Throughout the long five-month college basketball season, each team experiences highs and lows. Some teams achieve better than others, but as we have seen through the start of conference play, every team in the Big Ten has potential. There are six players highlighted in this article, all of which should be owned in deep fantasy leagues. Three of the players below have played to their potential and beyond through the first seven or eight conference games. The latter three players have played below the expectations that were given to them either in the offseason or based on how they played during nonconference contests. Thus, this is the hot ‘n not article. Don’t read into how each player is currently playing too deeply. The hot players will likely cool down a little while still maintaining their All-Conference type performances. The cold players are likely just going through a phase and should be back to their old selves in no time, hopefully.
Hot:
John Shurna, forward, Northwestern Wildcats
The Big Ten’s leading scorer continues to sizzle, no matter the opponent. Over the past five games, Shurna is averaging 20.6 points and has scored between 19 and 22 points in every one of those games. He has also connected on 13 three-pointers during these contests, while playing 39.8 minutes on average. In fact, the consistent senior has scored in double figures in all but one game this year. And in that game, Shurna scored nine points in only 11 minutes of play in a blowout win over Mississippi Valley State. The troubling part of the current five game stretch for Shurna is that Northwestern has only won one game, coming against Michigan State. With a 2-5 conference record, the Wildcats are in desperation mode and need wins over Purdue and Nebraska at home to get right back in the mix. If Shurna can continue to score the basketball the way we have become accustomed to him doing so, he will become Northwestern’s All-Time Scoring Leader and could potentially eclipse the 2,000-point mark as well.
Brandon Paul, guard, Illinois Fighting Illini
To say that Paul was hot on Jan. 10 would be an insult. The junior from Gurnee was sizzling, scorching off 43 points in way to beating The Ohio State Buckeyes. Paul has followed that up by averaging 15.0 points in back-to-back losses to Penn State and Wisconsin, one point greater than his season average of 14.0. During the past three games he is also averaging 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 greater than his season average. Paul’s streak of hot play hasn’t just been recent though, he has actually scored in double figures in every game since Dec. 19 against Cornell. Despite two consecutive losses, the Fighting Illini’s Big Ten record stands at 4-3 and puts them only a game out of first place. For this team to get back on track, Paul will need more consistent play from his backcourt mates in the team’s four-guard offense.
Rodney Williams, forward, Minnesota Golden Gophers
No one in the Big Ten has benefited more from losing a teammate due to injury than Williams. The incredibly athletic, yet inconsistent junior has finally found his groove in Minneapolis, in large part due to moving from the small forward position to power forward. At 6-foot-7 and 200 pounds, Williams is smaller than most bigs in this conference. What he lacks in size though, he makes up for in leaping ability. The Golden Gophers have been without Trevor Mbakwe for 13 games. Williams has scored in double figures in 11 of those games. During the first seven games of the season, with Mbakwe present, Williams only scored in double figures twice. Although Tubby Smith would love to have Mbakwe on the court, as he was a second Team All-Big Ten selection a year ago, Smith has to be happy about Williams rising to the occasion. After an 0-4 start in the Big Ten, Minnesota has rattled off three straight wins and gotten themselves back in the NCAA Tournament picture. As long as Williams continues this consistency and doesn’t fall back into old habits, the Gophers could certainly be dancing in mid-March.
Not:
Victor Oladipo, guard, Indiana Hoosiers
After scoring in double figures in nine of his first 11 games as a sophomore, Oladipo has suddenly hit the sophomore slump that so many players his age succumb to. During IU’s undefeated run through nonconference play, Oladipo was flashy and the best slasher that the Hoosiers had. Over the past six games, he has become much more timid. Over the past six contests, Oladipo has shot 12-for-36 while averaging 6.5 points and only reaching double figures once. On the season he is a 48% shooter and averages 10.5 points, so hopefully this will not continue to be the trend for the 6-foot-5 wing. He has averaged 4.7 rebounds during this slump, just below his 5.2 average but has turned the ball over at least twice in the past six games. Prior to Sunday’s win at home over Penn State, the Hoosiers losing streak had hit three games. With a current record of 4-4 in the Big Ten, IU still has the chance to finish in the top third which would earn them a bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Even if they don’t reach the top four though, the Hoosiers are certainly bound for March Madness barring an epic collapse. And for how bad Indiana has been the past three seasons, going to the NCAA Tournament once again would be just fine. To compete come March though, Oladipo needs to get back on track and soon.
Evan Smotrycz, forward, Michigan Wolverines
After five straight double-figure scoring games in December, Smotrycz looked poised to become the player that fans expected when arriving on Michigan’s campus. Twice in that stretch, Smotrycz had 20 point games. Since then, Smotrycz has only scored 27 points over a seven-game span. That is good for a 3.9 point average, which would certainly look good for a GPA but not a scoring average for this era’s version of Kevin Pittsnoggle. Being a 6-foot-9 forward that mostly plays on the perimeter can be a blessing, but it can be a curse as well. During this seven game slump, Smotrycz has hit on only three of his 20 three-point field goal attempts, including a current streak of 10 straight clanks off the rim. He lacks the upper body size to go inside regularly and with his outside shot not falling, he must be lacking confidence. After all, he is still converting on 43.5% of his deep balls on the year. Unfortunately for him, Smotrycz has recently moved out of the starting lineup, leaving the Wolverines with a four-guard offense for most of the game. Michigan is 5-2 in conference play, and currently in a tie with Ohio State and Michigan State for the top spot. If Smotrycz can find his stroke, the Wolverines will not only add another shooter on the perimeter, but they will also improve their chances of making a run in the NCAA Tournament.
Melsahn Basabe, forward, Iowa Hawkeyes
After a freshman campaign where he averaged 11.0 points and 6.8 rebounds, Basabe has become an enigma during this sophomore season. As a quick side note, it just dawned on me that the three “cold” players are all in fact sophomores, while the “hot” players are all upperclassmen. Anyways, you can break down Basabe’s season into four segments. The forward from Glen Cove, NY got the season started right by scoring 14 and 15 points respectively, although against inferior competition. During the second stretch of the year, Basabe scored two points in four consecutive contests. After a few games, Basabe seemed to have regained his confidence by scoring in double figures six straight times, including 14 points in four games in a row. But during this most recent stretch, he has only averaged 4.0 points and 2.6 rebounds over five games. While foul trouble has limited Basabe on a few occasions, it has been more his lack of consistency and effort that is frustrating for fantasy owners. The potential is certainly there for the lanky 6-foot-7 post, but if Iowa has any postseason dreams then Basabe needs to wake up now and get back to playing the way that he is capable of.