2006-07 Big Ten Basketball Thread

[osugrad21]

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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Alford enjoying teaching basics to newcomers[/FONT]​

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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]By Susan Harman
Iowa City Press-Citizen [/FONT][/FONT]​

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[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]CHICAGO -- If Iowa's work-in-progress men's basketball team is trying the patience of coach Steve Alford, he's good at hiding it. Then again, his team hasn't played a real opponent yet.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Alford told reporters at the annual Big Ten basketball media session Sunday that he kind of likes having to start from scratch with a host of new players and others who are learning new roles.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"It's been great because last year that group had heard our song and dance and knew all about it," Alford said, smiling. "This year's team is really dependent on the staff to work with them daily."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Staples of the motion offense, like screening and cutting, are taught along with defensive principles that may seem pretty elementary.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Guys are really trying to learn the system," senior Adam Haluska said. "With last year's team we returned everybody, practically. It's one of those things where we just picked up where we left off. This year we're starting over, taking it slow.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"The drills, our offensive and defensive systems, guys had that all down. They'd been in the system for three or four years. But now when we start over with all these new faces, we've really got to teach the little things."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Haluska said that among those basics are getting into a defensive stance and positioning when the ball moves. Beyond that, Alford pointed out, the new guys don't know what a road game is all about. They don't know what playing three games in four days is all about. They don't know what an Iowa-Iowa State game is all about.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"For example, if you've got a (coaching) notebook of 20 pages, last year you could start on page 12," Alford said. "You didn't have to worry about the first 11; they already knew it. This year's team, you've got to go back to page one and make sure they understand all that.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"That doesn't make it less fun. Sometimes it can be more fun. But you've got to be patient and not try to compare."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]? HALUSKA HONORED: Haluska, Iowa's leading returning scorer, was named to the five-man preseason all-Big Ten team. The honor came just a few days after Haluska received the Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete award recognizing excellence in the classroom and on the basketball court.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Haluska has a 3.5 grade-point average in finance and marketing. The award resulted in a $5,000 donation to the Iowa's general scholarship fund. Last season he was named an academic All-American.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]? SEE YOU IN DECEMBER: Iowa's early-season schedule might or might not be the right thing for a young, inexperienced team trying to learn a system and define roles.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]After opening against Citadel on Nov. 13, the Hawkeyes take off for a three-game tournament Nov. 17-21 in the Virgin Islands. Because of the Thanksgiving break, the team doesn't come back to Iowa City but flies to Phoenix for a game against Arizona State on Nov. 25.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Hawkeyes then fly to Blacksburg, Va., to meet Virginia Tech on Nov. 29.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"I think the biggest part of our season will be the first couple games that we play," Haluska said. "We play five of six games on the road in November, and for a young team, some of the guys have never really played on the road before let alone at an Arizona State or at Virginia Tech. Those are some great teams, and it's going to be a pretty big test for us early."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Alford said that home games might be a better fit for this team, but he thinks the extended road trip will provide an opportunity for the players to bond and get ready for seven home games in December.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"I do like the fact that we're going to be away," Alford said. "We're going to be on an island, and then we're going to Phoenix. We get to spend a lot of time together. Unlike last year's team that had already spent a lot of time together, this team has not spent a lot of time together. I think that's going to be a positive."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Haluska, as the captain and one of two seniors, will play a role in trying to help ease the transition.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"The biggest thing is to get them to calm down a little bit," Haluska said. "That's one thing with the (Black and Gold) Blowout that we knew right away. Guys were all excited and a little tight.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Playing on the road is a little different than playing at home. Guys are going to have to learn how to play with adversity. It's not the same as playing at a junior college or in high school. It's a big step."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]? EXPECTATIONS LOW FOR HAWKS: Ohio State, Wisconsin and Illinois were picked as the top three teams in a poll of the media solicited by the Big Ten. The conference only asks reporters to name the top three teams.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In a separate poll initiated by Rob Schultz of The Capital (Wis.) Times, 22 media members who regularly cover the conference voted Wisconsin the preseason favorite and Iowa was ninth.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"I think it's understandable when you lose that many seniors, when you lose that much experience and scoring out of your lineup," Haluska said. "Obviously people don't know what we have coming in, and they don't see the improvement we've made in the offseason.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"I wasn't surprised, but it's kind of fun to play from an underdog's position. It's one of those motivating factors."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Haluska said the Hawkeyes' athleticism, work ethic and competitiveness lead him to believe the team will do much better than the meager predictions.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Alford laughed at the prediction and said the media has yet to peg his teams correctly.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"To be honest with you, I don't know how you could do the voting this year," Alford said. "If you're like the coaches, you look at each other and quiz each other, 'Who are you starting? Who are you starting?' Nobody knows."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Last season a number of teams had veterans returning. This year only a few have that luxury, thus a lot of teams are mysteries.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]? GORNEY AND LOOBY: Alford said he would play 7-foot Seth Gorney and 6-11 Kurt Looby at the same time. Alford suggested that Cyrus Tate, a 6-8 sophomore transfer from Northeast (Neb.) Community College isn't as far along as the other two "bigs," who have been at Iowa for a combined three seasons.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"When you look at Cyrus, he's new, he's young, he's got to mature with the system," Alford said. "So throwing him in there right away is probably not a good thing because he's just not ready."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Gorney has been a reserve for two seasons. Looby played two years at a junior college and then redshirted a year ago at Iowa and had the benefit of practicing with the team.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"We can play them both at the same time, or we can go small and go with a four-guard lineup and just play one of them," Alford said. "Or as Cyrus continues to get accustomed to what college basketball is all about, now you can play Cyrus with one of those bigs."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]? HENDERSON AND SMITH: Alford wasn't prepared to announce exactly what punishment will be meted out to Mike Henderson and Tyler Smith, who pleaded guilty to shoplifting last month.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"We're doing that now," he said. "We're doing a lot of that internally. I said some competition would be missed. I don't think there will be a lot, but there will be some. They know they made a mistake. I've got to be convinced when the season starts that they've learned from their mistake. That's the bottom line."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Alford said the university doubled the number of community service hours assessed by the court and required that it's all completed by the time the season begins.[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

