SB Nation - DeShawn Sims

College Hoops Go-Round: December 19

Chris Dobbertean — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:25:52 -0000

I managed to escape DC before the snow started and am writing this before I drive to Sunrise to check out the Orange Bowl Classic.

Friday night was a busy night for mid-majors, but it's a pity none of these games were on TV.

Defending OVC champ Morehead State won a thriller at home over A-Sun champ ETSU, 60-58.

It wasn't a great night for the Big West, as the league went 1-4 on the night.

The win came courtesy of Long Beach State, who beat former conference-mate Utah State, 75-62.

Otherwise, Montana State knocked off UC Santa Barbara, Drexel won at Cal State Northridge, St. Mary's beat Pacific in Moraga, and UC Irvine fell at home to San Jose State.

It's the Saturday before Christmas, which means it's going to be a busy day and night of action. However, the quality of games is higher in the afternoon than evening. All times are p.m. Eastern.

Michigan at No. 1 Kansas (ESPN, 12): This is being billed as the Green Game for some reason. (I somehow have yet to hear Kermit the Frog's spiel, which is honestly a true miracle, considering how often I've seen it on muted TVs.) Regardless, Michigan has been struggling since Thanksgiving day, and Lawrence may not be a place where Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims will be able to get back on track.
UCLA at Notre Dame (CBS, 2): Remember when this game meant something? Now both teams can't beat Big West and West Coast Conference teams.
No. 10 North Carolina at No. 2 Texas (ESPN, 2): This seems about right for the first college basketball game in the monstrosity that is Jerry World.
Xavier at No. 21 Butler (ESPN2, 2): Maybe they can drag Thad Matta over to referee. The Musketeers will try to knock off their second ranked foe of the week, while the Bulldogs look to not drop one they need to win.
Stanford at Northwestern (Big Ten, 2): Usually, the Cardinal would have the upper hand in this battle of the academic schools, but the Wildcats look to be a real tourney threat. I wonder how many threes NU will attempt today.
No. 15 Gonzaga vs. No. 7 Duke in New York (CBS, 4): This one is weather permitting at the moment. If it goes off, this one has plenty of star power. Don't expect Matt Bouldin to let Jon Scheyer to score 36 in this one.
Western Kentucky at Louisville (ESPN2, 4): The Hilltoppers knocked off a better Cardinal team last year, but that game was in Nashville, not Freedom Hall.
Ball State vs. No. 4 Purdue in Indianapolis (Big Ten, 4): The Wooden Tradition was reduced to one game this year, and it should be an easy Boilermaker win.
Austin Peay at No. 3 Kentucky (SEC on CSS/Full Court, 4): Another chance to see the John Wall show, this time against an OVC contender.
No. 9 Tennessee at USC (FSN, 4:30): This one would have been far more fun last season.
Memphis at Massachusetts (ESPN2, 6): Bobby Knight would have a name for this one.
Illinois State at Utah (the mtn.,6): The Redbirds fell on their faces at the Convo earlier in the week. They're going to find the Huntsman Center a completely different challenge.
Drake at Iowa (Big Ten, 6:30): The Hawkeyes look for an in-state win in their last attempt.
San Diego State at Arizona State (FS Arizona/FCS Pacific, 6:30): The Aztecs can sweep the Pac 10 Arizona schools with a victory.
Illinois vs. Georgia in Duluth, GA (ESPNU, 7): This is a return from a semi-neutral site game last season. The Illini won that one by 34.
Old Dominion at No. 11 Georgetown (Big East/Full Court, 7): The last time the Hoyas faced the Monarchs at home when they were ranked, ODU beat them by 13 (2007).
Creighton at No. 19 New Mexico (the mtn., 9): The Lobos hope to keep a good thing going against a Blue Jay team that's been a bit disappointing so far.
Portland at No. 24 Washington (FS Northwest/FCS Atlantic, 10): Remember the Pilots? A win over the Huskies would give them a shot to put themselves back on the map.

In other televised action today

IPFW at No. 12 Michigan State (Big Ten, 12)
Northern Colorado at Oklahoma (Full Court, 1)
Lipscomb at No. 25 Cincinnati (FS Ohio/SNY/Full Court, 2)
No. 6 West Virginia at Cleveland State (Big East/Full Court, 2)
Northern Iowa at North Dakota (FCS Central, 2)
South Carolina at Wofford (SportSouth/FCS Atlantic/Full Court, 7)
North Carolina Central at Indiana (Big Ten, 8:30)
Gardner-Webb at Penn State (ESPNU, 9)

There are a lot of games today that will only be televised regionally

Fordham at No. 8 Villanova
Mississippi State at Houston
The aforementioned Orange Bowl Classic: Miami vs. Florida Atlantic, No. 13 Florida vs. Richmond
St. Bonaventure at No. 5 Syracuse
Washington State vs. Portland State in Kennewick, WA
No. 16 Texas Tech at Wichita State
UAB at South Alabama
No. 17 Kansas State vs. Alabama in Mobile
Oakland at Oregon

For more on these, visit Matt Sarz' College Sports on TV site.

Kansas Hosts Michigan Saturday in an Early Tip

Denverjhawk — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:00:20 -0000

Kansas v Michigan

No. 1 Kansas (9-0) took a week off for exams but heads back to the hardwood hosting Big Ten Conference foe Michigan (5-4) Saturday at 11 a.m. Michigan as a team looked to be a potentially strong test for the Jayhawks before the year began. However, after losing four of their last six, the youthful Michigan squad doesn't appear to have a single victory against a qualify opponent through 9 games of the season. Oh, where have the days of the fab five gone.

	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
MICH	71.1	42.2	70.5	29.7	33.6	11.1	22.4	15.3	10.0	8.2	2.9	14.1
KU	90.3	51.2	67.1	44.2	43.7	14.6	29.1	19.7	11.9	9.6	7.4	18.1
MICH Opponents	63.9	44.0	65.1	30.3	37.1	12.0	25.1	14.3	15.6	5.2	3.3	18.1
KU Opponents	57.7	34.3	65.9	28.7	33.7	13.7	20.0	11.1	16.7	5.8	3.2	20.0

Rank and Records	MICH	KU
RPI	#243	#21
Strength of Schedule	#255	#181
Overall	5-4	9-0
Conference	0-0	0-0
Home	4-1	6-0
Away	0-1	1-0
Top 25	0-0	0-0
RPI Top 50	0-1	0-0

About Kansas

Kansas posted a 90-65 win against La Salle in the M&I Bank Kansas City Shootout on Dec. 12 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Freshman Xavier Henry had a career-high 31 points in the game and was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week for the second-straight week for his efforts.

Kansas averages 90.3 points per game, is giving up 57.7 points and ranks in the top five nationally with a +32.7 scoring margin. KU is shooting 51.2 percent from the field, while its opponents are shooting 34.3 percent. Only one KU opponent, Radford, has shot above 40 percent against the Jayhawks this season.

Xavier Henry leads the team with an 18 point scoring average. He is making 53.3 percent of his shots from three-point range and leads KU with 24 threes and 16 steals.

Senior guard Sherron Collins scores 13.3 points per game and he has made 19 three pointers. Collins leads the team with 40 assists, which are five ahead of sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor (7.3 ppg). Taylor has 14 steals, two ahead of Collins (12).

Junior center Cole Aldrich leads the team in rebounds with 9.6 per game. He also leads KU and the Big 12 in blocked shots with 3.6 per outing. Sophomore forward Marcus Morris is a starter who is scoring 9.8 points and pulling down 5.3 rebounds per game.

Sophomore forward Markieff Morris is coming off the bench to score 8.9 points per game. Markieff, who recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds against La Salle on Dec. 12, is second on the team with his 6.2 rebound average and leads KU with a 69.8 percent field goal shooting.

Junior guard Tyrel Reed scores 4.8 points per outing and he has 10 three-pointers this season. Freshman guard Elijah Johnson (4.3 ppg) has started the last two games.

