The Big Ten has unveiled their all-conference awards. ASSSEMBLE YOUR ALL-BIG TEN TEAMS!

Seth: So here are the rules: your starting five can't be unplayable together.

Brian: There is an absurd amount of shoehorning going on.

Seth: I think I just read one where the selector was deciding between Zavier Simpson and Xavier Tillman for his starting two.

Brian: We all love Brendan Quinn but his three All Big Ten teams have NINE centers on them.

Seth: I'd like to point out none of these guys playing in the paint have the league's best sky-hook.

FIRST TEAMS

Selector	Point Guard	Wing	Wing	Wing	Cente
Ace	Cassius Winston (MSU)	Ayo Dosunmu (ILL)	Lamar Stevens (PSU)	Jalen Smith (UMD)	Luka Garza (IA)
Brian	Zavier Simpson (UM)	Winston	Dosunmu	"	"
Seth	Winston	Dosunmu	Stevens	"	"
Matt EM	Winston	Dosunmu	Stevens	"	"

We have most of a consensus. Thoughts on point guards?

Well, do you? [Campredon]

Ace: Cassius Winston is a pretty obvious choice, in my opinion. The Guy on the Big Ten’s best team. Still a pick-and-roll murderer.

Seth: Can't disagree. Also went through an unspeakable personal tragedy, and was the loudest voice in MSU Athletics speaking up for its victims. Winston is now at the top of my list of favorite rivals' players.

This is Cassius Winston when asked if players are seeking out information or isolating themselves and focusing on basketball.

If there's anything to be encouraged by in this whole mess, this might be it. pic.twitter.com/AfgYztw5pv

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) January 28, 2018

Ace: Also showed up to demonstrations. Seems like an outstanding dude.

Brian: Winston is obvious even if shoehorned a bit. Simpson goes on the first team: #5 nationally in assist rate and that's with teammates who can't friggin' shoot. Main driver of Michigan's offense. Maybe took a small step back as a defender but still a top-end guy on that end of the floor.

So now it gets tricky. Make the case for your wings!

*twitch* [Campredon]

Ace: Illinois plays Ayo Dosunmu as a lead guard but he’s functionally a 2/3 on defense so this isn’t a shoehorn. Not a great shooter but has improved in the halfcourt and is a monster in transition. Also a good defender.

Matt EM: League-wide the lack of quality SGs/Wings is sort of damning.

Seth: I started trying to avoid a team where everyone's out of position and ended up with 1st teamer C.J. Fredrick.

Ace: See, that’s overcorrecting. Ayo literally plays the two. Being a lead guard doesn’t eliminate your height.

Brian: He's the Alpha on a much improved Illinois team, suffered somewhat from clunky pieces around him who were one-dimensional players.

Seth: I don't think it matters that much who's officially slotted where. I picture a starting five in 2020 should have three guys somewhere on the guard scale.

Ace: Did you watch the Big Ten this year, Seth?

Seth: Till my eyes bled.

BiSB: That's how you know the Northwestern is working.

[After THE JUMP: It's even harder to make a second team]

-----------------------------------

Seth: I still have Ayo, who has become much more than meep meep, and that final shot over Simpson is one of those plays I'll never be rid of. The argument here seems to be whether to put Penn State's Lamar Stevens out there as a small forward.

State your case. [Campredon]

Ace: The midrange monster and another excellent multi-positional defender. Yes, he’s not very efficient. We had this argument last year re: Carsen Edwards and we all watched the subsequent NCAA Tournament. Also, conference is very light on wings this year.

Brian: I am morally opposed to extreme shoehorning but this year some of it is inevitable.

Ace: You shoehorned more than I did! I just want that noted.

Brian: That team could easily play together.

Ace: Your hatred for high-usage players who have to carry otherwise crummy teams is strong.

Brian: Ayo was able to do what he did on an offense that got spacing from like 1.5 guys (Griffin and 30% 3 shooter Trent Frazier). Stevens had more help this year.

Ace: I, uh, strongly disagree that Stevens had more help.

Seth: Yeah, I think his usage actually went up this year.

/runs to the kenpom store

Ace: Cockburn, Feliz, Griffin, and Frazier are all better supporting players than anyone Stevens had outside of Jones, who was out a decent chunk, and maybe Mike Watkins when he was on his game. Watkins is talented but he’s not a high-usage type. Myles Dread shot 126 threes at 31.7% and attempted all of 27 twos.

