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Patricia Babcock McGraw's Bio: Patricia Babcock McGraw is a women's basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network. Submit your comments below or e-mail her at the right, then come back all season for her views on all Big Ten women's hoops. |
| Dec 27 2008, 1:05 PM | Topic: Women's basketball |
| Happy Holidays Big Ten women's basketball fans!!! We're five games into the Big Ten schedule already, can you believe it? (That sure came up fast!) Before we go any further, let me share something fun that might make for interesting fodder as conference play continues on this weekend. At media day in October, I polled some of the players in attendance about THEIR favorite Big Ten players. I asked them to name the one player in the league they look forward to playing against, simply because they genuinely appreciate that person's game. I also asked them to tell me who was going to be the best player in the Big Ten this year. Happy reading and keep watching the Big Ten Network. I'm looking forward to calling Monday's game in Madison between Minnesota and Wisconsin! Should be a good one. Both the Gophers and the Badgers are coming off losses, but both teams are having great years. Minnesota is 8-3 and boasts, as you'll see below, one of the most highly regarded players in the Big Ten in guard Emily Fox. And Wisconsin has been the darling of the league so far, winning 10 games in a row before losing to Iowa just before Christmas. Question 1: What player in the Big Ten do you look forward to playing against because you respect and admire her game? Lacey Simpson, Illinois: Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue). I love watching her play. She's very talented. I'll probably be guarding her this year. I'm excited for that. It's always a good challenge. Jenna Smith, Illinois: I love watching Michigan's point guard (Jessica Minnfield). She's the energy for her team. She runs that team and I love that. Same with Brianne O'Rourke from Penn State. From a post standpoint, I would say Whitney Thomas from Indiana. She works so hard. I'm undersized and she's shorter than me. She works so hard for every rebound. And she's a lefty like me. I go with that. Jori Davis, Indiana: I like Jenna Smith's (Illinois) style of play. She makes her teammates better and she brings a lot of energy that is positive. Whitney Thomas, Indiana: Emily Fox from Minnesota is a great player. She likes to push her teammates and she knows how to create a shot when it's needed. Megan Skouby, Iowa: I enjoy playing against Allyssa DeHaan (Michigan State) because it opens new challenges for me since she is the only player I've faced that is taller than me. (Skouby is 6-6, DeHaan is 6-9.) Carly Benson, Michigan: Emily Fox (Minnesota). She's a good leader. She plays hard and is just a smart basketball player. Watching her makes me want to be a leader like that. I respect her game. Jessica Minnfield, Michigan: Jantel Lavender (Ohio State). I played with her in AAU. I'm from Toledo and she's from Cleveland and we both played on an AAU team in Columbus. She's just huge. I come up to her waist. She's fun to watch. Aisha Jefferson, Michigan State: I like watching Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton from Purdue. I've been matched up with her in previous years and our games our kind of similar. She's not one-dimensional. She can shoot, she can face up, go back to the basket. She works hard and is very smart. Emily Fox, Minnesota: Kristi Smith (Iowa) is also from Colorado, like I am. I've been playing against her forever. She's so quick and she's fun to watch…not very fun to guard, though. Ashley Ellis-Milan, Minnesota: Jantel Lavender (Ohio State). She was so good as a freshman. I hate playing against her but I would love to watch her workout and see what she does. I think that she is really good. Amy Jaeschke, Northwestern: I like playing against Jantel Lavender (Ohio State). I played with her on some USA teams. I know her as a person and she's a really good person. Basketball-wise, it's a really good person to match up against, just to see where you're at as a player. She's one of the top post players in the nation. Kristin Cartwright, Northwestern: Lacey Simpson from Illinois. She had a really good year last year and I played with her when I was younger. She was always really good. Last year, at the end, you started to see her full potential and I think she's going to be a surprise player in the conference. Jantel Lavender, Ohio State: FahKara Malone (Purdue). I love her. She is great. She's a hard-nosed point guard. I think that's awesome. She leads her team. You can't ask for more from a point guard. And all of Minnesota's post players are really tough, really strong. Brianne O'Rourke, Penn State: Being a point guard, I would have to say Kristi Smith (Iowa) and Emily Fox (Minnesota). I like playing against both of them. I think they're great players and I like watching them play. They both take control of their team and I like that out of a point guard. Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, Purdue: Jantel Lavender (Ohio State) was very good as a freshman. I'm going to have to think on this though. There are just so many great players. FahKara Malone, Purdue: I have to go with point guards. I watch them the most. I appreciate the point guard from Wisconsin (Rae Lin D'Alie). She sets up her players so well. She's very heady, she knows when to shoot, when to pass. I enjoy watching her. Alyssa Karel, Wisconsin: Being from Minnesota, I always like when Minnesota comes to play us. I've watched Emily Fox (Minnesota) play a lot. She's crafty, she's quick. I like watching her play. Getting to play against her is such a challenge. It's fun to be on the court with her and battle her. Rae Lin D'Alie, Wisconsin: I've always had a thing for playing against other point guards that are kind of gritty like me. I love Penn State and playing against Brianne O'Rourke. And I love Purdue and (FahKara) Malone. And Iowa with Kristi Smith. She's such a water bug. I literally just chase her the whole game because she's just running everywhere. That's always a fun matchup. Question 2: Who will be the best player in the Big Ten this season? Lacey Simpson, Illinois: Jenna Smith (Illinois), without a doubt. She not like most post players. She can shoot the three, she can dribble. Most players post with their backs to the basket. She's very versatile. Jenna Smith, Illinois: That's hard. Jantel Lavender's (Ohio State) up there. But I love Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue), too. I watch her and just say, "I need to try that." She was great before she went down (with a knee injury). And Emily Fox (Minnesota), too. It's up for grabs. Whitney Thomas, Indiana: I don't think there will be just one best player. The Big Ten is so open this year. There are a lot of great players. Megan Skouby, Iowa: The best player is Ohio State's Jantel Lavender because she has the all-around game of scoring, rebounding and blocking shots. Carly Benson, Michigan: It's more than who has the most points. I think it's who impacts their team the most in every way and I would say Emily Fox (Minnesota) does that. Jessica Minnfield, Michigan: Emily Fox (Minnesota) is real tough. She's a really good player. Aisha Jefferson, Michigan State: It's a tough conference with a lot of tough players. I see Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue) and Jantel Lavender (Ohio State) and Allyssa DeHaan (Michigan State) and Jenna Smith (Illinois) and maybe even myself competing for that. There are a lot of good posts in this conference. Emily Fox, Minnesota: I think Jantel Lavender (Ohio State) will come back and have another big year. Another year of experience...she'll be great. Ashley Ellis-Milan, Minnesota: Emily (Fox, Minnesota) will be the best. She can score and do everything. When people think of Minnesota basketball, they think about her. Amy Jaeschke, Northwestern: Jantel Lavender (Ohio State) is going to have a great year again. She impressed a lot of people last year with how good she was as a freshman and now she's had a whole off-season with her coaches. Jantel Lavender, Ohio State: I want to be the best player in the Big Ten. I keep hearing a lot about Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton's (Purdue) defense and how ferocious she is. I haven't seen her yet. And Allyssa DeHaan (Michigan State). She's 6-9 and she can just block shots. They'll be my main competition. Brianne O'Rourke, Penn State: Jenna Smith (Illinois) and Jantel Lavender (Ohio State) will be up there. Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, Purdue: I like Emily Fox (Minnesota). FahKara Malone, Purdue: I think Lindsay (Wisdom-Hylton) is going to be the best player in the Big Ten. Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton: Ohhhh, that's so sweet. FahKara Malone: She better be. If she's the best player, that means we're the best team. But hey (turning to Wisdom-Hylton and laughing), no pressure, no pressure. Alyssa Karel, Wisconsin: Obviously Jantel Lavender (Ohio State). She had an awesome season last year and has the potential to do it again. Rae Lin D'Alie, Wisconsin: Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue) is tough. Emily Fox (Minnesota) is always at the top of her game, too. Besides her, it's the year of the post. You've got Allyssa DeHaan (Michigan State), too. |
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