OSU men, women top preseason polls

Big Ten notebook

BY SHANNON SHELTON | DETROIT FREE PRESS

CHICAGO - Last season, Ohio State celebrated a Big Ten championship trifecta when the school won conference titles in football, men's basketball and women's basketball.
If predictions hold true for the 2006-07 season, the Buckeyes could again be hanging two championship banners at Value City Arena in Columbus.
Media members attending the Big Ten Basketball Media Day on Sunday selected both Buckeye basketball teams as preseason favorites to win the conference championship.
Wisconsin and Illinois were picked to finish second and third among the men, and Purdue and Michigan State were selected second and third in the women's standings.
Wisconsin senior forward Alando Tucker was named as the men's preseason player of the year, with Indiana sophomore forward D.J. White, Iowa senior guard Adam Haluska, Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden and Penn State junior guard/forward Geary Claxton joined him on the preseason all-conference team.
Despite Tucker's return, voters gave the team advantage to Ohio State's crop of young talent, such as the 7-foot-1 Oden and 6-foot-1 freshman guard Mike Conley, over Wisconsin's more experienced lineup that includes Tucker and senior guard Kammron Taylor.
Buckeye coach Thad Matta said that Oden, who had surgery on his wrist in June, should be back by Jan. 1, at the latest.
MICHIGAN STATE AND UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEN: Heading into a Nov. 2 exhibition against Wayne State, Michigan coach Tommy Amaker expects his team to be generally healthy and ready to take on the Warriors.
"We have a tweaked ankle here, a sore knee, tendonitis ... we don't have anything right now affecting us in terms of major injuries," he said.
The early schedule will also give Amaker time to experiment at point guard to find a replacement for Daniel Horton, rotating Jerret Smith and Dion Harris depending on the opposing lineup.
"It could go in either direction in terms of having Jerret at the point and Dion at the off-guard, or having Dion at the point and whether Jerret comes off the bench," Amaker said. "Both of those kids will be our point guard for the season and I think they'll do a solid job for us."
The Wolverines, who haven't advanced to the NCAA Tournament since 1998, were poised to break that streak last season before dropping their last three conference games to Ohio State and Indiana and Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament. That landed them in the NIT.
That record has had some asking how long Amaker will stay in Ann Arbor if he doesn't capture an NCAA bid this season, but Amaker said the team is moving in the right direction.
"I understand where we are and I know there's going to be outside talk and rumors about job security and hot seats and those kinds of things, but I'm very comfortable where we are with our program, how we've been able to bring it to this point and I think we're very close to getting to that next level," Amaker said.
Some observers have U-M ranked ahead of MSU based on U-M's returning group and MSU's loss of Paul Davis , Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown to the NBA. Another poll, an independently conducted survey of Big Ten beat writers, had MSU fifth and U-M sixth. That poll also placed Wisconsin first and Ohio State second.
"I was surprised," said MSU coach Tom Izzo. "Some had me as fourth or fifth and sometimes I question that. There's a couple of teams in our league that aren't getting as much respect as they probably deserve."
"No question, we have the least experience since I've been here, even my first year. I mean, we had guys that started (who were) coming back. This is our least experienced team by far."
Taking a stand: Izzo and Amaker are among basketball coaches statewide who are to speak today at a news conference near Lansing in opposition to Proposal 2 . If approved, the proposal would put limits on affirmative action programs statewide. The National Association of Basketball Coaches also has come out against the proposal.
"I'm not a political guy, so there's not one part of it that's political," Izzo said. "It's an American thing, not a Democrat-Republican thing."

 

[osugrad21]

OZone

Men's Basketball
Buckeye Basketball Preview - Buckeyes Enter Preseason as Big Ten Favorite
By John Porentas​

"Quite honestly I don't know how this team is going to be. I think it would be foolish to speculate on what they're going to be able to do." ---OSU Head Basketball Coach Thad Matta.​

The much-anticipate unveiling of the 2006-2007 OSU basketball team and the "Thad Five" will take place this Wednesday when the Buckeyes take on Findlay in an exhibition game at 7:00 PM at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.​

The Buckeyes have been ranked as high as number four in the nation in the preseason polls and magazines, and are consensus preseason top-10. This weekend they were picked as the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten conference by the Big Ten media.​

The Oden File ​

Much of the notoriety of course stems from Matta's prize recruiting class headlined by center Greg Oden. Oden, however, will not be on the court on Wednesday. Oden is recovering from off-season wrist surgery that is expected to keep him out of the lineup until sometime around the first of the year.​

"He's doing well," said Matta of Oden's recovery.​

"From the standpoint of the wrist he's right on where they want him to be at this time. I think that his conditioning, those types of things, are in great shape. The big thing is we don't want to rush anything and bring him back before he's 100%. The target date is January 1. Obviously we'd take him if it was earlier, but by the same token I don't ever want to put a player in a position that could jeopardize his future," Matta said.​

Oden recently had the screws removed from his injured right wrist. His wrist is currently immobilized in a cast, but Oden is scheduled to begin moving the wrist on Thursday of this week.​

"On Thursday we'll begin the moving process," said OSU Head Coach Thad Matta at the Big Ten media luncheon on Sunday.​

"He hasn't moved it for two weeks, so it will be a little bit tied up. We're not going to rush him. We'd like to have him, but we're not going to take any chances," Matt said.​

Oden continues to run the floor with the Buckeyes in practice sessions and take part in non-contact drills. He's also developing considerable skills with his left hand while his right is healing.​

"The left looks good," said Matta.​

"I think he could get fouled and go to the free throw line and shoot left handed. I think in the end this could be a blessing for Greg. It's forced him to develop a left-hand jump hook, a left-hand shot. For the last four months he's done everything left handed and I think that's going to help him," Matta said.​

The Rest of the Newcomers ​

Matta's recruiting class includes Oden (7-1, 225), point guard Mike Conley (6-1, 175), guard/forward David Lighty (6-5, 225), guard Daequan Cook (6-5, 210) and forward Othello Hunter (6-9, 225). That group is touted by some as the top recruiting class in the country and will have to mature quickly if the Buckeyes are going to live up to their preseason billing. Just four upperclassman scholarship players return to the Buckeyes roster, leaving Matta with a short bench that will require his freshmen to perform early.​

"There's no question guys are going to get thrown into the fire early," said Matta.​

"Guys are going to have to develop quickly, and I think that's put a great sense of urgency on us starting this summer with what the guys have done on their own and into our practices. Every second of every practice is going to be vitally important to this club."​

The freshmen have the challenge of learning the defense, the offense, and developing chemistry, but according to Matta and his upper classmen, the technical parts of the game are not the toughest thing they will have to come to grips with if they are to be effective Division I players.​

"The intensity," said OSU returning forward/center Matt Terwilliger of the biggest adjustment facing the freshman class.​

"Mentally and physically just to know that you have to be on top of your thinking, listening all the time and then we just run at a different speed than anything that you've ever seen in high school," Terwilliger said.​

Matta said much the same thing yesterday in Chicago.​

"There are so many things that we need to get better at and the first thing is the intensity," said Matta.​

"I'm anxious to play but I'm also apprehensive, anxious to see how we do and can we withstand the intensity."​