Seth: Yep! 29.9 in 2019, 30.3 in 2020. Poor Stevens.

Brian: Yeah, and Myreon Jones and Seth Lundy were 40% shooters. PSU was 5th in 3P% in conference play. Illinois was dead last while taking the 12th most 3s. Since their usages are fairly close and they had about the same number of their twos assisted I prefer Dosunmu's season.

Maryland center Jalen "Sticks" Smith is a center-playing center who centers, and not one of the two centers in this conference on the Kenpom Player of the Year list, yet he's everyone's four?

Ace: You can’t stop me. Has enough stretch to play the four as a 41% three-point shooter in conference play and strong weakside defender, plus he did it last year. He’s improved in every facet this season.

Brian: He's probably the best rim protector in the league though Tillman has him on D overall because he is a genius; shot 60/37 from the floor in an offense that's pretty chaotic.

And everyone chose Garza.

Ace: Averages 26.2 points and 9.7 rebounds in Big Ten play, legit National Player of the Year contender, lifted an Iowa team that lost Jordan Bohannon and by all rights should’ve been a bubble team to a projected six-seed.

Brian: I don't think this a slam dunk but he noses ahead of Oturu and Smith IMO.

Gross. [Campredon]

Ace: Garza was the no-doubt first-team center and POTY for me. In addition to his incredible numbers, he absolutely held that team together. When you’re that good at offense, some defensive shortcomings are acceptable, and given Iowa’s track record I certainly don’t pin all of their issues on that end on Garza.

(cupcakes removed)

Seth: Garza feels gross—just talking about him I got sweat and eyebrows all over me—and I wish there was a case this year I could make against him out of, I dunno, how he should have fouled out midway through every game and defense. But it would be disingenuous. He uses a third of their possessions and doesn't turn the ball over. He's insane.

Brian: I don't disagree but Daniel Oturu made it really close. He's 8th in the Kenpom POY standings and I know that award has a "how good is your team" component; 30% usage in Big Ten play with good efficiency and monster rebounding numbers; he's a better defender. Garza carried a team that was down to six scholarship guys to the tourney and Oturu didn't, so I'm team Garza. But mannnn Pitino just wasted a monster season.

Ace: No disagreement, particularly with that last statement.

Seth: Is putting Oturu on everybody's second team just asking for him to eschew the NBA? Because he needs to git.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WATCH THIS unless you're an NBA scout.

Brian: I haven't seen him as a slam dunk first rounder many places.

Ace: Those guys don’t look at all-conference awards when making that decision, though. It depends where you look. I’ve seen him noted as a riser by both ESPN and The Athletic.

Brian: Which surprises me because he seems pretty switchable and could develop some stretch in the future with his FT numbers (70%) and current season results (34% from three on 50 attempts). He's a riser both places but Vecenie's latest barely has him in the first at #28.

Ace: We’re at the point with draft projections where writers are still largely guessing after the top ten or so, particularly with this weak top-to-bottom draft. I bet Oturu goes after getting his official evaluation.

Seth: There was a time before all the other centers in the conference did the same that I believed 30 points in Teske's face meant that guy was a lock for top ten. He also had a very smooth stroke three against us.

Brian: A boon for All Big Ten lists next year. The way he did it was more sustainable than, say, Trevion Williams. He was 11/13 at the rim.

Seth: He was driving.

Ace: I’m not saying this because of homerism since Minnesota under Pitino never scares me: Oturu should leave for this draft. I bet he’ll test well and he’s the type of center the NBA covets.

Brian: I'd be surprised if he's done rising.

Seth: Literally!

Sticks is unfair [Paul Sherman]

Ace: Speaking of which, Jalen Smith got off to a slow start but he was remarkable this year both statistically and making an impact with his mere presence. We were forced to put him on the first team at the four even though he played center exclusively this year.

Brian: Yes, same with Wisconsin's Micah Potter on a couple of second teams including mine. Stretch fives who papered over a ton of offensive issues for their teams by pulling centers out of the paint, with an edge to Sticks because he's a better defender and didn't sit out a couple games with transfer issues.

Seth: It's crazy to me that the coaches and the media voted for Ruevers on their teams over Potter. There was a point in our game when Reuvers picked up his second foul and had to sit, and the general sentiment as Potter replaced him was "Oh, that's probably good for Wisconsin."

