It’s finally here.

The 2024-25 college basketball season tips off Monday, and the Big Ten once again should be one of the nation’s premier leagues.

The conference is filled with some of the country’s top players. Let’s take a look at Saturday Tradition’s top 15 B1G players heading into the new season.

15. Nebraska G Brice Williams

Head coach Fred Hoiberg’s 6-foot-7 senior was very productive in his 1st season in the B1G, helping Nebraska to the NCAA Tournament. He connected on 39 percent of his 3s and is back for a graduate season. Williams could see his numbers increase this winter without Keisei Tominaga and Rienk Mast in the lineup as long as his shooting continues to improve.

14. Indiana G Myles Rice

This is one of the best stories in the sport. The 6-foot-3 wing redshirted 2 seasons at Washington State before leading the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament for the 1st time since 2008. He can shoot from anywhere on the floor and is solid at the free-throw line. He was a score-first point at Wazzu, which could change in Bloomington because of so much surrounding talent, and he’ll look to improve his 3-point shooting this year.

13. UCLA G Sebastian Mack

Mack, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, gained a lot of experience as a freshman for a UCLA team that struggled last season. He is a pure scorer who had 20 or more points 5 times. He gets to the foul line, and he has the potential under the defensive-minded Mick Cronin to become a strong perimeter defender. The Bruins do have a lot of guards who could get run, but Mack should remain a starter. Can he improve his efficiency from downtown, though?

12. Michigan G Roddy Gayle Jr.

The 6-foot-5 junior should be the Wolverines’ primary perimeter scoring option after transferring from Ohio State. He averaged 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a sophomore during a rough season in Columbus. He’s great at getting to the free-throw line, where he converted on 83 percent of his tries, and he’s a good passer, too. He should fit well in Dusty May’s offensive system. But can he find his freshman form from behind the arc? He shot just 28 percent from outside last year, down from 43 percent in Year 1, though he did battle a wrist injury last year.

11. Illinois G Kasparas Jakucionis

The Lithuanian freshman is generating plenty of buzz in Champaign and is on the NBA’s radar. The 6-foot-6 scoring guard can facilitate or create his own shot, and there will be plenty of opportunities in this offense with the Fighting Illini having lost Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins. But there could be a transition period in Brad Underwood’s offense after coming in from overseas.

10. Washington F Great Osobor

The 6-foot-8 senior averaged 17.7 points and 9 rebounds per game last year at Utah State, and he followed Danny Sprinkle to Washington after following him from Montana State. Osobor shined in the Mountain West last year and is on a Huskies squad that will need his production inside on both ends of the court. But the B1G is a step up from the Mountain West, especially for a bit of an undersized big.

9. Minnesota F Dawson Garcia

The 5th-year senior has been a stalwart in the B1G after stints at Marquette and North Carolina. Garcia is a strong post presence at 6-foot-11 and can hit from both midrange and occasionally from downtown. He’s also a strong free-throw shooter. Garcia’s presence gives Ben Johnson a stud on a roster with a lot of question marks after the departures of Pharrel Payne, Elijah Hawkins and Cam Christie.

8. Northwestern F Brooks Barnhizer

The 6-foot-6 senior is very versatile. He can defend multiple positions, connect on 3s and distribute to teammates, making him an integral part of a team that needs to replace Boo Buie. Barnhizer could end up being more of a point forward in this offense, but he’ll need help from his supporting cast.

7. Rutgers G Airious Bailey and G Dylan Harper

It’s great to be a Rutgers basketball fan. One can make an argument that Bailey, a 6-foot-10 freshman, has a chance to compete with Duke’s Cooper Flagg to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Bailey’s blend of size, athleticism and shot-creating ability makes him unique, and he can defend multiple positions. Meanwhile, Harper is the other half of a duo that should make plenty of headlines around the league this year. The lefty will have the ball in his hands a lot for head coach Steve Pikiell and make everyone around him better, but he’s a scorer, too. This 5-star freshman combo could take the B1G by storm.

6. Indiana C Oumar Ballo

The 7-foot redshirt senior could have a big role in this Mike Woodson offense with Kel’el Ware’s departure to the NBA. The Hoosiers dipped into the portal and landed one of the best big men available. Ballo was a 1st-team All-Pac 12 selection at Arizona last year after averaging a double-double, and he’ll be very difficult to defend in his new league. Expect Woodson to get him plenty of looks in the post despite IU having a lot of potential offensive weapons. One part of Ballo’s game that leaves a lot to be desired, though, is at the charity stripe. He shot a brutal 49.5 percent from the line last season. It’ll also be interesting how he will fit in alongside Malik Reneau in Bloomington, but that should sort itself out in time.

5. Ohio State G Bruce Thornton

The junior has 2 years of starting experience in the B1G and is a proven scorer, averaging 15.7 points per game last season. Thornton is a good distributor, does not turn the ball over very much, gets to the free-throw line and converts and can connect from downtown. The 6-foot-2 star is clearly one of the best players in the conference. The Buckeyes could use some improvement defensively from Thornton, though.

4. Penn State G Ace Baldwin Jr.

The 6-foot-1 5th-year senior made a smooth transition last year from playing at VCU in the Atlantic 10 to the B1G. He was a solid scorer and distributor, finishing 2nd on the Nittany Lions in scoring and 1st in assists. Baldwin is very experienced at 23 years old and is one of the best defenders in the conference. Expectations are that his scoring numbers could improve with Kanye Clary gone. The Nittany Lions worked the transfer portal to help after last season’s 9-11 conference mark, but Baldwin’s play will be integral.

3. Oregon G Jackson Shelstad

The sophomore led the Ducks to an NCAA Tournament bid as a freshman point guard, which is quite the feat, to fill the void left by Payton Pritchard. Shelstad shot 35 percent from beyond the arc, but he is best known for his pull-up jumper and for being clutch. Dana Altman’s squad is ready to compete at a high level in its new league. If Oregon is a top contender, the 6-foot dynamo will be a big reason why.

2. Iowa F Payton Sandfort

The 6-foot-7 senior is one of the best scoring wings in the league, and the Hawkeyes will need even more from him offensively with Tony Perkins now at Missouri. Last season, Sandfort connected on 37.9 percent of his 3s, and he’ll look for even more efficiency after testing the NBA pre-draft waters. Sandfort needs to be more consistent this season, though.

1. Purdue G Braden Smith

Smith is the lone All-B1G 1st-team selection who is back in the conference this season. The 6-foot junior was one of the best guards in the country last season and helped direct a squad that reached the NCAA championship game. Smith had 10 games with 10 or more assists, scored in double figures 27 times and was one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. With Zach Edey gone, though, opposing defenses will put more focus on Smith. How will that affect his play?