Big Ten Spotlight: The top five players heading into 2022-23
With college basketball season quickly approaching, Rivals.com basketball recruiting analyst Travis Graf takes a look at the top five players from each Power Five conference heading into the 2022-23 campaign. Today, he continues with the Big Ten.
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Related: The top five players in the ACC heading into the season
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Jackson-Davis, the Big Ten's Preseason Player of the Year, returns for a junior season in which the Hoosiers face the highest expectations in quite awhile. Mike Woodson’s program debuted at No. 13 in the preseason edition of the AP Top 25, and a lot of that recognition stems from returning TJD. The former four-star prospect is an efficient offensive scorer, rebounds at a high level, and increased his blocks per game last season after a stronger showing on the defensive end.
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Dickinson is one of the most steady hands in all of college basketball, consistently producing at a high level on a nightly basis. Michigan’s 7-footer will once again be the key component for a Wolverines squad who finds themselves ranked No. 22 in the preseason AP Top 25. Dickinson improved statistically across the board as a sophomore and started expanding his game behind the arc as well. Will another jump in production and skill set be in the works this season?
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At 7-foot-4, Edey is one of the more fascinating players in all of college basketball. Offensively, he shoots 65-percent from the field and is a load to handle in the paint for opposing defenses. Defensively, he alters a ton of shots but doesn’t really block many for his size. The key for Edey this season will be to increase his time on the floor. He averaged 14 and seven a year ago in under 20 minutes per game. Things could get very interesting if he can increase those minutes by five or 10 this season.
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It may be hard to find many players who are expected to take as big of a jump in production and role as Murray is this season. The sixth man for the Hawkeyes a year ago, Murray played his way into draft discussion last spring before opting to come back to Iowa for another season. The former three-star forward shot the ball well from the outside last season, and his combination of size and upside is very intriguing.
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Shannon will likely thrive in the new setting in Champaign this season. His overall numbers dropped from his sophomore to junior season at Texas Tech, but the promising news for Illini fans is that he continues to become a more consistent outside shooter, shooting a career best 38-percent from behind the arc last year. Shannon should excel as a 3&D player for Brad Underwood in his senior season and help lead an Illinois squad that’s ranked No. 23 in the preseason AP Top 25.