Student Union

The time is here. The temperature is starting to get cold, cuffing season is upon us, and college basketball is oh so close. We still have about three weeks or so until preview season is wrapped up and the games officially begin. Today in New York City, the best conference in college hoops, the Big Ten, held their annual media day. With stars returning, top recruiting classes, deep teams, and new head coaches, the Big Ten is poised to be one of the most exciting conferences in college basketball this season and should have multiple second-weekend teams in the NCAA Tournament.

  • The big news of the day was that the Big Ten would be playing 20 conference games instead of 18 starting next season. My favorite part of the deal is teams from the same state will play each other twice so Indiana/Purdue, Michigan State/Michigan, Northwestern/Illinois, etc. Can’t complain about that.
  • The Big Ten Tournament will go through an 80/20 rotation. Meaning, Chicago, and Indianapolis will alternate for four years on hosting the conference tournament and then New York will get the tournament for one of those five years. Not a huge fan of the tourney in NYC, but I can dig this deal. If it makes it easier for Maryland, Rutgers, and Penn State, then I’m good with anything!

All-Big Ten Conference Team

  • Justin Jackson, Maryland
  • Mo Wagner, Michigan
  • Miles Bridges, Michigan State
  • Nick Ward, Michigan State
  • Amir Coffey, Minnesota
  • Nate Mason, Minnesota
  • Scottie Lindsey, Northwestern
  • Bryant McIntosh, Northwestern
  • Vincent Edwards, Purdue
  • Ethan Happ, Wisconsin

 

Before I throw up in my mouth seeing that two Northwestern players made the All-Big Ten team, I must say Bryant McIntosh is my favorite player in the conference and I’m so glad to see him finally get some recognition. Some players deserved to be on this list that were left off (Tyler Cook), but this is a testament to how loaded the Big Ten will be this winter. Looking at these players, it has to be mentioned how good the sophomore class is. Bridges, Jackson, Ward, Coffey, not to mention Cook and his Iowa teammate Jordan Bohannon, the Big Ten will have one of the best sophomore players in the country which is something you don’t see very often nowadays in college basketball.

Here are some Big Ten storylines to watch this year. MY COLUMN

Michigan State will be very, very, very good.

Tom Izzo can be coaching a team full of 1st-grade boys who have never picked up a basketball before in their lives, and you’d still find them on the bubble in March. Izzo knows how to coach and with guys like Bridges, Ward, Cassius Winston, along with Gavin Schilling who’s coming off an ACL tear, there are obvious reasons why this team is the best going into the season. Bridges is obviously the headliner, but there are others for Sparty who can make an impact and play a big part in Michigan State’s potential success this year. I hate making predictions, but according to my crystal ball, I see the Spartans going it to the Final Four. Do I think they could win a national title? Yes, but I’m not announcing my tournament picks until the bracket comes out in March. Sorry, I suck.

Richard is the new Pitino on the block

With the firing of his father, Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino is the only family member in college basketball at the moment, and his team is pretty damn good. Coming off a first-round exit in last year’s tournament despite being a  5 seed, the Gophers return plenty from last year’s surprising season and may have the best chance to take the crown away from Sparty.

Starting point guard Nate Mason is a DUDE. College hoops fans need to know this guy’s name because he is going to be one of the guards in the conference (Sorry Bryant McIntosh), if not the nation. Along with Mason, sophomore Amir Coffey is the second best sophomore in the conference behind Bridges. This backcourt will be fun to watch, and it’ll be exciting to see Reggie Lynch block every shot that’s attempted inside the lane this year. Mutombo 2.0? Oh, shoot, almost forgot to mention the Gophers have one of the most popular YouTube sensations in Isaiah Washington aka “Jelly Fam.” He’ll get some minutes this year behind Mason, but I think this kid is going to be a stud one day in the Big Ten.

Welcome to the Big Ten 

Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio State all have new head coaches this year, and all of them will be facing a rebuilding project in year one. Coming over from Oklahoma State after one season, Brad Underwood has done an excellent job of recruiting so far, especially in-state, but the Illini need a year or two to be relevant again in the Big Ten.

Indiana fans are already in love with Archie Miller’s quiet confidence, and it’s shown, as he’s done a great job of recruiting as well. Though Miller has been red hot on the recruiting trail, there are a lot of question marks heading into the season for the Hoosiers, and it will be interesting to see how long Indiana fans can wait till the rebirth of IUBB.

Chris Holtmann is making a difference in Columbus, picking up a slew of recruits after the “firing” of Thad Matta. Buckeyes will struggle this year, but there’s a lot to look forward to if you’re a Buckeyes fan. I’m happy for you @Mark Titus.

Can Northwestern repeat? ALL ABOARD THE B-MAC TRAIN

As much as I LOVED seeing all those nerd capital J Journalists on my Twitter timeline during Northwestern’s first NCAA Tournament appearance last year, I’m so excited for even more! I knew the Wildcats had potential before the season, but I like this group a little more for one reason. That reason is my man crush Monday; my man crush every day, Bryant McIntosh. Initially, an Indiana State commit, McIntosh reopened his commitment and decided to take his talents to Evanston. You see, I’m an avid lover of B-Mac, and it’s somewhat odd. To me, there’s nothing better than an Indiana kid who is a high school legend in the state and then tears it up in college. McIntosh is the epitome of that, and I’m going to cry on his senior day.

Nonetheless, Scottie Lindsey and Vic Law will be huge this year for the ‘Cats along with forwards Derek Pardon and Gavin Skelly. The main question for Chris Collins’s group will be the bench as the five players I’ve mentioned are the only ones who averaged more than 15 minutes a game last year. Not being able to play in their home gym due to renovations could cause some issues, but I think this team will overcome that and receive a NCAA Tournament bid. I do it for you @Darren Rovell.

Don’t Sleep on Iowa

The Hawkeyes bring back everyone, except high-scoring guard Peter Jok, from a team that overachieved last year. Losing Jok leaves a large void in the scoring department, but there is a multitude of players, including Cook, Jordan Bohannon, Nicholas Baer, Isaiah Moss, Luka Garza, etc. that can pick up the slack. Iowa’s biggest issue last year was their defense. They have a ton of guys coming back who can score the ball, but they need to find ways to be consistent on defense and not turn every game into a shootout. Expectations are high in Iowa City, but can this Hawkeye team deliver?

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow!