Michigan's Sims, Harris To Return

Michigan head coach John Beilein has announced that stars Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims will return to Ann Arbor next season. Losing them would have been a big loss to the Wolverines, but with their return, Michigan shouldn't skip a beat.

"In order to address the speculation around DeShawn and Manny's future we are announcing that both these young men have decided to continue their respective educational paths here at the University of Michigan," said Beilein. "Since the completion of our season we have gathered enough information for everyone to feel good about this decision. I am anxious to see their continued growth and I am excited to coach these two, as well as the rest of the team next season."

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2010 Preview: Wisconsin

Wisconsin continues to amaze. Their slow pace and rugged defense earned them another trip to the NCAA Tournament this year, despite a mid-season six-game losing streak. They managed to pull off an upset of the fifth-seeded Florida State Seminoles thanks to a game-winning layup overtime layup by Trevon Hughes (In case you were asleep or missed it, thank God for YouTube).


Key Returnees: G Trevon Hughes, G Jason Bohannon, F Jon Leuer
Key Departures: F Joe Krabbenhoft, F Marcus Landry
Recruits: F Mike Bruesewitz (Mendota Heights, MN), G Diamond Taylor (Bolingbrook, IL)
Need: Small Forward
2010 Outlook: There's good news and bad news for Wisconsin fans. The bad news is that you have to replace pieces in the frontcourt. The good news is two-fold: a.) Bo Ryan has stockpiled size, and b) the backcourt returns. We'll get to that in a minute.


Replacing Krabbenhoft's toughness and Landry's leadership will be difficult. For his four-year career, Krabbenhoft was the glue that kept the Badgers together, always diving for loose balls and doing the little things to help his team win. Landry was arguably their most polished offensive player and could go outside or in. Couple their departures with the losses of Brian Butch and Greg Stiemsma from a year ago and you'll find that Wisconsin has to replace the starting power forward and center in consecutive seasons. But as I mentioned earlier, there are replacements in the wings.


Jon Leuer is a good place to start. While maybe not capable to be a true low-post presence, Leuer's size at 6'10" and unusual quickness makes him a defensive mismatch for any team. His stats may not have shown in this past year, but he has a breakout year and will very much be a part of the mix next year. Keaton Nankivil (6'8", 240) got some experience last year and should also be in the mix for some playing time. And don't forget massive centers Ian Markolf (7'0", 270) and Jered Berggren (6'10", 235) who didn't even play this past season. In terms of replacing Krabbenhoft, junior-to-be Tim Jarmusz looks capable of assuming that do-everything role, as does incoming freshman Mike Bruesewitz.



Wisconsin should be strong in the backcourt, with starting guards Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon both returning for their senior seasons. A forgotten name amidst the guards is Jordan Taylor, who is prime for a breakout season next year as a sophomore. Taylor has got a Big Ten-ready body and the game to go with it. He may not start next year, but you best believe he'll play often. He won't be the only "Taylor" on the team next year, as incoming freshman Diamond Taylor (no relation) will push for playing time.


Wisconsin has the necessary pieces to make it back to another NCAA Tournament, but the emergence and development of their bigs will play a big factor in that. The steadiness and continuity of the guards are a good place to start for any team looking to dance into March and if we know Bo Ryan, that's where Wisconsin will be.

Next Up: Michigan

2009/10 Big Ten-ACC Challenge Announced

The slate of games for next year's Big Ten/ACC Challenge was announced Wednesday. All games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks.

Monday, Nov. 30
Penn State at Virginia

Tuesday, Dec. 1
Maryland at Indiana
Michigan State at North Carolina
Northwestern at North Carolina State
Virginia Tech at Iowa
Wake Forest at Purdue

Wednesday, Dec. 2
Boston College at Michigan
Duke at Wisconsin
Florida State at Ohio State
Illinois at Clemson
Minnesota at Miami (FL)

My thoughts: The Big Ten has never won this challenge, but I think their draws are favorable. A Michigan State/North Carolina re-match will be the Challenge's marquee match-up and will be a chance for Michigan State to extract a little revenge after losing to the Tar Heels in the national championship game earlier this month.

2010 Preview: Penn State

Penn State surprised many by finishing as high as they did in the Big Ten last year. Thanks to inspired play by Jamelle Cornley and Talor Battle, the Nittany Lions just barely missed out on an NCAA Tournament berth. Despite being one of the last couple teams left out, Penn State used their passion and fire to sweep through the NIT, defeating George Mason, Rhode Island, Florida, Notre Dame and Baylor to give the conference two NIT championships in the last two years (Ohio State won it last year).