About Michigan

Located in Ann Arbor, Mich., and coached by John Beilein, Michigan has won two of its last three games and is 5-4 on the season following its 75-64 win against Detroit on Dec. 13 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines average 71.1 points and give up 63.9 per game for a +7.2 scoring margin. U-M averages 8.2 steals per game and forces 15.6 turnovers per contest.

Michigan is one of the youngest teams in America with 12 players redshirt sophomores or younger. Junior guard Manny Harris leads the team with 22.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Harris also has a team-high 18 steals and 45 assists. He is tied for the team lead with 13 three pointers along with sophomore guard Laval Lucas-Perry, who is scoring 7.4 points per game.

Senior forward DeShawn Sims is second on the team in scoring at 15.6 points per contest and he is just behind Harris in rebounds with a 7.4 average. Sophomore guard Zack Novak and freshman guard Darius Morris round out the starters. Novak scores 6.3 points per game, while Morris averages 4.8 ppg.

Senior forward Zack Gibson (6.0 ppg) and sophomore guard Stu Douglass (4.7 ppg) each average more than 24
minutes per game for the Wolverines.

Meet the Opposing Coach

Michigan coach Jim Beilein is 36-40 in his third season at Michigan and 587-358 in his 32nd season overall. Beilein's 587 career victories place him in the top 20 in victories among active Division I head coaches. He has compiled 27 winning seasons and put together 15 campaigns of 20-wins or more. Beilein is the only active coach in the collegiate ranks to record a 20-win season at four different levels -- junior college, NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division I. During the 2008-09 season, Beilein's second in Ann Arbor, Michigan posted a 21-14 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 seasons, falling in the second round. Michigan's 21 victories during the 2008-09 campaign tied a school record for the largest single-season turnaround in program history.

John Beilein
Team	Years	Record
Michigan	2007-2010	36-39 (48.0%)
West Virginia	2002-2007	104-60 (63.4%)
Richmond	1997-2002	100-53 (65.4%)
Canisius	1992-1997	89-62 (58.9%)
Le Moyne	1983-1992	163-94 (63.4%)
Nazareth	1982-1983	20-6 (76.9%)

The Series

Michigan has won all five meetings with Kansas in men's basketball. This is a rarity for Kansas - the third winningest program in NCAA Division I. Of teams with multiple games played against Kansas, Bradley (2-0) and UTEP (3-0) are the only teams that have undefeated records versus KU, damn Bradley. The Kansas-Michigan series dates back to 1949 and runs through 1992. Two of the matchups have been on neutral floors with a 49-47 Michigan win in 1949 in Kansas City and the last meeting, an 86-74 Michigan victory on Dec. 30, 1992, at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu. This will be the second meeting between the schools in Allen Fieldhouse as Michigan defeated Kansas 64-52 during the 1980-81 season.

KU-La Salle Leftovers

Kansas freshman guard Xavier Henry scored 31 points to set a career high. The last Jayhawk to score 30-plus points was Sherron Collins, who scored 32 against North Dakota State last season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
X. Henry also set career highs in field goals (10), free throws made (seven) and free throws attempted (nine). His totals were also the most by a Jayhawk this season.
Markieff Morris recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Morris' 12 boards were his best output since his Jayhawk debut. Markieff Morris' four blocked shots were also a career high.
Junior center Cole Aldrich scored a season-high 19 points. He also set a season high in field goals (eight) and had five blocked shots to match a season high. Aldrich's five blocked shots gave him 160 for his career and moved him into sixth place all-time at KU, behind Danny Manning (200).
Kansas held La Salle to 36.1 percent shooting from the field, marking the 83rd-straight opponent the Jayhawks have held under 50 percent. KU has also held eight of its nine opponents this season under 40 percent.

What to Look For Against Michigan

Sherron Collins is 27 points from cracking the KU Top 20 career scoring list. Collins is 21st with 1,450 career points. Collins' former teammate Brandon Rush (2006-08) is at No. 20 with 1,477 points.
Collins is six assists from cracking the KU Top 10 all-time list. Collins is No. 11 with 431 career assists, while former KU great and current Texas A&M head coach Mark Turgeon is No. 10 with 437 assists from 1984-87.
Cole Aldrich is four rebounds from moving into 25th on the Kansas career rebound list. Aldrich has 592 all-time boards. David Magley (1979-82) is 25th at 596 and Kelly Knight (1980-84) is 24th at 601.
Through only nine games, Xavier Henry already ranks tied for 11th on the KU freshman list for three point field goals made with 24. Kirk Hinrich (2000) is 10th with 25, while Jacque Vaughn (1994) is ninth with 28.
Redshirt junior guard Brady Morningstar and redshirt freshman center Jeff Withey are both eligible to play against Michigan. Morningstar was suspended for the first semester for breaking team rules. He started 34 of 35 games last season and averaged 30.3 minutes per game with a 6.5 scoring average. Withey, who returned to practice full-time Dec. 7 from a knee injury, transferred to Kansas from Arizona in December 2008 and becomes academically eligible.

Team Notables

Kansas remains one of 11 undefeated teams in NCAA Division I (Dec. 13). Others include Georgetown, Kentucky, Missouri State, New Mexico, Purdue, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
Seven of Kansas' nine victories this season have been by 25 or more points with six of those by 30 points or more.
Entering the week, Kansas led the nation in scoring margin at +32.7. The Jayhawks also ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense (third at 90.3), field goal percentage (seventh at 51.2), field goal percentage defense (second at 34.3), three-point field goal percentage (fifth at 44.2), assists (fourth at 19.7), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth at 1.65) and blocked shots (seventh at 7.4).
Kansas forces 16.7 turnovers per game and averages 21.3 points off turnovers per game.

		GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
#3	M. Harris	9	9	35.778	22.222	46.8	76.0	28.9	8.444	3.222	5.222	5.0	2.333	2.0	0.111	1.111
#34	D. Sims	9	9	30.667	15.556	47.0	75.0	37.5	7.444	3.0	4.444	1.0	1.0	1.222	0.889	1.889
#0	Z. Novak	8	8	31.0	6.25	40.0	55.6	28.1	4.375	0.875	3.5	1.5	0.5	1.5	0.5	2.25
#31	L. Lucas-Perry	9	9	24.667	7.444	38.9	57.1	36.1	2.111	0.667	1.444	1.667	1.556	0.889	0.111	2.444
#4	D. Morris	9	9	24.222	4.778	42.1	75.0	20.0	1.889	0.222	1.667	2.222	2.222	0.444	0.111	1.778
#1	S. Douglass	9	0	24.0	4.667	26.4	71.4	23.1	1.444	0.222	1.222	2.556	0.778	1.0	0.0	0.889
#32	Z. Gibson	9	1	12.333	6.0	56.8	62.5	22.2	2.667	1.444	1.222	0.222	0.444	0.444	0.889	1.667
#12	A. Wright	9	0	9.111	1.889	26.1	75.0	16.7	1.444	0.667	0.778	0.889	0.333	0.222	0.111	0.889
		GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
#4	S. Collins	9	9	29.667	13.333	43.8	77.3	43.2	2.0	0.222	1.778	4.444	1.556	1.333	0.0	1.333
#1	X. Henry	9	9	27.0	18.0	55.6	82.4	53.3	4.111	0.889	3.222	1.778	2.0	1.778	0.778	2.0
#45	C. Aldrich	9	9	25.889	12.0	56.3	70.0	0.0	9.556	3.333	6.222	1.222	1.444	0.667	3.556	2.111
	T. Taylor	9	7	23.556	7.333	40.0	68.4	31.2	2.778	0.667	2.111	3.889	2.0	1.556	0.222	1.778
#22	M. Morris	9	7	22.444	9.778	55.4	67.6	33.3	5.333	2.444	2.889	1.444	1.333	1.111	0.444	2.556
#21	M. Morris	9	2	16.778	8.889	69.8	66.7	66.7	6.222	2.111	4.111	1.222	0.889	0.778	1.0	1.889
#14	T. Reed	9	0	16.111	4.778	41.7	75.0	35.7	1.444	0.111	1.333	1.556	0.333	0.889	0.111	1.0
#15	E. Johnson	9	2	12.222	4.333	51.7	55.6	36.4	2.111	0.889	1.222	2.667	1.111	0.667	0.0	1.889

Stemming the Tide

BoilerTMill — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:02:30 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Can you find the SEC logo in this picture? This is how serious Alabama is taking this game. SBNation has no basketball photos for them. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Browse more photos »

I am wondering who I pissed off in the blogging community this week. Twice I reached out to the resident Alabama blog here at SBNation to do some sort of a preview, but I was met with stone silence each time. It looks like we'll be headed into this game with my normal statistical analysis and that alone. That's okay. Maybe it is because we have no hope of keeping up with SEC speed since we're a slow Big Ten team.

