Illinois' offseason has received attention for Brad Underwood's ability to retain a large portion of his star-studded crew. And that was before the Illini landed Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks, one of the premier available players in this year's portal class.
In one way or another, the vast majority of Illinois' 2026-27 club is proven at the college level. Meanwhile, freshman Quentin Coleman may be a five-star recruit, but he doesn't have a single rep of on-court college action under his belt. So where does he belong in Big Ten position rankings?
Big Ten point guard power rankings
Big Ten shooting guard power rankings
No. 5: Quentin Coleman, Illinois
This may be a lofty expectation for a freshman – but Quentin Coleman isn't a run-of-the-mill freshman. He has two key advantages: 1) He's really good, and 2) he should earn plenty of opportunities on a contender.
Illinois Got Another Elite Freshman Guard
5-star Quentin Coleman is the GOODS and adds onto a loaded roster pic.twitter.com/34Smw7qQEQ
– B/R Hoops (@brhoops) May 1, 2026
Coleman's shooting ability – which is present in spades off the catch and the bounce – will ensure he provides a baseline level of value to the Illini. And his downhill game, which has perhaps been somewhat overlooked, will be yet another plus. Coleman's ceiling likely hinges on his processing ability and how quickly he can be an effective playmaker at the college level.
Bare minimum, his blend of shooting and rim-attacking ability will provide scoring punch, while his strong motor should translate to stout on-ball defense and productivity on the boards. And, mind you, Coleman will be doing all of this very likely as a starter on the Big Ten's top squad.
No. 4: Jaylen Petty, UCLA
Jaylen Petty is expected to split playmaking duties with fellow guard Trent Perry, but we'll slot Petty as UCLA's 2-guard given his value as a shot creator. A Texas Tech transfer, Petty can shoot the cover off the ball from deep (2.1 threes on 37.5 percent shooting as a freshman), and he is also a midrange maestro.
He rebounds well for his size (3.9 boards per game at 6-foot-1) and is also a valuable secondary playmaker. (It's worth noting that Petty was listed as a point guard coming out of high school.) The Perry-Petty duo will give the Bruins one of the best backcourt combinations of scoring and facilitating in the country – although they will make for a somewhat undersized combo.
No. 3: John Mobley Jr., Ohio State
With the attention that Bruce Thornton demanded the past few years with the Buckeyes, fellow guard John Mobley Jr.'s impressive two-year run has been pushed into the background. The numbers tell a compelling story: 14.3 points on 39.9 percent from deep (2.8 threes per game), along with 2.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. That's in 63 games of college action with Thornton.
With the Buckeyes bringing in Cal transfer Justin Pippen, who is a better fit at lead guard, Mobley will be able to continue doing what he does best: score the rock. Five-star freshman Anthony Thompson will undoubtedly get his fair share of on-ball reps, but Mobley should be Ohio State's go-to option – at least on the perimeter.
No. 2: Trey McKenney, Michigan
In 2025-26, Trey McKenney started a whopping zero games. He played just 22.1 minutes per game, yet he managed to register 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds while contributing stingy on-ball defense and reliable off-ball defense. Also, he shot 58.6 percent on two-pointers, 39.1 percent from deep and 89.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Next season, McKenney will step into a much larger role. Perhaps with a higher-volume workload, McKenney's efficiency may decline a touch, but his shooting, IQ and two-way impact speak to All-Big Ten upside in his sophomore year.
No. 1: Rodney Rice, USC
A highly coveted transfer in the 2025 class, Rodney Rice made the cross-country journey from Maryland, where he averaged 13.8 points as a sophomore, to USC. With the Trojans, Rice quickly surpassed an already-lofty bar. He scored 20.3 points (38.5 percent from deep), snagged 3.3 rebounds and dished out 6.0 assists – but only for six games. In late November, Rice suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
In 50 college games, Rice has shot 37.0 percent from beyond the arc and hit 2.2 threes per game. Rice has an absolute burner. If he's also facilitating at even half the level he showed early in 2025-26, he'll be an All-Big Ten first team player, and the Trojans will be a dark horse Big Ten title contender.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as Big Ten Shooting Guard 2026-27 Power Rankings: Is Quentin Coleman in the Mix?.