Talor Battle was named to the preseason first team all Big Ten team, coming off a year in which he averaged 16.7 points and five assists per game.
Michigan State's Kalin Lucas was tabbed as the conference's player of the year, at today's media day in Chicago.
Here is a look at the team in full:
Manny Harris, MICH, JR, G
16.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.40 apg, 1.23 spg
Kalin Lucas, MSU, JR, G
14.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 4.63 apg,
Evan Turner, OSU, JR, G/F
17.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.97 apg, 1.76 spg
Talor Battle, PSU, JR, G
16.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.97 apg, 1.18 spg
Robbie Hummel, PUR, JR, F
12.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.94 apg
(courtesy of Bigten.org)
The committee of 24 media members also voted on the preseason Big Ten standings. No surprise at No. 1, as the Michigan State Spartans three of its best players in Lucas, Raymar Morgan and Durrell Summers.
Purdue and Ohio State were voted second and third, respectively. The press release, only gave the conference's top three teams, so it was unclear where the Lions finished in the vote.
But with many magazines and projections placing the Lions toward the bottom of the conference, here is what Battle had to say at Penn State basketball media day last week:
"Its definitely motivation, but at the same time you don't blame them for having their own opinion. Losing all the players we lost last year is definitely a big loss. I'm not gonna fool you and tell you it's nothing - losing those three guys. That would be foolish of me. But we've got a lot of young guys who I think can fill the void."
He also noted the importance of building on 2008-09:
"It's very important, and I think we need to have another successful season so it's not one of those one-hit wonder things and prove that the program really is on the rise."
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