Here are the Official All-Big Ten picks.
All-Conference
Click on player name for analysis
| First Team | Second Team | Third Team |
| Jason Richardson-Michigan State | Luke Recker-Iowa | Dean Oliver-Iowa |
| Titus Ivory-Penn State | Joe Crispin-Penn State | Mike Kelley-Wisconsin |
| Frank Williams-Illinois | Charlie Bell-Michigan State | Brian Brown-Ohio State |
| Andre Hutson-Michigan State | Brian Cook-Illinois | Kirk Haston-Indiana |
| LaVell Blanchard-Michigan | Ken Johnson-Ohio State | Dusty Rychart-Minnesota |
PLAYER: Jason Richardson
PLAYER: Titus Ivory
PLAYER: Frank Williams
PLAYER: Andre Hutson
PLAYER: Lavell Blanchard
PLAYER: Luke Recker
PLAYER: Joe Crispin
PLAYER: Charlie Bell
PLAYER: Brian Cook
PLAYER: Ken Johnson
PLAYER: Dean Oliver
PLAYER: Mike Kelley
PLAYER:Brian Brown
PLAYER: Kirk Haston
SCHOOL: Michigan State
POSITION:G/F
PRODUCTION: 54% FGP, 5.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 1.1 TO/G, 15.4 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .257 (#1 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Richardson was a no-brainer for the team and is my choice for Big Ten Player of the Year. Not only does Richardson offer a wide array of raw production, but he is also a very efficient player as well. He takes good shots and is willing to give the ball up to his teammates when the situation dictates. He can create his own shot and is a force on the glass, a demonstration of his monstrous athletic ability. This year he also took a substantial step up in his perimeter accuracy, shooting an impressive 41% from beyond the arc. Finally, he is an emotional player who brings a presence to the court that is hard to deny. Defensively, he doesn't dominate as much as you would like, but he is improving and is able to get by for now with his raw physical skill. He is the epitome of the all-around offensive player.
SCHOOL: Penn State
POSITION:G
PRODUCTION: 43% FGP, 4.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, 2.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 2.7 TO/G, 15.8 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .229 (#3 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Ivory all too often was overshadowed by his teammate Joe Crispin, but I believe him to be the better overall player. Ivory's value stems from a number of areas. First, he is able to score in a variety of ways. He is effective from long range (38%), but also gets to the line quite a bit. He is also a solid passer, a little sloppy at times in the PSU helter skelter offense, but considering how often he controls the ball that is not unexpected. Defensively, he isn't a "shut-em down" guard, but has quick hands and plays the passing lanes well. Ivory is a well-rounded player and thus his place on this team.
SCHOOL: Illinois
POSITION:G
PRODUCTION: 42% FGP, 3.6 RPG, 4.1 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 2.7 TO/G, 15.0 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .160 (#18 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Williams is not really your classic distributing point guard, though he is the primary ball-handler for the Illini. Rather, he has more of a scoring mentality which tends to lessen his overall efficiency, but does not lessen him much in terms of overall production. Just an average perimeter shooter, Williams uses his bullish strength to get to the cup as well as get to the free throw line where he is an 80%+ free throw shooter. Yet, what is most impressive about Williams is his ability to take over a game down the stretch and his ability to hit big shots. Despite being focused on by the opposing defense, Williams' ability to create causes big problems for the defense at crunch time. On many occasions Williams put together huge second halves in key games to single handedly will his team to victory. He is able to defend bigger players down low and has active hands, though like Ivory he really isn't a guy that is looked to to shut down the high scorer on the opposition.
