Big Ten men's basketball preview: Spartans, Boilermakers among the best
Jason Kohler and Ruth Lincoln
Daily Sports WritersNovember 9th, 2008
The Daily basketball writers preview the other Big Ten teams and predict which teams will finish on top.
Michigan State
What’s good: Junior forward Raymar Morgan is back. The first-team preseason All Big Ten honoree averaged 14.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season. He can play power forward in a small lineup and the three spot if Michigan State goes big. Unlike most of the conference, the Spartans aren’t lacking down low, and 6-foot-10, 245-pound Goran Suton is a brute force.
What’s not: Losing Drew Neitzel at shooting guard hurts, but an athletic Chris Allen should fill his shoes. Highly touted recruit Delvon Roe's health is a major issue after the forward had two knee surgeries in the last year and missed his entire senior season of high school ball.
Bottom Line: Tom Izzo’s squad perennially flourishes because of tenacious defense and strong rebounding. The Spartans will be a tough draw, and should go far into the postseason.
Purdue
What's good: The Boilermakers return all of their starters from last year's NCAA Tournament squad. Purdue shot 39.6 percent from behind the arc last year, best in the Big Ten. Most of the threes came from a trio of sharpshooters — guards E'Twaun Moore and Keaton Grant and forward Robbie Hummel. Hummel was named preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, and Purdue's motion offense will provide him plenty of opportunities from downtown.
What's not: Purdue doesn't have many weaknesses. But the Boilermakers were ninth in the conference in rebounding last season and lack a bruiser down low. At 6-foot-1, Hummel led the team with 6.1 rebounds per game, and Purdue coach Matt Painter will have to move Hummel inside more often or get his players to be more physical inside.
Bottom line: Purdue is one of the hottest teams in the conference. It has a trio of the best shooters in the country, but when the shots stop falling, expect Purdue to fall as well.
Wisconsin
What’s good: Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan’s trademark of solid team defense and few fouls should shine with senior forwards Marcus Landry and Joe Krabbenhoft. Landry improved greatly in his first three seasons in Madison and can shut down big men better than most in the conference. Krabbenhoft is a tough rebounder and returns as the Badgers’ leading assist man. If he takes control, Wisconsin will distribute the ball well. Junior point guard Trévon Hughes, who struggled with an ankle injury down the stretch last season, can take over a game if he’s healthy.
What’s not: With the departure of three valuable seniors, Brian Butch, Greg Stiemsma and Michael Flowers, the Badgers will need production from some new players. Butch dominated the paint and Flowers handled Ryan's swing offense with ease. Hughes’s health will remain an issue throughout the season.
Bottom line: It usually doesn’t matter who’s on Wisconsin’s roster — Ryan’s squads are always conference-title contenders.
Ohio State
What's good: Ohio State coach Thad Matta can flat-out recruit. Rivals.com rated the incoming Buckeye class as the fifth-best in the country, including the website's No. 1 rated player, B.J. Mullins. Mullins is a 7-foot-1 beast of a man and will be a Greg Oden-like impact player — but a better shooter. Guards David Lighty and Evan Turner, who both averaged over eight points a game last year, return to provide some stability in the backcourt.
What's not: Although Matta put together one of the nation's top recruiting classes, it's likely some of his recruits will bolt for the NBA at the end of the season. Over the last two years, three Buckeyes entered the draft after their freshman seasons. Because of that, their success will depend on how well the freshmen can adjust to the college game.
Bottom line: Ohio State lost almost all of its talent from last year, but should be able to replace it with one of the best recruiting classes Columbus has ever seen.
Illinois
What’s good: The Illini have a strong backcourt in returning guards Demetri McCamey, Chester Frazier and Trent Meacham. And remember Alex Legion? The Detroit native and Oak Hill Academy standout was set to join Manny Harris and Kelvin Grady in Ann Arbor last year, and decommitted in favor of Kentucky shortly after Tommy Amakar’s March 2007 firing. He left the Wildcats after just one semester. He’s now with Illinois, and eligible to play starting in mid-December.
What’s not: The frontcourt. Illinois is inexperienced down low, and its two probable starters, sophomores Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis, averaged just over 10 minutes per game last season when Illinois finished a lowly 5-13 in the conference.
Bottom line: The Illini have the talent to be more than a five-win team, but they did last year, too. Expect some solid perimeter shooting but little else. It all depends on how quickly their young players develop.
Minnesota
What’s good: In his first season in Minneapolis, coach Tubby Smith turned the Gophers around from nine wins to 20. Guard Blake Hoffarber, who had possibly the best play in college basketball last season with a last second, left-handed shot against Indiana, will lead the offensive attack. Lanky 6-foot-11 freshman Ralph Sampson III and 6-foot-9 freshman Colton Iverson will make an immediate impact in the post.