With just nine scholarship players on the roster, and only eight until Oden's return, Matta will be juggling players early in the season and his young players will be pressed into action. The Buckeyes will be seriously challenged by a non-conference schedule that includes the likes of North Carolina, Florida and Cincinnati.​

Position by Position Breakdown​

Point Guard - This should be a position of strength for the Buckeyes. Junior Jamar Butler (6-2, 200) returns after a very solid sophomore season in which he averaged 10.1 points per game while dishing out 144 assists against just 57 turnovers. Butler shot 41.4 per cent from three point range and was a defensive force. Joining Butler at the point will be Conley who will bring speed and exceptional athleticism and ball skills to the floor. The left-handed Conley is an accomplished passer and can score. Matta will play both Butler and Conley together at times this year, moving Butler to the scoring guard position when Conley is on the floor.​

"He (Conley) is going to be on the floor a lot," said Butler. "Conley is going to be playing a lot because of how tough he is. I've been working at the two spot a little bit, learning to play some two spot. I think I'm going to play a lot with him," Butler said.​

Matta is extremely high on Conley.​

"Michael has been great," Matta said yesterday.​

"This summer putting on the weight that he did and the strength that he did is good. I think he's the perfect guard for how we play. We thought that when we were recruiting him.​

"I love coaching him because you tell him once and he's got it down. He understand what it takes to win. What I've seen in two weeks of practice is that Michael is getting a feel for how to run a basketball team. We've done a lot of work with him to understand that and he's been very receptive."​

Shooting Guard - Senior Ron Lewis (6-4, 195) proved himself an able scorer and effective rebounder in his first season as a Buckeye last year after transferring from Bowling Green two years ago. He averaged 11.2 points per game and grabbed 104 boards last year. Lewis is fast and athletic, but must improve his defense to be a complete player. According to Matta, he has done just that.​

"He's been a double-figure scorer every year in his college career," said Matta. "The big thing with Ron is defense and he's shown he's made drastic improvement defensively," Matta said.​

Lewis will be probably be spelled by both Cook and when Conley is on the floor at the point, Butler as the OSU shooting guard. Cook will bring size to the position when he is in the game while Butler will bring speed and versatility. All three of those players should also be effective rebounders from the two-guard position.​

"Daequan is learning the level he has to be at, and quite honestly at the defensive end getting him to fully grasp what's happening and how important the defense will be," said Matta.​

Small Forward - The three baseline positions are very interesting if for no other reason than the lack of players. Returner Ivan Harris (6-7, 215) has the size to play power forward, but his skills are more suited for the small forward spot. Harris is a deadly shooter, but until last season was weak as both a defender and rebounder. Toward the end of last season he definitely picked it up defensively, but still must improve as rebounder to become a complete player. The other candidate at small forward is Lighty. What remains to be seen is if Lighty can defend at the college level. Also in the mix is Cook who is big enough to fill in at that spot in a pinch. Lewis, Lighty and Cook will all likely rotate between the shooting guard and small forward positions.​

Power Forward - The Buckeyes are sorely lacking in players to fill the power forward and center positions, especially while Oden is out in the early going. Freshman Othello Hunter and returning junior Matt Terwilliger (6-8, 230) will be the only players available to Matta at those two positions until Oden returns. The two are about the same size, so will probably share duties at both positions. One thing is certain, that Matta wants more rebounding production from the strong forward position this year than he got last year. Hunter has the body and athleticism to be a strong rebounder, and Terwilliger should be more effective from the power forward spot rather than at center where he did not match up well due to a size disadvantage.​

"I was looking to play the four this year, and I knew he was coming in and I was used to playing behind Terence anyway," said Terwilliger of his role with the Buckeyes this year.​

"I kind of came in as a four but I played some five because I'm willing to go to wherever they need me. I've been working on my four skills ever since last season was over."​

Center -When Greg Oden is available, this will be a position of strength. Until then, the Buckeyes will be woefully thin at both center and power forward. Terwilliger spelled Dials last year at center and will probably be called upon to spell Oden some this year once Oden has entered the lineup. Hunter may be called upon to do the same, but look for Oden to log a lot of minutes on the floor once he is in action.​

"Othello has made tremendous strides," said Matta of Hunter.​

"I think he understands the discipline it takes to be ready to practice and he comes in eager to learn."​

How They'll Play ​

Given the injury situation and short bench, this may well be a tale of two seasons for the Buckeyes, the one before Oden returns and the one after. Matta put it in a slightly different context on Sunday, but the meaning was the same.​

"In essence we'll be two teams," said Matta. "We've made adjustments and I don't think we know exactly how it's going to turn out once he gets back, but it's hard, it really is," Matta said.​

"Once we get him back it's going to be quick learning curve for him to get readjusted and acclimated and I really I don't know if he'll ever be 100% this year. That's the unknown.​

"I don't think he can come back and log 38 minutes. It's going to be a process to build (his minutes)," Matta said.​

OSU faces some rugged non-conference games early in the year and will play them without Oden while depending on four other freshmen who will certainly have growing pains early in the year, particularly against the likes of North Carolina, Florida, and other strong competition on the preseason schedule.​

"We have a tremendous challenge ahead because we're so young with just four returning players," said Matta.​

"It's a unique situation because we have so many new guys coming in and we have a real short time before we play. Therefore we have to evaluate quickly what guys can do and what they can't do and continue to progress at a rapid place, but the big thing we don't want to do is sacrifice any of the fundamentals and the teaching that goes along with that trying to put the cart before the horse if you will," Matta said.​

"You want them to get the feel of college basketball. We have four guys on the team that have never played with a shot clock before. One of the challenges that we have is molding them and getting them to think along the lines that we want them to think, and that is trusting the system and learning the system before they can trust it. I think that's where the crash-course comes of our practices."​

The development of the freshmen will be critical as will the return of Oden from his injury. Until Oden returns, OSU will likely be a perimeter oriented team, counting on Butler, Lewis and the shooting of Harris to carry them offensively. Don't be surprised if early on in the season OSU uses four perimeter players much like they did last year with Terence Dials on the baseline.​

Without Oden neither Terwilliger nor Hunter will match up well with bigger post players, particularly defensively, but the Buckeyes might be able to offset that liability with strong play outside. The combination of Conley at point, Butler at shooting guard along with Lewis and Harris at the wings could be important in the early going. When Oden returns, however, that all changes. When Oden returns, the Buckeyes will be able to play both Hunter and Terwilliger at the power forward spot, something that will certainly help them with rebounding and most likely defensively as well. With or without Oden, Matta will must rely on nearly everyone on his roster to contribute.​

"I do know this. We're going to need every guy we've got to play and serve a role and purpose on our team," said Matta. "We have a lot of players who are going to have to give us at least 20 minutes this season."​

"Early on I don't honestly have a feel for what kind of team we're going to be. I don't have a real good feeling that we'll be real good. I don't have a bad feeling that we'll be bad, but I think that time is going to tell. I know this. We're going to be better at the end of the year than we were at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately we may have to take some bumps and bruises early to learn in that process."​

 

[osugrad21]

Link

[SIZE=+2]Columbus eyes 2 title voyages[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Ohio State backers hoop it up, but it's a long journey[/SIZE]
October 30, 2006

It is a bit early to plan the coronation ceremony. Same goes for the victory parade, or even the pomp and circumstance that accompanies the raising of the Big Ten championship banner.

