08-09 Big Ten Basketball Season

[crazybuckfan40]

I really think we are going to see an improved league next year...I have capsles for each team with guys leaving and guys returning, and then I have my predictions at this very early stage at the very end.

:psu2:
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I thought that PSU would take a step up from the cellar this year and they did. They got to 7th place and won 7 games in the big ten. That is more than the past couple years combined. They did most of it without their best player in Geary Claxton. That might of been a blessing in disguise for PSU as they got to play all their frosh and build for the future. They only lose Claxton and Mike Walker. By the end of the season will be senior Jamelle Cornley (6'5'' PF) was hurt and his 12pts game were also on the bench but they were playing a wide range of frosh along with will be senior Danny Morrissey (6'3'' SG) who averaged 8pts/game. The sophomores for next year that were getting lots of pt and figure to be the big part of the team next year are Talor Battler (5'11' PG) 10pts/game who I think is going to turn into a star by the time he leaves, Jeff Brooks (6'8'' PF) 3pts/game David Jackson (6'9'' PF) 6pts/game, Andrew Jones (6'9'' C) 4pts/game, and Stanley Pringle (6'1'' SG) 7pts/game who was a juco and will be a senior next year. They also have a good frosh coming in Chris Babb (6'5'' SG) that is supposed to be pretty good. Overall PSU will be middle of the road again IMO. They will be improved again from last year, and could be a NIT type team with a good non conference season. They don't really have a great front court, but they have some height and with some work in the weight room could improve their rebounding.
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:nw2:
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Everyone knew that NW wasn't going to be good this season and end up in the cellar. Next year could be the year they get out of the cellar. They don't lose anyone that started a game this past season. Their top 3 players are junior Kevin Coble (6'8'' PF) 16pts/game honorable mention all big ten, senior Michael Moore (6'3'' SG) 14pts/game honorable mention all big ten, and sophomore Michael Thompson (5'10'' PG) 12 pts/game and 4 assts. They also have lots of other guys that got minutes junior Jeremy Nash (6'4'' SG), sophomore Ivan Peljusic (6'8'' C), senior Sterling Williams (6'3'' SG), and junior Jeff Ryan (6'6'' SF). They also have three frosh coming in David Curletti (C), John Shurna (6'8'' PF), and Nick Fruendt (6'6'' SF) that should all provide PT next year and some length to help on the defensive end and rebounding. Northwestern has the guns to be able to score the ball, but the problem this year was they gave up about 50% shooting which wasn't even close to second to last place, and couldn't rebound the ball. They have some length coming in next year and maybe some time in the weight room will help. Might be a year that they can compete in more games, win about 4 or 5 in the conference and not end up in last place.
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:minn2:
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Minnesota really had a good team this year. They lose their top 3 players in Dan Coleman, Lawrence McKenzie and Spencer Tollackson. They do bring back a solid amount of scoring even tho they lost their top 3, in junior Lawrence Westbrook (6' PG) 9pts/game, Sophomore Blake Hoffarber (6'4'' SG) 8pts/game, junior Damian Johnson (6'7'' SF) 7pts/game, and sophomore Al Nolen (6'1'' PG) 5 pts/game. They also have two seniors Jamal Abu-Shamala (6'5'' SG), and Jonathon Williams (6'9'' C) who averaged 3 pts/game. What might be most promising for Minnesota is their incoming recruiting class. They have 3 very good players in DeVoe Joseph (6'2'' SG) a good player out of Canada with some big time scoring ability, and Ralph Sampson (6'11'' C) who also has some good ability and good size, and Colton Iverson (6'9'' PF) who will add size. Minnesota returns some athleticism in the backcourt and you have to figure will continue their full court pressing style of play, and need some shooting and will get that with Hoffarber and Joseph. It will be somewhat of a wait and see for Minny to really see how good they will be as they will be depending on guys that weren't their best players this year and incoming frosh, but there is some talent...
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:scum2:
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Michigan really took a long time to get accustomed to Belein's system with the 1-3-1 defense and the offense system, but down the stretch they put together a 3 game win stretch and showed some things that might be to come in the future. They only lose 1 of the top 10, and have a great one two punch coming back in sophomore Manny Harris (6'5'' SG) 16pts,4reb, 3assts per game. He was second team all big ten, to go along with junior DeShawn Sims (6'8'' PF) in the paint who averaged 12pts. They also return first team all defensive team junior Epke Udoh (6'10'' PF) who led the league in blocks with just under 3 per game and also had 6pts 5 rebounds. sophomore Kelvin Grady (5'11'' PG) will try to lead the team at the point 6pts and 3 asst per game. He was up and down on the season, but should be more steady next season. They also return sophomore Anthony Wright (6'6'' SF) 5pts/game, junior Zach Gibson (6'10'' PF) 5 pts/game, senior CJ Lee (6'0'' G) 3pts/game, and senior Jevohn Shepard (6'5'' SG) 4 pts/game and have 3 incoming frosh in Ben Cronin (7' C), a big guy that can step outside and shoot, Stu Douglass(6'2'' SG) who can light it up from deep, and Zach Novak (6'5'' SF). Overall Michigan should be much better from deep where they struggled this season, and if they can play good defense with the big guys and find a third scorer could do some damage in the big ten.

