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The Best Players in the Big Ten Conference (B1G Ballers) results are in (finally, I know...). Below you'll find a team by team summary of which players saw their names recognized in the weekly B1G Ballers. Before we go full statistical, let's give the Iowa fans something to crow about.
The B1G baller of 2016 was C.J. Beathard. He appeared in the Ballers ten times. Runners up were Justin Jackson and Aaron Burbridge with eight appearances each.
Now let's talk about some conference averages.
The average unique Ballers per team this year was 17.2. If your team had more, you were either PSU (homersota) or you had more standouts on your team than most. I also tracked both Seniors and Freshmen to see if there was a correlation between age and success.
Seniors, as a percentage of your Ballers, should indicate a team's maturity and therefore success. While it isn't perfect, a good example of this is Michigan. Harbaugh inherited a squad that had 13 seniors that appeared in Ballers. That's 8 more than the conference average. This Michigan team was loaded with experience, which contributed to their success.
On the other hand, Ohio State only had two seniors. They won because their players are just better than your team's.
I tracked freshmen Ballers to give us an inkling of good recruiting and future success. If your freshmen balled out during last year, that says good things about the future, right? The teams that led the conference in outstanding freshmen were Minnesota with five, Michigan State and Penn State with four each.
The average percentage of seniors making up a team's Ballers was 5.1 or 27% of the ballers playing. The average number of freshmen was 2.1 or 12% of your team's ballers. While a loaded senior class this year, probably means a big drop off next year (Lookin' at you, Michigan!), sometimes the stats predict the future in other ways.
For example, when I look at Ohio State, Nebraska, and Indiana, I see teams that were below average in both seniors and freshmen. That tells me sophomores and juniors made up their ballers lists. Next year could be more successful, as those kids will be even more experienced. Except for the Buckeyes...whose entire team just went to the NFL...
Just remember, these are cobbled together statistics of a completely biased set of observations by yours truly. It really doesn't mean shit...but it's the offseason. Time for wild ass guesses and crazy predictions!
On that sunny note, let's jump right in:
Illinois |
|
Ballers: |
17 |
Seniors: |
5 |
Seniors %: |
29% |
Freshmen: |
2 |
Freshmen %: |
12% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
5 |
Geronimo Allison |
Sr. |
4 |
Wes Lunt |
Jr. |
3 |
Josh Ferguson |
Sr. |
3 |
Clayton Fejedlem |
Sr. |
3 |
Jihad Ward |
Sr. |
2 |
Taylor Barton |
Jr. |
2 |
Caleb Day |
Jr. |
2 |
Ryan Frain |
Jr. |
2 |
Dawuane Smoot |
Jr. |
2 |
Taylor Barton |
Jr. |
1 |
Murchie Murdock |
So. |
1 |
Tre Watson |
Fr. |
1 |
Carroll Phillips |
Jr. |
1 |
Malik Turner |
So. |
1 |
Ke'Shawn Vaughn |
Fr. |
1 |
Jevaris Little |
Jr. |
1 |
Mason Monheim |
Sr. |
The Illini hit the average for players in ballers. However, they were a little heavy in seniors and more important, those seniors contributed a whole lot during the year. Look at the top five players on that list and you see Illinois star power waving goodbye.
Indiana |
|
Ballers: |
18 |
Seniors: |
4 |
Seniors %: |
22% |
Freshmen: |
2 |
Freshmen %: |
11% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
5 |
Jordan Howard |
Jr. |
5 |
Nate Sudfeld |
Sr. |
4 |
Devine Redding |
So. |
3 |
Mitchell Paige |
R-Jr. |
2 |
Ricky Jones |
R-Jr. |
2 |
Zander Diamont |
So. |
2 |
Erich Toth |
R-Sr. |
2 |
Griffin Oakes |
R-So. |
1 |
Jameel Cook Jr |
Fr. |
1 |
Tony Fields |
So. |
1 |
Simmie Cobbs Jr |
So. |
1 |
Danny Cameron |
R-Fr. |
1 |
Jason Spriggs |
Sr. |
1 |
Jacob Bailey |
R-Jr. |
1 |
Jake Reed |
R-Sr. |
1 |
Dan Feeney |
R-Jr. |
1 |
Dimitric Camiel |
R-Jr. |
1 |
Tegray Scales |
So. |
5 |
Jordan Howard |
Jr. |
Indiana had more than the average ballers and fewer than the average seniors. Freshmen contribution was a little light, but Indiana can look forward to a lot of Devine Redding in the future. The biggest concern here is quarterback...but I'm sure we'll cover that somewhere else.
