Yesterday we looked at the top five rounds of my recently completed Big Ten Basketball Challenge Draft. Today, we will look at the scraps that were drafted in the later rounds. A contributor in any of these rounds will help a team (hopefully, mine) win the challenge. Let's take a look at some deep sleepers.
Round 6
gstalker17: Eric May, Iowa, G, JR
dterdy: D.J. Byrd, Purdue, G/F, JR
pjreinke: Jacob Lawson, Purdue, F, FR
bmac75550: Caleb Walker, Nebraska, G, SR
thedynastypart2: Derrick Nix, Michigan State, C, JR
deltamack: Kelsey Barlow, Purdue, G/F, JR
illinifan1: Brandon Wood, Michigan State, G, SR
caseycuri1992: Zach McCabe, Iowa, F, SO
jtsteve57: Carlton Brundidge, Michigan, G, FR
pluczak: Brandon Richardson, Nebraska, G, SR
After a solid freshman campaign and an up-and-down sophomore year, May was an intriguing pick to start the second half of the draft off with. Like D.J. Richardson, I am anticipating an improved junior season for May, who could very well be listed as a forward as well. Dennis (D.J.) selected D.J. Byrd next. I have high hopes for Byrd and think he could be the third best player on the Boilermakers, although he has not started in their exhibition games. He is a hard-nosed player who usually plays forward, although he is somewhat undersized. Pat then took his second freshman, Lawson. I wouldn't count on playing time for this freshman since Purdue seems to have an endless list of role players on their roster. Another unknown player to me was selected next. Walker played for Nebraska last year, but to be honest I know little about their program. I sure will be learning about them in the near future though. Pete took a new-and-improved Nix with his sixth pick, giving him a second center. Nix slimmed down in the offseason after having trouble with his weight during his first two years wearing the Spartan uniform. Nix and Payne will share the minutes at the center position for Tom Izzo's crew. Mark took the third Purdue player of the round with Barlow. Barlow and Byrd would take turns guarding the other team's best player last season, rarely seeing the floor at the same time. This could be the case again this year, although hopefully Barlow does not get suspended at the end of the season once again. I took my fourth guard of the draft when I picked up Valparaiso-transfer Wood. Wood will play alongside Appling in the MSU backcourt as it stands now and could be a steal at this point in the draft. Casey drafted the fifth Iowa player when he selected McCabe here. It is unclear whether McCabe will start or not, but he should receive enough playing time to warrant starting him at least for certain weeks. Jake and Paul continued to make the sixth round for me to comment on with their picks of Brundidge and Richardson. Brundidge is a freshman, while Richardson is a Nebraska player, which appears to be my two weak links as far as my Big Ten Basketball knowledge goes.
Round 7
pluczak: Derek Elston Indiana , F, JR
jtsteve57: Terone Johnson, Purdue, G, SO
caseycuri1992: Brandon Ubel , Nebraska, F, JR
illinifan1: Jared Berggren, Wisconsin, F/C, JR
deltamack: Billy Oliver, Penn State, F, SO
thedynastypart2: Andre Hollins, Minnesota, G, FR
bmac75550: Roy Marble, Iowa, G, SO
pjreinke: Peter Alexis, Penn State, C, FR
dterdy: Evan Anderson, Wisconsin, C, FR
gstalker17: Davide Curletti, Northwestern, F/C, SR
Paul selected one of my least favorite players in the conference when he picked up Elston here. Elston pulled a cheap shot on Marcotullio (a member of my team) last season, and I've had it out against him ever since. The addition of Zeller will hurt his playing time. Jake took his third Boilermaker here with Johnson, who can be used interchangeably with Ryne Smith for fantasy purposes. Casey grabbed a Nebraska starting forward in Ubel, leaving him the choice between starting Ubel or McCabe in his other forward slot. I decided it was time to draft a center at this point in the draft, even though I had yet to draft a freshman either. Bergrren has not played much in his first two seasons in Madison, but will see the floor much more this year with loss of Keaton Nankivil. As it stands, Berggren won't start for my team but that could change as I'll explain later. Mark took the third Penn State player with his next pick, with the fourth year sophomore Oliver. Oliver is a decent shooter for a big man and will start by default for the Nittany Lions, who are predicted to finish last in the Big Ten. Oliver could turn out to be a decent pick at this juncture of the draft though. Pete took Hollins, who is not related to fellow Minnesota guard Austin Hollins in Round 7. Andre could see immediate playing time in a thin Golden Gopher backcourt, making this a great pick. Brian took another fellow Hawkeye in Marble, whose father is one of Iowa basketball's greatest players. Pat decided that one Penn State freshman wasn't enough, so he took Alexis here. I may have given him bad advice in the kill-two-birds-with-one-stone-method, since Ackerman and Alexis combined to play one minute in Penn State's exhibition win over Slippery Rock. If neither play early in the season, offering trades or picking up the best available center may be in his best interest. Here is my public apology for my potentially bad advice, although I took my own advice as well to be fair. Dennis took the third Wisconsin center of the draft with Anderson, whose playing time is unknown at this point. Garrett took Northwestern backup center Curletti to end the seventh round. Curletti's second half of his junior year was very promising and he even played in some end of game situations ahead of Mirkovic. If those two senior centers can figure it out this season, Northwestern will be in very good shape.
