Hmmm .. I thought the mighty rodents may get a mention somewhere.
There are a few tables and players mentioned. Hoffarber gets the nod for best shooter. Projected order of finish, first team all Big Ten players in the link:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basket...e-storylines-to-watch-next-s?urn=ncaab-269423
1. Can Michigan State return to a third straight Final Four?
For a program that will begin the season in the top three of virtually every preseason poll, Michigan State has a fair share of questions to answer.
Will small forward Durrell Summers play the entire season the way he did in the NCAA tournament last season? Will anyone step up to replace dismissed guard Chris Allen's perimeter defense and outside shooting? And will Kalin Lucas regain his All-American form after tearing his Achilles last March?
If the answer to all of those questions is yes, there's every reason to believe that the Spartans can not only return to a third straight Final Four but also finally capture Tom Izzo's second championship. Only Allen and forward Raymar Morgan are gone from last year's team, so anything short of a national title would probably be a disappointment.
2. Is this the year Northwestern earns an NCAA bid?
Had the NCAA tournament been expanded to 96 teams next season, Northwestern probably would have been a near shoo-in to end its infamous drought. Instead the ever-improving Wildcats must navigate their way through a stacked Big Ten to earn their first-ever NCAA tournament bid.
The bad news for Northwestern is that star forward Kevin Coble opted not to return to the team after missing all of last season as a result of a foot injury. The good news is that the core of a team that won 20 games in spite of Coble's absence last season is back to try to improve on that.
Versatile forward John Shurna blossomed into a star as a sophomore, senior point guard Michael Thompson hit big shots and wing Drew Crawford showed signs of emerging as a third scoring option. If the Wildcats can improve their defense and rebounding even a little bit, this could be a special season in Evanston.
3. Will Purdue's senior trio reach the Final Four?
Four months after he decided to return to Purdue for one final run at the Final Four, senior forward JaJuan Johnson isn't afraid to admit that he'd consider anything less to be a huge disappointment.
"I wouldn't have come back to school if I didn't think we could do it," Johnson said. "We've come so close each year. We were probably an injury away last year, so this year it's definitely our goal to win a championship.
The return of Johnson and fellow seniors E'Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel gives Purdue as strong a nucleus as any team in the nation assuming Hummel's surgically repaired knee holds up. If the Boilermakers find a way to replace Chris Kraemer's defense and leadership and get consistent point guard play from Lewis Jackson, this may finally be the season they make the Final Four.
4. Is there life after Evan Turner for Ohio State?
A Sweet 16 team that returns four starters and adds as good a recruiting class as Ohio State would typically be considered a Final Four contender, so why are there so many questions about the Buckeyes? Well, maybe because the lone starter Ohio State is replacing is some guy named Evan Turner, the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft and the reigning national player of the year.
Turner did everything for the Buckeyes last season, from running the point, to scoring at crunch time, to defending opposing teams' top scoring wing. Fortunately for Ohio State, a long list of returning impact scorers and formidable group of newcomers are ready to try to replace his production by committee.
Guard William Buford is ready to emerge as a go-to scorer, wings Jon Diebler and David Lighty are lights-out shooters and freshman Jared Sullinger may be the most college-ready big man in his class. Highly touted freshman Aaron Craft is certainly a question mark at point guard, but at least he won't lack for weapons around him.
5. Will Wisconsin contend again as usual?
Even though Wisconsin graduated more key players than most of its conference rivals this offseason, projecting the Badgers to finish in the middle of the powerful Big Ten next year is something you do at your own peril.
On the one hand, Wisconsin must replace starting backcourt Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon off a team that finished fourth in the Big Ten last season. On the other hand, the Badgers haven't finished any lower than a tie for fourth since coach Bo Ryan took over in 2001.
The lone certainty for the Badgers next season is forward Jon Leuer, who emerged as one of the better players in the Big Ten last year despite a wrist injury that prevented him from playing in nine league games. The backcourt is a bigger question mark, but the Badgers are hoping Jordan Taylor is ready to assume Hughes' role as primary ball handler.
