BTN's First Half Awards

Q: How about Coach of the Year?
A: It’s hard not to be impressed with what John Beilein is doing in Ann Arbor. No Trey Burke. No Tim Hardaway, Jr. And basically no Mitch McGary. No problem, as the Wolverines sit atop the Big Ten with a perfect record. No one was predicating this back in August. And I have been impressed with Richard Pitino at Minnesota. Having typed all of that, however, I am going to go with Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. The guy has had more obstacles to clear than any coach, dealing with injuries to Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson. And Keith Appling hasn’t been in top form as he deals with a wrist injury. Gary Harris also has been dinged. Still, Izzo and MSU have marched on, not missing many beats while playing one of the most daunting schedules in America.

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Q: Who has surprised you the most?
A: No doubt, Michigan has been much better than I anticipated. But Minnesota has been a bigger surprise. Rookie coach Richard Pitino has the Golden Gophers in line to earn an NCAA bid. Who saw this back in the fall? Not many. Pitino is doing it with good guard play from JC transfer DeAndre Mathieu, FIU transfer Malik Smith and Andre and Austin Hollins. And big man Elliott Eliason has been a revelation. This has made for a fun story in the Twin Cities.

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Q: Top newcomer?
A: The top freshman has been Indiana’s Noah Vonleh. He arrived in Bloomington with a fat scrapbook amid great hype. And, the big, lithe athlete has delivered with a 12.0-point scoring average. His work on the glass has been even better, averaging a Big Ten-best 9.6 rebounds per game.
Minnesota’s diminutive-but-speedy DeAndre Mathieu has been a top-notch JC transfer, pushing the pace and getting to the hole from his point guard slot.
The Big Ten also has been blessed with some good transfers from four-year schools. Illinois’ Rayvonte Rice (Drake), Minnesota’s Malik Smith (FIU), Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff (Wisconsin), Nebraska’s Terran Petteway (Texas Tech) and Penn State’s John Johnson (Pitt) all have been impact players and upped the talent level.

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Q: How many teams will make the NCAA Tournament?
A: The Big Ten is looking like a six-bid league. Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Minnesota look to be in good shape. The Golden Gophers need to stay on guard. Of the teams on the outside looking in, Indiana may still have a shot if it can finish with a flurry. The only way any other team will make it figures to be by winning the conference tourney.

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