Truthfully, I kind of view this as our first major test of the season. We break out the black uniforms for the first time. We beat a legitimate top 10 SEC team in Tennessee, but that was in a neutral venue. To maintain our high ranking and quest for a #1 seed we must have a win on the road in a hostile venue that is not in the Big Ten. A loss tomorrow night opens us up to all kinds of criticism. Suddenly the Big Ten won't be able to play on the road. Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota each lost non-conference road games as ranked teams. We cannot fall into that trap.

2009-10 Record: 6-2

2008-09 Record: 18-14 (Lost to Tennessee in SEC Tournament)

Blog Representation: Roll Bama Roll (Hasn't updated Basketball in a year)

Series with Purdue: Purdue leads 3-2

Last Purdue win: 83-73 on 3/19/94 at Lexington, KY (NCAA tournament Second Round)

Last Alabama win: 85-77 2OT on 3/23/01 at Purdue (NIT quarterfinals)

Last Game in Tuscaloosa: Alabama 97, Purdue 80 on 11/26/76

Common Opponents: Michigan W 68-66, Tennessee (January 19th)

I remember our last game against the Crimson Tide very well. Injuries to Rodney Smith and John Allison had decimated us in Big Ten play, forcing us to the NIT. Both had returned for wins over Illinois State and Auburn before a home quarterfinal against the Crimson Tide. Alabama survived a pair of overtimes and a Blackout of Mackey Arena that I attended in black shoes, socks, pants, and shirt. It was the last good postseason run by a Gene Keady coached team at Purdue. At least it meant I got three more home games as a student that year.

This year's Alabama team is different from that 2000-01 squad. Coach Anthony Grant has taken over and stresses full-court pressure from his defense. In a way, this will be a bit like our trip to Missouri two years ago. That experience, especially for our juniors and seniors that made that trip, will be invaluable. He is in his first season at Alabama, but in three years at Virginia Commonwealth he took the Rams to two NCAA Tournaments and had a first-round upset of Duke. He was also an assistant on Florida's 2006 National Championship team.

His defensive philosophy is to cause full court pressure and generate offense from defense. Alabama averages almost 8 team steals per game. They are scoring about 73 points per game. That tells me that they aren't lighting up the scoreboard, but they aren't afraid to score either. Their schedule thus far has yielded some interesting results. They have a couple of quality wins over Michigan (when the Wolverines were ranked #15) and Baylor in the Old Spice Classic. The two losses came against Florida State in the same Old Spice Classic and in the season opener against Cornell. Those losses aren't as bad as you think. Cornell and Florida State were both NCAA Tournament teams a year ago and are favored to be again this year. It might be wise for us to take an Andy Bernard look-alike with us just to be safe.

Alabama is led in scoring by 6'5" senior guard Mikhail Torrance (15.1ppg) and 6'9" sophomore forward JaMychal Green (14.4ppg). Both players should be interesting matchups for us. Torrance will remind us of the bigger guards that Tennessee had. Green is almost strictly a post player who could be a tough matchup if JaJuan Johnson gets in foul trouble. Torrance is also a playmaker, leading the Crimson Tide with 45 assists in eight games. That is better than five per game, so he does look to get his teammates involved. Green leads the team in rebounds with 6.9 per game. Perhaps a more apt comparison for the two is that they are like DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris at Michigan. When the two teams played Sims and Harris outscored Torrance and Green 42-31, but the Tide won the war.

6'6" freshman forward Tony Mitchell (10.3ppg, 4.5rpg) is a nice complimentary player for the duo. He is a reliable third option that had 23 against Jackson State earlier in the year. Bigger name opponents have kept in check though. 5'9" guard Anthony Brock (8ppg) is a dangerous 3-point shooter, hitting 12 of 26 attempts in just six games played. Senario Hillman (7.8ppg, 2.6apg), Charvez Davis (7.4ppg), Justin Knox (5.2ppg, 4.4rpg), and Chris Hines round out Alabama's main rotation. Ben Eblen has also played in all eight games, but averages less than 10 minutes.

Alabama does not have an overwhelming amount of size, relying on quickness from its guards. Knox is a 6'9" junior from Tuscaloosa, while Hines is 6'8". This relative lack of size translates to just 35 team rebounds per game. JJ should have some room to operate in the middle, but that can change quickly if he gets into foul trouble like he did against Tennessee. The Crimson Tide averages a modest 12 turnovers per contest.

Brock and Davis are the main three points hooting threats. Each player hits better than 41% from long range. Davis is more a specialist from long range with 41 attempts and 17 makes. Torrance is also an excellent free throw shooter (36 of 39). If Alabama has a late lead they will look to get the ball in his hands, but he will already have it a lot anyway. Knox and Torrance are the only players over 80% as free throw shooters, and they barely get the team average over 69%.

This is a very balanced basketball team. Other than Torrence they don't rely on any one player to do everything. Torrance also spreads himself nicely between scoring and distributing the basketball. They have the early look of being an NCAA bubble team come March. As a result, they are going to want this game pretty badly for their resume.

It is a good test for us as well. The Big Ten is shaping up that every game not involving Indiana, Penn State or Iowa will be a battle. Even the Nittany Lions and Hoosiers have had their moments this year. Alabama is probably at least as a good as a Michigan, Illinois, or Minnesota in the middle of the Big Ten. Therefore, winning this game will be a good sign for those opponents. Since this is our first road test it will be interesting to see how our freshmen respond in a hostile environment. We are a long way from the days of our epic road losing streak though.

Keys to the Game for Purdue:

Handle Alabama's helter-skelter press
Don't let the crowd get involved
Keep JJ out of foul trouble
Keep shooting well from the perimeter
Limit second chance opportunities

PREDICTION: Purdue 74, Alabama 68

The TDG Big Ten Basketball Preview

GopherNation — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:45:15 -0000

I have intentionally held off with a Big Ten basketball preview, waiting until we could see a few games and get a feeling for how teams are adjusting to the key gains and losses from a year ago. Gopher Nation has plenty to look forward to this season. As we all know everything is returning with some key additions added. An NCAA tournament bid and likely a win or two is expected. But what about the road before the NCAA Tournament. The long and difficult Big Ten season comes first and this team has a chance to really be a factor in the B10 title race. Let's take a brief look at each team in my expected order of finish.

