College basketball is just a little bit over a couple months away, and the Big 10 schedules being fully released, here are the prospects you need to know in the Big 10:
*Forewarning that these are not the only prospects on these teams, and that other players will likely also emerge as prospects on these rosters.
Illinois:
- Ayo Dosunmu: Known as a scorer with a high basketball IQ, Dosunmu has a questionable jump shot. Dosunmu is going to be Illinois’ most intriguing prospect for this season, and his scoring, particularly 3 point shooting, will be worth monitoring in his freshman season.
Indiana:
- Romeo Langford: Pegged as the best scorer in the draft, Langford has been at the top of high school recruiting class rankings and future draft boards for years. Langford is a pure scorer with high level athleticism. The question marks for him are how his ball handling/ shot creation succeeds, and what defensive traits he possesses.
Iowa:
- Tyler Cook: Cook originally declared for the 2018 draft, where I had him ranked as a fringe draftable player. Cook has a versatile skillset, which is important for a modern 4 in the NBA. He showed flashes of quick ball handling skills and was able to shoot the midrange shot occasionally. Stretching his shot to the 3 point line will be crucial for Cook, as he already has plus athleticism and an NBA body.
Ohio State:
- Luther Muhammad: Ohio State’s top freshman has a good chance of making the NBA after his freshman year. Muhammad has already been labeled as a ferocious defender from training camps and preseason tape. If his offense comes along as quickly as his defense has, he will unquestionably be a first round prospect.
Maryland:
- Aaron Wiggins: Wiggins has already begun impressing college basketball media members with his excellent combination of length, athleticism, and scoring ability. He will get tested quite a bit on both ends in the Big 10 with Romeo Langford, Amir Coffey, Luther Mohammed, and other wings.
- Bruno Fernando: Still somewhat a raw prospect, Fernando thrives in the P&R and has an NBA body with strength and long arms. He needs to improve consistency with his jump shot as a sophomore in order to be able to play the 4 in the NBA. He has a weak feel for the game, often finding himself out of place or forcing plays early in the shot clock. Had Fernando kept his name in the 2018 draft, he likely would have been taken in the first half of the 2nd round, per my pre-withdrawal big board ranking.
Michigan:
- Jordan Poole– Best known for hitting one of the most iconic shots in recent NCAA Tournament history, Poole has a great chance to become a great shooter in his sophomore season. Poole has above-average length and is a plus athlete. His 37% 3 point shooting seems sustainable for another season thanks to his FT% of 83%. However, he rarely got to the line, and with more minutes, he should be able to play double the 12 minutes per game of his freshman season.
Michigan State
- Josh Langford: Langford is a lights out shooter, shooting 40% from 3 and 85% from the line in 2017-18. Langford has good size for a guard, but he needs to improve his playmaking.
- Cassius Winston: The only major conference player to put up a 50/40/90 season in 2017-18, and the first major conference player to do so since Kyrie Irving, Cassius Winston is an under-the-radar prospect that has some NBA upside. While undersized at just 6’0, he has excellent vision and a high IQ. He played a major role in Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr’s college successes, as he often set both of them up for highlight plays and great shot opportunities.
Minnesota:
- Amir Coffey: A solid 3&D candidate for the NBA, Coffey had an injury riddled season in 2017-18. He has an unorthodox shooting form, but his release point and rotation helped him get a 37% success rate from 3. He must improve his FT% from 75% as a freshman and 68.7% as a sophomore.
- Isaiah Washington: Best known for his viral “jelly roll” layup, Washington had a challenging freshman season, putting up decent counting stats (17 points per 40 minutes), but had poor shooting splits of 36.6/24.1/76.5. If he can produce this year, the NBA hype surrounding him will be strong. Isaiah Washington should be one of the top breakout candidates in the Big 10 this upcoming season.
Nebraska:
- Isaac Copeland: A once highly regarded recruit and prospect out of Georgetown, Copeland had a nice first season at Nebraska. However, this will be his 5th year of college basketball, making him one of the older prospects in the class. Copeland is a good shooter and a solid athlete, but must become elite in a single area in order to get drafted. Look for Copeland and his teammate James Palmer to be the talk of the Huskers in 2017-18.
Northwestern:
- Pete Nance: Nance possesses one NBA skill already: shooting. With similar form to Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis, he will need to continue his strong shooting success that he found in high school. Nance can score off the dribble too, but has a slow handle and is a subpar athlete. Nance should also add strength in order to be able to play at the NBA level. His freshman year playing time estimate is unknown.
Purdue:
- Carsen Edwards: Edwards is an incoming junior that has a pretty polished game for his age. Edwards has the key to the Boilermakers offense and is a successful shooter. The worry for Edwards is largely in part due to his size and defensive capabilities. Offensively, Edwards’ game is excellent for college. However, he will likely have trouble against NBA size and athletes at point guard. Edwards is unlikely to get drafted in 2019, but will still be on radars.
Wisconsin:
- Ethan Happ: Happ is a senior that hasn’t shown a shooting touch doesn’t stand out as a draftable prospect. However, Happ can score inside, rebound, and make plays well for his position. Happ has a high understanding of the game, but his shooting and athleticism limitations may hurt his NBA chances.
