Big Ten basketball Update and Power Rankings

The expected and unexpected happened in the Big Ten in 2008-09. Michigan State and Purdue played their parts as the giants in the conference.

Michigan State wound up winning its fifth conference title under coach Tom Izzo. Purdue suffered some inconsistency but still managed to finish in a tie for second with Illinois.

But the unexpected occurred in the form of the likes of Penn State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio State forming a great block of quality teams in the middle of the league.

Instead of the Big East trying to get nine teams to the NCAA tournament, the Big Ten actually started talking about it. For now, let’s review the season that was and the tournament that will start Thursday in Indianapolis.

Player of the Year: Kalin Lucas, Michigan State, So., G. He became the model of consistency and was why the Spartans cruised to the conference championship. Lucas had an impressive 2.26 assists/turnover ratio and became a better offensive player. He raised his scoring average 4½ points from 10.3 to 14.8. Lucas definitely put himself in the conversation as top point guards in college basketball along with North Carolina’s Ty Lawson an UCLA’s Darren Collison.

Coach of the Year: Ed DeChellis, Penn State. Penn State has not won 21 games since the 2000-01 team went to the NCAA tournament. But the Nittany Lions did. They also swept Illinois, won at Michigan State, split with Purdue, Michigan and Minnesota. He also coaxed the most out of sophomore guard Talor Battle who led the team in scoring and was a first-team all-Big 12 selection.

Game of the Year: Penn State 38, Illinois 33, Feb. 18, Champaign, Ill. From start to finish, it was an out-of-body experience for both teams who probably made fans grimace. This was the lowest scoring game since 2005 when Monmouth beat Princeton, 41-21. Illinois attempted no free throws. Penn State shot 28 percent. Illinois shot 30 percent.

Big Ten Tournament Preview

Most Intriguing quarterfinal matchup: No. 8 Minnesota vs. No. 9 Northwestern. This is a re-match of last year’s opening round game that the Gophers barely won. The Wildcats were out of the NCAA tournament discussion until they won at Purdue last week. Now, they have some hope. But they have to beat the Golden Gophers and then march on to beat Michigan State to make the case. For the Golden Gophers, a win solidifies their berth.

Team with the most to gain: Northwestern. The Wildcats have some great wins over Michigan State, Purdue, Florida State, Ohio State and Minnesota. Northwestern has not had a better opportunity to make the NCAA tournament than this year. Led by forward Kevin Coble, they control their destiny.

Team with the most to lose: Minnesota. The Gophers have a checkered resume. Plus, they didn’t finish the season well. A loss to Northwestern really puts their NCAA hopes in jeopardy. This is the time when guard Brian Westbrook to lead this team.

Difference maker in the tournament: Evan Turner, Ohio State, G-F, So. When David Lighty was lost for the season, Turner emerged as this team’s best player. He averaged nearly 17 points per game, shot 51 percent for the season and 40 percent from 3-point range. He kept the Buckeyes in the NCAA tournament hunt.

Who wins the tournament: Michigan State. The Spartans have the overall package of a great point guard in Lucas complimented by a great forward in Raymar Morgan. The Spartans are also trying to play their way into a No. 1 seed should the likes of Oklahoma, Pittsburgh or Connecticut slip ahead of them. If not, they are a solid No. 2 seed.

Power Rankings

1. Michigan St.
2. Illinois
3. Purdue
4. Penn State
5. Ohio State
6. Wisconsin
7. Michigan
8. Minnesota
9. Northwestern
10. Iowa
11. Indiana

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