1 - Purdue (NCAA) - Were it not for Purdue having injury issues a year ago they could very likely be defending a Big Ten title this year. Robbie Hummel was last year's preseason B10 POY and he should not be fully healthy to lead the rest of a very talented roster. The bulk of the talent lies in the junior class for the Boilermakers and this team is athletic and deep. Injuries and other uncontrollables aside, what may be the difference between a Big Ten title and a top 2 finish could come down to coaching. Matt Painter is an excellent coach but who knows if he'll be capable of steering his team accurately to win a Big Ten regular season title. Guys like Tom Izzo, Bo Ryan, Bruce Weber and Tubby Smith have the resume of winning multiple titles. I think after this year Matt Painter adds a Big Ten regular season title to his resume.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - E'Twaun Moore
SG - Chris Kramer
SF - Keaton Grant
PF - Robbie Hummel
C - JJ Dawson

2 - Michigan State (NCAA) - I know that Michigan State is the consensus title team and for very good reason. Tom Izzo is a great coach, his team is coming off a national runner-up season and he returns the vast majority of his roster. But my gut tells me they have a great season but one that ends the regular season looking up one spot in the B10 standings. It is really hard not to like Michigan State. They too are deep, very athletic, play great defense and as I mentioned they are very well coached. But I think the one key loss will be the loss that makes the difference. Goran Suton meant a lot to the Spartans a year ago and while this team still has very talented players like Kalin Lucas, Chris Allen and Durrell Summers (with guys like Raymar Morgan and Delvin Roe off the bench); Suton will be missed. Freshman Garrick Sherman may be very good but he's not the same thing. From year to year team's take on different personalities and even the loss of just one player can change the dynamic of a team. Michigan State will be great, they'll be extremely dangerous in the NCAA Tournament but I think they fall a game or two short of Purdue this year.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Kalin Lucas
G - Chris Allen
G - Durrel Summers
PF - Draymond Green
C - Garrick Sherman

3 - Ohio State (NCAA) - In this early season the Buckeyes have looked fairly strong. And leading their early season charge is the outstanding play of Evan Turner, who looks like the early favorite for Big Ten POY (very early, I know). Turner has notched a double-double in all four games averaging 21.7 ppg and 14.7 rpg. OSU has a lot of very nice pieces outside of Turner, which isn't surprising considering the recent string of very highly ranked recruiting classes in the Thad Matta era. OSU has some offensive weapons but they are lacking in a couple key areas. First of all they are not an overly deep team. Jon Diebler is a lights out shooter and Turner might be the best player in the conference but they can only carry them so far. Matta has been going with an eight man rotation so far this year with heavy minutes for the starting five. Secondly this team is not overly strong in the paint. Their perimeter is as good as anybody's in the conference but Kyle Madsen and Dallas Lauderdale will not strike fear into the hearts of the conference's coaches.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - William Buford
SG - Jon Diebler
SF - Evan Turner
PF - David Lighty
C - Kyle Madsen

4 - Minnesota (NCAA) - There was a time when my maroon goggles would have had me rank the Gophers one spot higher. The potential (probable?) losses of Royce White and Trevor Mbakwe greatly lessened my optimism. But then the impressive play of Rodney Williams to start the year has me thinking big things again, just not as grand as before. As we all know the Gophers are deep and defend very well. I think the improvement of the sophomores and the athleticism that Williams brings to the table makes this team dangerous. Over the course of a long season I don't think we have what it takes to finish in the top 2 but this team is good enough to beat anybody on their schedule.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Al Nolen
SG - Lawrence Westbrook
SF - Rodney Williams
PF - Damian Johnson
C - Ralph Sampson III

5 - Illinois (NCAA) - this might be the team I know the least about but I do know enough to know that this team is well balanced and has the roster make-up that is well suited for Bruce Weber. Demitri McCarney, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale are known quantities around the Big Ten. These guys averaged a combined 33 points, 14.7 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game last year. They compliment each other well and this year they add a couple dynamic freshmen to the backcourt in DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul. In the early goings these kids have 11.3 and 16.7 respectively, although they have yet to play any team of substance. Overall this will be a very good team that will only get better as the season goes along.

Likely Starting lineup
G - Brandon Paul
G - DJ Richardson
G - Demitri McCamey
PF - Mike Davis
C - Mike Tisdale

6 - Michigan (NCAA) - Manny Harris is such a great player who can win a game on his own and probably has the best pro potential in the conference. A lot of people would put the Wolverines as high as third on their prediction list based mostly on the talent of Harris and DeShawn Sims. But I'm not 100% sold on the rest of the team. John Beilein is a great coach and in year three he should really have his guys and his system working well. But once again I'm not sold on the rest of the roster and in this year's Big Ten a guy like Manny Harris will win you a few but on the nights when teams slow him down Michigan will be rather vulnerable. Decent depth, great scoring and not great interior size. A sixth place finish may seem very low but the difference between the 4th through 7th place teams could really only be a couple games.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Darius Morris
G - Manny Harris
G - Laval Lucas-Perry
F - Zack Novak
F - DeShawn Sims

7 - Wisconsin (NCAA) - Rule #1 in Big Ten basketball, never underestimate Bo Ryan and the Badgers. This isn't a great Badger team but there is some talent here with Trevon Hughes, Jason Bohannon and even Jon Leuer is having a pretty good season thus far. It may be easy for Gopher fans to overlook Wisconsin since we did sweep them last year (that was fun to write), but this team is capable of not only beating the Gophers but finishing at least a few spots higher than this. Maybe this is wishful thinking or maybe I'm not sold that the talent is there, not even for Bo Ryan.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Trevon Hughes
SG - Jason Bohannon
SF - Tim Jarmusz
PF - Jon Leuer
C - Keaton Nankivil

8 - Penn State (NIT) - The Talor Battle show will be a lot of fun to watch in Happy Valley. Penn State is perfectly demonstrates why I wanted to wait a couple weeks before I started my B10 preview. I once would have put PSU a spot or two higher, but after losses to UNC-Wilmington, Tulane and a 2-pnt win over Davidson (Steph Curry is no longer there folks) I am thinking that 7th might be too high. This team will go as far as Taylor Battle will lead them but the development of freshman Tim Frazier at PG and how well their interior rebounds is what could be the difference between another NIT run and the NCAA Tournament. Their Big Dance resume is already in bad shape, they'll will have to finish a lot higher in the conference standings to avoid the NIT again.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Tim Frazier
SG - Talor Battle
SF - David Jackson
PF - Jeff Brooks
C - Andrew Jones

9 - Indiana (NIT) - Great recruiting class and I am a huge Tom Crean fan, but this year will be tough for a young Hoosier squad to make much noise in the Big Ten. The conference is the deepest and most talented that it has been in a very long time. Other years a hot, young team like Indiana could make a run into the top 5, but not this year. This will be the sheik team next year and this year you'll likely seen them stun a few top 4 teams along the way. But learning to play at the Big Ten level is not an easy adjustment no matter how talented you are. I wouldn't be completely shocked to see them finish higher, but not likely this year.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Verdell Jones III
G - Jeremiah Rivers
G - Maurice Creek
PF - Tom Pritchard
C - Christian Watford

10 - Northwestern - This may have been the year for the Wildcats to make the tournament, but the loss of Kevin Coble effectively ended that dream. This is a surprisingly talented NU roster and with the way they defend and execute their precision offense they should never be taken lightly. But with Coble out for the season they'll rely on Michael Thompson and John Shurna. There are a couple intriguing freshmen to go along with Thompson and Shurna

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Michael Thompson
SG - Jeremy Nash
SF - Drew Crawford
PF - John Shurna
C - Luka Mirkovic

11 - Iowa - The outlook for the Hawkeye season is so bleak that they cannot help but surpass expectations this year. Scoring has been the problem this year for Iowa. There will be games when they are hot from behind the arc and maybe they'll get a few conference wins. But for the most part you can expect a lot of losses for Iowa (that too was fun to type).

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Cully Payne
SG - Anthony Tucker
SF - Matt Gatens
PF - Jarryd Cole
C - Brennan Cougill

I know that people hate preseason polls and predictions but at the conference level this is a lot of fun. Everyone has much hope and optimism for the season, except Iowa fans. There are eight teams capable of making a run to the NCAA Tournament (although Penn State is already on life support). The Big Ten should be a blast to watch this year.

Since I'm taking a wild stab at the standings here is my best guess at some post season individual awards.

