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LGHL You’re Nuts: Way-too-early picks for Big Ten Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
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You’re Nuts: Way-too-early picks for Big Ten Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Rosters are more or less set, so this question isn’t as nuts as it seems, really.
The 2023 NBA Draft deadline has now passed, and the head coaches of the 14 Big Ten men’s basketball programs have a much better idea of who will be on their teams this year. We, as fans and writers, also have a better idea of what each team will be working with.
Last week, Connor and Justin took a swing at who will win the Big Ten this upcoming season. Connor went with the defending champions, while Justin went with Michigan State — another program expected to open the season in the top five of the AP Poll.
Forty-four percent of the people who voted sided with Connor, 41% sided with Justin, and the remaining 15% said that neither Purdue nor Michigan State will cut down the nets. Here are the updated standings now, one week before the NBA Draft:
Justin- 46
This week, we are discussing the Big Ten Player of the Year Award. The last Buckeye to win POY was Keita Bates-Diop in 2018. Neither of our basketball writers thinks a Buckeye is winning it this year. But who did they pick?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24731721/usa_today_20201493.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Semifinals Purdue vs. Ohio State")
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
You’re telling me one of the most efficient players in college basketball history lost to a 16-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and I’m not supposed to bet on him to be the best player in his conference this season?
I’m not really sure where Edey can improve, but I don’t expect him to take a step back. Clearly, he could establish a little bit more of a jump shot and expand his range, but at 7-foot-4 and 290 pounds, does he really need to? The Big Ten double and triple-teamed Edey last season, and he still yanked down a whopping 5.5 offensive rebounds The mind-boggling part about that is the fact that Zach Edey also averaged 8.5 made shots on 14.1 attempts per game last year. That means he missed nearly six shots per game, but grabbed one offensive rebound for nearly every miss (on average — he did not grab every single one of his misses last year).
When you throw in the whole “worst NCAA Tournament loss in college basketball history” thing into the mix, including the ridicule of Edey online after it, I think it’s a concoction for a scorched-earth campaign by the reigning National Player of the Year.
Ideally, Edey will benefit from better play from Purdue’s young core around him. Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Caleb Furst are good players who have yet to reach their full potential. More efficient shooting from Loyer and an increased willingness from Smith to take shots would help Edey deal with less traffic below the basket.
The bottom line? Zach Edey won the Big Ten Player of the Year Award last year, as well as the National Player of the Year. I don’t see a scenario where he gets worse this season, so how does he not win at least the Big Ten POY?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24731632/1464071181.jpg "Illinois v Iowa")
Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images
In my opinion, the second biggest return of a Big Ten player was Terrance Shannon Jr. coming back to Illinois. All eyes were watching and waiting to see what Zach Edey would do and that is fair, he is the defending Big Ten Player of the Year.
However, Edey was pretty much expected to be back. Shannon was 50/50 between leaving or staying in college, and with him back, Illinois has one of the best players in the conference back in action.
I also am picking Shannon over Edey for the simple reason that I do not think they will give Edey the award in back-to-back seasons unless he completely runs away with it, and I do believe Shannon will be good enough to at least make the voters give it a thought.
Shannon has played three seasons at Texas Tech and one season at Illinois and has been a scorer ever since he got to college. He averages 12.7 points per game for his career and 17.2 points per game last season.
The big step he has to take is rebounding. He averages 3.9 rebounds per game for his career and a career-high 4.6 rebounds per game and a career-high 2.8 assists per game. If he can move those averages up to six rebounds per game and three or four assists per game and the Fighting Illini finish in the top three of the Big Ten, Shannon has a great chance to be the conference Player of the Year since he will likely average around 20 points per game.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Rosters are more or less set, so this question isn’t as nuts as it seems, really.
The 2023 NBA Draft deadline has now passed, and the head coaches of the 14 Big Ten men’s basketball programs have a much better idea of who will be on their teams this year. We, as fans and writers, also have a better idea of what each team will be working with.
Last week, Connor and Justin took a swing at who will win the Big Ten this upcoming season. Connor went with the defending champions, while Justin went with Michigan State — another program expected to open the season in the top five of the AP Poll.
Forty-four percent of the people who voted sided with Connor, 41% sided with Justin, and the remaining 15% said that neither Purdue nor Michigan State will cut down the nets. Here are the updated standings now, one week before the NBA Draft:
After 104 weeks:
Justin- 46
Connor- 43
Other- 11
(There have been four ties)
This week, we are discussing the Big Ten Player of the Year Award. The last Buckeye to win POY was Keita Bates-Diop in 2018. Neither of our basketball writers thinks a Buckeye is winning it this year. But who did they pick?
