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Graham Couch/Chronicle
Indiana Head Coach Bobby Knight entertains reporters at Big Ten media day.
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Spartans, Bucs, Illini, class of the Big Ten
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by Graham Couch
Assistant Editor |
ROSEMONT--Despite the loss of two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, Mateen Cleaves for at least eight weeks, both the coaches and the media picked the Spartans to finish in the a top the conference at this year’s Big Ten media day.
Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo has handed over the reigns of point guard to junior David Thomas until Cleaves (11.7 ppg, 7.1 apg) returns from the stress fracture he suffered two weeks ago.
“The problem right now is we have great depth everywhere but [at point guard],” Izzo said. “[Thomas] has to realize he has to be David Thomas within our system, not Mateen Cleaves. He has to know his limitations and not try to be someone he is not.”
The two-time defending Big Ten champions are coming off a 33-5 season and their first trip to the Final Four since 1979. With early games against Depaul, North Carolina, Kansas, Arizona, and Kentucky, the loss of Cleaves will test MSU’s inexperience at the point.
“How we play and how we do [without Cleaves] will determine where this program is,” Izzo said. “I don’t like the excuse thing, because once you get one you tend to lean on it.”
Until the Big Ten schedule starts, the Spartans will need first team All-Big Ten forward Morris Peterson (13.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg) to become the leader on the court.
“He is going to have to step up and maybe be the guy who takes the big shot,” Izzo said. “He has grown the most of anyone in this program, including Mateen. I’m hoping that he understands what it takes for us to be successful.”
Fresh off a Final Four appearance themselves, Ohio State earned the second pick of the coaches and media. The Buckeyes, 27-9 last season, return arguably the top guard tandem in the country with Scoonie Penn (16.9 ppg, 4.2 apg), and Michael Redd (19.5 ppg).
“It’s hard to stop one of them. Two of them together is pretty damn good,” Northwestern Coach Kevin O’Neil said.
With highly touted newcomers Frank Williams and Brian Cook joining Sergio McClain and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Cory Bradford, Illinois was the third choice of the coaches and media. Coming off a strong late season finish, Illinois is being hyped as a dangerous team this season.
“With Frank coming in as a true point guard and doing the things he does, it lets me move to two-guard and do the things I’m capable of as far as being a more aggressive scorer and making plays,” Bradford said. “I don’t have to worry a lot about calling plays. So it takes a lot of pressure off me.”
Illinois Coach Lon Kruger thinks his young squad has the potential to be a very tough team, but they must use their depth to make up for a lack of size.”
“The key with our team is how well we rebound the basketball,” Kruger said. “To do the things we want to do-push the pace a little offensively, to extend defensively, and stir it up a little bit, we have to rebound.”
Northwestern, as expected, was not among the coaches’ or media’s top picks. The Wildcats must deal with the graduation of center Evan Eschmeyer and the loss of sharp shooter Sean Wink, who left the program. The loss of Wink puts Coach O’Neil in an unexpected tough spot.
“It forces a freshman, probably Jason Burke or Ben Johnson, to play way more minutes than they should be playing,” O’Neil said.
Eschmeyer’s departure hurts even more. Without their leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago (19.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg), Northwestern is forced to change their entire offense. The Wildcats will rely more on perimeter scoring since they led the Big Ten last season in three-point shooting (.375 percent).
“We’re going to be a five-man motion team now, instead of throwing it inside, diving one guy and spotting up for [a three-pointer],” said O’Neil. “It’s our challenge to find the open shots for [Steve] Lapore, [David] Newman, and [Johnson] that they can make on a 50 percent basis.”
For all 11 teams, the Big Ten schedule will provide no breaks this season. The league is loaded with talent once again.
“It’s the toughest league top to bottom,” said O’Neil, who has coached in both the SEC and Conference USA. “Other leagues may be as good one through five. You look at six through 11-that is how you decide how good your league is. Penn State was a game under .500 last year. That’s the best damn one game under .500 team I’ve ever seen.” |
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Views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Journalism Department or the college.
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