All Big Ten First Team

PG - Kalin Lucas
SG - Manny Harris
SF - Evan Turner
PF - Robbie Hummel
F - DeShawn Sims

All Big Ten Second Team

G - Taylor Battle
G - Demetri McCamey
F - Jon Diebler
F - Damian johnson
C - JJ Dawson

Big Ten All Freshman Team

G - Brandon Paul - Ill
G - D.J. Richardson - Ill
F - Rodney Williams - Minn
F - Christian Watford - Ind
F - Garrick Sherman - MSU

Linking Laconically can't help being a contrarian

KJ@theonlycolors — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:34:46 -0000

[Warning: I'm apparently unable to write anything remotely positive about football links any more. Skip down for (relatively) happier basketball links.]

Burnt Like a Couch on Grand River: The Michigan State Secondary - The Rivalry, Esq.
Brilliant commenter: "A perfect storm of defensive incompetence of an ongoing nature and offensive brilliance of a highly-surprising nature."
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio to ask Big Ten about dubious calls | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
I don't understand the focus on the TD play, rather than the overturned fumble on the previous play, which was the clearly egregious officiating decision.
Mark Dantonio clamps down on information, access at MSU | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Isn't this something you do for Michigan week, not for Western Michigan week?
Bill Cubit: To challenge Michigan State, Broncos first must 'fix ourselves' | Western Michigan Broncos - - MLive.com
Apparently, Western is the MAC version of us.
There's hope at U-M, MSU: Basketball season starts soon! | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Wait a minute. Since when does U-M get to be in this headline?
MSU's Raymar Morgan might miss season opener | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Also, Roe will not play in the second exhibition game. Optimistic (read: irrational) spin: Better to get injury issues out of the way early.
The Hunt: No. 38, Gonzaga - The Dagger - NCAAB - Yahoo! Sports
These guys come to town in less than two weeks.
Discounts on Entertainment, Shows, Events, Tours, Attractions & More | Travelzoo
Get your discounted tickets to see the Spartans in Atlantic City at the end of the month.
Good start for Purdue | jconline.com | Journal and Courier
Boilermakers force 32 TOs but get out-rebounded in first exhibition game. (HT: Hammer and Rails)
IU unveils new look as 'a Big Ten team' " Evansville Courier & Press
Good. Maybe they won't screw up all our scatterplots this year. (HT: Gasaway)
Basketball Prospectus | Articles | Use This All-American Team Instead
Mr. Gasaway's All-American picks: Cole Aldrich and four non-AP All-Americans.

Bonus nonlaconical basketball prediction related to that last link: One of Mr. Gasaway's All-American picks is Evan Turner. Implicit in that selection is that Turner will outperform Kalin Lucas, who is both the defending and preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, this season. Given that (1) I just recently took some issue with Gasawayian comments regarding Lucas and (2) I was picking Kalin Lucas to be Big Ten Player of the Year way before it was cool to pick Kalin Lucas to be Big Ten Player of the Year, it may come as some surprise that I agree with the Turner pick.

Last season, Lucas and Turner basically finished in a dead heat for the conference player-of-the-year honor. Lucas likely got the edge with most voters due to MSU's team success. This year, I see several reasons that Turner may move a notch higher than Lucas on the prodcutivity scale:

David Lighty will be back to ease Turner's defensive responsbilities.
Turner's been practicing at point guard over the offseason, which may help cut down on his turnovers (and boost his assists).
Turner shot 44.0% on 3-pointers last season but only took 25 shots from beyond the arc. If he can maintain a percentage near/above 40% and take a few more 3-pointers, that would boost his scoring numbers significantly.

Lucas, meanwhile, could see a reduction in his scoring numbers:

With Travis Walton gone, he'll need to expend more energy on the defensive end of the court.
Walton's departure also means there will be more scoring options on the floor with Lucas, as Chris Allen, Durrell Summers, and Korie Lucious (and hopefully Delvon Roe and Raymar Morgan) see increased playing time. That should result in less need for Lucas to manufacture scoring opportunities late in the shot clock. (Upside could be more assists, particularly in conference play.)

Plus it's no fun if you just go along with the official party line, right? On that note, I'd make one change to the official preseason All-Big Ten team. Lucas, Turner, Manny Harris, and Robbie Hummel are locks. But I'd go with JaJuan Johnson over Talor Battle (still all juniors!).

Battle certainly had some spectacular moments last season--the most spectacular occurring in East Lansing--but his conference shooting numbers were pretty mediocre (.444/.300/.688) and he may have an even harder time getting off good shots this year following the graduations of Jamelle Cornley and Stanley Pringle.

Johnson, meanwhile, was pretty clearly the most effective big man in the league last season, averaging 13.4 points (on 53.8% FG shooting), 5.6 points, and 2.1 rebounds per game in conference play. With a healthy Robbie Hummel around to prevent defenses from collapsing on Johnson, he could be even more productive this season.

Battle gets a slot on my second team, with Demetri McCamey, Raymar Morgan, Kevin Coble, and DeShawn Sims.

More previewy stuff tomorrow.

BtB 2009-10 Big Ten Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:44:34 -0000

For all of the beating that the Big Ten took during a particularly rough and tumble regular season, the conference really validated itself in the postseason. Those March and April performances bode well for this season, especially considering that the Big Ten's main contenders didn't lose as much as the contenders in other conferences. For example, all five players on the coaches' All-Big Ten team from last season are back.

The two teams who progressed furthest in the NCAAs, national runner-up Michigan State and regional semifinalist Purdue are the clear favorites in the league, and both teams could make a serious run at a MIdwestern Final Four. Penn State, the NIT champions, will look to improve their standing enough to get into the Big Dance this time around. And of course, Northwestern will look to really shake things up in the league and make it to the NCAAs for the first time. In between, the Big Ten's other five NCAA entrants will attempt to stay in the field. The biggest thing for the conference this year is separating itself from the other BCS leagues, especially in non-conference play. With the Big Ten being hyper-competitive this year, its members really need to distinguish themselves during the early part of the season. Otherwise, teams will be clumped together on lines 8 through 12 of the bracket like last year, which doesn't bode well for sustained tourney runs. More on all 11 teams after the jump.

To refresh your memory, let's take a look at how the Big Ten standings looked at the end of the 2008-09 regular season.

Big Ten Conference Standings

(updated 4.7.2009 at 12:23 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Michigan St. Spartans	15	3	31	7
Purdue Boilermakers	11	7	27	10
Illinois Fighting Illini	11	7	24	10
Penn St. Nittany Lions	10	8	27	11
Ohio St. Buckeyes	10	8	22	11
Wisconsin Badgers	10	8	20	13
Minnesota Golden Gophers	9	9	22	11
Michigan Wolverines	9	9	21	14
Northwestern Wildcats	8	10	17	14
Iowa Hawkeyes	5	13	15	17
Indiana Hoosiers	1	17	6	25

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a school's name appears in red, that's a link to its SBNation site. You can go there for more detailed analysis throughout the season.

Iowa (last NCAA: 2006) The long rebuilding process continues for Todd Lickliter. It looks to be another long year in Iowa City, especially since the Hawkeyes have real point guard issues after Jake Kelly (transfer to Indiana State for family reasons) and Jeff Peterson (transfer to Arkansas) left the program. 6-1 frosh Cully Payne will have to adjust to the Big Ten game fast, as he will have to be the main option. If he doesn't, expect sophomore Anthony Tucker (10.4 ppg, 0.6 apg) to move over from shooting guard. The team's only other returning double-digit scorer, Matt Gatens (10.8 ppg), will be a force as he can really shoot the ball (40.3 % from the perimeter and 90.4 % from the free throw line). The Hawkeyes really need more contributions inside, where Jarryd Cole has battled injuries and struggled offensively, which has also been a problem for the rest of Iowa's frontline players.

