The ex-husband of Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries, was successful at the University of Minnesota but his team struggled. The Gophers finished 12–18, with a 3–13 record in the Big Ten during Humphries’ lone season. The team had a .500 record before his arrival and finished with a 10–6 conference record in the season after he left.
Before “Humpdasian,” Kris was a great college basketball player however the Gophers did not win. With the start of college basket season quickly approaching, (and to quote Kim in her divorce statement) “after careful consideration,” our guest contributor West Lamy has decided Kris will not make the cut for his all-time Big Ten basketball team. Not that anyone ever actually thought he would even be in the conversation, but we figured since the whole world was obsessed with his divorce that we should give im a mention.
Here’s the conference’s all-time starting five.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson Michigan St. Spartans
Magic is arguably the most popular Big Ten player as coaches, current and past players expressed to me he has to be on this list. During the 1978–79 season, Michigan State again qualified for the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the championship game and faced Indiana State University, which was led by senior Larry Bird. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever. Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.[12] After two years in college, during which he averaged 17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, Johnson was drafted in the 1979 NBA Draft 1st overall.
Isaiah Thomas Indiana Hoosiers
I picked the Chicago native for a simple reason; He played for Bob Knight’s Hoosiers at Indiana University. In 1981, Thomas led the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament National Championship and earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. Accomplishing this in his sophomore season.
Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson Purdue Boilermakers
My friend “Glen”, when he watches sporting events, to describe an individual player’s performance he likes to use the term “beast”! Men lie, women lie, these numbers do not. Glenn left Purdue after becoming the only Boilermaker to have more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 steals, 100 assists and 50 blocked shots in a career during his two seasons at Purdue, along with a school weightlifting record with a 309-pound clean-and-jerk. His 1,030 points during his junior year made him only the 15th player in college history to score 1,000 points in a season. Beast!
Jerry Lucas Ohio State Buckeyes
Lucas was named Player Of The Year in both 1961 and 1962. He was Big Ten Player Of The Year all three years, had led the nation in shooting accuracy as a 20-point scorer all three years, and had led the nation in rebounding twice. More importantly, his team was a winner. The Buckeyes went 78-6 over three years. He was rated the greatest collegian ever upon graduation. Lucas lived in the campus library also earning his bachelors degree in three years, and had spent his senior year in post-graduate studies.
Cazzie Russell Michigan Wolverines
Russell led the Wolverines to three consecutive Big Ten Conference titles (1964–66) and to Final Four appearances in 1964 and 1965, losing in the final game to defending national champion UCLA and John Wooden. In 1966, Russell averaged 30.8 points per game and was named the College Basketball Player of the Year. Crisler Arena, which opened in 1967, has been dubbed The House that Cazzie Built.