2013/2014 Early Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings

Big Ten 2013-2014

 

1) Michigan State

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Keith Appling 6’1” Sr

G) Gary Harris 6’4” Soph

F) Branden Dawson 6’6” Jr

F) Adreian Payne 6’10” Sr

C) Matt Costello 6’9” Soph

Expected Contributors:

G/F) Denzel Valentine 6’5” Soph

G) Travis Trice 6’0” Jr

G) Alvin Ellis 6’4” Fr

2 of:

F) Kenny Kaminski Rs Fr 6’8”

F/C) Alex Gauna Rs Jr 6’9” and

F/C) Gavin Schilling Fr 6’9”
F) Russell Byrd Rs Jr 6'7" 

Comments: Let’s face it, Michigan State is going to be really, really good next season.  In my opinion, there is a clear top 3 heading into 2013/2014, and that short list includes Kentucky, Louisville and MSU.  As long as MSU can stay healthy, which never happened in 2012/2103, they should be in the running for Izzo’s second national championship.

2) Ohio State

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Aaron Craft 6’2” Sr

G) Lenzelle Smith Jr. 6’4” Sr

F) Sam Thompson 6’7” Jr

F) LaQuinton Ross 6’8” Jr

C) Amir Williams 6’11” Jr

Expected Contributors:

G) Shannon Scott 6’1” Jr

F) Marc Loving 6’8” Fr

C) Trey McDonald 6’8” Jr

G) Kameron Williams 6’2” Fr

Comments: Ohio State will have one of the best defenses in the country, once again, and that should keep them in the top 10-15 nationally all year.  Of course replacing Thomas’s production will be no easy task, but the breakout performances of LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson in last year’s tournament should have provided OSU fans with a ton of hope. 

3) Michigan

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Derrick Walton 6’0” Fr

G) Nik Stauskus 6’6” Soph

G) Zakarie Irvin 6’6” Fr

F) Glenn Robinson III 6’6” Soph

C) Mitch McGary 6’10” Soph

Expected Contributors:

G) Spike Albrecht 5’11” Soph

G) Caris LeVert 6’5” Soph

C) Jordan Morgan 6’8” Sr

F/C) Jon Horford 6’10 Jr

Comments: Michigan will be pretty darn good next year, even with the departures Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr.  Stauskus, Robsinson and McGary are big-time players, and Irvin and Walton should fit in nicely as highly touted freshmen.  In my opinion, MSU, OSU and UM will be the class of the conference next year. 

4) Iowa

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Mike Gesell 6’1” Soph

G) Roy Devyn Marble 6’6” Sr

F) Melsahn Basabe 6’7” Sr

F) Aaron White 6’8” Jr

C) Adam Woodbury 7’1” Soph

Expected Contributors:

G) Anthony Clemmons 6’1” Soph

G) Josh Oglesby 6’5” Jr

G/F) Zach McCabe 6’7” Sr

Comments: 1) Experience 2) Coaching 3) Talent … In that order.  Iowa returns everyone next year from a team that should have made the tournament.  Marble and White are All-Big Ten caliber players, and I expect their sophomore class to take a big step forward.  Currently, I have Iowa at 4, but it was really hard to differentiate between them, IU and Wisconsin.  I don’t think any of these teams will contend for a Big Ten Title, but they are all locks to make the tournament with the potential to make a run. 

5) Indiana

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Yogi Ferrell 6’0” Soph

G) Will Sheehey 6’7” Sr

F) Troy Williams 6’6” Fr

F) Jeremey Hollowell 6’8” Soph

C) Noah Vonleh 6’9” Fr

Expected Contributors:

F) Hanner Mosquera-Perea 6’8” Soph

C) Luke Fischer 6’9” Fr

G/F) Collin Hartman 6’6” Fr

G) Stanford Robinson 6’4” Fr

G/F) Devin Davis 6’6” Fr

Comments: IU will be really young next year, but the roster still has talent.  I fully expect Sheehey and Ferrell to take their games to the next level and become All-Big Ten caliber players.  Indiana is difficult to project, however, because of all of their unproven players.  I’ve heard great things about Mosquera-Perea and their 6 incoming freshmen, but it is anyone’s guess as to how good they will be next season. 