:msu2:
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Once again MSU will be a very good team in the big ten, and a top 25 fixture. They lose their star in Drew Neitzel, and also lose Drew Naymick. They return Seniors Travis Walton (6'2'' PG) defensive first team, Goran Suton (6'10'' C) Idong Ibok (C, 6'11), and Marquis Gray (6'8'' PF). Suton, Gray, and Walton average 19 pts together. Raymar Morgan (6'7'' SF) is the main junior returning. He was 2nd team all big ten and averaged 14 pts and 6 rebounds. So with the 5 main upperclassmen and then the underclassmen which are probably going to be the main parts of the team in scoring other than Morgan. They have Sophomores Kalin Lucas (6' PG) who is ready to run this team. He averaged 10pts/game this season and received honorable mention all big ten. Also have Chris Allen (6'3'' SG) and Durrell Summers (6'5'' SF) who are both very good on the wing and ready to take their game to the next level. Then throw in incoming frosh Delvon Roe (6'8'' PF) who is a stud, and Korie Lucious (5'11'' PG) who will have depth in front of him but is very sought after. MSU will have a very deep team, with a mix of solid upperclassmen and star underclassmen.

:iowa2:
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The lose of Tyler Smith really hurt Iowa and really just didn't have much talent next year and not sure how much they will have next year as well. They bring back senior Tony Freeman (6'1'' PG) to lead the show again, as he averaged 14pts/game this year and received 3rd team all conference. Also have senior Cyrus Tate (6'8'' PF) who averaged 8pts and 5 rebs/game. They also bring back sophomores Jake Kelly (6'6'' SF) 7pts/game, Jaryd Cole (6'7'' SF) 7pts/game, and Jeff Peterson (6' SF) 5 pts/game. The hope that Iowa has going into next season is they have 6 newcomers coming in. Matt Gatens (6'5'' SG) is probably the most highly rated of all of them as they are all 3 and 2 stars...

:purdue2:
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Purdue surprised a lot of people this year, but I had them as a team that would surprise. They only lose Terrance Crump (5pts/game) from a team that was a second team exit in the tourney, a top 25 team and a team that finished second in the Big Ten. They will still be somewhat young, but one year older as they return 2 seniors Marcus Green (6'4'' SG) and Nemanja Calasan (6'9'' PF), 2 juniors Chris Kramer (6'3'' SG) and Keaton Grant (6'4'' SG), and 4 Sophomores Robbie Hummel (6'8'' SF), Chris Martin (6'7'' SF), E'Twuan Moore (6'3'' SG), and Jujuan Johnson (6'10'' C). Hummel was 1st team all big ten, E'Twuan Moore was 2nd team, and Kramer was 1st team all defense in the big ten and 3rd team all big ten. Purdue had no problem scoring as they had 3 guys in double figures with Moore at 13pts/game, along with Hummel and Grant at 11pts/game. Martin was also a very steady player at 9pts/game and is a very smart player. They still lack size inside, but have Johnson and Calasan to go along with size on the wing. They struggled against Xavier to stop the on the defensive side in their exit from the tourney, but they were pretty solid on the defensive side all season, and will be so again next year, but will they be prepared for the bullseye on their back after having such a good season this year. They wont be surprising anyone next year. Purdue has one recruit coming in that could be in the rotation some next year in Lewis Jackson (5'9'' PG) that will be one of the quickest players in the Big ten next year.

