The third annual Big Ten Basketball Challenge began their draft on Halloween morning, but unlike the previous two years the draft was held online through the FCBL Zone (home of the Big Chief Challenge). By doing the draft, as well as running the league online, this allows the previous commissioner (myself) to not have to handwrite and keep track of statistics after every contest. This should allow more time for me to research players, write my articles, and of course become the three-time champion of this league. But before I am anointed as the top dog once again, let me explain the rules of the league.
There are ten people involved in the fantasy league this season, as opposed to eight the previous two years. Garrett and Peter decided to come back to the league after taking last season off. Casey, Mark, Paul, Dennis, and myself are three-year veterans of the league, while Jake, Pat, and Brian were new additions last year. There were ten rounds to the draft. For a 12-team conference, this means that over eight players per Big Ten team were selected on average. By the later rounds of the draft, pickings were definitely looking slim. While a draft may not be won in the first round, it can be won during the later rounds if you get a steal of a pick.
Points, rebounds, and assists are the three categories taken into account here. Each team starts six players per week: two guards, two forwards, one center, and one utility player. Of the starting six, one must be a freshman. In past years, all ten players on your team would start each week with no freshman or position requirements. Freshman and centers are definitely the two toughest players to pick. Freshmen are difficult to select because it is hard to tell which of them will be impact players and whether they will receive playing time, regardless of how highly they were recruited. Centers are tough because not that many people are listed as centers, even if some guys play the "5" position enough. Overall, the draft ran smoothly and finished early Friday, four days after it started. I for one am incredibly ready for college basketball to start and keeping tabs on this will make the season just that much more entertaining.
I'll review the first five rounds today and save the scraps in the last five rounds for tomorrow.
Round 1
pluczak: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, F/C, SO
jtsteve57: John Shurna, Northwestern, F, SR
caseycuri1992 Jordan Taylor Wisconsin, G, SR
illinifan1: Draymond Green, Michigan State, F, SR
deltamack: Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota, F, SR
thedynastypart2: William Buford, Ohio State, G, SR
bmac75550: Christian Watford, Indiana, F, JR
pjreinke: Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan, G, SO
dterdy: Bryce Cartwright, Iowa, G, SR
gstalker17: Verdell Jones III, Indiana, G, SR
Paul was the lucky winner of the Big Ten Fantasy Draft lottery. With a randomly selected draft order, the top overall pick was a given. Paul selected Sullinger, who is not only the Big Ten's best player, but the nation's top returning player as well. It will be interesting to see how a slimmed down Sullinger plays this year and if his playing style changes much. Jake then selected our hometown favorite with Shurna. Nine of the ten members of our fantasy league (sorry Pete) are from the fine town of Glen Ellyn, IL where Shurna was also raised and played hoops with all of us. Shurna will try to lead Northwestern to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance this season and should be one of the top scorers in the conference once again. Casey then selected Preseason All-American Taylor with the third overall pick. With the loss of Jon Leuer, Taylor is going to shoot and shoot a lot this year. He will still find a way to grab rebounds dish out assists too. I took the ultimate stat sheet stuffer at #4 in Green, the "Dancing Bear." Green will try to get MSU back on track after a first round loss in March Madness last year. Green had been to back-to-back Final Fours during his first two years in East Lansing. Double-double machine Mbakwe went next. Although he won't help at all with assists, Mbakwe will consistently give you double figures in both scoring and rebounding. Silky smooth senior William Buford was the second Buckeye player to get chosen. Buford contributes in all three categories and will likely have a bigger role on Ohio State this year with the losses of David Lighty and Jon Diebler. Last year's runner up, Brian, took Watford with his first selection. Watford's numbers may take a hit this year with Cody Zeller's entrance to Bloomington, which will be worth keeping an eye on. Next, Pat took Hardaway Jr., who becomes the go-to-guy for Michigan now that Darius Morris left school early for the NBA. Cartwright can also contribute in all three categories. Although he will be near the top of the league in assists once again, he does need to cut down on his turnovers for Iowa to improve. Speaking of turnovers, Jones III was the final pick of the last round, courtesy of Garrett. While Verdell can also score and rebound for a guard, he is a defensive liability and does not take care of the ball well.
