Big Ten Meat Grinder

[Scott M]

Just saw that Indiana got Tom Crean from Marquette. The Big Ten is going to be an absolute meat grinder next year. Top to bottom it is going to be a tough league full of great coaches. I can honestly say it probably has the best league of coaches of any conference in the country, but the Big East and ACC are in the conversation, and the Big 12 has some standouts but can't compete top to bottom. In the Big Ten, a different school has won the regular-season league title three years in a row, and five schools have won or shared a title in the past eight years.

Minnesota-Tubby Smith

Iowa-Todd Lickliter

Wisconsin-Bo Ryan

Purdue-Matt Painter

Illinois-Bruce Weber

Michigan-John Beilein

Michigan State-Tom Izzo

Indiana-Tom Crean

Northwestern-Bill Carmody

Ohio State-Thad Matta

Penn State-Ed DeChellis

Those all rolled off the brain except DeChellis...never much hope in Penn State basketball.

Just for fun I'll try and rank them. I'm curious what others think of the lineup:

1. Bo Ryan-wins even in garbage talent years

2. Tom Izzo-great system, great recruiter

3. Tubby Smith-wins wherever he goes, great defense

4. Tom Crean-awesome recruiter and basketball mind

5. Thad Matta-wins wherever he goes, great recruiter

6. Bruce Weber-needs to show he can recruit @ Big Ten level

7. Matt Painter-most unproven on list, certainly has winning system and can motivate

8. John Beilein-experienced and really knows offense

9. Todd Lickliter-can he win in Big Ten?

10. Bill Carmody-Good X's and O's, just stuck in basketball wasteland

11. Ed DeChellis-basketball purgatory

[hamrej23]

pretty much agree., maybe switch matta and weber around, but it is pretty close.

[Flaco651]

I'm really looking forward to the seeing the Gophers over the next few years. Look at the improvement they made in Tubby's first season.

[ozzie]

Izzo is the best coach in the big ten...he is the only one to win a NCAA championship with a team from the big ten!! Bo is a good coach but he is not on the same level as Izzo.....IMO

[smartguy]

Crean is a very underrated coach. Every time I see him, I always see the competitiveness that a successful coach needs.

[Cooter]

Some great coaches indeed and I agree with Ryan and Izzo at the top of your list. Hopefully Crean can get things in Indiana back on track. MN is hopefully NOT on the upswing (because I couldn't handle the heckling from you Mudducks!). Purdue is gonna be scary also. Might have to break down and go with dish to get the Big 10 network

[Scott M]

That's very true, you'd have to put Izzo first. He does have all those Final 4's and a National Championship. I just keep waiting for Wisconsin to fall on their face and it never happens, so I tipped my cap to Bucky.

[maros91]

Izzo and his squads always seem to do well. Very well coached teams.

[lawdog]

I think Izzo and Tubby are in a virtual lock for #1. Tubby has only been here a year, but the guy has how many straight 20 win seasons and a national championship...

[tisosy11]

Ok please, the big ten will not be a meat grinder next year. Its the BIG TEN and its a down conference.

Indiana will be Brutal.

Minnesota is still a year away from competing with the top teams.

MSU will be great

Purdue will battle.

Northwestern ha

Iowa double ha

Michigan, Not yet

Illinois - Weber will be canned

Penn State will be in the middle

Wisconsin Bo Ryan is mr February!

OSU could struggle.

What does everyone thing of changing the freshman rule to possible sophmore rule?

[pearllakebulls]

I like the proposed change from one year to two years in college. I hear it still has to go thru the players union and then it may go in effect after the current collective barganing agreement expires in 2011.

[tisosy11]

Right - down the road, but definately a nice addition.

Wonder what the movement of the 3-point line next year will do...

[smartguy]

 Originally Posted By: pearllakebulls

I like the proposed change from one year to two years in college. I hear it still has to go thru the players union and then it may go in effect after the current collective barganing agreement expires in 2011.

I personally am not for it. I would hate to be the NBA propsect who had a career ending injury in college, only to lose out to that guaranteed salary at the NBA level. Probably not really common, but something to consider.

[tisosy11]

Definately something to consider. They have insurance that will easily cover your rookie contract...the NBA is structured so rookies don't get massively paid until after their first contract is up.

There are not that many career ending injuries anymore...thanks to medicine advances and what have you.

[Dotch]

For selfish reasons, it would be nice if they had to stay until their 2nd year was up. It's hard to get much of an attachment to the likes of a Humphries or Rickert when one knows their college careers are abbreviated to begin with. I understand that most have been recruited as athletes first and students second but also understand that a career ending injury could happen that freshman year or in high school before college was even a possibility. And, my chances of seeing these guys play once they turn pro are slim. Not a big NBA fan to start with especially if there's college b-ball, college or pro hockey or Twins baseball to watch. If I do watch NBA games, unless the guy is the real deal, seems like they sit on the bench.

[joewibro14]

Getting back to the coaching assessment...

-Tom Izzo is clearly the best because he is a terrific recruiter, unfortunately, he has had to live with highly overated Drew Neitzel choking the past two years.

-Bo Ryan is second based on his methodical style of play, but if the BIG TEN were actually better from top to bottom, his teams would not win as many games as they have the past two years.

-Tubby will easily pass up Bo Ryan if his new recruits pan out

-I agree with every other assessment except Bruce Weber at #6...he is a terrible coach and recruiter, I can't believe he is still with Illinois, and now that all of Bill Self's players are gone we can see just how bad Bruce is

--Also I agree with tisosy11 in that the Big Ten is going to be poor once again next year based on the fact that Indiana will not be able to play at the same level they did this year now that Eric Gordan and DJ "Cry Baby" White are gone...This is a great opportunity for the Gophers to move up in the standings and I expect them to finish in the top four

[Scott M]

Good takes Joe. I hope Tubby does ascend further up the list. The Big Ten will be down again next year, I should have rephrased the first post in the thread that the Big Ten could become an absolute meat grinder in years to come, I don't doubt there will be a dropoff this next year. It shouldn't last long as those are some very talented head coaches. Indiana is in for some troubles next year I'm afraid. No Devin Ebanks or Terrell Holloway, Gordon Leaves, they graduate some guys, and kick two more off the team.

I think you'll see the conference improving in time. They are good coaches and part of being a good coach is doing a good job recruiting. There is some good talent coming in next year:

* B.J. Mullens, Terrelle Pryor, and William Buford to Ohio State

* Minnesota's Jared Berggren to Wisconsin

* Ralph Sampson IV and Devoe Joseph to Minnesota

* Delvon Roe and Korie Lucious to Michigan State

* Five schools with classes ranked in the top 30 nationally.

[tisosy11]

Yeah, I think the Big Ten is 2-4 years away from not be a laugher!