Player of the Week:
Ace Bailey (Fr., Rutgers)
When Ace Bailey missed the first few games with a hip injury, he left the sports world waiting to see what he could bring to the table as the potential No. 1 pick in the draft. Since his debut, he has been everything he was advertised as for the Scarlet Knights and more. He is 5th in the Big Ten in points per game with 19 and has been the total package offensively. To put it simply, Bailey is an athletic phenom through and through. His ability to rise up and finish strong at the rim through traffic, paired with his agility and size is unfair. Bailey has showcased a solid off ball presence that opened up numerous opportunities on offense both under the net and toward the wings when he wasn’t the primary ball handler. Normal players who are that physically gifted tend to struggle with developing their outside game, but that is the furthest thing from the truth for Bailey. Throughout his past three games, Bailey has been shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc on nearly six attempts a game. Whether he’s waiting on the perimeter to catch and shoot or taking matters into his own hands and using his skillful handles to create space and pull it, Bailey has shown tremendous ability as a pure shooter. Bailey undoubtedly has one of the highest ceilings of any player in his class and with these performances being his starting point, saying the sky’s the limit for him could be an understatement.
Who’s Hot:
Will Riley (Fr., Illinois)
The freshman talent for the Fighting Illini so far this season has been formidable throughout the first couple of weeks. Last week, Kasparas Jakucionis had the hot hand and he passed the torch straight to his fellow freshman Will Riley. Riley, despite only being 5th on his team in minutes played, is the leading scorer for Illinois and he does it with ease. Against the No. 8 team in the nation, Alabama, Riley was a key factor in keeping the game as close as it was. There is no hesitation from Riley to pull up from deep when he finds his rhythm and sees a shot and he hits them consistently, no matter how tough they are. His shooting ability makes him a threat but he doesn’t shy away from playing inside whether it’s driving to rim or hunting second chance points off rebounds from misses. Riley does struggle to hit his free throws despite the innate shooting and foul draw abilities but as a freshman, his game has plenty of room to grow and he’s polished enough as he is to be a top scorer in the Big Ten.
Bruce Thornton (Jr., Ohio State)
Bruce Thornton has improved his game every single season with the Buckeyes and this season is no exception. While the potential for Thornton to be a three-level scorer has been there since his freshman year, the low assists numbers from a relatively small guard brought about concerns early in his career. Fast forward to today, Thornton is 7th in the Big Ten in assists per game and has the second best assist/turnover ratio of anyone in the conference. In his last game against Green Bay, he put his development into an ideal point guard for any team in the nation on display. He finished with a team-high 25 points and nine assists on unbelievable efficiency. Thornton has become far more consistent with creating for himself and his teammates and is able to generate points from anywhere on the court. The upgraded three point shooting and playmaking capabilities make the Buckeye a player to watch out for in this year’s draft.
Who’s Not:
Pryce Sandfort (So., Iowa)
The Hawkeye’s guard caught the eye of many just a few weeks ago with his ability to knock down shots from what felt like limitless range as a forward. However, he has seemingly cooled off this past week and is struggling to find his groove again. Sandfort in the past three games has shot 25% from deep (3-12) and failed to hit at least one three in two of those games. For a player like Sandfort whose scoring is dependent on knocking down triples, his production and overall value on the court plummets significantly. Against Utah State, Iowa picked up its first loss on the season and Sandfort finished with no made shots in 16 mins. The Hawkeyes will need one of their best shooters to step it up in order to stay afloat in a tough Big Ten conference.
Lu’Cye Patterson (Sr., Minnesota)
The Charlotte transfer hasn’t had the smoothest transition joining the Golden Gophers so far this season. With the 49’ers, Patterson was a crafty finisher who was capable of both taking and avoiding contact to score below the rim. He also proved to be an effective shooter from deep, hitting 37% of his threes the past two seasons. However, this season he’s averaging career lows in points and field goal percentage, barring his freshman year. The senior guard just had his best game of the season, wrapping up with 19 points but still shot just 40% (6/15) from the field. Minnesota has been mostly unaffected with a 5-1 record, but three of those wins were within four points. In order for the Golden Gophers to survive conference play, Patterson will have to find his stride sooner rather than later.
Top 5 Transfers in the Big Ten
5. Ben Humrichous (Sr., Illinois)
The Evansville transfer has been a vital role player for the Fighting Illini so far this season, averaging 11.8 points per game on solid shooting splits. Humrichous provides spacing for Illinois as he knocks down 41% of his shots beyond the arc and serves as a solid secondary rim protector and help defender. He lands lower on the list due to his recent struggles in his past two games as he failed to break double digit points but still has value defensively even when his shot doesn’t fall.
4. Oumar Ballo (Sr., Indiana)
Despite being a more traditional center in the modern era, Oumar Ballo was still effective in Arizona and remains the same in Indiana. Ballo is a player on double-double watch every night, who is averaging 12 points and 9.8 rebounds a game. As if the rebounds weren’t enough, he’s also been an elite rim protector, racking up nearly three blocks a night. Ballo is the last person you’d want to see in the paint which earned him this spot.
3. Roddy Gayle Jr. (Jr., Michigan)
Coming from Ohio State, Roddy Gayle Jr. has elevated his game with the Wolverines this season. Gayle Jr., who always struggled with offensive consistency with the Buckeyes, is now an efficient combo-guard shooting 56% from the field and is nearly a 40% shooter from deep while maintaining the same production. He is coming off his best game of the season after leading Michigan to win over Virginia Tech, tallying 20 points and four assists and will only get better as he finds his role within the offense.
2. Eric Dailey Jr. (So., UCLA)
The former Oklahoma State guard has had four straight double-digit scoring games with the Bruins and is just getting started. Dailey Jr. at 6 ‘8 is able to score from all three levels, guard the perimeter and rebound the ball, all at relatively high levels. He is a smart player who has a great shot selection but can deal with being contested as well. At only 20 years old, Dailey Jr. has the potential to go much higher and sure to draw more attention with the Bruins.
1. Myles Rice (So., Indiana)
There was little competition for this top spot as former Washington State guard Myles Rice is putting the Hooisers on notice. Rice has everything you look for in a combo guard – the ability to create for himself and others, shoot the ball well from anywhere on the court and harass opponents on the perimeter. He has two straight 20-plus point performances this week and has transformed into a star for Indiana.