6) Wisconsin

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Traevon Jackson 6’2” Jr

G) Ben Brust 6’1” Sr

G) Josh Gasser 6’3” Jr

F) Sam Dekker 6’7” Soph

C) Frank Kaminski 6’11” Jr

Expected Contributors:

G) George Marshall 5’11” Soph

G) Bronson Koenig 6’3” Fr

F) Nigel Hayes 6’7” Fr

F) Vitto Brown 6’8” Fr

Comments: Yes, I realize that Wisconsin hasn’t finished outside of the top 4 since Bo arrived.  However, last year they were the 5^th best team that happened to be lucky enough to play Michigan and Indiana once.  As Bo Ryan teams always are, Wisconsin will be rock solid next year.  It was be interesting to see what Koenig, Hayes, Brown can provide in 2013/2014. 

7) Illinois

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Tracy Abrams 6’1” Jr

G) Rayvonte Rice 6’4” Jr

F) Joseph Bertrand 6’6” Sr

F) Mike Henry 6’6” Jr

C) Nnanna Egwu 6’11” Jr

Expected Contributors:

F) Jon Ekey 6’7” Sr

G) Jaylon Tate 6’2” Fr

G) Kendrick Nunn 6’3” Fr

G/F) Malcolm Hill 6’5” Fr

C) Austin Colbert 6’9” Fr

Comments: Illinois, Purdue and Penn State, in my opinion, are on the next tier of Big Ten squads.  I think they will all be on the bubble for a tournament bid, with Illinois being the only team on the inside looking out.  I’m really interested to see what Rayvonte Rice and Jon Ekey can provide as transfers, as Illinois will be relying heavily on those two for scoring.  Illinois will also rely on true freshmen to provide some much needed depth. 

8) Purdue

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Ronnie Johnson 6’0” Soph

G) Terone Johnson 6’2” Sr

F) Kendall Stephens 6’5” Fr

F) Raphael Davis 6’5” Soph

C) A.J. Hammons 7’0” Soph

Expected Contributors:

F) Donnie Hale 6’8” Soph

G) Bryson Scott 6’1” Fr

G/F) Basil Smotherman 6’6” Fr

C) Travis Carroll 6’9” Sr

Comments: Purdue got hit hard with a few transfers, but I expect them to be slightly improved over last year’s bunch.  A.J. Hammons needs to become the dominant force he can be in order for Purdue to get back to the NCAA tournament.  A quality recruiting class is definitely reason for optimism moving forward for the Boilermakers. 

9) Penn State

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Tim Frazier 6’1” Rs Sr

G) D.J. Newbill 6’4” Jr

G) Jermaine Marshall 6’4” Sr

F) Ross Travis 6’6” Jr

F) John Graham 6’8”Jr

Expected Contributors:

G) Geno Thorpe 6’3” Fr

G) Graham Woodward 6’0” Fr
G) John Johnson 6'1" Rs Soph

F) Brandon Taylor 6’7” Soph 
F) Julian Moore 6'9" Fr

Comments: I really expect Penn State to take a big jump from a year ago.  Tim Frazier, who was PSU’s best player (and one of the better players in the conference) a year ago, will be healthy after missing the entire 2012/2013 season.  While I am not in love with their front court, I think the combo of Frazier, Newbill and Marshall will make PSU dangerous. 

10) Minnesota

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Andre Hollins 6’1” Jr

G) Austin Hollins 6’4” Sr

G) Joe Coleman 6’4” Jr

F) Oto Osenieks 6’8” Jr

C) Elliot Eliason 6’11” Jr

Expected Contributors:

G) Maverick Ahanmisi 6’2” Sr

G) Daquein McNeil 6’3” Fr

F) Alex Foster 6’8” Fr

C) Maurice Walker 6’10” Jr

Comments: Good to great guard play coupled with poor interior play will be the story of Minnesota’s 2013/2014 campaign.  Under first year coach Richard Pitino, I don’t expect the Gophers to make the tournament, but that doesn’t mean they will be an easy out for Big Ten opponents.  The Hollins duo will have to average 30 or so points combined for Minnesota to make any noise this year.