There are a few tables and players mentioned. Hoffarber gets the nod for best shooter. Projected order of finish, first team all Big Ten players in the link:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basket...e-storylines-to-watch-next-s?urn=ncaab-269423
1. Can Michigan State return to a third straight Final Four?
For a program that will begin the season in the top three of virtually every preseason poll, Michigan State has a fair share of questions to answer.
Will small forward Durrell Summers play the entire season the way he did in the NCAA tournament last season? Will anyone step up to replace dismissed guard Chris Allen's perimeter defense and outside shooting? And will Kalin Lucas regain his All-American form after tearing his Achilles last March?
If the answer to all of those questions is yes, there's every reason to believe that the Spartans can not only return to a third straight Final Four but also finally capture Tom Izzo's second championship. Only Allen and forward Raymar Morgan are gone from last year's team, so anything short of a national title would probably be a disappointment.
2. Is this the year Northwestern earns an NCAA bid?
Had the NCAA tournament been expanded to 96 teams next season, Northwestern probably would have been a near shoo-in to end its infamous drought. Instead the ever-improving Wildcats must navigate their way through a stacked Big Ten to earn their first-ever NCAA tournament bid.
The bad news for Northwestern is that star forward Kevin Coble opted not to return to the team after missing all of last season as a result of a foot injury. The good news is that the core of a team that won 20 games in spite of Coble's absence last season is back to try to improve on that.
Versatile forward John Shurna blossomed into a star as a sophomore, senior point guard Michael Thompson hit big shots and wing Drew Crawford showed signs of emerging as a third scoring option. If the Wildcats can improve their defense and rebounding even a little bit, this could be a special season in Evanston.
3. Will Purdue's senior trio reach the Final Four?
Four months after he decided to return to Purdue for one final run at the Final Four, senior forward JaJuan Johnson isn't afraid to admit that he'd consider anything less to be a huge disappointment.
"I wouldn't have come back to school if I didn't think we could do it," Johnson said. "We've come so close each year. We were probably an injury away last year, so this year it's definitely our goal to win a championship.
The return of Johnson and fellow seniors E'Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel gives Purdue as strong a nucleus as any team in the nation assuming Hummel's surgically repaired knee holds up. If the Boilermakers find a way to replace Chris Kraemer's defense and leadership and get consistent point guard play from Lewis Jackson, this may finally be the season they make the Final Four.
4. Is there life after Evan Turner for Ohio State?
A Sweet 16 team that returns four starters and adds as good a recruiting class as Ohio State would typically be considered a Final Four contender, so why are there so many questions about the Buckeyes? Well, maybe because the lone starter Ohio State is replacing is some guy named Evan Turner, the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft and the reigning national player of the year.
Turner did everything for the Buckeyes last season, from running the point, to scoring at crunch time, to defending opposing teams' top scoring wing. Fortunately for Ohio State, a long list of returning impact scorers and formidable group of newcomers are ready to try to replace his production by committee.
Guard William Buford is ready to emerge as a go-to scorer, wings Jon Diebler and David Lighty are lights-out shooters and freshman Jared Sullinger may be the most college-ready big man in his class. Highly touted freshman Aaron Craft is certainly a question mark at point guard, but at least he won't lack for weapons around him.
5. Will Wisconsin contend again as usual?
Even though Wisconsin graduated more key players than most of its conference rivals this offseason, projecting the Badgers to finish in the middle of the powerful Big Ten next year is something you do at your own peril.
On the one hand, Wisconsin must replace starting backcourt Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon off a team that finished fourth in the Big Ten last season. On the other hand, the Badgers haven't finished any lower than a tie for fourth since coach Bo Ryan took over in 2001.
The lone certainty for the Badgers next season is forward Jon Leuer, who emerged as one of the better players in the Big Ten last year despite a wrist injury that prevented him from playing in nine league games. The backcourt is a bigger question mark, but the Badgers are hoping Jordan Taylor is ready to assume Hughes' role as primary ball handler.