Ohio St

Poll: Who Locked Up the Best 2010 Recruiting Class?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:16:34 -0500

Big Ten Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:36:59 -0500

With six teams in CHN's preseason Top 25, and 3 more teams with NCAA Tournament hopes, no league has more depth than the Big Ten. And an improving Indiana into the mix, and this should be quite a season for Big Ten fans.

Conference Rank: 1st

10 year average: 4th

Big Ten Page

All-BIG TEN Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Kalin Lucas	Michigan St	Jr
G	Manny Harris	Michigan	Jr
G	Talor Battle	Penn St	Jr
G/F	Evan Turner	Ohio St	Jr
F	Robbie Hummel	Purdue	Jr
Second Team
G	William Buford	Ohio St	So
G	Trevon Hughes	Wisconsin	Jr
F	Kevin Coble	Northwestern	Sr
F	Mike Davis	Illinois	Jr
C	JaJuan Johnson	Purdue	Sr

Player of the Year - Kalin Lucas Freshman of the Year - Maurice Creek (Indiana)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Kalin Lucas (1st Team) Evan Turner (1st) Manny Harris (3rd) Talor Battle Robbie Hummel JaJuan Johnson All-Freshman Team Maurice Creek (3rd)		Points: Evan Turner 17.3 Rebounds: Mike Davis 8.1 Assists: Talor Battle 5.0 Team: Michigan State 72.0

Big Ten Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

3	Michigan State	Big Ten	1	NCAA
10	Purdue	Big Ten	2	NCAA
13	Ohio State	Big Ten	3	NCAA
14	Michigan	Big Ten	4	NCAA
18	Minnesota	Big Ten	5	NCAA
21	Illinois	Big Ten	6	NCAA
36	Wisconsin	Big Ten	7	NCAA
54	Penn State	Big Ten	8	NIT
71	Northwestern	Big Ten	9	NIT
109	Indiana	Big Ten	10	CBI/CIT
123	Iowa	Big Ten	11	CBI/CIT

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Big Ten?

Other Big Ten Content

Other

Big Ten 5-Year Ranking

Big Ten Top 25 Players

Big Ten: Fantasy Stats Preview

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

College Basketball: Preseason All-America Team

CHN — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:50:56 -0500

A pair of Kansas Jayhawks lead the CollegeHoops.net 2009-10 Preseason All-America Teams. Guard Sherron Collins is CHN's Preseason Player of the Year, and is joined on the First Team by big man Cole Aldrich. Luke Harangody, a member of our 2009 All-America Team, is the lone returnee. Three freshmen are on the list in John Wall, Derrick Favors, and Avery Bradley. A handful of players from outside the power conferences are included such as Nevada's Luke Babbitt and Butler's Gordon Hayward. Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Purdue, Texas, and West Virginia have multiple players.

CollegeHoops.net Preseason Player of the Year: Sherron Collins (Kansas)

CollegeHoops.net First Team All-American

Sherron Collins	Kansas	SR	G
Kalin Lucas	Michigan State	JR	G
Evan Turner	Ohio State	JR	G/F
Luke Harangody	Notre Dame	SR	F
Cole Aldrich	Kansas	SR	F

CollegeHoops.net Second Team All-American

John Wall	Kentucky	FR	G
Devan Downey	South Carolina	SR	G
Scottie Reynolds	Villanova	SR	G
Kyle Singler	Duke	JR	F
Patrick Patterson	Kentucky	SO	F

CollegeHoops.net Third Team All-American

Willie Warren	Oklahoma	SO	G
Greivis Vasquez	Maryland	SR	G
Manny Harris	Michigan	JR	G
Tyler Smith	Tennessee	JR	F
Derrick Favors	Georgia Tech	FR	F/C

CollegeHoops.net Fourth Team All-American

Jerome Randle	California	SR	G
James Anderson	Oklahoma State	JR	G
Devin Ebanks	West Virginia	SO	F
Craig Brackins	Iowa State	JR	F
Ed Davis	North Carolina	SO	F

