While I highlighted the surprise players in the Big Ten a few weeks ago, I will now do the opposite by talking about the biggest disappointments so far. I had high expectations coming into the season for all of the players listed below, but for whatever reason they are not living up to the hype so far. Granted, the season is still very young and there is still plenty of time to turn things around. Nonetheless, it would not be unfair to be concerned if any of these players are on your fantasy roster. While I expect each and every one of them to improve upon their somewhat mediocre statistics, they may not reach the full potential that was seen in them prior to the season. Finally, do not be so alarmed as to drop any of these players from your team necessarily, but rather keep a close eye on them in the next few weeks before Big Ten play gets under way.
Melsahn Basabe, Forward, Iowa Hawkeyes
Basabe came into the season as Iowa’s only significant frontcourt player, and maybe even the team’s best returning player. Basabe was selected to the All-Freshman Team a season ago, and was part of my Top Ten list back in August. Through eight games though, Basabe has yet to find his groove. He is only averaging 7.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.4 assists, after averaging 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 0.3 assists during his freshman season. His 7.4 points are good for seventh on the team. Although he is a starter, Basabe is barely playing over half the game and is only shooting 39% as a post player. Basabe went through a dreadful five game stretch between Nov. 17 and Nov. 29 where he only scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, which average out to 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds. Before and after that stretch though, Basabe has double-doubled. He most recently had a 14-point, 10-rebound game against Brown. It’s no secret that Iowa is a more dangerous team when Basabe is on. They lost three of the five games during his slump, but have won big every time he has played well. Basabe should not be lacking in confidence since he is such an athletic player with an incredible upside, but he is definitely having a sophomore slump. The Hawkeye’s next three games are against in-state opponents: Northern Iowa, Iowa State, and Drake. Winning at least two of those three games would go a long way not only for Basabe but for the Hawkeyes as well, who are currently only 5-3. While an NCAA Tournament berth seems like a reach at this current time, I wouldn’t completely eliminate the idea. An NIT invitation definitely seems more realistic though, and Fran McCaffrey’s talented bunch definitely should at least strive for that.
Bryce Cartwright, Guard, Iowa Hawkeyes
While Basabe is seventh on the Iowa team in scoring, Cartwright comes in next at eighth. Cartwright was both a scorer and distributor during his first year in Iowa City, averaging 10.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. All of those figures are down from a year ago, as Cartwright averages 6.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists so far. The one improvement he has made this season is taking better care of the ball. His turnover number is down to 1.8 this year, almost half of the 3.3 he committed during his junior season. Cartwright, who shoots a lot for a guard, is also struggling with his stroke this season. So far, he is only shooting 32% from the field and only 22% from deep. Cartwright has been active on the defensive end, swiping six steals in the past four games. His minutes have also diminished during this stretch of poor play. After playing over 31 minutes per game as a junior, Cartwright is now only averaging 24.6 minutes. He sat out of Tuesday night’s game at Northern Iowa with a pulled hamstring muscle, which hopefully won’t keep him out too long. As important as Basabe is to the Iowa frontcourt, Cartwright is equally important to their backcourt. For the Hawkeyes to turn it around, Cartwright must elevate his game to at least the level it was at a year ago.
Jordan Morgan, Forward, Michigan Wolverines
As a redshirt freshman, Morgan averaged 9.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. He is the Wolverines only real low post scorer, so those numbers figured to increase this year. So far that hasn’t been the case though. Morgan is averaging 7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds, and has yet to record an assist through eight games. He figured to be Michigan’s top rebounder and second leading scorer, behind Tim Hardaway Jr., but is currently fifth in scoring and third in rebounding. Morgan has been limited to just over 20 minutes per contest so far, partially due to foul trouble. When he is on the court, he has been efficient shooting the ball at 77%. While that number seems high because he does take mostly high percentage shots, it is still very impressive. Another thing that has hurt Morgan’s production is the fact that fellow sophomore Evan Smotrycz is more comfortable playing in the post this season, at least on the defensive end. During Big Ten play, Michigan will not be able to survive if they only get scoring from their guards. Not only will Morgan have to bang down low with the likes of Jared Sullinger and Cody Zeller, but he will also have to start scoring in double figures for Michigan to make the leap to the top tier of the conference.
Ralph Sampson III, Forward/Center, Minnesota Golden Gophers
As if Trevor Mbakwe’s torn ACL wasn’t enough for Tubby Smith’s team to handle, Sampson III has had a lingering ankle injury season the beginning of the season. Thankfully for Minnesota, Sampson III returned to action Tuesday night against Appalachian State, posting ten points and five rebounds in 19 minutes. Prior to Tuesday’s contest, Sampson III was only averaging 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists and was being limited to 19.7 minutes because of the injury. Sampson III sat out the Mount St. Mary’s game back on Nov. 21, but tried battling through the injury in a tournament in Orlando, where he only played 36 minutes over three games. After sitting out two more games at the conclusion of the tournament, Sampson III is back and hopefully healthy. The Golden Gophers will need him if they have any NCAA Tournament hopes still, which they should since they only have one loss to date. With the loss of Mbakwe, Sampson III becomes the most accomplished player on Minnesota’s roster. Sampson III was part of NCAA Tournament teams his first two seasons in Minneapolis, but missed out last year after a terrible end to the season. A healthy Sampson III and continuing to have great yet unexpected guard play will be the two things that get the Gophers back in the Big Dance.
