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Post by BBFran on Jan 24, 2016 13:47:37 GMT -6
Watching Jordan Johnson play yet another superb game at point guard yesterday got me thinking about this. I have seen all the teams play numerous times. So as of January 23, here are the nine players I think you could seriously argue have played the best:
Wisconsin: Nigel Hayes, Ethan Happ
Green Bay: Carrington Love, Jordan Fouse
Marquette: Henry Ellenson, Luke Fischer
Milwaukee: Jordan Johnson, Matt Tiby, Akeem Springs
Here's my top five right now:
1. Jordan Johnson
2. Nigel Hayes
3. Matt Tiby
4. Henry Ellenson
5. Ethan Happ
And just to finish the list:
6. Akeem Springs
7. Carrington Love
8. Luke Fischer
9. Jordan Fouse
It's probably worth noting I couldn't care less how college players project as pros. This is my eye-test ranking (with some analytics also considered) based on how these guys have actually been playing D1 ball this year up until now. My key takeaway is that coming into the season I would have expected the guys I have from 2-5 to be on this list. Like most I didn't have a clue what to expect from Jordan Johnson. So far he has been about as good a college point guard as you could ever hope for. Considering everything our program has had to navigate the last five years, our recruiting has been sensational.
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Post by phoenixphan87 on Jan 25, 2016 8:28:57 GMT -6
I will throw Bronson Koenig in there and go with a true ten team ranking
1. Henry Ellenson
2. Nigel Hayes
3. Jordan Johnson
4. Matt Tiby
5. Ethan Happ
6. Carrington Love
7. Bronson Koenig
8. Luke Fischer
9 Jordan Fouse
10 Akeem Springs
Henry has been great for Marquette, almost averaging a double double. Nigel has finally found his grove and shot for UW. Johnson has been great for Milw and Tiby is a better player than Happ at this point. Carrington Love has thrived in the new system for GB and I just couldnt put Fouse in 10th because the guy does everything and has found a three point shot. Bash me for Springs but this is how i see it.
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Post by BBFran on Jan 25, 2016 9:33:26 GMT -6
Ellenson is an extremely inefficient player. Good rebounder but he sucks the air out of their offense with terrible shot selection, which is maybe the single most important reason their offense is so bad. Can't move well laterally on defense and gets blown by regularly; occasionally gets a blocked shot which leaves his overall D grade at "meh." Adds some value by being able to advance the ball, but has more turnovers than assists. He's an NBA prospect because of his size and skill potential, but in college he's really just the best player on a mediocre to bad team. He's not nearly as good a college basketball player right now as Johnson, Hayes or Tiby.
I'm a big Jordan Fouse fan too. Wish he was playing for Milwaukee.
Koenig has a world of talent but at least until recently he has been playing terribly. As I mentioned, I'm just trying to identify the guys who have played the best to this point of the season. When I was trying to find a tenth player to name I was actually considering Showalter and Duane Wilson before Koenig, but couldn't pull the trigger on either one.
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Post by FTA1982 on Jan 25, 2016 13:18:26 GMT -6
Ellenson would be such a better player if his coach wasn't so terrible. He can shoot it a bit, but having him play on the perimeter would be so maddening if I was a MU fan. He could get anything he wanted on the block with his skill and athleticism.
Wojo is too worried about being intense, slapping the floor and yelling at officials than coaching. Dude is a clown.
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Post by BBFran on Jan 25, 2016 13:32:13 GMT -6
It is very hard to argue with that, FTA. I have had this conversation with a number of people. Right now it's pretty clear the 4th best coach in D1 in Wisconsin is the guy who makes more than the other three combined and just got an extension. Is it possible he will improve given time? Sure. Most coaches do. But he has shown essentially no reason to think he's ever going to be a top coach. Reading the MU beat articles, about all the guy ever talks about is "trying hard" or "playing hard." Yeah, fine. That probably worked well for an assistant at Duke, which takes its pick of Mickey D players. It doesn't get you very far as the head coach at MU where you actually have to coach them up. Buzz was a creep but he was 5 times the coach that WOJO! is.
Btw, my criticisms of Ellenson (and remember, I still had him fourth in the state out of all D1 players) have an awful lot to do with the fact that fundamentally he plays like a freshman, despite all his talent. He would be a hell of a lot of fun to watch as a junior or senior -- but he never will be. I have always said the best possible college players (from a fan's perspective) are the guys who are almost, but not quite, good enough to get drafted (or at least drafted early). In two or three years Ethan Happ will be an All-American candidate while Ellenson is trying to get enough minutes to avoid bouncing in and out of the D-league. Happ might well trade places for Ellenson's paycheck, but as a college fan, I'll take the kid who sticks around.
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Post by PantherU on Jan 25, 2016 17:14:58 GMT -6
Ellenson would be such a better player if his coach wasn't so terrible. He can shoot it a bit, but having him play on the perimeter would be so maddening if I was a MU fan. He could get anything he wanted on the block with his skill and athleticism. Wojo is too worried about being intense, slapping the floor and yelling at officials than coaching. Dude is a clown. Big men spending too much time on the perimeter? HAVE I GOT THE TEAM FOR YOU! |
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Post by BBFran on Jan 27, 2016 11:03:34 GMT -6
After watching the UW/IU game last night, I need to reorder this a little. Ethan Happ is a beast.
1) Jordan Johnson
2) Nigel Hayes
3) Matt Tiby
4) Ethan Happ
5) Henry Ellenson
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Post by MKEPanthers45 on Jan 27, 2016 17:39:33 GMT -6
Mine would be
1. Jordan Johnson
2. Nigel Hayes
3.Ethan Happ
4. Tiby
5. Akeem Springs
6. Henry Ellenson
7. Carrington Love
8. Luke Fisher
9. Jordan Fouse
10. Charles Cooper
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Post by ghostofdylan on Jan 27, 2016 17:59:52 GMT -6
I think that Duane Wilson has a good case over Cooper.
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Post by MKEPanthers45 on Jan 27, 2016 18:22:57 GMT -6
I think that Duane Wilson has a good case over Cooper. It's close. But I think Cooper is a better all around player. And Duane Wilson is one of the least efficient players I have ever watched. |
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Post by BBFran on Feb 3, 2016 22:54:35 GMT -6
Reordered a bit as of tonight
1 Jordy
2 Nigel
3 Matt
4 Ethan
5 Henry
6 Fouse
7 Akeem
8 Love
9 Fischer
10 Cooper
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Post by BBFran on Feb 12, 2016 11:45:32 GMT -6
After some very good games by many of these players this week (so far), a little re-ordering. (Yes, I know this is a silly exercise, but it's fun.):
1 Nigel
2 Jordy
3 Matt
4 Henry
5 Ethan
6 Jordan F
7 Akeem
8 Cooper
9 Love
10 Bronson
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Post by BBFran on Feb 16, 2016 12:20:59 GMT -6
And after the latest weekend of games:
1 Nigel
2 Henry
3 Jordy
4 Matt
5 Ethan
6 Cooper
7 Jordan F
8 Bronson
9 Love
10 Akeem
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Post by MKEPanthers45 on Feb 16, 2016 13:10:47 GMT -6
1. Nigel
2. Jordy
3. Tiby
4. Henry
5. Ethan Happ
6. Fouse
7. Cooper
8 Akeem
9. Love
10. Haanif Cheatham
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Post by ghostofdylan on Feb 16, 2016 16:17:58 GMT -6
I think that Luke Fischer has to be on the second team.
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