Ten for Ten, Week 1: First impressions

Ten for Ten is a weekly Big Ten basketball column. Every week, Adam and Donovan will tackle 10 of the biggest questions buzzing around the league and keep tabs on the conference’s best players, coaches and teams.
And we’re off.

College basketball tipped off in Rome — the Eternal City — at 8:30 a.m. CST on Sunday, and since then it hasn’t stopped rolling. There were 182 Division I games on Monday, featuring overtime classics like Saint Mary’s 90-85 win over Illinois State and utter domination like No. 7 Texas’ 109-59 thumping of Chicago State.

The Big Ten saw its fair share of drama, too, with 17 teams kicking off their seasons this week (Per usual, what are you doing, Rutgers?). No. 22 UCLA pulled off the biggest win of the week, upsetting No. 5 Arizona 84-75 in Las Vegas, while Ohio State and Purdue suffered the conference’s first losses, falling to No. 25 BYU and No. 15 Gonzaga, respectively.

After three days of basketball around the conference, here are Donovan and Adam’s first impressions.

Weekly ballot

1. Who was your team of the week?

Adam: Illinois

In last week’s preseason edition of Ten for Ten, I made it a point to emphasize just how incredible Brad Underwood’s team will be this year. On Monday, my national championship prediction for this team was reaffirmed. Illinois pounded Fairleigh Dickinson for 120 points, claiming a 120-45 victory, its biggest win in program history. And sure, it was FDU, which is not good by any means, but the Illini’s 75-point margin of victory was the largest in Division I since 2020 — that means something about how good this team is. Oh, and by the way, the Illini did this without sophomore David Mirkovic, their National Player of the Year candidate. I felt this way before the season even started, but Illinois should be the favorite to cut down the nets at Ford Field in April.

Donovan: UCLA

Based on the AP Poll rankings, UCLA had the best win of any team in the country. The Bruins knocked off No. 5 Arizona 84-75 in Las Vegas, prevailing despite 38 points from sophomore Ivan Kharchenkov. UCLA’s attack was the opposite of Arizona’s one-man show, using its depth to overwhelm the Wildcats from the get-go. Seven Bruins had at least seven points in the game, led by junior Trent Perry’s 21 points, including 11 free throws. It was a prototypical season opener for both sides, with UCLA and Arizona shooting under 40% from the field and 45 fouls called in the game, but the Bruins showed persistence and completeness that should translate to any setting. UCLA was picked as an upper-middle-of-the-pack team in the Big Ten, but its nine-point victory over one of the best teams in the country may force people to reevaluate how good the Bruins can be.

2. Who was your player of the week?

Adam: Adonis Ratliff (USC)

If you thought USC was going to be scary in the preseason, buckle your seat belt, because its freshmen might be even better than we thought. Pundits nationally projected No. 21 USC to be a breakout team in the offseason, with excitement through the roof about a healthy Rodney Rice and Alijah Arenas backcourt, a Jacob Cofie-led frontcourt and the No. 1 incoming recruiting class in the nation, including marquee California five-star Christian Collins (247Sports’ No. 8 recruit in the class of 2026). However, with all the talent on this USC roster, people weren’t talking about the Ratliff twins — USC’s two incoming New York four-stars — nearly as much as they should have.

On Monday, Adonis Ratliff put the country on notice that he is going to be one of the best players on Eric Musselman’s roster. In ONLY 24 minutes, Ratliff racked up 25 points and seven rebounds against Milwaukee in his first-ever college game, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 5-for-7 from the perimeter. He also had three assists, two steals and two blocks. If Ratliff keeps shooting the way he shot against the Panthers, the 6-foot-11 forward has the potential to be one of the best two-way forwards in the country and, possibly, the piece USC needed to elevate itself to national contender status.

Donovan: Roko Prkačin (Penn State)

This might be the only time all year a Penn State player gets mentioned in this column — the Nittany Lions were picked to finish last in the Big Ten by many outlets for a reason. Still, first-year forward Roko Prkačin did something worth praising in his first collegiate game. The Croatian came off the bench against Canisius and scored 28 points in 20 minutes, making 12 of the 14 shots he took. Prkačin flashed an ability to play multiple positions on the court, and his mix of size and athleticism is a mouthwatering combination that Penn State hasn’t seen in some time. Prkačin waited all summer to see if the NCAA would grant him eligibility, and it seems the wait was worth it. The Nittany Lions are expected to be bad this year, but Prkačin might have something to say about that.

3. What was your favorite game you watched this week?

Adam: UCLA 84, Arizona 75

If you had told me before the UCLA-Arizona showdown in Sin City that Ivan Kharchenkov dropped a 38-point double-double for Arizona, my next question would’ve been: How much did the Wildcats win by? And yet it was Mick Cronin’s squad that came out victorious, riding strong efforts from its marquee returners — Trent Perry (21 points and five assists) and Eric Dailey Jr. (13 points and eight rebounds). A game full of awesome storylines, that made quick work in reminding me just how much I love college basketball.

