Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big Ten Basketball: Breakout candidate from each team for 2020-21 season

By Trevor Sinodhinos

MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 01: D'Mitrik Trice #0 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts in the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at the Kohl Center on February 01, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 01: D'Mitrik Trice #0 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts in the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at the Kohl Center on February 01, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 15
Next
COLLEGE PARK, MD – FEBRUARY 11: Thorir Thorbjarnarson #34 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD – FEBRUARY 11: Thorir Thorbjarnarson #34 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /

Nebraska: Thorir Thorbjarnarson

I desperately wanted to select Yvan Ouedraggo as Nebraska Basketball’s 2020-21 breakthrough player for two reasons. One, easier to spell, and because with zero competition for playing time the 6’9 junior had a lower scoring average of 5.7 points per game to surpass.

The reason 6’6 senior guard Thorir Thorbjarnarson is an easier choice is due to coach Fred Hoiberg’s offense and the players that will be leaving. With leading scorer Hanif Cheatnam graduating with his 13 points per game along with 6’2 guard Chris Mack hoping his 12 point average will be enough to attract another team while he is in the transfer portal, Thorbjarnarson becomes the second-leading scorer returning despite averaging less than nine last year.

Not only does the subtraction of players propel Thorbjarnarson into a situation where his 15 percent usage rate, which was tenth highest for the Cornhuskers during 2019-20,  increase, but coach Fred Hoiberg’s offense will also practically beg Thorbjarnarson to attempt more than the seven shots he did this past season.

Early last season Hoiberg did not try to hide the fact that he is more than happy to have players take transition threes and he expressed how a three-point threat is integral to spacing his offense.  The player who took the most three-point attempts last year was Thorbjarnarson and he hit a higher percentage than anybody who attempted more than nine.

Even if it does not result in a substantial increase in shot attempts, Thorbjarnarson’s role is solidified, which can easily see him replace Cam Mack as the minute leader, raising his average from 29 to 34 minutes.

Home/Big Ten