BY GREG MENGELT
The Big Ten is back.
For the first time since 1988-89 — when Michigan and Illinois both went to the Final Four — the Big Ten may have the best men’s basketball conference in America.
The Midwest’s top conference has two NCAA title contenders, five teams with a shot at going to the Sweet 16 and at least eight programs with a shot at making the NCAA tournament.
Here’s my breakdown of the 2009-10 Big Ten basketball season:
1. PURDUE: When it comes to college basketball, I am a Purdue fan first. So, please feel free to take this assessment with a grain of salt.
The Boilermakers have the second-best returning talent in the nation, behind only Kansas. Purdue has everything it takes to be a national contender — scoring, balance, depth and defense.
Robbie Hummel is one of the Big Ten’s best players along with Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas and Ohio State’s Evan Turner. He can score, rebound, get his teammates involved in the offense and he plays great defense.
What makes Purdue great is that Hummel is far from the Boilers’ only option. JaJuan Johnson is the league’s best big man and E’Twaun Moore is one of the most natural scorers in America.
Throw in a great shooter in Keaton Grant, the nation’s best defending guard in Chris Kramer, a steady point guard in sophomore Lewis Jackson and a strong bench led by Grant and freshmen Patrick Bade and D.J. Byrd and Purdue has everything it takes to be the country’s best team.
2. MICHIGAN STATE: What’s scary about the 2009-10 Michigan State squad is that it made the NCAA championship game last season without possibly its best player, Raymar Morgan, who missed most of the season with an injury. If Morgan is healthy, the Spartans are a Goran Suton replacement away from being an NCAA title contender.
3. OHIO STATE: Turner is probably the best player in the Big Ten. Throw in sophomore stud William Buford, sharpshooter Jon Diebler and a great freshman class and the Buckeyes are among the top 10 teams in the nation.
4. MICHIGAN: John Beilein is one of the best coaches in the country. The tandem of Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims is also one of the best in the nation. Yet, I take a wait-and-see approach to the Wolverines. Harris and Sims have yet to prove anything other than they have great potential.
5. ILLINOIS: The Illini are loaded with returning talent, including 7-foot-1 center Mike Tisdale and sharpshooter Demetri McCamey. The only problem is that Illinois overachieved last season. If Illinois wants to be a Sweet 16 team this season, it will have to overachieve again.
6. MINNESOTA: The Gophers have everyone back from a strong NCAA tournament team, and one of the best incoming classes in America. With senior Lawrence Westbrook, junior college transfer Trevor Mbakwe and freshman Royce White, Minnesota has the potential to be among the top teams at NCAA tourney time.
7. INDIANA: Tom Crean is a great coach.
Give him a talented crew, which he obviously has attained with this year’s freshman class, and there’s no telling what the Hoosiers can accomplish.
There is no Dwyane Wade in Indiana’s freshman class. But with its numbers, the Hoosiers may only be a year or two away from greatness with freshmen Christian Watford, Jordan Hulls and Maurice Creek.
Indiana is a borderline NCAA contender in 2009-10. Don’t be shocked if the Hoosiers are a nine seed in the NCAA tournament in March.
8. PENN STATE: Junior Talor Battle is good enough to lead the Nittany Lions to an NCAA tournament bid. However, Penn State is going to miss the inside play of Jamelle Cornley and Stanley Pringle. Still, PSU will win some big games in the nonconference and could play spoiler in the Big Ten.
9. NORTHWESTERN: I was all ready to call the Wildcats an NCAA tournament team for the first time in school history. But the loss of star Kevin Coble — probably for the season — will cost Northwestern a bid.
10. WISCONSIN: The Badgers have one of the nation’s best coaches in Bo Ryan, but they have little else. The losses of Marcus Landry and Joe Krabbenhoft are bigger than you might expect.
11. IOWA: The Hawkeyes are bad. Really bad. Their best attribute is former Butler coach Todd Lickliter. That’s not enough to keep the Hawkeyes from finishing 11th in the Big Ten.
Contact Greg Mengelt at greg.mengelt@newsandtribune.com.
