Player of the Week:
Bruce Thornton (Jr., Ohio State)
Thornton’s development into the clear star player for Ohio State has been impressive enough, but his most recent performance against then No. 4 Kentucky has solidified him as a top guard in all of men’s basketball. The Buckeye took home the Big Ten Player of the Week Award after dominating the Wildcats with a career-high 30 point game. After a relatively close first half, Thornton made sure to put the game away with 22 second half points on 61% from the field (8-13). Thornton may not be the strongest or fastest player on the court but he overcomes those odds with playing with a pro level of poise and patience. Thornton is elite at dictating and guiding the offense to create the most efficient play possible. Whether it’s attacking downhill coming off screens or moving off the ball to break away from defenders for easy points, Thornton’s natural feel for the game makes him a threat on any given night. Combine the IQ on the offensive end of the ball to generate points for himself and others with his skills on the perimeter, and you have one of the best two-way guards in D1 basketball with an NBA level game and mind.
Who’s Hot:
Dylan Harper (Fr., Rutgers)
It’s safe to say at this point that Harper is clearly one of the best overall players in college basketball just a third of the way into his first season. The Scarlet Knight leads the the Big Ten in scoring and earned his straight 20-point performance against Princeton in a close 83-82 loss. Harper continues to excel at playing at his pace and controlling the tempo of the offense. His three point shot and overall outside game has developed significantly since the first few weeks of the season. Harper has become the total package offensively and has one of the highest floors and ceilings in his class. The other aspects of his game are nothing to scoff at, he finished with a career-high 12 rebounds against Penn State and tied his career high in steals with three against the Tigers on Saturday. With few flaws in his game and his ability to impact the game at every level, Harper is a lock to go at least top two in the NBA Draft and his chances to go number one only increase as the season goes on.
Kasparas Jakucionis (Fr., Illinois)
Jakucinois was already one of the most promising freshmen in his class but as of recently, he has emerged as one of the clear best players in the Big Ten. He has become the anchor for the Fighting Illini and it has worked wonders for them as they are one of best teams in the Big Ten when they play at their best. Jakucionis has taken the next step to stardom and in his last six games, is averaging just shy of 22 points per game. As the focal point of the offense. Illinois is 2-1 in their last three matches against ranked opponents with impressive wins over Wisconsin and Arkansas and losing by just four points to No. 1 Tennessee. Jakucionis has been an elite three-way scorer who is capable of getting to his spots consistently, using his 6’ 6 frame to overwhelm smaller defenders. With four consecutive games with at least one steal, he continues to show his value as a strong on-ball defender with quick hands. Jakucionis’ stock continues to rise as he shows NBA scouts that he is worth a lottery pick.
Who’s Not:
Will Riley (Fr., Illinois)
The freshman that put scouts on notice with his fluid jumper and ability to shoot from deep in the beginning of the season is still going through a bit of a slump. After only having one game under double digit points in his first six games, Riley has failed to have that same level of offensive production. He’s scored five or less points in three of his last five games and in the games where he did score 10 or more, he’s shot a poor 23.8% from the field (5-21). Riley has the ability to create for himself and has solid enough off the ball movement to get numerous opportunities to put the ball in the basket. The problem is the lack of consistency in his shot that fans saw earlier as in his last five games he is shooting under nine percent from deep. The Fighting Illini are a dangerous team when Riley is on point, but with him going through a slump like this, it’s no surprise they are only 3-2 in their last five games.
Jackson Shelstad (So., Oregon)
The sophomore slump continues for one of the most highly touted guards in college basketball before the season started. Shelstad at the beginning of the season saw a significant fall off in his overall scoring volume and efficiency, but remained a positive on the court due to his abilities as a playmaker and disrupter on the perimeter. However, in his three most recent games, Shelstad has only totaled three assists and has no steals after an eight-game streak of recording one or more steals. He has looked less disciplined on the court and his utility as a jack-of-all-trades type of player is tanking by the minute. The Ducks are a team that don’t rely on a single player to carry the workload every given night, but Shelstad’s lackluster performance is sure to cause issues in the future if he doesn’t clean up his game soon.
Top 5 Freshman in the Big Ten
5. John Mobley Jr. (Fr., Ohio State)
Mobley Jr. has been one of the best pure shooters in all of college basketball in his first season with the Buckeyes and has caught the eye of many. He’s shooting 48.4% from deep on over five attempts per game and has shot over 40% in every game aside from two. Catch and shoot, pull-up, off the dribble, Mobley Jr. has one of the purest shots in the Big Ten and has some serious upside to be one of the best scorers in college. That is, if he doesn’t declare for the draft this year as there is sure to be a team willing to take someone with a shooter’s touch of this caliber.
4. Derik Queen (Fr., Maryland)
From this spot and up, every single one of these freshmen have proven themselves to be stars in just their first year and Queen is no exception. After one of the best debut games in recent history with a 20-20 game, the Terrapin has been one of the best centers in its conference. He’s eighth in the Big Ten in rebounds per game and ninth in points per game. Queen is a dominant presence in the interior who still has the agility and athleticism to average over a block and a steal every night. His capabilities as a passer could make him a player comparable to Bam Adebayo – a physical big who can guard all five positions and score from anywhere inside the stripe.
3. Kasparas Jakucionis (Fr., Illinois)
Jakucionis was expected to come in and make some noise but few predicted he’d end up rivaling some of the players ahead of him. Leading the Fighting Illini, he’s 11th in points per game in the conference and top five in assists per game. With his skillset, Jakucionis is a player who can be on triple-double watch on any given night and fits the mold of a modern NBA guard to a tee. His ability as a two-way guard who has great pass accuracy and a creative mind make him the perfect lead guard for any team in the NBA.
2. Ace Bailey (Fr., Rutgers)
While Bailey may not be the best freshman this year, he may be the most complete player in his class. The Scarlet Knight is seventh in points per game in the Big Ten and is tenth in rebounds per game while also averaging a steal and a block a game. Offensively, fans knew what Bailey could bring to the table – an elite shot creator and tough shot maker who has one of the deepest bags at the forward position. However, his skills on defense translated just as well as his insane athleticism, speed and vertical allow him to be a nightmare matchup against anyone. His potential is sky high and at 18 years old, there’s still so much room for him to grow.
1. Dylan Harper (Fr., Rutgers)
With Harper having one of the best freshman campaigns in recent history, it’s only right that he claims the top spot. While leading the Big Ten in points per game with 23.3 and eighth in assists per game, he is playing far from the level expected of most freshmen. Harper set the record for the most points by a freshman this season with 37 and became the first Big Ten freshman in over 20 years to have two consecutive 35 points per game. He can score from anywhere on the court and plays the game like a seasoned veteran, much like his father, Ron Harper. He has been the best freshman in all of college basketball and is locked as a top pick in this years NBA Draft.