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Big Ten overview

No slippage expected from champion Spartans

By Mark Ambrogi, Special to CNNSI.com

Luke Recker is back in the Big Ten, this time with Iowa. Todd Warshaw/Allsport

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

Top storylines

Life after Bob Knight begins at Indiana after his firing for violating the school's zero tolerance policy. The big question is will his players be able to keep interim coach Mike Davis' job after they fought so hard to get it for him.

Defending NCAA champion Michigan State will see how its terrific group of newcomers, including center Zach Randolph and point guard Marcus Taylor, blend with two returning starters. The Spartans will greatly miss Mateen Cleaves' leadership at point guard.

Most analysts are not predicting a return to the Final Four for Wisconsin. But last season's tournament surprise has most of key components back, including its physical front-line players.

Lon Kruger left Illinois for the Atlanta Hawks but he left behind a lot of talent for new coach Bill Self. All five starters return for the Illini. How they jell under a new coach will be a big question.

How they will spend Selection Sunday
Relaxing	Sweating	Fishing
Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana	Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State	Northwestern, Minnesota

Players to Watch

Top Three Frontcourt Players

Ken Johnson, Ohio State • The returning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year led the nation in blocked shots (5.4) last season. Kirk Haston, Indiana • Without A.J. Guyton, look for this aggressive 6-10 rebounder to surpass last season's 15.3 scoring average. LaVell Blanchard, Michigan • If the smooth 6-7 Blanchard improves his defense, the Wolverines' top rebounder and scorer should be an All-Big Ten performer.

Top Three Backcourt Players

Luke Recker, Iowa • Smooth-scoring Indiana/Arizona transfer should team with point guard Dean Oliver to form the conference's best backcourt. Charlie Bell, Michigan State • Senior shooting guard showed his ability to also play the point and lead when Mateen Cleaves was injured last year. Cory Bradford, Illinois • If 3-point shooting specialist improves his overall shooting, he could average 20-plus points for a potent Illini squad.

Top Three Newcomers

Zach Randolph, Michigan State • McDonald's All-American MVP is a beefy 6-9 center who muscles his way to loads of points and rebounds. Brett Buscher, Purdue • Buscher, who has been called a more athletic version of departed senior Brian Cardinal, has a great chance to start right away. Jared Jeffries, Indiana • Bloomington high school star displays a nice touch and excellent ball-handling skills for a 6-9 player

Coaches

Hot Coach

Tom Izzo, Michigan State • Izzo weighed an offer from the NBA before choosing to return to his talent-rich team. The Spartans should be strong for as long as Izzo stays put.

Coach on the Hot Seat

Mike Davis, Indiana • To be the man to replace Bob Knight on a full-time basis, the top recruiter must prove he can be a head coach, too. Twenty wins should do the trick.

Schedules

Toughest Schedule

Michigan State • The Spartans play North Carolina, Florida and Kentucky in a three-week period, and the only good news is all three games are at home

Quickest-Way-to-20-Wins Schedule

Iowa • A home game with Missouri or a possible Rainbow Classic matchup with Tennessee are the toughest non-conference games.

Mark Your Calendar

Dec. 6, Florida at Michigan State • A rematch of the NCAA title game should be interesting although a few prominent names from both teams are gone. Dec. 16, Illinois vs. Arizona in Chicago • A pair of likely top-10 teams with explosive athletes should be interesting to watch. Jan. 27, Indiana at Iowa • This is Recker's only shot of the season against his former team, but this would have been hyped even more if Knight was still on the other sideline. Feb. 27, Michigan State at Wisconsin • Badgers are always tough at home and this late-season matchup could very well have title implications.

Mark Ambrogi covers the Big Ten for the Indianapolis Star and will write a CNNSI.com conference insider this season.

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