:ill2:
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The Illini really had a done year this year in terms of what they are used too. They had great inside play from Randle and Pruitt, but struggled on the perimeter. Next year Randle and Pruitt will be gone, but they figure to be much better on the perimeter and not so much on the inside, as they will be weak, and probably go with 4 guard lineup a lot. They return sophomore Demtri McCamey (6'3'' PG) 8pts/game who I think is going to take his game to the next level next year. senior Chester Frazier (6'2'' PG) 5 pts/game will need to improve his offensive game over the summer, but he is a very good defensive player. They also return senior Jamar Smith (6'3'' SG) who if I am not mistaken was suspended all year or hurt, not sure which, but he is a very solid player that will help a lot, senior Calvin Brock (6'5'' SF) 7 pts/game, senior Trent Meacham (6'2'' SG) 10pts/game, and sophomore Jeff Jordan (6'1'' SG). There is also the wild card in sophomore Alex Legion (6'5'' SF) who can't play till midseason, but he will be a very good addition midseason. In the front court they will be weak in terms of rebounding and strength as they have senior Rodney Alexander (6'7'' PF) Rodney Alexander, sophomore Mike Tisdale (7'1'' C) 4 pts/game, sophomore Mike Davis (6'9'' PF) 3pts/game, Juco transfer Dominique Keller (6'7'' PF) and incoming frosh Stan Simpson (6'10'' PF). If you talk to Illini fans I have already seen them mark them up as high as number 2 in the conference and only about as low as 6 or so...They had a poor season this year and while they have another year under their belt for their guards, have Jamar Smith back, and bring in Alex Legion mid season, but they really lack any bulk at all in the front court, so they will be a running team, up and down. I do expect them to have a better year in conference than they did this year...

:ind2:
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Really in turmoil right now. There are transfer rumors about Jordan Crawford and Armon Bassett. They are losing recruits in Ebanks and Holloway and BTPOY White is graduating and Gordon will probably leave for the NBA. It is also unknown who will be the next coach and what kind of sanctions could be handed down on IU. If everyone stays other than Gordon they have a solid starting 5 with Bassett, Crawford, Kyle Taber, Jamurcus Ellis, and Deandre Thomas. But right now the situation not resolved and hard to get a read on where they will be next year.

:wisc2:
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The Badgers lose Flowers, Steimsma, and Butch. They do return Marcus Landry (6'7'' PF) (2nd team all big ten) who was probably their best player. He will be a senior along with Joe Krabbenhoft (6'7'' SF) who was first team all defensive in the conference. They also return juniors Trevon Hughes (6' pg) and sharpshooter Jason Bohanon (6'2'' SG) 6th man of year. Hughes and Landry were both double digit scorers this year and Bohanon can really light it up from outside. Sophomore Jon Leur (6'10, PF) was the one guy that saw the most game action outside of the 7 man rotation that Wisconsin ran, and he is a very good shooter for a big guy. Not sure on the others that they had on their bench other than they possess some big bodies like they usually do. They also have a 4 star C in Jared Berggren coming in, along with 3 other 3 star recruits. The top 4 are going to be very solid for Wisconsin next year and with Bo Ryan you can't expect this team to finish outside the top 3 in the big ten. They will shoot the ball well, have athleticism with Hughes, Krabbenhoft and Landry and of course have size down low. They will be looking for some to step up to add depth to the top 4 tho, that is the only weakness that can be found with this team, other than maybe scoring, as they have 3 of the 4 returners can put points up, but outside of that who will they turn to?


I know it is very early, and this list will change once I hear who will be coming back and some more about guys improving, kicked off teams, injuries, etc...We are up in the air kinda in terms of whether or not KK comes back, but I think that will just change our style some and will finish around the same in the big ten.


1. MSU
2. Purdue
3. Wisconsin
4. tOSU
5. Illinois
6. Michigan
7. Minnesota
8. PSU
9. Indiana
10. Northwestern
11. Iowa

I truly believe that conference will be better next year...Largely in part because every team besides Indiana and maybe Minnesota is going to be improved...The only team really hurt by graduation and players leaving is Indiana...All others bring most of their team back, and while some teams weren't very good last year like Northwestern for example, but they bring back all their guys, with another year of experience and some new guys coming in that might help...

I would like to see us compete more on a national stage than we did this year...We had 2 teams make the sweet sixteen, but didn't quite look like they belonged to go farther than that. We got beat up on again in the ACC/Big Ten challenge, and were rated as the 5th best conference in the RPI which is not very good...

I think next year we can get MSU, Purdue, Wisconsin, tOSU, as for sure teams...All with 9 seeds or higher...Should all be fixtures in the top 25 all season. The teams that could have good seasons and get in are Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, PSU, and possibly Indiana depending on what goes on there and what type of recruits they get...I expect to get 7 in some sort of tourneys with maybe a stretch for 8...