What’s not: After all the positive momentum the Gopher’s built in the regular season, they ended last year with two tough losses to Illinois and Maryland. Last year’s top three scorers graduated, and Minnesota will have to rely on its younger players. Minnesota will likely be a bubble team. Whether the Gophers can fill holes down low will be a big factor to their tournament hopes.
Bottom line: Minnesota is one of the up-and-coming teams in the Big Ten, which hopes to make a step up from its NIT bid last season.
Michigan
What’s good: Everyone knows stars Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims will lead this young team. Harris is the Big Ten’s top-returning scorer (16.1 points per game), and Sims will use his 6-foot-8 frame more in the post this season playing less on the perimeter than in the past. The two will get assistance from role players like redshirt junior center Zack Gibson, sophomore point guard Kelvin Grady and freshman shooting guard Stu Douglass. Douglass can lace threes from NBA range and should impress this season.
What’s not: It can’t get much worse for the Wolverines. After a dismal first season in Ann Arbor, Michigan coach John Beilein hopes his team doesn't approach the program-record 22 losses again. The Wolverines struggled on the glass last season, and the transfer of forward Ekpe Udoh to Baylor doesn’t help the already meek frontcourt.
Bottom Line: Expect an NIT run, but an NCAA berth is beyond doubtful.
Penn State
What’s good: Point guard Talor Battle could be on the verge of a huge sophomore season. He averaged 10.2 points and 3.5 assists per game as a freshman and at just 5-foot-11, is still one of the Nittany Lions’ best backcourt rebounders. After suffering a late-season knee injury, senior Janelle Cornley returns this year and could be a threat in the backcourt. At 6-foot-5, Cornley has the skills to turn out consistent double-doubles, but he’ll have to stay healthy.
What’s not: Is there anyone on the floor to help Battle and Cornley? Penn State lost its best player in Geary Claxton midway through last season. The Nittany Lions never recovered. Even with young players and a few returners, there’s not much depth at the forward spot. Penn State also lacks size on the perimeter, but freshmen Chris Babb and Cammeron Woodyard, who both stand at 6-foot-5, could provide some assistance.
Bottom Line: Joe Paterno’s team will probably make it to the Rose Bowl, but don’t expect Nittany Lions basketball coach Ed DeChellis to lead his young squad outside of Happy Valley come mid-March.
Iowa
What’s good: Senior forward Cyrus Tate will be the lone bright spot in what looks to be a lackluster season. Tate, a team co-captain of the young Hawkeyes, came in for an injured Jarryd Cole midway through last season and led the team in rebounds. He also shot an stellar 66.7 percent from the field.
What’s not: Coach Todd Lickliter enters his second season in Iowa City after a disappointing 6-12 conference record and eighth-place finish. The lack of a true center follows the Big Ten’s shortage down low. After losing five players from last season, Iowa has seven new faces, six them are on scholarship.
Bottom line: The Hawkeyes will inevitably be playing to become the best of the bottom half of the Big Ten. How quickly the young players can mesh will decide if an NIT appearance is a real possibility.
Northwestern
What's good: The Wildcats return eight starters, but most of them have never experienced a winning season. There are three players returning that averaged over 10 points per game last season, including forward Kevin Coble, who averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
What's not: Northwestern has consistently been one of the worst teams in college basketball. Last year, the Wildcats finished with just one conference win (against Michigan). Although the incoming recruiting class is filled with big men, Northwestern lacks a dominant post presence and was dead last in the Big Ten last season in rebounding.
Bottom line: They say defense wins championships. Maybe that's why Northwestern hasn't won a Big Ten title since 1933.
Indiana
What’s good: Almost nothing. After Kelvin Sampson was fired as head coach last year for recruiting violations, almost all of his players left the program. With few returning players, the Hoosiers will have to rely on the eight incoming freshman and two junior college transfers. Junior Devon Dumes, who transferred from Eastern Michigan, and highly touted freshman Verdell Jones will control the backcourt.
What’s not: At this point last season, Indiana was a favorite to win the Big Ten. This year, the Hoosiers are a expected to finish last. They return just two players from last year’s team — Brett Finkelmeier and Kyle Taber, who combined for 1.6 points per game. Taber might start, but Finkelmeier has played just 11 minutes in his collegiate career. With 10 new players and so much inexperience, first-year Indiana coach Tom Crean should trade notes with Michigan coach John Beilein on the growing pains of coaching a young, new team.
Bottom line: The Hoosiers are forced to start at least four players new to the program. Expect a season similar to Michigan’s last year.
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:46:33 -0500