- Sep 13, 2002
- 95,649
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Always love this feature Seth Davis puts together. Here is the full link - I'm putting just the Big 10 section below:
Big Ten
Illinois: “They’re good, man. They have three guys who can go off and score, and that’s a great luxury. Kofi Cockburn is a load, and Ayo Dosunmu is probably the best scoring guard in the league. Trent Frazier is carrying a dagger. You have to double-team Cockburn and make him a passer. You can’t allow him inside position. Their weakness can be outside shooting at times. They play two big guys together, so it puts pressure on those guards to make shots. Iowa beat ’em by zoning ’em. Dosunmu is as good a penetrating guard as there is. They’re young, so it will be interesting to see how they handle being in the stretch of a conference race and the postseason for the first time. I love their chemistry and toughness.”
Indiana: “They haven’t shot the ball well. Teams are playing a ton of zone against them. They play like their lives depend on it when they’re home, but when they go on the road they look like a young team. The inconsistency of their guards has been a real challenge. You have to play Trayce Jackson-Davis real physical, try to take him away from going to his right shoulder. He is not a great outside shooter, so you have to push him off the block. He’s a tough shot maker. They usually play Joey Brunk and Jackson-Davis at the same time, so spacing can be an issue.”
Iowa: “They don’t guard you. About a third of the shots teams get against them are 3s. If you’re making them like Purdue did, then you can score on them pretty easily. They play predominantly zone to protect Luka Garza. Their whole mentality defensively is to confuse you. You have to double Garza to try to keep the ball out of his hands. You can do that when Joe Toussaint is in there because he’s a non-scorer. They have two very good wings in Joe Wieskamp and C.J. Fredrick but not great depth. They play with a lot more energy and confidence at home. You gotta hope the refs give you a tight whistle on Garza because that cat can beat you up. You can never relax on him.”
Maryland: “They’re the most talented team in our league, but frontcourt depth is a potential weakness. They’re an ankle sprain from having a major problem. Their lack of size could hurt them. There are nights when they don’t shoot the ball well. They’re averaging about 25 3s a game right now, so they better make ’em. How are they gonna manufacture points beyond Jalen Smith and Anthony Cowan? Smith is shooting it great from the 3-point line. Earlier in the season, he was mostly posting up. You have to go inside on Smith, if only to try to get him in foul trouble. They’re gonna guard you, now. You want to keep them out of transition and make them a jump-shooting team. They’re not the most physical team. They’re a little bit undersized. Cowan is so fast, you gotta try to keep him out of the paint. His dribble penetration leads to a lot of good stuff.”
Michigan: “They’re hard to figure out because I like some of their pieces. When Isaiah Livers was out, they didn’t know where their offense was coming from. Franz Wagner is very inconsistent. Jon Teske can be an effective scorer in the post, but he shoots a lot of perimeter jump shots. Zavier Simpson doesn’t scare you as a scorer. Look at what Luka Garza and Trevion Williams did to them. They’re not a great defensive team. You can go inside on them. You’ve gotta put Teske in ball screens. That’s where he’s a liability. They’re one of the best teams in the country in taking away 3s, but they’ll let you have a hundred 2s.”
Michigan State: “They’re good defensively, but last year they had older guys who knew how to play. They’re not very big and they don’t have physicality at the rim. They’re just not as imposing the way that they have been. I’m trying to figure out how they’re going to score from the perimeter beyond Cassius Winston. Aaron Henry is not a great shooter. Gabe Brown has made some 3s, but he hasn’t done that as much on the road. You gotta try and wear Winston out, make him use energy bringing the ball up the floor, and then you gotta try and make him defend. You want to keep them out of transition off that damn backboard.”
Minnesota: “They have two of the five best players in our league, but they have very little depth. They don’t have a backup point guard. Daniel Oturu might be the best pro prospect in our league, but they can’t afford for him ever to be out of the game. He doesn’t play angry enough sometimes. I don’t know if he’s too nice or what, but when he’s playing with that edge he’s the best big man in the conference. They need to get more consistent shooting from Gabe Kalscheur. Marcus Carr has emerged as one of the best point guards in the league. They’re pretty good defensively, not bad. Oturu gives them a shot-blocking presence.”
Ohio State: “They seem to have a lot of good parts, but it’s been a struggle to find the right chemistry. The loss of D.J. Carton hurts. He’s one of the best freshmen in the league. It seems from game to game that they haven’t had the consistent production from the guys they need. Their problem is offensive imbalance. Kaleb Wesson is solid and he has done a great job expanding his game, but where’s the rest of their scoring coming from? They’ve got a bunch of glue guys. Duane Washington should score more than he does, but he’s not very assertive. Their defense is very strong because of their toughness and their mental discipline.”