11) Northwestern

Projected Starting lineup:

G) Dave Sobolewski 6’1” Jr

G) Tre Demps 6’2” Soph

G) Drew Crawford 6’5” Rs Sr

F) Kale Abrahamson 6’7” Soph

C) Alex Olah 7’0” Soph

Expected Contributors:

G) Jershon Cobb 6’5” Rs Jr

F) Mike Turner 6’8” Soph

F) Nate Taphorn 6’7” Fr

G) Sanjay Lumpkin 6’6” Rs Fr

Comments: While the Big Ten won’t be as strong as the top next year, I believe the bottom half will be improved in 2013/2014.  Let’s face it; teams like Northwestern and Penn State were decimated by key players getting injured early in the season.  With the return of Drew Crawford and Jershon Cobb, along with expected improvement from the sophomore class, Northwestern will be greatly improved next season. 

12) Nebraska

Projected Starting Lineup:

G) Benny Parker 5’9” Soph

G) Ray Gallegos 6’2” Sr

G) Savon Shields 6’6” Soph

F) Terran Pettaway 6’6” Rs Soph

C) Walter Pitchford 6’10” Rs Soph

Expected Contributors:

F) David Rivers 6’7” Jr

G) Tai Webster 6’3” Fr

G) Mike Peltz 6’2” Sr

F) Leslie Smith 6’8” JUCO

F) Nick Fuller 6’7” Fr

Comments: Like I said in Northwestern’s blurb, the bottom of the B1G will be stronger next year.  A lot depends on how transfers (Pettaway, Pitchford and Smith) and freshmen (Webster and Fuller) perform, but this Nebraska team should be decent.  I would be shocked if they were in the discussion to make the tournament, but I won’t be surprised if they beat some of the big dogs in the conference.  Look for Savon Shields to have a break-out year for the Huskers. 

2013 All-White-Trash Team

1) Skylar McBee: Tennessee

2) Marshall Henderson: Ole Miss

3) Keith Hornsby: UNC-Asheville

4) Donnie Hale: Purdue

5) Philip Jurick: Oklahoma State

Big Ten All-Star Team

Every year around this time, each league selects their all-conference teams.  Most of the time it consists of a 1st, 2nd and 3rd team.  I decided to construct one, but with a slightly different take.  I made a Big Ten all-star team with the idea in mind that they would actually have to play someone.

The following team doesn't necessarily reflect who I think should be on the traditional all-conference team.  Instead I placed importance on what players would play well together, thus, forming the best team.  Anyway, here is the squad:

Starting 5

PG - Trey Burke 6'0"Michigan: Easy choice here.  Burke is not only the best point guard in the country, but he might win the Wooden Award.  Outstanding facilitator (6.9 APG), scorer (19.1 PPG on 49.2% shooting) and defender. 

SG - Gary Harris 6'4" Michigan State: Harris has turned into one of the most reliable 3-point shooters in the B1G (47.1% in conference play), and he is also one of the better on-the-ball defenders.  He would help make Burke's job a lot easier.

SF - Victor Oladipo 6'5" Indiana: In my opinion, Oladipo is the best overall player in the country.  He is probably the most explosive athlete in college basketball, a great defender, a killer offensively (63.1% from the field!), and a reliable shooter (49.1% from 3).  Game-changer is the best adjective I can think of describe Oladipo.

PF - Deshaun Thomas 6'7" Ohio State: Thomas is arguably the best natural scorer in the conference.  He would get a ton of open looks in this lineup, and his shooting percentages would go way up.  Thomas has also improved his defense greatly, even though it isn't close to being a strength.

C - Trevor Mbakwe 6'8" Minnesota: Most would put Zeller here, but I don't think he is what this lineup needs.  The combination of Burke, Harris, Oladipo and Thomas wouldn't need any help scoring, but what every team can use is a dominate physical presence down low (8.7 RPG and 1.5 BPG).  Not to mention, he owned Zeller a week and a half ago. 

