No surprises on the top three picks (Big Ten only releases top three teams). For 1-11, click here.

2008-09 Top Three Preseason Picks

Team, 2007-08 Final Records (Finish)
1. Purdue 25-9, 15-3 Big Ten (2nd)

2. Michigan State 27-9, 12-6 Big Ten (4th)

3. Wisconsin 31-5, 16-2 Big Ten (1st)

No B.J. Mullens? Blame the media. Or sanity.

2008-09 Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Team

Player, 2007-08 Final Stats
Manny Harris, MICH, So., G 16.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Raymar Morgan, MSU, Jr., F 14.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Robbie Hummel, PUR, So., F 11.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg

E’Twaun Moore, PUR, So., G 12.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg

Marcus Landry, WIS, Sr., F 10.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg

I’m not positive on if this is a good thing.

Robbie Hummel as the best player in the conference…

Not a good thing.

Please Raymar Morgan, Manny Harris, E’Twaun Moore or hell, even B.J. Mullens, show everyone that this conference is really not as weak as it looks right now.

2008-09 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
Robbie Hummel, PUR

Oh, Robbie will probably have a tremendous season and make me look anything but informed.

Ha.

Some Big Ten Media Day Quotes

Tom Crean (Indiana)

On taking on a unique challenge:
“It’s just the way it worked out. In a situation where there was really no choice, there have been no regrets in any area. From taking the job or the decisions that were made, we just have to move forward. It’s not our players’, coaches’, administrators’ or fans’ fault. It just happened, so we have to deal with it.”

Todd Lickliter (Iowa)

On goals to make NCAA tournament:
“I am not going to sell anybody short, I just don’t believe in it. People say it’s a process, but what does that mean? For some people it may be a process of a day, for others a month. We are going to compete this year and I expect us to be successful. I certainly would not want to sell my guys short and not give them every opportunity. I have never gone into a situation thinking that we are not going to win. I go into every situation thinking that we will be successful. You have to do it that way. The last time Iowa tied for the Big Ten title was in ‘79, but a couple of years ago they were right there. I don’t think anybody is happy with where we are at right now, but I am proud of the things that have been accomplished. I think winning Big Ten Championships is incredibly demanding. It is a great league. We know it can be done and that is what we are shooting for.”

John Beilein (Michigan)

On practice:
“There is an amount of efficiency you can run a practice with that will hopefully transcend to games. I have a checklist of around 100 things that we are trying to do before the first game. Last year we had about 28 down pretty well before the first game. Your first year you are virtually putting in out of bounds plays the day of the first game sometimes. If you coach the only way I know how, which is fundamentally at first. ”

Tom Izzo (Michigan State)

On the emerging leadership of Kalin Lucas:
“I am surprised, but excited because that’s one of the things we really harped on last year. At the end of the year we really talked about it, that if he wants to take another step, he’s got to do a better job of taking other people with him. I think it helped him to go to the Nike camp this year and spend some time there with some of the best point guards in the country, listen to different coaches. It’s always good to get input from other coaches, media members, all the people that talk to him there. I just think he’s done a great job. You have to trust the player and the player has to trust you. I’m starting to feel that we’re getting that trust, that he understands if I’m not happy about something, it’s for him not against him.”

Matt Painter (Purdue)

On the chemistry of the team and whether Purdue has a “best player”:
“We have guys that are all-conference. We have guys that were first-team, second-team, third-team. And Keaton Grant was honorable mention, but he was our team MVP. You can’t really pick one over the other. And Robbie Hummel was Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, but I don’t know if he’s the best player on the team. Now, I’m not saying he’s not, but you can come to our practice and he might look like the best player on the team on Monday, but on Tuesday Keaton Grant will look like the best player. On Wednesday E’Twaun Moore will look like the best player on the team, on Thursday Chris Kramer will look like the best player on the team. So I think that’s a very good problem to have. I think the strength of our team lies in our balance and our unselfishness. I couldn’t even tell you who the best player on the team is. That’s something that varies from game to game, practice to practice. So it’s not something I really worry about. As a coach that’s the least of your concerns. You want your guys to be unselfish and learn to play together. A lot of other people want to establish who’s on first team, who’s on second team, who’s on third team. We just want to win, so those other things kind of get thrown out of the window.”