Penn State: “They have a chip on their shoulder, and they have swagger. They play with a real attitude. You better slug them on the first play of the game. They have a guy who can singlehandedly beat you in Lamar Stevens. He can make big shots in big moments. He is hard to guard because he’s not a great 3-point shooter but he thinks it’s going in, which is half the battle. He can overpower a smaller defender. You don’t have to worry about guarding their inside guys. They have some phenomenal long-range shooters in Curtis Jones and Myreon Jones. They do a point guard by committee. Jamari Wheeler tries to play real fast, but he can’t shoot. I do wonder if they have enough skill to get to the second weekend.”
Purdue: “They’re another team where scoring can be an issue. They lack that one go-to guy they had with Carsen Edwards. They’re scary because they’re starting to play better. Before they were solely reliant on Trevion Williams and Sasha Stefanovic to score. Now they’re starting to get more from Evan Boudreaux and Jahaad Proctor. They have the craziest swings between home and road that I’ve seen in years. I don’t know how to explain it. You’ve gotta be physical with Williams. He needs to slow it down when he gets into the post because when he goes too fast he gets his feet caught up. Purdue is always going to bring the defense.”
Rutgers: “They’re a perfect example of the whole being greater than their parts. They’re not the most gifted team. They’re very tough, they’re deep and they guard you. They’re a little thin up front. Ron Harper is big and physical, but he can be a little inconsistent. Akwasi Yeboah is having a phenomenal year. The test will be if they get into a big game in the postseason, will they have that one guy who will be able to close things out. Harper is probably their go-to guy, but the other players have all had their moments. Myles Johnson is raw at center but he can be productive. They know they’re playing nine strong, and everyone is committed to that. They recover way more than 50 percent of the 50-50 balls. So you better lace up your shoes tight. Their main weakness is how young they are. They don’t lose at home, but they’re 1-7 in neutral and road games. Well, there are no home games in the NCAA Tournament.”
Wisconsin: “They have nobody to generate offense for anyone else. It all has to come from their system. D’Mitrik Trice is a combination guard who’s not a great athlete. Everything is one speed with the ball. If you leave him open he’ll make a shot, but he doesn’t make anyone better. Depth is one of their weaknesses. They struggle defensively. They’re another team that doesn’t play with the same energy on the road. It’s hard to tell what losing Kobe King will mean for them because I’m not in their locker room. But from a basketball standpoint, I can’t imagine them not missing him. Brad Davison makes up for whatever he lacks physically by playing hard and doing all the extra stuff. I respect guys who put a hard hat on.”
Big Ten
Illinois: “They’re good, man. They have three guys who can go off and score, and that’s a great luxury. Kofi Cockburn is a load, and Ayo Dosunmu is probably the best scoring guard in the league. Trent Frazier is carrying a dagger. You have to double-team Cockburn and make him a passer. You can’t allow him inside position. Their weakness can be outside shooting at times. They play two big guys together, so it puts pressure on those guards to make shots. Iowa beat ’em by zoning ’em. Dosunmu is as good a penetrating guard as there is. They’re young, so it will be interesting to see how they handle being in the stretch of a conference race and the postseason for the first time. I love their chemistry and toughness.”
Indiana: “They haven’t shot the ball well. Teams are playing a ton of zone against them. They play like their lives depend on it when they’re home, but when they go on the road they look like a young team. The inconsistency of their guards has been a real challenge. You have to play Trayce Jackson-Davis real physical, try to take him away from going to his right shoulder. He is not a great outside shooter, so you have to push him off the block. He’s a tough shot maker. They usually play Joey Brunk and Jackson-Davis at the same time, so spacing can be an issue.”
Iowa: “They don’t guard you. About a third of the shots teams get against them are 3s. If you’re making them like Purdue did, then you can score on them pretty easily. They play predominantly zone to protect Luka Garza. Their whole mentality defensively is to confuse you. You have to double Garza to try to keep the ball out of his hands. You can do that when Joe Toussaint is in there because he’s a non-scorer. They have two very good wings in Joe Wieskamp and C.J. Fredrick but not great depth. They play with a lot more energy and confidence at home. You gotta hope the refs give you a tight whistle on Garza because that cat can beat you up. You can never relax on him.”
Maryland: “They’re the most talented team in our league, but frontcourt depth is a potential weakness. They’re an ankle sprain from having a major problem. Their lack of size could hurt them. There are nights when they don’t shoot the ball well. They’re averaging about 25 3s a game right now, so they better make ’em. How are they gonna manufacture points beyond Jalen Smith and Anthony Cowan? Smith is shooting it great from the 3-point line. Earlier in the season, he was mostly posting up. You have to go inside on Smith, if only to try to get him in foul trouble. They’re gonna guard you, now. You want to keep them out of transition and make them a jump-shooting team. They’re not the most physical team. They’re a little bit undersized. Cowan is so fast, you gotta try to keep him out of the paint. His dribble penetration leads to a lot of good stuff.”
