Projected order of finish:
1. Michigan State
2. Illinois
3. Indiana
4. Michigan
5. Ohio State
6. Wisconsin
7. Iowa
8. Minnesota
9. Northwestern
10. Purdue
11. Penn State
All it took was two games for everyone to forget about what a down year it had been for the Big Ten. Illinois shocked the world with their miracle comeback against Arizona. Michigan State edged Kentucky in overtime, after the nation spent 15 minutes trying in vain to discern whether Patrick Sparks foot was actually on the line. With two teams in the final four, it suddenly didnt matter that outside of Illinois, the entire Big Ten only came up with no more than a couple of decent non-conference wins. It suddenly didnt matter that the fourth place team in the conference failed to receive a bid for the NCAA tournament. Thanks to some inspired performances and a couple of timely appearances by lady luck, the Big Ten was back.
On that note, the 2006 Big Ten promises to be significantly more competitive than last year's one team race. There is a clear-cut favorite, (Michigan State), but then a bunch of teams that will beat the living hell out of each other for the rights to five or six NCAA tournament bids. After the Spartans, who return three potential first round picks from last years final four team, it looks like Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan could have a leg up on the competition. The Illini lose two thirds of their three-headed backcourt monster, but retain Dee Brown and James Augustine from last years near-historic run. Indiana and Michigan are two teams with the talent to push Michigan State, but have achieved little in recent years. The next group, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota, are tough to rank. Having the Hawkeyes and Gophers so low might seem unfair to fans of those teams, and it certainly doesnt seem right to us, either. Rest assured that this is more about respect for the depth of the conference than it is about downplaying Iowa or Minnesotas chances. In the end, it was the pedigree of coaching at OSU and Wisconsin that makes the difference.
This is part two of DraftExpress in-depth look at what to expect from each Big Ten team in 2006. Click the link above to read part one.
DraftExpress 2006 Preseason All-Big Ten Teams and Awards
All-Big Ten
1st Team
PG Dee Brown, Illinois
SG Maurice Ager, Michigan State
SF Vincent Grier, Minnesota
PF DJ White, Indiana
C Terence Dials, Ohio State
2nd Team
WG Lester Abram, Michigan
F Alando Tucker, Wisconsin
F Vedran Vukusic, Northwestern
PF James Augustine, Illinois
C Paul Davis, Michigan State
3rd Team
PG Daniel Horton, Michigan
SG Shannon Brown, Michigan State
SG Adam Haluska, Iowa
PF Carl Landry, Purdue
PF Greg Brunner, Iowa
All-Newcomer Team (true freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and JC transfers)
G Sylvester Mayes, Ohio State
G David Jackson, Penn State
SG Sterling Williams, Northwestern
SF Nate Minnoy, Purdue
PF Marquise Gray, Michigan State
MVP: Maurice Ager, Michigan State
Defensive Player of the Year: DJ White, Indiana
Most Improved Player: Lester Abram, Michigan
Newcomer of the Year: Sylvester Mayes, Ohio State
Coach of the Year: Tom Izzo, Michigan State