Still, Ohio State junior point guard Jamar Butler said Sunday, "When you walk around campus now, you hear people shouting out, `We want two national championships.'"



That is merely fan-speak, a language accompanied by a mind-set all its own. In reality, there is more to it than merely collecting a lot of former high school stars.

That, of course, is just what Buckeyes coach Thad Matta has done. He is busy massaging an acclaimed freshman class that includes 7-foot-1-inch center Greg Oden. This class is the reason Columbus is so crazed, the reason so many favor the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten title, spend the season in the Top 10 and end the year at the Final Four in Atlanta.

"But none of these guys ever played with a shot clock," Butler said. "They're just now starting to get used to that."

That's hardly the only reason to hold off on measuring them for their championship rings. Yes, Oden is a special performer, so special that he is likely to be the top pick whenever he decides to enter the NBA draft. And yes, the freshman class he heads is one of the two best in the country (North Carolina's is the other) and considered one of the very best in history.

But all the talk of their imminent success is still hyperventilation. Oden underwent surgery in June for a detached tendon in his right wrist and is not expected back until Jan. 1, the start of the Big Ten season.

Freshmen must learn that the intensity level is much higher in college than it was in high school. They must learn that every play is important in college. They must be integrated with returning veterans. They must earn the trust of those veterans. They must understand that they cannot get by on talent alone. They must understand that consistency is paramount.

But none of those issues is as grave as the injury that has sidelined Oden, no matter that even now he can run and jump and develop his left hand and stay in aerobic condition.

"It's just different being able to practice for two hours a day [as opposed to] running or riding a bike and that sort of thing," Matta said.

He won't be in game shape when he returns, and even if he does return Jan. 1, it will be the first time in more than eight months that Oden will have played in a meaningful game. That means, said Matta, "It's going to be a process. I don't care if he's still playing high school basketball, just coming back and getting acclimated to playing. Now throw in you're going into the Big Ten, he's going to face some challenges."

Compounding those uncertainties are the challenges facing Matta himself, who is uncertain how he should mold his young team.

"That's been the question in my mind since Greg had his surgery," Matta said. "You're riding home from the NCAA tournament and thinking, `OK, we can do this.' Now all of a sudden that's taken from you. The question you have to ask yourself is how we want to play.

"In essence it could be two teams. It's hard. More defensively than anything else. From a pressing standpoint, do we rotate our big guys out, and when we get him back, do we keep him [under the basket]? What do you want to teach? Do you want to teach what you've got now or what you've got coming?

"I don't think we know exactly how it's going to turn out."

Indeed, it is a bit early to plan the coronation ceremony.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Young Buckeyes picked to take home Big Ten title

By Jay Taft
Rockford Register Star


CHICAGO ? Who cares if the team is returning only one starter?

Who cares if they will rely heavily on four freshmen, including at least one that will start?

Apparently nobody cares when they?re talking about the 2006-07 Ohio State men?s basketball team ? and when one of those freshman is 7-footer Greg Oden.

?Oh, there?s no doubt about it, he?s for real,? said Illinois head coach Bruce Weber, speaking about Oden at Sunday?s Big Ten media day. ?Everybody in the league is hoping he?s gone in one year. Come on, NBA.?

The Ohio State Buckeyes, the defending Big Ten men?s basketball champs, were chosen by the media as the No. 1 preseason team in the conference. The belief is that the nation?s top recruit, Oden, along with McDonald?s All-American guards Mike Conley and Daequan Cook and 6-foot-6 swingman David Lighty, will fill the void left by four starters that departed after a 26-6 (12-4) campaign.

The Buckeyes were picked at No. 4 in the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches preseason poll.

?Our motto is that the preseason means nothing. All that matters is where you are at the end,? said Ohio State head coach Thad Matta. ?I know I felt a lot better sitting here last year than I do this year. I knew what I was getting into last year. Right now, we?re diving into the unknown with all these freshman.?

Weber?s Illini team, which graduated its top two scorers Dee Brown and James Augustine, was placed third on the preseason list. Illinois returns three starters from its 26-7 (11-5) team, including 6-3 guard Rich McBride, the squad?s third-leading scorer. McBride, who averaged 10.3 points per game last year, will sit out the first four games of the season for a DUI suspension.

?There?s still some question marks out there for us,? 6-9 senior forward Warren Carter said of his Illinois team. ?But we?re definitely going to have a lot of fun. We?re anxious ? that?s definitely the word for how we feel right about now.?

Wisconsin, picked second, has four starters coming back, sparked by preseason player of the year Alando Tucker.

The Buckeyes will be counting on Oden, although he won?t play until January because of offseason wrist surgery. He underwent ligament surgery in his right wrist in June and a screw was just removed last week.

He is the first freshman to be selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team since the 1993-94 season.

Oden is also the fourth two-time national high school player of the year, following LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry Lucas.

Joining Oden and Tucker on the preseason squad are Iowa senior Adam Haluska, Indiana sophomore D.J. White and Penn State junior Geary Claxton.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Buckeyes picked to be Big Ten champs

By MARK GOKAVI
Cox News Service
Monday, October 30, 2006 CHICAGO ? At least one Big Ten men's basketball coach says Ohio State could meet championship expectations.
"I remember when the best players on your team were juniors and seniors because they stayed in college," Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson said Sunday at Big Ten media day. "A younger team has a much better chance today because the evolution of the game."
That evolution includes an NBA draft rule that basically pushes the country's best high schoolers into college. Enter 7-footer Greg Oden, Daequan Cook, Michael Conley and David Lighty and junior college transfer Othello Hunter.
Though the Buckeyes lost four starters ? including conference player of the year Terence Dials ? they are picked to repeat as Big Ten champions by a media panel.
Wisconsin and Illinois were picked next, but most coaches say the third spot is wide open. The Buckeyes are ranked from No. 4 and No. 9 in most national preseason polls.
OSU coach Thad Matta swears he doesn't even have starters picked for Wednesday's exhibition against Findlay. Plus Oden, picked as a preseason first-team Big Ten player, probably won't return from a wrist injury until January.
"There's too much that can happen," Matta said of preseason conjecture. "We ran out of gas at the end of the year last year with six guys . . . those things are something that expectations never factor in."
No coaches feel sorry for Matta. Even OSU team captains Ron Lewis and Jamar Butler accept the hype.
"I'd say it's fair because these young guys knew what they were getting into when they signed up to come here," Butler said. "They all came to the same place."
Ohio State's football team is used to championship talk. Fair or not, that discussion moves to the hardwood.
"Expectations can wear on teams," said Sampson, whose Final Four team at Oklahoma was not ranked that preseason. "There's more fun ways to go through your freshman year (than) having to answer questions about the Final Four."