Michigan: “They’re hard to figure out because I like some of their pieces. When Isaiah Livers was out, they didn’t know where their offense was coming from. Franz Wagner is very inconsistent. Jon Teske can be an effective scorer in the post, but he shoots a lot of perimeter jump shots. Zavier Simpson doesn’t scare you as a scorer. Look at what Luka Garza and Trevion Williams did to them. They’re not a great defensive team. You can go inside on them. You’ve gotta put Teske in ball screens. That’s where he’s a liability. They’re one of the best teams in the country in taking away 3s, but they’ll let you have a hundred 2s.”
Michigan State: “They’re good defensively, but last year they had older guys who knew how to play. They’re not very big and they don’t have physicality at the rim. They’re just not as imposing the way that they have been. I’m trying to figure out how they’re going to score from the perimeter beyond Cassius Winston. Aaron Henry is not a great shooter. Gabe Brown has made some 3s, but he hasn’t done that as much on the road. You gotta try and wear Winston out, make him use energy bringing the ball up the floor, and then you gotta try and make him defend. You want to keep them out of transition off that damn backboard.”
Minnesota: “They have two of the five best players in our league, but they have very little depth. They don’t have a backup point guard. Daniel Oturu might be the best pro prospect in our league, but they can’t afford for him ever to be out of the game. He doesn’t play angry enough sometimes. I don’t know if he’s too nice or what, but when he’s playing with that edge he’s the best big man in the conference. They need to get more consistent shooting from Gabe Kalscheur. Marcus Carr has emerged as one of the best point guards in the league. They’re pretty good defensively, not bad. Oturu gives them a shot-blocking presence.”
Ohio State: “They seem to have a lot of good parts, but it’s been a struggle to find the right chemistry. The loss of D.J. Carton hurts. He’s one of the best freshmen in the league. It seems from game to game that they haven’t had the consistent production from the guys they need. Their problem is offensive imbalance. Kaleb Wesson is solid and he has done a great job expanding his game, but where’s the rest of their scoring coming from? They’ve got a bunch of glue guys. Duane Washington should score more than he does, but he’s not very assertive. Their defense is very strong because of their toughness and their mental discipline.”
Penn State: “They have a chip on their shoulder, and they have swagger. They play with a real attitude. You better slug them on the first play of the game. They have a guy who can singlehandedly beat you in Lamar Stevens. He can make big shots in big moments. He is hard to guard because he’s not a great 3-point shooter but he thinks it’s going in, which is half the battle. He can overpower a smaller defender. You don’t have to worry about guarding their inside guys. They have some phenomenal long-range shooters in Curtis Jones and Myreon Jones. They do a point guard by committee. Jamari Wheeler tries to play real fast, but he can’t shoot. I do wonder if they have enough skill to get to the second weekend.”
Purdue: “They’re another team where scoring can be an issue. They lack that one go-to guy they had with Carsen Edwards. They’re scary because they’re starting to play better. Before they were solely reliant on Trevion Williams and Sasha Stefanovic to score. Now they’re starting to get more from Evan Boudreaux and Jahaad Proctor. They have the craziest swings between home and road that I’ve seen in years. I don’t know how to explain it. You’ve gotta be physical with Williams. He needs to slow it down when he gets into the post because when he goes too fast he gets his feet caught up. Purdue is always going to bring the defense.”
Rutgers: “They’re a perfect example of the whole being greater than their parts. They’re not the most gifted team. They’re very tough, they’re deep and they guard you. They’re a little thin up front. Ron Harper is big and physical, but he can be a little inconsistent. Akwasi Yeboah is having a phenomenal year. The test will be if they get into a big game in the postseason, will they have that one guy who will be able to close things out. Harper is probably their go-to guy, but the other players have all had their moments. Myles Johnson is raw at center but he can be productive. They know they’re playing nine strong, and everyone is committed to that. They recover way more than 50 percent of the 50-50 balls. So you better lace up your shoes tight. Their main weakness is how young they are. They don’t lose at home, but they’re 1-7 in neutral and road games. Well, there are no home games in the NCAA Tournament.”
Wisconsin: “They have nobody to generate offense for anyone else. It all has to come from their system. D’Mitrik Trice is a combination guard who’s not a great athlete. Everything is one speed with the ball. If you leave him open he’ll make a shot, but he doesn’t make anyone better. Depth is one of their weaknesses. They struggle defensively. They’re another team that doesn’t play with the same energy on the road. It’s hard to tell what losing Kobe King will mean for them because I’m not in their locker room. But from a basketball standpoint, I can’t imagine them not missing him. Brad Davison makes up for whatever he lacks physically by playing hard and doing all the extra stuff. I respect guys who put a hard hat on.”