The big ten as a whole is still missing the star power on a national level other than maybe tOSU and MSU...Wisky continues to be solid and Purdue is building a nice program...IU was doing good until Sampson fucked that up, and Minny, Michigan, and Illinois are on the brink of being solid programs if they could land some solid recruits...

Also once the season is over and guys declare for the draft and all I will try and put up some conference ranks and a top 25, to get an idea of how the big ten will be next season and tOSU will be on a national level...

 

[HailToMichigan]

Michigan really took a long time to get accustomed to Belein's system with the 1-3-1 defense and the offense system, but down the stretch they put together a 3 game win stretch and showed some things that might be to come in the future. They only lose 1 of the top 10, and have a great one two punch coming back in sophomore Manny Harris (6'5'' SG) 16pts,4reb, 3assts per game. He was second team all big ten, to go along with junior DeShawn Sims (6'8'' PF) in the paint who averaged 12pts. They also return first team all defensive team junior Epke Udoh (6'10'' PF) who led the league in blocks with just under 3 per game and also had 6pts 5 rebounds. sophomore Kelvin Grady (5'11'' PG) will try to lead the team at the point 6pts and 3 asst per game. He was up and down on the season, but should be more steady next season. They also return sophomore Anthony Wright (6'6'' SF) 5pts/game, junior Zach Gibson (6'10'' PF) 5 pts/game, senior CJ Lee (6'0'' G) 3pts/game, and senior Jevohn Shepard (6'5'' SG) 4 pts/game and have 3 incoming frosh in Ben Cronin (7' C), a big guy that can step outside and shoot, Stu Douglass(6'2'' SG) who can light it up from deep, and Zach Novak (6'5'' SF). Overall Michigan should be much better from deep where they struggled this season, and if they can play good defense with the big guys and find a third scorer could do some damage in the big ten.

Potential problem: The three-point line is moving back next season, which could well negate any improvement our 3 shooters make from being a year older. The system will be familiar, but it will need to be tweaked again to allow for the extra couple feet.

Also: crummy recruiting class. Not highly regarded, anyway - Beilein picked up two system guys and a big gumpy center. Cronin (the center) is the only one that showed up much on recruiting boards. Stu Douglass had offers in from the likes of Evansville and Loyola of Chicago.

The silver lining is this: Michigan got beat this year because their shooting was atrocious in most games, and teams would simply zone up on them, clog up the inside, and dare them to shoot over the zone. Which most of the time, they couldn't. With a larger three-point arc, it will be easier to pass inside against the zone.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Potential problem: The three-point line is moving back next season, which could well negate any improvement our 3 shooters make from being a year older. The system will be familiar, but it will need to be tweaked again to allow for the extra couple feet.

Also: crummy recruiting class. Not highly regarded, anyway - Beilein picked up two system guys and a big gumpy center. Cronin (the center) is the only one that showed up much on recruiting boards. Stu Douglass had offers in from the likes of Evansville and Loyola of Chicago.

The silver lining is this: Michigan got beat this year because their shooting was atrocious in most games, and teams would simply zone up on them, clog up the inside, and dare them to shoot over the zone. Which most of the time, they couldn't. With a larger three-point arc, it will be easier to pass inside against the zone.

Appreciate the reply...An off season can do wonders for some guys that have shown the ability to shoot, but just struggle, and also have 9 guys returning to the system is why I think they should be more accustomed to it...

Just curious who you feel might step up as a 3rd scorer...Grady?

 

[HailToMichigan]

Appreciate the reply...An off season can do wonders for some guys that have shown the ability to shoot, but just struggle, and also have 9 guys returning to the system is why I think they should be more accustomed to it...

Just curious who you feel might step up as a 3rd scorer...Grady?

Gonna have to be Udoh, I think. Udoh's a year older, he took more shots last year and hit more of them, too, and he's the team's second-leading rebounder, with nearly half of those coming on the offensive glass. Three Guys Bombing Away From Downtown is not a good recipe for offensive success. If the offensive goes through Harris (from the outside), Udoh (from the inside) and Sims (the swingman), that is a better recipe for good balance. Grady improving will definitely help the team, but the guy that really needs to take the big step forward is Udoh. He's entering his junior year, now is the time.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Gonna have to be Udoh, I think. Udoh's a year older, he took more shots last year and hit more of them, too, and he's the team's second-leading rebounder, with nearly half of those coming on the offensive glass. Three Guys Bombing Away From Downtown is not a good recipe for offensive success. If the offensive goes through Harris (from the outside), Udoh (from the inside) and Sims (the swingman), that is a better recipe for good balance. Grady improving will definitely help the team, but the guy that really needs to take the big step forward is Udoh. He's entering his junior year, now is the time.