Round 8
gstalker17: Maurice Walker, Minnesota, C, SO
dterdy: Tom Pritchard Indiana, F, SR
pjreinke: Will Sheehey, Indiana, G/F, SO
bmac75550: Austin Hollins, Minnesota, G, SO
thedynastypart2: Tyler Griffey, Illinois, F, JR
deltamack: Travis Carroll, Purdue, F, SO
illinifan1: Mike Shaw, Illinois, F, FR
caseycuri1992: Chip Armelin, Minnesota, G, SO
jtsteve57: Trey McDonald, Ohio State, C, FR
pluczak: Dwaun Anderson, Michigan State, G, FR
Apparently everyone wanted backup centers at this point in the draft, as Garrett grabbed another after Curletti by taking Walker. Walker played well to start his freshman season but had a season-ending injury early on. He will play behind Sampson III and Mbakwe, so his playing time could be somewhat limited. Dennis took Pritchard for his eighth selection. Pritchard peaked during his freshman season and for whatever reason has not been the same player since then. Sheehey was the next Hoosier selected. This is a good pick, mainly because he can be played at both the guard and forward position. The other Hollins, Austin was picked fourth in Round 8. He could very well be playing alongside the other Hollins in the backcourt, making Minnesota very young at the guard positions. Pete decided that one Illinois frontline player wasn't enough, so he grabbed Griffey giving him our starting power forward and center. Griffey's playing time has been rare during the first half of his career, but will need to play more physically this year in order to keep his starting job. Mark took Carroll who could see time playing the "5" for an undersized Purdue roster. I then took Shaw, my first freshman selection. Little did I know that Shaw's stay on my team would be short-lived. Casey took another candidate for the Golden Gopher backcourt with the left-handed Armelin. Jake then stole another player from me, this time it was McDonald. McDonald is a freshman center and like Pat, Jake drafted two freshman centers from the same team. Whether this plan works out for either of them is unknown at this point. As soon as McDonald was drafted here, Mark and I got into some trade talk. Anyways, Paul finished Round 8 by selecting Anderson, yet another freshman who has since left the Spartans and enrolled at Wagner. At this point in the draft, I was shocked at how many freshman and centers had been taken to be frank.
Round 9
pluczak: Andrew Brommer, Iowa, F, SR
jtsteve57: Ryan Evans Wisconsin, G/F, JR
caseycuri1992: Christopher Niemann, Nebraska, C, JR
illinifan1: Tre Demps, Northwestern, G, FR
deltamack: Ibrahima Djimde, Illinois, C, FR
thedynastypart2: Anthony Johnson, Purdue, G, FR
bmac75550: Austin Thornton, Michigan State, G/F, SR
pjreinke: Matt Vogrich, Michigan, G, JR
dterdy: John Hart, Purdue, G, JR
gstalker17: Jared Uthoff, Wisconsin, F, FR
Paul took Brommer after Anderson. Brommer could see minutes in the Iowa frontcourt, depending on whether Fran McCaffrey is opposed to playing a small lineup with Basabe at the "5." Jake took Evans, who definitely has potential at the guard/forward flex position. Yet another Nebraska center was taken next, this time being Niemann which allowed me to set up my trade scenario perfectly. I selected Demps for my team, who could very well be competing with Marcotullio, another member of my squad, for the Northwestern starting point guard position. Mark then took Ibrahima Djimde, who is from Mali. This is where the trade went down. I later gave Mark Mike Shaw for Djimde, a trade containing two Illinois freshmen. While Shaw will receive more playing time than Djimde, Shaw is not listed as a center and I needed my freshman center. Unfortunately I may have waited too long in the draft to do so, since Djimde might not see the floor much early on. Nonetheless, I will use him in my starting lineup until both Demps and Berggren prove that they would form a better starting lineup, likely knocking Marcotullio and Djimde out of my starting six. The second Johnson from Purdue went next, this time being Anthony. He redshirted last season, so at least this season he will be allowed to get playing time if Matt Painter so chooses to do so. Brian took Thornton next, who should see decent playing time off Izzo's bench. Although his numbers are not gaudy, Thornton plays hard and can help his team. Pat took Vogrich after this, adding to the Michigan sharpshooter count. Dennis added to the Purdue guard tracker by taking Hart, while Garrett concluded the second-to-last round by taking Uthoff, a freshman who could see time for the Badgers.
