Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor, October 16, 2012
For the last couple of months, we've seen basketball experts offer their preseason All-American Teams. I offered my super-early Big Ten picks – emphasis on the "super-early" – in December. With tip-off only a couple weeks away, I decided to put a twist on those teams. See my team of Big Ten players worth the price of admission in this post. Let's call it my All-Price-of-Admission Team.
To avoid confusion, this team isn't about the most talented player(s) at every position. You can find that in the second link above, where Trey Burke, Tim Frazier, Deshaun Thomas, Trevor Mbakwe and Cody Zeller comprise my first team. Instead, this feature is about the guys who I find the most exciting, whether it be for athleticism or a rare skill set.
G: Aaron Craft, Ohio State – Not the flashiest of point guards, Craft picks his spots for the fancy play. And he's always a treat to watch on the defensive end.
G: Victor Oladipo, Indiana – One of the Big Ten's quicker and most athletic talents, Oladipo is a highlight machine in the making.
F: Rodney Williams, Minnesota – Speaking of highlight machines, Williams has to be in the discussion for the most exciting player in college basketball.
F: Branden Dawson, Michigan State – Let's hope last year's season-ending knee injury doesn't rob Dawson of any athleticism, because he's a treat to watch.
F/C: Derrick Nix, Michigan State – There's something fun about watching an overweight big man who's willing and able to lead the break and show off his footwork.
Sixth man: Sam Thompson, Ohio State – Memo to the Big Ten: Don't let Thompson get to the lane on an inbound pass. Heck, it probably doesn't matter with his ups and length.
Who did I miss? Leave your honoree in the comment section at the bottom of this post or tweet it to me (@BTNBrentYarina).
BTN.com web editor Brent Yarina covers football and men's basketball for BTN.com. He writes the popular uniform feature "Clothes Call," which also focuses on the latest cosmetic changes across Big Ten arenas and stadiums. Read all of his work here. You can subscribe to Yarina's RSS feed and follow him on Twitter @BTNBrentYarina. |