Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE-Cody Zeller could very well be the best center in college basketball.
When it comes to big men, the Big Ten Conference has its fair share of them, and by big men, I mean centers. Although the Big Ten isn’t filled from top to bottom with this position, it still has one of the best centers in the game.
Here are the top-three centers in the Big Ten Conference entering the 2012-13 college basketball season.
Derrick Nix, Michigan State - Nix only played 18.9 minutes per game last season, but he managed to make the most of his time, by putting up 8.1 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game. At 6’9”, Nix is a little undersized for his position, but he has a huge body, weighing in at 270 pounds. Nix will get more playing time with the Spartans this year, which will lead to a good amount of production on both sides of the court.
Jared Berggren, Wisconsin - Berggren got a lot more playing time last season than he did in the previous two seasons, which paved the way to a pretty productive season. As a senior, people can count on Berggren to score more than 10.5 points per game and rebound more than 4.9 rebounds per game, which were his stats from last season.
Cody Zeller, Indiana - Zeller is the pride and joy of the Big Ten Conference, at least in the Hoosiers’ eyes. Zeller managed to help get Indiana back on the map last season, with his very impressive 15.6 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game. Keep in mind that Zeller put these number up as a freshman. As a center, Zeller is clearly good around the basket, but he can also run the floor very well, which makes him a nightmare during fastbreaks. Zeller will not only be the best center in the Big Ten, but there is a chance that he will be the best big man in all of college basketball in the upcoming season.
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