Bench

PG - Aaron Craft 6'2" Ohio State: Again, this team won't need a lot of scoring.  However, having the best defensive player in the country wouldn't hurt any team.

SG - Brandon Paul 6'4" Illinois: Paul has had a nice career with Illinois, even though they really haven't won anything while he's been there.  If the team needed a big shot, Paul could really help out nicely. 

SF - Tim Hardaway Jr. 6'5" Michigan: Michigan:Streaky shooter and player, but he can really fill it up when he gets hot.  Good player, and will be a pro very soon. 

PF - Adreian Payne 6'10" Michigan State: What's not to like about Payne?  He has length (7'4" wingspan), he can shoot (44.4% from 3 and 81.7% from the line), he can defend (1.2 BPG), and he can rebound (7.6 RPG).

C - Cody Zeller 6'11" Indiana: If you can't tell by the "2nd team," the Big Ten is pretty good.  Zeller might be the B1G's best pro prospect, and he is really a crafty scorer in the post.  He would provide a great lift as the team's 6th man. 

Mop-up guys

PG - Jordan Hulls 6'0" Indiana: Senior who is a great team-guy and a knock down shooter.  Might be nice to have a the end of the game when the opposing team is fouling.

PF - Christian Watford 6'9" Indiana: Too good of a player to be left off of the team.

C - Jared Berggren 6'10" Wisconsin: Can't hurt to have a another great defender (2 BPG) who happens to be a big body and a senior. 

Closing thoughts

If you happen to be a fan of another conference, this team would slaughter your all-star team.  A lot of NBA prospects on this team, and a ton of versatility.  If they were playing a team with a lot of length, Payne and Zeller would step in and play more minutes than Thomas and Mbakwe.  Conversely, this team would have the ability to go small, as well. 

Good day. 

Final Big Ten Power Rankings (3/6/13)

Final Big Ten Power Rankings (3/6/13)

This, unfortunately – and by unfortunately, I mean fortunately, because I am sick of writing these fucking things – will be my last Power Rankings entry of the year.  Fret not, however, because I will still have plenty of topics to cover.  For starters, in the next couple of weeks you can look for my All-Big Ten and All-White Trash teams.    

1) Indiana 25-5 (13-4): Indiana is still the best team in the country, in my not so humble opinion.  However, the distance between them and the rest of the field isn’t as great as I previously thought.  Last night, Indiana got physically dominated by a hungry Ohio State team.  The same thing happened recently when they played Minnesota.  IU’s skill is off the charts, but I am not sure they are physically tough enough to cut down the nets.  Well, it really depends on what kind of scissors they buy. 

That said, I still think they will win the Big Ten outright, which would be an incredibly impressive accomplishment.  Thus, even though they got everyone’s hopes up last night, I think they go to Ann Arbor on Sunday and leave with a W. 

Previous ranking: 1

2) Ohio State 22-7 (12-5): I am going to spend this portion of the blog giving Thad Matta a ton of credit.  For years, I have been saying that Matta is a great recruiter and an average coach.  I am officially changing that opinion and labeling Matta as a really, really good coach.  OSU, under his direction, has been consistently efficient on offense and good to great on defense.  He is also probably the best coach with regards to BLOBs and SLOBs.  If you don’t know what those things are, Google it (you better not fucking use Bing).    

Anyway, Ohio State has gotten a lot better this year on offense.  Thomas has (relatively) struggled over the past 8 or 9 games, but their team has not.  On the other side of the ball, I said a few months ago that they could be a great defensive team, and now they might be the best in the country.  Hell, Aaron Craft is the only thing in the world quicker than a postgame handshake with Tom Crean. 

Previously I had questioned their ceiling, but I am not longer on board with that train of thought. 

Previous ranking: 5

3) Michigan State 22-7 (11-5): I still like this team’s potential to make a deep run in March.  However, if they want to make a serious run at a title, Keith Appling will have to play better.  I’m not talking Family-guy-pre-getting-cancelled to Family-guy-post-cancellation improvement; I’m talking Smalls-with-the-big-ass-hat to Smalls-with-the-cool-outfit-Benny-hooked-him-up-with improvement. 

