Big Ten Basketball: Top 10 Player of the Year candidates for 2021-22 season
492. . . . Jaden Ivey. 2. player
2021-22 stats: 16.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.2 apg
The 6’3 guard was a consensus national breakout candidate after a strong freshman season of double-figure scoring for Purdue, as well as standing out last Summer in the USA U19 Team that won the Gold Medal. Ivey’s NBA-caliber athleticism and skillset was a main reason why the team was in the preseason top 10.
The 6’3 guard had a career-high 27 points in the second game of the season against Indiana State to show that he was ready to take the lead guard duties. He really shined in the NIT Tip-Off win over North Carolina, going for 22 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and a pair of highlights that were trending online.
Ivey leads the Boilermakers in both scoring and passing and has upped his efficiency in a big way. The sophomore is shooting 53% from the field and 45% from the three-point line, a nearly 20-point percentage increase from his freshman season. He’s also been fairly consistent as well, going for double figures in all but one game and going for 15+ in six of their last seven games.
The negative with having Ivey so high is that his individual stats aren’t as good as the guys in the top five and haven’t had as big an impact. And having both Trevion Williams and Zach Edey as frontcourt teammates gives him support where he doesn’t have to do as much as the other contenders on this list.
However, Purdue has separated itself from the pack, with just a buzzer-beating loss to Rutgers on the road on its resume. This team has a great chance to finish 17-3 or 18-2 in league play and win the regular-season title by several games. If that occurs, it’s hard to envision the best player (Ivey) from the best team (Purdue) not winning this award if the stats are good enough. And right now it is.