JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
Michigan State: Draymond Green is a senior...he is averaging over 15 and 10 this year, the likely MVP of the league. That will be a big loss for them...but they recruit better than just about everyone else in this league. I don't think they will be as good as they were this year, but probably not as soft as they were one year ago.
Michigan: Zach Novak is a senior and he is their 3rd leading scorer at 9.5 per game and their best three-point shooter. Trey Burke is a frosh phenom at point, but he is 5-11...don't think he'll turn pro. Wonder of Hardaway will go pro? He probably needs another year, but that doesn't always matter.
Illinois: No huge losses to graduation..but wonder what Brandon Paul may be thinking? He had an exponential jump this year and has shown flashes of being a great scorer. He is a junior and might not want to risk another year..time was when you could use that year to show your stuff..now, it seems the longer you stay, if you are a slasher/scorer type, the worse off things are for you in the eyes of the NBA. Meyers Leonard has made a huge jump this year, too and he has the plus of being 7-1/245. Would not shock me if either turned pro, especially as I believe Illinois will be making a coaching change. However, if everyone comes back who is expected back, the talent is still there.
Indiana: Their top five scorers and five of their top six rebounders have eligibility next year, plus Maurice Creek has one more year. They lose Verdell Jones and three-point specialist Matt Roth. Everyone will return other than perhaps Cody Zeller, who could be a lottery pick if he wants to turn pro. He might be one of the three best centers available in the draft, if not higher than that. If he comes back, with what they have coming back around him plus the recruiting class, the Hoosiers could contend for the title.
Wisconsin: They lose their best player in Jordan Taylor, but everyone else is back. My thought is Taylor makes this team what it is and makes everyone else better. He will be a bigger loss to Wisconsin that Green is for MSU, because Wisconsin doesn't recruiting like MSU.
Ohio State: William Buford is the lone senior on the team, but he will be a big loss. One of the best scorers in OSU history, he is averaging 15.1 per game this year. Sullinger leads them in scoring at 17.2/ppg, the same average he had as a freshman. Does Sully stay or turn pro? He really has little else to prove in the college game and would be a lottery pick. He would have been a lottery pick last year, too.
Purdue: This team will be hit harder by graduation than any team in the Big Ten. They lose their top three scorers in Robbie Hummel, Lewis Jackson and Ryne Smith. In reality, Purdue loses their top four scorers, as junior Kelsey Barlow was kicked off the team this week and he was their 4th leading scorer and second leading rebounder.
Minnesota: The Gophers lose Ralph Sampson III, plus Trevor Mbakwe has expired his eligibility as well. They return everyone else to a team that has struggled to find its way after Mbakwe went down in the seventh game. He was averaging 14/9.1 at that time. The Gophers probably would have made the tournament had he not gotten injured and I doubt the Hawks would have swept them.
Northwestern: They lose all time leading scorer John Shurna and some role players to graduation. Shurna will probably top the 2,000 point mark for his career and is a huge loss. Drew Crawford is back and Dave Sobolewski has been great as a frosh.
Nebraska: They lose their top two scorers and their 5th and 6th scorers.
Penn State: They lose their third leading scorer in Cameron Woodyard, but everyone else is back, including current soph Tim Frazier. He is 6-1/160...Talor Battle was 6-0/170, one of the best players in PSU history and he is currently playing for Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany. So I expect Frazier to be back, although his teardrop floater does look NBA ready.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes lose Matt Gatens, their best outside threat who will likely end up as the school's 6th or 7th all time leading scorer. Bryce Cartwright will move on as will seldom used reserves Devon Archie and Andrew Brommer. Iowa is not a three-point heavy team, or hasn't been until the last two games and I don't expect them to make any moves forward in this area next year given the loss of Gatens.
Michigan: Zach Novak is a senior and he is their 3rd leading scorer at 9.5 per game and their best three-point shooter. Trey Burke is a frosh phenom at point, but he is 5-11...don't think he'll turn pro. Wonder of Hardaway will go pro? He probably needs another year, but that doesn't always matter.
Illinois: No huge losses to graduation..but wonder what Brandon Paul may be thinking? He had an exponential jump this year and has shown flashes of being a great scorer. He is a junior and might not want to risk another year..time was when you could use that year to show your stuff..now, it seems the longer you stay, if you are a slasher/scorer type, the worse off things are for you in the eyes of the NBA. Meyers Leonard has made a huge jump this year, too and he has the plus of being 7-1/245. Would not shock me if either turned pro, especially as I believe Illinois will be making a coaching change. However, if everyone comes back who is expected back, the talent is still there.
Indiana: Their top five scorers and five of their top six rebounders have eligibility next year, plus Maurice Creek has one more year. They lose Verdell Jones and three-point specialist Matt Roth. Everyone will return other than perhaps Cody Zeller, who could be a lottery pick if he wants to turn pro. He might be one of the three best centers available in the draft, if not higher than that. If he comes back, with what they have coming back around him plus the recruiting class, the Hoosiers could contend for the title.
Wisconsin: They lose their best player in Jordan Taylor, but everyone else is back. My thought is Taylor makes this team what it is and makes everyone else better. He will be a bigger loss to Wisconsin that Green is for MSU, because Wisconsin doesn't recruiting like MSU.
Ohio State: William Buford is the lone senior on the team, but he will be a big loss. One of the best scorers in OSU history, he is averaging 15.1 per game this year. Sullinger leads them in scoring at 17.2/ppg, the same average he had as a freshman. Does Sully stay or turn pro? He really has little else to prove in the college game and would be a lottery pick. He would have been a lottery pick last year, too.
Purdue: This team will be hit harder by graduation than any team in the Big Ten. They lose their top three scorers in Robbie Hummel, Lewis Jackson and Ryne Smith. In reality, Purdue loses their top four scorers, as junior Kelsey Barlow was kicked off the team this week and he was their 4th leading scorer and second leading rebounder.
Minnesota: The Gophers lose Ralph Sampson III, plus Trevor Mbakwe has expired his eligibility as well. They return everyone else to a team that has struggled to find its way after Mbakwe went down in the seventh game. He was averaging 14/9.1 at that time. The Gophers probably would have made the tournament had he not gotten injured and I doubt the Hawks would have swept them.
Northwestern: They lose all time leading scorer John Shurna and some role players to graduation. Shurna will probably top the 2,000 point mark for his career and is a huge loss. Drew Crawford is back and Dave Sobolewski has been great as a frosh.
Nebraska: They lose their top two scorers and their 5th and 6th scorers.
Penn State: They lose their third leading scorer in Cameron Woodyard, but everyone else is back, including current soph Tim Frazier. He is 6-1/160...Talor Battle was 6-0/170, one of the best players in PSU history and he is currently playing for Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany. So I expect Frazier to be back, although his teardrop floater does look NBA ready.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes lose Matt Gatens, their best outside threat who will likely end up as the school's 6th or 7th all time leading scorer. Bryce Cartwright will move on as will seldom used reserves Devon Archie and Andrew Brommer. Iowa is not a three-point heavy team, or hasn't been until the last two games and I don't expect them to make any moves forward in this area next year given the loss of Gatens.
