Player of the Week:
Bruce Thornton, (Sr., Ohio State)
Thornton, third among the Big Ten in points per game, has propelled Ohio State to a 5-0 start. His efficiency has been off the charts, shooting a ridiculous 64.8% from the field and 59.3% from deep. As a four year starter at Ohio State, Thornton’s stock has steadily risen on the radar of NBA scouts every year, and he is on pace to take a major leap once again. What Thornton lacks in height, he makes up for with strength with his burly 6’2” 215lb frame. He is a gritty, score-first point guard who has also been a pest defensively, averaging over a steal per contest for the last three years. Thornton’s patience in vision on offense will catch scouts’ eyes. While questions about his height will always loom over him, his thick frame and high motor allows him to keep up with some of the best one and two guards in the Big Ten. Surrounded by plenty of talent in Columbus, the sky is the limit for the Buckeyes this season with Thortnon at the helm and he will be a player who should continue to rise up draft boards throughout the year.
Who’s Hot:
Cade Tyson, (Sr., Minnesota)
After starting off his collegiate career at Belmont, Tyson had a brief pit stop at North Carolina before transferring to Minnesota this year where it is safe to say he has found his home. The current points per game leader in the Big Ten, Tyson is the younger brother of former Clemson standout Hunter Tyson, who is now with the Denver Nuggets. However, Hunter might have to worry about his brother stealing the spotlight now as Cade’s usage and efficiency has jumped a ridiculous amount. After not seeing the floor much and averaging just over two points per game last year, Tyson finds himself as the centerpiece of a 4-1 Minnesota Gophers squad. He is a big-bodied, hard-nosed forward who seems to always find the opening in the defense. Tyson is equipped with an extremely fluid and deadly jumper. You cannot leave him open from deep, but he is also not afraid to use his size and take contact inside. Questions about his defensive ability will remain, but Tyson has placed himself back on the radar of NBA scouts with a comeback year in the maroon and gold.
Indiana Hoosiers
This year marked a new era of Hoosier basketball as one of the most storied basketball programs in the country looked to return to form under a new father son duo of Darian and Tucker DeVries taking control of the program. After a successful stint at Drake, the vibes were at an all time low in West Virginia last year following Tucker DeVries’s season-ending injury and the so-called “snub” of the Mountaineers from being included in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Now, Devries is off to a red hot start at Indiana where the Hoosiers have cruised to 5-0 with a 100-77 statement win over Marquette. A major difference this year is the increase in three point shots, which was second-to-last in the Big-Ten for four consecutive seasons under former Head Coach Mike Woodson. Now, the Hoosiers are letting it fly from deep and DeVries is leading the team in scoring, shooting at a 46.5% clip from downtown. The competition gets steeper, but the future looks to be bright for the new faces in Bloomington
Who’s Not:
Donovan Dent, (Sr., UCLA)
Dent made a name for himself after leading his New Mexico Lobos to a 27-8 record and an NCAA tournament victory. To cap off his collegiate career, Dent decided to return to his roots in southern California. However, the transition to UCLA has not gone as smooth as many had hoped for. Dent’s numbers and efficiency have taken a massive drop which is especially alarming since the Bruins have faced minimal competition with the exception of one game against Arizona so far. On the bright side, Dent has improved as a floor general, as his assist numbers have risen from last season. However, that is really the only bright spot on his UCLA resume so far. Dent’s lack of size could prove to be a limiting factor this year and beyond as the defenses he has faced so far seem to be figuring him out. It has only been a small sample size, so there is a way out of this, but Dent was taken out of the starting lineup in the Bruins’ last matchup against Sacramento State. His points per game have dropped from over 20 to just 12.3 and he is shooting just 36% from the field and 14.3% from beyond the arc. There is a lot of basketball yet to play, but for now, there is little margin of error for Dent on a ranked UCLA Bruins team, so hopefully there are better days ahead for the Riverside, California native.
Maryland Terrapins
It is challenging to nitpick a team so far in the Big Ten as no program has more than one loss so far as conference play awaits. However, the Terrapins have not looked the part so far. Their loss to Georgetown is arguably the worst loss among conference teams so far. On Wednesday, they were rescued by David Coit’s career-high 41 points as they narrowly escaped Mount St. Mary’s in overtime. After a trip to the sweet sixteen last season, the Terrapins lost two of their best in Derek Queen and Julian Reese who departed for the NBA, and were blindsided by Head Coach Kevin Willard, who shockingly left to take the job with Villanova. New Head Coach Buzz Williams will look to implement his physical style to get this squad back on track, but the competition will only get steeper from here.
Top 5 in Big Ten Player of the Year Race:
5. Bennet Stirtz (Sr., Iowa)
Few players in college basketball have elevated their stock like Bennet Stirtz, whose journey from Division II to the Big Ten highlights his intelligence as a lead playmaker and natural scoring ability. After beginning his career at Northwest Missouri State, Stirtz made a name for himself after propelling Drake to an NCAA tournament victory last spring. Now, after leading the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) in scoring and minutes, he followed in the footsteps of his coach, Ben McMollum, to a talented Iowa squad. Although he lacks positional size, Stirtz possesses outstanding pick and roll instincts and shoots at a 45% mark from downtown on 4 attempts per game. Stirtz has answered scouts’ concerns about his transition to the Big Ten and older age as he will look to improve on Iowa’s 5-0 start so far.
4. Nick Martinelli (Sr., Northwestern)
Martinelli is a classic, old-school forward who possesses a seemingly unguardable scoring skillset. He is tough and doesn’t shy away from contact with back-to-the-basket and mid-range ability. His efficiency to start the year has been outstanding once again, averaging over 20 a game on 62.2% shooting, but his improvement on his outside shot has been a game-changer. Teams cannot leave him open from deep anymore, which should enable Martinelli to continue deploying his outstanding offensive ability in a wide variety of ways for the Wildcats.
3. Cade Tyson, (Sr., Minnesota)
Tyson has re-cemented himself on the radar of NBA scouts after making the jump from Belmont to a disappointing year with UNC and now leading the Big Ten in scoring at Minnesota. Tyson plays with intelligence as he seems to always be in the right place at the right time. Like his brother Hunter, Cade has deadly aim from the three point line with a pretty jumpshot that can stretch out the defense and fill up the box score in a hurry. He moves extremely well for his size and will strive to stay consistent during his resurgent season with the Golden Gophers.
2. Chad Baker Mazara (Sr., USC)
Baker-Mazara, like many others on this list, has had a non-traditional journey throughout his college basketball career. After Freshman and Sophomore stops at Duquesne and San Diego State, he made a name for himself under Bruce Pearl’s tenure at Auburn. However, he has taken another major leap this year, averaging 22.5 points per game and knocking down 2.5 triples per game as well. He has also excelled defensively, with an intimidating rim presence as he is currently averaging 2 blocks per game and rebounding extremely well despite a thin 6’7”, 172lb frame. After consistent improvements every year, the sky is the limit for the Dominican Republic product.
1. Bruce Thornton, (Sr., Ohio State)
Thornton’s steady improvement every year as a Buckeye has led him to averaging 22.4 points per game, second in the Big Ten behind Tyson. His game is defined by a gritty style as an undersized point guard who has both scoring and facilitating instincts. His development into a three level scorer is notable and he has also made strides on the defensive side, averaging a career-high 1.2 steals per game. Thornton is a name to keep an eye on as the Buckeyes finally look to get over the hump in 2025.