Big Ten

 

This is the fourth of six annual fantasy stats projections of BCS conference starters. The lineups are based on the Starting Fives series of articles released two weeks ago, along with a couple of changes due to recent developments.

 

 

Writers Predictions: BCS Conference Champions

 

Who will be this year's BCS conference champs? CHN writers take a shot at some predictions.. and the results are mostly you'd expect.

 

Park Ridge, Ill. - Purdue swingman Robbie Hummel was named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year by a 22-member media panel, the conference announced today. Hummel's Boilermakers were tabbed as the preseason favorite for the 2008-09 men's basketball season by the media panel.

Hummel was chosen as the Preseason Player of the Year after earning first-team All-Conference and All-Freshman Team accolades last year. He led the Big Ten in three-point field percentage in conference games while averaging 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in all games.

 

Despite Michigan State and Purdue looking like they will be among the nation’s best teams this season, it appears that it’s a down year coming up for the Big Ten.  Additionally, talent-wise the league doesn’t have the boatloads of “superstar” prospects the other BCS conferences do.  Because of this, a freshman has snuck his way into number one on this list.

 

BIG TEN FIVE-YEAR STANDINGS

 

This ranking tries to answer a simple question: Who has been the best team in the Big Ten over the last five years?

 

Michigan State

Ohio State

Purdue

Wisconsin

Other (Illinois, Michigan, etc)

Unlike the NBA, where most starting lineups are set in stone weeks before the season, NCAA starting fives are highly unsettled and constantly in flux. Going through the BCS leagues this week, I'll be projecting the starting fives for each team. Also included is the team's most important bench option, and some notes on other possible lineups.