Big Ten Basketball: Carsen Edwards, Ethan Happ lead early Player of the Year race

By Bryan Mauro | Dec 14, 2018

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 08: Ethan Happ #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers dribbles the ball while being guarded by Ed Morrow #30 of the Marquette Golden Eagles in the first half at the Fiserv Forum on December 08, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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LINCOLN, NE – DECEMBER 8: James Palmer Jr. #0 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers attempts a shot over Ty-Shon Alexander #5 of the Creighton Bluejays at Pinnacle Bank Arena on December 8, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

4. James Palmer Jr. – Nebraska

The Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball tradition can be summed in a short paragraph. There is not any, while senior guard James Palmer Jr. hopes to change that. Palmer is one of the elite scorers in the Big Ten and the way he is able to score is much different from his counterparts on this list. The senior guard is elite at getting into the paint and finishing with tough layups around the rim. Most of the time those baskets in the paint turn into Palmer getting fouled.

The free throw line is where the Nebraska star does most of his damage as he is almost an 80% free throw shooter. Palmer much like Poole is more than just a scorer. Nebraska head coach Tim Miles loves to play position less basketball. Palmer can handle the ball without turning it over, is a fantastic passer and a good enough jump shooter where he will always draw a crowd. His 18 points per game suggest that he is always a key part of the opponent’s game plan.

Coach Miles often puts Palmer on one of the better offensive players on the opposing team. When the guard is playing well, he can embarrass your team on defense, foul out your best players, and keep the best player from scoring. His jump shot is still a work in progress, and he is better when driving to the lane. The guard is a streaky shooter and once he sees a long-range shot go through the basket, he has shown he can carry the Huskers to a victory. Palmer is an exciting player to watch especially when he is hitting jump shots. The guard has multiple 30-point games and with his help Nebraska is going to find their way in the NCAA tournament, and may actually get their first ever tournament win.

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