Player of the Week
Daniel Oturu, Center, Minnesota
Oturu (pictured) has been incredible all season long averaging 19.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game. In back to back games over the past week, Oturu has accomplished 20-20 once and come very close to attaining it once again. He went for 20 and 21, knocking down 8-of-12 against FIU. He followed that up with 29 and 18 against Purdue. The sophomore big man continues to show how dominant he is and has been imposing his will on every opponent inside. On the season Oturu ranks third in shooting percentage at 65%, second in scoring and blocks per game at 18.3 points and 3.17 blocks. Oturu also leads the Big Ten with 12.2 rebounds per game. With his tremendous play and apparent upside, he has moved into the projected lottery of the current 2020 NBA Mock draft.
Who’s Hot
Maryland’s Dynamic Duo
Jalen Smith and Anthony Cowan Jr. have been huge contributors for the Terrapins this season. The sophomore and senior are averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds and 16 points and 4 assists respectively. In Maryland’s only game this week, Cowan posted 19 points and 4 assists, while Smith posted 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks while shooting 60% from the field. Maryland struggled a little bit early in their matchup against Bryant, but turned it on late to win 84-70. Smith ranks fourth in the Big Ten in rebounds and blocks per game. Cowan has been Maryland’s go to scorer and ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring at 16.7 points per game and fifth in assists per game at 4.2.
Sasha Stefanovic, Guard, Purdue
In Purdue’s only matchup this week, Stefanovic was almost automatic from deep. Scoring 23 points on 8-13 from the field while also grabbing 4 boards and dishing out 5 assists. The most impressive part of his game was that he was 7-10 from behind the three-point line. For the season, he ranks ninth in the Big Ten in three-point percentage at 43%.
Who’s Not
Ron Harper Jr.- Guard, Rutgers
After a great performance in Rutgers’ upset over Seton Hall, Harper really struggled from the field in his last two games. Shooting 3-8 against Caldwell College, and 1-4 against Lafayette. While he did not have a lot of attempts, he still shot only 33% from the field. On the season Harper is shooting 45% from the field which isn’t bad, but from behind the arc he is shooting 28% which he will defiantly need to improve. Another area Harper needs to work on is his free throw shooting. From the line, he is only converting 64% of his attempts which is worse than he shot as a freshman. Harpers’ averages for the week are 7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, which are both under his season averages of 11.8 points and 6 rebounds. Despite Harper not playing up to his normal standard, Rutgers still went 2-0 this week and are on a 4-game winning streak.
Kaleb Wesson, Center, Ohio State
The standout Junior has been great this season, but would definitely like to forget his past two performances. In a loss at home against West Virginia, Wesson shot 3-11. While he still led the Buckeyes in scoring with 17 points, 10 of them came from the line. Against Kentucky, Wesson only scored 10 points while only taking 6 shots from the field. He was in foul trouble this game, causing him to only play 23 minutes. In his past two games, Wesson is shooting 29% from the field. This is a huge drop off from his season average of 44% from the field. His averages for the past two games are still solid at 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, which are just under his season averages, but the shooting percentage is something to keep an eye on.
Top 5 Sophomores
5. Aaron Henry Forward, Michigan State
This season, Henry has stepped up big for the Spartans. While he had a solid role as a freshman, playing 22 minutes per game, he is now playing around 27 minutes per game. In the extra 5 minutes per game, Henry added 4 points to his per game average and 2 assists. For the season, he is Michigan State’s third leading scorer at 10.6 points per game. His best performance came in a loss versus Virginia Tech, where he dropped 18 points on and efficient 7-12 from the field. He also grabbed 5 rebounds, blocked 2 shots, and dished out 3 assists. He showed a little bit of everything in this game and also showed his potential as a do it all player.
4. Myron Jones, Guard, Penn State
After only playing about 10 minutes per game as a freshman, Jones is playing around 30 minutes this season. With the increase in minutes, Jones has increased his points per game average from 4 points, to 14.5 while shooting 45% from the field. Myron has shot great from behind the arc, tied for tenth in the Big Ten at 42%, as well as eleventh in points per game. Jones is also averaging 1.4 steals per game and is a crucial part of Penn State’s suffocating defense. He has given the Nittany Lion’s consistent production throughout the season. Jones has dropped at least 20 points three times, while scoring in double figures in 10 out of 13 games so far this season.
3. Ayu Dosunmu, Illinois
As mentioned in last week’s top 5 guards, Ayu has been huge for Illinois this season. Him and freshman big man Kofi Kockburn have formed a very solid duo helping lead the team to a 9-4 start, including an upset over #5 Michigan. Ayu is averaging 15.6 points and 3 assists per game. His points per game ranks seventh in the Big Ten and he is shooting 49% from the field. While playing the same amount of minutes per game, Ayu has added 2 points per game to his average, while upping his field goal percentage from 43%.
2. Jalen Smith, Forward, Maryland
The other half of Maryland’s dynamic duo has been very solid this season. While he doesn’t always get a ton of shots, Smith has been very efficient shooting 49% from the field. His season averages are 13.1 points, 10.01 rebounds, and 2.38 blocks per game. Smith ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounds per game at, while also ranking fourth in blocks per game at. Smith has shown so much improvement from last year while only playing about 2 more minutes per game. With his blocks per game doubling his average last year, while his rebounds per game has increased by 4 per game and his points per game also raising about 2 points.
1. Daniel Oturu, Center, Minnesota
The 6’10” Center has lead Minnesota to a 7-5 record and has arguably been the most dominant player in the conference all season. On the season Oturu ranks third in shooting percentage at 65%, second in scoring and blocks per game at 18.3 points and 3.17 blocks. Oturu also leads the Big Ten with 11.7 rebounds per game. Oturu has grabbed double digit rebounds in 8 of Minnesota’s 12 matchups, while also dropping double digit points in 11 of them. Oturu has also scored at least 20 points 6 times.