Donovan: BYU 94, Ohio State 83

The Cougars and the Buckeyes provided one of the most entertaining games of the night on Monday. OSU started its season off hot, jumping out to a 22-11 lead behind two triples from junior guard John Mobley Jr. That lead dwindled to three by halftime, and then BYU and sophomore Robert Wright III turned on the jets. The Cougars led by seven before the first media timeout of the second half, and looked poised to run away with the game. Ohio State sophomore Amare Bynum kept it close, finishing with 20 points, but BYU and Wright’s 35 points were ultimately too much to handle. It was a back-and-forth game featuring big-time shotmaking and tense moments between two teams eyeing the NCAA Tournament, exactly what the fans want in the first week of college basketball. Ohio State should be fine moving forward, but it learned some good lessons for later in the year.

Judging overreactions

4. Jake West will make an All-Big Ten team this year.

Adam: OVERREACTION

The problem here is not how good Jake West is going to be this season, but rather how many great players there are in this conference. Though West’s strong 20 point, 12 assist double-double in NU’s opener is a good sign of what could be a major sophomore breakout season for the Pennsylvania native, I still have a hard time seeing him jumping into the conference’s top 10. But there is good reason for ‘Cats fans to be excited… I know I am.

Donovan: OVERREACTION

Jake West is going to have a good year. He might lead Northwestern in points, assists and even steals. West’s stats will skyrocket, and he’ll be labeled as a breakout candidate. I just don’t think any of it will matter. Northwestern will be so bad this year that West’s improved numbers will look meaningless. The ‘Cats will be a bottom-three team in the conference, a standing not worthy of an All-Big Ten nomination. West is a talented player, but the surrounding roster is not up to par for a Big Ten team.

5. Illinois will win the national championship.

Adam: NOT AN OVERREACTION

See my response for the first question. Illinois is my pick to win the national title… Underwood’s squad beat the brakes off of FDU and the entire nation should be scared of what is brewing in Champaign.

Donovan: OVERREACTION

I picked Illinois as my Big Ten champion. I picked David Mirkovic as my Big Ten Player of the Year (he didn’t even suit up in Illinois’ first game). I acknowledge the overabundance of talent on the Fighting Illini’s roster. However, I’m not ready to crown a champion after one 75-point victory over one of the worst teams in the sport (sorry, Purdue). KenPom has Fairleigh Dickinson ranked 341st in the nation. Illinois looked phenomenal and will be really good this season, but Duke, UConn and Michigan State also had dominant performances. Florida dominated against No. 14 Miami. The top of the sport is loaded with talent, and Illinois’ win does very little to move the needle for me. Remember, Brad Underwood loves piling on and obliterating inferior teams to help his metrics.

6. Purdue will miss the NCAA Tournament.

Adam: OVERREACTION

Let’s pump the brakes here. Was it Purdue’s first season-opening loss since it fell 70-65 to Bucknell in 2012? Yes. But it was a competitive, six-point loss to a powerhouse of the sport, No. 15 Gonzaga. If anything, after seeing Daniel Jacobsen notch 22 points and seven rebounds on 9-for-11 field goal shooting, I’m walking away from Purdue’s opener with increased confidence in who will be stepping up in the program to replace the departures of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer. Matt Painter is going to figure it out and Purdue will be just fine.

Donovan: NOT AN OVERREACTION

A week ago, I said Purdue would be the biggest disappointment in the Big Ten. I said Matt Painter would figure out a way to get his Boilermakers into the tournament, but it would be a rough season.

Now, I’m willing to go a step further. Purdue isn’t going to be good this season and will miss March Madness. The Boilermakers have subpar guard play and are trying to continue their tradition of playing through a massive center, Daniel Jacobsen, a guy I don’t think is ready to take the throne from Trey Kaufman-Renn and Zach Edey. Jacobsen was excellent in Purdue’s 78-72 loss to No. 15 Gonzaga, but he doesn’t have the night-to-night prowess and creativity to carry an otherwise mediocre roster. Purdue will struggle offensively, and its opening-night loss is only a sign of more to come.

The bigger picture

7. Nikola Kusturica played 39 minutes for UCLA in his first-ever college game. How much should coaches be playing their top-end freshmen in early-season games?

Adam: Let ‘em work

Players get better by playing more basketball. Was Nikola Kusturica phenomenal in his 39-minute debut against Arizona? No, he had four fouls and was 3-for-11 from the field and 0-for-5 from three. But I don’t blame Mick Cronin one bit for running with the Serbian first-year in UCLA’s opener. Players get better by playing basketball. There’s time for reflection and in-detail coaching all week in practice… if a player has proven in the offseason that he’s ready to play, coaches should show their trust in him, play him and let him figure it out. Thirty-nine minutes? Not too much.

