For Big Ten women's basketball, this year is the year. In a season in which the Lady Lions have as lofty expectations as ever, the conference as a whole has similar plans.
With three top 10 teams, competition is fierce, making the hunt for top tier non-conference opponents almost unnecessary. Come NCAA time, the conference's standouts will look to make their mark on a national level. Campuses across Big Ten country are hoping to break attendance records, led by the first ever women's basketball sellout at the Williams Arena of the University of Minnesota. And Penn State senior guard Kelly Mazzante is now just 28 points from tying the Big Ten women's basketball all-time career scoring record.
With such a promising season still in its early stages, this is a glimpse through the conference, looking at each of the teams, top to bottom, as well as the players that make the Big Ten simply so good.
Lindsay Whalen
senior guard, Minnesota
Not only does Whalen lead the Big Ten in scoring averaging just over 23 points per game, but she's frighteningly accurate from the floor shooting close to 60 percent this season.
What makes her even more dangerous is her ability to see the floor, as she is averaging close to six dimes per game, which is good enough for third in the conference.
Adding insult to injury, the 5-foot-9 guard can shoot the triple as good as any player in the nation, with a 46 percent 3-point field goal percentage. The senior has led the Golden Gophers to a perfect 14-0 record thus far and has them ranked No. 6 in the nation.
Kelly Mazzante
senior guard, Penn State
If teams don't know now, they never will. Mazzante has been the greatest scorer that the Big Ten has ever seen, and she's been doing it for four years.
What makes Mazzante even more dangerous in this, her final season, is her ability to beat defenders off the dribble with both her right and left hands. She creates space when it seems like there is no where to go and when she's fouled, she converts from the stripe, shooting 89 percent from the foul line. That percentage is best in the Big Ten.
As usual Mazzante has killed teams this season with her outside shooting and her lightning quick release makes her almost unguardable. She's already broken the Penn State school scoring record and is 28 points shy of breaking the Big Ten record.
Tanisha Wright
junior guard, Penn State
Wright may just be the most well-rounded player in the Big Ten. She is in the top ten in the Big Ten in several categories including steals per game (2.00), free throw percentage (84 percent) and assists per game (4.29).
Her 15.4 points per game is 11th in the conference and that number is even more impressive because Wright plays along side Mazzante.
Since day one Wright has been nothing but a slasher, who if given an inch of daylight will drive straight to the rack, but in the off season she added a jump shot to her repertoire which took her game to a new level.
Her ability to hit the open ten to 15-foot jumper combined with her tenaciousness on the court has made Penn State and Wright even more dangerous than anticipated.
Shereka Wright
senior forward, Purdue
While listed 5-foot-10 in the Boilermaker media guide, this Wright plays much bigger than that.
Wright not only scores (19.6 points per game), but also crashes the boards, averaging close to four offensive rebounds per game. Like Mazzante and Whalen, it seems that Wright's main purpose on this Earth is to get to the hoop and her explosive first step is as quick as any player in the nation. She has led Purdue in scoring in 13 of the 14 games that the Boilermakers have played this season.
Unlike teams like Penn State and Minnesota who have several scoring options, Wright has taken the Boilermakers on her shoulders, helping Purdue to 12-2 record and a No. 9 national ranking.
Jennifer Smith
senior center, Michigan
The dark horse of The Daily Collegian All-Big Ten team, Smith has basically come out of nowhere and taken the Big Ten by storm.
The 6-foot-4 Wolverine captain is third in the conference in scoring (22.1 ppg) after only averaging 12 points per game in her first three seasons.
Her knack for getting to the line is the main reason that the senior has emerged this season. Smith has gotten to the line 15 times more than the next closest player (126), and she has made 11 more free throws than any other player in the Big Ten.
Her 7.6 rebounds per game is good enough for sixth in the conference.
They may not currently boast the best overall record in the Big Ten, but no team is more battle-tested or hungry than the No. 8 Lady Lions. That's why they are our pick to win the conference.
But this pick is still a harrowing one for us because the Lions showed another flash of their road woes in a narrow escape at Wisconsin. However, Penn State has also shown a flash of brilliance away from the Bryce Jordan Center, defeating Purdue 47-42 in its Big Ten opener.
In a year where the Big Ten is loaded with talent like never before, spotty performances on road won't get the job done -- or get the Lions any closer to being a Final Four caliber team.
