2001-02 through 2010-11 seasons
Each team includes the top 5 players from that program over the course of the past 10 years. As mentioned previously, I have not attempted to put together teams that fill all 5 positions on the floor.
The order in which the programs are listed corresponds to the power rankings from my previous post, "A Decade of Big Ten Basketball." This order should not be construed as a ranking of top 5s. In other words, just because I have Michigan State listed first and Ohio State third does not mean that I believe Michigan State's top 5 is better than Ohio State's top 5. That being said, I have ranked the players within each program.
Where part of a player's career came before the 2001-02 season, I have taken those years into consideration for purposes of this post.
Where a player transferred to a Big Ten program, I have not taken into account the year(s) prior to the transfer. Similarly, where a player transferred away from a Big Ten program, I have not taken into account the year(s) subsequent to the transfer.
There is no doubt that a number of talented players have suited up for Tom Izzo in the last ten years, but I was pretty surprised by just how underwhelming Michigan State's top 5 is (at least in terms of star power). Still, Izzo's ensemble cast managed 3 trips to the Final Four during that span.
1. Michigan State
1. Maurice Ager (03-06)
2. Kalin Lucas (08-11)
3. Paul Davis (03-06)
4. Draymond Green (09-present)
5. Shannon Brown (04-06)
2. Illinois
1. Dee Brown (03-06)
2. Deron Williams (03-05)
3. Frank Williams (00-02)
4. Brian Cook (00-03)
5. Luther Head (02-05)
3. Ohio State
1. Evan Turner (08-10)
2. Jared Sullinger (11-present)
3. Greg Oden (07)
4. Terrence Dials (02-06)
5. Mike Conley (07)
4. Wisconsin
1. Alando Tucker (03-07)
2. Devin Harris (02-04)
3. Jordan Taylor (09-present)
4. Jon Leuer (08-11)
5. Kirk Penney (00-03)
5. Purdue
1. JaJuan Johnson (08-11)
2. Robbie Hummel (08-present)
3. Carl Landry (05-07)
4. E'Twaun Moore (08-11)
5. Willie Deane (01-03)
6. Indiana
1. Jared Jeffries (01-02)
2. D.J. White (05-08)
3. Eric Gordon (08)
4. Bracey Wright (03-05)
5. Marco Killingsworth (06)
7. Minnesota
1. Vincent Grier (05-06)
2. Kris Humphries (04)
3. Rick Rickert (02-03)
4. Trevor Mbakwe (10-present)
5. Blake Hoffarber (08-11)
8. Michigan
1. Lavell Blanchard (00-03)
2. Manny Harris (08-10)
3. Daniel Horton (03-06)
4. DeShawn Sims (07-10)
5. Darius Morris (10-11)
9. Iowa
1. Reggie Evans (01-02)
2. Jeff Horner (03-06)
3. Adam Haluska (05-07)
4. Pierre Pierce (02-05)
5. Luke Recker (01-02)
10. Northwestern
1. John Shurna (09-present)
2. Kevin Coble (07-09)
3. Michael Thompson (08-11)
4. Vedran Vukusic (02-06)
5. Jitim Young (01-04)
11. Penn State
1. Talor Battle (08-11)
2. Geary Claxton (05-08)
3. Jamelle Cornley (06-09)
4. Jeff Brooks (08-11)
5. Stanley Pringle (08-09)
Posts
I can't remember Daniel Horton that well. Was he the one who always wore the South Carolina "Cocks" hat when he played?
ReplyDeleteAlso--and I'm seriously not trying to beat a dead horse with the Illinois-Wisconsin observations--but I thought it was interesting that Wisconsin's top five cover every season you took into consideration. None of Illinois' top five players have suited up for the Illini since 2005.
I think we've just tried to block Horton from our memory, and that's probably for the best. He really was the worst. Horton was the one who wore dress shirts with nylon basketball shorts. I think we're thinking of the same guy.
ReplyDeleteGood point concerning the Illinois-Wisconsin debate. Like I said, I hate having the Illini ahead of Bo Ryan's squad. I think it's going to look even more awkward when I compile the conference power rankings into a national power rankings. In the Orange Crush's defense, their number 6 would be Demetri McCamey. I would rank McCamey ahead of Kirk Penney, Wisconsin's number 5 (and he would be pressing Jon Leuer at number 4). So, if we were to rank the top 10 players from both programs, Illinois would have 6 players and Wisconsin 4. However (and this goes to your point), Illinois would still be unrepresented in the 2006-07 season and Wisconsin would still be covered throughout the period in question. Also, for what it's worth, Wisconsin's number 6 would be Trevon Hughes. Cutting the lists to 6 players seemed to be particularly difficult in the Big Ten. McCamey, Hughes, Michigan State's Drew Neitzel, and Purdue's David Teague were the hardest cuts. Neitzel was the poor man's Jerry McNamara, which may make him the homeless man's Scott Skiles. Teague was possibly my favorite Boilermaker ever, and, no, I am not forgetting that Brian Cardinal played at Purdue.