5 things you won't (or shouldn't) hear at Big Ten basketball media day
The Big Ten's best - and often, most senior - players converge in Chicago for a morning of media attention Thursday at the annual media day.
They'll be asked question after question ranging from, 'How good are you going to be?' to the mundane and bizarre.
But here's five things you won't - or shouldn't - hear from players and coaches in the Big Ten this year.
When will the Big Ten win the Big Ten/ACC Challenge? After a decade of losing, the Big Ten won the Big Ten/ACC Challenge last year for the first time. The chances of the league repeating are good, too, as the Big Ten is considered the strongest league in the country this preseason with four teams - Michigan State, Ohio State, Illinois and Purdue - that could contend for the Final Four.
How concerned are you about your job status? For the first time in a while, no Big Ten coach enters the season on the proverbial “hot seat.” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery is the league’s only new face and both Michigan’s John Beilein and Indiana’s Tom Crean are tied into long-term deals and are in the process of rebuilding struggling programs. The rest of the league’s coaches appear to be in comfortable surroundings.
The disrespect card: You’ll certainly hear it from someone - usually teams in the lower half of the Big Ten - but there isn’t much reason for it this year. Teams expected to be in the top half of the league are likely Top 25 squads and the bottom half teams haven’t shown anything to believe they’ll be able to make a big move.
Anything from Jared Sullinger: There will be a lot of questions about the Ohio State super freshman, but nothing from Sullinger. Not surprisingly - rarely does a team bring a freshman to media day - Sullinger is still in Columbus. But his teammates and his coach, Thad Matta, will have to say a lot about one of the top incoming freshmen in the country.
Expansion: For now, expansion in the Big Ten is over. Nebraska is coming, but that is more of a football issue than basketball one as the Cornhuskers have never been very good in the Big 12. Plus, can’t imagine Tom Osborne will be showing up at this, like he did at the Big Ten football media days this summer. Next year, Big Ten coaches can rejoice as the Huskers will likely start toward the bottom of the league.
Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball at AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein
Comments
spartyisyourlilsister
Thu, Oct 28, 2010 : 11:09 a.m.
Nice to see the Spartys on here are still obsessed about an "irrelevant" Michigan BBall team!!
rightmind250
Thu, Oct 28, 2010 : 8:37 a.m.
Engineer, I would say mediocre is a little optimistic. This basketball team will definitely be at the bottom of the B10.
OSUbeBetter
Thu, Oct 28, 2010 : 3:40 a.m.
You wont hear that the real reason for Michigan being so bad for so long is because of the Curse. See its a proven fact that "the Ghost of Ed Martin" still haunts the basketball program. For those youngsters out there Ed Martin was a Michigan Booster who was murdered by the Michigan athletic department for his role in the fab five debacle. The medical school covered it up by calling it a heart attack, A very convenient and timely Heart Attack. Very convenient, Very timely.
Engineer
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 8:23 p.m.
You won't hear... Michigan is a contender for any spot in the top 3. You should hear... John B. is on the hot seat to the max. We are way to far into his tenure to still suck this bad. Missing all tourneys last year should have been the end. The total and complete lack of recruiting should be "here's your sign". Should hear... How many more years will Michigan settle for mediocre?
Yelmonian
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 5:15 p.m.
You won't hear... "That Michigan front line is Awesome, isn't it?"?