Brian: Since Potter got eligible UW is #10 on Torvik and the #2 Big Ten team.

Michigan's inability to guard five out made fouling Reuvers to put Potter on the floor a bad move. [Campredon]

Ace: Sticks played a lot more minutes per game than Potter, which really mattered for Maryland since they had no backup center. But Potter was so good I had him on my second team despite the low minutes total because his per-minute impact was insane. The coaches picking Aaron Wiggins over him for sixth man of the year is easily the most bonkers award selection.

Brian: Looks like strictly a PPG decision. Ryan Kreiner is also a much better pick.

Ace: I mean:

"I was surprised. Kind of in shock." - @TerrapinHoops' Aaron Wiggins, @B1GMBBall's Sixth Man of the Year as voted by the coaches. pic.twitter.com/gFlsXecCpo

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 9, 2020

Seth: Voters in those things always like volume. So: second team?

Ace: It was hard enough to pick a first team, the second is brutal.

Matt EM: Yeah, nearly impossible.

SECOND TEAMS

Selector	Point Guard	Wing	Wing	Wing	Center
Ace	Zavier Simpson (UM)	Anthony Cowan (UMD)	Joe Wieskamp (IA)	Micah Potter (OSU)	Daniel Oturu (MN)
Brian	Cowan	Duane Washington (OSU) Myreon Jones (PSU)	"	Potter	"
Seth	Simpson	Cowan	"	Xavier Tillman (MSU)	"
Matt EM	Cowan	Jones	"	Potter	"

Seth: The glut at center is overwhelming another relative richness at point. Cowan is the #1 if you need a bucket guy in the league; if he's a notch below NBA athlete he's two notches above what you need to be to drive against Big Ten guards.

Matt EM: Don't necessarily think anyone is right or wrong here, just a lack of individual talent restrains us from making otherwise logical choices.

Ace: It’s tough. I don’t think I have Jones on my second team because he missed too much time (Livers falls into the same pit, plus he dropped off).

Matt EM: Like its ridiculous to have Micah Potter on my 2nd team but such is the state of CBB these days.

Ace: But that leaves us with… Wieskamp, Andre Wesson, and Ron Harper Jr.?

Matt EM: Wieskamp for my 2nd team............fell off the last 5 games or so but his body of work is legit

Ace: This is why Stevens was an easy first-team pick for me.

Matt EM: Agreed^^^

Seth: Wieskamp had a huge comedown from behind the arc this year—on about the same assisted rate—or else he'd be an easy 1st teamer. Scorched Maryland, can't remember him missing a free throw when it mattered all year.

Ace: I have several off-guards over Washington. I know those shots against Michigan stung but he was a 36% shooter outside the arc and a 39% finisher inside of it on equal distribution and he didn’t add anything else on offense. I was seriously considering Andres Feliz.

Brian: Oh sh-- I just forgot about Jones. [answer changed]

Ace: The main issue with Jones is he only played 14/20 games. But I’d still pick him over Washington.

Brian: That clears the bar.

BiSB: He also missed the soft part of the schedule.

Seth: Re: Washington, we are going to need an all against Michigan team in our extracurriculars. I had Tillman on my team instead of Potter--what happened to our industry-leading Xavier Tillman appreciation?

We do not doubt his ups. [Campredon]

Ace: He’s my defensive player of the year. He just was too up-and-down offensively in ways that cost MSU games this season.

Seth: That was kind of a "he got eligible too late" cheat.

Brian: Shoehorn issues for me. Clear DPOY.

Ace: Tillman shut down Lamar Stevens, which is bonkers. If he could hit an open three he’d easily be my second-team power forward over Potter.

Brian: His offense cost MSU a couple of games, once when he couldn't hit a three against Michigan and a 2/11 performance on a lot of bunnies against Wisconsin. In any normal year he'd at least be second team but there are two KPOY top ten Cs in the league and two more guys who fit as excellent stretch four-ish dudes.

I assume Anthony Cowan is obvious as the bad shot maker who makes Maryland's issues go away enough for them to get a share of the conference title.

Ace: Yeah, if I had to choose between him and X, I’d lean Cowan.

Seth: He POPPED in my rim/draw fouls study this year. For how often he goes to the rim no player in the Big Ten in years has been able to draw as many fouls who wasn't a center. Nobody's remotely close.

