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Brent Yarina's Bio: BigTenNetwork.com editor Brent Yarina takes you around Big Ten athletics, on and off the court. |
| Oct 29 2009, 12:59 PM | Topic: Talking Big Ten | ||||
One look at the Preseason All-Big Ten Team tells you everything you need to know, and that's that the conference's junior class is good. The entire team is comprised of juniors, in fact, headlined by reigning Player of the Year Kalin Lucas, the media's pick to repeat this season at Thursday's annual media day. But just how good is the class? "Purdue alone, that team could be an All-Star team [of juniors]," Big Ten Network analyst and two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Jim Jackson said. That's true, with Robbie Hummel, JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore all back and in the starting lineup, but the class is so deep that only one of those guys (Hummel) made the team. That happens when your conference boasts names such as Michigan's Manny Harris, Ohio State's Evan Turner and Penn State's Talor Battle, a trio that just so happens to round out the preseason team. "How rare is it that you have a conference where the top five players are all back?" Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein said. "That's like old-school basketball."
"The junior class is going to be scary this year," Minnesota's Damian Johnson said. "Last year, they were pretty good, but now it's Year 3 and they really know what they're doing. There's a lot of guys with NBA-type talent there in that class." And to think we haven't even mentioned Illinois' Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale, Minnesota's Al Nolen, Northwestern's Juice Thompson or Michigan State's Durrell Summers. Oh, and let's not forget this is the same class that lost two of its biggest superstars, Eric Gordon and Kosta Koufos, to the NBA draft following the 2008 season. A couple guys, Johnson and Turner, considered doing the same this past year before deciding otherwise on the heels of dynamic sophomore seasons. "I had some things left that I wanted to accomplish," Johnson said. "I want to win a Big Ten title and a national title." And, as they say, the NBA isn't going anywhere for any of these guys. "Everywhere you look, the junior class has very elite players who are trying to take their game to the next level," Purdue's Chris Kramer said. Whether they get there and how many of them ultimately get there, will depend a lot on how they perform this year. "We've all elevated our play," Turner said. "We all just keep getting better, and I think it will be a real interesting year with all the talent we have." BACK ON THE MAP: With the exception of a season or two, Michigan hasn't really been relevant in the basketball landscape since the Fab Five left town. While the Wolverines made the tournament last year and even won a game, beating Clemson, this appears to be the year they'll return to relevancy. Ranked No. 15 in the initial ESPN/USA Today Poll, the Wolverines have expectations to live up to, something that's new to Manny Harris and his teammates. "It's different now because in previous years we weren't expected to do anything," said Harris, who has been nursing a sore hamstring and was expected to practice for the first time in two weeks Thursday afternoon. "But this year, people expect stuff from us and know who we are." Like Michigan State's Kalin Lucas. "They're back, and that's going to spice [the rivalry] up a lot," Lucas said Even Michigan fans are taking a greater interest in these Wolverines. "Everywhere you go, the gas station, wherever, you're kind of shocked by how many people know who you are now." DON'T FORGET ABOUT US: Michigan isn't alone when it comes to Big Ten teams on the rise, thanks in large part to Tubby Smith. Smith, who missed the event to attend his father's funeral, has turned the Gophers into a legit team during his first two seasons. Year 3 will start with the Gophers ranked No. 18 in the USA Today Poll, and if Damian Johnson has a say in it, they'll only rise in those rankings. "I think this team is capable of a top 10 finish in the nation," Johnson said. "We want to finish 1, 2 or 3 in the Big Ten. From what I've seen in practice, this is the most talented team I've ever played on, AAU included." The talent he refers to includes Lawrence Westbrook, Al Nolen, Ralph Sampson, Colton Iverson, to go along with a strong recruiting class, highlighted by Royce White and Rodney Williams. "The talent is catching up with the coaching there," Big Ten Network analyst Jim Jackson said. "Tubby is the kind of coach who will get the guys he wants, the guys who are smart and who will play aggressive defense. That's great for Minnesota because that arena is already tough to play in and now you have a good team in there too." LONELY WORLD: A reporter asked Indiana's Verdell Jones III whether he was enjoying his first media day or if he just wanted it to end. His response? "As the only sophomore here," Jones said, "I love it." Jones was the youngest player in attendance, and he said he felt privileged that coach Tom Crean thought enough of him to extend him an invitation. Jones might be a sophomore by classification, but he's an elder statesman when it comes to Indiana. The Hoosiers, of course, were the nation's youngest team last year, and they'll be one of the youngest again this year. Last year's youth didn't yield great results en route to a one-win Big Ten season, however Jones says things are going to get better. "There's nowhere to go besides up right now," he said. "Up's a hard place to get to," Crean said. "You have to really be focused on your daily task and focused on what you're trying to accomplish. It's a lot of work and the consistency that goes into that on a daily basis is a huge part of that." If the Hoosiers can't find motivation in last year's struggles, perhaps they can look to the so-called experts. "Every preseason magazine I've seen has us picked last in the Big Ten," Jones said. "That's not a bad situation for us because teams won't be expecting too much and maybe we can upset them." ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: Jim Jackson is a Big Ten fan. He's the conference's only back-to-back Player of the Year honoree after all. That said, the player-turned-analyst wants to see the Big Ten become one of the nation's top conference's again and, more importantly, tally a victory in the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
In the event's first 10 years, the Big Ten has a grand total of zero wins. They were close last year, falling 6-5, but Jackson sees an oppurtunity this year. "With all the talent this conference has, what's going to be important is how we compete in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge," Jackson said. "This year it will be a better test, and I think that will be the tell-tale sign of where this conference is." Fellow Big Ten Network analyst Shon Morris has no doubt where the conference stands. "Top to bottom, the league's as good as it's been since I've been around, and I've been around for a long time," Morris said. "There's so much quality depth, and I'm not talking about just the Michigan States, the Purdues and the Ohio States. "If you're a fan, you're going to love it. If you're a coach, well, it's going to be a nightmare." |
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