Donovan: Definitely not 39 minutes

Look, I’m all for throwing talented prospects right into the fire. The best way to learn is through actual experience and in-game reps. Still, 39 minutes is way too much for a freshman. Part of the learning process during a game takes place on the bench and in talking with coaches immediately after you make a mistake. Giving freshmen breaks limits their ability to compound mistakes, which may have happened to Kusturica, as he shot 3-for-11 from the field. College basketball is a big step up from high school, and it takes time to adapt.

8. Three Big Ten teams opened their seasons against high-major opponents, with Ohio State and Purdue suffering losses. How early in the season should teams schedule premier matchups?

Adam:It doesn’t matter, as long as they are somewhere

I don’t care where Big Ten teams schedule good teams in their non-conference schedule. I just think that it is important for a team to play quality out-of-conference opponents at some point. What bothers me is when a good team like Nebraska, a program that went to the Sweet 16 last year, books games against Le Moyne, Providence, Lindenwood, Boise State, South Dakota, Butler and Southern to start its season… PLAY SOMEBODY! Give your guys an opportunity to prove themselves before getting into the thick of conference competition. That’s where I’m at.

Donovan: The second week

I loved watching Florida play Miami, UCLA beat Arizona and all of the other high-major matchups that took place on Monday. That said, starting the season immediately with a quality opponent doesn’t seem like the smartest strategy. Take Purdue as an example. The Boilermakers are now 0-1 and will face an identity crisis, doubting their top-end ability, until they play another premier opponent at the end of the month. Michigan State, meanwhile, already went through those issues in its exhibition games against UConn and Marquette. The Spartans now get to beat up on lower-major teams, work through those issues while still undefeated, and then play Duke and Tennessee in their third and fifth games of the season. It takes time for players to mesh, and although I’m all for scheduling as many Power Five games as possible, tune-up games early in the year are important for development.

9. Wisconsin escaped its first game with a seven-point win over Denver, and elsewhere in the college basketball world Oklahoma lost its opener to East Texas A&M. Which Big Ten team will be the first to lose a buy game?

Adam: Oregon

An inexperienced, first-year interim head coach coaching a team with just two returners and 12 newcomers? That, my friends, is the type of team you find on the wrong side of early-season upsets. Oregon is that team this year in the Big Ten.

In their first game in the post-Dana Altman era, the Ducks were able to comfortably seize an 18-point victory over Montana. However, better mid-major competition is on the way for Tony Stubblefield’s squad in the coming weeks. I’ve specifically got my eyes on Oregon’s dates with Eastern Washington (Friday, Nov. 6) and Portland State (Sunday, Dec. 20).

Despite losing 74-65, Eastern Washington looked good in its debut against Stanford, jumping out to a 13-point lead early in the first half before giving it up in the back-half of the period. The Eagles have a star player in Alton Washington IV, who dropped 20 against the Cardinal, and two rotational players over 6-foot-9, which will keep them competitive against Oregon’s bigs. Meanwhile, though Portland State faced Division III Lewis & Clark in its opener, it exploded for 111 points, shooting 39.3% from deep with six double-digit scorers. Between the Eagles and the Vikings, Oregon may face some trouble.

Donovan: Northwestern

I’m really down on the ‘Cats this year. They looked good in their opener against Binghamton, but I simply don’t think they have what it takes to compete in the Big Ten. NU’s roster is not talented enough to separate itself from mid-major teams, and when it loses to Stony Brook or Boston University, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Looking ahead

10. What are you excited for next week?

Adam: Tuesday!

On Tuesday, Big Ten basketball fans get to enjoy not one, BUT TWO AP Poll top-20 matchups featuring a top-10 team. At 6 p.m. CST, No. 2 Duke will take on No. 6 Michigan State in the annual Champions Classic at the United Center, while No. 3 Illinois and No. 19 Texas Tech will tip off an hour later in Lubbock, Texas. Throughout the offseason, both Illinois and MSU were highly touted in discussions about who this year’s national title contenders are. On Tuesday night, we’ll get a sense for the first time of whether or not they’re legit.

Donovan: The national championship rematch

Well, as Adam has taken an entire day – which will likely feature four games between ranked teams – I’ll take what may be the best game of the weekend slate. No. 4 UConn and No. 16 Michigan will meet on Friday at 7 p.m. CST in Boston, a rematch of the 2026 national championship. Michigan won the game that mattered most last season, but UConn will be favorites this year. The Huskies are loaded with talent, from Braylon Mullins to Solo Ball, and will be a good test for a Wolverines team with some question marks after Brandon McCoy Jr. was ruled out for the season.