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Nigel Hayes named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year

Arizona v Wisconsin

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 28: Nigel Hayes #10 of the Wisconsin Badgers cuts the net after the Badgers 85-78 victory against the Arizona Wildcats during the West Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on March 28, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Getty Images

On Tuesday, the Big Ten announced a 10-man preseason all-conference team, with Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes getting tabbed the league’s Preseason Player of the Year.

Other than the indefensible act of naming 10 players on an all-conference team, this list is decent. But it includes two notable - and highly questionable - omissions: O.G. Anunboy of Indiana and Miles Bridges of Michigan State.
RELATED: NBCSports’ Big Ten Preview | All Big Ten team | Big Ten podcast

Bridges is a freshman, so I understand how some people may be reticent to vote for him. My guess is Michigan’s Derrick Walton took his spot. And Anunoby is expected to be something of a breakout star this year while Blackmon averaged 15.7 points as a freshman before suffering a knee injury last season.

Those are the only two changes I would make on this team.

Anyway, here is the full list:

James Blackmon Jr., SG, Indiana
Thomas Bryant, C, Indiana
Ethan Happ, PF, Wisconsin
Nigel Hayes, PF, Wisconsin
Malcolm Hill, SG, Illinois
Peter Jok, SG, Iowa
Bronson Koenig, SG, Wisconsin
Melo Trimble, PG, Maryland
Derrick Walton Jr., PG, Michigan
Caleb Swanigan, PF, Purdue