Iowa |
|
Ballers: |
21 |
Seniors: |
7 |
Seniors %: |
33% |
Freshmen: |
2 |
Freshmen %: |
10% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
10 |
C.J. Beathard |
Jr. |
5 |
Jordan Canzeri |
Sr. |
4 |
LeShun Daniels Jr. |
Jr. |
4 |
Desmond King |
Jr. |
2 |
Cole Fisher |
Sr. |
2 |
Jordan Lomax |
Sr. |
2 |
Akrum Wadley |
So. |
2 |
Josey Jewell |
So. |
1 |
Drew Ott |
Sr. |
1 |
Matt VandeBerg |
Jr. |
1 |
Bo Bower |
So. |
1 |
Cole Croston |
Jr. |
1 |
Sean Welsh |
So. |
1 |
Austin Blythe |
Sr. |
1 |
Jordan Walsh |
Sr. |
1 |
James Daniels |
Fr. |
1 |
Jaleel Johnson |
Jr. |
1 |
Nathan Bazata |
So. |
1 |
Nate Meier |
Sr. |
1 |
Greg Mabin |
Jr. |
1 |
Parker Hesse |
Fr. |
Iowa had more than its fair share of seniors. It will be interesting to see if they can repeat their success in 2016. If anything, Beathard will have a strong cast of experience with him. Return of the undefeated Hawks anyone?
Michigan |
|
Ballers: |
20 |
Seniors: |
13 |
Seniors %: |
65% |
Freshmen: |
0 |
Freshmen %: |
0% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
6 |
Amara Darboh |
Sr. |
6 |
Jake Rudock |
Sr. |
6 |
Jehu Chesson |
Sr. |
5 |
Jake Butt |
Jr. |
2 |
De'Veon Smith |
Jr. |
2 |
Jeremy Clark |
Sr. |
2 |
Taco Charlton |
Jr. |
2 |
Desmond Morgan |
Sr. |
2 |
Jabrill Peppers |
So. |
2 |
James Ross III |
Sr. |
2 |
Jarrod Wilson |
Sr. |
2 |
Willie Henry |
Sr. |
1 |
Ty Isaac |
Jr. |
1 |
Channing Stribling |
Jr. |
1 |
Maurice Hurst |
Jr. |
1 |
Mario Ojemudia |
Sr. |
1 |
Joe Bolden |
Sr. |
1 |
Sione Houma |
Sr. |
1 |
Blake O'neill |
Sr. |
1 |
Chris Wormley |
Sr. |
As I said earlier, this team was top heavy in the extreme. It had the most seniors by a long shot. If they can't reload, we could see Coach Tantrum's team regress in 2016. Look at the list below. What I see is a complete reload at all the skill positions.
Michigan State |
|
Ballers: |
23 |
Seniors: |
9 |
Seniors %: |
39% |
Freshmen: |
4 |
Freshmen %: |
17% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
8 |
Aaron Burbridge |
Sr. |
7 |
Connor Cook |
Sr. |
5 |
Riley Bullough |
Jr. |
4 |
Shilique Calhoun |
Sr. |
3 |
Arjen Colquhoun |
Sr. |
3 |
Malik McDowell |
So. |
2 |
Montae Nicholson |
So. |
2 |
R.J. Williamson |
Sr. |
2 |
Macgarrett Kings Jr. |
Sr. |
2 |
L.J. Scott |
Fr. |
2 |
Demetrius Cox |
Jr. |
2 |
Gerald Holmes |
So. |
1 |
Madre London |
Fr. |
1 |
Joel Heath |
Sr. |
1 |
Jon Reschke |
So. |
1 |
Darien Harris |
Sr. |
1 |
Trevon Pendleton |
Sr. |
1 |
Jalen Watts-Jackson |
So. |
1 |
Shane Jones |
So. |
1 |
Grayson Miller |
Fr. |
1 |
Michael Geiger |
Jr. |
1 |
Craig Evans |
Fr. |
1 |
Tyler O'Connor |
Jr. |
This was a really great team, from a Ballers prospective. Sparty had more seniors than most teams and they played well. Plus they had more freshment contributing than most teams. Like Michigan, this team will have to replace some key contributors.
Maryland |
|
Ballers: |
16 |
Seniors: |
2 |
Seniors %: |
13% |
Freshmen: |
2 |
Freshmen %: |
13% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
4 |
Brandon Ross |
Sr. |
3 |
Quinton Jefferson |
Jr. |
3 |
Will Likely |
Jr. |
2 |
Sean Davis |
Sr. |
2 |
Jalen Brooks |
So. |
2 |
Perry Hills |
Jr. |
2 |
Yannick Ngakoue |
Jr. |
1 |
Taivon Jacobs |
So. |
1 |
Levern Jacobs |
Jr. |
1 |
Brett Zanotto |
Fr. |
1 |
Kinglsey Opara |
So. |
1 |
Jesse Aniebonam |
So. |
1 |
Caleb Rowe |
Jr. |
1 |
Malcolm Culmer |
Jr. |
1 |
Kenneth Goins Jr. |
Jr. |
1 |
Ty Johnson |
Fr. |
The good news is this Maryland team only loses two seniors. The bad news is that they only won one conference game last year. We'll see what happens when this crop of juniors all become seniors next year. I predict Maryland doubles its conference wins in 2016.
Purdue |
|
Ballers: |
11 |
Seniors: |
3 |
Seniors %: |
27% |
Freshmen: |
3 |
Freshmen %: |
27% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
6 |
None |
|
3 |
Austin Appleby |
Jr. |
3 |
Markell Jones |
Fr. |
3 |
David Blough |
Fr. |
2 |
Anthony Brown |
Sr. |
2 |
Frankie Williams |
Sr. |
2 |
Danny Anthrop |
Sr. |
2 |
DeAngelo Yancey |
So. |
1 |
Robert Gregory |
Jr. |
1 |
Gelen Robinson |
So. |
1 |
Domonique Young |
Jr. |
1 |
Brandon Roberts |
Fr. |
I'm sorry to pile on Boilers, but the fact that you had six weeks of no ballers cracked me up. The bright spot in this line up are those freshmen, Markell Jones and David Blough. Some bright futures there. I hope you guys can get it together in 2016.
Penn State |
|
Ballers: |
21 |
Seniors: |
4 |
Seniors %: |
19% |
Freshmen: |
4 |
Freshmen %: |
19% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
6 |
Saquon Barkley |
Fr. |
5 |
Christian Hackenberg |
Jr. |
4 |
Carl Nassib |
Sr. |
4 |
Chris Godwin |
So. |
2 |
John Reid |
Fr. |
2 |
Grant Haley |
So. |
2 |
Daesean Hamilton |
So. |
2 |
Brandon Bell |
Jr. |
1 |
Akeel Lynch |
Jr. |
1 |
Saeed Blacknall |
So. |
1 |
Kyle Carter |
Sr. |
1 |
Austin Johnson |
Jr. |
1 |
Trevor Williams |
Sr. |
1 |
Malik Golden |
Jr. |
1 |
Nick Scott |
Fr. |
1 |
Anthony Zettel |
Sr. |
1 |
Mark Allen |
Fr. |
1 |
Troy Reeder |
So. |
1 |
Curtis Cothran |
So. |
1 |
Parker Cothren |
So. |
1 |
Geno Lewis |
Jr. |
This was a young football team. There was a decided lack of star power on the offensive line. The departing senior list is short, but critical with two decorated stars from the defensive line graduating. That said, Saquon Barkley was a freshman! Woo Hoo!
Barkley for Heisman!
Too soon?
Minnesota |
|
Ballers: |
19 |
Seniors: |
4 |
Seniors %: |
21% |
Freshmen: |
5 |
Freshmen %: |
26% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
5 |
Mitch Leidner |
Jr. |
5 |
Shannon Brooks |
Fr. |
2 |
Rodney Smith |
Fr. |
2 |
Drew Wolitarsky |
Jr. |
2 |
Steven Richardson |
So. |
2 |
Rodney Smith |
Fr. |
2 |
Brandon Lingen |
So. |
1 |
Eric Murray |
Sr. |
1 |
Cody Poock |
So. |
1 |
Peter Mortell |
Sr. |
1 |
Craig James |
So. |
1 |
Jalen Myrick |
Jr. |
1 |
De'Vondre Campbell |
Sr. |
1 |
Rashad Still |
Fr. |
1 |
Ryan Santoso |
So. |
1 |
jack Lynn |
Jr. |
1 |
KJ Maye |
Sr. |
1 |
KiAnte Hardin |
Fr. |
1 |
Briean Boddy-Calhoun |
Sr. |
Just looking through this list gives me chills. There's a whole lot of talent coming back...Brooks, Smith, Richardson. Holy hell...You guys could be 8 - 1 going into Lincoln in November. You shouldn't have more than 3 losses in that first nine game stretch.
Nebraska |
|
Ballers: |
17 |
Seniors: |
3 |
Seniors %: |
18% |
Freshmen: |
1 |
Freshmen %: |
6% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
6 |
Tommy Armstrong |
Jr. |
4 |
None |
|
3 |
Jordan Westerkamp |
Jr. |
3 |
Nate Gerry |
Jr. |
2 |
Terrell Newby |
Jr. |
2 |
Alonzo Moore |
Jr. |
2 |
Brandon Reilly |
Jr. |
1 |
Kevin Maurice |
Jr. |
1 |
Andy Janovich |
Sr. |
1 |
Freedom Akinmoladun |
Fr. |
1 |
Drew Brown |
So. |
1 |
Joshua Kalu |
So. |
1 |
Ross Dzuris |
Jr. |
1 |
Sam Folz |
Jr. |
1 |
Ryker Fyfe |
Jr. |
1 |
Imani Cross |
Sr. |
1 |
Jonathan Rose |
Sr. |
1 |
Cethan Carter |
Jr. |
This is another team that could be really good in 2016. Just look at all those juniors contributing. Oh and then there were those three weeks (and the bye) where this team laid an egg. Consistency needs to improve and Nebraska is a force to be reckoned with next year.
Northwestern |
|
Ballers: |
14 |
Seniors: |
5 |
Seniors %: |
36% |
Freshmen: |
1 |
Freshmen %: |
7% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
8 |
Justin Jackson |
So. |
4 |
Clayton Thorson |
Fr. |
3 |
Anthony Walker |
So. |
3 |
Dan Vitale |
Sr. |
3 |
None |
|
2 |
Matthew Harris |
Jr. |
2 |
Dean Lowry |
Sr. |
2 |
Nick VanHoose |
Sr. |
1 |
Ifeadi Odenigbo |
Jr. |
1 |
Traveon Henry |
Sr. |
1 |
Solomon Vault |
So. |
1 |
Jack Mitchell |
Jr. |
1 |
Warren Long |
Jr. |
1 |
Drew Smith |
Sr. |
1 |
Austin Carr |
Jr. |
Northwestern had more than the average seniors on this squad, but look at the first three Ballers...they are coming back. And while I don't think they make a run at the West championship, they will be spoilers again. The road to the CCG probably runs through Evanston...since both Nebraska and Wisconsin have to play there. That said, Iowa gets Northwestern at home.
I think Northwestern will be a quality opponent in 2016...so be prepared.