 

[NFBuck]

Has anybody checked Oden's birth certificate? That is the oldest looking 18 year old I've ever seen!

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

Ryan ?talking about practice?

After all the Media Day hype, Wisconsin men?s basketball head coach Bo Ryan has heard just about every question in the book. So, when asked about practice at his press conference Monday, Ryan couldn?t resist the temptation to joke a little.

?Practice? We?re talking about practice?? Ryan said, imitating Allen Iverson?s infamous press conference.

Ryan continued to joke around when talking about the impact J.P. Gavinski has made in practice as a freshman.

?I asked the guys about hunting because I don?t want guys going out in the woods,? Ryan said. ?I said, ?J.P., do you hunt?? He says, ?A little bit,? and I said ?Well, do you have a gun?? And he says, ?Coach, I got two guns right here (pointing to his biceps). I look at my guns every day.?

?Of course then you have to wait five minutes for the guys to pick themselves off the floor laughing ? J.P.?s just a breath of fresh air.?

Beyond his comic routine, Ryan said practice is going fine and that things are starting to pick up with the team?s first game this Friday against UW-Stout in exhibition.

?Now with exhibition games and that you can play a little earlier, you have to get into some stuff,? Ryan said. ?We?re getting ready this week to go over some things ? out of bounds plays, full-court pressure, how to beat full-court pressure, press breaks, different zones.

?We don?t know what we?re going to see against Stout, Carroll, UWM, Marquette, Green Bay and the rest of the non-conference schedule, so we got to get ready for some of that and take a look.?


Scheduling Exhibition Games

Gone are the days of playing semi-pro teams such as EA Sports and NBDL teams in exhibition games. Over the past three years, Wisconsin has scheduled non-Division I state schools for its preseason games, and it?s a tradition of sorts Ryan would like to continue.

Previously, these Division II and Division III teams from around the state were forced to count playing Wisconsin in exhibition as one of its maximum of 25 scheduled games. As a result, most didn?t even ponder scheduling a game against the Badgers.

Other schools wouldn?t consider playing Wisconsin due to the large gap in talent, but most head coaches have now lightened up to the idea.

?I think some of the guys at first were like, ?Well why would we want to do this??? Ryan said. ?But now all of them think this is pretty good.?

And Ryan thinks playing teams such as UW-Stout and Carroll College is pretty good as well because they offer something the semi-professional teams did not.

?From a coaching standpoint, what you get out of it is an organized offense, an organized defense and maybe you just don?t get the size because that?s why some guys get scholarships,? Ryan said.

?What they do is they execute so well because they are teams,? he continued. ?They have an offense in play, they have a defensive scheme ? the players have worked off of one another for a lot longer than those exhibition teams used to.?


Bo?s Take

After seeing the preseason awards released at Sunday?s Big Ten Media Day, Ryan had his thoughts on each one.

First and foremost, he couldn?t be happier for his very own player, Alando Tucker, receiving the honor of Big Ten preseason Player of the Year.

?It?s quite an honor,? Ryan said. ?He?s earned it. He?s been through more over the years with the nagging little nicks that a guy can take and to be able to come back in his final year and have that kind of honor bestowed upon him ? that?s pretty exciting.?

Also, while most were shocked to see Ohio State?s Greg Oden make the All-Big Ten team as a freshman, Ryan didn?t think much of it.

?People must think he?s pretty good, and he is pretty good,? he said.

However, Ryan wasn?t too pleased with the news that Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta provided him with regarding Oden?s wrist injury that will reportedly keep him out until January.

?Oden will be ready for Wisconsin, that?s what Thad told me,? Ryan said. ?He said, ?I don?t know when he?s coming back, but he?ll play against Wisconsin.? I said thanks.?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Brown: Where did all the players go?

By David Brown
Comments (0)
PARK RIDGE ? The Big Ten has run out of basketball players.

Such was evident Sunday at Big Ten media day, where the league?s coaches gathered at a ballroom inside a nationally recognized hotel chain.

Coaches attended. Inquisitors repeatedly asked Bruce Weber about why a touted high school player withdrew his verbal commitment to Illinois and instead is going to Indiana. Then they asked the same of Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson.

Blah, blah and blah.

What about THIS season?s players? There aren?t any. At least recognizable ones.

?It seems like everybody left. Guys are gone now,? said Penn State?s Geary Claxton, who is, himself, a very good young player but, honestly, not really recognizable yet. He probably will be soon. He?s going to have to be, because there?s no one else to remember from last year.

Nobody?s left.

They?re all gone.

Hanging out in the NBA.

Or in a bar.

Or both.

Working construction.

Working the side circuit.

Playing in Tel Aviv.

Working construction in Tel Aviv.

Working construction on the side (on a bar, at that) in Tel Aviv.

Only four of the league?s top 22 scorers are back from the 2005-06 season.

Only one of the league?s top 10 rebounders returns.

One of the league?s top 10 stealers.

It?s college, and it happens all of the time. Players come, they go, and new ones replace them.

But the Big Ten forgot to replace them this time!

OK, there?s one player. Wisconsin?s Alando Tucker, a first-team All-Big Ten pick a season ago. He?s back and recognizable.

That?s it.

OK, one more. Claxton. But it?s probationary.

Nobody else.

Dee Brown.

Dee parted. Daniel?s travelin? tonight on a plane with the Utah Jazz.

James Augustine.

Ho, ho, ho?s it?s the Magic. He?s gone to Orlando.

Michigan State?s Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown.

Mark Cuban is fawning over Ager in Dallas, and Brown?s with the LeBrons in Cleveland.

Ohio State?s Terence Dials. Player of the Year.

You can?t touch that Dials anymore. He?s probably ticketed for Turkey. At least it?s hoped he has a happy Thanksgiving.

And many of the other names you ?kind of? know, too, are gone.

That guy from Indiana?

Graduated.

The dude that hit that shot against Northwestern?

