Jess Settles, BTN Basketball Analyst, January 12, 2015
Injuries to star players, inconsistent performances, parity, rising freshmen and cupcake competition have all played a role in turning the top 10 into musical chairs this season.
This week is no exception. That said, Frank Kaminsky remains atop my latest Big Ten Player Rankings.
See my latest list below.
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1. Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin. How good is Kaminsky? No. 4 Wisconsin fell at Rutgers without Kaminsky (concussion), in what will go down as one of the biggest upsets of the season. Kaminsky is a national player of the year candidate, and his play alters the landscape of the Big Ten race.
View 2014-15 stats
Last week: No. 1
2. Terran Petteway, Nebraska. Expect Petteway to become more efficient with the return of big men Leslee Smith and Moses Abraham. He is averaging 18 points in Big Ten play, and the 2-2 Huskers finally have a full squad.
View 2014-15 stats
Last week: 2
3. D.J. Newbill, Penn State. Newbill, the Big Ten's leading scorer, is averaging 21 points in three Big Ten games. But Penn State can't find a win. This week, Newbill and the Nittany Lions travel to Indiana and host Purdue.
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Last week: 3
4. Branden Dawson, Michigan State. Back on the court again and far and away the top rebounder in the league, at 12 per game, Dawson averaged 13.7 points and 12.3 rebounds to help lead Michigan State to a 3-0 week.
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Last week: NR
5. Aaron White, Iowa. No Big Ten player affects more court real estate than White. He is averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals, all while shooting 52 percent, for the 2-1 Hawkeyes.
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Last week: 7
6. Sam Dekker, Wisconsin. He needed to take over at Rutgers with Kaminsky out, but he couldn't hit open 3-pointers (0-4) and was 6-of-15 overall in the unexpected loss. Nigel Hayes could join him in the top 10 if he keeps playing well.
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Last week: 6
7. Yogi Ferrell, Indiana. Ferrell has struggled offensively in league play, shooting 29 percent, but he closed out Ohio State at the free-throw line to give Indiana its 14th win its last 16 tries vs. ranked teams at Assembly Hall.
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Last week: 4
8. Travis Trice, Michigan State. The point guard took the league by storm last week, averaging 16.3 points and seven assists in three victories. Most impressive: Trice had only two turnovers, and now owns a 9-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in conference play, a period in which he leads the Big Ten in assists, assist-to-turnover ratio, steals and 3-pointers made, in addition to being No. 2 in scoring.
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Last week: NR
9. Caris LeVert, Michigan. With Derrick Walton Jr. scoring and Ricky Doyle shooting over 70 percent, LeVert is trusting his teammates more and is back in rhythm.
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Last week: NR
10. D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State. Russell has carried his prolific scoring into Big Ten play, averaging 18.8 points in Ohio State's first four conference games. He was at his best at Minnesota, when he hit 10-of-17 from the field en route to scoring 27 points.
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Last week: 9
Honorable mention: Melo Trimble, Maryland; Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin; James Blackmon, Indiana; Denzel Valentine, Michigan State; Shavon Shields, Nebraska; Dez Wells, Maryland; Jake Layman, Maryland; Rayvonte Rice, Illinois (injured); Malcolm Hill, Illinois; Gabe Olaseni, Iowa; Shannon Scott, Ohio State
