The conference look-in continues with the Big 10, AAC, and SEC. The AAC and SEC picks were compiled by Stephen Kalayil. The Louisville die-hard can be followed @stephenkalyail and surprisingly shows Kentucky a LOT of love with his SEC picks.
BIG 10 POY
and All-Conference
POY:
Keith
Appling (Michigan State) – The fourth
year senior point guard is averaging 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists
through six conference game as the Spartans sit atop the standings at 6-0. In
two overtime wins, Appling had his best games with a 20 points, 7 assists, 6
rebound performance against Ohio State and a 24 point performance against
Minnesota. Against the Buckeyes he hit a clutch three in overtime to give
Michigan State their final lead and against the Gophers he hit 15 out of 16
free throws.
All-Conference:
Gary
Harris (Michigan State) – Along with Appling, Harris has also been
scoring at a high level during the Spartans 6-0 start. Right now he is
averaging 18 points and 4.8 assists per game.
To kick off Big 10 play, Harris scored 26 points against Indiana
including a 5-10 performance from downtown. Harris did struggle shooting the
ball in two wins over Minnesota and Northwestern, but recently went 7-9 from
the field in a road win against Illinois.
Nick
Stauskas (Michigan) – Known for his three point shooting, the
sharp shooting sophomore has expanded his game during conference play as the
Wolverines are off to a surprising 5-0 start including a gritty road win at
Wisconsin this past weekend. Stauskas is averaging 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds,
and 4.8 assists per game. So far Stauskas has played 34 or more minutes in each
game, but is still shooting 49% from the floor. Michigan’s schedule gets tough
in a hurry with games against Iowa and Michigan State up next.
Roy
Devyn Marble (Iowa) – High expectations were placed on the
Hawkeyes in the pre-season and so far they have delivered with a 4-1 conference
record. Led by Marble, Iowa handed Ohio State a home loss and soundly defeated
the Gophers at home. Marble is averaging 19 points and 4 rebounds a game including
a 22 point game against the Buckeyes.
A.J.
Hammons (Purdue) – The 7’0” sophomore is averaging 11.7 points
and 5.8 rebounds per game, but it is his play over the last three games that
gets him on the list. During a three game win streak, Hammons went for 18
points against Nebraskas, 17 points and 8 rebounds against Illinois, and 10
points and 7 rebounds against Penn State. The big man is also averaging 2.8
blocks per game for the 3-3 Boilermakers.
Freshman
of the Year:
Noah
Vonleh (Indiana) – While several freshmen have made their mark
in Big 10 play, Noah Vonleh has performed at the highest level averaging 13.4
points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.
He scored a high of 19 points in a close road win over Penn State and
recorded four blocks in both an overtime loss to Illinois and a home win against
Wisconsin.
AAC POY
and All-Conference
POY:
 |
| Shabazz Napier Dominating AAC play |
All
Conference Team:
Russ
Smith (Louisville):
Although Russdiculous’s scoring average is slightly down from last
season from 18.4 to 18.1 ppg, he has become a reliable distributor in his
senior season by averaging 4.7 assists and has kept up his lethal defender
status with 1.95 steals per game for the defending national champs. Despite the
loss of Chane Behanan (disciplinary) and Kevin Ware (injury) during this
season, Smith is rounding into the consistent, efficient player that UofL needs
to take the AAC in its inaugural season.
Sean
Kilpatrick (Cincinnati): The
leading scorer in the AAC, has #19 Cincinnati surprisingly in first place with
a 17-2 record and 6-0 start in league play. Kilpatrick might be one of the most
underrated players in the college basketball this season and has become the
unquestioned leader that head coach Mick Cronin has been missing at UC. One stat that stands out is Kilpatrick’s
knack to getting to the free throw line. He averages 5.6 FTA and is shooting
85% from the stripe, which is right on par with Napier.
TaShawn
Thomas (Houston): On a team
that has strong talent in LJ Rose (Baylor transfer), Daniel House and Chicken
Knowles, it has been Thomas who has lead the mercurial Houston Cougars. Thomas leads the AAC in blocks per game at
3.3 and is second in rebounding at 8.7 along with averaging 16.7 points for the
Cougars.
