Column: Big Ten, big men
January 31, 2006
The last time Illinois lost at home was so long ago I can hardly remember the way I felt or what was said afterwards. The only lasting memory I have is Weber talking about how that Boilermaker team reminded him of the classic Big Ten Bruiser.
“They can all bench over 300 pounds,” he admiringly repeated. Weber, a Big Ten lifer, could remember the time when the league was rough. Now, a full two years later, it’s returned to its status as not only top dog, but big dog.
With an empty cupboard of talented and experienced big men around the country, the Big Ten boasts some of the nation’s best. Most of the following bigs have grown up together in the conference and have gone from talented freshmen to dominating seniors.
Daily Herald writer Lindsey Wilhite posed a question to me about a week ago, “If you were Bruce Weber, and could take any number of big men in the country, but they had to be out of conference, who would you consider?”
Obvious answers quickly came to mind, Sheldon Williams … LeMarcus Aldridge … umm, maybe Hilton Armstrong?
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He proved his point; there are not many desirable big men around the country, and a good number of them reside in the Midwest. So let’s get started, shall we. The five best big men this conference has to offer:
1. Marco Killingsworth, Indiana – He is aptly named, the guy can dominate a game. He had his way with last year’s National Defensive Player of the Year, Sheldon Williams, and was the difference in a second half against Illinois. Killingsworth has a nice shooting touch to bring the defense out, but at the same time he is the best inside finisher in the country.
2. Paul Davis, Michigan State – Davis is the most skilled big man in the conference, and Tom Izzo has finally learned that despite NBA wings, the ball has to go through Davis. At 6-foot-11-inches he is a great passer and has a deadly face-up game to watch. Davis is also a deceptive athlete and will run the middle in the Spartans’ transition game.
3. James Augustine, Illinois – Augustine is the best big athlete in the conference. He runs the floor like a guard, and can even guard an opposing three because of his length and quick feet. Augustine has really learned to clean the glass on both ends of the court, and his rebounding numbers show it. He is a consistent jump shooter, but is best when he has his lefty hook working. When out of foul trouble Augustine is a dominant force up front.
4. Terrence Dials, Ohio State – Dials is the flashback center that Weber was talking about; he’s a real beast down low. To stop him from scoring you have to work for position because if he gets the ball on the block it’s buckets. In this sense, Dials can be the most dominating big in the conference; at times he is unstoppable.
5. Erik Hansen, Iowa – An odd choice, maybe, but he affects the game like no other center can. Defensively, Hansen is the class of the Big Ten. He is a nightmare inside because of his shot blocking – both forwards and guards have to adjust their game before playing Iowa. Hanson is seven feet tall and a quick leaper; when he is not in foul trouble he makes Iowa’s defense the best in the league.
There are plenty of others deserving honors – the Big Ten is deep on the front-court. While players like Brian Cook and Mike Wilkinson enjoyed a class of frosting, this year’s seniors have battled and strived to make a living. I wouldn’t bet Erik Hansen can bench 300 pounds, but try shooting the ball over him.
Ian Gold is a senior in Communications. He can be reached at [email protected].