Rush The Court

There are a whole bunch of excellent players who decided to return to school this year, a number of whom populate one of RTC’s three Preseason All-Big Ten teams. We’ll start out with the Third Team in this post — which includes two hyped freshmen along with the veterans — and unveil the first two teams a bit later this week.

• Malcolm Hill (JR, Guard, Illinois) The lanky 6’6” wing — Illinois’ highest returning scorer from last season (14.4 PPG) — made a significant jump in production by displaying an ability to score both on the inside (65.0 percent field goal shooting at the rim) and the perimeter (38.9 percent from three). With Rayvonte Rice graduated and Kendrick Nunn sidelined by injury, Illinois will necessarily look to Hill to become the offensive centerpiece of a young team.
• Shavon Shields (SR, Guard, Nebraska). The Olathe, Kansas, native finally gets his turn in the spotlight after two seasons of playing second fiddle to Terran Petteway, who left school early for the NBA. Shields averaged 15.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG last season and actually shot better from the field (44.0%) than his more celebrated teammate. But with a thin supporting cast, Shields will become familiar with the frequent double teams that were once reserved for Petteway. If he can overcome the additional attention while also keeping his teammates involved, Nebraska has a chance to get back to the postseason.

• Jake Layman (SR, Forward, Maryland). It says a lot about Maryland’s roster that Layman, who might be the fourth most talented player on the team, is projected as a second round pick in next year’s draft. Unlike leading men Hill and Shields, Layman will act as just another cog in the Terrapins’ machine — albeit an important one. The senior’s sharpshooting (he shot over 40 percent on both corner and top of the key threes) will open things up for the Terps’ big men and slashers. His ability to create plenty of space within the three-point circle will help Mark Turgeon unleash the full potential of a talented roster.

• Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan (FR, Forward, Purdue). There’s not much to dislike about this five-star freshman — he has an inspiring backstory, a terrific nickname, and the skills to become the best passing big man in the country. In his first exhibition game, he posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards; but perhaps more impressively, he also displayed a deft inside-outside game. With A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas both returning to man the interior, the Boilermakers have a fun frontcourt trio in place — one that could legitimately lead Purdue to its first Big Ten title since 2010.
• Diamond Stone (FR, Center, Maryland). The most heralded freshman coming into the Big Ten this season, Stone will pair up with transfer Robert Carter to create an offensively-gifted frontcourt for Maryland. The Milwaukee native comes in with a Big Ten-ready body and an advanced offensive skill set that could make him a one-and-done college player. In his first exhibition game, the 6’11” big man scored 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting; any hopes of the Terps making a run to the Final Four must involve Stone being as good as advertised. Smart money says that he fulfills that potential.