Honorable Mention

Al-Farouq Aminu	Wake Forest	SO	F
Luke Babbitt	Nevada	SO	F
Talor Battle	Penn St	JR	G
Trevor Booker	Clemson	JR	G
Avery Bradley	Texas	FR	G
Da'Sean Butler	West Virginia	SR	F
Denis Clemente	Kansas State	SR	G
Malcolm Delaney	Virginia Tech	JR	G
Jimmer Fredette	BYU	JR	G
Gordon Hayward	Butler	SO	G
Robbie Hummel	Purdue	JR	F
Damion James	Texas	SR	F
JaJuan Johnson	Purdue	JR	C
Jerome Jordan	Tulsa	SR	C
Tasmin Mitchell	LSU	SR	F
Greg Monroe	Georgetown	SO	F
AJ Ogilvy	Vanderbilt	SO	F
Larry Sanders	VCU	JR	F
Jon Scheyer	Duke	SR	G
Isaiah Thomas	Washington	SO	G
Jarvis Varnado	Mississippi St	SR	F
Nic Wise	Arizona	SR	G
Terrico White	Ole Miss	SO	G
Chris Wright	Xavier	JR	F

Other CollegeHoops.net Preseason Awards

- Preseason All-Freshman Team

Big Ten Basketball: Top 25 Players

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:33:46 -0500

Ranking players is more art then science. How do you compare the potential of freshmen with seniors who have already peaked? How much does physical talent come into play versus intangibles and experience? How big a role do numbers play?

In some situations, the bigger challenge is deciding what position to list a player. College basketball is filled with combo guards, wings who can play from the 2 to 4, centers who are really power forwards, and so on.

All of these questions make lists like this fun and debatable.. if you disagree with CHN's rankings, post what you think below.

BIG TEN

PG
1. Kalin Lucas - Michigan State
2. Talor Battle - Penn State
3. Demetri McCamey - Illinois
4. Lewis Jackson - Purdue
5. Michael Thompson - Northwestern

SG
1. Evan Turner - Ohio State
2. Manny Harris - Michigan
3. Trevon Hughes - Wisconsin
4. E'Twaun Moore - Purdue
5. William Buford - Ohio State

- The SG position is particularly deep in the Big Ten. Iowa's Matt Gatens, MSU's Chris Allen & Durrell Summers, are also quality players. The Big Ten's crop of freshmen guards is rather weak this year. Indiana's Maurice Creek might be the best in the league.

SF
1. Kevin Coble - Northwestern
2. Raymar Morgan - Michigan State
3. David Lighty - Ohio State
4. Jon Leuer - Wisconsin
5. Royce White - Minnesota

PF
1. DeShawn Sims - Michigan
2. Robbie Hummel - Purdue
3. Mike Davis - Illinois
4. Delvon Roe - Michigan State
5. Derek Elston - Indiana

C
1. JaJuan Johnson - Purdue
2. Mike Tisdale - Illinois
3. Andrew Jones - Penn State
4. Ralph Sampson III - Minnesota
5. Tom Pritchard - Indiana

- You don't see too many future NBA stars here, but there's a lot of depth. Minnesota's White was recently suspended, but I'm leaving him on the list, until his future is decided. The center position is filled with a lot of workman-like players, but nothing terribly exciting beyond Johnson and the improving Tisdale.

-- SEC Top 25 Players

-- Pac-10 Top 25 Players

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will be the National Player of the Year?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:29:02 -0500

Big Ten Basketball: 5-Year Ranking

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:14:09 -0500

BIG TEN 5-YEAR STANDINGS

CHN's annual 5-year ranking answers a simple question is in a simple manner: Who has been the best team in the Big Ten over the last five years?

