Player of the Week:
Keegan Murray, Iowa
Keegan Murray earned his first Player of the Week award last month and here we are two weeks later and the Iowa star sophomore has earned himself another deserving spot on this list. On December 29th, the Hawkeyes went up against Western Illinois where Murray posted a double-double dropping 29 points and 10 rebounds in 92-71 win over the Leathernecks. The start of the new year was no different for Murray as he gave Maryland a ton of problems dropping 35 points on 66.7% shooting from the field and 83.3% shooting from three in 80-75 win over the Terrapins. A hefty remainder of solid and competitive Big Ten games left in January, Fran McCaffery and Iowa fans hope to see these types of performances from their star forward.
Freshman of the Week:
Malaki Branham, Ohio State
The Buckeyes were another team who had to take an almost month break due to COVID-19, but they finally returned on Sunday versus Nebraska. Freshman guard Malaki Branham had himself a monster game dropping 35 points on 68.4% shooting from the field and 60% shooting from three in a 87-79 win over the Cornhuskers. A good start to the new year for the Buckeyes.
Who’s Hot:
Penn State Nittany Lions
After waiting almost near a month to play, Penn State started off their January with a huge conference win over Indiana. Jalen Pickett dropped 15 points on 50% shooting from three and Myles Dread helped off the benched dropping four threes in their 61-58 win over the Hoosiers. Another upset victory came for the Lions on Wednesday as they beat Northwestern 74-70. Forward Seth Lundy had himself a day with the Wildcats dropping 23 points on 61.5% shooting from the field; Pickett also had another strong game dropping 18 points on 53.8% shooting from the field. Some good momentum for the Lions who look to stay competitive in the Big Ten.
Who’s Not:
Michigan Wolvarines
To put it really simple, the Wolverines are struggling badly and need to get out of this hole they dug themselves before it’s too late in the season. Michigan’s week started off with UCF on the road where they allowed 8 straight three’s and two players with 20+ points in a 85-71 loss. Starting the new year was no different as Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker both had 20+ points in a 75-67 win over the Wolverines. Michigan finds themselves just one game over .500 record wise and with their next three games against Michigan State, Purdue, and Illinois, Juwan Howard and his group find themselves in a tough task early on in January.
Top 5 Teams Currently in the Big Ten:
1. Purdue Boilermakers (12-2)
It’s no doubt that the Boilermakers are by far the best team in the Big Ten this season. The #3 team in the country as of right now has not disappointed offensive wise posting a current record of 12-2 and the favorite to win the conference. Led by their stars Jaden Ivey, Trevion Williams, and Zach Edey, expect Purdue to find themselves in contention for a potential #1 seed come tournament time.
2. Michigan State Spartans (13-2)
The Spartans might have shocked some people, including myself, to as where they stand currently. Being ranked #10 in the country and ending off the month of December undefeated, Michigan State has made waves in the Big Ten this season and find themselves at the top of the Big Ten standings and could see that continue as the year goes. Can we potentially see the Spartans competing for a #1 seed come the end of the season?
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-3)
Honestly to begin the year Ohio State looked like one of those teams that would find struggles throughout the season as they barely beat Akron and lost to Xavier and Florida. It wasn’t until the end of the month where the tables turned for the Buckeyes as they upset #1 Duke and haven’t lost since. It’ll be intriguing to see if this Ohio State team can continue to climb in the rankings with their January Big Ten filled schedule.
4. Wisconsin Badgers (12-2)
Before the season begun, Wisconsin was one of those teams where their season could have a very high or low potential, but so far, the Badgers season have been trending in a solid upwards direction. Currently ranked #23 in the country and coming off one the biggest wins of the year so far against #3 Purdue, the Badgers have established themselves as a threat behind the play of their star sophomore Johnny Davis.
5. Illinois Illini (11-3)
To round out this list there may be some questions, but I think the Illini deserve it over teams like Indiana and Minnesota. The Illini offense has seemed to find its groove as their star Kofi Cockburn just posted his sixth straight game with a double-double in a 23-point victory over Minnesota. Expect Illinois to give teams in the Big Ten trouble down the stretch as the month of January continues.