Chairman of the Boards

Player of the Week

Caleb Swanigan, Purdue

Boilermaker fans are sure thanking their lucky stars right about now for Caleb Swanigan’s decision to forego the NBA draft and return for his sophomore year.  He’s led the Boilermakers to a 5-1 record and were a few points shy of a 6-0 with a marquee victory over the defending national champs. Swanigan himself sits at 4th in the conference putting up 18.8 points per game, and also holds a huge lead over the rest of the conference with 12 rebounds per game (second place Ethan Happ has 9.4). The do-it-all big man also leads all conference big men in assists with 3.2 per game, as he has always been a willing passer, and this year, is doing a slightly better job of avoiding turnovers.

Swanigan is perhaps the most unstoppable player in the low post in all of the Big Ten.  Even against stellar competition like Villanova, he demonstrated his versatility with a statline of 20 points, 8 rebounds (his season-low), 4 assists, and 2/3 shooting from outside, a place where he has been much more consistent this season (although his 5/8 sample is small).  Swanigan will lead the Boilermakers in a big road test against Louisville this week, and the Cardinals have the size to match up with Swanigan at the 4 like few other teams have been able to do, but he should ultimately still be arguably the best player on the court, and the young sophomore appears to still have a long ways to go before he even reaches his full potential.

Who’s Hot?

Peter Jok, Iowa

It’s been a disappointing 3-3 start for the Hawkeyes, but Jok has been far and away the best scorer in the Big Ten thus far.  Averaging over 25 PPG, Jok is shooting the ball very efficiently, too, with percentages of 53% from the field, 45% from the arc, and a perfect 100% (24/24) from the free throw stripe.  The young supporting cast around Jok has been far from great, but he has risen to the occasion and done his part to keep the team competitive.  Most notably, he had a breakout 42-point game against Memphis, shooting 11/16 (69%) from the field and 8-11 (73%) from the arc, and also hitting all 12 of his free throws.  In the end, the masterful performance wasn’t enough to beat a hot Memphis team, but Jok should be an easy All-Big Ten selection at year’s end.

James Blackmon Jr., Indiana

While Indiana as a team has had it’s ups and downs this season, star guard James Blackmon Jr. has been refreshingly consistent.  After being a streaky shooter as a freshman, and then playing well up until his injury last season, he’s finally shooting the ball well night in and night out. In 5 games, he’s shot 53% from the field and 47% from the arc, and has also chipped in and excellent 7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.  The shoes of Yogi Ferrell were big ones to fill, especially in the scoring column, but Blackmon is rising to the occasion and currently ranks 3rd in the conference in scoring with a huge matchup against North Carolina looming.

Vic Law, Northwestern

Welcome back, Vic! The Wildcat small forward hasn’t played since early 2015 after missing all of last season due to injury, but he is back and better than ever. He’s more than doubling his freshman scoring average (7.0 PPG to 16.1 PPG) and shooting 54% from both the field and the three-point line.  Northwestern has dropped a couple tough ones to Notre Dame and Butler, but Law seems to be the ideal right-hand man to Bryant McIntosh, and honestly has been the first option at many points this season.  He went for a career-high 26 points against Eastern Washington and has shot 50% or better in all but one game this season.

Who’s Not?

Eron Harris, Michigan State

Coming into this season, Miles Bridges was garnering all the hype for the Spartans, but it was Eron Harris who was expected to lead the team in the early going. He’s had some good games, including his 31-point outing in a 1-point win over Florida Gulf Coast.  However, Michigan State is 1-3 in games against major conference opponents, and in those games, Harris is shooting 24%.  Overall, his 12.7 PPG on 44% shooting is solid, and his 43% shooting from beyond the arc is really great, but Harris is someone the Spartans definitely need to rise to the occasion as the Big Ten schedule opens in January.

Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin

Just as with last year’s non-conference slate, Wisconsin’s main perimeter scorers, Hayes and Koenig, are shooting inefficiently from the field.  They have combined to shoot 41% from the field and 26% from the arc while combining for 3.6 turnovers per game.  The Badgers have accrued decent wins over Tennessee and Georgetown, but they’ve also been lit up by North Carolina and Creighton, and in those two losses, Hayes and Koenig have shot 30% from the field.  Wisconsin was thought by many, including myself, to be the preseason frontrunner for the Big Ten title, but in order for that to become a reality, the efficiency has to improve by two guys who are going to contend for All-Big Ten honors. Wisconsin has a big opportunity tonight against Syracuse in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

Top 5 NBA Prospects

1.) Miles Bridges, Michigan State

The freshman came in as one of Tom Izzo’s best recruits in years, but few would have expected him to make the transition to college hoops so gracefully.  Through a tough 7-game schedule, Bridges is averaging 17.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 1.7 BPG, along with 50% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from 3.  He’s been Michigan State’s best player by a mile, and has eclipsed 20 points 4 times, including a pair of 21-point efforts against stiff competition in Arizona and Wichita State. Bridges is long and incredibly athletic, and he already has a man’s physique. He’s well on his way to dominating at the college level, and figures to be a one-and-done first round selection.

2.) OG Anunoby, Indiana

Anunoby showed us flashes of brilliance in his freshman campaign despite only playing 13 minutes a game, but this year, everyone came in expecting him to break out.  The results have been mixed, but he’s been an efficient scorer and outside shooter, and he’s also got a huge wingspan and defensive tenacity.  At 6’8”, 235 lbs., he has the frame and of an NBA small forward, but for him, it will be a matter of polishing his game and developing consistency offensively.  The expectations coming into the season were probably a bit over blown, but Anunoby continues to be an intriguing prospect due to his upside.

3.) Melo Trimble, Maryland

Melo Trimble has been one of the Big Ten’s most dominant (and ball-dominant) players in his time at Maryland.  He’s an incredible scorer and ballhandler, averaging over 21 points per contest so far this season; however, Trimble is sort of a tweener guard.  He’s not big enough to be a regular shooting guard, but he isn’t an NBA-caliber distributor, either, averaging a mere 2 APG this season.  If his passing develops and he becomes more efficient offensively, he could cement his spot in the first round of the draft.

4.) Thomas Bryant, Indiana

The sophomore big man stood out at times in his freshman campaign, and now he appears ready to be the go-to guy in the Indiana offense down low.  He’s averaged 13 and 8 thus far this season, and brings to the table solid post defense and rebounding, as well as an improving face-up game, often looking comfortable handling and shooting the ball on the perimeter. While not the most fluid player, Bryant plays with passion and energy.

5.) Caleb Swanigan, Purdue

Biggie Swanigan was a guy who almost entered the draft last season but decided not to.  He’s just never going to be as athletic as you want at power forward, but his strength and his tenacity on the glass potentially make him an appealing option in the second round.  He’s a great passer with a solid outside shot and a strength that’s hard to develop, so he could have a team take a flyer on him OR become dominant in Europe.