Paul Klee's college basketball insider

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TEAM OF THE WEEK

All-Big Ten First Team

Here was our All-Big Ten first team, submitted Sunday: Kalin Lucas, Manny Harris, Talor Battle, JaJuan Johnson and Evan Turner. (You'll notice that's five sophomores, and here's a guess that's our first-team preseason ballot for the 2009-10 season.) I thought the All-Big Ten first team was relatively easy to select. It got dicey with the second and third teams. Putting Chester Frazier on the second team wasn't a homer pick. He's the MVP of the second-place team and deserved the nod. The Illinois senior was joined by Goran Suton, Kevin Coble, E'Twaun Moore and Mike Davis on our second-team ballot. Our third team included DeShawn Sims, Marcus Landry, Jamelle Cornley, Robbie Hummel and Demetri McCamey. We do look at stats when putting together an All-Big Ten ballot, but it's more important to evaluate what we've seen with our own eyes, selecting guys based largely on their importance to their teams.

TEAM(S) OF THE WEEK, II

The Big Ten in 2009-10

Barring NBA defections, 11 of the 15 players on the first, second and third teams are scheduled to return next season. The Big Ten's weakness this season has been star power. A lack of All-America types is a big reason the league doesn't garner – or deserve – respect like the Big East or the ACC. "We probably don't have the athletes those leagues do," said UI coach Bruce Weber, who this season has been a staunch defender of the Big Ten. That won't be the case in 2009-10 and beyond. The marquee players, guys with NBA potential, are underclassmen and will be joined by a number of top-100 recruits. With an improved talent pool, here's hoping the style of play opens up, as well.

GAMES TO WATCH (Big Ten tournament edition)

1. No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 10 Iowa (1:30 p.m. Thursday, ESPN2) – The winner here gets No. 2 Illinois. Neither is a particularly enticing matchup for the Illini, though you rarely want to face a future pro – like Manny Harris – in a loser-goes-home scenario. If Iowa wins, the UI meets a much different Iowa team than in their first meeting. One, Cyrus Tate didn't play in Illinois' 62-54 win. Two, "(Big Ten Player of the Week) Jake Kelly playing the point has given people a lot of trouble," Michigan coach John BeilEIn said Monday.

2. No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 Indiana (4 p.m. Thursday, ESPN2) – Indiana is what it is. But don't overlook the seasonlong maturation of Verdell Jones. During the final 11 games, he averaged 13.2 points and 4.7 assists. The Champaign Central product finished third in the Big Ten in assists, an exceptional feat given the Hoosiers' lack of scoring options. He was second on our Freshman of the Year ballot, trailing only William Buford (Ohio State).

3. No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Ohio State (1:30 p.m. Friday, ESPN) – Badgers coach Bo Ryan has a unique take on the All-Big Ten selection process. "My assistant coaches vote all the time. I never vote," he said Monday. "We don't have any individual awards at Wisconsin, or anywhere I've ever coached, junior high, Division III or whatever. It's all about team."

CONFERENCE CALL

LEAGUE PREVIOUS

1. Big East 1

2. ACC 2

3. Big Ten 3

4. Big 12 5

5. Pac-10 4

6. Mountain West 8

7. Atlantic 10 7

8. SEC 6

9. Conference USA 9

10. Horizon League –

Dropped out: Missouri Valley (10).

WOODEN WATCH (Big Ten Player of the Year)

1. Kalin Lucas, Michigan State – The Spartans' first Big Ten title since 2001 coincided with their first Player of the Year award since Mateen Cleaves (twice) and Morris Peterson won three straight from 1998 to 2000.

2. Evan Turner, Ohio State – If he returns to Ohio State, and we expect he will, Chicago-area product probably will earn our vote as the preseason Player of the Year in 2009-10.

3. JaJuan Johnson, Purdue – Of the five players on the preseason All-Big Ten team, only Michigan's Manny Harris was named to the postseason list. And Johnson wasn't one of four Purdue players invited to Big Ten media day (Robbie Hummel, Keaton Grant, Chris Kramer, E'Twaun Moore), either, though he became the league's premier big man.

Editor's note: The News-Gazette's Coach of the Year ballot: Bruce Weber (first), Tom Izzo (second), Ed DeChellis (third).

The EX FILES (Big Ten tournament heroes edition)

1. Brian Cook, Houston Rockets – Since Feb. 19 trade from the Magic to the Rockets, Lincoln's finest has appeared in three games. But in the 2003 Big Ten tournament, Cook shot 28 free throws – or five fewer than Illinois in its last three games. "We've got to get to the line more (often)," Weber said.

2. Cory Bradford, Achilleas Kaimakliou (Cyprus) – According to the team's Web site, the former Illini averaged 18.3 points in seven games this season. He was at his best in the Big Ten tournament, setting the career scoring record with 167 points in 11 games.

3. Shaun Pruitt, BK Ventspils (Latvia) – The former Illini center played at least one game with the Ventspils roster, which currently includes former Illini forward Warren Carter. (Pruitt now has signed with a franchise in China, his agent Mike Naiditch said Monday.) In four games last season, Pruitt set the UI record for rebounds in a Big Ten tournament with 36. The Illini outrebounded possible quarterfinal foes Michigan (twice) and Iowa in all three of their meetings.

POLLING PLACE: News-Gazette vs. national polls

N-G Top 25

How Klee voted in this week's Associated Press poll:

1. Pittsburgh – During travels to Penn State, Pittsburgh airport hospitable

2. North Carolina – Top-seeded Heels get Va. Tech-Miami winner in ACCs

3. Memphis – Three Tigers named first- or second-team picks in C-USA

4. Connecticut – UConn hoping to see Pitt on opposite side of NCAA bracket

5. Louisville – Big East tourney's top seed in running for No. 1 NCAA seed

6. Oklahoma – Big 12 would overwhelm Kansas City if OU, KU land there

7. Michigan State – In 11 Big Ten tournaments, Spartans only have 12 wins

8. Duke – Next season, Indy will host the Big Ten tourney and Final Four

9. Wake Forest – If UNC, Duke, Wake land in Greensboro, scalpers celebrate

10. Villanova – Look for 'Nova to stay in Philly for first weekend of NCAAs

11. Kansas – Former Illini Bill Self named Big 12 Coach of the Year

12. Washington – From first-round CBI loss in '08 to Pac-10 champs in '09

13. Clemson – Tigers' Demontez Stitt among sweet PGs that UI has faced

14. Gonzaga – Only team to rank in top 11 in defensive and offensive efficiency

15. UCLA – Illinois a No. 5 seed in latest Bracketology; UCLA is the No. 4

16. Florida State – Guard Toney Douglas our choice for ACC Player of Year

17. Xavier – St. Joe's senior Ahmad Nivins named A-10 Player of the Year

18. Illinois – Weber on Monday: "Coaches will be out recruiting (Tuesday)"

19. Missouri – Right or not, the Braggin' Rights blowout still stuck in our head

20. Butler – Ex-Butler coaches Todd Lickliter, Thad Matta in Indy again this week

21. Purdue – An Indiana-Purdue matchup Friday would boost Conseco ticket sales

22. Arizona State – Miami (Ohio) cradle of coaches includes ASU's Herb Sendek

23. Syracuse – Off topic: Steve Alford coached UNM to share of first MWC title

24. BYU – Remember, NCAA committee, Cougars can't play Sundays in NCAAs

25. Siena – Here's a No. 13 seed you don't want to see on Selection Sunday

pklee@news-gazette.com

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