New kids on the block

These future Big Ten men’s basketball players have already had hits before in their career. It’s why they were so coveted in April during the wheelings and dealings of the always changing transfer portal. But the portal is now closed. With that in mind, Illini beat writer Scott Richey — about to enter his 10th season covering the Big Ten for The News-Gazette — taps 10 transfers who could have a significant effect on the conference next winter:

1. Oumar Ballo Indiana

Ballo clearly realized the Big Ten basically remains the last bastion of the true center. Other players with some similar physical traits — he’s 7-foot tall and checks in at 260 pounds — have thrived in the league the last several seasons. The Hoosiers are obviously hoping for the same for the Koulikoro, Mali, native in coach Mike Woodson’s always beefed up frontcourt. Ballo averaged 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds last season at Arizona and doubled as a First Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selection.

2. Ja’Kobi Gillespie Maryland

The Terrapins restructured their backcourt last month to reflect life without Jahmir Young. They’re going to count on Gillespie — along with Selton Miguel (South Florida) and Rodney Rice (Virginia Tech) — to fill some those two-time All-Big Ten guard shoes. Gillespie proved himself at Belmont last season, going from part-time starter as a freshman to leading scorer and facilitator. The 6-foot guard averaged 17.2 points and 4.2 assists and proved himself as a two-way threat with an additional 2.2 steals per game.

3. Myles Rice Indiana

The destruction of the Pac-12 as we know it cost Washington State its coach and 12 of its players. That includes Rice, who wound up the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds and leading the Cougars to the second round of the NCAA tournament. All of that coming a year after a medical redshirt as Rice received treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Expectations in guard-needy Bloomington, Ind., are high for Rice and Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle.

4. Kylan Boswell Illinois

Boswell’s return to Champaign isn’t just a homecoming for the former Urbana Middle School star. It’s also a chance for the 6-2 guard to reset his college basketball career after two solid, but at times inconsistent, seasons at Arizona that saw him average 9.6 points, 3.6 assists and 2.3 rebounds and shoot 38 percent from three as a sophomore. Four open scholarships means the Illinois backcourt will be fuller than it currently is now, but it will be a backcourt built around Boswell. The same couldn’t be said in his time in Tucson, Ariz.

5. Danny Wolf Michigan

Wolf had the breakout sophomore season in 2023-24 at Yale that every coach hopes for from their second-year players. After barely cracking the Bulldogs’ rotation as a freshman, the 7-foot center jumped from 7.3 to 30.8 minutes per game and, obviously, set career-highs by averaging 14.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Wolf’s passing and ability to stretch the floor as a 35 percent three-point shooter last season made him a prized piece in the portal that new Michigan coach Dusty May quickly snapped up.

6. Vlad Goldin Michigan

Why add just one 7-footer when you can add two? It made sense for May, who can even pair Goldin with Wolf if the mood strikes him or have zero dropoff at the 5 if he decides to play them one at a time. Goldin, who followed May from Florida Atlantic and was a key cog in its run to the 2023 Final Four, is a legit post presence. The 7-1 center out of Nalchick, Russia, averaged 15.7 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Owls last season, shot 67 percent from the field and also flashed skill as a rim protector playing 25 minutes per game.

7. Kobe Johnson UCLA

Johnson headlines six new additions (so far) for the Bruins, and he didn’t even have to leave town with Pauley Pavilion just 13 miles from his old basketball home at the Galen Center. The former Southern Cal forward was one of the top two-way wings available in the transfer portal this offseason. Johnson averaged 10.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in year three with the Trojans and also claimed his second straight Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honor in with 2.2 steals per game in what wasn’t even his best defensive season.

8. Saint Thomas Southern Cal

New Trojans coach Eric Musselman got an up-close look at Dalton Knecht last season when the Tennessee guard dropped 22 points on his Arkansas Razorbacks. Musselman is apparently hoping Thomas can be the next Northern Colorado transfer to make a splash in a power conference. While Thomas played sparingly at Loyola Chicago for two seasons, he had his breakout with the Bears last season, averaging 19.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Knecht-esque production in Greeley, Colo.

9. Frankie Fidler Michigan State

The Spartans didn’t make any moves in the transfer portal a year ago and were probably one actually productive big man away from finishing better than middle of the pack in the Big Ten. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo might not fully embrace the portal, but adding Fidler gives the Spartans a versatile forward to pair with a more established backcourt. Fidler led Omaha in scoring last season and averaged 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the Mavericks while shooting 36 percent from three.

10. Ben Humrichous IllinoisIt’s easy to make the comparison between Humrichous and former Morehead State forward Riley Minix, who put up 27 points in the Eagles’ first-round NCAA tournament loss to Illinois. Both made the move from the NAIA level to Division I last season. Both gave their team size on the wing. And both have a varied offensive skill set. Minix was arguably better from 15 feet in, but Humrichous was the far superior shooter last season, connecting at 41 percent beyond the arc for the Purple Aces and could be a real weapon as a catch-and-shoot option next to Boswell.