All throughout the Big Ten, freshman are making impacts in 2016-17. We will highlight which players have had the most profound influence on their respective teams.
In the current college basketball world we live in, a top-tier freshman can instantly elevate a team into national title consideration.
Most notably, last season when Ben Simmons arrived at LSU, the Tigers immediately became potential title contenders. Preseason polls had LSU ranked No. 21, even though they hadn’t finished a season in the AP Poll since 2008-09.
As truth would have it, Ben Simmons wasn’t the program savior everyone in Baton Rouge had hoped for. The Tigers missed the NCAA Tournament completely, limping to the finish line with an 19-14 record.
With that said, many times “one and done” freshman do bring national success to their schools. For every Ben Simmons, there is a Greg Oden (Ohio State), Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse), and Derrick Rose (Memphis) — superstar freshman who brought their programs to the Final Four, and in Carmelo’s case, a national title for Syracuse.
The Big Ten basketball season is off to a ferocious start, complete with unexpected upsets and great story lines. In fact, some of the this season’s best stories have come from first-year players.
Next: Knight And Day: The Rebirth Of Rutgers Basketball
Here are some of the Big Ten freshman who just missed the cut:
Justin Jackson (Maryland): Yet another import from Canada’s growing basketball scene. Leads the Terrapins in three-point percentage (42.3 percent).
Carsen Edwards (Purdue): Worked his way into Purdue’s starting line-up, averaging 10.3 points for the 14-4 Boilermakers. Came to Purdue as the No. 38 ranked recruit in 2016, per ESPN’s Top-100.
Cassius Winston (Michigan State): Leading the entire Big Ten conference in assists with 5.9 per game.
Tyler Cook (Iowa): After returning from an injury, Cook had 11 points and eight rebounds in Iowa’s most recent upset over Michigan. Currently averaging 12.6 points per game for the Hawkeyes.
Jordan Bohannon (Iowa): Averaging 9.0 points and 5.1 assists as the facilitator of Iowa’s offense.
Cordell Pemsl (Iowa): Hometown recruit from Dubuque, Iowa. Averaging 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds for young Iowa team.
In the following slides, we will outline the Big Ten freshman making the biggest impact for their respective programs.