Indiana (last NCAA: 2008) Tom Crean is also in a rebuilding situation, but he loaded up on recruits this offseason, something Lickliter couldn't quite do. Jeremiah Rivers, son of Boston Celtics coach Doc and a Georgetown transfer, is now eligible and will run the offense. Rivers' steady hand should improve a team that rated near the bottom of Division I in assist/turnover ratio. Meanwhile, the incoming freshmen are so highly regarded that last year's leaders may see reduced playing time. Rivers' arrival, and that of freshman Jordan Hulls, will eat into Verdell Jones' playing time (11 ppg, 3,6 apg). 6-5 Maurice Creek will take time away from Devan Dumes (12.7 ppg). In the frontcourt, Tom Pritchard (9.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg) will still see significant time, and he'll be joined by freshmen Bobby Capobianco, Derek Elston, Bawa Muniru, and Christian Watford. Considering that Crean's returning frontcourt players not named Tom Pritchard only average 0.8 ppg, they should see plenty of action. If they adjust to the Big Ten quickly, the Hoosiers may win some of those close games they tended to lose in 2008-09.

Penn State (last NCAA: 2001) You rarely see teams as happy about winning the NIT than the Nittany Lions last year. PSU had a real case for an NCAA bid, thanks to 10 league wins, but a non-conference schedule full of cupcakes cost them. On that front, the Lions hope they can get some big wins in the Charleston Classic to help their case this time around. In terms of personnel, the good news is that all-Big Ten first teamer Talor Battle (16.7 ppg, 5 apg) is back. The bad news is that his backcourt mates, Stanley Pringle (12.8 ppg) and Danny Morrissey (5.3 ppg) are gone and so is star forward Jamelle Cornley (14.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg). The effectiveness of their replacements will dictate the Nittany Lions' chances of moving up. Sophomores Chris Babb (2.8 ppg) and Cammeron Woodyard (2.2 ppg) will have to step it up to replace Pringle, but incoming freshman Tim Frazier will also play a big role in the backcourt. In the frontcourt, 6-9 Andrew Jones (6.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is expected to increase his production to make up for Cornley's graduation, so will David Jackson. Both Jones and Jackson played key roles in PSU's NIT run. Serbian freshman Sasa Borovnjak and redshirt frosh Billy Oliver will also see lots of time inside.

Wisconsin (last NCAA: 2009) The Badgers struggled on offense and defense last year. However, Bo Ryan's team was able to right the ship after dropping six in a row in January to sneak into the tournament and grab a first round win over Florida State. However, Ryan lost two key performers off that team, swingman Joe Krabbenhoft and F Marcus Landry. Jason Bohannon (10.3 ppg, 1.7 apg) and Trevon Hughes (12.1 ppg, 2.8 apg) are back, however, so the backcourt remains in good shape, typical of a Ryan-coached team. The returning frontcourt players, led by 6-10 F Jon Leuer (8.8 ppg, 3.8 ppg) and 6-8 Keaton Nankivil (4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg) will have to be tougher to adequately replace Landry and Krabbenhoft. Look out for the Badgers' two redshirt freshmen, Jared Berggren and Ryan Evans, as they should see significant frontcourt time as well. If the frontline improves significantly, the Badgers could go dancing for the 12th straight year.

Northwestern (last NCAA: None) While Wisconsin (and the rest of the league) has become a consistent NCAA performer, the Wildcats are the complete opposite. Once again, NU is the only team in a BCS conference to fail to qualify for a single NCAA tournament. On March 4, the men from Evanston stood at 17-11, after winning at Indiana, against Iowa at home, and at Purdue. They then managed to lose at Ohio State by 5 to finish 8-10 in the conference. If that wasn't bad enough, they then fell to Minnesota by 13 in the opening round of the conference tournament. The Wildcats cannot let something similar happen this season. Personnel-wise, the Wildcats bring back nearly everyone from last year, most importantly all-Big Ten second teamer Kevin Coble (15.5 ppg, 4.8 apg) and point guard Michael Thompson (9.9 ppg, 3.7 apg), a deadly three-point shooter (41.7%). The major loss is guard Craig Moore (14.3 ppg, 2.7 apg) who graduated. Incoming frosh Drew Crawford could slide into Moore's slot on the roster. He's the son of NBA referee Danny Crawford. If coach Bill Carmody can squeeze a little more from his returnees, who provided solid, if unspectacular and inconsistent performances throughout last season, the Wildcats will finally make the field of 65.

Minnesota (last NCAA: 2009) Expectations are high for Tubby Smith's third season in the Twin Cities. The Gophers will have to find a way to play Michigan State and Michigan better, as they didn't manage to win a single game against those two teams (0-5). The Gophers return all of their key performers from last season, including leading scorer Lawrence Westbrook (12.6 ppg), second leading scorer Damian Johnson (9.8 ppg), point guard Al Nolen (6.5 ppg, 4.3 apg), and big men Ralph Sampson III (6.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Colton Iverson (5.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Sampson and Iverson should see more time at center thanks to the arrival of 6-7 freshman Royce White and JC transfer Trevor Mbakwe, if he's ever cleared to play. Mbakwe is due to go on trial for assault in South Florida in December. Nolen could also see the bench if he's as inconsistent as he was during Big Ten play, thanks to the arrival of freshman PG Justin Cobbs. The Gophers are drawn against Butler in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, which should be a good indicator of how well this team will perform in 2009-10.

Michigan (last NCAA: 2009) Much like with Tubby Smith's Minnesota team. great things are expected in Ann Arbor during John Beilein's third season. Beilein's offensive and defensive philosophies usually take consistent hold in that third season, and the team's performance improves as a result. One of the Wolverines' biggest needs is in the frontcourt, where DeShawn Sims (15.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) was often left on an island last season. Seven-foot, redshirt freshman Ben Cronin should provide some help, as should 6-8 frosh Jordan Morgan, if he plays. Beilein may redshirt him depending on how well he's recovered from offseason knee surgery. 6-10 frosh Blake McLimans and 6-6 junior Anthony Wright may be called into duty frequently. The backcourt is the strength of this UM squad, led by all-Big Ten performer Manny Harris (16.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.4 apg). Harris should get more time to drive to the hoop (and get to the foul line), thanks to the arrival of freshman Darius Morris, who is expected to take over at the point. The reserve backcourt players need to show more consistency, as none averaged more than 6.7 ppg, despite some impressive shooting nights.

Illinois (last NCAA: 2009) While the Illini lost guards Chester Frazier and Trent Meacham, the returnees and Bruce Weber's best ever recruiting class should keep the squad near the top of the Big Ten. Demetri McCarney (11.5 ppg, 4.6 apg) already has plenty of experience at the point to replace Frazier. Incoming freshman D.J. Richardson will be called on to replace Meacham, especially from the defensive perspective. Brandon Paul, another heralded recruit, will be an inside-outside threat. In the frontcourt, Mike Davis very nearly averaged a double-double last season (11.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg), so he'll continue to be a force. Mike Tisdale could be a star if he's more aggressive. He has plenty of room to improve on the 10 points and 4 boards he averaged last season.

Ohio State (last NCAA: 2009) The Buckeyes did pretty well last season, winning 22 games and making the Big Ten title game despite losing G/F David Lighty in the seventh game of the year. With Lighty back and all-Big Ten selection/jack-of-all-trades Evan Turner still around, the Buckeyes should be even better this time around. Joining Turner as offensive forces are guards William Buford and Jon Diebler who both averaged a little more than 11 points a game. While Thad Matta has a lot of guys who can shoot, he doesn't have a true point guard. Not that this issue really stopped the Buckeyes last year. Jeremie Simmons (6.8 ppg, 2.5 apg) and P.J. Hill (3.2 ppg, 1.9 apg) saw some time at the point after Anthony Crater's departure for South Florida, with Hill making more of an impact. If the two have issues, Turner, who averaged 4 assists per game last year, could spend some time running the offense. Turner will also see time in the frontcourt, where Lighty will serve as OSU's power forward (9.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg). 6-8 junior Dallas Lauderdale and 7-foot UAB transfer Zisis Sarikopoulos will occupy the post. OSU will be tested early, thanks to a matchup with defending National Champion North Carolina at the Coaches vs. Cancer event in New York, followed by a game with either California or Syracuse.