Anthony Cowan is getting the best whistle in America [Paul Sherman]

Ace: In this case, I didn’t choose since Cowan is a viable off-guard.

Seth: And that was money in games--Maryland wasn't head and shoulders above the rest of the conference all year but they were winning games late because Cowan can always go get you a bucket or a whistle, and he doesn't miss free throws.

Brian: Joe Wieskamp recovered from a poor start to post good numbers on a team that ended up with very little other than Garza and him for big chunks of the season.  Did a lot of his work getting to the line, which is an underappreciated part of his game.

Ace: They desperately needed good perimeter play, too. Iowa basically functioned without a point guard after Jordan Bohannon stopped trying to play through hip issues. Wieskamp and CJ Fredrick kept defenses honest enough for Garza to do his thing.

Brian: And Fredrick missed about six games worth of time with a couple of injuries.

Ace: Wieskamp was also their only non-center who could do anything inside the arc with regularity. Unless you count Joe Toussaint turning it over.

Seth: Connor McCaffery could draw contact and ignite the world's most unhinged basketball dad.

Ace: 11.6% usage.

Seth: This was an Iowa twitter theme this year.

Jones came out of nowhere, and kept coming back. [Campredon]

Brian: PSU's Myreon Jones came out of absolutely nowhere to be a 49/40 shooter with excellent secondary playmaker assist (21) and TO (13) rates on high-ish usage. Last year he shot 32/28! He had an 88 ORTG! Now he's a lot of the answer to "how is Penn State doing this"!

Ace: This is why looking at free throw percentage is important. The split you left out was him shooting 77% from the line with nice-looking form last year. I left him off my second team because he missed too much time but if he’d played the whole way he’d be there for me. He missed six games and had two rough performances out of the three games upon his return.

Brian: FT% is a leading indicator, but I don't recall anyone saying "Myreon Jones is going to be the second best player on a team that's in the running for a protected seed" before the season.

Ace: That’s fair.

Brian: The breakout player of the season, non-center edition.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Selector	Point Guard	Wing	Wing	Wing	Center
Ace	Marcus Carr (MN)	Andre Wesson (OSU)	Ron Harper (RU)	TJD (IU)	Xavier Tillman (MSU)
Brian	D'Mitrick Trice (UW)	Geo Baker (RU)	Harper	Stevens	Tillman
Seth	Carr, Trice	Jones (PSU), CJ Fredrick (IA), Eli Brooks (UM)	A. Wesson	TJD, Potter	Cockburn, K.Wesson
Matt EM	Simpson	A.Wesson	Harper	TJD	K. Wesson

 

You can say two things about your HMs now.

Ace: Marcus Carr would be great in an offense that did something other than run high screens and the occasional three-man weave. As it was, he did remarkably well for a point guard at Minnesota.

 

Brian: It is only my strong moral stance against shoehorning that prevented Xavier Tillman from making my list; I would like to emphasize that he is a defensive genius that any NBA team drafting in the final few slots of the first round would be a god damned fool to pass on. Please let Tillman's grandma out of the basement, Tom.

 

just gonna put this here in case any of you were under the notion that playing another year for Izzo would help your development

Seth: If someone had told me Kaleb Wesson would arrive more in shape than a Spring Training article makes Miguel Cabrera out to be I would have been more frightened of Ohio State. Also Eli Brooks had an incredible defensive season and kept Michigan alive with his shooting despite not much athleticism.

Ace: Brooks is a hell of a homer pick.

Seth: I saved it for the tail of the honorable mentions. Shut down Cassius Winston.

Brian: Geo Baker takes the worst shots in the entire world and makes enough of them for Rutgers to make the NCAA tourney. Ron Harper Jr is vaguely efficient for the same team. Collectively they are driving the bus on one of the stranger accomplishments of the season.

Ace: Yeah, I had Harper on my squad and also considered Akwasi Yeboah. Harper got the edge for being a more consistent offensive contributor but all those guys were no fun to play against.

Ace: My last HM was Andre Wesson, which speaks to the lack of wings this year. Still, I thought he was the best of the role guys on good teams, and his switchability on defense is undervalued.

Brian: I didn't know what to do with any of the OSU guys, really. It seemed like their whole team was fifth team All Big Ten, give or take one or two tiers.

Ace: Luther Muhammad should’ve been all-defense and otherwise, yeah, hard to figure out what to do with all of them.