What should we expect from Penn State next year?

Key Returnees: G Talor Battle, F Andrew Jones, F Jeff Brooks

Key Departures: F Jamelle Cornley, G Stanley Pringle, G Danny Morrissey

Recruits: G Tim Frazier (Houston, TX), G Jermaine Marshall (Lewsiberry, PA), F Sasa Borovnjak (Fletcher, NC)

Biggest Need: Off-guard

2010 Outlook: Of all the conference's teams, you could argue Penn State loses the most. Jamelle Cornley was the heart and soul of that team and putting Battle's ridiculous late-game heroics aside, Cornley would simply let passion and put the Nittany Lions on his back, refusing to lose. Penn State needs to find a way to replace that because it made them so successful last year. The losses of Battle's backcourt mates also hurts, as Penn State needs to replace Morrissey's three-point shooting and Pringle's all-around solid play.

Battle proved to be one of the conference's best players last year and was a first team all-Big Ten selection. Love him or hate him, Battle wanted the ball in his hands with the game on the line and delivered on more than one occassion. He's got everything you like in a point guard: he's aggressive, he can create his own shot or distribute to others, he can handle the ball and he's a pesky defender. He'll be one of the conference's elite players next year and even has a cadre of his own fans.

The one thing Penn State has an abundance in is power forwards. Brooks, Jones and David "D.J." Jackson are all in the same mold, though none is really better than the other. If anything, they were complimentary role players last year, taking a back seat to Cornely, Battle and Pringle on the offensive side. Next year, Penn State's chances likely lie on their shoulders. Look for them to take much bigger roles.

Coach Ed DeChellis came into this last season on the hot seat. The majority of his seasons in Happy Valley were underachieveing, but it will be interesting to see how he responds after having a successful season. It's uncharted territory for him and his team, but it's a place he'll gladly take. All signs point to Penn State not regressing. While they may not be as talented as last year's team, they certaintly are going to be a team that "Battles" with everybody.

What Could Have Been? Ohio State

For the sake of argumentation, let's have a little bit of fun real quick.

Take this year's Ohio State team. They made the NCAA Tournament as a nine seed before losing to Siena in overtime in Dayton last month. They already had a pretty young team, but if not for five early defections to the NBA in the past three seasons (including big man B.J. Mullens, who has already declared), the Buckeyes could have had a loaded team this year. Take a look:

PG -- Mike Conley Jr. (now with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies)
SG -- Daequan Cook (now with the NBA's Miami Heat)
SF -- Evan Turner (first team all-Big Ten selection this year)
PF -- Kosta Koufos (now with the the NBA's Utah Jazz)
C -- Greg Oden (now with the NBA's Portland Trailblazers)

The bench? Not too shabby, either. Think of Mullens, David Lighty, Jon Diebler, William Buford and Dallas Lauderdale. That's a team that can go ten-deep. Is there any doubter out there that thinks that team would not have been a legit Final Four contender?

In wake of their departures, Matta continues to reload and win. He has turned Ohio State into a launching board towards the pros, which is attracting top recruits to Columbus. Now, all he has to do is convince them to stay. If he can do that, Ohio State has a shot at winning a national championship.

To further illustrate my point, take a look at the list below. Matta has always been a fantastic recruiter, but take a quick look at his 2010 recruiting class list. NOTE: Due to no graduating scholarship seniors, Ohio State has no signees for 2009, though Mullens' departure opens one spot up.

-- Jordan Sibert, a 6'4" shooting guard from Cincinnati, OH (five-star; ranked #18 on Rivals.com's 2010 Top 150)
-- Lenzelle Smith, Jr., a 6'3" shooting guard from Zion, IL (four-star; ranked #97 on Rivals.com's 2010 Top 150)
-- Jared Sullinger, a 6'8" power forward from Columbus, OH (five-star; ranked #3 on Rivals.com's 2010 Top 150)
-- DeShaun Thomas, a 6'6" power forward from Fort Wayne, IN (five-star; ranked #8 on Rivals.com's 2010 Top 150)
-- Cameron Wright, a 6'5" shooting guard from Cleveland, OH

They're also in the running for five-star prospects Adreian Payne (Dayton, OH) and Dominique Ferguson (Indianapolis, IN). Matta is going for it all and succeeding.

