08-09 Big Ten Basketball Season

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Painter: Picking Purdue means 40 percent chance of reign
October 27, 2008
BY HERB GOULD AND LACY J. BANKS [email protected] [email protected]

In his first three seasons, Matt Painter has taken Purdue from 3-13 to 9-7 to 15-3 in conference play. Now it's about maintaining for the Boilermakers, who return seven of their top eight scorers and are the preseason pick of the Big Ten media to win the conference championship.
''For where we were three years ago, it's a great feeling because we've made strides in our program,'' Painter said Sunday. ''But you start at 0-0. You have to go out and prove yourself all over again. When you're the preseason favorite, you want to play those games on paper.''
Painter has done his homework regarding preseason picks.

Continued............

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Big Ten will regain elite status By Tom Oates
Source: Wisconsin State Journal
Posted: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:00:00 AM EST
Published: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 12:40:50 PM EST

The way Big Ten Conference men's basketball was getting worked over in the national media late last season, you would have thought it was Big Ten football.
After falling to sixth in the power ratings - last among the BCS conferences - and failing to have a team advance to the NCAA's Elite Eight, the Big Ten had an image problem. It was getting zero respect. The pundits questioned its recruiting, its style of play, its relevance in college basketball.
But even Indiana's Tom Crean, who was on the outside looking in while coaching in the Big East last season, disputes that notion.
"You can make a case any way you want it for any league that's out there," Crean said Sunday at the Big Ten media day. "You can find teams in the Big East, the SEC, the Big 12 that don't play fast. You can find teams that play really fast. Same thing with the Big Ten.
But it's almost like a perception kicks out and it just snowballs like crazy."
This one certainly did, even though it was largely bogus.
Cont...

 

[LitlBuck]

So you say maybe 6 teams in the NCAA and maybe 3 other teams in the NIT...

So you think there is a possiblity for 9 teams, and our Michigan fan says there is an outside spot that they could make the NIT and I say that we could see 7 teams playing in postseason play and you call me crazy?:tongue2:

I would never call you that

However, you do need to recount because you had 8 teams either going to the NCAA or NIT. I just like Northwestern what can I say. That was a Michigan man putting his team in the NIT in on me.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

I would never call you that

However, you do need to recount because you had 8 teams either going to the NCAA or NIT. I just like Northwestern what can I say. That was a Michigan man putting his team in the NIT in on me.

I had 8 teams on there, but said I saw 7 of them making tournament play...Didn't say all of them were going to make it just that those were the teams I thought that 7 would come out of...

 

[Bernini]

Wisconsin held an inter-squad scrimmage last night and I think there were some performances to note, regardless of the fact the Badger were facing themselves.

Keaton Nankivil was the game's leading scorer with 24 points. A very noteworthy occurrence for a couple reasons. First, for part of the game he was squaring off against starting power forward Marcus Landry, who is a proven solid defender against Big Ten competition. Second, Wisconsin had answers at all other 4 starting positions, but the question mark was the center position. It looks like Nankivil may be the final answer and is living up to the lofty expectations which at one time had him ranked among the top 30 recruits in the country pre high school injury.

Another noteworthy performance was Joe Krabbenhoft's. Everybody who paid any attention to Wisconsin throughout his career knows his shot form is fugly and often teams sag on him because he couldn't throw it in the ocean if necessary. Well, he was 2 for 2 from beyond the arc in the scrimmage, and at the Night of the Grateful Red he was the squad's 3-point champion. I always imagined during last year what our offense would be like if he could just hit the outside shot on occasion. Not only would it have meant a few more points directly, but indirectly have opened driving and passing lanes.

As I predicted, freshman point guard Jordan Taylor looks like he will be an asset off the bench immediately for Bucky.

One would be remiss to make such statements as "I can't see Wisconsin finishing above Ohio State last year". Ever seen the movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray? Few could see Wisconsin winning the conference last year, but refresh my memory, what happened?? If you want to predict "another" tourney flameout, so be it, but like Ohio State in football, we've proven to be as good as or better than anyone in the conference in the regular season. At this point college basketball fans should have realized Wisconsin is much better than the sum of their returning names. The system breeds continuity and most players are developed slowly.

 

[DZ83CK]

Bernini, you're overlooking the fact that OSU won the Big 10 regular season title two of the past three years (obviously finishing ahead of UW in the process). In fact, Wisconsin has only won the conference title once in the past four years and really only manages to win the conference when there isn't an elite team to contend with. I don't think that will be the case this year.