Now a graduate student in the business program, coincidentally, at Northwestern.

That one fella who played for Purdue?

Not there anymore.

Minnesota is going with four starters.

Michigan will play with only five players.

Northwestern decided to not bring back any players. Which is just as well.

Weber has Brian Randle, coach Steve Alford has Adam Haluska at Iowa, and coach Tom Izzo has Drew Neitzel as Michigan State.

Sorry. Can?t place ?em.

Bo Ryan at Wisconsin has Tucker, along with Kammron Taylor ? who is recognizable, but only as a doppelganger for actor/comedian Chris Rock.

The best player in the Big Ten, supposedly, has yet to take a snap in college.

Oops. Wrong season.

Greg Oden of Ohio State is his name and, while his name is somewhat recognizable, his game isn?t so much, unless you had a secret closed-circuit TV deal to watch all of his Indianapolis high school games.

Oden has yet to dribble a ball in anger because of an injury. He?ll probably be back in January and then will be gone in April for the NBA.

So recognize him while you can.

And then we?ll do this all over again next year.

? David Brown is a sportswriter for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at [email protected].

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

?Horse race?: Big Ten title up for grabs in ?06-07

by Michael Poppy

Wednesday, November 1, 2006

CHICAGO ? With nearly every team around the Big Ten losing key members from last season, many coaches and players feel as though the conference will be a wide-open race this year.

Only four teams return at least half of their scoring from a year ago and even less know what their starting lineup is going to look like as the season opener nears.

This looming uncertainty is the exact opposite from last year, when it seemed as if every team was bringing back a veteran squad.

?I think if you start asking all the coaches to name their starting lineup, it?s hard to figure out,? Iowa head coach Steve Alford said. ?It?s unusual, but it is what makes this league so much more exciting. Last year we were a veteran league and had a lot of people coming back, this year we have a lot of newcomers.?

?I don?t know if it?s going to be as deep as it was last year,? Minnesota head coach Dan Monson added. ?A lot of people have to answer questions along with us to know how good they?re going to be.

?It?s a horse race, and we?re coming out of the gate in camp with a whip.?

Even preseason favorite Ohio State has a number of questions to answer after losing four starters from a year ago, including last year?s Big Ten Player of the Year in Terence Dials.

But with a heralded incoming class, no one?s really questioning the Buckeyes? spot at the top.

While Greg Oden headlines the newcomers, two other McDonald?s All-Americans ? Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook ? join him, along with David Lighty and junior college transfer Othello Hunter.

Ohio State?s freshmen have come into Columbus with high expectations, being compared to Michigan?s ?Fab Five? of 1992, but with a new name ? the ?Thad Five,? referring to head coach Thad Matta.

Matta, however, doesn?t feel any pressure with all the preseason expectations.

?These guys have a pretty good feel for it,? Matta said. ?They know last year nobody really knew we had a basketball team so they know there are guys out there just like them trying to get it done this year.?

Another new face

Whereas many teams across the Big Ten will be sporting some new players on the court, only one team has a new head coach.

Oklahoma?s Kelvin Sampson was named Indiana?s head coach in the offseason after Mike Davis? resignation, and the move has provided some excitement for the Hoosiers? players.

?It?s been good for our players,? Sampson said. ?They have some excitement and curiosity about the upcoming year ? these kids have been great, and I applaud Mike Davis for that. We didn?t inherit any discipline problems.?

For Hoosier players, it?s still an ongoing adjustment, changing from Davis? style to Sampson?s.

?Every coach has a different type of system,? IU guard Roderick Wilmont said. ?[Sampson] is all about defense so you just try to get used to it. He just wants us to play hard.?

Davis soon bolted for the University of Alabama at Birmingham after his departure and brought former IU guard/forward Robert Vaden with him as a transfer.

Another player who was rumored to leave with Davis was Hoosiers? star forward D.J. White, a preseason All-Big Ten selection this year.

However, according to White, the thought never crossed his mind.

?I never really considered transferring anywhere,? White said. ?I just had to weigh my options to see what was the best for me, and my decision was to stay at Indiana.?

One name tossed around the Indiana coaching rumor mill before Sampson stepped in town was Iowa?s Steve Alford.

Alford, an IU alum who is the school?s all-time leading scorer, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the job ever since Bobby Knight?s firing in 2000.

So when the Hoosier chitchat swirled around Alford once again this year, it was nothing new to him.

?It wasn?t tough because it?s been happening for eight years,? Alford said. ?This was nothing new, it was just a different twist because a coach stepped down in January, but it?s always been there.?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

Joseph expected to start for MSU
Dave Dye / The Detroit News


EAST LANSING -- Maurice Joseph looked so out of place on Michigan State's basketball team last season, there was speculation he might transfer to a lower division.
But because of the turnover on the Spartans' roster and an injury to freshman Raymar Morgan, Joseph is expected to start tonight's exhibition opener against Grand Valley State in Grand Rapids. Tip-off is at 7.
"He'll get a real long look," coach Tom Izzo said.
"I didn't think he did (earn the playing time) until the last couple practices, but he really played well. In the scrimmage we had, he was the only guy who played really well. I don't think you earn it over two or three days. But he had his best two or three days of practice, so I feel a little more comfortable."
Joseph, a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard from Montreal, played in 22 games last season, mostly in mop-up duty, averaging 0.7 points and 25-percent shooting.
"This is a good opportunity for me," he said. "I'm trying to make the most of it."
Guards Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton, forward Goran Suton and center Drew Naymick also are expected to start. Marquise Gray should play but won't start because he has been bothered by a sprained ankle.
Morgan, a 6-7 swingman from Canton, Ohio, has a sprained right shoulder. His return for Sunday's exhibition against Northern Michigan is questionable. MSU opens the regular season Nov. 8 against Brown.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

