Any notion that the Big Ten basketball season was going to be predictable and that the favorites would easily roll over everyone else was emphatically erased this past weekend.
Conference favorite Illinois, ranked No. 7 in the country coming into the week, fell at Wisconsin, 72-66. The Fighting Illini were joined by both of the Big Ten's other ranked teams, No. 9 Iowa and No. 19 Michigan State, as upset victims. The Hawkeyes lost 72-62 to Ohio State in Columbus, and the Spartans were downed 70-67 at Minnesota. Though the Fighting Illini are everybody's favorite to win the conference, and were picked by some publications to win the national title, it appears thus far that nothing will be a sure thing in the conference this season.
Illinois (12-3, 1-1)
The Fighting Illini's position as preseason favorite was cemented the instant last year's Big Ten Player of the Year, Frank Williams, declared that he would return for another season with the defending regular season conference champions. The junior point guard has averaged 18.0 points per game thus far, and is in the running for most national Player of the Year awards, including the Wooden Award.
How far the Fighting Illini will go depends largely on whether or not senior guard Cory Bradford and junior forward Brian Cook play up to their potential. Bradford was last season's preseason conference Player of the Year, but struggled throughout the season and averaged just 9.9 points per game after putting up 15.3 the previous year.
"He probably never practiced one day full speed last season," coach Bill Self said. "I would say he and Brian have been the two most improved players this season."
Cook, considered one of the best pro prospects in the conference, is due for a breakout season. He and fellow forwards Robert Archibald and Damir Krupalija will have additional pressure placed upon them with senior Lucas Johnson who will miss most, if not all of the season with a torn ACL.
Starters: Williams, 18.0 ppg, 4.1 apg; Bradford, 11.6 ppg; G Sean Harrington, Jr., 6.8 ppg; Cook, 11.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg; Archibald 11.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg.
Key Bench Players: Krupalija, 9.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg.
Collegian Prediction: 1st
Michigan State (9-5, 0-1)
At Big Ten media day in October, the Spartans were not even predicted to finish in the top three in the conference after winning at least a share of the conference title in each of the last four seasons.
That's what happens when a team loses seven players, including four starters and two first-round NBA draftees in Jason Richardson and Zach Randolph.
With those players gone, sophomore point guard Marcus Taylor has had to put the team on his back. His 15.5 points per game thus far are sixth in the conference, and his 5.77 assists per game are second.
The Spartans have to put a lot of pressure on their youth this season to compensate for their loss. Blue chip freshmen Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert have had to step up as scoring options.
They do have experience returning in the frontcourt, however, with lone returning starter Aloysius Anagonye and junior Adam Ballinger underneath.
Starters: Taylor, 15.5 ppg, 5.77 apg; G Torbert, Fr., 9.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg; G/F Alan Anderson, Fr., 6.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg; F Aloysius Anagonye, Jr., 7.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg; F Ballinger, 10.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg.
Key Bench Players: Hill, 12.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg; F Adam Wolfe So., 10.8 ppg 5.7 rpg.
Collegian Prediction: 3rd
Minnesota (8-5, 1-1)
The Golden Gophers are trying to continue to resurrect the program after the academic scandals that forced them to forfeit six seasons worth of games in the Clem Haskins era. The Gophers increased their victory total by six games last season and received an NIT berth before losing to Tulsa in the second round.
Senior forward Dusty Rychart, another one of the Big Ten's unsung stars, is the team's leader and primary scoring threat with 12.8 points per game. He leads a solid frontcourt that thus far leads the conference in offensive rebounds. Four of the Golden Gophers starters are 6-foot-7 or taller. Joining him there is promising freshman Rick Rickert, second on the team with 11.7 points per game.
Starters: G Kevin Burleson, Jr., 5.8 ppg, 5.2 apg; F Travarus Bennett, Sr., 9.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg; Rychart, 12.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg; F Michael Bauer, So., 11.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg; Rickert, 11.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg.
Key Bench Players: C Jerry Holman, Jr., 9.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg; G Kerwin Fleming, Sr., 6.9 ppg.
Collegian Prediction: 6th
Northwestern (8-4, 0-1)
The Wildcats will try to get out of the conference basement this season, where they have resided in each of the last two seasons, and 14 of the last 17. They are much more experienced than their recent teams have been. It's the first time in three years the Wildcats have a senior on the roster. In the last two seasons, the Wildcats led the nation in minutes played by freshmen and sophomores.
Sophomore Jitim Young, senior Tavaras Hardy and junior Winston Blake will be the players charged to take Northwestern to greater heights. Young is seventh in the conference in scoring thus far this season with 15.4 points per game, and Blake and Hardy are each averaging in double digits. Young is one of the conference's best three-point shooters, and Blake and Hardy give them a formidable inside duo.
Starters: G Young, 15.4 ppg; G Collier Drayton, Sr., 3.8 ppg, 3.9 apg; Hardy, 11.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg; F Blake, 13.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg; F Vedran Vukusic, Fr., 6.5 ppg.
Key Bench Players: F/G Jason Burke, Jr., 4.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg; G Drew Long, So., 5.1 ppg.
Collegian Prediction: 11th
Ohio State (10-2, 2-0)
The Buckeyes look to return to the NCAA tournament despite losing All-Big Ten forward Ken Johnson to graduation. The 10-2 Buckeyes got a good start at doing that with their victory over Iowa Saturday.
Leading the Buckeyes are two of the conference's most underrated players. Senior guard Brian Brown, now in his third year as a starter for the Buckeyes, is the team's leading scorer. Senior guard Boban Savovic, one of the conference's best shooters at .509 from three-point land, has finally emerged as one of the team's top scoring threats.
Coach Jim O'Brien also has two other viable scoring options in junior guard Brent Darby and sophomore forward Zach Williams.
Starters: Brown, 14.2 ppg, 3.3 apg; Savovic, 12.6 ppg, 4.5 apg; Darby, 11.1 ppg, 3.0 apg; Williams, 10.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg; F Velimir Radinovic, So., 3.9 ppg.
Key Bench Players: G Sean Connolly, Jr., 6.7 ppg; F Will Dudley, Sr., 3.7 ppg.
Collegian Prediction: 5th