Purdue (last NCAA: 2009) The Boilermakers bring back nearly everyone from last season's team, which fell to UConn in the West regional semifinals. Thanks to the graduation of Nemanja Calasan, Matt Painter has only two returning post players. However, they're two good ones. Robbie Hummel (12.5 ppg, 7 rpg) should be fully recovered from a stress fracture in his back that cost him five games last season. Meanwhile, 6-10 junior JaJuan Johnson (13.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg) is one of the most electrifying players in the country. They'll be backed up by a crop of freshmen, led by 6-10 Croatian C Sandi Marcius. Purdue's backcourt remains intact. Chris Kramer will provide the defense, E'Twaun Moore the scoring--and some assists (13.8 ppg, 3.0 apg), while Lewis Jackson (5.9 ppg, 3.3 apg) will run the show. The Boilermakers' commitment to defense, led by Kramer, Johnson, and Jackson, is a major reason why they will seriously threaten to make the short trip to Indy this season. If they avoid the health issues of last season, they should get a seed that will help their path.

Michigan State (last NCAA: 2009) While the Boilermakers will attempt to do what the Spartans did last year, make a short trip in state to play in the season's final weekend, don't discount MSU, a team that has plenty of history of its own in Indianapolis. Tom Izzo has a team that may be able repeat Sparty's 2000 triumph. Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten Player of the Year is back at the point. Raymar Morgan is back in the frontcourt. But the biggest questions are how well the Spartan frontcourt plays without Goran Suton and who replaces Travis Walton's defensive prowess in the backcourt. Junior Tom Herzog and incoming freshmen Derrick Nix and Garrick Sherman will be given every chance to fill Suton's shoes. Meanwhile, Lucas will have to play more of a defensive role this season than in the past, to make up for Walton's absence. While Lucas is the unquestioned star of the team, he'll need lots of support from players like guards Chris Allen (8.4 ppg) and Durrell Summers (8.6 ppg), and F Delvon Roe (5.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) to make a second straight Final Four run.

So, the Spartans will hold the Big Ten's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. Check in then to see what other teams from the conference I've penciled in at the start of the season. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Big Ten team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Big Ten Team

Player of the Year: Evan Turner, 6-7 G/F, Jr. (Ohio State)

Remainder of the Team
Talor Battle, 5-11 G, Jr. (Penn State)
Manny Harris, 6-5 G, Jr. (Michigan)
JaJuan Johnson, 6-10 F, Jr. (Purdue)
Kalin Lucas, 6-0 G, Jr. (Michigan State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Big Ten this season?

Illinois

72 votes

Indiana

4 votes

Iowa

5 votes

Michigan

12 votes

Michigan State

106 votes

Minnesota

9 votes

Northwestern

5 votes

Ohio State

14 votes

Penn State

20 votes

Purdue

49 votes

Wisconsin

4 votes

300 votes | Poll has closed

Getting Ready For The Michigan Wolverines

ccmachine — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 04:40:15 -0000

The Michigan Wolverines went 9-9 in the Big 10 Conference and have a 21-13 overall record and are the South Region's 10^th seed. They knocked off the 7^th seed on Thursday night with their 62-59 win over the Clemson Tigers. They are led in scoring by Manny Harris (17 ppg) who dropped 23 points on Clemson and DeShawn Sims who is averaging 15.5 points per game. Both players lead the team in rebounding as well by grabbing 6.9 and 6.8 boards respectively.

The question is how much of their mojo did the Sooners get back on Thursday night. They certainly didn't end the season on a high streak by losing two of their final four games against Missouri and Oklahoma State. Both the Tigers and Cowboys are tournament teams and have advanced to the next round. That takes a little of the sting away from those losses because of the quality of the opponents but it wont take away the inconsistency of the guard play.

Willie Warren stepped up his game against Morgan State to add a third dimension to the offense (along with the Griffin brothers) but the Sooners are reaching the point where they are going to need a 4^th and 5^th option to continue advancing. To attain success against Michigan's 1-3-1 zone OU must have excellent guard play, not just in scoring but also in ball protection and dishing out dimes.

Keys To Victory

Team Rebounding - Michigan takes a lot of deep shots which often results in deep rebounds. That means they cant rely on the Griffins to snag everything under the boards because there will wont be as many opportunities under the basket.

Perimeter Defense - Because of the aforementioned tendency to shoot from outside Oklahoma's guards are going to have to be Johnny on the Spot when it comes to ball pressure and challenging shots. No freebees and nothing comes easy for the Wolverines. If the Sooners fail in this then they fail to advance.

Feed the Beasts - Morgan State had no answer for the Griffins and neither will Michigan if they bring they type of performance they did Thursday night.

Stay Alert - No mental breakdowns! I don't really know if it was a girl problem, like the rumors said, or boredom or both but there were too many mental breakdowns over the final half dozen games that led to turnovers and defensive breakdowns.

Do More of This!

Michigan Scores & Schedule

Date	Opponent	Result
Tue, Nov 11	Michigan Tech	W 77-55
Wed, Nov 12	Northeastern	W 76-56
Thu, Nov 20	at (4) UCLA	W 55-52
Fri, Nov 21	at (10) Duke	L 56-71
Tue, Nov 25	Norfolk St.	W 83-49
Sat, Nov 29	Savannah St.	W 66-64
Wed, Dec 3	at Maryland	L 70-75
Sat, Dec 6	(4) Duke	W 81-73
Sat, Dec 13	East. Michigan	W 91-60
Sat, Dec 20	at Oakland	W 89-76
Mon, Dec 22	Fla Gulf Coast	W 76-59
Mon, Dec 29	N.C. Central	W 77-57
Wed, Dec 31	Wisconsin	L 61-73
Sun, Jan 4	Illinois	W 74-64
Wed, Jan 7	at Indiana	W 72-66
Sun, Jan 11	Iowa	W 64-49
Wed, Jan 14	at Illinois	L 51-66
Sat, Jan 17	Ohio St.	L 58-65
Tue, Jan 20	at Penn St.	L 58-73
Sat, Jan 24	Northwestern	W 68-59
Wed, Jan 28	at Ohio St.	L 54-72
Sat, Jan 31	at (16) Purdue	L 49-67
Thu, Feb 5	Penn St.	W 71-51
Sat, Feb 7	at (1) Connecticut	L 61-69
Tue, Feb 10	(9) Michigan St.	L 42-54
Sun, Feb 15	at Northwestern	W 70-67
Thu, Feb 19	Minnesota	W 74-62
Sun, Feb 22	at Iowa	L 60-70
Thu, Feb 26	(16) Purdue	W 87-78
Sun, Mar 1	at Wisconsin	L 55-60
Sat, Mar 7	at Minnesota	W 67-64
Thu, Mar 12	Iowa	W 73-45
Fri, Mar 13	at Illinois	L 50-60
Thu, Mar 19	at (24) Clemson	W 62-59

Looking Back at Clemson

Beauford — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:27:38 -0000

We're gonna win this thing. Not just Oklahoma, we're gonna win the whole...damn...thing.

Well, probably not, but that's kind of how I feel after last night gave us a little taste of a fall Saturday in the middle of March, complete with a vintage Lloyd Carr "I can't believe we're letting them come back" moment. Of course, it also came complete with me sitting in my living room with my arms above my head yelling "yes! yes!" after the victory was complete I was angry, defiant, and joyful all in one little 2 hour span, which normally doesn't happen until football season but wait this is March, and that ball is suspiciously round, and holy-crap I care about Basketball again. Sweet.

I didn't write it, and I didn't say it, but one of my primary concerns about last night's game was the potential for the team to say "we've accomplished our goal; we're here; now we're done." I trusted Beilein enough to not let that happen, so I didn't mention it and quietly let it fester. Then Michigan came out and floated two airballs in a row and took exactly 9.67 seconds to cross that 10 second line against the press. I immediately went into the exact shell that I had trusted Beilein to break. I was just happy to be there, and content to watch Clemson run us over. Michigan, on the other hand, decided that they'd better start playing basketball.