Shaq
Goodwin (Memphis) and Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) (Tie):
It was tough for me to pick one player over the other for the last spot
on our all conference AAC team. Goodwin,
a sophomore from Atlanta has given Josh Pastner and Memphis the down low
presence that they have lacked for sometime from it’s normally guard oriented
team. Harrell came into the year with some high expectations for his sophomore
season, but hasn’t fully lived up to them. The expectations were a bit
unrealistic but he’s put together a strong season averaging 12 points, 8.4
rebounds and arguably came off his best game of the season against UCONN with
18 points and 13 rebounds. Goodwin and
Harrell lead the AAC in field goal percentage at .635 and .634. Harrell has
been the better rebounder thus far in the season but Goodwin has been the
better of the two in the blocks department. Goodwin also got the best of
Harrell in Memphis’s signature win over UofL in the KFC YUM! Center this
year.
Freshman
of the year:
Terry
Rozier (Louisville): The AAC
isn’t deep this year in impact freshman like the rest of the power conferences,
but Rozier sticks out as the freshman who is making the best impact for a
winning team. After getting spot minutes
early in the season, Rozier took the starting PG spot at Louisville due to
injury for National JUCO player of the year Chris Jones. The Hargrave Military
Academy product has been running the team efficiently and has commanded a Rick
Pitino offense that is notoriously tough to master for a freshman. His numbers
may not be gaudy, but his court presence and poise as a freshman has given him
the nod in my book as AAC freshman of the year.
SEC POY
and All-Conference
POY:
Julius
Randle PF (Kentucky) - Julius Randle has lived up to his billing
as a consensus top 3 high school player and future top 5 NBA draft pick. Randle
is averaging a double-double with 16.9 points and 10.5 assist per game on
arguably the most talented team in college basketball. Along with fellow freshmen James Young and
Andrew Harrison, Randle is leading the Wildcats to a 13-4 record and 2nd
place standing behind Florida. Randle
has been un-guardable this season on the low block and his held his own against
some of college hoops elite big men in Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Adrian
Payne (Michigan State) and Cory Jefferson (Baylor).
All
Conference Team:
Casey
Prather (Florida) - Prather is the most improved player in the
country this year for SEC leading Florida. Prather went from averaging 6.2 PPG
as a role player to 17.3 PPG as a star his senior year for a Gator team that is
full of talent. Also, he leads the SEC in FG percentage and has been able to
harness his elite athleticism in his senior year.
James
Young (Kentucky) - There isn’t a small forward in the SEC that
has performed to the level of James Young this season. As a freshman, he has
shown up in every big game for UK and has hit timely shots for the Wildcats in
games against Louisville, Arkansas and Michigan State. Young’s 14.2 PPG and 4.4 rebounds has him as
the second best freshman in the SEC in my book to his teammate Julius Randle.
Andrew
Harrison (Kentucky) - Andrew Harrison has finally arrived as the
best PG in the SEC. The SEC has elite guards in Scotty Wilbekin (Florida),
Kasey Hill (Florida); however Harrison
is beginning to excel in John Calipari’s dribble drive offense and is arguably
coming off his best game as Wildcat with a poised 26 point, 3 assist
effort. He is beginning to trend in the
right direction after getting off to a so-so start with unrealistic
expectations for the season.
Jabari
Brown (Missouri) - The Oregon transfer has been Mr. Consistent
for the Tigers scoring in double figures in every game of his junior season and
averaging 18.7 points per game, He’s the best rebounding guard in the SEC
averaging 4.7 rebounds per contest with a career high of 9 against Nevada.
Freshman
of the year:
Julius
Randle (Kentucky) - Julius Randle takes this award easily. The SEC has seen its fair share of impact
freshmen in years past, but Randle could be the best that has come through since
fellow Wildcat Anthony Davis. There are plenty of impact freshmen in the SEC
this season in James Young (UK), Andrew and Aaron Harrison (UK), Bobby Portis
(Arkansas) Kasey Hill (Florida) and Jordan Mickey (LSU) but none have quite the
impact of Randle.
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