On-campus football stadium might help basketball recruiting


By Zach Eisendrath


CHICAGO - At Big Ten basketball media day, Minnesota men's basketball coach Dan Monson had an interesting take on - of all things - football.
Monson talked about how a successful football program can make a basketball coach's life easier in terms of recruiting.
He pointed out Wisconsin and Ohio State as two places that have an advantage over other schools in the conference, because of the environment their football teams provide for the overall college experience a student athlete wants to partake in.
Monson thinks the Gophers' new stadium, TCF Bank Stadium will help recruit basketball players to the University because of the appeal it will have to the players, who, after all, are college students looking for the entire collegiate experience when choosing a school.
One thing the Gophers have done to try and counter such accommodations is make some of their own. Last year, the team renovated its locker room into a state-of-the-art facility. Additions at Williams Arena include a new team lounge, a theater-style film room, coaches' strategy room and a kitchen.
Still, Monson said he is looking forward to the help the new on-campus stadium will provide his team.
"If you get a basketball player right now to a Wisconsin football game, you've got a huge advantage," he said.
"I think our stadium will help us as much as anything will in terms of (recruiting)."
A big deal
Despite not being at media day, Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden was the talk of the event.
Oden had screws removed from his surgically-repaired right wrist last week and is expected to be out until January, just in time for the Big Ten slate of the Buckeyes' schedule.
The seven-foot, 250-pounder would have been the consensus No. 1 draft pick in last June's NBA Draft, had he been eligible.
But, under the new age minimum in the NBA, players wishing to enter the draft must be at least 19 years old.
Certainly, Buckeyes coach Thad Matta should have no problem with the rule that allowed him to secure Oden.
With Oden leading the way, Matta has secured one of the best freshmen classes in the country, which is why Ohio State is ranked No. 4 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and is considered by many to be the team to beat in the Big Ten.
Oden's high school teammate at Lawrence North in Indianapolis, Ind., guard Mike Conley Jr., along with guards David Lighty and Daequan Cook, round out the talented recruiting class.
Matta said he believes freshmen are more ready than ever to make strong contributions to their teams right away because of the number of Amateur Athletic Union events they play during their prep careers.
Monson said the Gophers are fortunate they only have to play the Buckeyes once this season, on Feb. 3, because, in his eyes, Oden is the complete package.
"The hype for him is justified," Monson said. "Sometimes kids have that chink in the armor. He's a quality person, he's a quality individual and has a quality work ethic.
"For an opponent, that's a bad combination when you have that talent level and that ability at seven feet tall. I think he's a tremendous prospect."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

USAToday

Purdue's Matt Painter on shifting from a mid-major to a Big Ten school
swapContent('firstHeader','applyHeader');For 25 years, Gene Keady roamed the bench as head coach of the Purdue Boilermakers. But after his departure at the end of the 2004-05 season, former Purdue player and associate head coach Matt Painter took over the reigns. After a disappointing debut season, Painter is poised to lead his Boilermakers to the top of the Big Ten and back to the NCAA Tournament. USA TODAY's Tim Gardner recently spoke with the coach just before his team kicked off practice.
Q: Heading into your second season at Purdue, what's the outlook on this year's Boilermakers?
A: I think we're very excited about this year. We had a lot of injuries last year and we had one guy sitting out and we also had another guy get suspended for the year. So we had four or five guys always in a suit and dress pants sitting on the sideline. So, some of the guys are very eager to play this year.
David Teague and Carl Landry are two experienced guys that we expect to have big years for us. And we have a lot of newcomers to complement those guys that we really don't have a feel for yet, but we're excited about their talent and their abilities. Right now, we're just getting ready for practice and we'll see how they do and see how they mesh together as a team. And we're really just looking forward to using a positive finish to last season. Even though we didn't win a lot of games, our guys continued to play hard and I think our fans were excited about that and we're trying to use that as a springboard into this year. Hopefully with some improvements, we'll be a tournament team by the end of the season.
Q: With the strong play you spoke of at the end of last season ? including wins over Michigan and Wisconsin in February ? is that something you try to build upon the team into this year or do you try to leave last year behind you?
A: No, I think the thing we really try to build on is that we had a positive attitude as the year went on and try not to focus on negative issues ? whether it be injury or suspension ? and just try to focus on playing together as a team and having good chemistry and sharing the ball and being a good defensive unit.
We used that to beat Wisconsin, who was an NCAA Tournament team and Michigan was ranked at the time we beat them. And we just try to show the guys what they can do on any individual night when you play together. Even though a lot of our talented guys weren't playing, we didn't use that as an excuse and we showed that we can play with some of the better teams in the country. So hopefully, we can take that and get everybody healthy and have a very productive season.
Q: And your team starts off fast. You head straight over to Hawaii to play in the Maui Invitational, right?
A: Yes, the Maui field is very deep in talent. We will play Georgia Tech in the first game and then either play Oklahoma or Memphis in the second game. After that, we could play Chaminade, DePaul, UCLA or Kentucky. So it is a very tough field. We will get in two games before that ? against Northern Colorado and Western Carolina at Mackey Arena ? and hopefully that will give us some experience with a lot of new faces to prepare for the trip to Maui.
Q: We spoke with Bruce Weber recently and, like him, you worked under coach Gene Keady. Can you talk a bit about what, if anything, you learned from working with those coaches?
A: Well, I played for Coach Keady but didn't get the opportunity to work for him except for that one year as an assistant coach. And that was a tough year for all of us because we struggled. But the one thing that year taught me was that Coach stayed positive and he kept fighting and he kept trying to figure out ways to help that team get better and get into the Big Ten tournament and win some games to qualify for the NCAAs. That's tough to do when you're a 10 seed and you have to win four games but Coach Keady kept that mindset the whole year especially after we struggled about 'Let's get better, let's get better and hopefully get into the tournament and make a run.'
Coach Keady is also very disciplined. He's a tough guy that expects a lot out of his players on and off the court. The thing about him is that he always emphasized that no matter what happens, show up the next day and just go at it and kind of have that blue-collar approach.
And I think Coach Weber has shown that trait at both Southern Illinois and at Illinois in his teams. They are always prepared and they are always tough. When you prepare for somebody like Illinois now, you know you have to be ready as an opposing coach.
Obviously I was an assistant under Coach Weber for five years, so I had an opportunity to learn under him and I learned a lot of different things. I think when you're with somebody like he was with Coach Keady for 18 years, he is going to do a lot of the same things but will still have a different personality. And he puts his own stamp on things. So it was fun to be around Coach Weber and see him develop his own philosophy in some areas and be a part of the success he had with the Salukis.
Q: Are there any particular coaches that you face in the Big Ten that you get hyped up for and really want to take down?
A: I don't know about getting hyped up, but you certainly want to win games. I think any time you go against your in-state rival is probably the game you get most excited for, which for us is when we play Indiana. And I think anybody in the league would say that ? Michigan would say it about Michigan State and vice versa.
I think anytime you can get to the top of a league and stay there for a long time along with somebody else, you create a heated rivalry. Hopefully we can get to that point with somebody in this league.
But I would say the one guy you have to single out from the rest of the pack is Coach Izzo at Michigan State. What he has done in the NCAA Tournament in getting to four Final Fours and winning a national championship and winning four straight Big Ten titles. So I think he's the one guy that has put himself on a different plateau than the rest of the guys. And then you take someone like Coach Ryan at Wisconsin, who has won the Big Ten a couple of times and has been very successful in a short amount of time. He brings his own style, a different look from how everybody else plays and it's very tough to prepare for.
Thad Matta was very competitive in his first year at Ohio State, then the next year they win the Big Ten and now they've had a lot of success in recruiting so it looks like he is going to be a guy who will have Ohio State at the top for a long period of time.
And obviously Coach Weber winning the Big Ten two out of three years and then getting to the championship game and getting beat by North Carolina, so he's had a lot of success.
I know I'm obviously leaving a couple of them out, but we have a lot of good coaches in the Big Ten.
Q: You've had the luxury to coach at both a mid-major at Southern Illinois and now at a Big Ten school in Purdue, can you talk about some of the differences of coaching at the two levels?
A: Well I think there's a lot of differences, but there's also a lot of similarities at both levels. You're normally going to get a more experienced guy at that mid-major level because you don't see guys leaving early as much. So I think a lot of time when you face somebody who is an elite program in the nation and you're a very successful mid-major, you might quite not have the talent but you're going to have more experience. So that's one of the major differences. Guys have played together longer (at mid-majors) and that really helps for chemistry and helps finding your niche offensively.
I really enjoyed my experience at Southern Illinois as an assistant coach and the one year as being a head coach and I'm enjoying my experience here at Purdue. But it's two different situations. When we took over at Southern Illinois we had a lot of experience coming back. And then my first year at Purdue as associate head coach, we were really just evaluating where we were. We were kind of starting over, so to speak. We had some seniors returning and we felt very good about that. And then two of them had major knee surgery and we were forced to take a step back. Then we had a suspension and we had a couple other injuries that knocked a few guys out, so we had more injuries in one year than I'd been a part of in 12-13 years before that in coaching. Now we have a couple of these guys back and we're hoping to put a positive spin on this year coming off all the bad breaks that we got last year.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Penn State?s Claxton out two weeks with broken finger