Round 10
gstalker17: Rayes Gallegos, Nebraska, G, JR
dterdy: Jon Horford, Michigan, F, SO
pjreinke: Jordan Sibert, Ohio State, G, SO
bmac75550: Crandall Head, Illinois, G, SO
thedynastypart2: Rob Wilson, Wisconsin, G/F, SR
deltamack: Tracy Abrams, Illinois, G, FR
illinifan1: Bo Spencer Nebraska, G, SR
caseycuri1992: Jermaine Marshall, Penn State, G, SO
jtsteve57: Devon Archie, Iowa, F, SR
pluczak: Matt Roth, Indiana, G, SR
By the time the final round started, half of the members of the league had their "autodraft" feature on, hoping that would end the draft sooner. Garrett started the trend by taking Gallegos, a Nebraska player that I won't sit here and make up stuff to you about. Dennis took Horford, who is the younger brother of the Atlanta Hawks Al Horford. Pat may have gotten a steal with Sibert here, depending on who the Buckeye's fifth starter is. Brian took another NBA player's brother when he selected Crandall Head, whose older brother Luther was part of the Fighting Illini's 2005 National Runner-Up team. Crandall is suspended for the first two regular season games for violating team code. Pete added Rob Wilson, while Mark selected the fourth Illini freshman of the draft. Fortunately for Mark, who also has Shaw on his team, Abrams may be the best of the bunch. I then drafted who I thought to be a steal with pick #97. Former LSU standout Bo Spencer is now on Nebraska, although I've heard little about him since transferring. Nonetheless, the reward of drafting Spencer here is much greater than the risk. Casey took Marshall, who is currently injured with his final selection. Jake polished his roster off with Archie, while Paul's selection of long-distance shooter Roth ended the third annual draft.
Analysis of Teams:
Paul: Mirkovic and Sullinger may be the only solidified starters for his lineup. Either Elston or Brommer must take the second forward slot, which will not produce much. Starting Anderson at utility may also not offer much production, leaving two guard slots for the combination of the Richardsons, Hulls, and Cobb. Aside from Sullinger, there isn't much rebounding. No true point guards on the team either means that assists will be tough to come by. Could be a good scoring team if D.J. Richardson and Hulls both find their stroke this season.
Jake: Definitely set at the forward/utility spot by drafting Shurna, Morgan, and Hummel in the first three rounds, respectively. The Ohio State freshman center combination could be dangerous, since Sullinger can easily play that position instead. Backcourt also looks slim with two Purdue guards not named Lewis Jackson, along with Ryan Evans who could be a sleeper pick. Both Terone Johnson and Ryne Smith can shoot though, and along with the three forwards this team could score some points. All three forwards are adequate rebounders, but assists may also be lacking on this squad without any point guards on it.
Casey: "Taylor's Gang" contains a Michigan backcourt and a Michigan frontcourt. You know what to expect from Douglass and Novak, they will be consistent but not drop huge numbers. You don't know what to expect from Dawson and Payne though. If the two of them combine for a good season, this team could contend. Having an All-American in Jordan Taylor never hurts either. Points and rebounds should be this teams strong suites, while yet another team will struggle to dish out assists. Taylor is his team's only point guard, and he will be looking to score more this season. Getting production from McCabe or Ubel is necessary out of the other forward slot.
