I’ve arrived in Wilmette, Illinois where I’m staying overnight prior to the Big Ten men’s basketball media day. The early morning wake up call is set and I’ll be arriving at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Rosemont just after 7 am.
The annual media day gives up a chance to hear from all the head coaches and select players before the season begins the next week.
Indiana will have a closed scrimmage on Sunday in Indianapolis against Indiana State. Then next Saturday, they’ll host the University of Indianapolis for their only exhibition contest. I’ll have that broadcast live on BTN.com with a special guest.
There are a lot of storylines I’m interested in for tomorrow, like how the team is progressing, Crean’s comfort now entering his 4th year, and who has stood out in a week or so of practice.
The players admit Jordan Hulls has emerged as a more vocal leader, Oladipo has worked the hardest in the weight room and Sheehey may be the most improved.
This IU team finally has enough talent to compete and make some noise in conference play. Cody Zeller, as just a freshman, will be a big challenge for opposing teams. I haven’t went game by game on their schedule but at this point I think they’ll finish with somewhere around 18 wins and make some postseason tournament.
The IU women’s team lost their three top scorers from last year, most notably Jori Davis. Coach Jack brought in two freshman and three junior college transfers. The Hoosiers must begin to win on a regular basis. There’s no excuse for the women’s team not to be successful with all the resources they are given…plus the tradition and history of basketball in Bloomington is unmatched.
Purdue will look to rebound after a disappointing early exit from the NCAA tournament. I’m interested in hearing Coach Painter’s opinion of his team and how different they look without E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson. Those are huge losses.
I expect Robbie Hummel to be one of their players on hand. He has overcome two ACL injuries and wants to make the
most of his final season at Purdue. If he’s healthy and strong, Purdue is that much better. The Boilers should finish anywhere from 4th to 7th in the conference.
Media day will be fun and informative. I’ll also be chatting with some of the most respected media minds in college basketball and get theirs thoughts. I’ll be posting video, audio, notes and reaction from the day.
Follow along here all day and follow me on twitter.