Udoh is a pretty good player and will probably be the defensive player of the year in the league, so if he can improve his offense to be the third scorer, I would think that would be a big thing for you guys...

Where would you project you guys to finish in the big ten and are you guys thinking field of 64 or NIT next year?

 

[HailToMichigan]

Udoh is a pretty good player and will probably be the defensive player of the year in the league, so if he can improve his offense to be the third scorer, I would think that would be a big thing for you guys...

Where would you project you guys to finish in the big ten and are you guys thinking field of 64 or NIT next year?

Well, I'm sure the team itself is thinking field of 64 but if they get there it'll be like as an 11 or 12 seed. NIT is more likely. I think they should be able to leapfrog most of these second-tier Big Ten teams like Penn State and Minnesota but it will take some work to move into the upper echelon. Probably another year. Good news is they should definitely be the most improved team in the conference, and really, there were fewer games separating them and #6 Minnesota than Minny and #4 MSU. So they're poised for a jump. I don't think they're quite ready to play with the big kids yet though.

I don't know what the OOC schedule looks like next year, but it can't be rougher than this year's. 5 tourney teams and 7 non-tourney ones is rough. And the tourney teams were no Coppin State slouches: Butler, UCLA, Georgetown, Duke, WKU. All of them advanced to the second round. I can't remember such a tough schedule. That combined with not losing to Harvard any more should be a bit of a boost in the win column too.

 

[Oh8ch]

Thanks for taking the time do do another good write up.

In general I agree. Big Ten coaches have improved the past few years and Painter in particular is poised to turn out something special.

But I saw half a dozen teams this weekend who could blow the best of the Big Ten right off the court.

I agree with HTH - it starts with recruiting. Bo Rein is as good as any coach in the country - but he still can't bring in top tier talent and it showed in the tourney. If you look at Scout's rankings, the ACC, Big East, SEC and PAC 10 all have at least 5 teams in the top 25 in recruiting. The Big Ten has two.

As for the Bucks, many folks described us as "young" this season. Buit as much as I like the talent we have coming in our five upperclassmen will include two former managers, Kyle Madsen and PJ Hill. As a group those four average just over 13 minutes per game this season - total.

 

[LitlBuck]

I agree with your assessment regarding recruiting but that discussion needs to be made in the Recruiting forum where there has been some debate regarding scheduling and recruiting.

You forgot to mention Lauderdale and Wallace when you talk about upperclassmen leadership.

I have told 40 that it is a excellent post but I think it is too early to start to try and speculate where certain teams are going to end up. Indiana doesn't have a head coach. We don't know if Gordon or KK will declare for the NBA and there's just too much time from now until next Fall to see what might happen. You don't know about junior college players or eligibility or other factors that my way into how good a program might be. It is fun to speculate but I just think it is too early to try and predict where certain teams are going to finish next year.

 

[Boilers Fan]

Very good analysis. I generally agree with your rankings. Hopefully we can get past that MSU for that top spot though. I look for the league to be much more competitive next year in the league and outside the league. Many young teams this year. Hopefully we can get some more wins in the B10-ACC challenge. IU and Wisky will be down, maybe Minnesota, but everyone else should be equal or better next year. OSU has a good recruiting class coming in next year, if you can get more out of those guys than this year's highly touted class, you can be in the top 3 easy.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Thanks for taking the time do do another good write up.

In general I agree. Big Ten coaches have improved the past few years and Painter in particular is poised to turn out something special.

But I saw half a dozen teams this weekend who could blow the best of the Big Ten right off the court.

I agree with HTH - it starts with recruiting. Bo Rein is as good as any coach in the country - but he still can't bring in top tier talent and it showed in the tourney. If you look at Scout's rankings, the ACC, Big East, SEC and PAC 10 all have at least 5 teams in the top 25 in recruiting. The Big Ten has two.

Yes we are lacking in talent...Last season we had 5 teams in the top 30 in recruiting classes and I thought I looked on Rivals and we had 4 or 5 this year, so not all is bad...We are really missing the star power as a conference tho...If you count the Jordan all-star game MSU has 1, Indiana in flux with 1 and we have 2...

But Tubby is doing a very very solid job of recruiting up at Minny and so is Painter at Purdue...The new Indiana coach should be able to, and I think that Belein is getting guys that fit in his system...