Teams get points for league wins, making the postseason (NIT or NCAA) and winning games in the Big Dance. NIT wins are meaningless here, as are non-conference wins. Also, league tournaments wins are not taken into account. (An original trial-scoring system included points for conference tourney wins. But the flukish nature of these tourney's did more harm than hurt: ie, 2008 Georgia, 2006 Syracuse, and 2004 Maryland ended up getting too much credit despite the reality that they were mediocre to sub-par teams.)

100 total points is set up to be the equivalent of batting .300 in baseball.. anything above and beyond is all-world stuff. 50 points is mediocre and you only start to get bad below 40 points.

Pos.	Was	Team	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	Wins	Gms.	Points

1	2	Michigan St	13	8	8	12	15	56	84	67	Win %
			Final Four	1st Round	2nd Round	Sweet 16	Finals			33	Post Pts.
										100

2	1	Wisconsin	11	9	13	16	10	59	84	70	Win %
			Elite 8	1st Round	2nd Round	Sweet 16	2nd Round			24	Post Pts.
										94

3	4	Ohio State	8	12	15	10	10	55	84	65	Win %
			X	2nd Round	Finals	NIT	1st Round			18	Post Pts.
										83

4	3	Illinois	15	11	9	5	11	51	84	61	Win %
			Finals	2nd Round	1st Round	X	1st Round			19	Post Pts.
										80

5	5	Indiana	10	9	10	14	1	44	84	52	Win %
			NIT	2nd Round	2nd Round	1st Round	X			11	Post Pts.
										63

6	7	Purdue	3	3	9	15	11	41	84	49	Win %
			X	X	2nd Round	2nd Round	Sweet 16			14	Post Pts.
										63

7	6	Iowa	7	11	9	6	5	38	84	45	Win %
			1st Round	1st Round	X	X	X			4	Post Pts.
										49

8	9	Minnesota	10	5	3	8	9	35	84	42	Win %
			1st Round	NIT	X	NIT	1st Round			6	Post Pts.
										48

9	8	Michigan	4	8	8	5	9	34	84	40	Win %
			X	NIT	NIT	X	2nd Round			8	Post Pts.
										48

10	11	Penn State	1	6	2	7	10	26	84	31	Win %
			X	NIT	X	X	NIT			2	Post Pts.
										33

11	10	N'Western	6	6	2	1	8	23	84	27	Win %
			X	X	X	X	NIT			1	Post Pts.
										28

-Ties are broken by favoring conference winning %

Big Ten Thoughts

- Michigan St retakes the top spot after an impressive Final Four run.

- Wisconsin is the only other team besides MSU to make 5 straight NCAA Tourneys.

- Purdue and Iowa are heading in opposite directions.

- Penn State moves up from the cellar after a surprise 10-win season.

Postseason Points

NIT = 1

NCAA 1st Round = 2

NCAA 2nd Round = 4

Sweet = 6

Elite 8 = 8

Final Four = 10

Final = 11

Champs = 12

Other 5-Year Rankings

ACC

Big 12

Big East

Pac-10

SEC

.. All

Ohio State Basketball Preview: #13

Joel Welser — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:53:46 -0500

Overall Rank: #13

Conference Rank: #3 Big Ten Conference

2008-09: 22-11, 10-8

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Thad Matta (132-70 at Ohio State, 200-125 overall)

Ohio State’s best days are ahead of them since most of their impact players are sophomores and juniors, but this group has a bad taste left in their mouth after losing to Siena in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in their home state. Not surprisingly, center B.J. Mullens left after his freshman campaign, but he only started two games all year long and barely averaged over 20 minutes per game. He will certainly be missed, but losing your sixth man is usually not too big of a deal.

Key Losses: C B.J. Mullens

Key Newcomers:

There are no incoming freshmen, but Zisis Sarikopoulos will try and help fill the void left behind by Mullens. Sarikopoulos spent one year at UAB before transferring to Ohio State where he did not play very much. However, since that time, he has really emerged on the national stage playing great ball at the U18 European Championships…for Greece, if you could not guess by the name. The other semi-newcomer is Nikola Kecman. He transferred in from Eastern Arizona and had to sit out the first 12 games of the 2008-2009 season. Two games later the 6-8 forward was done for the year after tearing an ACL.

