Can the Illini, Wildcats make noise in Big Ten?
There is no shortage of star power in Big Ten women's basketball this season.
Iowa, ranked No. 3 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, is led by Caitlin Clark. The senior guard is the best player in the country.
Ohio State has sophomore forward Cotie McMahon, Indiana has graduate forward Mackenzie Holmes and Michigan is led by junior guard Laila Phelia.
The Hawkeyes, Buckeyes, Hoosiers and Wolverines stack up as the Big Ten's top teams, and Illinois is also on the radar.
The Illini have a star player of their own - senior guard Makira Cook.
After transferring from Dayton, Cook joined Illinois last season, averaged a team-high 18.3 points per game and was named first team All-Big Ten.
With Cook back for her second year, the Illini are ranked No. 23 in AP's preseason poll.
"Excited about this group," coach Shauna Green said at Big Ten media day.
In her first season on the bench last year, Green guided Illinois to a 22-10 record and first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 20 years.
"It's nice to have now a year under our belt with returners coming back that understand expectations, our standards, our system and our style," Green said. "It'll hopefully be a great year."
In addition to Cook, guards Genesis Bryant and Adalia McKenzie are returning starters. Forward Kendall Bostic and guard Jada Peebles are also back.
Northwestern has nowhere to go but up after finishing last in the Big Ten at 2-16 a year ago. Overall, the Wildcats were 9-21.
Veteran NU coach Joe McKeown hopes a summer trip to Spain helps get the Wildcats going this year.
"We had a great trip, won three games," McKeown said. "It just gave us a chance to bond as a team. We're used to winning at a high level. We're used to winning championships and Top 20 teams. Last year was a little tough.
"Our approach now is to just put our head down and go to work. I think the Spain trip really helped us."
Northwestern will lean on senior forward Paige Mott, who averaged 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last year, and junior forward Caileigh Walsh (12.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg).
There is plenty of local talent around the Big Ten.
At Indiana, former Benet Academy star Lenee Beaumont is a freshman guard. She averaged 18.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season and was voted Illinois Ms. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year.
All-Stater Emily Fisher (Libertyville) is a freshman forward at Maryland.
Senior guard Brooke Schramek (Benet) is one of five returning starters at Wisconsin and sophomore center Tessa Towers (Batavia) is a key contributor off the bench.
After averaging 3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season, Greta Kampschroeder is back for her junior year with Michigan.
Guard Kendall Moriarty (Benet) returns to Nebraska after averaging 3.4 ppg and 1.6 rpg and guard Sophie Swanson (Barrington) is launching her Big Ten career at Purdue.
Kennedy Brandt (Glenbard West) is a freshman guard at Rutgers.