2011-12 BIG Basketball Preview: Michigan St.

Coach: Tom Izzo – 383-161 (.704)

Lost: G Kalin Lucas, F Delvon Roe (retired), G Darrell Summers, G Mike Kebler, F Garrick Sherman

Returning:  F Draymond Green (Sr), G Korie Lucious (Sr), PG Keith Appling (So), F Derrick Nix (Jr), F Adreian Payne (So), G Austin Thornton (Jr),

Draymond Green is a joy to watch and is hands down
the most versatile player in the Big Ten.

New faces: SG Brandon Wood (transfer), SF Branden Dawson(20), PG Travis Trice, SG Dwaun Anderson(95), SG Brandan Kearney(127), F Russell Byrd (Redshirt)

Preview: Last season is likely considered the most disappointing season in MSU history. A year after making the Final 4 with largely the same team, Michigan St. finished in the middle of the pack in the conference and squeaked into the NCAAs as a 10 seed where they were bounced in the first round by UCLA.  Luckily for Izzo there’s plenty of new talent on hand to replace the four starters he lost.  The heart and soul of this team is PF Draymond Green.  Green is one of the most versatile players you’ll find; at 6’6” 235 lbs he’s able to bang with the big boys (he finished 56^th nationally in defensive rebound rate) and step outside and drain a perimeter shot (36.6 3-point % last year).  He’s also an excellent defender and good ball handler. Joining him in the starting lineup will likely be Derrick Nix who after two years finally seems to be in shape. Nix is tough to handle on the block but really offers little else on the offensive end.  His partner in crime is fellow big man Adreian Payne. Unfortunately these two combined to make only 51% of their free throws.  Izzo will look to sophomore Keith Appling to run the point and although he struggled last year he has the skills to be a big time player in the BIG.  Valpo transfer Brandon Wood is an excellent find by Izzo and should start right away and incoming guards Brandan Kerney and Dwaun Anderson may have their moments.  But the true star is likely freshman Branden Dawson. Dawson can light up the gym on any given night but will need to focus defensively if he’s going to be great.  Izzo has the pieces to have an excellent season but does he have the depth?  Either way things should be better than last year.

Shot in the dark at starting the 5:

PG Keith Appling

SG Brandon Wood

SF Branden Dawson

PF Draymond Green

C Derrick Nix

2011-12 BIG Basketball Preview: Michigan

Coach: John Beilein – 67-67 (.500)

Lost:  G Darius Morris

Returning:  G Tim Hardaway Jr, (So), G/F Zack Novak (Sr), G Stu Douglass (Sr),  F Jordan Morgan (So), F Evan Smotrycz (So), F Jon Horford (So), G Matt Vogrich (Jr), F Blake McLimans (Jr)
New faces:  SG Carlton Brundidge(106), PG Trey Buke(142), PF Max Bielfeldt

Tim Hardaway, Jr. performed beyond
Michigan's wildest dreams last year.
Now that expectations have been
raised can he do it again?

Preview:  It’s too bad Darius Morris left for the NBA because if he had stayed one more year in Ann Arbor there would be a lot of talk about how this team could challenge Ohio St. for the Big Ten title.  Now it’s Tim Hardaway’s team and his continued improvements last season make me believe he’s up for the challenge.  A 6’5” guard, Hardaway has a nice outside shot but excels in drawing contact penetrating to the rim.  Hardaway will need to improve his efficiency though if the Wolverines are going to be successful in March. Seniors Zack Novak and Stu Douglass are perfect role players, doing the little things such as rebounding and guarding the opponent’s top player that help take the pressure off the younger guys.  Three of the aforementioned young guys are Jordan Morgan, Evan Smotrycz, and freshman Max Biefeldt who the team expects will bring a presence on the blocks.  Point guard duties will likely fall to Trey Buke, a promising recruit with excellent ball handling skills and a better three point shot than Darius Morris.  Michigan will continue to employ their crazy offense; relying heavily on threes (36.9% of Michigan’s points came on three pointers last season), this team is loaded in guys who will make you pay for leaving them open. Defensively, the Wolverines run a variety of looks including zone and a 1-3-1 which is either highly effective or worthless.  Beilein’s squads have made marked improvement in his time in Ann Arbor and I don’t think this year will be any different.

Shot in the dark at the starting 5:

PG Trey Buke

G Tim Hardaway, Jr

G Stu Douglass

F Zak Novak

F Jordan Morgan

2011-12 BIG Basketball Preview: Iowa

Melsahn Basabe was an absolute force last year. Hawkeye fans
should thank their lucky stars he followed McCafferey to Iowa City.