Backcourt:

The most intriguing position to watch is the most important in college basketball. Jeremie Simmons never really got in the groove of playing point guard. While he dished out 2.5 assists and did a decent job keeping the turnovers down, he lost his job by the end of the year to P.J. Hill. Both are seniors and one of them has to step up and at least be able to bring the ball up the court. The strength is on the wings where Evan Turner is the superstar. Turner’s superb play will open up space for Jon Diebler and William Buford. Diebler connected on 41.6 percent of his attempts from long range and knocked down nearly three per game. Buford came on strong late in his freshman campaign and ended up second on the team with 11.3 points per game. Fitting them all into the starting lineup will not be possible and somebody out of that mix, likely Diebler or Buford, will have an early lead on the conference’s sixth man award.

Frontcourt:

Ideally David Lighty would be on the wing too, but the 6-5 junior’s willingness to do anything Coach Thad Matta needs him to do allows him to play at the four spot. Lighty missed all but seven games last year due to a foot injury, but he will be back to his old ways for his junior campaign. Lighty is a superb athlete who can fly above the rim. His absence really hurt the Buckeyes on the glass, but that should not be an issue this year assuming he can stay healthy. Dallas Lauderdale will not do much scoring, but he is a bruiser under the basket and led the team with 2.0 blockers per game. With Kecman and Sarikopoulos, and possibly senior Kyle Madsen as well, ready to play quality minutes off the bench, the frontcourt is in better shape than it looks.

Who to Watch:

Turner is the unquestioned leader of this team after leading the team with 17.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals. The 6-7 wing will even block a shot every once in a while. Turner does not take too many three-point shots, but he can definitely hit them when he wants to. Mostly Turner attacks the basket and that is why he got to the free-throw line an amazing 6.7 times per game last year. His ability to hit the glass from the wing and find his teammates makes him one of the best players in the conference.

Final Projection:

Turner might win the Big Ten Player of the Year award, but he still needs help from the rest of the team if Ohio State wants to win the conference. They certainly have the weapons, but in the end it will come down to Simmons and Hill and how well they can run the point. It is feasible for this team to win a lot of games without either of them on the floor, and thus playing their five most talented guys, but finding a consistent point guard will go a long way in determining their success come March.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Jeremie Simmons, Senior, Guard, 6.8 points per game

Jon Diebler, Junior, Guard, 11.2 points per game

Evan Turner, Junior, Guard, 17.3 points per game

David Lighty, Junior, Guard, 9.7 points per game

Dallas Lauderdale, Junior, Forward, 4.7 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
14		15		16		17

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Big Ten Basketball: Fantasy Preview

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:02:57 -0400

This is the 3rd of six fantasy stats projections for BCS conference starters. One of my favorite series of the year, and a helpful guide when drafting for fantasy college basketball leagues. For an idea of whether I know what I'm talking about, check out last year's Big Ten Stats Projection. As always, some teams were nailed better then others.. Wisconsin was solid, Purdue rather weak.. and I strongly overrated BJ Mullens.

Keep in mind stats are highly dependent on minutes, and freshmen are obviously the hardest to predict. I try to note places below where other starters not listed may emerge or where competition for major minutes exist. Stats are listed by ppg, rpg, and then apg.

BIG TEN

ILLINOIS

G Demetri McCamey - 14, 4, 5
G Alex Legion - 8, 2, 2

G DJ Richardson - 9, 3, 3
F Mike Davis - 12, 10, 2
F Mike Tisdale - 12, 6, 1

Notes: Richardson is a freshman. Along with Brandon Paul, the two could eat up minutes from Alex Legion who was a major bust last year. Paul is a big-time scoter who should average 8-12 ppg even if he comes off the bench.

