As we head into our next series of the spotlight freshmen to watch in each respective major conference, the Big 10 is a group of teams that has continued to get stronger, from top to bottom, which should breed even more competitive games during the dog days of conference play.

Programs like Michigan State, Indiana, and Ohio State have been known for bringing in five-star talent in past years, however don’t sleep on schools like Purdue, Northwestern, and Illinois, who have been able to capture not just quality talent, but ideal fits for the respective system that each coach runs. Again, this is not a spotlight on the best talent that the respective program incorporated into its program this fall, but rather the freshman with the best chance of succeeding and being leaned upon early on during his stay on campus.

OHIO STATE

The Buckeyes are bringing in a giant group of freshmen this fall to campus and while each of the group should leave a nice mark on the program before leaving Columbus, it would seem that JaQuan Lyle could step in and leave a giant fingerprint on the program from day one. Losing both Shannon Scott and D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt, the point guard position is wide open and in need of a powerful presence in taking and guiding the squad to another successful season under Thad Matta’s watch. There are a lot of question marks surrounding the Buckeyes this season and guys like Marc Loving, Jae’Sean Tate, and Trevor Thompson all need to step up. Keep an eye on Austin Grandstaff off the perimeter as the Texas native can provide a deadly stroke from deep, but it would seem that the squad will only go as far as Lyle takes him. The one-time Oregon and Louisville commit brings a college ready body, great size, and an impeccable feel for the game and is capable of playing on and off the ball. He should become an all-conference caliber type in due time and a lot might be expected out of him early on at OSU.

PENN STATE

Slowly but surely, things are getting better and better in State College with the men’s hoops team. Head coach Patrick Chambers hasn’t taken any side steps in laying down the foundation in Happy Valley and the Nittany Lions seem be on track for a solid campaign this year. Welcoming in a three person freshman class, there is a lot of upside and potential with Oak Hill Academy wing Josh Reeves and 6-foot-6 forward Deividas Zemgulis. However, while Penn State has been known for its primary guards in the past, it got ahold of an alpha-dog in Mike Watkins. The 6-foot-9 center competes with the best of them and might be one of the most underrated 2015 class members nationally. He scores everything that he touches around the basket and is more than willing to put you on a poster by way of the two-handed dunk. The Philly native cleans his area on the glass and immediately sets the tone within the trenches. The staff at Penn State did a great job of locking down the freshman early on in his school career and because of it, got itself a major steal. Expect for Watkins to be a major producer early on within the Big 10 program next year and prove many of the doubters wrong that may have overlooked him along the way.