Bill Carmody (Northwestern)

On the team learning how to win:
“I think a lot of it has to do with the talent level and your preparation. We haven’t gotten to that point where we say, ‘OK, we’ve got to win this big one.’ We’ll see as we go. I just think that the talent level is bigger and it’s deeper. Our rotation could be nine or 10 this year and I’m like a seven-guy rotation usually. There’s not that much of our drop off. Our scrimmages of our first- and second-teams are very close all the time. That’s a good sign.”

Bigten.cstv.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Big Ten Preview

Reports have come out of Bloomington that senior forward Kyle Taber injured his knee last week, had surgery and is expected to be out for 10 weeks. But coach Tom Crean or the University of Indiana would not say what the nature of the injury or the surgery was.

The 6-foot-7 Taber started four games last season, averaging 1.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 22 games. He is a fifth year senior and the only returning scholarship player for the Hoosiers.

Post from: EveryJoe

Can Things Get Any Worse For Indiana?

At a Fighting Illini Comedy Tour Fighting Illini Meet and Greet Tour held in Peoria, Illinois on Thursday night, men’s basketball coach Bruce Weber had this opinion to offer on the upcoming Big Ten men’s basketball season, “The league should be wide open and we can be right in the middle of it. I do know one thing, though. I think Indiana will suck. Don’t put that on the Internet.”

Don’t worry Coach Weber, said statement will never, ever appear on the internet.

IU blog Cannot Falter thought Weber’s comments were “odd” and “bizarre”. I’m wondering why they didn’t just say Weber’s comments were a lame attempt at getting a few laughs. Everyone knows Indiana will not be a good team for a couple of years, it doesn’t take a great coach to figure that one out Bruce.

InsidetheHall was a little more fiesty with its reaction. They mentioned that Weber is still feeling bad for himself over Eric Gordon’s decision to decommit from Illinois two years ago.

At any rate…

If new Indiana Coach Tom Crean didn’t already have enough material to motivate his players with, he certainly has some extra good stuff to throw his player’s way when his Hoosiers meet up with the Illini this year.

Maybe Coach Weber should start a school wide comedy tour and try to jab at other teams in the Big Ten? I mean, coming from a coach that led last year’s team to a 16-19 record, he sure the heck as a lot respectability beaming from his figure. Certainly the pinnacle of basketball success is a 16-19 record. Now if he had just lost one more game, then all bets would have been off. But as long as you keep that L column total under 20, you’re free to spout off about anything.

But Weber might have an uncanny knack at comedy, akin to his uncanny ability to recruit players who cannot score, because what else is funnier than comparing a dysfunctional shot chucker transfer from Kentucky to arguably the most complete basketball player on the planet, “The players have nicknamed him (Alex Legion) ‘Kobe.’ He has a ways to go, but I understand the comparison. He can score, but he doesn’t guard anybody and we just had to teach him a new word. Pass. When he gets his first assist, everybody should give him a standing ovation because that will be his first one.“

So the Alex Legion—Kobe comparisons have begun. Weber won’t have to worry about this statement gaining much support, something tells me that it’s the first and last of its kind.

As always any questions, comments, Wal-Mart references and beefs are appreciated.

Post from: EveryJoe

The Alex Legion– Kobe comparison

This mess can be attributed to Kelvin Sampson, who all in all committed 5 major violations (along with Indiana), while at Indiana according to the NCAA. But I’m not here to bore you with all the details of Sampson’s wrongdoings.

I’m here to introduce the 08/09 Indiana basketball team, a completely revamped team in which many freshman and junior college recruits will be asked to play huge minutes.

Let’s start out with the seniors…

The Hoosier’s 07/08 seniors included D.J. White, Lance Stemler, Mike White, Adam Ahfield, and also A.J. Ratliff, who had left the team for good in February. The Hoosiers will sorely miss D.J. White, but nobody else out of that class will be missed too much.

