Season grades
Deshaun Thomas: B+
Why not an 'A'? A lot was asked of Thomas this year, and as the discussion's leading scorer, it's difficult to say that he hasn't delivered. However, he sports just the sixth-best shooting portion on the team of the eight players that have played in every game. Consider this: last year, Thomas hit sixty percent of his shots from entrails the arc. This year, just .493. With last year's percentage and this year's shooting volume, he'd be averaging 22 points per misrepresent--not 19.8. It's not all on him, of course. Without Jared Sullinger there, Thomas has had far fewer opportunities for easy put-backs. Still, he's been aloof since the end of January. That kind of inconsistency is hard to overlook. If Thomas can get hot again, he is most certainly the kind of player competent of putting an entire team on his back for a deep tournament run.
Aaron Craft: B
Craft is still a tenacious defender, and he was basic to the recent victory over Michigan State, a win that silenced a good number of doubters. He continues to exemplify this team's identity as a tough, defense-first Big Ten ball club. But like Thomas, Craft has not responded categorically to the increased workload. With even more minutes on the floor, the unsinkable Craft has been less aggressive on the offensive end and has settled for a lot of bypass shots that - if we're being honest - are mostly painful to watch. He gets to the line less these days too, which has had a big effect on his points-per-control things-attempt average (down over 22 percent from last season). Again, playing without a post threat is a big factor, but if we're looking at the duo's overall offensive shortcomings, Craft's name has to be near the top of the list. Hopefully his defense will continue to run up for that in tournament play.