As for the Bucks, many folks described us as "young" this season. Buit as much as I like the talent we have coming in our five upperclassmen will include two former managers, Kyle Madsen and PJ Hill. As a group those four average just over 13 minutes per game this season - total.

The togetherness like we have saw down the stretch will be there moreso next year at the beginning than it was this season...Much like you saw with a young Purdue team...BJ and Diebler already have a good friendship, and it seems that most of the guys get along pretty well that will be back next year...

I will have a preview up of next year once we figure out if KK is gone or not, but honestly I am pretty optimistic about our team...

Very good analysis. I generally agree with your rankings. Hopefully we can get past that MSU for that top spot though. I look for the league to be much more competitive next year in the league and outside the league. Many young teams this year. Hopefully we can get some more wins in the B10-ACC challenge. IU and Wisky will be down, maybe Minnesota, but everyone else should be equal or better next year. OSU has a good recruiting class coming in next year, if you can get more out of those guys than this year's highly touted class, you can be in the top 3 easy.

I agree with most of what you say other than maybe Wisky being down...It never fails with Bo up there to have a solid team, and they bring back Hughes, Krabbenhoft, Bohannon, and Landry...Very good core to go along with some solid players that couldn't see the floor this year...

If IU can hold on to Ebanks and hire a good coach they could be up there as well, but that is a big if right now...

I agree about us, but not ready to go too overboard yet until I see who stays and who goes...There is no reason why we honestly couldn't finish first in the league IMO, but we will be young, but we should grow up lots in non-league play, and as always lots will depend on the scheduling as well...

 

[Bernini]

Yeah, nice writeup CB40.

I'd give the benefit of the doubt to Purdue as the early front runner for the Big Ten Championship. If they can finish one game behind the lead as a freshman laden squad, imagine what they can do with all that valuable experience under their belt. Watch for soon to be sophomores JaJuan Johnson and Scott Martin to reach or even surpass Moore's and Hummel's levels eventually. Hummel and Moore were just physically more developed than the other two this season. Martin's outside shot is smooth and he's very long, so he'll be tough to block. Johnson showed flashes of great touch in the post and projects to be a superb help defender with his athleticism. Calasan also improved near the end of the season, so if they need a true big man, he could fill that role.

MSU was presumed to be the favorite this season and look how they responded- with losses to Penn State and Iowa. Of the established players, outside of Lucas and Morgan, they just seem to be a bunch of dirty workers. I'll need to see Roe personally before I know he can make the immense impact that everyone is presuming. I have seen Lucious being from Wisconsin, and he's a small forward trapped in a tiny point guards body. Everybody was drooling over him in 8th grade, but he never grew an inch beyond that point (ended up at 5-10).

Expect a couple of sophomores to be, to emerge as major contributors to the Badgers. Rarely do true freshmen get reasonable opportunities to shine under Bo, with the exceptions of Devin Harris and Alando Tucker- who were both special of course. Leuer did drop 25 against Michigan, however. Either he or Nankivil will assume the starting center role. The coaches are very high on both Nankivil and Leuer. Nankivil was a top 25 prospect nationally in the early Rivals evaluations, before suffering an injury. His game is predicated on power. He is an accomplished shot blocker, rebounder, and tough scorer inside. He can also step out occasionally and hit the 3-ball. PG Jordan Taylor from Minnesota projects to be the best of the freshmen, even though he was only 3-stars. I watched the Burger Boy game, and have seen Taylor play. I'd take him over half the Burger Boys (with the qualifier I thought this was possibly the weakest Burger Boy group ever). True point guard, who scored over 20 points a game (43 in the state semis), and led his team to the state championship. He's like a more refined Trevon Hughes.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Yeah, nice writeup CB40.

I'd give the benefit of the doubt to Purdue as the early front runner for the Big Ten Championship. If they can finish one game behind the lead as a freshman laden squad, imagine what they can do with all that valuable experience under their belt. Watch for soon to be sophomores JaJuan Johnson and Scott Martin to reach or even surpass Moore's and Hummel's levels eventually. Hummel and Moore were just physically less developed than the other two this season. Martin's outside shot is smooth and he's very long, so he'll be tough to block. Johnson showed flashes of great touch in the post and projects to be a superb help defender with his athleticism. Calasan also improved near the end of the season, so if they need a true big man, he could fill that role.

Johnson needs some weight in the offseason to be real effective...We will see how much he can put on...Next season teams will be gunning for them as they know about the talent...How will Purdue react to that...I hope they aren't a one year wonder and don't think they will be, but they are still going to be small inside, and will be depending on true frosh to give good minutes at point for them to really succeed next year...

