All-B1G Awards

The All-B1G teams were announced earlier this week by the coaches and media, which means, it is time to release my awards for the nation’s best conference. 

Player of the Year

Trey Burke

This is one of the easier awards to give out because I personally think Burke should run away with the national player of the year this year.  I know people want to throw Oladipo, Thomas, or even Zeller in the same breath as Michigan’s star, but one deciding factor for me is: where would Michigan be right now without Burke?  They are a talented team, but us fans might be back on bubble watch again.  Burke averaged over 20 points in conference play, never scored less than 15, leads the conference in assists and assist to turnover ratio.  He is easily the best point guard in the country, and one of Michigan’s all-time greats.  Now just imagine if he stayed for 4 years.

Defensive Player of the Year

Victor Oladipo

While Aaron Craft is the best on ball defender in the country, Oladipo is not far behind.  But where I think he excels is in team defense.  His help-side defense is near perfect, and his rotations are quick and in the correct spot all the time.  Even if Oladipo’s offense was lacking, it is clearly not, his defense would propel Michigan to the clear-cut best team in the country.  Craft is a very close second for this award.  He will likely win it again next season as Oladipo is likely to leave for the NBA.

All-B1G Team

1.       Trey Burke

2.       DeShaun Thomas

3.       Victor Oladipo

4.       Cody Zeller

5.       Aaron Craft

Coach of the Year

Matt Painter

I know most people chose Bo Ryan for this award, but I just don’t want to give Wisconsin any credit.  I don’t like the way they play basketball, and I definitely don’t like Ryan’s antics on the sideline.  Yes, the Badgers overcame the loss of their point guard to finish in the top 4 of the conference for another season, but they might have played the conference’s easiest schedule to do so and needed 2 near half-court buzzer beaters for those wins.  The breaks fell Wisconsin’s way after the non-conference.  I will choose Matt Painter from Purdue just based on where the Boilermakers were heading into the conference (coming off a loss to Eastern Michigan where they couldn’t score 45 points), and where they finished (dominating Minnesota on their home floor by scoring 89 points).  Purdue might be one of the most improved teams in the country, and Painter should be recognized for his best coaching job in his career.