Think their future is in good hands?

2010 Preview: Indiana

Year one under Tom Crean was about as everyone expected. With virtually nobody returning from the Kelvin Sampson era, Crean was left with a bare cupboard and won just six games in his first year. What's to expect in his second year?

Key Returnees: F Tom Pritchard, G Devan Dumes, G Verdell Jones III

Key Departures: None

Recruits: F Christian Watford (Birmingham, AL), F Bobby Capobianco (Loveland, OH), G Maurice Creek (Chatham, VA), F Derek Elston (Tipton, IN), G Jordan Hulls (Bloomington, IN), C Bawa Muniru (Durham, NC)

Biggest Need: Balance, depth, athleticism

2010 Outlook: Next year's prognosis might not be that much better, though Hoosier fans can certainly anticipate more than six wins at the end of the season. The team will still be very young, but with an athletic, star-studded recruiting class coming in, Crean will finally have some pieces to work with.

How the six incoming freshmen play is going to be a major storyline for Indiana. Bloomington native Jordan Hulls (#107 on Rivals.Com's 2009 Top 150) was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball this past season and is a smart point guard that can run a team. Crean also has two great wing players coming in, with 6'8" small forward Christian Watford (#41) and 6'5" shooting guard Maurice Creek (#56). With their offensive ability and athleticism, Watford and Creek should be Crean's go-to-guys for the next four years. Forwards Derek Elston (#103) and Bobby Capobianco provide good depth in the front court, while Bawa Muniru (#112) is a physically-imposing center that is still developing.

Aside from those coming in, Indiana has some decent pieces returning. Devan Dumes, a senior next year, will likely return to his spot in the starting lineup. Verdell Jones III is a strong, tall point guard who can do a little bit of everything and Matt Roth, the sharpshooting guard who can fill it up from beyond the arc. Don't forget guard Jeremiah Rivers, who sat out last year after transferring from Georgetown. Expect him to get some minutes, but don't be surprised to see him start.

It won't take Indiana long to return to the top of the conference. While Indiana might not make the NCAA Tournament, a trip to the NIT wouldn't be impossible. They're going to have more depth next year, which should pay them immediate dividends. Those players returning who were coached by Crean last year know what is expected of them, and when that is combined with the influx of youth coming in, Indiana could be a scary team that nobody in the Big Ten wants to face.

Next Up: Penn State

UPDATE: Well, you can scratch Nick Williams off the Hoosiers' roster next year. The freshman has decided to transfer at the end of the semester, according to the Big Ten Network.

2010 Preview: Northwestern

After taking a look at the Iowa yesterday, let's go to the Chicago area to preview next year's Northwestern Wildcats.

Key Returnees: F Kevin Coble, F John Shurna, G Michael Thompson

Key Departures: G Craig Moore

Recruits: G Drew Crawford (Naperville, IL), G Alex Marcotullio (Warren, MI)

Biggest Need: Center

2010 Outlook: To many, Northwestern probably exceeded expectations last year, going 17-14 and making the NIT. Remember, this same group went 1-17 in the Big Ten the previous year. But this year, they were very competitive in nearly every conference game and even managed to go to East Lansing and beat Michigan State on their home floor.

The question for Northwestern next year will be if they can maintain their success. They've got necessary pieces back to do it, including second team all-Big Ten selection Kevin Coble (left). He was the Wildcats' leading scorer at 15.5 ppg and expect that number to stay the same or even rise next year. Coble's versatility at the forward spot causes mismatch problems for many teams, due to his ability to play inside and out. Also returning are sophomore point guard Michael "Juice" Thompson and Coble-like forward John Shurna. Thompson was a spark for the Wildcat offense and proved himself capable of running Bill Carmody's team.

The knock on Northwestern has always been their lack of a big man; however, they seem to have found one in massive freshman Kyle Rowley (7'0", 280 lbs.). Though still very new to basketball, Rowley is a project-type center that not many teams in the Big Ten can match up with. He only averaged 13 minutes per game this year, but with one full season under his belt, expect him to make huge strides next season and be the immovable object in the paint.

The departure of sharpshooter Craig Moore certainly hurts Northwestern. When the Wildcats needed a big three, Moore was the go-to guy. However, Northwestern fans feel they have a capable replacement in the wings in freshman guard Drew Crawford of Naperville, who is drawing early comparisons to Moore. Don't be surprised to see him in the starting lineup next year.

Next Up: Indiana Hoosiers