Illinois: The Illini's eight-man rotation isn't pretty, but, more often than not, it gets the job done. A team of interchangeable parts if there ever was one. Chester Frazier and sophomore Demetri McCamey constitute a talented backcourt and set the tempo in terms of working the ball around and finding good shots (both average 5 assists per game). Few teams play more unselfishly than Illinois. I (incorrectly) thought this team was at least a year away from being competitive in the Big Ten. While their non-conference resume isn't great (though they do have a 20 point win over Missouri that is looking better and better), I predict the Fighting Illini garner betwteen a 4 and 6 seed come March on the strength of their conference play.
Indiana: Not much to say here. Indiana plays incredibly hard and is very easy to root for, but the Hoosiers are under-manned. Probably the least talented team from the six BCS conferences (though I think the Hoosiers are better than Virginia, DePaul, Colorado, Oregon, and Georgia). On the bright side, a nice recruiting class has gained a year of valuable experience, and Tom Crean has a very talented recruiting class set to contribute next year.
Iowa: The Todd Lickliter hire does not appear to be working out. It's still early, as this is only Lickliter's second year at the helm, but I don't see how he recruits against the other coaches in this league. Tom Izzo, Tubby Smith, Thad Matta, Tom Crean, Bruce Weber, John Beilein, Bo Ryan, Matt Painter -- and Todd Lickliter? With the lack of talent on the Hawkeyes roster, Iowa looks like it could be in the Big Ten cellar for the foreseeable future.
Michigan: It's hard to imagine how Tommy Amaker's tenure could have been any more destructive to Wolverine basketball. Players didn't develop, and the team didn't win (though they were the team to beat in the NIT). While Michigan will likely be on the wrong side of the bubble debate when it's all said and done, Beilein has the Michigan program headed in the right direction.
Michigan State: The Spartans look like the class of a highly competitive Big Ten. Still, there's room for improvement. Junior Raymar Morgan has played well but nowhere close to the type of break out year that some predicted. Plus, he's dealing with walking pneumonia. Senior Goran Suton is averaging only 0.1 points per game more than he did during his sophomore campaign. And highly-touted freshman Delvon Roe is just rounding into form coming off two knee surgeries. The wild card here may be the continued development of sophomore Durrell Summers. The wiry 6-4 sophomore has shown signs of his offensive potential as of late. In three of his last six games, Summers topped 20 points (26 at Ohio State, 21 at Iowa, and 21 against a defensive-minded Minnesota club). If Summers can become more consistent, the Spartans have a chance at the Final Four.
Minnesota: During the two years preceding Tubby Smith's arrival, the Golden Gophers went 16-15 and 9-22. In Tubby's first year, Minnesota went 20-14 overall and 8-10 in the Big Ten, which equaled the total number of conference wins for the Gophers during the two preceding seasons combined. Simply put, Smith has done a masterful job, and the future looks bright in Minneapolis. Smith added a talented freshman class to his roster this year, and another stellar recruiting class has been lined up for next year. Still, the current Gophers are nothing to sneeze at. Al Nolen and Devoe Joseph give the Gophers two solid point guards. Lawrence Westbrook provides the scoring, Blake Hoffarber the shooting, talented freshmen Ralph Sampson III and Colton Iverson solid play in the post, and forward Damian Johnson is a lockdown defender. However, Minnesota has been a little erratic as of late. After beating Illinois 59-36 two weeks ago (yes, that's right Minnesota held a tournament team to 36 points), the Gophers got whipped by Michigan State 76-47. Smith's squad will need to be more consistent down the stretch, but look for the Gophers to end up with around a 7 to 9 seed come March.
Northwestern: A very unorthodox team but interesting to watch. Wins against Florida State and at Michigan State have been the highlights of a very nice season for Northwestern. Quite the turnaround for a team that went 8-22 last season. Unfortunately, the Wildcats' heartbreaking 60-59 home loss to Illinois may have sealed their NIT fate. Still, things are looking up for the first time in a long time in Evanston.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes are flying under the radar, despite putting together quite a resume. Thad Matta's club has knocked off Miami, Notre Dame, Butler, Purdue, and Minnesota. The Buckeyes are young and talented, and Evan Turner appears to be ready to become the go-to scorer the Buckeyes need down the stretch. Standing at 17-5 overall and 7-4 in conference, expect the Buckeyes to end up with between a 5 and 6 seed in March.
Penn State: After a three-game losing streak, the surprisingly competitive Nittany Lions' hopes for NCAA tournament glory were on life support heading into Saturday's contest with Minnesota. With the Nittany Lions upset of the Gophers, however, a .500 finish in a strong conference is a real possibility. But will it be enough? Probably not, as Penn State's best non-conference win is over Georgia Tech. If the perennial conference doormats come up short, it will be a missed opportunity, as star sophomore Talor Battle will be losing the services of talented seniors Jamelle Cornley and Stanley Pringle.
Purdue: It's hard to get a read on just how good Purdue really is. The Boilermakers have won seven of their last nine (or one of their last three). Three of their six total losses have occurred with Robbie Hummel on the bench. While Purdue may have been slightly overrated to begin the season, Matt Painter's Baby Boilers are a year older and could make a run come tourney time (but they need Hummel healthy). The similarities between the defense played at Purdue and Duke are interesting to examine. Purdue isn't quite as good on the perimeter as Duke (though Chris Kramer and Keaton Grant are excellent defenders). But the Boilermakers have a true shot-blocker (JaJuan Johnson), which the Blue Devils lack. However, despite both teams' obvious defensive talents, they both lack a true bruiser to provide a physical presence in the paint. In the end, this deficiency will likely be both teams' undoing. Which brings us to the story no one is talking about -- Purdue really misses the services of power forward Scott Martin who transferred to Notre Dame. Martin probably got the least amount of attention of Painter's Baby Boilers (Hummel, E'Twaun Moore, Johnson, and Martin), but he added toughness in the post. While not exactly a bruiser, Martin was a scrapper who wasn't afraid to mix it up.
