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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 third installment of players 25-21 for the 2025-26 season:
Previously: 40-31, 30-26
25. Eric Dailey Jr., UCLA (6-foot-8, forward, junior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: If you are looking for a player to bet on for a breakout year, Dailey checks all of the boxes. He’s a former McDonald’s All-American and a coveted second-year transfer. He was also already excellent as a sophomore. Dailey shot 57 percent on twos and 38 percent on threes last year, posting a tidy 118.6 offensive rating on 22 percent usage. Notably, UCLA was 21.4 points per 100 possessions better when he was on the floor, according to CBB Analytics.
Dailey is a two-way player and a jack-of-all-trades who should play a key role once again for a UCLA team that most expect to take a step forward this year.
Why he could underperform this ranking: It’s still hard to predict how roles, minutes and shots will be allocated in UCLA’s offense. The Bruins have Tyler Bilodeau as a primary offensive threat in the frontcourt and incoming New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent is one of the highest-usage players in the country. There’s a world where Dailey has a terrific season but is still the third option in UCLA’s offense and that might make him the perfect role player more than a breakout star.
24. John Mobley Jr., Ohio State (6-foot-1, guard, sophomore)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Mobley averaged 13 points per game as a freshman and was one of the best perimeter shooting threats in the conference. He knocked down 77 triples on 200 attempts (38.5 percent) and should build on that production as a sophomore. He also demonstrated impressive shot versatility, making threes off the catch, dribble, or even on the move while coming off screens.
Why he could underperform this ranking: He’ll need to round out his game a bit more to take a sophomore leap. The two focus areas are likely his playmaking – necessary for an undersized guard – and his 2-point efficiency. Mobley posted a modest 15.3 percent assist rate and shot just 39.6 percent on 2-point shot attempts last season. He attempted only six percent of his shots at the rim, per Synergy.
23. Pharrel Payne, Maryland (6-foot-9, center, senior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: After a productive season in College Station for Texas A&M, Payne is back in the Big Ten. The Minnesota native began his career in the Big Ten for the Gophers – where he spent two seasons – before transferring to play for Buzz Williams and the Aggies. Payne followed Williams to College Park and is a centerpiece on a rebuilt Maryland roster.
A physically imposing big man, the 250-pound Payne shot nearly 65 percent on 2s last season, had the second-best free-throw rate (FTA/FGA) in the SEC, was 12th in the conference in offensive rebounding percentage and averaged 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game. His last two games at Texas A&M included 25 points against Yale and 26 against Michigan in the NCAA tournament. Payne’s production has improved every season in college and there’s no reason to believe he won’t be Maryland’s go-to post scorer next winter.
Why he could underperform this ranking: If Payne’s minutes don’t increase, he might not accumulate the counting stats necessary to get consideration for All-Big Ten honors. He’s never averaged more than 23.3 minutes per game over three seasons and his 20.1 minutes per game last season were the lowest of his career.
22. Kylan Boswell, Illinois (6-foot-2, guard, senior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: The 3-point shots might go in this year. Boswell shot 38 percent from 3-point range during two seasons at Arizona and couldn’t buy a 3-pointer during his junior year at Illinois. He shot 25 percent from 3-point range and was just 16-of-73 (22 percent) from deep in Big Ten games.
Boswell isn’t short on volume – 43 percent of his attempts were triples last year – and if he starts making those shots again, the rest of his game will suddenly look a lot better. He shot 57 percent on twos, 79 percent at the line, and was excellent as a defender, secondary playmaker, and at drawing fouls.
Why he could underperform this ranking: If the shots don’t fall, Boswell could find himself in a similar role to last season. High-usage offensive options are arriving at Illinois this season and there are only so many touches to go around with Andrej Stojakovi?, Mihailo Petrovic, and Tomislav Ivisic on the roster.
21. Fletcher Loyer, Purdue (6-foot-5, guard, senior)
Why he could outperform this ranking: Loyer is the perfect sidekick to Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn. He’s an elite 3-point shooter, elite free-throw shooter and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. Defenses must account for Loyer at all times on the perimeter, which helps open space for teammates to operate and when he has a sliver of space, he’s one of the best shooters in the country.
As a junior, he shot 44.4 percent from distance (on 169 attempts) and averaged a career-best 13.8 points per game. His improved efficiency inside the arc last season – 48.8 percent on 2s versus 39.1 percent the previous season – helped boost his scoring average last season. If the efficiency continues, Loyer could average another point or two per game in his final season for what could be the nation’s best offense.
Why he could underperform this ranking: If Loyer doesn’t shoot the ball as well as he did the previous two seasons, other options could push for minutes on a loaded Purdue roster. Sophomores C.J. Cox and Gicarri Harris had significant roles last season and the Boilermakers added freshman Omer Mayer, who averaged 20 points for Israel in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland.
(Photo credit: Ohio State Athletics)
See More: Commentary, 2025-26 Big Ten preview