The star…

With Eric Gordon’s departure for the greener pastures of the NBA, one would think winning next season would be a grind without him back, but not an insurmountable task.

But taking into consideration the dismissal of Armon Bassett (11.4 ppg in 29 games) and Jamarcus Ellis (6.8 ppg in 32 games) from the team when Dakich was still at the helm, and no welcome back handshake from Crean, the immediate future of the team looks very dim.

More bad news…

DeAndre Thomas (3.6ppg in 32 games) was asked by Crean not to return, as was Brandon McGee, just recently dismissed last week. And one cannot forget about reading the story of Eli Holman’s tantrum in the coach’s office. Eli will transfer to Detroit.

So that leaves a once storied Indiana program in a world of hurt. And it’s a little worse of a hurt than it seems right now. Many media outlets are reporting Indiana will have 3 players back from last year’s team, but in all actuality Indiana is only returning one player, sophomore Jordan Crawford (9.7 ppg in 30 games). No disrespect for walk-ons here, but returning senior Kyle Taber and sophomore Brett Finklemeier are not what you would call rotation type players at the Big Ten level, not many walk-ons are. However with that being said, Crean just might be forced to give a few walk-ons some serious playing time next year. And with just 9 players currently on the roster, the walk-on tryouts should be nothing short of controlled chaos.

The newbie’s at Indiana…

According to rivals.com and other recruiting sites, Indiana does not boast a single 4 or 5 star recruit for the 08/09 class. Now this really does not mean a whole lot in terms of the overall talent coming to Indiana, but in all honesty, 4 and 5 star recruits have a much better shot at being very good players at the college level than do the lower star recruits. Despite it, Indiana is still ranked in the top half of the conference in terms of the strength of the 08/09 recruiting class. I won’t even get into talking about all of the high level recruits who decided to change their mind and attend college elsewhere after the Sampson ordeal.

The JC’s

Junior college transfers Devon Dumes and Tijan Jobe will step right in and probably start. 6’2 Dumes is from Vincennes JC and scored 16.9ppg last year. Interestingly enough Dumes has played DI basketball before, scoring 8.1 ppg in 32 games with the Eastern Michigan Eagles in 06/07. Dumes will have 2 years of eligibility left.

Jobe is a 7’0 footer from Olney Central JC. Jobe is a native of Gambia and has only been in the States for 4 years. At Olney Jobe scored just 4 ppg. But Olney’s coach Mike Burris has said Jobe’s game has a lot of upside and he compares him to former Marquette big man Ousmane Barro.

“His body and game are better suited at the (major) college level. He runs, he’s raw offensively but he can really defend. He’ll dunk everything within 5 feet. He’s got a lot of upside and potential to his game and he’s a high character kid.”

source

Jobe sounds like starter material on a 10 win team doesn’t he?

As for the other set in stone newcomers, there seems to be a heavy allotment of 3 star guards.

From scout.com

Verdell Jones is 6’4 and is rated the 32nd best point guard in this class.

Nick Williams is 6’4 and is rated the 36th best shooting guard in this class.

6’3 Matt Roth has a 3 star rating like the other guards, but it not rated at all in terms of shooting guard rankings.

Rounding out the class is 6’8 big man Tom Pritchard (3 star), but for Big Ten purposes you might as well call him a small forward. Pritchard is not rated in terms of power forward rankings.

So the rebuilding process has already hit Crean pretty darn hard. I have to wonder if he regrets his decision to leave a pretty well stacked Marquette team. But complacency is never a good thing and maybe Crean wanted nothing to do with it. I’ll give Crean credit where it’s due. He has started to mold this program back into one of class and respect, and for that he should be commended. This rebuilding process looks to be a grueling one just by the looks of the 08/09 season, but Crean is the man for the job. He put Marquette squarely on the map with a Final Four appearance and multiple other tourney berths, so why can’t he get Indiana back onto the map too?

In 1 or 2 years, no way. But in 3 or 4 looks like a safe bet.

Post from: EveryJoe

Cleanup in Hoosierland