INDIANA

G Jeremiah Rivers - 5, 3, 3
G Devan Dumes - 14, 4, 2
G Verdell Jones - 11, 4, 3
F Derek Elston - 9, 5, 1

C Tom Pritchard - 10, 7, 1

Notes: Jones had the best numbers out of Indiana's returning players, but he could lose minutes to freshman Maurice Cheek. Matt Roth is a streaky shooting guard off the bench capable of putting up points.

IOWA
G Cully Payne - 5, 3, 3
G Matt Gatens - 14, 4, 3
G Anthony Tucker - 13, 3, 2
F Aaron Fuller - 7, 5, 1
F Jarryd Cole - 7, 7, 0

Notes: Gatens & Tucker are capable scorers, but don't expect any exiciting stat-stuffing numbers from anyone here.

MICHIGAN

G Manny Harris - 20, 6, 5
G Laval Lucas-Perry - 10, 3, 2

G Stu Douglass - 8, 2, 3
F DeShawn Sims - 17, 9, 1
C Zack Gibson - 6, 5, 1

Notes: Zack Novak saw starter minutes last year, and should contribute between 8 and 10 ppg. If Harris gets his fg% up from 41.5 to 45 or above, he can score 20 ppg easy.

MICHIGAN STATE

G Kalin Lucas - 14, 4, 7
G Durrell Summers - 12, 4, 2
F Raymar Morgan - 14, 7, 2
F Delvon Roe - 9, 8, 1
F Draymond Green - 6, 6, 1

Notes: With a healthy Morgan and an improving surrounding cast of scorers, don't expect a further jump in Lucas' production, though his assists could jump. Chris Allen will also approach double-digit scoring off the bench.

MINNESOTA

G Al Nolen - 6, 4, 5
G Lawrence Westbrook - 12, 3, 2
F Royce White - 10, 5, 2
F Damian Johnson - 12, 6, 2
C Ralph Sampson - 10, 7, 1

Notes: White, a freshman, could crack the starting rotation. But I also expected big things out of Devan Bostick last year and he never really panned out. He's still an option off the bench, as is Blake Hoffarber who has 10 ppg potential if given the minutes.

NORTHWESTERN

G Michael Thompson - 14, 3, 4
G Jeremy Nash - 8, 3, 2
F John Shurna - 10, 5, 2
F Kevin Coble - 16, 6, 3
C Kyle Rowley - 7, 3, 1

Notes: Thompson's scoring output was only 9.9 ppg, but I expect a bounce back season on the scoring end. Shurna has the potential to score 15 ppg by the time he's a senior.

OHIO STATE
G William Buford - 13, 4, 2

G Jon Diebler - 13, 4, 4
G Evan Turner - 18, 7, 6
F David Lighty - 10, 7, 2
C Dallas Lauderdale - 6, 5, 1

Notes: Evans is a legit stud, and could see a boost in apg if he plays more point. PJ Hill & Jeremie Simmons see decent minutes off the bench, but neither offers much in terms of fantasy.

PENN STATE

G Talor Battle - 18, 5, 6
G Chris Babb - 9, 2, 1
F Jeff Brooks - 6, 5, 1
F David Jackson - 7, 5 1
F Andrew Jones - 10, 8, 1

Notes: Battle contributes solidly in the 3 main categories. Jones averaged 6 & 5 last year but should see the biggest bump. Freshman Tim Frazier is good enough to see 15-20 mpg as the 1st guard off the bench.

PURDUE

G Chris Kramer - 7, 3, 3
G Lewis Jackson - 8, 3, 5
G E'Twaun Moore - 16, 5, 4
F Robbie Hummel - 12, 9, 2
6 JaJuan Johnson - 15, 7, 1

Notes: Last year, I underrated Johnson's output and overrated Moore's. Keaton Grant will also see big-time minutes, and should score 7-8 ppg.