MSU was presumed to be the favorite this season and look how they responded- with losses to Penn State and Iowa. Of the established players, outside of Lucas and Morgan, they just seem to be a bunch of dirty workers. I'll need to see Roe personally before I know he can make the immense impact that everyone is presuming. I have seen Lucious being from Wisconsin, and he's a small forward trapped in a tiny point guards body. Everybody was drooling over him in 8th grade, but he never grew an inch beyond that point (ended up at 5-10).

Honestly I don't see Lucious getting much time next year...Lucas and Walton will get most of the minutes...I really liked what Allen did towards the end of the season and think he and Lucas will lead the team...Then Suton came on at the end of the season as well...Then you have Roe and Morgan who are athletic 3/4 types to present mismatches, and also have Summers on the wing, who needs some more size, but he should be ready to give solid minutes next year...Lots of talent, maybe not devloped yet, but lots of potential and athleticism...

Expect a couple of sophomores to be, to emerge as major contributors to the Badgers. Rarely do true freshmen get reasonable opportunities to shine under Bo, with the exceptions of Devin Harris and Alando Tucker- who were both special of course. Leuer did drop 25 against Michigan, however. Either he or Nankivil will assume the starting center role. The coaches are very high on both Nankivil and Leuer. Nankivil was a top 25 prospect nationally in the early Rivals evaluations, before suffering an injury. His game is predicated on power. He is an accomplished shot blocker, rebounder, and tough scorer inside. He can also step out occasionally and hit the 3-ball. PG Jordan Taylor from Minnesota projects to be the best of the freshmen, even though he was only 3-stars. I watched the Burger Boy game, and have seen Taylor play. I'd take him over half the Burger Boys (with the qualifier I thought this was possibly the weakest Burger Boy group ever). True point guard, who scored over 20 points a game (43 in the state semis), and led his team to the state championship. He's like a more refined Trevon Hughes.

I really like what Wisky is brining back, and honestly don't know a whole lot about guys other than Leuer outside of the top 4...Should be interesting to see the new guys fit in...What about the frosh center coming in next year?

 

[Bernini]

Johnson needs some weight in the offseason to be real effective...We will see how much he can put on...Next season teams will be gunning for them as they know about the talent...How will Purdue react to that...I hope they aren't a one year wonder and don't think they will be, but they are still going to be small inside, and will be depending on true frosh to give good minutes at point for them to really succeed next year...

Johnson is young so I was assuming he'd naturally increase weight as he matured. Still, he held his own most of the time already, so even a little bit would do wonders. Scrappy player who plays bigger than his weight. That entire Purdue bunch is scrappy. They had "onions!" this year so I think they'll be able to rise to the challenge of everyone bringing their A games against.

Honestly I don't see Lucious getting much time next year...Lucas and Walton will get most of the minutes...I really liked what Allen did towards the end of the season and think he and Lucas will lead the team...Then Suton came on at the end of the season as well...Then you have Roe and Morgan who are athletic 3/4 types to present mismatches, and also have Summers on the wing, who needs some more size, but he should be ready to give solid minutes next year...Lots of talent, maybe not devloped yet, but lots of potential and athleticism...

Suton hasn't progressed like I expected. I thought he'd be possibly the best center in the league, after his '06 campaign, but that just didn't come to fruition. Maybe we'll see his emergence this year now that they aren't so guard oriented. I see a lot of redundant players on that team though. Like you mentioned the plethora of 3/4's. They can't all play at once. Like I said their bigs are mostly garbage men (outside of maybe Suton). Their backcourt lacks quality and depth outside of Lucas. I just have too many questions about them to the point where I don't feel comfortable naming them favorites.

I really like what Wisky is brining back, and honestly don't know a whole lot about guys other than Leuer outside of the top 4...Should be interesting to see the new guys fit in...What about the frosh center coming in next year?

Wisconsin signed two centers for 2008, 6'10" Jared Berggren and 7'1" Ian Markolf, so I'm not positive which you mean. I have profiles for both over at the Badger RP Board if you're really curious (there's some video of Berggren). Jared Bergrren is by far the more developed of the two. However, he benefitted from playing against dwarfs at the high school level. A lot of his baskets were virtual gimmes. His post game is mostly comprised of baby right hooks. He can shoot a little mid range I believe, has nowhere near the range of a Butch, Leuer, or Nankivil. He's a true post. At times he lacks assertiveness. He should dominate even more than he does. Decent athleticism. Decent physical strength. Pretty good shot blocker and rebounder. Markolf is enormous (7'1, 285), but put up pretty modest numbers for a man of his size at the high school. Extremely raw offensively. Think Greg Stiemsma. He would be mostly a defensive stopper/banger early.

