Big Ten Basketball: One big question for every team entering 2019-20
By Jacob Shames
Michigan: Will the Wolverines find a go-to scorer?
The Wolverines’ three leading scorers — Iggy Brazdeikis, Charles Matthews and Jordan Poole — are all gone, as is John Beilein, leaving Michigan with as many questions as it’s had in a decade. Seniors Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske will anchor the team regardless — both are All-Big Ten caliber defenders and have great chemistry in the ball-screen game — but neither creates much offense on their own.
Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner seem like the most likely candidates to fill that go-to role. The 6’7 Livers can jump out of the gym despite being built like a tank, and averaged eight points and shot 43 percent from deep as a sixth man last season. He’s likely to start at the ‘3’, where he should be a nightmare matchup, but most of his opportunities last year were of the spot-up variety. Wagner, the brother of former Wolverine Moe Wagner, is much like Brazdeikis last season. A foreigner who would have been a borderline five-star if he had played stateside, he’s a fluid 6’8 with elite scoring touch at every level.
If Livers can improve his shot creation and/or Wagner adjusts well to the college game, Michigan might not lose much of a step despite the departure of its most successful coach in history.
Purdue: Can last year’s promising freshmen break out?
Like Wisconsin, the Boilermakers have one very obvious question. Carsen Edwards, who averaged 24.3 points and took 38 percent of Purdue’s shots when he was on the floor, went to the NBA after a scintillating NCAA Tournament run.
That’s an enormous void to fill, so naturally, every question the Boilermakers will face this year is inseparable from the big one. That includes the continued development of some promising freshmen from last year.
6’9, 280-pound Trevion Williams is a low-post masher in the mold of Caleb Swanigan, and made the most of his opportunities last year, averaging a sky-high 20.2 points and 15.7 rebounds per 40 minutes. The offense might revolve around getting him the ball. Aaron Wheeler, an uber-talented wing with an NBA body who averaged 4.7 points and shot 37 percent from deep, is another potential superstar. Sasha Stefanovic shot 41 percent from deep last season, and Eric Hunter came in last year as seventh all-time on the Indiana high school scoring charts.
None of them averaged more than 14 minutes a game last season, but the upside they provide — especially Williams and Wheeler — is off the charts. Expect the group to form the Boilermakers’ backbone, now and in the future.
Ohio State: Are D.J. Carton and C.J. Walker the floor generals the Buckeyes lacked in 2019?
The 2018-19 Buckeyes were a weird group — despite surrounding big man Kaleb Wesson with a deep stable of guards and wings who could shoot it a bit, they were just 13th in offensive efficiency in Big Ten play. Perhaps the biggest reason why was a turnover rate of 19.2, which also ranked near the bottom of the conference. C.J. Jackson was a talented scorer and slasher, but as the closest thing to a point guard on the roster, he spent most of his Ohio State career playing out-of-position there, which hindered the offense.
That shouldn’t be a problem with the addition of top recruit D.J. Carton and the eligibility of Florida State transfer C.J. Walker. The dynamic with Walker, who ran the scout team last season, and Carton, is one of solid veteran and dynamic understudy. Walker led the Seminoles to the Elite Eight in 2018 and has drawn rave reviews for his on-court leadership, while Carton has explosive scoring talent and athleticism — despite standing just 6’1, he won multiple high school dunk contests and has a 39-inch vertical leap.
Going from no point guards to two might unlock a faster, more efficient and more cohesive offense for the Buckeyes — and maybe a deep run in March. The potential is there.