Penn State junior forward Geary Claxton was wearing a splint yesterday on his right hand, but the injury will not require surgery.
Claxton will miss at least two weeks after suffering a broken bone in his right hand while going for an offensive rebound Wednesday in an exhibition against Edinboro.
The splint will be removed in about two weeks, but how soon Claxton will return is unclear, team spokesman Brian Siegrist said.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

SCOUTING THE BIG TEN

Plain Dealer reporter Doug Lesmerises' predicts the order of finish in men's basketball

Sunday, November 05, 2006

4. Iowa Hawkeyes

Coach: Steve Alford (135-92, seven years at Iowa; 291-169, 15 years overall).
Last season: 25-9, 11-5 Big Ten (tied for second), lost in first round of NCAA Tournament.
Who's gone: F Greg Brunner (14.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg), a first-team All-Big Ten selection; G Jeff Horner (13.6 ppg, 5.6 apg), a third-team all-league pick; Erek Hansen, Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year.
Players to watch: G Adam Haluska (13.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg), a third-team All-Big Ten selection; G Mike Henderson (7.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg), started all last season but will miss first 3-6 weeks with a broken finger.
Opener: Nov. 13 vs. The Citadel.

5. Michigan State Spartans

Coach: Tom Izzo (255-109, 11 years, all at Michigan State).
Last season: 22-12, 8-8 Big Ten (tied for sixth), lost in first round of NCAA Tournament.
Who's gone: G Shannon Brown (17.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.7 apg), a second-team All-Big Ten selection and Cavaliers draft pick; C Paul Davis (17.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg), a second-team confer ence selection; G Maurice Ager (19.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.5 apg), a third-team All-Big Ten selec tion.
Players to watch: G Drew Neitzel (8.3 ppg, 5.6 apg), F Marquise Gray (3.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg).
Opener: Wednesday vs. Brown.

6. Illinois Fighting Illini

Coach: Bruce Weber (89- 16, three years at Illinois; 192-70, eight years overall).
Last season: 26-7, 11-5 Big Ten (tied for second), lost in second round of NCAA Tournament.
Who's gone: G Dee Brown (14.2 ppg, 5.8 apg), a first- team All-Big Ten se lection; F James Augus tine (13.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg), a first-team all- league pick.
Players to watch: G Ja mar Smith (8.0 ppg, 1.3 apg), a Big Ten All-Fresh man Team selection; F Brian Randle (8.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg), a conference All-Defensive Team se lection.
Opener: Nov. 13 vs. Aus tin Peay.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions

Coach: Ed DeChellis (31-57, three years at Penn State; 136-150, 10 years overall).
Last season: 15-15, 6-10 Big Ten (tied for eighth), lost in first round of NIT.
Who's gone: F Travis Parker (12.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg).
Players to watch: F Geary Claxton (15.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg), a third-team All-Big Ten selection; F Jamelle Cornley (11.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg), named to All-Big Ten Freshman Team and Freshman Player of the Year.
Opener: Friday vs. Morehead State.
8. Michigan Wolverines

%%bodybegin%% Coach: Tommy Amaker (87-70, five years at Mich igan; 155-125, nine years overall).
Last season: 22-11, 8-8 Big Ten (tied for sixth), lost NIT Championship game.
Who's gone: G Daniel Horton (17.6 ppg, 5.3 apg), a second team All-Big Ten selection; F Chris Hunter (8.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg).
Players to watch: G Dion Harris (11.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.8 apg), C Courtney Sims (10.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg).
Opener: Friday vs. Central Connecticut State.

9. Purdue Boilermakers

Coach: Matt Painter (9-19, one year at Purdue); 34-24, two years overall).
Last season: 9-19, 3-13 Big Ten (11th place).
Who's gone: F Matt Kiefer (12.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg); G Nate Minnoy (10.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg).
Players to watch: F Carl Landry (15.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg); G Chris Lutz (9.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg), a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.
Opener: Nov. 13 vs. Northern Colorado.

10. Northwestern Wildcats

Coach: Bill Carmody (82-95, six years at North western; 174-120, 10 years overall).
Last season: 14-15, 6-10 Big Ten (tied for eighth), lost in first round of Big Ten Tournament.
Who's gone: F Vedran Vukusic (19.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg), a second-team All-Big Ten selection; G Mohamed Hachad (11.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg), a conference All-Defensive Team selection.
Opener: Friday vs. Cornell.

11. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Coach: Dan Monson (116-101, seven years at Minnesota; 168-118, 11 years overall).
Last season: 16-15, 5-11 Big Ten (10th place), lost in second round of NIT.
Who's gone: F Vincent Grier (15.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.6 apg), a third-team All-Big Ten selection; G Maurice Hargrow (11.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.9 apg); G Adam Boone (10.3 ppg, 4.7 apg).
Players to watch: C Spencer Tollackson (8.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg); F Dan Coleman (7.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg).
Opener: Nov. 13 vs. North Dakota State.
%%bodybegin%% - Capsules compiled by William Hall