 

[Boilers Fan]

Johnson is young so I was assuming he'd naturally increase weight as he matured. Still, he held his own most of the time already, so even a little bit would do wonders. Scrappy player who plays bigger than his weight. That entire Purdue bunch is scrappy. They had "onions!" this year so I think they'll be able to rise to the challenge of everyone bringing their A games against.

Johnson has already said the weight room is going to be his "second home" this offseason. He NEEDS to put on some pounds, I'm hoping he goes from 210 to around 235 this offseason. He has always naturally been a shot blocker with those long arms and if Purdue needs that "dominant big man" that everyone says we are lacking, then hopefully Johnson can put on the weight and step into that role of a scorer a little more. Hopefully Martin and Hummel get into the weight room and get stronger too, they create huge matchup problems for other teams both being 6'8" and able to handle the ball. Bernini I think you are right about Martin, he has a prettier shot than Hummel and was more hyped out of High School than Hummel. I think Martin has a bigger year next year. Purdue's main recruit next year is Lewis Jackson out of Illinois, think of a Drew Lavender type player...he's small and very quick. Tough to guard.

With respect to Wisconsin they have two huge losses with Butch and Flowers so it will be very tough for them to repeat. But they bring back a good group with Hughes, Bohannon, Landry, etc. Bo always seems to get his guys to play very well together and puts a good lineup out there. Can't say I have a gauge on where for sure they'll finish next year because there's still some questions to be answered, but they should be a top 4 or 5 team.

 

[Bernini]

Johnson has already said the weight room is going to be his "second home" this offseason. He NEEDS to put on some pounds, I'm hoping he goes from 210 to around 235 this offseason. He has always naturally been a shot blocker with those long arms and if Purdue needs that "dominant big man" that everyone says we are lacking, then hopefully Johnson can put on the weight and step into that role of a scorer a little more. Hopefully Martin and Hummel get into the weight room and get stronger too, they create huge matchup problems for other teams both being 6'8" and able to handle the ball. Bernini I think you are right about Martin, he has a prettier shot than Hummel and was more hyped out of High School than Hummel. I think Martin has a bigger year next year. Purdue's main recruit next year is Lewis Jackson out of Illinois, think of a Drew Lavender type player...he's small and very quick. Tough to guard.

With respect to Wisconsin they have two huge losses with Butch and Flowers so it will be very tough for them to repeat. But they bring back a good group with Hughes, Bohannon, Landry, etc. Bo always seems to get his guys to play very well together and puts a good lineup out there. Can't say I have a gauge on where for sure they'll finish next year because there's still some questions to be answered, but they should be a top 4 or 5 team.

That's WAY too much weight for an athlete to gain in a single offseason. It reminds me of what Brian Butch did after his freshman season, transforming from a 210 skeleton to a 240 pound "yucky body". Doctors estimate people gain gain about 5 pounds of muscle mass in a year. So if Johnson increased from 210 to 220, that increase would be more reasonable. 220 with mental toughness should suffice in college. Butch was 240 and still couldn't establish position because he wasn't particularly mentally tough. Garnett thrives at 220 in the NBA because he refuses to be pushed around.

With respect to my Badgers, we aren't going to finish 5th in the conference. We lost bigger impact players following '06 in Tucker and Taylor, yet they won the conference outright. The Badgers have only finished outside of the top 3 one time during Bo Ryan's tenure, and that was the year the Badgers had 7 or less scholarship players for 80 percent of the Big Ten schedule. In a hypothetical situation, under those circumstances, powerhouse programs like UNC or Kansas probably wouldn't even finish in the top 3 under those circumstances. Still, Wisconsin was able to hang on and finish fourth. I predict they'll finish 2nd or 3rd in 08 because of system continuity and solid talent.

We admittedly are near annual NCAA Tourney flame outs at this point, but we are as good as it gets in the Big Ten when it comes to performing in the regular season. BTW, the primary reason Wisconsin has flamed out come tournament time is Bo Ryan doesn't use all of his allotted scholarships (has a habit of banking, taking walk-ons, redshirting, etc.), so they can't withstand any sort of attrition like injuries to Butch and Hughes at inopportune times the last two seasons. We were living on the edge all season with a 7-man rotation.