Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball: Top 10 Player of the Year candidates for 2021-22 season

By Tristan Freeman

Feb 20, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Sasha Stefanovic (55) celebrates a three point basket with forward Trevion Williams (50) and guard Jaden Ivey (23) against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Sasha Stefanovic (55) celebrates a three point basket with forward Trevion Williams (50) and guard Jaden Ivey (23) against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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Big Ten Basketball Jamison Battle Minnesota Golden Gophers (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Big Ten Basketball Jamison Battle Minnesota Golden Gophers (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /

Jamison Battle. 7. player. 487. . .

2021-22 stats: 18.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.1 apg

Jamison Battle was a breakout star in the A-10 last season at George Washington, averaging 17.3 ppg and 5.2 rpg in 37 mpg in just 15 games. When he transferred over to Minnesota and was projected to be the leading scorer there, the level of optimism that it would work out in a winning fashion was low. The program was completely rebuilding with a new head coach and a roster filled with mid-major transfers like Battle.

And yet, it’s been a massive success for both Battle and the Gophers. The player in question is averaging a team-leading 18.9 ppg and scoring at least 13 points in every game this season. He scored a combined 44 points in wins over Western Kentucky and Princeton that proved Minnesota would be a competitive team and not a bottom-feeder.

The Gophers haven’t had much depth this season so Battle has had to play all 40 minutes in important games but he’s come up big in them as well, going for 16 points against Pittsburgh, 20 to beat Mississippi State, and 27 to get a program-defining victory over Hunter Dickinson and Michigan.

Battle’s impressive shooting and overall scoring don’t seem like it’s going to drop anytime soon and that means Minnesota is going to be in contention for a top-10 spot in the Big Ten. And if he continues to play at this level for a team that was projected to finish at the very bottom of the conference, Battle will get a First-Team spot at the end.

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