Big Ten’s top 25 players for 2021-22: 21-25

4 Likes

Here we go! Can’t believe the season is around the corner…what happened to summer?

A couple of initial thoughts:

  • For Bohannon I was curious where he was ranked on this list in past years and whether he ended up living up to those expectations. I was also surprised that there wasn’t a mention of him taking more of an off-guard role this year compared to past seasons.
  • I totally forgot about Davis on Wisconsin. He’s going to need a monster year to pull them toward contention. He’s a solid player - probably about the right spot on the list. I assume he’s the highest (only) ranked Wisconsin player.
  • We can start to see the MSU storyline already - two potential high impact players that we have no idea how to project that could turn them into contenders. I really wonder how Izzo will handle a transfer PG…but what choice does he have?

I feel way better about Davis overachieving vs. his spot on the list than Bohannon.

5 Likes

Most curious to find out if Eli Brooks makes the list anywhere.

2 Likes

I don’t see a universe where he would end up ranked higher than Max Christie on any Top X player list. Could maaaaybe theoretically be more valuable from a program/intangibles perspective, but these kinds of list aren’t reallly willing to dive into that.

1 Like

I feel like most media will undervalue Brooks (and understandably so) but we have @umhoops who continues to prop how valuable he is to this team. If this list were coming from any other team site, I dont think he will be on it. Even if not selected, you would hope/assume that he would be on the “Also Considered” list.

Who other than HD do we feel super confident to be in the top 25 from Michigan? Caleb Houston probably. For a preseason top 10 team, I think there will be at least three Michigan guys and I guess it would come down to Brooks or Devante

2 Likes

Dylan would not have let Xavier Johnson get an also considered and not let Eli get that at least

1 Like

Eli was 24th in last year’s Big10 player rank on Bart Torvik’s site …

7 Likes

I can’t imagine he’s not on here. If you look at the All-B1G team from last year, by my count there were 26 players between 1st team and HM and 16 of them are gone. I can’t imagine saying that there are 10 returners/newcomers better than Brooks besides the 10 returning All B1G players. Especially since Christie (the highest non Michigan freshman) is already on the list. I’d imagine Brooks makes it in the next grouping of 16-20.

My bigger question is does Devante Jones make it. The national media has been really high on him at Michigan, but I feel like Dylan has been slightly more reserved and usually had him below Walker in terms of impact for next year. To me that means Jones may not be on here.

1 Like

Jones will be on here if Walker is. And again, he would have been HM if not

4 Likes

I don’t think the idea is he’ll be taking a less on ball role this year. I think it’s the opposite. Garza is leaving and he was option 1 and 2. Wieskamp was option 3. Don’t see how he’d be off ball more.

Though I think part of the sell was that he wouldn’t have to play PG which is probably what you’re talking about. so I guess in that sense he’s off ball but I imagine he’ll have a bigger offensive load than he’s had in a couple seasons

Just reading the tea leaves from various recent postings, I expect Hunter, Caleb and Devante to be in the top 20 and Eli will be left off the list. Eli is a highly valued piece of Michigan’s team, and arguably more important than Caleb or Devante to the team’s success. In my opinion though, Eli does not produce the type of stats that would push him into a list of top 25 players in the league.

5 Likes

Davis is one guy I like better when he’s on the bench, kid has a knack for the game.

1 Like

I’d pick Davis over Bohannon if I was building a team. Better at everything save some shooting.

2 Likes

13 I am confident are on the list:

Kofi
Dickinson
Liddell
Williams
TJD
Ivey
Curbelo
Keegan Murray
Houstan
Ron Harper
Sueing
Scott
Ayala

Pick 7 of these for 14-20:
Brooks
Jones
Frazier
Geo Baker
Nance
Pickett
Fatts
Diabate
Edey
Kyle Young
Audige
Kopp
Gabe Brown

3 Likes

Agreed on your 13. My plus 7 would be (not a prediction of what future articles will have):
Young
Frazier
Edey
Baker
Jones
Audige
Trey McGowens - not on your list

1 Like

You would have Chase Audige as a top 20 player in the B1G?

3 Likes

Haha that is the selection on my list that I like least… maybe I should give it a think and adjust. Who would you take?

Would definitely take Brooks over Audige. Would also take Nance as a Northwestern player. I’d rather deal with a guy like Brown than Audige on my team. Probably many others that weren’t listed (Stefanovic) - Audige is just such a disaster on offense. I really can’t imagine he ever crossed the mind of Dylan or the ITH guys.

This is a crime against basketball:

5 Likes

I would take nearly anyone over Audige. I don’t think he’d be in my top 40, you’d have to take Buie and Nance before him. Eli Brooks could do what he does if he wanted to