This might be one of the biggest award snubs we have ever seen.
The NCAA's Big-10 conference named Toronto Maple Leafs prospect
Matthew Knies as Big-10 Player of the Year over University of Michigan F Adam Fantilli (2023).
No disrespect to Knies, that is not why we are here. The future Maple Leaf had a fine season and under normal circumstances would make a suitable recipient of this honor.
The 2022-23 season - however - was anything but ordinary. Draft-eligible pivot Adam Fantilli had a historic season and absolutely
smashed Knies' points total.
For instance:
Knies - 35 GP: 21g-19a-40pts (1.14 p/gm)
Fantilli - 32 GP: 27g-33a-60pts (1.88 p/gm)
Fantilli is having the 15th-best freshman season EVER and still has the Big-10 tournament and the NCAA tournament left to play.
The 2nd-ranked draft prospect in the upcoming draft (behind - guess who - Connor Bedard), Fantilli ranks 1st in scoring in the entire NCAA - as a freshman. Knies, a sophomore, ranks 3rd on
his own line at the University of Minnesota behind
Logan Cooley (ARI) and
Jimmy Snuggerud (STL).
What more do I even have to say?
