Player of the Week:
Chad Baker Mazara, (Sr., USC)
Baker-Mazara has been heating up as of late, mixing in well among a batch of transfers that have catapulted USC back into a household name in the college basketball scene. He 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 nearly 22 points per game and knocking down 2.7 triples per game as well. He has excelled this week, with four consecutive 20+ point performances, including a 31-point outing against San Diego, where he drilled five threes. Baker-Mazara’s improvement defensively has been outstanding, leapfrogging his previous numbers, averaging a block and a half per game despite a thin 6’7”, 172lb frame. His rise to stardom will be one to monitor as the Trojans flirt with national title contention.
Who’s Hot:
Lamar Wilkerson, (Sr., Indiana)
Wilkerson is now in the driver’s seat of a Hoosiers squad that has been humbled in their last few games. However, the same cannot be said for Wilkerson. After tough losses to Minnesota and Louisville, he put himself on the map in the team’s blowout victory over Penn State, scoring a remarkable 44 points and nailing 10 shots from beyond the arc in just 24 minutes. While this team has had their fair share of ups and downs this season, anyone can take the reins and lead this team to victory on any given night, including Wilkerson. The Senior from Arkansas played his first three seasons of college basketball at Sam Houston, where he blossomed into a knockdown scorer before joining forces with Darian DeVries. Look out for Wilkerson to continue his microwave scoring ability as the Hoosiers aim to bounce back in conference play.
Illinois Fighting Illini
The losses to Alabama and UConn have damaged Illinois’ momentum, but anyone who has watched those games will recognize their ability to fight hard against tough competition. The previous statement was one that I wrote in an article just a few weeks ago, when Illinois was slipping down the national ranks. Now, after a momentum swing in the right direction, that statement has proved to be truthful. The Fighting Illini have conquered 13-th ranked Tennessee and Ohio State in their last two contests and are fully back on track. Freshman Keaton Wagler has emerged as a major scoring threat, leading the team in points in both of the aforementioned victories. This team is young, deep, and filled with an unorthodox combination of different playstyles that somehow have meshed extremely well, firmly cementing the Illini on the brink of contention.
Who’s Not:
Fletcher Loyer, (Sr., Purdue)
Purdue has felt different this season, and I can’t exactly explain why. It seems as if the style of play and personnel under Matt Painter has gotten repetitive, and teams now possess excess amounts of film to dissect and gameplan against the Boilermakers. It showed in Purdue’s latest loss to Iowa State, where they fell at home 81-58. While there were a number of poor performances against the Cyclones, Purdue’s leading scorer, Fletcher Loyer, can shoulder most of it. Loyer shot just 2-8 from the field, notching 5 points alongside 3 turnovers. After a strong start to the season, the Senior Guard has been cooling off lately, including an inefficient performance against Rutgers, where he went 3-11 from the field. Purdue’s history of excellence still makes them an intimidating threat among their Big Ten counterparts, but their leading scorer’s decline has been extremely alarming.
Penn State Nittany Lions
No one projected the Nittany Lions to climb up the ranks of the Big Ten with the amount of roster turnover they experienced this offseason, however, their conference debut against Indiana suggests that this team may be in for a rougher season than expected. For the most part, Penn State has handled their competition, albeit questionable, well, only surrendering two games thus far. However, squeaking past Campbell and losing to Indiana by over 40 points was not what many fans had in mind this week. The Nittany Lions allowed the Hoosiers to operate at nearly 70% from the field and shoot 55% from the perimeter. I have faith in Head Coach Mike Rhoades to grow and develop this team throughout the year, but, for now, the combination of an inexperienced roster with an untested schedule could prove to be major obstacles for Penn State.
Top 5 Freshman in the Big Ten
1. Hannes Steinbach (Fr., Washington)
I wrote about him last week, but Steinbach has continued his stretch of double-doubles, leading the Huskies to an upset over 24-th ranked USC. The German big man uses his size to his advantage, standing 6’11” with an advanced feel for the game who can score from anywhere. As the team’s highest scorer, Steinbach has paved the way for a surprisingly successful season for the purple and gold.
2. Kayden Mingo, (Fr., Penn State)
Mingo has been the lone bright spot for the Nittany Lions. Coach Mike Rhoades talked about handing him the keys to the offense, and he has done just that. Mingo is a crafty guard who has a path to stardom, much like the other guards Rhoades has coached like Bones Hyland and Ace Baldwin Jr.. He has improved on the defensive end, averaging over two steals per game, but he will need to improve in other areas if he wants the Nittany Lions to earn more conference victories throughout the season.
3. Keaton Wagler (Fr., Illinois)
Wagler has come out of nowhere to lead the Illini in scoring during their last two victories against Ohio State and Tennessee. He has excellent size for his position which allows him to slither to the rim with ease. Illinois has a few guys who can light it up on any given night, but Wagler is the most recent and one of the more intriguing. Only time will tell if he really is the real deal.
4. David Mirkovic (Fr., Illinois)
Mirkovic is one of many international players on Brad Underwood’s team. His bag is deep, and his skillset is one of the most polished despite his young age. Unlike others on this team, Mirkovic won’t be the team’s leading scorer too often, but he just makes the smart plays. His intelligence and vision as a point forward is off the charts, and he has more room to grow.
5. Trey McKenney (Fr., Michigan)
It’s easy to lose McKenney in the shuffle of Michigan’s success, but the Freshman has been one of the most productive players behind the scenes for the Wolverines. He is a big-bodied guard with an elite touch around the rim. He has received increased opportunities this year, with Michigan’s excess amount of garbage time, and has been extremely efficient. While this may not be his year, many scouts can envision a world, not too far away, where McKenney is “the guy”