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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:
- Illionis
- Iowa
- Wisconsin
- Michigan State
- Rutgers
- Michigan
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Purdue
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Penn State
- Nebraska
- Northwestern
MEDIA DAY ALL CONFERENCE 1ST TEAM:
-Luka Garza – Iowa (preseason player of the year)
-Ayo Dosunmu – Illinois
-Trayce Jackson-Davis – Indiana
-Kofi Cockburn – Illinois
-Nate Reuvers – Wisconsin
-Franz Wagner – Michigan
NOTES FROM DAVID:
-Illinois is getting all kinds of preseason love, and it makes sense to a point. They were much improved last year, they have four starters back and it looks like that improvement will continue, and the are well coached, deep, and balanced. As much as I like them, I don’t know if I like them so much that I think they’ll win the Big Ten, but I do think that they are a legit protected seed caliber team this year.
-Iowa is another team that returns a ton of talent from a team that was pretty damn good a year ago, including Luka Garza who is one of the best players in the country. Fran McCaffery may have the best team at Iowa that he has ever had, and a first place finish in the Big Ten as well as a deep NCAA Tournament run are not out of the question.
-If I had a vote, Wisconsin would be my pick. Head coach Greg Gard has been prone to a few slow starts in recent years, but this team lost just one game in February/March last year, and with so much talent coming back they are one of the best teams in the country and someone that we may see as high as the #1 line. They will do a great job controlling the tempo, but play tough defense, and are hard to defend on offense. They have so many weapons, and will be a ton of fun to watch.
-Michigan State looks to replace two of their better players from a year ago, but this is a program that never struggles to reload on talent, and they have enough in the fold to once again compete for a protected seed and be a force in the conference. They can score on offense, play very tough and physical defense, and have a fair amount of depth.
-Rutgers had a bit of a breakout season last year, but I think they will have a full blown breakout season this year. They struggled on the road in terms of getting wins, but they were seemingly competitive in every road loss, and experience plays a big role in being able to win on the road. Now that they are more experienced, I expect a lot of those results to flip this year, and that Rutgers will not just make the field, but will be solidly inside the bubble and inside the Top 25 for much of the year.
-Michigan had their ups and downs last year, but their ups were good enough to indicate that what they have coming back this year (along with the new pieces that they are adding) that this is likely a solid NCAA Tournament caliber team. Juwan Howard showed quite a bit of promise as a first year head coach last year.
-Ohio State is a team that I like a little more than the media. I know they lost quite a bit from last year, but it’s not like they’re completely devoid of talent. Head coach Chris Holtmann also has a history of surpassing preseason expectations that goes all the way back to his days at Gardner Webb, so you don’t want to overlook the Buckeyes.
-There is reason for Indiana to hope. Four starters are back from a 20 win team a year ago, and while they haven’t been consistent, they have had some pretty impressive moments over the years. The problem is that Archie Miller is running out of time to produce the way IU fans expect him to, and that means not just making the NCAA Tournament, but going deep into it. They have three really solid looking freshmen to add to the experience that they have coming back, so the ingredients for success are definitely there.
-Matt Painter and Purdue took a big step back last year after nearly making the Final Four. I think they’ll be better this year with a good chance of making the NCAA Tournament, but I don’t see them being a national power like they were a few years back.
-Maryland is a little lower than where we are used to seeing them, which is kind of a surprise. This is a team that tied for first place last year, and while they did lose some key pieces they do have some experience coming back that would lead you to believe that they could at least contend for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
-Minnesota is in a bit of a rebuilding mode, but some at Hoops HD like them as a potential dark horse. I must admit that I am not one of them.
-Penn State has had a rough and rocky offseason after having such a good season a year ago. I think they are faced with a long and hard rebuilding project.
-Northwestern and Nebraska also have a long, hard climb to get back to being relevant in the conference.