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Here are the Big Ten Top Performers from the weekend that was.
Big Ten Top Performers
Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State
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Michigan State true freshman big man Jaren Jackson Jr. makes this list because of how dominant he plays on the defensive end. Jackson Jr. had three blocks against the Indiana Hoosiers, and even more than his blocks, he was an intimidating presence affecting everything Indiana was trying to do offensively. Michigan State routed Indiana and many Spartans players had big games.
Miles Bridges, Nick Ward, and Jaren Jackson Jr. combined for 50 points in Michigan State's win over Indiana. Hoosiers only had 57 on the night.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 20, 2018
Jaren Jackson Jr. does so many things well with his long frame — that is what separates him from many of the top big men in the country.
Brevin Pritzl, Wisconsin
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Pick your poison when it came to the Wisconsin Badgers thumping the Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday night. Brevin Pritzl brought energy, scoring and an intensity unmatched by Brad Underwood’s squad. Pritzl was throwing down dunks, banking 3-pointers at the buzzer and locking down on defense. The 6-foot-3 guard had 16 points and six rebounds on the night.
Carsen Edwards, Purdue
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Purdue was up 31 points at halftime on the road in Iowa City. The Boilermakers are one of the top three teams in the nation because they are destroying Big Ten opponents left and right. Purdue’s only close game was a road game at Michigan a couple of weeks ago, otherwise they’ve beaten Rutgers, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin by at least 12 points each. Carsen Edwards made six 3-pointers and scored 22 points.
Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State
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This game was at a neutral site at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The surprising Ohio State Buckeyes remain undefeated in conference play. True freshman Kaleb Wesson had his best game in his young career. Wesson is a big, big kid with great footwork in the paint. He had 15 points and eight rebounds, shooting 7-9 from the field.
Vic Law, Northwestern
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There were a lot of blowouts this weekend in the Big Ten. This game between the Northwestern Wildcats and Penn State Nittany Lions was not one of them. In a close game throughout, Northwestern finally took the reigns in the final few minutes of the second half and came up with the 70-61 win. Versatile forward Vic Law was Northwestern’s player of the game. He scored 18 points, had five rebounds and two assists.
Duncan Robinson, Michigan
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When Michigan senior Duncan Robinson is draining 3’s coming off the bench, you know it’s going to be nearly impossible to outplay the Wolverines. In many respects, Duncan Robinson is the X-factor for this deep Michigan basketball team. Against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Robinson was 4-8 from the 3-point line. He was so much more than that, too. He spaces the floor well. He’s unselfish (four assists on the day) and doesn’t mind doing the dirty work (five defensive rebounds) against Rutgers. An on fire, confident Duncan Robinson is a major boost for what surely looks like an NCAA Tournament bound Wolverines team.