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Big Ten Basketball: Best bets outside of Cassius Winston to win 2020 POY

By Adam Childs

MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 12: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center on February 12, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 12: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center on February 12, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – FEBRUARY 02: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket while defended by Devonte Green #11 of the Indiana Hoosiers in the first half at Breslin Center on February 2, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – FEBRUARY 02: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket while defended by Devonte Green #11 of the Indiana Hoosiers in the first half at Breslin Center on February 2, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

Indiana – Devonte Green

Chances of winning POY – Slim

Last year was supposed to be the breakout year for the Hoosiers with Romeo Langford and Juwan Morgan, but instead, they sputtered down the stretch and missed the NCAA tournament. Langford and Morgan are both gone and that leaves no one on the roster that averaged in double figures.

The closest player, though, was Green and he averaged 9.4 points last year. But that doesn’t show the whole story. Green hit his stride right at the end of the year and showed the Hoosiers that they may have a star on their hands. He scored in double figures in his last seven games including a 26 point effort against Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament.

Can Green raise his game to the next level is still a question mark, but he has the best shot of anybody on the Hoosier roster. Langford was a great player for Indiana last year, but with him gone it may open up the floor for Green to really flourish.

The thing that works against Green is that IU seems to be taking a step back this year in the Big Ten. Teams like Illinois, Maryland and even Penn State look to make strides in the right direction and on the surface it just doesn’t look like the Hoosiers are going up.

If Green can help lead Indiana into the top five of the Big Ten, and that is a big if, he could join the discussion of top players in the league but I just don’t see that happening.

Green has shown he can be a very good player and he ist he best player on the IU roster right now. But that is probably not enough to lead Indiana into the top half of the conference. While Green may be able to play with the best the lack of success from the Hoosiers this year will hurt.

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