Big Ten Notes: Buckeyes blow through league

CHICAGO — That buzzsaw ripping through the Big Ten this season? The one that flattened the league like only two teams have done before?

It was the Buckeyes. Again. And they're not going anywhere for a while.

If Greg Oden was the story heading into the 2006-07 Big Ten season, he made his team the story at the end. Towering above his peers, the freshman led Ohio State to the third 15–1 record since the Big Ten moved to a 16-game schedule in 1997-98. Michigan State (1999) and Illinois (2005) went 15–1, and both reached the Final Four.

The respect Ohio State deserved didn’t arrive until after it blasted league foes by an average of 11.3 points per game (Illinois, version 2005, set the gold standard with a 16.3 victory margin). At least five coaches at the league's media day in October said Wisconsin should have been the preseason favorite, not Ohio State. The Badgers were a fine pick, to be sure, though the Buckeyes clearly were the team to beat. And they proved it.

"If anyone does it (goes to the Final Four), it's them," Northwestern senior Tim Doyle said Monday. "Wisconsin, I don't think they’re deep enough. Ohio State’s superior in talent to the rest of the league."

"They’re so complete,” Minnesota junior Spencer Tollackson said Monday. “They’re so deep. They have Greg Oden. They shoot threes, or pound it inside to Oden, or they can run the floor.”

“I think Ohio State has a really good chance of advancing because they’re so talented all the way around,” Purdue senior David Teague said Friday. “When you’ve got Greg Oden, you can never go wrong with a 7-footer with that much skill.”

On the first-team all-conference list Oden was joined by good friend, high school teammate and point guard supreme Mike Conley. The brilliant freshmen were better than advertised; no small feat considering the hype that accompanied their arrival in Columbus.

Illinois coach Bruce Weber said Oden reminds him of Bill Russell. Tollackson said Oden "is a Patrick Ewing-type." The director of USA Basketball, Jerry Colangelo, in attendance for Oden's game at Illinois, said he hopes Oden will be a “fixture” on the senior national team for years to come. The scary part is, Oden played this season while still recovering from offseason wrist surgery.

"A lot of people still don’t understand he’s been playing with a cast on his hand all year. He is a dominant presence with one hand,” Teague pointed out. “The things he’s been able to do while being limited are just phenomenal. He’s playing with one hand! He’s shooting free throws, jump hooks, with one hand.”

Ohio State isn’t just the Greg Oden show, though he will be the hottest topic at the Big Ten tournament, which opens today at Chicago’s United Center. There are four former McDonald’s All-Americans on the Ohio State roster. Expect that number to be the norm in the future, if not higher.

At the same time he has won consecutive Big Ten titles, coach Thad Matta has been on a recruiting tear to rival the best of the last 20 years. One year after bringing in the Thad Five (Oden, Conley, David Lighty, Daequan Cook and Othello Hunter), Matta has signed a top-10 2007 recruiting class. He already has five commitments for the 2008 class. Four of them are rated as five-star prospects, according to Rivals.com.

How is Matta doing it?

“I think everybody wants to go to an institution that has a winning program,” said Ohio State senior Ivan Harris, a former McDonald’s All-American. “When I was in high school I wanted to go somewhere that was a winning program. Guys have seen that we win. They want to be a part of it.”

Yes, it looks like Ohio State will be on top of the Big Ten for a while.

Big Ten Tournament preview
No. 1 seed: Ohio State
The Buckeyes will win their second Big Ten tournament title … unless Oden, Conley and Cook enter the NBA draft real early. (Like today.) If those three go pro, Ohio State likely will have more players chosen in the 2007 NBA draft than the other 10 teams combined. Michigan State accomplished that feat in 2001 and 2006.

They won’t win … because their last three games were decided by less than nine points. These Buckeyes (15–1) run over teams, but they don’t run over teams and then throw it in reverse, like the 2005 Illini (15–1).

No. 2: Wisconsin
The Badgers will win their second tournament title … because their style of play — smart offense, smarter defense — is dependable in a tournament format. Only Michigan State and Michigan risk fewer three-pointers per game than Wisconsin (16), and the Badgers haven't been soundly beaten all season (widest margin of defeat: nine points).

They won’t win ... because the Badgers stumbled to the finish line. Wisconsin is a Kammron Taylor three-pointer away (against Michigan State) from a three-game losing streak to close the regular season.

No. 3: Indiana
The Hoosiers will win their first tournament title ... because they have an inside-outside duo in D.J. White and Roderick Wilmont matched only by Ohio State and Purdue. A big postseason from center White could lean the junior toward early entry in the NBA draft. Wilmont (nine threes vs. Northwestern last week) is capable of carrying a team to the final.

They won’t win ... because, like Wisconsin, Indiana has appeared quite average down the stretch. A 4–4 record over the final eight games doesn't scare anybody, and three of those wins came against Penn State, Northwestern and Minnesota.

No. 4: Iowa
The Hawkeyes will win their third tournament title ... If coach Steve Alford can summon the magic that led to titles in Chicago (2001) and Indianapolis (2006) in tournaments past.

They won’t win ... because Iowa must go through red-hot Purdue before likely matchups against Ohio State and Wisconsin. Bad draw for the Hawkeyes.

No. 5: Purdue
The Boilermakers will win their first tournament title ... because they might be the hottest team in the field. Outdone only by Ohio State's 14-game win streak, the Boilermakers have won six of eight. David Teague and Carl Landry are capable of scoring 25 points on any night.

They won’t win ... because No. 1 Ohio State will be waiting in the semifinals. That, and Purdue hasn't won a Big Ten tournament game since 2001 (0–5).

No. 6: Illinois
The Illini will win their third tournament title ... because it’s in Chicago, where the Illini are 13–4 in the Big Ten showcase. And because they blasted first-round foe Penn State, should have swept quarterfinal partner Indiana and lost a late lead to probable semifinal opponent Wisconsin. Great draw, really.

They won’t win ... because the burden of an emotional four months is wearing on the Illini. At this point, their issues have less to do with X's and O's and more to do with trials and tribulations.

No. 7: Michigan State
The Spartans will win their third tourney title ... because they might be the best team outside Ohio State. No, seriously. Injuries and an unfair conference schedule set them back. But with Tom Izzo in charge, Michigan State remains a tough out.

They won’t win ... because Drew Neitzel is a marked man. A shoo-in to be named the Big Ten’s preseason Player of the Year next season, Neitzel carries a hefty scoring load.

No. 8: Michigan
The Wolverines will win their second tourney title ... because a talented senior class finally will put it together. Michigan has played in 14 NIT games in three-plus seasons (including the 2004 preseason NIT).

They won’t win ... because Michigan has won four Big Ten tournament games since claiming the inaugural trophy in 1998. That's not a good thing.

No. 9: Minnesota, No. 10: Northwestern, No. 11: Penn State
The bottom three will struggle to escape Thursday’s games. Penn State has a chance against Illinois, mainly because you don’t know which Illinois team will show up. Otherwise, it should be short stay after difficult regular seasons.

Big Ten Tournament Champion: Ohio State
The two-time regular season champions have plenty to play for (the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament) and their central competition (Wisconsin, Michigan State) is on the other side of the bracket. Watch out for Purdue, however. The Boilers have the scoring options to make a run.

Who's Dancing?: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue, Illinois
The Boilers and the Illini need to win a game to lock up a bid. But in what has been a season of mediocrity outside the Big Two (Ohio State, Wisconsin), the league still will place six teams in the NCAA tournament.

(You can reach Paul Klee at pklee@news-gazette.com)

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