In my opinion, Appling’s play moving forward is really all that matters with this team.  They are going to defend, rebound, score in the paint, and look meaner than the competition, but if teams can just sag off of Appling, their offense will suffer tremendously. 

Previous ranking: 2

4) Michigan 25-5 (12-5): Unfortunately, for Michigan’s sake, they seem to have peaked in January.  Defensively, they have gotten worse, and their low-post scoring problems aren’t going away.  In addition, Burke is the only player providing them with any sort of consistency.  They can still beat anyone in the country, but they could also lose in the second round of the tournament.  We will see how far Trey Burke can take UM. 

Previous ranking: 3

5) Wisconsin 20-9 (11-5): The Badgers are doing what they Badgers do every single year.  They are playing above the talent level that they actually possess.  It starts with Bo Ryan, as he knows how to get more out of his players than anyone in the regular season.  I couldn’t even imagine if he coached at a school that could recruit like North Carolina or Kentucky. 

When looking ahead to the dance, Wisconsin will likely have a mediocre tournament like they do every year.  They’ll beat teams they are supposed to beat, and as sure as NASCAR fans flocking to a NRA rally, they will lose to a higher seed. 

Previous ranking: 4

6) Minnesota 20-10 (8-9): In case you were wondering, the Gophers and I are dating again and things are really rocky.  What’s not to love about a team that followed a win over the #1 team in the country with a loss to Nebraska?  At least things are exciting.  

With regards to their potential in the tournament, I still think Minnesota can do some damage.  However, in Kindergarten I thought Umps were called “Ums” and look where that got me.   

Previous ranking: 8

7) Illinois 21-10 (8-9): Interesting year for the Illini.  A handful of tough losses mixed in with a few outstanding wins (@Gonzaga, vs. IU, and a blowout vs. OSU).  Illinois is dangerous because of their 3 point shooting, but that is really all they do well.  They are an average defensive team with no low-post presence on either end of the court. 

Even though the Illini will likely finish 8-10 in the conference, I still think they will make the tournament.  Considering Illinois’ struggles over the past few seasons, that is a step in the right 

direction. 

Previous ranking: 6

8) Iowa 19-11 (8-9): If Iowa didn’t have a non-conference Strength of Schedule ranking of 313, they would probably make the tournament.  Unfortunately for them, they played Sweatpants University, The University of Bronson Arroyo, Butt University, Easter Egg Hunting Technical Institute, and the University of Texas-Pan American (actually one of their games). 

You are probably thinking, “Didn’t he make a joke just like that before?” 

My response: Don’t end a sentence in a preposition, and I will continue to make up fake colleges because it is really fun.  

Previous ranking: 7

9) Purdue 14-16 (7-10): Purdue was this close (roughly the length of a hedgehog’s dick) to getting on my good side.  However, even with their loss to Michigan, they still helped mankind in its fight against evil by beating Wisconsin.  Looking at them holistically, I don’t understand Purdue’s inability to defend this year.  Under Painter, they have been outstanding on that end of the court, yet they are 10^th in the conference in scoring defense this year.  Their offensive struggles have been well documented, but their defense is the reason they are under .500. 

Previous ranking: 9

10) Nebraska 14-16 (5-12): I really think Tim Miles has this program headed in the right direction.  It will be difficult, considering they have absolutely no history of success, but they have a solid fanbase that will support even their terrible teams.  Nebraska is still a long ways away from being a tournament team, but I think they will get there in 3-4 years. 

Previous ranking: 11

11) Northwestern 13-16 (4-12): I think it’s time for the Bill Carmody era to be finished.  Not finishing above .500 in conference play in 13 years is simply unacceptable.  This year, Drew Crawford’s injury really killed them, but a lot of coaches would have taken the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 squads to the tournament.  If you say it can’t be done at Northwestern, look at what Pat Fitzgerald has done with their football program. 

Previous ranking: 10

12) Penn State 9-19 (1-15): Obviously, great win for PSU last week.  Now that they are off of the proverbial schneid, the 17 Penn State basketball fans won’t have to witness a win-less conference season.  Look for PSU to be improved next year when Tim Frazier comes back from injury. 

Previous ranking: 12