Toyminator's 2000-2001 Big Ten Conference Preview

The Big Ten has dominated the hardcourt the past few seasons, culminating in last season's championship run by Michigan St. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, as the Big Ten will do a little rebuilding this season. The top of the conference still looks very good, with the Spartan program continuing its march to elite status, and a very talented Illinois team that should do more damage in the Tournament this time around. The only other team with a shot at these two is Wisconsin, but they simply don't have the talent to match up with either of them. That leaves a multitude of teams battling for postseason play. Indiana, Ohio St., Michigan, Iowa, Penn St., & Purdue each lost some valuable players from last season, and will rely on newcomers to fill the voids. Thus, it may come down to who brought in the best talent during the offseason!

Speaking of talented players, many of them moved on, so there's no consensus on who are the league's top players. Ken Johnson, Lavell Blanchard & Cory Bradford are some, but don't be surprised if you see new names being mentioned by year's end. Players like Brian Cook, Jason Richardson, Luke Recker, & Joe Crispin could all compete for Player of the Year honors. In fact, it may surprise you that my pick for Big Ten POY has never even played a game in college. Freshman Zach Randolph is a terror inside and may be one of the best post players in the country! He'll have a huge impact for the defending champions. Other freshman to watch include Indiana's Jared Jeffries & Andre Owens, MSU's Marcus Taylor, Iowa's Jared Renier & Glen Worley, and Michigan's Josh Moore. It's pretty obvious that the Big Ten won't be rebuilding for too long!

ON THE RISE: Michigan
If their exciting & multi-talented backcourt would have returned, the Wolverine program would be rising even faster! Even so, talent is returning to Ann Arbor after some lean years. I have to give Coach Ellerbe credit...he may not know how to coach, but he sure can recruit! This season's team should be competitive in the Big Ten, but it would be a surprise to see them in the Big Dance. However, the next few years look very promising for the Wolverines, if everyone sticks around!

IN DECLINE: Purdue
Hey, Gene Keady's a great coach, but there's not much he can do with this group! In the past, Coach Keady has gotten the most out of his players. Unfortunately, after a few less-than-stellar recruiting classes, there's not much in them to begin with! When Carson Cunningham is your top returning player, you know your in trouble! It's not going to pretty in West Lafayette this season!

1. MICHIGAN ST.

Strengths: Good shooting & rebounding team. Solid team defense. Strength, quickness, experience & confidence.
Weakness: Too many turnovers. Little depth in backcourt.
Outlook: The National Champs have the necessary ingredients to make another run at the title. However, they'll be circled on everyone's schedule, so it's going to be quite a challenge! Either way, they should be fun to watch!

2. ILLINOIS

Strengths: Very deep & versatile. Quick & athletic. Well balanced offense. Aggressive team defense. Good 3-pt shooting team.
Weakness: Better ball distribution & shot selection.
Outlook: Lon Kruger jumped to the NBA, but everyone else returns for this talented team. New coach Bill Self may take awhile to get adjusted, but should have this team ready to challenge Michigan St for the Big Ten title. It should be quite a dog fight!

3. WISCONSIN

Strengths: Defense, defense, defense! Good teamwork & experience.
Weakness: Offense, offense, offense!
Outlook: Yes, it actually hurts watching them play! But their physical play & stiffling defense wears on teams enough that they squeek out victories. With new confidence & a weaker Big Ten, they should easily get back to the Tournament (but hopefully not the Final Four!).

4. INDIANA

Strengths: Big, talented frontcourt who can score & rebound well. Good shooting team. Solid team defense.
Weakness: Inept backcourt, with little range. Lack of quality depth.
Outlook: It will be weird without Bobby Knight yelling at everyone on the sidelines, but Indiana will survive. Their excellent frontline will carry this team, but the backcourt must contribute if the Hoosiers want to reach the NCAA Tournament.

5. OHIO ST.

Strengths: Excellent team defense, led by Johnson in the middle. Good rebounding team. Good FT shooting team.
Weakness: Lost a lot of offense, so need someone to score. Poor 3-pt shooting team. Question marks at PG & PF.
Outlook: The Buckeyes should not be this high, but thanks to miserable off-seasons for Michigan & Iowa, they moved up by default. They could be similar to Wisconsin, with stiffling defense & little offense. God help the fans of Columbus!

6. IOWA

Strengths: Excellent backcourt. Good 3-pt shooting team. Good ball-handling & distribution.
Weakness: Inexperienced frontcourt. Little inside scoring or rebounding. Poor team defense.
Outlook: Besides the steady Oliver at point, little returns from last season's disappointing team. But a boatload of newcomers, led by Recker, gives the Hawkeyes hope for a return to postseason play. But they must deliver first!

7. MICHIGAN

Strengths: Quick, athletic team. Decent shooting team. Good young talent.
Weakness: Inexperienced backcourt. Poor ball-handling team. Weak team defense. Struggle on the road.
Outlook: Oh what could have been if Crawford & Gaines were around this season. Oh well, the Wolverines will continue their slow rebuilding effort with a young, but talented team (led by Blanchard). NIT is once again a possibility.

8. PENN ST.

Strengths: Good outside scoring. Great 3-pt & FT shooting team. Good perimeter defense.
Weakness: Poor rebounding team. BIG hole at center. Poor ball handling team.
Outlook: The Crispin boys will do their best to win some games, but with little inside, Penn St will struggle against most teams in the Big Ten.

9. MINNESOTA

Strengths: Good, quick, deep backcourt. Balanced scoring.
Weakness: Poor team defense. Lack of size & bulk. Poor FT shooting team.
Outlook: This team could surprise a few teams. JUCO star Fleming should shine at point, giving a boost to the other players. Their lack of bulk will hurt them the most in this physical league. Definitely improving after the Clem debacle!

10. PURDUE

Strengths: Deep backcourt. Good 3-pt shooting team. Excellent coaching.
Weakness: Who's going to score? Poor ball-handling & distribution. Little inside game, with not much on the bench.
Outlook: Last season's seniors gave it their all for 4 years, but now their gone. So why didn't Coach Keady be better prepared for this day? He's a great coach, but he can't work miracles. This team will struggle from Day One!

11. NORTHWESTERN

Strengths: Most of last season's pitiful team is gone, including overrated coach Kevin O'Neill.
Weakness: Poor shooting & rebounding team. Little offense. Poor ball-handling & distribution. Inexperince.
Outlook: New coach Bill Carmody might be the perfect choice to run this team. The Cats can't attract the talent needed to compete in the Big Ten, but they could attract solid, team players who respond to Coach Carmody's style. In time, they'll get better.

You are visitor number since 9/22/00

Last updated on 9/23/00 by toyminator@prodigy.net