Big Ten: Spartans Rule
By Albert Lin, CNN/SI
Eschmeyer leads a Northwestern team on the rise.
(Jonathan Daniel) | |
| Projected Order of
Finish
|
| Team | Comment |
| 1. Michigan
State* | Everybody's back, led by great
PG. |
| 2.
Purdue* | Gene Keady always finds a
way. |
| 3. Penn
State** | Experienced team ready for
breakthrough. |
| 4.
Minnesota** | SF Quincy Lewis needs to step
up. |
| 5. Ohio
State** | Boston College connection takes
hold. |
| 6.
Indiana** | No inside game to speak of at
all. |
| 7. Iowa**
| If Jess Settles, Sam Okey play, Hawkeyes move
up. |
| 8.
Northwestern | Kevin O'Neill starting to develop
program. |
| 9.
Wisconsin | Is Dick Bennett in over his
head? |
| 10.
Michigan | Wait until next year.... |
| 11.
Illinois | Non-qualifiers hurt
Illini. |
*NCAA Tournament lock;
**NCAA Tournament bubble team/NIT
bound. |
|
| |
|
|
All-Conference
Team
|
|
Louis Bullock, G, 6' 3", Sr., Michigan
| | 1997-98 Stats: 17.1 ppg, 44.9% 3-pt.
FG |
|
Mateen Cleaves, G, 6' 2", Jr., Michigan State
| | 1997-98 Stats: 16.1 ppg, 7.2
apg | |
Evan Eschmeyer, C, 6' 11", Sr., Northwestern
| | 1997-98 Stats: 21.7 ppg, 10.7
rpg | |
A.J. Guyton, G, 6' 1", Jr., Indiana
| | 1997-98 Stats: 16.8 ppg, 43.9 3-pt.
FG% | |
Michael Redd, G, 6' 5", Soph., Ohio State
| | 1997-98 Stats: 21.9 ppg, 6.5
rpg
|
|
|
Player of the
Year
|
| Mateen
Cleaves,
Michigan State
| | Powerful point guard will challenge for national Player of
the Year honors as
well.
| |
|
Coach on the Hot
Seat
|
Bob Knight,
Indiana
28th year; 1997-98 record: 20-12 (Lost to UConn in
NCAA East second
round)
| | The General can't live indefinitely on past
accomplishments.
| |
|
Newcomer of the
Year |
| Joel
Przybilla, C, 7'0", Fr.,
Minnesota
| | Shotblocker will swat everything in sight; needs to get
stronger.
| |
|
Top Three
Storylines to Watch
|
| Mighty
Mateen
| | Can Cleaves lead a bunch of
no-names to the top of the standings once
again?
|
| A-Okey?
| | Will former Badger Sam Okey—the 1995-96 Big Ten Freshman
of the Year—resurrect his career at
Iowa?
| | Leading the
way
| | Point guard transfers Carson Cunningham and Scoonie Penn
will be vital to the success of Purdue and Ohio State,
respectively.
|
|
| The Bandwagon |
| Penn State |  |
Chance to make a splash in weakened
conference
|
| Evan Eschmeyer | | Perseverance should be rewarded with first-round
selection next
June
|
| Iowa |  | Lame-duck coach=no
recruits
|
| Michigan | | It's going to be a loooong
year
|
|
|
Games to
Watch |
|
Michigan State vs. Duke (in
Chicago), Dec.
2
| | Tough early challenge for
Spartans.
|
|
Michigan State at Connecticut, Dec.
5
| | Who made this schedule
anyway?
|
|
Indiana vs. Kentucky (in Louisville), Dec.
8
| | This rivalry has lost some of its
luster. |
|
Michigan at Duke, Dec.
12
| | Watch the Blue Devils toy with the
Wolverines.
| |
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