Here's what Evan Turner had to say on the best teams in the Big 10:

"I think I know my team well enough and we worked hard enough to say we're the best team in the Big Ten," said Turner when asked to name the best teams in the Big Ten.

Michigan's Harris now has to live up to hype - Big Ten Network

 

[LitlBuck]

One would be remiss to make such statements as "I can't see Wisconsin finishing above Ohio State last year". Ever seen the movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray? Few could see Wisconsin winning the conference last year, but refresh my memory, what happened?? If you want to predict "another" tourney flameout, so be it, but like Ohio State in football, we've proven to be as good as or better than anyone in the conference in the regular season. At this point college basketball fans should have realized Wisconsin is much better than the sum of their returning names. The system breeds continuity and most players are developed slowly.

Bernini-- I really don't know where you are seeing many posters on this site predicting that we are going to win the Big 10 or finish above Wisconsin. I think the majority of us are saying that Purdue, MSU, and Wisconsin will all finish ahead of Ohio State for the Big 10 title. However, saying that, if Buford and especially Mullens catch on to the college game all bets are off. With Mullens being projected as a #1 draft choice if he plays the way people think he can play and does not take time off all bets are off with regard to Ohio State not winning the title or at least finishing ahead of Bucky Badgers. I am pleased to see that you are sticking up for your football and basketball program but I don't see many guys around here knocking your programs so I just don't know where you're coming from. Take a step back and breathe slowly:)

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

The top teams in the conference will be Purdue, Wisky, Michigan State and Ohio State IF we can find consistent production fromt he point guard position......I am not worried about Mullens and Buford or replacing our top three scorers from last year.....I am worried about the trigger man......we need Crater or Simmons to make it go......Hill is a spark plug at best and Offutt is a year away...........

Michigan State is my pick to win the league...........Morgan will have a big year and if Delvon Roe can contribute......they will be tough to beat.

Wisconsin will also be there..........they have a great coach and they have an unique style of play/system that allows them to plug kids in year after year.......they never lose at home either......

Purdue.......I think they will also be there........

 

[LitlBuck]

Dispatch

USA Today-ESPN Preseason Top 25 poll
Friday, October 31, 2008 4:53 AM

TEAM RECORD PTS PVS
1. North Carolina (31) 36-3 775 3
2. Connecticut 24-9 707 --
3. Louisville 27-9 694 6
4. UCLA 35-4 650 4
5. Duke 28-6 578 16
6. Pittsburgh 27-10 576 18
7. Michigan State 27-9 572 13
8. Texas 31-7 538 5
9. Notre Dame 25-8 525 19
10. Purdue 25-9 465 20

Others receiving votes: UNLV 60, St. Mary's 59, Ohio State 54

Wisconsin came in at #21 and you can see that Ohio State barely missed making the top 25 in this poll.

I am really not that worried about Ohio State's PG play. Someone will step up and really all they need to do is get the ball up court because we have enough scores and if Mullens can play like he is projected I can see us fighting Wisconsin for the 4 slot in the Big 10 race. I think Purdue is to veteran lated for them to be overcome and Michigan State just has too much talent.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I wish I was not concerned about the point guard position but I am........we have no proven players and we have a true freshman and a JC player as most likely the top two players at the position.......not a recipe for consistent production early in the season......we will have some bumps in the road in my opinion......

Don't get me wrong.....I hope it is not an issue, but it was an issue last year when we had just one option and I am hoping this year we eventually have two options at point guard......

 

[Bernini]

Bernini, you're overlooking the fact that OSU won the Big 10 regular season title two of the past three years (obviously finishing ahead of UW in the process). In fact, Wisconsin has only won the conference title once in the past four years and really only manages to win the conference when there isn't an elite team to contend with. I don't think that will be the case this year.

Here's what Evan Turner had to say on the best teams in the Big 10:

"I think I know my team well enough and we worked hard enough to say we're the best team in the Big Ten," said Turner when asked to name the best teams in the Big Ten.

Michigan's Harris now has to live up to hype - Big Ten Network

Don't forget that Wisconsin was in control of the game at OSU in '07 that would have gave the Badgers the conference title. But they gave it away at the end with 2 missed free throws....and the Butch elbow dislocation early on didn't helped. OSU still needed to rely on a buzzer beater to prevail. So this preposterousness of Wisconsin not being able to be at the top when there's an "elite" team in conference needs to be stopped. That's circular logic anyways. There's no elite team because Wisconsin won the conference?

Cherry picking a three year time frame that benefits OSU is self serving.

Who the heck cares about Evan Turner's homer opinion on who the best team in the conference is? That's an argument?

