Jess Settles, BTN men's basketball analyst, December 22, 2016
Caleb Swanigan was already near the top of my Player Rankings last week at No. 2, but his recent incredible performances for the Boilermakers have left me no choice but to put him at the top in my latest list.
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See my full player rankings below.
1. Caleb Swanigan, Purdue. Following his 32-point, 20-rebound performance Wednesday, Swanigan now has three 20-point, 20-rebound games this year. The rest of college basketball has two combined.
Last week: 2
2. Melo Trimble, Maryland. The Big Ten's top point guard has led Maryland to a 12-1 non-conference record so far.
Last week: 3
3. Peter Jok, Iowa. Jok leads the Big Ten in scoring, but has also been contributing on the glass, averaging over eight boards per game over the last five games.
Last week: 1
4. Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin. The Badgers have won six straight, and Hayes is averaging 17.7 points and shooting 57.4% during the streak.
Last week: 4
5. Ethan Happ, Wisconsin. Wisconsin is ranked fourth in the nation in rebound margin (12.4) and Happ is a big reason why. The versatile center is second in the Big Ten in rebounding (9.6 per game) and has scored in double-figures in nine straight games.
Last week: 5
6. James Blackmon Jr., Indiana. His 26-point dandy against Butler wasn't quite enough in the Crossroads Classic.
Last week: 8
7. Malcolm Hill, Illinois. Hill's 21 points led the Illini to their fourth straight win over Mizzou in the Braggin' Rights game and their sixth straight win overall.
Last week: 6
8. Thomas Bryant, Indiana. The Hoosier big man battled hard and produced 15 points and 11 rebounds against Butler, but got lost late defensively with the game on the line.
Last week: 7
9. Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin. Over the last five games the Badgers' sharpshooter is 18-34 (52 percent) from 3-point range.
Last week: 9
10. OG Anunoby, Indiana. The versatile forward is getting healthy just in time for conference play.
Last week: NR