Freshmen phenoms etching place in Big Ten

One look at the rosters of the Big Ten men's basketball teams is all it takes to realize youth is king in this league.

Freshmen are starting and seeing significant time for eight of the 11 teams. The only teams not currently starting freshmen are Purdue, Illinois and Michigan.

Part of the reason for this youth movement is players leaving early for the NBA and a limited number of scholarships (teams are allowed 13).

Most teams have been forced to turn the ball over to their 18- and 19-year-olds, either out of necessity or because the frosh are just that good.

Leading the class of 2001 is Ohio State's Michael Redd. The guard from Columbus, Ohio, has started all 15 of the Buckeyes' games and leads the team in scoring with more than 22 points per game.

Redd poured in 28 points in his team's loss to Indiana on Saturday. He was 10 for 21 from the field before fouling out and led Ohio State (7-8 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) in rebounds with 10.

"I think Redd is very good," said Indiana coach Bob Knight after the game. "The thing that I like most about him is that he really works. He really works without the ball to get himself into position when he gets the ball. He never lets up, he's an impressive scorer."

In the 83-66 Ohio State loss, Indiana (11-5, 2-2) showed off its fabulous freshman Luke Recker. Recker was the prized recruit of Indiana in the off-season. He was Indiana's Mr. Basketball last year and had 19 points versus the Buckeyes. He has started 13 of the Hoosiers' 16 games.

Iowa has the best freshman tandem in the league. Forward Ricky Davis and guard Dean Oliver have given the Hawkeyes (13-2, 2-1) a formidable inside-outside combination.

Davis leads the team in scoring with more than 15 points per game and Oliver has dished out 59 assists this season for Iowa.

Minnesota and Penn State have been forced to play freshmen due to injuries. Minnesota (7-7, 0-3) lost guard Sam Jacobson last week when he injured his back. Kevin Clark has been starting in his place and had five assists in a loss to Penn State Saturday.

Fellow freshman Kyle Sanden scored 16 points against the Nittany Lions. The 6-foot-11 center was 7 for 9 from the field and played 32 minutes.

The Lions have a young lineup of their own. Joe Crispin has taken over point guard duties since senior Dan Earl suffered a season-ending knee injury in early December.

Other freshmen seeing time are Charlie Bell at Michigan State, Northwestern's Sean Wink and Mike Kelley at Wisconsin.

Illinois (11-5, 3-0) hosts No. 9 Purdue (14-3, 2-1) in a battle for position at the top of the league at 7:30 tonight on ESPN.

Purdue was chosen by nearly everyone to win the Big Ten titlebefore the season started. But the Boilermakers learned in their first game, a 74-57 loss to Michigan State, that preseason picks mean little in a conference as wide open as the Big Ten. The Boilers have rebounded, though, and won their last three games.

The Fighting Illini, meanwhile, have been the surprise of the league. They nearly knocked off No. 8 UCLA and then won their first three conference games.

The crowd should be rocking at Assembly Hall, but Purdue won't be caught off guard again and its full-court press will be too much for Illinois to handle.

Look for 6-foot-11 center Brad Miller to have a big night for Purdue against a much shorter Illini frontcourt.

Pick: Purdue 75, Illinois 72

Here's something to check out if you have some time, the official Bob Knight web site (http://www. coachbobknight.com).Some of the site's features: "Ask coach" (email him questions about everything from his technique on throwing metal chairs to how to get your players to transfer to another institution), Knight "off the court" (pictures of him hunting and fishing) and my personal favorite "The General's Store."