Wisconsin’s Nigel Hayes has been chosen as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year heading into the 2016-17 men’s basketball season as voted on by a panel of conference media. The media also selected a 10-member preseason All-Big Ten team, with seven conference squads represented.
Hayes was also a unanimous selection to the preseason All-Big Ten team. Illinois’ Malcolm Hill, Indiana’s James Blackmon Jr., and Thomas Bryant, Iowa’s Peter Jok, Maryland’s Melo Trimble, Michigan’s Derrick Walton Jr., Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan and the Badgers’ Ethan Happ and Bronson Koenig also earned preseason All-Big Ten plaudits.
Hayes was named a first-team All-Big Ten honoree by both the coaches and media last season. Hill, Jok and Trimble were named second-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media contingent, Bryant, Koenig and Walton Jr., earned third-team All-Big Ten plaudits by the coaches, while Happ was a third-team honoree in the media ballot and claimed honorable mention plaudits in the coaches’ poll. Happ was also named to the All-Defensive Team and was a member of the All-Freshman Team along with Swanigan.
The complete 2016-17 preseason All-Big Ten team can be found below.
2016-17 PRESEASON BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin
2016-17 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Malcolm Hill, G, Illinois
James Blackmon Jr., G, Indiana
Thomas Bryant, C, Indiana
Peter Jok, G, Iowa
Melo Trimble, G, Maryland
Derrick Walton Jr., G, Michigan
Caleb Swanigan, F, Purdue
Ethan Happ, F, Wisconsin
NIGEL HAYES, F, Wisconsin
Bronson Koenig, F, Wisconsin
Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS
