This season has been one of the most competitive in B1G basketball history. With so much talent and depth throughout the league, it’s almost a lock that the conference gets 10 teams into the NCAA Tournament, and there’s a possibility that 11 teams earn a bid.

Despite all that success and competitiveness, though, there’s only one B1G head coach who has been named a semifinalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year.

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Penn State head coach Penn State is the lone leader representing the B1G on the 10-man list. The Nittany Lions have enjoyed quite the successful turnaround this year, currently sitting 21-9 on the year and 11-8 in conference play. PSU closes out the regular season against Northwestern on Saturday before heading to the B1G Tournament.

It was somewhat surprising to not see names like Brad Underwood (Illinois), Steve Pikiell (Rutgers) and even Greg Gard (Wisconsin) on the list. You could probably make an argument for a handful of other B1G head coaches, as well.

Below is the list of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year:

  • John Calipari, Kentucky
  • Pat Chambers, Penn State
  • Scott Drew, Baylor
  • Brian Dutcher, San Diego State
  • Mark Few, Gonzaga
  • Anthony Grant, Dayton
  • Leonard Hamilton, Florida State
  • Greg McDermott, Creighton
  • Bruce Pearl, Auburn
  • Mark Pope, BYU