The only time Wisconsin has finished outside the top 3 during Bo Ryan's tenure was during the 05-06 season, when the team started 4-0, before being decimated by attrition to the point where they only had 6-7 scholarship players available. That situation isn't being duplicated again. I could turn the tables and say slap a big asterisk next to your 05-06 Big Ten Title. On Big Ten boards and in the media, most everyone was conceding the conference to Wisconsin before the unforeseeable occurred.

Wisconsin isn't finishing outside the top 3 in the conference. Set up a vBet and I'll go all in against you and whoever else wants to play.

 

[brodybuck21]

Don't forget that Wisconsin was in control of the game at OSU in '07 that would have gave the Badgers the conference title. But they gave it away at the end with 2 missed free throws....and the Butch elbow dislocation early on didn't helped. OSU still needed to rely on a buzzer beater to prevail. So this preposterousness of Wisconsin not being able to be at the top when there's an "elite" team in conference needs to be stopped. That's circular logic anyways. There's no elite team because Wisconsin won the conference?

Cherry picking a three year time frame that benefits OSU is self serving.

Who the heck cares about Evan Turner's homer opinion on who the best team in the conference is? That's an argument?

The only time Wisconsin has finished outside the top 3 during Bo Ryan's tenure was during the 05-06 season, when the team started 4-0, before being decimated by attrition to the point where they only had 6-7 scholarship players available. That situation isn't being duplicated again. I could turn the tables and say slap a big asterisk next to your 05-06 Big Ten Title. On Big Ten boards and in the media, most everyone was conceding the conference to Wisconsin before the unforeseeable occurred.

Wisconsin isn't finishing outside the top 3 in the conference. Set up a vBet and I'll go all in against you and whoever else wants to play.

lord man just stop. this is BUCKEYE PLANET in case you had forgotten. great, wisky is good at bball, we get it.

 

[LitlBuck]

Don't forget that Wisconsin was in control of the game at OSU in '07 that would have gave the Badgers the conference title. But they gave it away at the end with 2 missed free throws....and the Butch elbow dislocation early on didn't helped. OSU still needed to rely on a buzzer beater to prevail. So this preposterousness of Wisconsin not being able to be at the top when there's an "elite" team in conference needs to be stopped. That's circular logic anyways. There's no elite team because Wisconsin won the conference?.

Coming from you I would have thought better but I guess there's only one word for your statements... Scoreboard :)

 

[LitlBuck]

I wish I was not concerned about the point guard position but I am

I realize that Simmons and Crater are not Mike Conley but even he struggled a little at beginning of the season. I have no doubts that whoever starts at the PG position will not struggle a little early in the season but I think when the Big 10 season begins we will be fine. Maybe I am too optimistic and maybe I not giving the PG position enough credit. Maybe that's because that's the position that I played well in high school

 

[DZ83CK]

I wouldn't say looking at the past three years is "cherry picking" a time frame. Ignoring last year would be cherry picking & I didn't do that.

Arguing that the availability of two reserves, one of being them the rather unathletic Greg Stiemsma, cost UW a conference title in 05-06 is a reach. Maybe the Badgers would've managed to beat North Dakota State that year if they hadn't lost those two, maybe they still would've lost to the Bison, who knows. I don't remember people conceding the Big 10 to UW that year anyway - I distinctly remember Bob Baptist picking Iowa to win the conference that year & they came close but couldn't manage to beat Northwestern on the road and ended up losing the regular season title to OSU.

I only included the Evan Turner quote because it was relevant to the topic, it wasn't intended to be an argument.

Now that you mention Evan Turner, another 2008-09 Big 10-related topic is how Wisconsin's incoming class is subpar for a team that finished in the top-10 the past couple of seasons. UW's been a nationally prominent team the past couple of years with talent-laden Chicago nearby and had plenty of scholarships to give, but didn't end up with a top-25 class nationally this year. UW is bringing in 5 guys and their most highly rated player according to the RSCI is #100 Jared Berggren. Ryan Evans, a.k.a. the guy UW signed because they couldn't land Evan Turner, was a late signee that fits with Wisconsin's key recruiting strategy of discovering late-bloomers. Sports: UW men's basketball: Arizona prep's potential impresses Badgers coaches

Evans is certainly going to be of little help for UW this year - their incoming class at best has two players that will play regularly this year, and neither are starter-caliber, so they will have to rely on the returning players to carry their team. Nankivil and Leuer should be a good combo at the 5, and they appear to be solid enough to warrant having Wisconsin in the top-25. UW will need freshman Jordan Taylor and sophomore Tim Jarmusz to step up and provide depth at guard.