WISCONSIN

G Trevon Hughes - 15, 4, 4
G Jason Bohanon - 13, 3, 3
G/F Tim Jarmusz - 6, 5, 1
F Jon Leuer - 12, 5, 1
F Keaton Nankivil - 8, 5, 1

Notes: Wisconsin usually features a well-balanced attack, so don't expect a 20 ppg scorer. Wisconsin welcomes 5 freshmen, and big man Jared Berggren probably has the best chance to contribute immediately.

Projected Big Ten Leaders

Top PPG
1) Manny Harris (20)
2) Talor Battle (18)
3) Evan Turner (18)

Top RPG
1) Mike Davis (10)
2) DeShawn Sims (9)

3) Robbie Hummel (9)

Top APG
1) Kalin Lucas (7)
2) Talor Battle (6)

3) Harris/Jackson/McCamey/Nolen (5)

Fantasy Stats Preview Archive

- ACC

- Big 12

Big Ten

Poll: Who Will Win the Big Ten?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:04:24 -0400

Big Ten Basketball: High-Low Preview

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:04:38 -0400

Everybody loves a prediction. It's a fact. People that claim to hate sports predictions are just jealous that no one cares what they have to say (or their predictions are never right). But sometimes when making predictions, certain teams or groups of teams are truly to close to call. On CHN or in preview mags, we do our best to slot teams into specific spots, but sometimes you just want to say honestly, teams A, B, and C are virtually the same and luck will determine how they finish. You can't say that in a Top 144 ranking, but I'm saying it here in a series of High-Low predictions, which includes a range for each team's finish and a few reasons why.

(How about the high production values with that picture?..)

BIG TEN HIGH-LOW

Arguably the top conference in the country, the Big Ten features 9 teams that could conceivably make the NCAA Tournament, and 7 that could finish as high as 2nd in the league.

* my projected finish in yellow

ILLINOIS
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Last year, Bruce Weber proved that you can't count out one of his teams. So long as they continue to play stellar D (57 ppg against last year), the Illini have a chance to finish as high as 2nd in the league.

INDIANA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
The Hoosiers are making progress, but simply don't have the talent to compete with the conference elite. Unlike last year, they'll at least be highly competitive.

IOWA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Iowa's backcourt has promise, while the frontcourt is mostly a mess. Iowa will certainly win a few games here and there, but it's hard to imagine them finishing much higher then 10th.

MICHIGAN
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Harris and Sims form the league's best inside-outside combo, and there's loads of young depth. Still, the Wolverines haven't finished higher than .500 in league play in over 5 years, so expectations may be a bit high.

MICHIGAN STATE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
The hole in the middle left by Goran Suton will be hard to fill, but there's more then enough pieces remaining for Michigan State to advance deep into the NCAA Tournament.

MINNESOTA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Tubby Smith has loads of depth at his disposal, but perhaps lacks that one player willing to push the program to new heights. Everyone expects a giant leap forward this year, but that might be another year away.

NORTHWESTERN
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Yes, Northwestern is more talented then usual and last year's NIT trip was nice.. but they still finished 8-10 in league play, a record which they probably won't match in 2010. Will battle Indiana and Penn State in the 8-10 race.

OHIO STATE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Evan Turner is a stud, William Buford is ready to breakout, David Lighty is healthy, and Jon Diebler finally found his range. OSU is right there with Purdue in the battle for 2nd place.

PENN STATE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Talor Battle is the big name, but look out for junior forward Andrew Jones. Ed DeChellis' Lions have never made the Big Dance, a streak which will likely continue in 2010 (but which may very well end in 2011).

PURDUE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Purdue is the team with the best shot of knocking MSU out of the top spot. With everyone but Calasan back, another 11-7 finish in conference play would be highly disappointing.

WISCONSIN
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
It pains me to put Wisconsin 7th, because you know Bo Ryan has more tricks up his sleeve then any other coach in the league. While other teams look better on paper, you know the Badgers will push for a +.500 record in conference play.

>> ACC: High-Low Preview

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