Third Year’s the Charm: Top 5 Juniors for 2016-17

4. James Blackmon Jr, Indiana

James Blackmon Jr. nearly joined teammate Troy Williams in the NBA Draft. (Photo courtesy of CBSSports.com)

The Hoosier guard is an interesting case at this point. He put up stellar numbers his freshman year. His sophomore year ended unexpectedly due to a knee injury, but he did not fail to impress before his hiatus. He shot 46.3% from deep range as well as 48% from the field.  His shooting is not to be questioned, which will make him valuable, as does his 27.6 PER (Player Efficiency Rating). What makes him more valuable is his defensive improvement. He is an average sized guard at six foot four, but does have a lengthy wingspan at six feet and eight inches.  Blackmon’s Defensive win shares stayed the same despite the fact that he played only 24 minutes per game as a sophomore after playing 30 per game as a freshman. Blackmon is poised for a breakout season. He, Thomas Bryant and company should be a threat to other Big 10 top performers.

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