After finishing roughly two months of the college basketball season, it’s time to revisit the leaderboard for the Big Ten Player of the Year race. Injuries have played a role in shaking things up a bit since the last listing, but eight of the ten listed last time are still in the top ten. Isaac Haas has seen his productivity and minutes go down since conference play started and Robert Carter Jr also is off the list for now. Players 6-10 can be seen here, so now here’s the top five.
- 5. AJ Hammons, Purdue: (13.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 60.8% FG)- In the beginning of the season, Hammons took a back seat to Haas as the sophomore was playing really well. The burly seven-footer has know since reclaimed his starting spot, averaging 14.3 PPG and 2.9 BPG in his last eight games. The blocks only tell half the story, as he alters many more as a presence in the lane. Purdue still has a top ten defense nationally, and Hammons remains one of main reasons why.
- 4. Yogi Ferrell, Indiana: (17.1 PPG, 6.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 44.3% 3’s, 126.1 Offensive Rating)- The Hoosiers were supposed to take a dip once James Blackmon Jr was lost for the season. Instead, they’ve started off league play 6-0 and Ferrell has been the main reason why. He’s averaging 19.2 PPG and 6.3 APG since his backcourt mate went down, and he has now had six games where he has made more than four three-pointers. In a league filled with quality point guards, Ferrell is one of the best.
Yogi Ferrell has Indiana off to an undefeated start in conference play. (Getty).
- 3. Melo Trimble, Maryland: (13.9 PPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 87.8% FT)- Trimble has continued to be at his best in big moments, as his game-winner against Wisconsin displayed. He is the best ball-handler in the conference, and he has continued to improve as a passer. Maryland has to be considered one of a handful of favorites to win the National Championship, and this is partially because they have so many weapons capable of beating people. Trimble has been a master at deferring to his gifted teammates, and he deserves a lot of the credit for the uptick in production from Diamond Stone of late.
- 2. Denzel Valentine, Michigan State: ( 18.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 41.7% 3’s)- Much like with Caris LeVert, Valentine drops here from the last listing mainly because of an injury that left him sidelined for four games. After being a bit rusty in his first two games back, he’s righted things to averaging 23.5 PPG in his last two games. He’s still doing much of what he did in the early season, but Michigan State is struggling a bit. If they can get back to how they were playing early on, where he was the favorite for National Player of the Year, then Valentine can move back to number one.
- 1. Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa: ( 18.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.1 BPG, 55.4% eFG): Uthoff has continued to dazzle as the calendar has changed to 2016. In five Big Ten games, he’s averaging 19.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.6 BPG. Iowa is now ranked number two in the country on KenPom, and they have the eighth most efficient offense and the 12th most efficient defense. Watch an Iowa game for five minutes and you’ll see how Uthoff is a game-changer on both ends. He is a match up nightmare with his ability to shoot over guards, and his ability to drive past bigger players. Meanwhile, he changes things defensively with his length and shot-blocking ability on the perimeter and in the post.