And play it they did. Something I did write (in so many words) was that the key to the game would be which team handled the unique defense they faced better. Quite simply, Michigan broke the press early and often, while Clemson had a tough time figuring out that 1-3-1. Booker got his, scoring 18, but we defended the perimeter very well: Clemson was 5-22 from long range. It became very apparent in the early going that Michigan was dictating tempo, forcing outside shots, and breaking the press.

It also became clear that Manny was here to play.

He was, without a doubt, the best player on the court last night and consistently made plays when it mattered. His dribble drive 3 point play with 37 seconds remaining sealed the deal (despite Novak giving everyone a heart-attack), but really his whole game was pretty awesome. He scored when it was available, he dished when they doubled him, he rebounded, he dunked, he drove, he shot three's, he was unstoppable. In a game that Sims was frustrated and pressing, Manny looked smooth and confident. So often, we look for story lines that don't involve the star of the show, but in this case, the star was the show. The Wolverine Liberation Army's giant cock* proves it. Also: Zack Gibson, I take back everything negative I've said about you. Great minutes last night. Also also: Stu, next time maybe just a white-point guard layup. You frightened me.

The immediate reaction was kind of expected from the Clemsonite's of the internets. The OP called it "...one of the worst officiated games I have ever seen" which is normally the mantra of the vanquished, but in this case deserves some attention. Oglesby threw an elbow, that much is for sure, but did he really need to be ejected? As a team that was on the other end of an "elbow ejection" earlier this year, I can sympathize with that. I, as well as anybody else in the liveblog (all 4 of us!), didn't think he should have been ejected. Call it an intentional, and move on. I get that part of the OP's ref-rage. But other than that, I thought the game was pretty evenly officiated. It was a little loose, but still tighter than an average Big Ten game, IMO. Michigan attempted 15 free throws to Clemson's 14. All in all; pretty even. I don't think the ejection is what caused Clemson the game, as Oglesby was having a largely forgettable night. I dunno - you be the judge. Is this ejectable? It's at the 49 second mark:

So now we get to play Oklahoma at around 5PM on Saturday. The Griffin Bros. were in full on destruction mode against Morgan State, and it will be interesting to see how Beilein goes about defending them. Preview up shortly, but until then, bask in the victory. It wasn't enough for Michigan just to be here. It's time to win the weekend.

* of victory

Clemson: Not so Many Numbers

Beauford — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:20:54 -0000

Ah, it begins. One of my absolute favorite times to be a sports fan. I'm watching Butler play LSU, got the other games running on the laptop. Life's good.

Michigan plays tonight, which is pretty sweet. First time in 10 years that we've heard NCAA, blahde blahde blahde. Let's get to the game, shall we?

The first thing that you notice when looking at Clemson is that damned full court press that they run on almost every possession. The next thing you notice is "holy crap it works." Clemson on the season forces a turnover on nearly 25% of their opposition's possessions, which is scary for a team like Michigan who definitely can't afford to give Clemson easy transition points. The answer for anybody who's watched Michigan this year is "Grady!" but he's proven to be a defensive liability, and probably won't get the start. However, should that press become a huge problem for Lee/Merritt, I would expect Grady to get some serious minutes.

The flip side of a tenacious press is easy 2 pointers once it's broken, and poor rebounding. Clemson allows for both, which like, good. Rebounding has been somewhat of an issue for Michigan, so it's nice to be going up against a team for whom it's also a problem. Should Michigan start to break that press with consistency, I expect there to be some easy transition points.

Also boding well for Michigan is Clemson's lack of a true giant in the middle. Trevor Booker averages around 15 points/game, and will be their primary target inside. I don't think he's the biggest threat, however, as Sims matches up well and barring foul trouble should be able to at least frustrate him enough to limit his impact. I'm more worried about Oglesby shooting from range. If he gets hot and starts shooting over the zone, it could be a long day.

Speaking of the zone, it seems to be Michigan's primary weapon in this game. Clemson has had very limited time to prepare for the 1-3-1, and aren't very good at keeping the ball anyways, turning it over on 21% of their possessions. Without a true big man to plow inside, Clemson is going to really have to rely on dribble drives and outside shooting. Defending the perimeter is paramount.

For Michigan offensively, it's the same story. Gotta get Sims involved early, gotta have Manny penetrating and dishing, gotta have somebody hit some outside shots. The only difference here is that full court press. Break it, and we should get some easy buckets. Get killed by it, and well, it's back to Ann Arbor.

There has been much said about Beilein's tournament success compared to Purnell's lack thereof. While I don't hold this as a something that is too important, it is certainly worth mentioning. Beilein, whether in the NCAA or the NIT, wins a lot. Purnell, on the other hand, has never won a tournament game in 5 tries. He's figured out a way to lose whether he's favored or not, which could be good, because the numbers say that, uh, we're decidedly not favored.

Keys to the game

Break the press. Hopefully with Lee/Meritt, maybe with Grady
Limit Clemson transition points
Defend the perimeter
Work that 1-3-1 to force TO's
Get Sims involved early
Quality 3 pointers; not quantity

Are we favored? No, no, and no. Can we win this game? Of course. If we break the press with consistency, and our 1-3-1 proves to be frustrating, I think we're in good shape. Let's get after it. Live blog at 5PM.

How It's Going to Go Down

Beauford — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:47:08 -0000

You'll be walking down the street in an nondescript part of town. Kansas City. No man's land. The sun isn't shining, but it ain't rainin' - at least - not yet. Water, or some unidentifiable liquid, drips from the fire escapes above your head and splash onto the pavement that hasn't dried but still isn't wet. Your hand will go to your pocket, to the mysterious piece of paper, an invitation. You'll read it again blindly; by now you've got it memorized.

Thursday, March 19th. Kansas City. Wear Orange.

- NCAA

You will immediately put the paper back in the pocket of your orange warmup, afraid that someone's spotted you. These four letter have haunted you since receiving the invite on Sunday. 7-seed facing a 10-seed. Shouldn't be a problem. You've trained for this. How tough could these "Wolverines" be anyways?

But doubt will start to creep into your head. You haven't had time to prepare, and these Wolverines fight in an unorthodox style, some sort of weird smothering zone you haven't seen. "No matter!" you'll say, as you continue to walk towards the meeting point, splashing through puddles that are starting to form as the rain picks up. You're Clemson. You won 16 straight. You're the higher seed. But that doubt doesn't go away. It just festers as you begin to argue with yourself. The streetlight glints off your shoulder holstered .45. If they want a fight, they'll get it.

You will arrive at the destination. 1100 Walnut Street. The rain has become a steady stream that sizzles the pavement around you. Each flash of lightening briefly illuminates the surroundings to daylight. "Daylight." During the day children play on these streets. At night, they belong to the madness. You will stand in the pale glow of the steaming street light and await your foe. Your hand drifts towards the .45.

A flash of lightening, and some movement. You'll reach for your piece, but it will be too late. You're smothered, baffled by this "1-3-1" attack. You'll fire some wild shots from long range, but come up mostly empty. There must be a way to loosen this defense, you'll think, and so you'll continue to fire wildly from distance, hoping to stretch them enough to get some penetration. It won't work. Eventually, you'll start to turn it over, frustrated by this mysterious zone.

That's when the Wolverines will go to work. They'll start by working the inside, freeing up Sims to land those hard body punches and back door cuts. You'll get tired and weak, and with each blow that's landed, the Wolverines will gain confidence. Then, as quickly as it started, it'll be over. You'll be left standing, clutching your battered side with your firearm out. You'll take a few more wild shots into the darkness before a flash of lightening illuminates a figure standing 20 feet, 9 inches from you. The assassin.

You'll hear the shots being fired from all around you. Sims, Novak, and Douglass. The snipers. There are just too many of them. Your mind will go blank, you'll drop to your knees. The one man, must be Harris, standing in front of you will raise his gun, his shadow cast upon the street around him and forming a permanent image behind your eyes. You'll see the flash, but you won't hear the shot that gets you. Ask UCLA. Ask Duke. Nobody ever does.