Big Ten Basketball: Projecting individual awards and accolades for 2022-23 season

All-Big Ten

Zach Edey – Center – Purdue

Might as well put the most debatable selection first. Last season’s All-Big Ten Second Team counted both Zach Edey and Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson among their selected six members. While it will be obvious that Dickinson will be among the top five players in the Big Ten this season, it seemed too easy to not fill out every position and load up on centers and even easier to select six players.

Edey gets the nod simply because, with his increased minutes and the Boilermakers’ offense revolving around him, Edey will make up the four points per game that separated him and Dickinson. The rebounds and assists may still fall in favor of Dickinson though.

Boo Buie – Guard – Northwestern

The 14 points and over four assists from Northwestern’s point guard were not good enough to merit a selection to the All-Big Ten Third Team, despite the 4.1 assists only being equaled by Trent Frazier among all three All-Big Ten teams. With the complete First Team moving on as well as half the Second Team and the entire All-Big Ten Third Team there will be a lot of new faces leading the box scores every night. Buie will also benefit from the fact that any success Head Coach Chris Collins hopes to have while trying to improve upon a 7-13 conference record, will lay heavily on Buie’s success.

Xavier Johnson – Guard – Indiana

Indiana Basketball is going to be good this season, and similar to Buie, Xavier Johnson is going to be at the forefront of their success as their starting point guard. During his first season in the Big Ten, the 6’3 guard averaged over twelve points and his 5 assists per game. His average was higher than any guard that made any All-Big Ten team, plus, his almost four rebounds were better than all but five guards, four if you do not count Ron Harper Jr. as a guard.

The only thing that may take some shine off of Johnson’s stats as the Hoosiers work towards a Big Ten Regular Season Championship will be the excitement and stats freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino also racks up as backup point guard making it look easy to succeed with the Hoosiers.

Trayce Jackson- Davis – Forward – Indiana

Trayce Jackson- Davis averaged over 18 points and eight rebounds during the 2021-22 season. Those impressive stats were enough for an All-Big Ten Second Team selection. As already mentioned, the entire First Team is no longer in college, so it stands to reason the 6’9 forward will be selected to the 2022-23 All-Big Ten First Team. Jackson- Davis and Johnson will help each other tally up baskets and assists while the Hoosiers tally up the victories.

Jamison Battle – Forward – Minnesota

Among the five teams with the worst record in the Big Ten last season, only Bryce McGowens managed to be selected to one of the All-Big Ten teams. With Boo Buie already occupying a spot on the team, Jamison Battle will be the second player from the bottom of the standings, but the 6’7 forward’s stats are going to be too good to ignore. When all was said and done in the 2021-22 season Battle averaged over 17 points and six rebounds per game as he scored 20 or more points in eleven games, with a season-high of 39.

The addition of Dawson Garcia will allow Battle to play small forward and relieve some stress on the defensive end as well.  As the only returning member of the Golden Gopher’s line-up, his offensive skill set will make him the focal of not just his team’s offense, but the opposition’s defense. Regardless of the extra attention, Battle is going to have an All-Big Ten season.