Round 2
gstalker17: Drew Crawford, Northwestern, G/F, JR
dterdy: Ralph Sampson III, Minnesota, F/C, SR
pjreinke: Melsahn Basabe, Iowa, F, SO
bmac75550: Matt Gatens, Iowa, G, SR
thedynastypart2: Cody Zeller, Indiana, F, FR
deltamack: Brian Diaz, Nebraska, C, JR
illinifan1: Aaron Craft , Ohio State, G , SO
caseycuri1992: Zack Novak, Michigan, G, SR
jtsteve57: Jordan Morgan, Michigan, F, SO
pluczak: Luka Mirkovic, Northwestern, F/C , SR
Naperville, IL native Crawford was the first pick of the second round. Crawford needs to become a consistent second scorer for the Wildcats to become successful in reaching their goal of the NCAA Tournament. Sampson III went next, becoming the second Minnesota post player selected. Sampson III and Mbakwe are as dangerous a frontcourt as anyone in the Big Ten, but will their guards be able to get them the ball? After Sampson III, Pat took a personal favorite of mine with Basabe. Although Basabe only stands 6-foot-7, he can guard much taller players since he has a huge winspan and is also one of the better athletes in the Big Ten. Incredibly a third Iowa player was taken in the first 14 picks, this time in the form of Gatens. Brian may be biased here since he goes to Iowa, but Gatens has been one of the non-flashiest consistent players over the past three seasons in the league. Pete then decided that it was time for the first freshman to be selected in the draft. Not surprisingly, Zeller was that freshman. He will see immediate playing time for IU, who lacks any other low post player. Mark decided that centers were running low too and didn't want to risk waiting another round for one, so he took the first ever Nebraska player to be selected in one of our drafts. Diaz was the fourth best center pre-draft, making this a wise move. One thing that Perry has taught me is to not overvalue points and not to undervalue assists. Points, rebounds, and assists are the three categories. Each category is worth one point, meaning none are more important than the other. I took who I think will be the Big Ten's leading assist man with Craft. Craft will start this season for Ohio State, after being the team's sixth man last year. Casey selected Novak, who he has similar hair to, for his second pick. Novak is one of the league's best defenders and rebounders for his size. He also has a smooth lefty stroke from deep. Getting past the first weekend of NCAA Tournament would be a great goal for Novak, who has twice been knocked out of the second round in his time at Michigan. Jake drafted Morgan, who could be bound for a breakout season, with his second pick. Paul concluded the second round by taking Serbian-born Mirkovic. Mirkovic does not grab as many rebounds as most centers, but he does dish out more assists and is given the opportunity to do so because of the Princeton Offense that NU uses. This was also the second center that Paul drafted, giving him two of the top five in the conference.
Round 3
pluczak: Jordan Hulls, Indiana, G, JR
jtsteve57: Robbie Hummel, Purdue, F, SR
caseycuri1992: Branden Dawson, Michigan State, F , FR
illinifan1: Tim Frazier, Penn State, G, JR
deltamack: Lewis Jackson, Purdue, G, SR
thedynastypart2: Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State, F, SO
bmac75550: Brandon Paul, Illinois, G, JR
pjreinke: Toney McCray, Nebraska, G/F. SR
dterdy: Shannon Scott, Ohio State, G, FR
gstalker17: Rodney Williams, Minnesota, F, JR
The fourth Hoosier of the draft was taken with the first pick of the third round, in the form of the hometown kid Jordan Hulls. Hulls is a good outside shooter, but isn't a big rebounder by any means. Jake stole my next pick by selecting Hummel. Since Hummel did not play last year due to injury, his statistics were not in the draft system. I figured that I could wait until the third round to grab Hummel, despite the fact that he is a Preseason All-Big Ten selection. I was wrong, and although Hummel may not be the player he once was, he will be Purdue's go-to-guy on offense without a doubt. This was also the third forward that Jake selected, making him loaded at that position. Casey was next to jump on the freshman bandwagon and took stud freshman Dawson, who will play alongside Green at forward for MSU. Dawson will more than likely start immediately for the Spartans this year. I added another assist man when I took the first Nittany Lion of the draft. Frazier will be Penn State's all-purpose player this year and is the team's only returning starter. Like Green, Frazier is a triple-double waiting to happen despite only standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 170 pounds. Mark decided to take another miniature player, but in the form of 5-foot-9 Lewis Jackson. Jackson will be a nice complementary player to Hummel this year for the Boilermakers. Pete took his second Buckeye of the draft with Thomas, an instant-offense forward that isn't afraid to shoot. Thomas saw limited action last season but will play big minutes this year for the third-ranked Buckeyes. Brian took the first Fighting Illini player next with Paul, who suddenly becomes Illinois' best player. Paul has shown flashes of greatness during his first two years in Champaign, but needs to become more consistent for a young Illini squad this year. Pat took the second Cornhusker of the draft with McCray, followed by Dennis' pick of Scott afterwards. It's tough to determine how much Scott will really play this year since Thad Matta usually does not play a deep bench. High-flyer Williams was the final selection of Round 3, thanks to Garrett. Williams was once thought to be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft but has yet to show any consistency in his game, besides his highlight reel dunks.
