NU is loaded, confident and experienced, but let's not ignore how much better much of the rest of the conference is going to be. There were at least 4 teams last year that had 3 or more freshman starters, 3 of which had winning records in the league.
About those 4: (2) MSU lost one starter and gained 3 or 4 likely contributors, all bigs. They had 4 frosh that contributed big minutes last year and they are all back and likely to improve. They have 5 players 6'8 or taller, as opposed to 1 last year. The early game against Duke will tell us a lot, but everybody has them as the class of the league. Maryland lost a leader (Trimble) but already played his replacement (Cowen) as a starter last year, and shouldn't lose much if anything. Their wing forwards (Jackson and Huerter) are very strong. They have several options at center, including Duke grad transfer Sean Obi. Shooting guard is a question mark at this point. We should have an edge over them, but not one that will guarantee a win. (3) Iowa was 10-8 last year with a rediculously young team. Yes, Peter Jok isn't coming back, but everyone else is, and it's a pretty talented group. (4) Penn State was the only losing record team in this list, and their inconsistency was a problem, but the balance and athleticism from PG Banks to shot blocker Watkins could make them a threat. They have big guy depth and bring all 5 starters back, something only Minnesota can also say.
Other Ranked teams: Minnesota and Purdue. Minnesota has a nice mix of class years, tons of quickness and strength, and some important newcomers to deepen the back court and center positions. Expect wars with the rooting rodents. Purdue lost a lot in Swanigan, but they have 4 major contributors that shoot over 40% from 3 (we have none). Haas isn't the tallest player on the team, and they have some athletes coming in for depth (Nojel Eastern is the best known on this board).
So far that's 6 very challenging opponents. The Blue Ribbon Yearbook (a must have at this time of year) has Michigan and Wisconsin ahead of Iowa and Penn State, so.... Michigan lost 3 starters, including Derrick Walton, the conference's best player down the stretch. They do have a grad transfer star from Ohio U. a returning sophomore and a freshman to try to fill that spot. The most likely replacement for Zak Irvin is Kentucky transfer Charles Matthews. Not as sure who will replace DJ Wilson, but Mo Wagner should be better. We'll see. Wisconsin has Ethan Happ, but maybe in the 2nd full year of the post-Bo Ryan era, we shouldn't be so sure that everything will continue to fall in place for the Badgers. They lost 4 starters, but they do have some very promising newcomers, and contributors like Iverson and Trice will be back, probably as starters. They remain a team that is likely to over-achieve, but I'm not buying it this year until I see the goods.
I can't imagine Rutgers, OSU, Indiana, Illinois, or Nebraska being in the mix, but the IU/UI group have new coaches and some athletes, so they could surprise. Should be a much better year for the conference as a whole. Can't wait.
About those 4: (2) MSU lost one starter and gained 3 or 4 likely contributors, all bigs. They had 4 frosh that contributed big minutes last year and they are all back and likely to improve. They have 5 players 6'8 or taller, as opposed to 1 last year. The early game against Duke will tell us a lot, but everybody has them as the class of the league. Maryland lost a leader (Trimble) but already played his replacement (Cowen) as a starter last year, and shouldn't lose much if anything. Their wing forwards (Jackson and Huerter) are very strong. They have several options at center, including Duke grad transfer Sean Obi. Shooting guard is a question mark at this point. We should have an edge over them, but not one that will guarantee a win. (3) Iowa was 10-8 last year with a rediculously young team. Yes, Peter Jok isn't coming back, but everyone else is, and it's a pretty talented group. (4) Penn State was the only losing record team in this list, and their inconsistency was a problem, but the balance and athleticism from PG Banks to shot blocker Watkins could make them a threat. They have big guy depth and bring all 5 starters back, something only Minnesota can also say.
Other Ranked teams: Minnesota and Purdue. Minnesota has a nice mix of class years, tons of quickness and strength, and some important newcomers to deepen the back court and center positions. Expect wars with the rooting rodents. Purdue lost a lot in Swanigan, but they have 4 major contributors that shoot over 40% from 3 (we have none). Haas isn't the tallest player on the team, and they have some athletes coming in for depth (Nojel Eastern is the best known on this board).
So far that's 6 very challenging opponents. The Blue Ribbon Yearbook (a must have at this time of year) has Michigan and Wisconsin ahead of Iowa and Penn State, so.... Michigan lost 3 starters, including Derrick Walton, the conference's best player down the stretch. They do have a grad transfer star from Ohio U. a returning sophomore and a freshman to try to fill that spot. The most likely replacement for Zak Irvin is Kentucky transfer Charles Matthews. Not as sure who will replace DJ Wilson, but Mo Wagner should be better. We'll see. Wisconsin has Ethan Happ, but maybe in the 2nd full year of the post-Bo Ryan era, we shouldn't be so sure that everything will continue to fall in place for the Badgers. They lost 4 starters, but they do have some very promising newcomers, and contributors like Iverson and Trice will be back, probably as starters. They remain a team that is likely to over-achieve, but I'm not buying it this year until I see the goods.
I can't imagine Rutgers, OSU, Indiana, Illinois, or Nebraska being in the mix, but the IU/UI group have new coaches and some athletes, so they could surprise. Should be a much better year for the conference as a whole. Can't wait.
