The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/230001
3. Michigan (6-4) — Yes, the Wolverines have dropped some games early. The fact is, nobody else among the top teams has played a road game combo like John Beilein's team, visiting both Iowa State and Duke. Throw in No. 1 Arizona, three months on the shelf and a late conditioning start by sophomore Mitch McGary, along with early-season injuries to sophomores Glenn Robinson III and Nik Stauskas, and the Wolverines have some issues to sort out. 4. Wisconsin (12-0) — The Badgers are always in the thick of things, regardless of their roster, it seems. They visited a defensive chokehold on Virginia to win in Charlottesville, 48-38, and held off Florida at the Kohl Center (59-53), to signal once again they'll be as big a pain as always to play against. 5. Iowa (10-2) — Here's the mover among Big Ten teams. The Hawkeyes have steadily gotten better, and they plan to be a factor in the Big Ten race. Their biggest win to date involves out-racing Notre Dame in the Challenge matchup, 98-93, and the Hawkeyes lost to Villanova in overtime in the Bahamas-based Battle 4 Atlantis, and more recently at Iowa State. BIG TEN'S TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS 1. Adreian Payne, Michigan State — Payne lived up to his name when it comes to opponents dealing with him. The veteran averaged 16.3 points and 8.0 rebounds through MSU's first nine games, adding 1.2 blocks per contest with his interior defensive presence. Payne adds the toughness Izzo demands, and serves as an anchor around which the Spartans operate. 2. Nik Stauskas, Michigan — Stauskas has stepped up in a big way in the absence of Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., ranking third in the Big Ten in scoring through 10 Michigan games (18.3 average). He shot 49.5 percent from the field early and 48.1 percent from three-point range. The sophomore revealed the rounding out of his game, averaging 2.8 assists. 3. Gary Harris, Michigan State — Harris picked up right where he left off following a sterling freshman season for the Spartans. Through MSU's first nine games, he averaged 17.6 points per outing, with the Big Ten's best free throw percentage at 89.3. Harris' defense also becomes a factor in his all-around evaluation. 4. Tim Frazier, Penn State — Frazier has made his first dozen games back from an extended injury absence count. He averaged 18.4 points and a Big Tenleading 7.6 assists for the Nittany Lions. He's also in the top 10 in the league in steals (1.9 average) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5). 5. Noah Vonleh, Indiana — This rookie didn't take long to establish himself in Assembly Hall and beyond. Through 11 games, Vonleh averaged 12.4 points and a Big Ten-leading 9.6 rebounds per contest. The Hoosiers lost a lot from last year's conference champions, but Vonleh is teaming with a couple of returners to carry the Hoosiers early. — John Borton