Today’s Question: Who is your way-too-early pick for Big Ten Player of the Year?
Connor: Zach Edey
You’re telling me one of the most efficient players in college basketball history lost to a 16-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and I’m not supposed to bet on him to be the best player in his conference this season?
I’m not really sure where Edey can improve, but I don’t expect him to take a step back. Clearly, he could establish a little bit more of a jump shot and expand his range, but at 7-foot-4 and 290 pounds, does he really need to? The Big Ten double and triple-teamed Edey last season, and he still yanked down a whopping 5.5 offensive rebounds The mind-boggling part about that is the fact that Zach Edey also averaged 8.5 made shots on 14.1 attempts per game last year. That means he missed nearly six shots per game, but grabbed one offensive rebound for nearly every miss (on average — he did not grab every single one of his misses last year).
When you throw in the whole “worst NCAA Tournament loss in college basketball history” thing into the mix, including the ridicule of Edey online after it, I think it’s a concoction for a scorched-earth campaign by the reigning National Player of the Year.
Ideally, Edey will benefit from better play from Purdue’s young core around him. Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Caleb Furst are good players who have yet to reach their full potential. More efficient shooting from Loyer and an increased willingness from Smith to take shots would help Edey deal with less traffic below the basket.
The bottom line? Zach Edey won the Big Ten Player of the Year Award last year, as well as the National Player of the Year. I don’t see a scenario where he gets worse this season, so how does he not win at least the Big Ten POY?
Justin: Terrance Shannon Jr.
In my opinion, the second biggest return of a Big Ten player was Terrance Shannon Jr. coming back to Illinois. All eyes were watching and waiting to see what Zach Edey would do and that is fair, he is the defending Big Ten Player of the Year.
However, Edey was pretty much expected to be back. Shannon was 50/50 between leaving or staying in college, and with him back, Illinois has one of the best players in the conference back in action.
I also am picking Shannon over Edey for the simple reason that I do not think they will give Edey the award in back-to-back seasons unless he completely runs away with it, and I do believe Shannon will be good enough to at least make the voters give it a thought.
Shannon has played three seasons at Texas Tech and one season at Illinois and has been a scorer ever since he got to college. He averages 12.7 points per game for his career and 17.2 points per game last season.
The big step he has to take is rebounding. He averages 3.9 rebounds per game for his career and a career-high 4.6 rebounds per game and a career-high 2.8 assists per game. If he can move those averages up to six rebounds per game and three or four assists per game and the Fighting Illini finish in the top three of the Big Ten, Shannon has a great chance to be the conference Player of the Year since he will likely average around 20 points per game.
Continue reading...
LGHL Four-star recruit Ava Watson commits to Ohio State women’s basketball
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Four-star recruit Ava Watson commits to Ohio State women’s basketball
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ava Watson on Twitter | @Ava_Watson2024
The guard is the second 2024 commitment announced in the last week for the Buckeyes
It’s been a busy recruiting week for the Ohio State women’s basketball team. After locking in a four-star forward in Ella Hobbs, the Buckeyes shore up the 2024 class even more with the addition of guard Ava Watson.
Watson is a 5-foot-7 guard out of Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. ESPN ranked the guard 47th in the 2024 class, giving Ohio State a second straight commit from the list, with Hobbs coming ranked No. 83.
For Buford, as a junior, Watson was an offensive force. To make it into the playoffs, Watson scored 40 points in the regional championship, earning Buford the win.
During the playoffs, Watson led Buford with 31 points in Buford’s 72-52 victory. Part of that 31 points was five made three-point shots and hitting all four shots from the foul line, showing that even with guard Jacy Sheldon leaving after the 23/24 season, another offensive force will come into the Buckeyes’ program for the 24/25 season.
In the state championship tournament, Watson also put up 25 points in Buford’s state semifinal, in a 58-46 defeat.
Following a season where Watson averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 4.3 steals for the Buford Wolves, MaxPreps named Watson to its end of season All-American team as an honorable mention.
On the court, Watson is a shooting guard who won’t only hit from deep but attack the basket. Watson uses ball handling to break through defenders and sends in a more unconventional shot, going with one hand on midrange shots.