Round 4
gstalker17: Andre Almeida, Nebraska, C, SR
dterdy: Josh Gasser, Wisconsin, G, SO
pjreinke: Patrick Ackerman, Penn State, C, FR
bmac75550: Sam Thompson, Ohio State, F, FR
thedynastypart2: Meyers Leonard, Illinois, C , SO
deltamack: Trey Burke, Michigan, G, FR
illinifan1: Mike Bruesewitz, Wisconsin, F, JR
caseycuri1992: Adreian Payne, Michigan State, F/C, SO
jtsteve57: Amir Williams, Ohio State, C, FR
pluczak: JerShon Cobb, Northwestern, G, SO
Nebraska's backup center, Almeida was selected with the first pick of fourth round. Although he had the best statistics last year of any center left on the board, that does not take into account that some of the younger centers will now become starters this year. Dennis took the sophomore Gasser with his fourth round pick. Gasser had a triple-double last year against Northwestern, but will have a bigger role in the offense this year for the Badgers. Pat took advice that I had given to him about another draft I participated in, and tried to kill two birds with one stone. As I mentioned before, freshman and centers are the toughest players to come by. Ackerman is both a freshman and center, but the only question is how much will he play? That will be found out early in the season. Brian was the next to take an Ohio State freshman, in the form of Thompson. Once again, it's tough to say how much he will play since Matta uses such a small rotation of players. Pete took dunk machine Leonard next. Leonard was used sparingly last season, playing behind Mike Tisdale, but somehow accumulated more dunks than he did non-dunk field goals last year. Leonard will see big minutes this year down low for Bruce Weber's team. Mark took the heir to Darius Morris in the middle of Round 4. Burke is a natural point guard, something the Wolverines need in their heavy three-point shooting offense. I selected Mike "Bruiser" Bruesewitz next. Many believe that he will join Deshaun Thomas as the two most improved players in the Big Ten this season. Bruesewitz may not be the most skilled player, but he plays hard on both ends of the court and defines what it means to be a Bo Ryan-coached player. Casey took the last good center option of the draft when he chose Payne. Adreian will see a huge increase in playing time this year with the retirement of Delvon Roe. Payne is raw but is ultra athletic and could have a big sophomore year. Jake may also be using the kill-two-birds-with-one-stone-method that Pat utilized earlier in the round, by selecting Williams. How much Jared Sullinger plays the center position, as opposed to power forward, will determine the amount of playing time Williams sees. If Williams can play like Dallas "Fort" Lauderdale did for them last season, then he would be giving them plenty. Another Northwestern player was selected here, the final pick of the fourth round. Cobb had a good freshman season when healthy, but will have a bigger role in the backcourt this year with the loss of Michael "Juice" Thompson to graduation.
Round 5
pluczak: D.J. Richardson, Illinois, G, JR
jtsteve57: Ryne Smith, Purdue, G, SR
caseycuri1992: Stu Douglass, Michigan, G, SR
illinifan1: Alex Marcotullio, Northwestern, G, JR
deltamack: Keith Appling, Michigan State, G, SO
thedynastypart2: Sam Maniscalco, Illinois, G, SR
bmac75550: Frank Kaminsky , Wisconsin, C, FR
pjreinke: Victor Oladipo, Indiana, G, SO
dterdy: Evan Smotrycz, Michigan, F, SO
gstalker17: Nnanna Egwu, Illinois, F, FR
Last December I made my first basketball jersey purchase in years. I am a lifelong Illinois fan, but have never owned an Illini jersey. So while my friend bought a #22 Jereme Richmond jersey, I decided to snag a #1 D.J. Richardson jersey. Unlike Richmond, Richardson is not in jail and is still in the Champaign-Urbana area. But after I bought that jersey, Richardson, the former Big Ten Freshman of the Year, went in a shooting slump that lasted the rest of the season and definitely messed with his confidence. Paul nonetheless selected one of Illinois' top offensive options, who I believe will have a bounce back year. Jake took another shooter, by taking Smith. Smith can contribute in the points category, but won't rebound and dish out many assists. Apparently Round 5 is when all the three-point shooters get taken though, as Casey drafted senior Douglas from Michigan. Douglass is similar to the two player mentioned above, but is easily my favorite of the three because he plays hard defensively and has a deceiving vertical. Potential Northwestern point guard Marcotullio was my next choice. Marcotullio has come off the NU bench the past two years and may even this year, but the hot finish he had to last year coupled with his overseas experience playing for Great Britain's U20 team made him an obvious pick to me here. Mark took Appling, a sophomore who has big shoes to fill after losing Kalin Lucas to graduation. Appling is also a shooter/scorer, but will need to add some assists as well this year. Pete became the second person in the draft to take someone who sat out last year, when he drafted Maniscalco, a transfer from Bradley. Maniscalco will more than likely start at point guard in his one season playing for Illinois. The increased competition level from the Missouri Valley to the Big Ten is worth noting when looking at Maniscalco's previous statistics, although two years ago the Braves knocked off the Fighting Illini in a Thanksgiving weekend tournament. Brian took Kaminsky, whom half the members in our league played against during grade school. Kaminsky may have trouble finding playing time, at least for this season. Pat took a fellow Hoosier when he drafted Oladipo fifth. Oladipo will see more playing time this season with Maurice Creek out once again. Dennis took Smotrycz, or the poor man's Kevin Pittsnoggle next. Despite having height, Smotrycz primarily plays on the perimeter launching three-pointers. Garrett officially marked the midway point of the draft when he took Nigerian-born Egwu. Egwu would have much more value if he were listed at center, which could be argued, but could nonetheless be a nice and necessary surprise for the Fighting Illini.