So the Badgers snuck into the Top 10 this week and in a lot of ways it doesn't exactly feel as great as it should. Well if you haven't caught football fever, you better gear up for basketball season, because it's here.
Ohio State and Wisconsin are certainly having great seasons on the football field, but inside the gym both Big Ten schools also boast basketball teams that have a conference title and Final Four goal in mind.
At this point, most of you know this, but what about the rest of the Big Ten? Here are some things to look out for in the Midwest this winter:
OSU's and UW's to lose?
It seems like everyone wants to hand the Big Ten crown to either Ohio State or Wisconsin. A lot of big names left the conference after last season, but that doesn't mean teams like Illinois, Indiana and Michigan State are just going to go away.
Let's not forget that the Badgers have a lot to prove. Sure, they are certainly deeper than last season and have gained a lot of experience, but most of us remember that a lot of times this team was hard to watch last season when trying to find a third scorer. This year the team as a whole should be able to support seniors Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor, but that could be easier said than done.
As far as Ohio State goes, the Buckeyes have looked good thus far. They are 3-0 and beat a Loyola-Chicago team that could win the Horizon League. Senior Ron Lewis and junior Jamar Butler have been great in their first three games, but Butler is the only starter returning from last season. They are experimenting with freshman Mike Conley at point guard, but Conley may not be able to adjust to life at the Division I level until freshman and high school teammate Greg Oden returns to the lineup in January. Oden will be a great player this year, but a lot of questions remain for head coach Thad Matta.
Any challengers?
Illinois lost Dee Brown and James Augustine, but this team may have the best young talent in the Big Ten that will actually stay in the program for four years. Had highly-touted recruits Eric Gordon and Derrick Rose decided to go to Illinois, the Illini probably would be looking at a Final Four in two years, but now head coach Bruce Weber must move on—and he can with this team.
The Illini lack a dominant front court right now, but do bring in 6'11' freshman Brian Carlwell, who played with Wisconsin redshirt freshman Mickey Perry at Proviso East in Maywood, Ill. The key for Illinois will be the guard play as sophomores Jamar Smith and Chester Frazier can score in a hurry from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, Smith went down with an ankle injury Monday night and senior leader Rich McBride was suspended for the first six games after a DUI. Still, Weber is a very good coach and if he can bring this team together by January, any slips by Ohio State or Wisconsin will put the Illini in the thick of the Big Ten race.
Outside of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan State aren't completely going away. Indiana lost a leader in Robert Vaden when he followed former head coach Mike Davis out the door and Marco Killingsworth is now gone as well, but don't forget about D.J. White. White is one of the better big men in the Big Ten when he isn't nagged by injuries. New head coach Kelvin Sampson will also limit the mistakes that hindered the Hoosiers in the Davis era.
And so what if Michigan State lost almost everyone to the NBA? Head coach Tom Izzo has taken the Spartans to the NCAA tournament for nine straight seasons now, and that means the guy can recruit. Freshman forward Raymar Morgan could be ready as early as right now and with returning point guard Drew Neitzel, the Spartans won't be as bad as some think.
Another decent team in the conference will be Michigan. The Wolverines keep missing out on the tournament in the closing weeks, but don't forget that this team was 22-11 last year. Tommy Amaker brings back a lot of scorers from last year, including seniors Courtney Sims, Lester Abram and Dion Harris.
Big Ten Cinderellas
Wait for it... Penn State might not only make the NCAA tournament this season, they could actually win a couple games in the tournament. Remember the Crispin brothers? Well that's the last time I remembered that the Nittany Lions even had a basketball program. Now this group of Lions, led by junior Geary Claxton, come into a season with some expectations and a legitimate chance to pull off some upsets in the Big Ten this season.
Purdue's chances of playing deep into March aren't as great as Penn State's, but the Boilermakers return enough players to give teams a fit. Sophomore Gordon Watt is a forward who transferred from Boston College and is now eligible to play. He will join experienced seniors David Teague and Carl Landry who missed most of last season with injuries. That should be enough to give the Big Ten at least eight teams who could make either the NCAA or NIT tournaments.
—Email Adam at hoge@dailycardinal.com
Predicted Finish:
1. Wisconsin
2. Ohio State
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. Indiana
6. Penn State
7. Michigan State
8. Purdue
9. Iowa
10. Minnesota
11. Northwestern
