Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball: Breaking down the 5 highest-rated 2018 commitments

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 12: A general interior view of the empty court during the semifinals of the 2011 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse on March 12, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 12: A general interior view of the empty court during the semifinals of the 2011 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse on March 12, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: The Michigan Wolverines student section cheers. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: The Michigan Wolverines student section cheers. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

SF Ignas Brazdeikis, Michigan

The defending Big Ten Tournament champions will have a tough time replacing Moritz Wagner. The German forward was one of the best players in the conference over the past two seasons and seeing him leave for the NBA will be tough, even though it was the right decision for his career. The Wolverines are also losing Duncan Robinson and Muhammad-Ali Abdul-Rahkman. All of these players leaving will be difficult for the program but John Beilein should still have a talented enough roster to compete with the best in the Big Ten.

In addition to returners Charles Matthews, Zavier Simpson, and Jordan Poole (among others), the program is bringing in Ignas Brazdeikis. A 6’8″ forward from Ontario, Brazdeikis is ranked No. 37 in the recruiting class of 2018. He can immediately make an impact in Ann Arbor due to his versatile offensive game and college-ready body.

He can score in a variety of ways and could be one of the top offensive options on the team in just his first season. This is obviously high praise considering the prestige of the program he is going to but it is definitely possible. This is one of the recruits that I am highest on in the entire conference. He will be a difference-maker right away and you cannot say that about every recruit. In short, he is a top-50 recruit for good reasons.

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