Bryant, Blackmon Jr. named to preseason All-Big Ten team

  • 10/11/2016 8:37 pm in

In advance of Thursday’s media day in Washington D.C., the Big Ten announced its preseason 10-player all-conference team on Tuesday afternoon. Indiana was represented with two players on the 10-man team.

Sophomore Thomas Bryant and junior James Blackmon Jr. joined Wisconsin’s Bronson Koenig, Nigel Hayes and Ethan Happ, Michigan’s Derrick Walton, Maryland’s Melo Trimble, Iowa’s Peter Jok, Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan and Malcolm Hill of Illinois.

Hayes was the only unanimous selection to the team, which was voted on by a panel of conference media. The Wisconsin forward was also voted the Big Ten preseason player of the year.

The full release from the Big Ten is available below:

Rosemont, Ill. – 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.

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