Indiana's Lamar Wilkerson Joins Big Ten Player of the Year Race

Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson put on a show Monday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, scoring 41 points in the Hoosiers' 92-74 win over Oregon.

Wilkerson previously set the Assembly Hall scoring record with 44 points on Dec. 9 against Penn State, so on Monday he became the fifth player in program history –– joining Jimmy Rayl, Steve Downing, Don Schlundt and George McGinnis –– with multiple 40-point games in his career. Wilkerson is also the first Big Ten player since at least 1996-97 with multiple 40-point efforts in conference play in a single season.

The transfer from Sam Houston State has scored 20 points in four straight games and has done so 13 times this year, raising his February scoring average to 33 across three games. He's the first Hoosier since James Blackmon Jr. in 2016-17 with at least 80 3-pointers in a season, and just the seventh Hoosier all-time to do so.

Wilkerson joins Steve Alford, Jay Edwards and Yogi Ferrell as one of four Hoosiers to make at least 50 3-pointers during a Big Ten season. He still has six games to go, and needs just four more 3-pointers to break the program record for 3-pointers made in conference play.

Wilkerson is also Indiana's first player since at least 1996-97 with four 30-plus point games in a single Big Ten season, and he owns three of the 10 highest-scoring games by a Hoosier in regular season conference action in that timeframe.

So after etching his name in program and conference history, Wilkerson deserves to be mentioned in the Big Ten Player of the Year race. That's not to say he'll win it or is the current favorite, as this feels like one of the most competitive races in years. Not only are there several strong contenders, but the Big Ten could very well have multiple first-team All-Americans.

Indiana coach Darian DeVries made the case for Wilkerson after Monday's game.

"Just look at the numbers. Look at what he's doing," DeVries said. "He's a big focal point of defenses. What he's able to do at both ends of the floor. He's a complete player. That's something that –– you know how hard it is to get 41 points? And he's done it twice this year already and putting up monster numbers with percentages to go with it. And he is an incredible teammate on top of it. So there is nothing I would not be in favor of him being the best player and voting for him being the best player in the league."

Here's a look at the top contenders for Big Ten Player of the Year, plus a few honorable mentions and a pick at the end. All statistics are from conference play only.

Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State

Jeremy Fears Michigan State Basketball — Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. dribbles against Illinois at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

18.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 8.7 apg
45.3 FG%, 15.0 3pt FG% (6-for-40), 91.3 FT%
Five highest-scoring Big Ten games: 31 vs. Michigan, 29 at Rutgers, 26 vs. Illinois, 23 vs. Indiana, 19 at Washington
Michigan State: 10-3 in Big Ten, 4th place, No. 10 in AP poll

The case for and against Fears: Fears controls the game as well as any point guard in the nation. He leads the Big Ten in assists, and he's a stingy on-ball defender. Perhaps his best moment of the season was picking Illinois apart down the stretch of an overtime win. He had 31 points against Michigan, too, though it came in a loss. Fears' biggest weakness compared to other Big Ten player of the year contenders is his 3-point shooting. He also had an off night in a loss to Minnesota, which is 4-9 in conference play.

Keaton Wagler, Illinois

20.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.1 apg
46.3 FG%, 45.6 3pt FG% (41-for-90), 81.3 FT%
Five highest-scoring Big Ten games: 46 at Purdue, 28 at Nebraska, 23 at Ohio State, 22 at Northwestern, 22 vs. Washington.
Illinois: 11-2 in Big Ten, 2nd place, No. 8 in AP poll

The case for and against Wagler: If there were "Heisman moments" in college basketball, Wagler's would be his 46-point game in a win at No. 4 Purdue, and his 28-point effort in a win at No. 5 Nebraska. Those are two of the best individual performances in Big Ten play this season, and they came on the road against title-contending teams. However, Wagler's 2-for-16 shooting night in an overtime loss at Michigan State could be a reason Illinois falls short of a Big Ten championship. Still, he's second in Big Ten play in 3-point percentage.

Braden Smith, Purdue

18.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 8.1 apg
55.0 FG%, 48.2 3pt FG% (27-for-56), 85.7 FT%
Five highest-scoring Big Ten games: 27 vs. Illinois, 26 vs. Penn State, 23 vs. Washington, 22 at USC, 19 at Maryland.
Purdue: 9-3 in Big Ten, 5th place, No. 13 in AP poll

The case for and against Smith: Smith was the obvious choice for preseason Big Ten player of the year, but it's no longer a clear-cut pick after Purdue's three-game losing streak at the end of January. But Smith can certainly still make a strong case by season's end due to his efficient shooting percentages all over the floor and ranking second in assists per game. He gets the nod over Fears with the top 3-point percentage in Big Ten play, but Fears is a superior defender with a better assist-to-turnover ratio. They match up at Mackey Arena on Feb. 26, a potentially pivotal game in this race.

Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska

18.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.7 apg
49.4 FG%, 43.8 3pt FG% (80-for-197), 87.5 FT%
Five highest-scoring Big Ten games: 32 at Illinois, 28 vs. Oregon, 23 vs. Washington, 22 at Northwestern, 22 at Minnesota
Nebraska: 10-2 in Big Ten, 3rd place, No. 7 in AP poll

The case for and against Sandfort: Arguably the Big Ten's best shooter, Sandfort ranks second in 3-pointers made –– ahead of Wagler, Stirtz and Smith, but behind Wilkerson –– and fourth in 3-point percentage, behind Smith and Wagler. That was on full display in his 32-point game on 12-for-18 shooting in a win at Illinois. But compared to Smith's high assist numbers, Fears' defense, or Lendeborg's rebounding, Sandfort is a bit more one-dimensional than other player of the year contenders. That's nitpicking, but in such a tight race, the winner will be determined by small margins.

Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan

14.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.4 bpg
45.0 FG%, 25.9 3pt FG% (15-for-58), 86.4 FT%
Five highest-scoring Big Ten games: 29 at Maryland, 26 at Michigan State, 18 vs. Ohio State, 15 vs. Indiana, 14 vs. Rutgers
Michigan: 12-1 in Big Ten, 1st place, No. 2 in AP poll

The case for and against Lendeborg: It'd be somewhat unprecedented for Lendeborg to win the award with his current numbers. Only Illinois' Dee Brown (13.3 ppg in 2004-05) and Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves (11.7 ppg in 1998-99) have averaged fewer points per game than Lendeborg's 14.3 and won Big Ten player of the year since it was first given out in 1985. But like Brown and Cleaves, who reached the Final Four those seasons, Lendeborg is a major reason No. 2 Michigan has just one loss, leads the Big Ten standings and could win the national title.

Bennett Stirtz, Iowa

22.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 4.1 apg
51.7 FG%, 40.5 3pt FG% (34-for-84), 83.3 FT%
Five highest-scoring Big Ten games: 36 vs. Northwestern, 32 at Oregon, 27 vs. UCLA, 27 at Indiana, 25 vs. Maryland
Iowa: 8-4 in Big Ten, t-7th place, No. 27 in AP poll with 69 points

The case for and against Stirtz: Second in the Big Ten in scoring and minutes per game, Stirtz is as important to Iowa as any player in the country is to their team. Iowa likely won't win the Big Ten, but an 8-4 record in coach Ben McCollum's first season is a good start. Stirtz is a huge reason why, ranking second among players on this list in field goal percentage. However, he's well short of Fears and Smith in assists, and two of his lowest-scoring games of the season came in losses to Michigan State and Illinois.

Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana

24.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg
47.7 FG%, 38.7 3pt FG% (84-for-217), 87.6 FT%
Five highest-scoring Big Ten games: 44 vs. Penn State, 41 vs. Oregon, 33 at USC, 32 vs. Nebraska, 27 at Rutgers
Indiana: 8-6 in Big Ten, 9th place, not receiving votes in AP poll

The case for and against Wilkerson: The Sam Houston State transfer has had no issue making the jump to the Big Ten. He leads the conference in points per game, 3-pointers made, 3-pointers attempted and owns the two highest-scoring games of the Big Ten season. Wilkerson's issue is that Indiana is 9th in the Big Ten and not a lock for the NCAA Tournament just yet. Sure, it's an individual award, and Indiana would be way further down the conference standings without him. But team success is still part of the consideration, and he's going up against players from each of the top five teams.

Honorable mentions

Northwestern's Nick Martinelli, Wisconsin's Nick Boyd, Michigan's Morez Johnson, Washington's Hannes Steinbach, Ohio State's Bruce Thornton.

Jack Ankony's pick

If I had to pick today, I'd go with Fears, followed by Wagler and Smith. But it's incredibly close. I think Fears has the greatest impact on games of these candidates, as he leads the Big Ten in assists while still scoring 18.8 points per game and playing elite defense.

He won the head-to-head matchup with Wagler, who doesn't have to be the focal point for Illinois to win. Fears also gets the nod defensively over Wagler and Smith. His only drawback is his 3-point shooting, but he makes up for it in other areas and rarely forces up outside shots.

But there's still a long, long way to go. Smith gets his shot against Fears on Feb. 26, and Wagler leading Illinois to a win over Michigan could change the conversation. But what if Michigan runs the table and becomes the first-ever team to go 19-1 in Big Ten play? It'd be hard to deny Lendeborg in that case. Despite his lower scoring numbers, he impacts winning in a variety of ways.

As for Wilkerson, he's somewhere between fourth and seventh as it stands, and I'm not sure he –- or Stirtz and Sandfort –– can do enough to pass Smith, Wagler and Fears. Leading the Big Ten in scoring and 3-pointers made is great, but it's not the only consideration. Just look at last season, when Smith won it while ranking seventh in scoring and ninth in 3-pointers made. Wilkerson makes a compelling case, but he falls short to other candidates as a defender and facilitator, and Indiana may finish below each team listed here in the Big Ten standings.

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