Luka Mirkovic, Forward/Center, Northwestern Wildcats
Believe it or not, but John Shurna and Luka Mirkovic averaged exactly the same minutes per game during their freshman season at Northwestern: 18.5. Although both players were essentially starters, neither Mirkovic nor Shurna were within the team’s top three players. After that season, Shurna took a huge leap and has been the team’s best player ever since. Mirkovic has made such an improvement. To say that Mirkovic has regressed may seem too harsh, so rather I will say he has been stagnant. Mirkovic’s averages over his sophomore and junior year were near identical, averaging out to be 7.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Although nothing spectacular, those are not bad numbers either. Mirkovic has been a good passer out of the Princeton Offense and hit on nearly half of his five-plus shots per game. For whatever reason though, Mirkovic has not had it this year. His current averages stand at 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. He has also only blocked one shot on the year playing the center position, and has missed all eight three-pointers that he has attempted. Mirkovic is far from a bad player; he is just way too inconsistent. And while he is already a defensive liability, it doesn’t surprise me when I see Davide Curletti in at center at the end of games instead. For Northwestern to make the NCAA Tournament, they will need production at the center position. Whether it is from Mirkovic, Curletti, or a combination of the two, is the real question.
D.J. Byrd, Guard, Purdue Boilermakers
At the conclusion of last season, I chose Byrd as the Purdue player that I thought would step up this season. While Byrd is not the only person on that list I was wrong about (see Jereme Richmond), I did not see a reduction in playing time occurring for him this season. As a swingman, Purdue’s return of Robbie Hummel certainly hasn’t helped Byrd see the floor. But to drop from playing 20 minutes a game as a sophomore to only 10 minutes as a junior seems harsh, especially since their overall team should be worse this season. Painter plays a steady rotation of guards and while Byrd is not an offensive powerhouse, he can certainly help Purdue on the defensive end. So far this season, Byrd averages 3.4 points, 1.0 rebound, and 0.5 assists, down from last year’s 5.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He has made only one of his last 13 attempts from long range, the main source of his scoring, but at 6-foot-5 he is capable of guarding so many positions. The Boilermakers top three players are all seniors, but after that there are a bevy of non-senior guards that will also be fighting with Byrd for playing time next season. Byrd isn’t producing what he should be partially because of playing time, but also because some younger guards are now better than him and he hasn’t played particularly well. Nonetheless, I would not be surprised to see Byrd’s role increase once Big Ten play starts and a shut down defender is needed to fend off some of the league’s top wing players.
Jordan Taylor, Guard, Wisconsin Badgers
12.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists sound like a pretty darn good stat line, doesn't it? Well if you’re anyone other than this Preseason All-American, they would sound good. Taylor averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. He was the conference’s third best player, behind JaJuan Johnson and Jared Sullinger, and was expected to pile on even better stats this year. While the rebound and assist categories have gone up, Taylor’s poor shooting has hurt his scoring numbers. Right now he is shooting 39.3% from the field, 36.4% from three-point range, and 65.2% from the foul line, all of which are significantly lower than last season’s shooting percentages. Taylor is, without question, the best player on the Badgers. But after losing twice last week (to UNC and Marquette), while shooting 10-for-30 from the field and 3-for-13 from long range, Taylor needs a wakeup call. He is capable of taking over games, as we all saw last season when Wisconsin defeated Ohio State in Madison. Taylor has a solid build and is stronger than almost any point guard you’ll see. If he can become more assertive by taking the ball to the hoop and building his confidence, the outside shots will begin to start falling. Three months from now, no one will remember that Taylor started off like this because he will once again be an All-Big Ten selection, I have no doubt in my mind.
Mike Bruesewitz, Forward, Wisconsin Badgers
Just like Iowa is experiencing, sometimes player struggles come in pairs on a team. Cartwright’s lack of production has hurt Basabe in the same way that Taylor’s lack of production has hurt Bruesewitz. Unlike every other play on this list, Bruesewitz’s numbers are actually up from a year ago. He is now averaging 6.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Bruesewitz is a hard-nosed player who always gives it 100 percent, especially on the defensive end of the court. So why is Bruesewitz a disappointment in my mind? Coming into the season, many believed him to be Wisconsin’s second best player with the potential to be the most improved player in the entire Big Ten. While his numbers have gone up, partially due to an increase in playing time, other players on his team have improved more than him. Jared Berggren and Ben Brust, both seldom-used players on last year’s team, are each averaging about 12 points per contest. In fact, Bruesewitz is sixth on the team in scoring. Don’t get me wrong, scoring and rebounding are not the only important things in basketball, and Bruesewitz has skills that some of his Badger teammates lack. But from a fantasy basketball perspective, I thought that Bruesewitz might have shared the same increase in production that Jordan Taylor had going into his junior season, although not as drastic. After thinking about it though, I realized that all Bruesewitz needs to play better is his old hairstyle. Well hopefully not, since that would take quite some time to grow back. If Bruesewitz can start scoring in double figures more often, he makes a much better case to be on your roster.