Coach: Frank McCaffery – 11-20 (.355)

Lost:  F Jarryd Cole, PG Cully Payne (transfer)

Returning: G Matt Gatens (Sr), F Melsahn Basabe (So), G Bryce Cartwright (Sr), G Eric May (So), F Zach McCabe (So), F Andrew Brommer (Sr), F Devon Archie (Sr), G Roy Devyn Marble (So)

New faces:  SG Josh Oglesby(122),  C Gabe Olaseni, PF Aaron White

Preview: Last year the Hawkeyes showed drastic improvements in McCafferey’s first season. Unfortunately they still finished 4-14 in the Big Ten and their second best player graduated.  There’s plenty to like about the future though.  Bryce Cartwright is an exciting player who led the conference in assists per game and Eric May showed flashes of being a reliable complimentary player.  What’s got to get you excited if you’re a Hawkeye fan is the how this year’s recruiting class is shaping up.  No, it’s not a top 10 class but it is leaps and bounds better than the ones brought in by Todd Lickliter. Aaron White and sharpshooter Josh Oglesby may start from the get-go while Gabe Olaseni offers a nice developmental player who should make an impact as an upper classman.  Furthermore, Melsahn Basabe was the first or second best freshman in the conference last season and was at times unstoppable (vs. OSU last year he put up 22-13 and 6 blocks while guarding Jared Sullinger). He’s a future All Big Ten player in the making.  This program is definitely moving in the right direction but it’s still at least two years away from making an NCAA Tournament appearance.  That’s really too bad for Matt Gatens who is a heck of a player but is underrated due to having been on some awful teams. Gatens suffered from Lickliter’s offensive style and was constantly misused due to having no other impact player on the floor with him for two years.  Here’s to hoping for a breakout season from the hometown senior.

Shot in the dark at the starting 5:

PG Bryce Cartwright

G Matt Gatens

G Josh Oglesby

F Aaron White

F Melsahn Basabe

2011-12 BIG Basketball Preview: Indiana

Coach: Tom Crean – 28-66 (.298)

Lost:  G Jeremiah Rivers, G Maurice Creek (injured)

Returning: F Christian Watford (Jr), G Jordan Hulls (Jr), F Tom Pritchard (Sr), G Verdell Jones III (Sr), G Victor Oladipo (So), F Will Sheehy (So), F Bobby Capobianco (Jr), F Derek Elston (Jr), G Matt Roth (Sr), G Daniel Moore (Sr)

New faces: F/C Cody Zeller(15), SG Remy Abell, SF Austin Etherington

Cody Zeller is already the big man on campus and
he hasn't even played a game yet. Oh, fickle IU fans.

Preview: While head coach Tom Crean wasn’t given much to work with initially, his tenure has been underwhelming to say the least.  Characterized by underperforming (overrated?) recruits, Indiana has taken a firm backseat to instate rivals Purdue and Butler.  Fortunately for Crean this may be the year Indiana pulls themselves out of the doldrums of the Big Ten and into NCAA bubble consideration.  Before the season even began the Hoosiers realized they will be without dynamic guard Maurice Creek.  As tough as it is to lose such a good player, this injury may turn out to be a blessing in disguise in the long run for the program. Freshmen Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehy were both effective players last season but neither averaged more than 20 minutes a game.  Now each of these two should offer nice compliments to the team’s best player Christian Watford.  Additionally, IU hopes to benefit greatly with the addition of freshman big man Cody Zeller who coaches (and the national media) say will make an impact in the post immediately.  Also returning is Jordan Hulls a Damon Bailey type guard who can shoot the lights out but is a little too small and slow to be utilized when his shot’s not falling.  It’s hoped the younger players will improve enough to allow Hulls to become more of a role player and less a focal point on the offensive end. With success in this regard the Hoosier offense could be lethal. But the biggest issues this team has in the upcoming season lie on the defensive end.  Indiana allowed opponents to make over 36% of their three point attempts and allowed opponents to shoot free throws on over half of their field goal attempts which ranked 333 out of 345 Division I programs.  A year of growth should enable IU to improve enough in this area otherwise it will be off to the NIT.

Shot in the dark at the starting 5:

G Jordan Hulls

G  Victor Oladipo

F Will Sheehy

F Christian Watford

F Cody Zeller

Boise State: FTW or FML?

Boise State has once again found themselves in the enviable position of being a BCS-buster and "Top 5" College Football program. Okay, so the second part of that statement is a stretch, but they do find a way to get this little school from the Gem State into major media outlets each Autumn. And barring any unforeseen upsets, they will once again crack the NCAA Football elitist train wreck known as the BCS this January.