Ryan: Here is where I explain to you why my team, the "Dancing Bears," will three-peat in the Big Ten Challenge. Although I am basically not expecting any production from my center position to start, that could change if both Bergrren and Demps play well. In that case, Demps could fulfill the utility position, while Bergrren takes over for Ibby at center and I would still have a freshman starter. Green and Bruesewitz combine for the second best forward combination of players, behind Jake's team. And any one of my six guards could start for almost anyone else's team. Craft, Frazier, and Marcotullio are the opening day starters, but Spencer and Wood could easily fill in for any of them. Unlike every other team so far, my team could dominate in assists and be more than adequate in rebounds. They may struggle to score points depending on what lineup I put out there though.
Mark: Surprisingly the old man of the draft doesn't have a bad team. Diaz is a capable center and Mbakwe is a man amongst boys. Appling and Jackson should start at guards, along with the freshman Burke at this point. The second forward position is up for grabs, but I'd start Oliver at this point, until Barlow proves to be more than just a defensive player. This team could be fairly decent in assists as well with three point guards. The short backcourt could hurt with rebounding though, but at least you have Mbakwe for that. Scoring could be an issue until one of his guards starts scoring in double figures consistently, along with Mbakwe and Diaz.
Pete: I believe that he has the second best team in the league behind myself. Leonard will give him much more production than my center. Zeller and Thomas will start in the forward slots, while Buford and Maniscalco will be the two guards most likely. Griffey or Hollins are the leading candidates for the utility position. He will get assists from the two guard positions, but nowhere else. If Thomas establishes himself as more than just a scorer, and can rebound the ball then this team will be set on the boards. There are plenty of scorers to go around as well, assuming all of the frontcourt players live up to their hype.
Brian: After finishing second in the league last year, I don't see a repeat of that this year. Kaminsky will start at center, although he likely won't play much. Watford is solid at forward, but either Thornton or Thompson at the other forward might not be so solid. Paul and Gatens will be the starting guards, while any one of the other four guards could be the utility player. There is no sign of getting assists on this team, expect for maybe Gatens who is a shooting guard. Rebounding won't be much better, since Watford and your other forward can't even help you much there. Scoring will be this team's best asset, assuming Paul has a breakthrough year and Gatens remains consistent.
Pat: Pat is one of four teams to adopt my freshman-center combination for one starting slot. Unfortunately for all of us, there's a good chance not a single one of those freshman will even start for their real team. Pat has the Penn State freshman duo at center, but does have Basabe at one of his forward slots. Sheehey could fill the other slot, while Oladipo Hardaway Jr. will be the backcourt, leaving the utility spot open for anyone on this young roster. Like many other teams, there is no point guard on his squad meaning assists are not plentiful. Rebounding will be so-so, since Basabe is an average rebounder for his position and the other forward slot will be a guard/forward type player. Points will be decent as well, since both Basabe and Hardaway Jr. are their team's first option.
Dennis: A Cartwright-Gasser-Scott backcourt could provide a little bit of everything, which is a good start. Unfortunately, Byrd and Smotrycz at the forward positions are not as versatile. Sampson III will be the man in the middle. This team could be competitive but by no means great in all three categories. His team does not contain a go-to-scorer, which could hurt big time. Assists and rebounds should be better though, with a few versatile players on this roster. If Smotrycz can provide more than just scoring and Gasser establishes himself as Wisconsin's second scorer, then this team could turn out okay.
Garrett: Any of one his three centers are adequate, although all three of them are actually their team's backups. Jones III and May are the backcourt, Crawford and Williams the forwards, and either Egwu or Uthoff at the utility. This team actually contains a bunch of similar players, guys that can score in the low double figures while grabbing a few rebounds and dishing out a few dimes per night. Every starter on this squad has been very inconsistent though, so some weeks this team could shine while other weeks it could struggle mightily. That is, unless all of them become more consistent which would be tough to happen.
Thanks to anyone that read any or all of this. This was actually the first article that I have ever written that I was not assigned to, rather I just voluntarily wrote it thinking that it would be interesting to analyze the draft we all just participated in. It will also be neat to reference this article during the season to see how accurate, or far-off, my analysis is. I am certainly itching for the ball to be tipped this upcoming week, so much so that I wrote this entire article in one sitting. It's amazing how much someone can accomplish when they are researching or writing about something they are interested in, and this certainly was a great procrastination technique for not doing my Financial Planning homework. Anyways, if anyone actually took the time to read this novel don't be afraid to share with me your thoughts or feelings toward it. Unless of course you want to tell me that I won't win the Big Ten Basketball Challenge, because I certainly will find a way to do so.