While they are the only undefeated team left in the Big Ten -- and one of only two left in Div. I -- the No. 6 Golden Gophers have not yet shown the mettle that would make them worthy of being a front runner for the conference title. This is mostly because they haven't played anyone, facing only one ranked team -- No. 15 Colorado -- during their 14-0 start. Minnesota loves to run, and they have the personnel to do it. When junior center Janel McCarville grabs one of her many rebounds and steals, she excels at getting the ball quickly to her athletic guards, allowing the Gophers to fast break. Senior guard Lindsay Whalen leads the Big Ten in scoring.
Possibly only Penn State has played a tougher schedule so far than the No. 9 Boilermakers. Purdue has faced five opponents who were ranked at the time they played, more than any other team in the Big Ten expect for the Lady Lions. With four senior starters, Purdue is a veteran team that takes good care of the basketball, leading the conference in turnover margin. The seniors have won a Big Ten regular season or tournament title in each of their four years. However, a lack of size may be the undoing of the Boilermakers.
For a team adjusting to a new coaching staff, Michigan took on a tough non-conference schedule. And they appear to be better for it, sitting currently at 2-1 in conference play.
The Wolverines channel most of their offense through senior center Jennifer Smith, who has emerged as one of the most dominant centers in the league after averaging only 12.4 points per game in her first three years. Michigan has done well isolating Smith, who is averaging 22.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
This team just can't seem to get over the hump.
The No. 23 Spartans started the season 10-1 and have been ranked for the majority of the season, but losing two games already to conference elites Penn State and Purdue, they just can't seem to get the statement victory that would bolster them to the top of the conference.
Michigan State's defense plays a complicated match-up zone. While this scheme is effective in shutting down top-scorers, the Spartans tend to struggle against teams with multiple scoring threats.
The team has a balanced offense with a five players scoring more than seven points per game but none scoring more than 12.6
After one of their biggest wins of the year, a 52-51 victory against Ohio State,the Fighting Illini got the worst news possible. Their third leading scorer and second leading rebounder, Aminata Yanni, who was injured during the game, will be out for the year with an ACL tear.
The Illini have to pick up the pieces and claw their way through the conference's muddled middle of the pack if they have a shot at landing an NCAA tournament bid.
Illinois likes to use its tenacious defensive rebounding to get quick transition baskets. But surprisingly, the conference's best rebounding team is also one of the worst defensively, ranking 10th.
Ranking as high as No. 18 earlier this season, the Buckeyes have dropped completely off the Associated Press poll after losing three of their last five.
Aided by a stingy defense, the young team with two freshmen starters built up a lot of wins early in the season playing against second-tier competition. But lately they have been giving up more than their league-leading 51.9 points per game.
Teams will try to run on Ohio State to avoid having to deal with the team's variety of complex defensive schemes.
On Jan. 8, the Hawkeyes played a game at Penn State that served as a microcosm for Iowa's woe during this season. All season long it was doubtful if Iowa guards would be able to play well in the Big Ten, a conference teeming with backcourt talent. The game against Penn State on Jan. 8 did nothing to quell those concerns.
Iowa's starting guards -- Lindsay Richards and Kristi Faulkner -- committed seven turnovers and scored only two points. However, the front court is strong, and forward Jennie Lillas will have to play well if the Hawkeyes are to finish above .500 in conference.
Under a fourth year head coach Kathi Bennett, this is another young Big Ten team looking for its identity.
Statistically, the team is in the middle of the pack in nearly every category, and that's probably where they'll end up in the standings. But many of these Hoosiers are in-state products and longrange gunners. Don't be surprised if the Hoosiers pull off an upset sometime this year.
Penn State probably never would have thought the closest contest in its first four conference games would come in Madison. But that's what they got from the scrappy Badgers and first-year coach Lisa Stone. And on Tuesday, they collected their first conference win against Illinois.
The Badgers showed in the close loss to the Lions they might not be as bad as their 6-7, 1-3 record suggests. But they aren't much better. Expect them to finish at the bottom of the conference.
Even perennial conference doormat Northwestern looks to be improved in this year's Big Ten.
Though it wasn't the most brutal one around, the Wildcats finished up their non-conference schedule with a 7-4 record. But that is yet to carry over to conference play as Northwestern has started Big Ten play 0-3. More than two wins in this league would be a success for this team.
Compiled by Jenny Vrentas, Tony Calvello and Wade Malcolm
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