All-Big Ten First Team (Player of the Year in bold)
Tim Frazier, Penn State—15.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.5 apg
Gary Harris, Michigan State—17.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.9 spg
Nik Stauskas, Michigan—17.4 ppg, 3.4 apg, 45.8 3P%
Roy Devyn Marble, Iowa—17.0 ppg, 3.5 apg, 1.8 spg
Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin—13.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 52.8 FG%
Nik Stauskas went from being a sharpshooter but not much more as a freshman to the Big Ten’s best player as a sophomore. Stauskas not only become a more accurate 3-point shooter, but he also became a complete player. He has scored more than half of his field goals from 2-point range, and also leads conference champion Michigan with 3.4 assists per game.
Frank Kaminsky also deserves major props this season. The junior forward was actually my Big Ten Player of the Year pick until Stauskas finished the season with three phenomenal games. Kaminsky was barely a contributor last season, but now he is Wisconsin’s best player.
All-Big Ten Second Team
Keith Appling, Michigan State—12.8 ppg, 4.8 apg, 39.5 3P%
Terran Petteway, Nebraska—18.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Sam Dekker, Wisconsin—12.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg
LaQuinton Ross, Ohio State—14.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 39.0 3P%
Adreian Payne, Michigan State—16.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 42.3 3P%
All-Big Ten Third Team
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana—17.4 ppg, 3.9 apg, 40.8 3P%
Aaron Craft, Ohio State—9.5 ppg, 4.6 apg, 2.6 spg
DeAndre Mathieu, Minnesota—11.9 ppg, 4.4 apg, 50.8 FG%
Aaron White, Iowa—13.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg
Noah Vonleh, Indiana—11.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 53.1 FG%
All-Big Ten Defensive Team (Defensive Player of the Year in bold)
Aaron Craft, Ohio State—2.6 spg
Shannon Scott, Ohio State—2.1 spg
Gary Harris, Michigan State—1.9 spg
Gabriel Olaseni, Iowa—1.4 bpg
A.J. Hammons, Purdue—3.0 bpg
Aaron Craft made a game-winning play with his defense and hustle on Senior Night, as if his career at the Schottenstein Center could have ended any other way. Craft has been one of the nation’s premier defenders for four seasons now, and any coach in America would love to have him running his team.
All-Big Ten Freshman Team (Freshman of the Year in bold)
Derrick Walton Jr., Michigan—8.1 ppg, 2.9 apg, 39.0 3P%
Kendrick Nunn, Illinois—6.2 ppg, 41.1 3P%
Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin—8.0 ppg, 53.0 FG%
Troy Williams, Indiana—7.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 50.0 FG%
Noah Vonleh, Indiana—11.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 53.1 FG%
Noah Vonleh was the only truly dominant freshman in the Big Ten. The 6’10” forward posted 10 double-doubles while also averaging more than one block and nearly one steal per game. He also showed nice touch with 51.6% 3-point shooting and 72.2% free-throw shooting. Vonleh will most likely declare for the NBA Draft this spring, but if he decides to return to Indiana he could be a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate next season.
Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year
Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin—8.0 ppg, 53.0 FG%
Nigel Hayes did not start a single game this season, but he is a major reason why Wisconsin finished second in the Big Ten and is still in the running for a NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed. In 17.8 minutes per game, Hayes averaged 8.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and shot 53% from the field. The 6’7″ forward’s production lowered toward the end of the season, but he still averaged 10.5 points per game in February and March.
Big Ten Coach of the Year
Tim Miles, Nebraska
This season, Tim Miles did what Northwestern head coach Chris Collins pretended he could do. Granted, Collins was in his first year while Miles is in his second, but the two programs were in similar places at the start of the season. In fact, Nebraska’s was worse.
The Cornhuskers were supposed to be the Big Ten’s doormat while Northwestern was at least supposed to compete. Collins looked like a Big Ten Coach of the Year when his Wildcats were 5-5 in the Big Ten after starting 0-3. Then they plummeted to 11th place, finishing lower than their preseason expectation.
Miles’ Cornhuskers began Big Ten play at 0-4, living down to their preseason expectations. Since then, they are 11-3, including eight wins in their last nine. They locked up fourth place in the Big Ten, and with their win against Wisconsin on Sunday they are almost certainly heading to the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
With his track record at North Dakota State and Colorado State, we all knew it would just be a matter of time until Miles rebuilt Nebraska. But to do it in two years is simply amazing.
Also, kudos to Michigan head coach John Beilein. The Wolverines had high expectations but started the season only 6-4. They then lost preseason All-American Mitch McGary. But since then, Michigan has been on a tear, winning the Big Ten title by three games.
