With the official begin of apply subsequent month, UMHoops and Contained in the Corridor have partnered to carry you our annual preseason breakdown of the highest gamers within the Large Ten. This yr, the listing has been expanded after the addition of 4 applications to the convention.
The sequence is damaged into seven components and our ultimate installment taking a look at gamers 5-1 for the 2024-25 season is obtainable beneath:
Beforehand: 40-31, 30-26, 25-21, 20-16, 15-11, 10-6
5. Jackson Shelstad, Oregon (6-foot, guard, sophomore)
2023-24 stats (32 video games): 12.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 45% FG, 34.5% 3PFG in 32.6 minutes
Why he may outperform this rating: In an period the place freshmen aren’t presupposed to affect profitable, particularly freshman level guards, Jackson Shelstad led Oregon to the NCAA match as a freshman place to begin guard.
Following within the footsteps of Payton Pritchard, one other West Linn and Oregon nice, Shelstad shot 52 p.c on twos and 35 p.c on threes as a freshman. The bread and butter of his sport is the pull-up jumper, the place he scored within the 71st percentile on 132 makes an attempt, however he additionally completed at 63 p.c across the rim.
Like Pritchard, he additionally has a penchant for hitting massive pictures in essential moments. Dana Altman has assembled sufficient expertise round him for Oregon to be a competitor on the prime of the league.
Why he may underperform this rating: Oregon has regarded higher on paper within the preseason than in March for the previous couple of seasons. Accidents and dangerous luck have performed a big half in that, however realizing what to anticipate from the Geese as they transfer to the Large Ten is hard. There’s sufficient expertise there to compete, however Dana Altman’s staff has completed outdoors the KenPom prime 40 for 3 consecutive seasons — coming off of a stretch of 5 top-30 finishes in six years. If Oregon is a contender, Shelstad might be within the combine for All-Large Ten honors, but when they wrestle he may slide down this listing.
4. Myles Rice, Indiana (6-foot-3, guard, redshirt sophomore)
2023-24 stats (35 video games at Washington State): 14.8 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.1 rpg, 1.6 spg, 43.9% FG, 27.5% 3PFG in 33.2 minutes
Why he may outperform this rating: Rice was probably the greatest tales in faculty basketball final season. After redshirting two seasons at Washington State – Rice fought and beat most cancers throughout his second redshirt yr – he made his debut as a third-year freshman and led the Cougars to the NCAA match for the primary time since 2008.
Rice is snug capturing from anyplace on the ground and shot higher than 80 p.c from the free throw line. That means his 3-point capturing numbers have room for development and if that occurs, he turns into one of many hardest covers within the league as a result of he’s already stable within the midrange and wonderful on the rim. Whereas he was extra of a score-first level guard than a past-first level guard at Washington State, that would change in Bloomington with teammates like Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo.
Why he may underperform this rating: The principle concern with Rice is how poorly he shot it from the perimeter final season. His 3-point capturing numbers have been harm by a stretch that started in late February the place he shot 0-for-22 from deep over a six-game stretch.
3. Dylan Harper, Rutgers (6-foot-6, guard, freshman)
Why he may outperform this rating: Harper is a lefty guard who can play on or off the ball and ought to be an prompt starter and first possibility for Steve Pikiell. Pikiell’s groups are by no means identified for his or her offense however are well-known for leaning on one or two elite shot makers or scorers to hold the load on that finish of the courtroom. Harper might be that man and the potential lottery choose has the expertise to excel in that position.
Why he may underperform this rating: Excelling within the Large Ten as a real freshman is difficult, particularly within the COVID period. Solely three freshmen have made both the coaches or media All-Large Ten first staff within the final decade: Hunter Dickinson in 2020-21 (media) together with D’Angelo Russell (each) and Melo Trimble (media) in 2014-15.
Harper has actual upside, however the truth that he may have an superior yr, get picked within the first spherical of 2025 NBA draft and nonetheless find yourself decrease on an end-of-year listing.
2. Payton Sandfort, Iowa (6-foot-7, ahead, senior)
2023-24 stats (34 video games): 16.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.7 apg, 44.6% FG, 37.9% 3PFG in 30.5 minutes
Why he may outperform this rating: Sandfort is the perfect returning scoring wing within the league and with Tony Perkins transferring on to Missouri by way of the switch portal, the Hawkeyes will lean on him much more for offense.
Given his effectivity final season – he shot 55.1 p.c on 2s and 37.9 p.c on 3s – getting as many seems as doable for Sandfort is a stable plan for Fran McCaffery. After testing the NBA pre-draft course of however struggling within the mix scrimmages, this season is an audition for Sandfort to earn a possibility within the league.
Why he may underperform this rating: For Sandfort to complete the season within the dialog for the Large Ten’s greatest participant, he should exhibit extra consistency. It took him a while final season to get going as he scored simply 19 factors whole in Iowa’s first two convention video games in early December. By season’s finish, he was one of many league’s most constant gamers. Nevertheless, he additionally disappeared at occasions in essential moments on an Iowa staff that desperately wanted his manufacturing to remain within the NCAA match dialog.
1. Braden Smith, Purdue (6-foot, guard, junior)
2023-24 stats (39 video games): 12.0 ppg, 7.5 apg, 5.8 rpg, 1.6 spg, 44.1% FG, 43.1% 3PFG in 34 minutes
Why he’s ranked right here: Smith is the one All-Large Ten first-team choice who’s again within the convention this season. He was additionally probably the greatest guards within the nation as a sophomore and ran a staff that reached the NCAA championship sport.
It’s laborious to search out any fault in how Smith carried out final season. He had the second-best help charge within the Large Ten, was among the many league’s greatest 3-point shooters and averaged practically six rebounds as a guard. He had 10 video games with 10 or extra assists and scored in double figures 27 occasions.
Why he may underperform this rating: How a lot did Smith profit from taking part in with Zach Edey? The gravitational pull of Edey opened issues up for the remainder of the Purdue roster and Smith was a beneficiary.
Edey is gone and opposing defenses will now deal with Smith fairly than the two-time nationwide participant of the yr.
Filed to: 2024-25 Large Ten preview, Myles Rice