In May, Watson narrowed her school search down to five schools. Ohio State was Watson’s selection over Texas A&M, Florida State University, University of Louisville and University of Georgia.
The Buckeyes have a strong group of guards this season, but mostly in the form of seniors and graduate seniors. Watson will join 2023 freshman Diana Collins, sophomore Kaia Henderson and incoming sophomore transfer Kennedy Cambridge.
Also, Watson’s Buford High School and Collin’s Brookwood High School have played against each other in the past few years, in the regular season. That puts two former opponents on the same scarlet and gray side in 2024.
Looking at the big picture, Watson and Hobbs’ move to the scarlet and gray shows that the Buckeyes are back to competing for higher caliber athletes in the recruiting game.
The 2021 class didn’t include anyone in the top 100 recruiting class. That could be in part due to the dip in form for the Buckeyes as it faced sanctions not allowing any postseason basketball.
Since then, the Buckeyes added top recruits in forward Cotie McMahon, Collins, Hobbs and Watson in three years of recruiting.
Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side has bounced back in a big way. A share of the conference title in 2022 and Ohio State beating UConn on the national stage have been boosts for the Big Ten side in recruiting and beyond.
With the transfer portal, Ohio State’s added National Defensive Player of the Year candidate Celeste Taylor from Duke University, Taiyier Parks from Michigan State and Cambridge from University of Kentucky.
Ohio State’s 2024 incoming group of freshman is now three, with Watson joining Hobbs and guard/small forward Seini Hicks.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ava Watson on Twitter | @Ava_Watson2024
The guard is the second 2024 commitment announced in the last week for the Buckeyes
It’s been a busy recruiting week for the Ohio State women’s basketball team. After locking in a four-star forward in Ella Hobbs, the Buckeyes shore up the 2024 class even more with the addition of guard Ava Watson.
Watson is a 5-foot-7 guard out of Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. ESPN ranked the guard 47th in the 2024 class, giving Ohio State a second straight commit from the list, with Hobbs coming ranked No. 83.
For Buford, as a junior, Watson was an offensive force. To make it into the playoffs, Watson scored 40 points in the regional championship, earning Buford the win.
During the playoffs, Watson led Buford with 31 points in Buford’s 72-52 victory. Part of that 31 points was five made three-point shots and hitting all four shots from the foul line, showing that even with guard Jacy Sheldon leaving after the 23/24 season, another offensive force will come into the Buckeyes’ program for the 24/25 season.
In the state championship tournament, Watson also put up 25 points in Buford’s state semifinal, in a 58-46 defeat.
Following a season where Watson averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 4.3 steals for the Buford Wolves, MaxPreps named Watson to its end of season All-American team as an honorable mention.
On the court, Watson is a shooting guard who won’t only hit from deep but attack the basket. Watson uses ball handling to break through defenders and sends in a more unconventional shot, going with one hand on midrange shots.
In May, Watson narrowed her school search down to five schools. Ohio State was Watson’s selection over Texas A&M, Florida State University, University of Louisville and University of Georgia.
The Buckeyes have a strong group of guards this season, but mostly in the form of seniors and graduate seniors. Watson will join 2023 freshman Diana Collins, sophomore Kaia Henderson and incoming sophomore transfer Kennedy Cambridge.
Also, Watson’s Buford High School and Collin’s Brookwood High School have played against each other in the past few years, in the regular season. That puts two former opponents on the same scarlet and gray side in 2024.
Looking at the big picture, Watson and Hobbs’ move to the scarlet and gray shows that the Buckeyes are back to competing for higher caliber athletes in the recruiting game.
The 2021 class didn’t include anyone in the top 100 recruiting class. That could be in part due to the dip in form for the Buckeyes as it faced sanctions not allowing any postseason basketball.
Since then, the Buckeyes added top recruits in forward Cotie McMahon, Collins, Hobbs and Watson in three years of recruiting.
Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side has bounced back in a big way. A share of the conference title in 2022 and Ohio State beating UConn on the national stage have been boosts for the Big Ten side in recruiting and beyond.
With the transfer portal, Ohio State’s added National Defensive Player of the Year candidate Celeste Taylor from Duke University, Taiyier Parks from Michigan State and Cambridge from University of Kentucky.
Ohio State’s 2024 incoming group of freshman is now three, with Watson joining Hobbs and guard/small forward Seini Hicks.
Continue reading...
