of players 30-26 for the 2025-26 season: (Previously: 31-40)

30. Devin Royal, Ohio State (6-foot-6, forward, junior)

Why he could outperform this ranking: In the transfer portal era, we often lose track of players who figure out how to play in the Big Ten the old-fashioned way. Royal is one of those players. He had a breakout sophomore year and put up 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for Jake Diebler.

He’s an efficient interior scorer at 59 percent on twos and elite at getting to the free-throw line. Royal excels at posting up mismatches and there are only seven players in the conference returning to the same school who averaged more points per game last season.

Why he could underperform this ranking: His 3-point shot is a concern (28 percent last year on 21 percent of attempts) and he’s a bit of a tweener between the three and four positions. Ohio State’s roster is also loaded with individual statistical resumes that outpace the team’s success. Royal will have to help turn some of that individual production into wins.

29. Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana (6-foot-5, guard, senior)

Why he could outperform this ranking: Wilkerson will have the green light in what is expected to be a free-flowing IU offense with a lot of 3-point attempts. Perimeter shooting is Wilkerson’s specialty.

Last season at Sam Houston, the first-team All-CUSA selection averaged 20.5 points and was one of just three players in the country to make at least 100 triples while shooting better than 44 percent from distance.

Why he could underperform this ranking: Projecting up transfers is always tricky and Wilkerson struggled with his efficiency against high-major competition last season. In four games against Nevada, Baylor, Indiana and Pittsburgh, the Arkansas native shot 38 percent from the field.

Wilkerson also doesn’t get to the free-throw line a lot – 3.3 attempts per game – so the 3-point shot has to fall for him to be an effective scorer.

28. Aday Mara, Michigan (7-foot-3, center, junior)

Why he could outperform this ranking: Mara might be on the verge of becoming the player everyone thought he could be as a young star in Spain.

He struggled as a freshman and flashed his potential as a sophomore. When he played last year, UCLA won games. The Bruins were 13-2 when he played at least 14 minutes.

Now, he’s headed to Ann Arbor to play in a system where Vlad Goldin dominated in his first year in the Big Ten. Mara played just 13.2 minutes per game as a sophomore, but averaged a staggering 19.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 4.9 blocks per 40 minutes.

If Mara can come close to 25 minutes per game, those numbers project impressively: 12 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, and two assists per game.

Why he could underperform this ranking: Michigan has a crowded frontcourt with Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., and Will Tschetter. If Mara can’t share the floor with Johnson, or can’t improve his conditioning, then there might not be enough minutes available for him to expand his role for a breakout season.

27. Oscar Cluff, Purdue (6-foot-11, center, senior)

Why he could outperform this ranking: A native of Sunshine Coast, Australia, Cluff was one of the best rebounders in college basketball last season. He pulled down 12.7 rebounds per game and ranked fifth nationally in offensive rebounding percentage and first in defensive rebounding percentage. He also led the Jackrabbits in scoring at 17.6 points per game while shooting 63.4 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Cluff is also an excellent passer who dished out 2.8 assists per game last winter. That will come in handy in a Purdue offense that will surround him with capable scorers. Cluff’s stellar all-around game should flourish in West Lafayette.

Why he could underperform this ranking: Cluff doesn’t boast great rim protection and his limited athleticism could be an issue against some of the Big Ten’s premier big men.

He is also limited as a 3-point and mid-range shooter, which could make the fit next to Trey Kaufman-Renn an issue at times from a floor spacing perspective.

26. Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State (6-foot-2, guard, sophomore)

Why he could outperform this ranking: As a redshirt freshman, Fears started at point guard for a Michigan State team that won the Big Ten by three games and made the Elite Eight. He accomplished that while rehabilitating from a gunshot wound suffered in December 2023 that cut his freshman year short.

Fears finished 8th in the country in assist rate at 38.9 percent and made a terrific two-way impact. He also drew 5.1 fouls per 40 minutes, posting a 78.8 percent free-throw rate (FTA/FGA). Now, with a healthy offseason and the opportunity to make this his team, he has the chance to make another jump.

Why he could underperform this ranking: The concern for Fears is that he’s a pass-first point guard who has fewer options to pass to than he did a year ago. Without Jase Richardson and Jaden Akins flanking him in the backcourt, he might have to create more of his own offense, which isn’t his strong suit.

He shot 41 percent inside the arc and was just 13-of-38 (34.2 percent) from 3-point range last year. He’s going to need to find ways to score efficiently other than drawing fouls to achieve this ranking.