The Big Ten, as per usual, is chock full of talent, along with mastermind coaches on the sidelines. Whether one of the conference clubs reloaded in the transfer portal or brought back nearly the same entire squad (which Purdue has made pretty much a category of one), there appear to be a handful of teams poised to compete for a national title, as well as several others that, at the very least, can challenge for the Big Ten throne.Here is Illinois on SI’s first edition of our 2025-26 Preseason Big Ten Top Five. Oregon is set to be led by one of the conference’s top returning players, and arguably its best big man, in Nate Bittle (14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last season), along with key returnees Jackson Shelstad and Kwame Evans. Add respected coach Dana Altman at the helm and some low-volume but high-quality work in the portal (the addition of three four-star transfers), and the Ducks appear to be a lock for at least the Big Ten’s second tier. Illini coach Brad Underwood has matched top