SCHOOL: Michigan State
POSITION:F
PRODUCTION: 61% FGP, 7.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 1.7 TO/G, 13.3 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .200 (#5 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Hutson is the best defender on my All-Big Ten first team. He is not an imposing shot blocker, but is strong in the post and is masterful in getting and maintaining position. When you combine his on the ball defensive ability with his strong rebounding, especially on the defensive end, you get a player that has solid value regardless of what he does on offense. However, what you DO get on offense is an unspectacular but highly effective performer. He shoots over 60% and is a decent free throw shooter for a big guy. He doesn't have much range but can face the basket to a certain degree and is effective getting position for easy layins. He is also a pretty decent passer for a big man, a trait that serves him well on a team with talented teammates.
SCHOOL: Michigan
POSITION:F
PRODUCTION: 44% FGP, 8.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 2.4 TO/G, 17.7 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .164 (#15 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Blanchard's numbers slipped down the stretch, though I don't know if he was hurt, depressed about the poor Michigan showing, or simply bearing the brunt of too much focus by defenders. Still, he is a terrific player thanks to a wide array of skills. He is an excellent shooter (41% from 3) from the perimeter as well as the line (79%), and he is able to get to the line quite a bit. He is also a ferocious rebounder despite his relatively limited size, ranking only behind Reggie Evans of Iowa in his pure rebounding ability, both offensively and defensively. His interior shooting percentage needs to improve and he needs to tighten up his ballhandling, but I believe on a better team with more support, you would see his efficiency numbers jump greatly (as they were also up last year when the team was better).
SCHOOL: Iowa
POSITION:G
PRODUCTION: 44% FGP, 3.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 1.8 TO/G, 18.1 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .194 (#6 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Before the injury, Recker was probably a lock for first team honors and an outside candidate for Player of the Year. Recker is a devastating offensive player. Play him tight and he is strong enough to get into the lane on you, not to mention the fact that he is a great free throw shooter (86%). Play off him, and he will hit the 3 on you with lethal precision (43%). But, what really puts him over the top in my opinion is just how smart and strong he is with the ball. When a guy spends a lot of time penetrating despite a lack of great footspeed, it results in a lot of strips or out of control fumbles when the defense collapses. However, Recker plays under great control. Defensively, Luke holds his own, though he has trouble against quicker players.
SCHOOL: Penn State
POSITION:G
PRODUCTION: 38% FGP, 3.6 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 2.7 TO/G, 20.2 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .163 (#16 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Crispin is your classic gunner, never meeting a shot he didn't like. As a result, his shooting percentage from the field is miserable despite a pretty good 3-point percentage. He is a big time scorer who is also able to create his shot with a variety of ball fakes and is thus able get to the free throw line. He isn't very efficient compared to other great players and doesn't offer a whole lot in terms of an overall floor game, but shooters like him are always going to be valued.
SCHOOL: Michigan State
POSITION:G
PRODUCTION: 41% FGP, 4.4 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 2.6 TO/G, 14.1 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .213 (#4 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Unlike Crispin, Bell is a very rounded player (as most of the MSU players seem to be). He isn't a big time scorer, though he probably could be if his team needed him to be. Rather, he is one of those guys who kills you softly, with solid jump shooting, solid free throw shooting, solid AST/TO ratio, good defense, and so forth, leading to outstanding efficiency numbers. He also offers the flexibility to play either guard position both offensively and defensively. Dick Bennett called him one of the toughest matchups he has had, and his versatility is why. Whereas some players would only fit in a particular system, put Bell on any team and he would be successful.
SCHOOL: Illinois
POSITION:F
PRODUCTION: 54% FGP, 6.1 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.4 BPG, 2.0 TO/G, 11.4 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .179 (#8 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Cook is your classic tweener forward, offering the scoring ability and shooting touch of a small forward, but solid rebounding as you might find in a power forward. On the Illini team, he isn't asked to score a lot so his numbers are modest in some respects, but he is efficient and still productive. Defensively, Cook isn't a great low post defender, though his length makes up for some average post defense as he is a decent shot blocker. Due to the presence of Griffin, Johnson, and Archibald, Cook is not asked to play much in the post, preferring to roam on the wings. But, to his credit, despite his size, he is a solid ball handler.
SCHOOL: Ohio State
POSITION:C
PRODUCTION: 58% FGP, 7.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.4 SPG, 4.1 BPG, 2.3 TO/G, 12.4 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .140 (#35 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Johnson's shot blocking skills have been well chronicled. His ability to control the middle not only results in the 4+ blocks per game, but also drastically alters the offensive gameplan of the opposing offense. His fundamental post defense has also improved this year, resulting in fewer fouls and much more time on the court. Offensively, he has progressed from a stiff on offense to a very efficient and effective player. He still has trouble with double teams and can be a bit turnover prone for a big guy, but he doesn't force too many shots and stays within himself. His rebounding numbers are pretty good, though nothing special for a guy his size and with his athleticism. Still, he is a player that must be accounted for on both ends of the court.
SCHOOL: Iowa
POSITION:G
PRODUCTION: 39% FGP, 2.6 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 1.8 TO/G, 14.7 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .174 (#11 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Oliver really isn't much of a pure shooter or a pure scorer for that matter, but he is a pretty productive point guard. His major asset as a player is his terrific assist to turnover ratio, making him an efficient player despite a poor shooting percentage. Possessing a very quick first step, Oliver is able to get into the lane and create havoc, while also hitting enough perimeter shots to require teams to respect him. He is sometimes out of control in the lane, but doesn't really lose possession all that much while getting to the line quite a bit. Unlike Reggie Evans, Oliver also elevated his game once Recker went down and was the glue that held Iowa together on the way to the Big Ten tourney title.
SCHOOL: Wisconsin
POSITION:G
PRODUCTION: 49% FGP, 2.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.4 TO/G, 5.6 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .129 (#41 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS:Kelley is the ultimate team player, contributing in any way possible to a Badger victory, despite a lack of raw stats. First and foremost, Kelley is the premier off the ball defender in the league. The list of players Kelley has shut down defensively is indeed impressive. Not only is his anticipation exceptional, but he is also a technically sound defender with active hands and an ability to strip interior players on digs. Offensively, he is a highly reliable though unspectactular player. He shoots a solid percentage and has a very good assist to turnover ratio, though he just doesn't produce enough raw numbers to be considered an elite Big Ten guard. Tack on another assist per game and 5 more PPG, and you would have an All-Big Ten performer.
SCHOOL: Ohio State
POSITION:G
PRODUCTION: 46% FGP, 4.4 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 3.1 TO/G, 14.5 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .166 (#14 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Brown is a mulit-dimensional player and a highly underrated one at that. He is an adept scorer both via the jump shot and via penetration. He is a good rebounder and will distribute the ball to his teammates. His overall prodcution is solid and varied. He is often a good percentage player despite a turnover ratio that is a little high. He reminds me a lot of the traditional Michigan State player, a player that will never get his accolades until his team becomes a big winner. Defensively, he has quick hands and has the size and athleticism to guard either big or small, though he sometimes can get out of position by gambling for the steal.
SCHOOL: Indiana
POSITION:F
PRODUCTION: 47% FGP, 8.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 2.4 TO/G, 18.6 PPG
TOTAL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: .147 (#28 in the Big Ten)
ANALYSIS: Haston is one of the premier scorers in the Big Ten, with the ability to post up and use a variety of post moves around the hoop, as well as the ability to face the basket and hit the jumper. This year, he even added the occasional trey to his arsenal, hitting on 44% for the season. He is also a solid defensive rebounder and a decent shot blocker. His downside is that he isn't a great on the ball defender despite often being assigned the least threatening opposing frontcourt player. He also is a pretty poor passer (assist/turnovers of 37/69) which allows him to be double teamed which can bog down the IU offense. Haston also takes a ton of shots, which isn't a bad thing given that he shoots 47%, but a fact that distorts his true value to some degree, giving him a relatively pedestrian efficiency value. Still, he is a building block type player thanks to his raw scoring ability.