Rutgers |
|
Ballers: |
14 |
Seniors: |
4 |
Seniors %: |
29% |
Freshmen: |
2 |
Freshmen %: |
14% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
5 |
Leonte Carroo |
Sr. |
4 |
Chris Laviano |
So. |
3 |
Quentin Gause |
Sr. |
3 |
Janarion Grant |
Jr. |
3 |
Robert Martin |
So. |
2 |
Kemoko Turay |
So. |
2 |
Paul James |
Sr. |
1 |
Jimmy Hogan |
Fr. |
1 |
Andre Hunt |
So. |
1 |
Josh Hicks |
So. |
1 |
Steve Longa |
Jr. |
1 |
Carlton Agudosi |
Jr. |
1 |
Blessuan Austin |
Fr. |
1 |
Kalwan Lewis |
Sr. |
So, I watched this team a lot last year. Without Carroo, it was a bad football team. And now it's permanently without Carroo. I'm concerned that the East Coast Bro's are going to be bad again.
Laviano is back and Grant too. That will be the pair to watch...but you've got to find some more talent. Being one dimensional with a terrible defense doesn't work in the B1G. One conference win sucks. It's hard to talk shit with confidence when you are sitting eyeball to eyeball with Purdue and Maryland.
Wisconsin |
|
Ballers: |
16 |
Seniors: |
7 |
Seniors %: |
44% |
Freshmen: |
1 |
Freshmen %: |
6% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
5 |
Dare Ogunbowale |
Jr. |
5 |
Tanner McEvoy |
Sr. |
5 |
Joe Schobert |
Sr. |
4 |
Joel Stave |
Sr. |
4 |
Alex Erickson |
Sr. |
2 |
Bart Houston |
Jr. |
2 |
Vince Biegel |
Jr. |
2 |
Taiwan Deal |
Fr. |
1 |
Austin Traylor |
Sr. |
1 |
Alec Ingold |
Fr. |
1 |
Robert Wheelwright |
Jr. |
1 |
Micheal Caputo |
Sr. |
1 |
Corey Clement |
Jr. |
1 |
Natrell Jamerson |
So. |
1 |
Jazz Peavy |
So. |
1 |
Drew Meyer |
Sr. |
Ouch, that's a lot of star power heading out the door. This senior class was loaded with talent. The good news is that Clement should be back, Ogunbowale is great, and Taiwan Deal could be a star in the making. Wisconsin is reloading for 2016. Iowa fans should break out the crying towels now...the West could have a new champ next year.
Ohio State |
|
Ballers: |
17 |
Seniors: |
2 |
Seniors %: |
12% |
Freshmen: |
1 |
Freshmen %: |
6% |
# of Weeks in Ballers |
Name |
Year |
7 |
J.T. Barrett |
So. |
5 |
Ezekiel Elliott |
Jr. |
4 |
Braxton Miller |
Sr. |
3 |
Joey Bosa |
Jr. |
2 |
Cardale Jones |
Jr. |
1 |
Vonn Bell |
Jr. |
1 |
Cameron Johnston |
Jr. |
1 |
Curtis Samuel |
So. |
1 |
Darron Lee |
So. |
1 |
Eli Apple |
So. |
1 |
Tyvis Powell |
Jr. |
1 |
Sam Hubbard |
Fr. |
1 |
Adolphus Washington |
Sr. |
1 |
Gareon Conley |
So. |
1 |
Raeqwon McMillan |
So. |
1 |
Jalin Marshall |
So. |
1 |
Michael Thomas |
Jr. |
The single hardest thing about coaching a college football team well is the ability to reload each year. Urban Meyer is as efficient at that as O'Hare airport is at shuffling planes. The OSU ballers list had 2 seniors, seven juniors, seven sophomores, and one freshman. That's insanely balanced and speaks volumes about Meyer's ability to recruit great athletes. Not to mention coaching them up.
I know that OSU's departing talent could beat the Cleveland Browns, but don't count out the Buckeyes in 2016. J.T. Barrett is back and he's got some insane young talent to work with. Ugh.
I hated to have to write that.
There you have it folks...a data-heavy summary of the Big Ten Conference's Ballers for 2016. Now I have to go do some real work. Feel free to make up your own conclusions in the comments below.
Your Friend,
Townie.