Back at Big Ten Media Day in October, Wisconsin was the unanimous selection to win the league title. The Badgers' star big man, Frank Kaminsky, was picked as the Big Ten's Preseason Player of the Year.
Fast-forward five months and it is officially March. The Badgers clinched the outright Big Ten title Thursday night with a 76-63 win over Minnesota. Wisconsin is 27-3 on the season and 15-2 in the league.
The main reason for that success? Kaminsky, of course. The 7-foot senior big man is averaging 18.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 blocks per game — three of which are team highs. He's the frontrunner for Big Ten Player of the Year and a legitimate contender for National Player of the Year, as well.
"I've never been more impressed with a player in our league since maybe (Glenn Robinson) back in the day," Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said of Kaminsky following the Spartans' 68-61 win last week, according to this Associated Press story. "I would like to give my early vote that Kaminsky is, no question, the best player in this country this year."
It's no secret the key to the Badgers' success largely hinges of Kaminsky's play, but they have other guys who are fully capable of having big games, too. Sam Dekker is playing at an all-conference level and Nigel Hayes is also a potential pro.
Wisconsin doesn't have a ton of depth — especially with point guard Traevon Jackson still sidelined with a foot injury — but its top-end players are really tough to handle.
Kaminsky is a tough matchup for anyone, really. He can play with his back to the basket in the post, he can hit mid-range jumpers or he can step out and shoot the ball from behind the 3-point line — he makes 42 percent of his tries from deep.
The Buckeyes have been without starting big man Anthony Lee for the last six games due to a lingering groin strain. That's limited Ohio State's center position to either Amir Williams or Trey McDonald. The responsibility to slow down Kaminsky will fall solely on their shoulders if Lee — who hasn't practiced in three-plus weeks — can't go Sunday.
Williams has been underwhelming all season — and all of his career, really — but he has played better during the Buckeyes' current three-game winning streak. He played his best game of the season last Sunday against Purdue — a team with a pair of 7-foot big men.
“I just go out and play the game, just go out and competing and playing basketball,” Williams said prior to his matchup against the Boilermakers. “Don’t think too much of it, just go out and play.”
But Williams seems to play with more energy and emotion when he has a matchup against a high-profile player like Purdue's A.J. Hammons or Kaminsky. He seems to be a bit more intense in those kinds of games.
McDonald is the more physical defender of the two, but his lack of size — he's listed at just 6-foot-8 — could make guarding Kaminsky a very difficult task. Williams is probably the lone player on Ohio State's roster who can matchup with him, making that battle the key to Sunday's game.
We'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out. Buckeye fans may have to put a lot of faith in Williams for this one, which hasn't tended to be a good thing over the years.