I'm going to assume you know enough about Boise State to know that their field is blue, they like to run trick plays, and none of the major contenders want to play them. But let's talk about how the Broncos could maybe possibly get to the apex that has eluded them for the past ten-plus years of dominating the Pacific Northwest in college football.

2011-12 BIG Basketball Preview: Illinois

Brandon Paul will be All Big 10 this year. Mark it down.

Head Coach: Bruce Weber – 193-86 (.692)

Lost:  G Demetri McCamey, C Mike Tisdale, F Mike Davis, F Bill Cole, G/F Jereme Richmond

Returning: G Brandon Paul (Jr), G DJ Richardson (Jr), C Meyers Leonard (So), F Tyler Griffey (Jr), G Crandall Head (So), G Joe Bertrand (RS So)

New faces: PG Tracy Abrams(58), C Nnanna Egwu(97), SF Michael Henry(39), PF Mike Shaw(59), SF Devin Langford, C Ibrahima Djimde, G Brad Maniscalco (transfer)

Preview: The Fighting Illini lost four seniors who made up the core of their team the past four seasons as well as the highly intriguing G/F Jereme Richmond who declared for the NBA draft but was not selected.  Now it’s time for Juniors Brandon Paul and DJ Richardson to step up. As dysfunctional as the team was last season I think most Illini fans will agree with me when I say the team ran more smoothly when these two were on the floor. Both can go nuts from 3 on any given night though improving consistency from long range should be a point emphasis. Paul is the more dynamic player and Weber will probably look to use him as the center of the offense utilizing his playmaking ability. The team will hope Tyler Griffey can add some strength in order to help him bang more down low and sophomore seven-footer Myers Leonard will need to improve by leaps and bounds as he couldn’t have been more raw last season.  The incoming talent is really incredible but if they don’t gel better than last season’s senior class Bruce Weber’s time in Champaign will end before their graduation. It’s NCAA Tournament or bust for this team.

Shot in the dark at the starting 5:

PG Brandon Paul

G DJ Richardson

F Tyler Griffey

F Mike Shaw

F Nnanna Egwu

Be Afraid (Happy Halloween) - Top 25 (9/30/11)

Well, a few Top 10 shakeouts that were "expected" and one surprise. Also, Wisconsin comes down to 2 Hail Mary's in their loss to Ohio State, and somehow my beloved Cornhuskers surprised even me in their domination of Michigan State. Boise State is sitting at home this week loving the havoc these conference rivals are wreaking on each other. Only 6 undefeated teams remain, and it was almost 5 by the end of Saturday. Can the chips finally fall their way?

Lets get to some answers...and maybe some more questions.

No One Is Safe - Top 25 (9/23/11)

WOW.
That's really all that needs to be said about the end of the Wisconsin v. Michigan State game. In case you weren't watching, the Badgers jumped out to an early lead before Russell Wilson made the first few "bad" decisions I've seen this year out of the N.C. St. transplant, including an interception and a safety from intentional grounding. MSU carried that momentum into the 2nd half and led by 14 with about 11 minutes left in the game. But Wisconsin fought back, and tied things up with just 90 seconds left. The Spartans tried to get into FG range, but the final drive sputtered after a Kirk Cousins fumble brought up 2nd & 21. He then completed a mid-range pass bringing up 3rd & 6 when suddenly everything changed...

Upcoming schedule and possible layout change

In late October/early November I'll be rolling out another preview for college basketball's power conferences including a somewhat in-depth look at the Big Ten (BIG).  November marks the beginning of the season so I'll try to hold off until then. Besides I know everyone is more interested in football anyway.  The posts may come fast and furious or they may start off fast and peter out like most years; right now it's too soon to say. Until then, please continue to enjoy Taege's weekly BCS preview.

On another note, I'm contemplating doing an overhaul of the layout. I like the color scheme fine but it can get annoying when you try to post something and the format goes all out of whack.  I'll probably tinker with it this weekend and see if there's anything positive in the new Blogger interface (it's possible we may lose Fred McGriff).

I think that's all I've got for now. Carry on.

Pre-BCS Top 25

Tonight the first BCS rankings will come out. Pretty sure we all know the top 3 schools, and the order is a little irrelevant since LSU plays Alabama in a few short weeks. What will be interesting is where the Boise (Blowout) Blue Broncos fall. Odds are good they will be short of all the undefeateds from the major conferences, possibly including Clemson and Wisconsin. Speaking of undefeated teams, a few ran into problems yesterday which results in a new team in the Top 10.

It is so....