Wisconsin: It's hard to believe, but Bo Ryan is sort of on the hot seat. Wisconsin fans have grown accustomed to winning, especially on their home floor, and the Badgers have already lost nine games, including a six-game conference losing streak (sandwiched between two three-game conference winning streaks). Additionally, Ryan's team has dropped four games within the usually friendly confines of the Kohl Center. Despite these disappointments, the Badgers still have a chance at the tourney. They're sitting at .500 in Big Ten play and still have two games against Indiana on the schedule. If the Badgers can sneak into the tourney, the meat grinder that is the Wisconsin offense will likely cause trouble for out-of-conference opponents.
Player of the Year: Manny Harris, Michigan
Runner-up: Evan Turner, Ohio State
The Big Ten may be deep in terms of competitive teams, but the conference pool is shallow in terms of individual talent. While Michigan has struggled in conference play, Harris' all-around game speaks for itself. The Wolverines' stat-stuffer is averaging 17.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per contest. With his height and athleticism the Michigan sophomore is a matchup nightmare. Evan Turner, the Buckeyes' 6-7 sophomore swingman, leads his team in points (17.0), rebounds (7.5), assists (3.3), and steals (2.0) per game. He's turned into quite the pro prospect, and, if the Buckeyes make a run in the tourney, look for Turner to be a lottery pick. If the Wolverines continue their slide, Turner may take Smith's title as conference player of the year. Robbie Hummel deserves consideration as well. While he's missed games due to injury and his conference numbers have been disappointing, the intangibles Hummel brings to the table, coupled with his diverse skill set, cannot be ignored.
Coach of the Year: Bruce Weber, Illinois
Runner-up: Tubby Smith, Minnesota
Similar stories here. Overachieving, star-less teams that compete on a nightly basis with hard-nosed, intelligent basketball. Tubby Smith is getting the media attention because of the rescue job he's done in just his second season at Minnesota. But Bruce Weber gets the nod. And yes I realize Minnesota beat Illinois 59-36. But we have to remember that Illinois actually had a losing record last year and now sits in second place in the Big Ten (while Minnesota won 20 games last year and now sits in fifth place).
Freshman of the Year: William Buford, Ohio State
Runner-up: Matt Gatens, Iowa
Not exactly a bumper crop of freshman talent in the Big Ten. Buford is the Buckeyes' second leading scorer (11.8 points per game) and has a nice offensive game. Still, the talented freshman wouldn't even be the runner-up in any of the other BCS conferences. Who is Matt Gatens? Well, the Iowa freshman leads his team in scoring (11.2 points per game) and has been one of the only bright spots in the Hawkeyes' dismal 2008-09 campaign. Indiana's Nick Williams received serious consideration for the runner-up spot, but he hasn't been that much more impressive than fellow Hoosier freshmen Tom Pritchard and Verdell Jones III. Ohio State's B.J. Mullens, who, according to some recruiting experts, was the top incoming freshman in the country, is starting to show signs of life. By the end of the season, he may be the conference's top freshman, but I'm surprised he isn't blocking more shots.
Defensive Player of the Year: Damian Johnson, Minnesota
Runner-up: Chris Kramer, Purdue
These are two of the best defenders in the nation. Damian Johnson is arguably the nation's most underrated defender. Equally effective on the perimeter or in the post, the long junior averages 2.2 blocks and 1.9 steals per contest. He's a perfect fit for Tubby Smith's half-court defense. Last year's conference Defensive Player of the Year, Chris Kramer has averaged two steals per game in all three of his seasons in West Lafayette. The tough-as-nails defender is as physical on the perimeter as anyone in the country. He also excels at getting in the passing lanes and generally frustrating the opposition.
1st Team All-Big Ten
Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
Talor Battle, Penn State
Manny Harris, Michigan
Evan Turner, Ohio State
Robbie Hummel, Purdue
While his stats may not be all-world, Kalin Lucas is the engine in the Spartans' offense. With his size, athleticism, and body control, Evan Turner has tremendous potential. He just needs to become more assertive.
2nd Team All-Big Ten
E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
Demetri McCamey, Illinois
Kevin Coble, Northwestern
Damian Johnson, Minnesota
DeShawn Simms, Michigan
DeShawn Simms is the other half of one of the best inside-outside combos in the nation. Averaging 15 points and 7.4 boards per contest, he's extremely under-appreciated and just missed the cut for the first team. If only Smith and Simms had a little help in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines would be really dangerous. Kevin Coble is a special player. He's crafty on the offensive end and has an extremely high basketball I.Q. E'Twaun Moore is becoming more assertive in his second year running the Boilermakers' offense, but, for Purdue to reach its potential, Moore has to become even more of a scoring threat. Wisconsin's Marcus Landry is the conference's eleventh man.
All-Big Ten Defensive Team
Manny Harris, Michigan
Chris Kramer, Purdue
Damian Johnson, Minnesota
Marcus Landry, Wisconsin
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Chris Kramer and JaJuan Johnson get the ink, but Keaton Grant is an excellent defender in his own right. It's crazy that Michigan State has no representatives on the all-conference defensive team. The Spartans have the best defense in a conference full of talented defenses.
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