Look, I played in the Big Ten, so I am a little biased, but as of right now, the conference is the best and deepest in college basketball -- and that is a fact. With five teams in the top 25 and two teams in the top five, the Big Ten is so competitive that Iowa felt the need to bust out the big guns and turn to Demi Moore and Michael Kelso for recruiting help. Although the reigning national player of the year in college basketball, Evan "The Villain" Turner, left the conference for the NBA, some would argue that there is actually more talent in the conference this season than there was last season. Having played in the Big Ten for four years, I already know a great deal about the inner workings of the conference, but I'm guessing that most of you reading this don't, which is why I decided to talk to walk-ons from around the conference to figure out what exactly makes the Big Ten so awesome.
Best team: Michigan State Spartans
If you grew up in the 1990s like I did, you undoubtedly watched "Legends of the Hidden Temple" on a regular basis, which means that you have a solid understanding about the domination of the Green Monkeys. Sure, the Green Monkeys didn't win every time, but it always felt as if they did because they won so much more frequently than any other team. Well, the Spartans are the Green Monkeys of the Big Ten. Even though they don't win the conference title every year, their perpetual success in the NCAA tournament certainly makes it seem as if they are consistently the best team in the conference. The walk-ons of the conference are anticipating another successful Big Ten campaign for Michigan State this season, which could potentially result in the Spartans going into the temple run with two full Pendants of Life. Or something like that.
Best player: E'Twaun Moore, Purdue Boilermakers
Moore might not even be the best player on his team, considering he has a preseason All-American in JaJuan Johnson as a teammate. Plus, he wears a T-shirt under his jersey and a sweatband on his wrist every now and then, which is a rarity in today's game. Is that important? Probably not. But is it interesting? Yeah, I guess probably not.
Best student section: The Izzone at MSU
Josh Bartelstein, from the Michigan Wolverines, told me this: "I saw some fans with pictures of my sisters and a huge X crossed through their faces. My mom would have been thrown out of the game had she been there."
When I played for the Buckeyes, the Izzone made a Greg Oden AARP card.
I think these two incidents speak for themselves, no?
Coolest arena: Williams Arena (Minnesota Golden Gophers)
With its elevated court two feet above the team benches, its quirky dimensions and its awesome nickname ("The Barn"), Williams Arena is certainly one of the most unique arenas in the country. My favorite aspect of The Barn was that, up until last season, the backboards on the goals extended a foot below the rim, meaning it was easier for me to slap glass during warm-up layups. My guess is that I wasn't the only one to notice this, which might explain why Williams Arena is so popular in the Big Ten walk-on community.
Best cheerleaders: Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota may not be the first school that comes to your mind when you think of attractive females, but for the benchwarmers it was nearly a unanimous choice. Penn State's Steve Kirkpatrick was the only one who didn't vote for Minnesota, even though he seemingly picked every other school in the conference. His take on the Big Ten coeds: "The most attractive cheerleaders award would have to go to Michigan State, although I did fall in love once at Illinois. The best-looking fans are found in Iowa, believe it or not. Lots of blondes."
Most comfortable bench: Ohio State Buckeyes
There's no doubt that the walk-ons got this one right. I can attribute just about all of my benchwarming success to the fact that I was blessed with one of the most cushioned, spacious and comfortable benches in the country. Things like this really do make me proud to be a Buckeye.
Least comfortable bench: Minnesota Golden Gophers
The things that make Minnesota's arena so cool (unique design, old building, etc.) are unfortunately the same things that make its bench so uncomfortable. Instead of stringing a bunch of individual chairs together like most schools do, Minnesota has one solid bench for everyone to sit on, resulting in a cramped and generally unpleasant experience.
Best road trip: Illinois Fighting Illini
What makes some road trips better than others for Big Ten walk-ons? Playing in huge arenas against some of the best programs in the country? Maybe staying in bigger cities as opposed to smaller "college towns"? What about having access to campus bars? Nope. Apparently all it takes are delicious chicken wings and a nice selection of pillows on the hotel bed.
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Chicken wings can make or break a Big Ten roadie.
Kirkpatrick: "The chicken wings we have for a meal at Illinois are the biggest and best-tasting. The other real kicker here is that the beds are stacked with an astounding five pillows. None of that two-pillow crap that we get at Indiana."
Those pillows are useful in otherways for Wisconsin's Brett Valentyn, such as drowning out the sleep noises made by his road roommates.
"There are elements of uncertainty on the road that you just don't have at home. I'm referring to things such as your snoring roommate sounding like a broken trash compactor or Barry White groaning."
The risers
These are some guys who were benchwarmers last year but figure to have a much bigger impact (or at least an impact) this season:
For Michigan, it's Matt Vogrich. Says Bartelstein: "He is a knockdown shooter who fits perfectly in our offense running off screens. Also don't underestimate his rebounding skills; he knows how to get dirty with the bigs."
Kirkpatrick, at PSU, notes Tim Frazier, adding: "I see backup point guard Tim Frazier playing some big minutes for us this year. More minutes for Tim would allow Talor Battle to get some time at the 2-guard slot."
Bubba Day of the Purdue Boilermakers nominates Patrick Bade. "He played out of position last year, but he's back at the 4 and cut a lot of weight while keeping his strength."
For the Wisconsin Badgers, look to Jordan Taylor. Said Valentyn: "He really stepped up in the nine games Jon Leuer missed with a wrist injury. I think this year he's ready to really blow up. He's extremely tough and always seems to make the right play."
Mark Titus, a former Ohio State Buckeye (a walk-on from 2006 to 2010), is the author and founder of the blog Club Trillion and is a contributor to ESPN Insider
love you mark
