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Illinois
(Last season: 21-8 Overall, 11-7
Big Ten)
Problems abound in
Champaign-Urbana. Besides
being placed on three years
probation last week, the Illini lost
four out of five starters.
However, point guard Larry
Smith, who led Illinois in assists
two years ago, returns from a one-
year layoff.
His return
will be
important, as
coach Lou
Henson will need
someone to settle
his young team. Kaufmann
Smith will join returning
starter Andy Kaufman, a
potentially explosive performer
who can beat a team from both
the outside and inside.
Senior Andy Kpedi should
bolster the Illini rebounding
game. He had a career-high 12-
rebound game last season against
Indiana State before a leg fracture
forced him out for the rest of the
season. His defense in the middle
could also help carry Illinois.
Deon Thomas, whose
recruitment partially merited the
probation, will probably start
after being redshirted last year.
Two years ago, he was one of the
top recruits in the nation; the
Illini hope the major news stories
regarding his recruiting weren't
for nothing.
Henson characteristically had
another strong recruiting class
last year, and characteristically a
top recruit, Jamie Brandon, will
be sitting out the season - this
time for academic reasons.
This team possesses talent, but
because of the probation it may
not have the necessary desire to
achieve its goals. Lou Henson will
need to coach masterfully this
year; based on past performances,
this appears unlikely. This season
could be the beginning of some
hard times for the Illini.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F: Andy Kaufmann
F: Andy Kpedi
C: Deon Thomas
G: Larry Smith
G: Brooks Taylor
fby Phil Green
N'westem
(9-19, 2-16)
Entering this summer, things
couldn't have gotten worse for
coach Bill Foster. Only four letter
winners return from last year's
squad - none of which were
starters a year ago. While he
expected Walker Lambiotte and
Brian Schwabe to graduate, he
didn't expect team scoring leader
Rex Walters and his fellow
backcourt starter David Holmes
to transfer. He also didn't
anticipate starting forward Evan
Pederson to head out on a two-
year Mormon mission.
Sophomore .
Todd Leslie, the .
team's returning
leading scorer (4.4 w ..
points per game),
and senior Lucis
Reece should
provide some Reece
leadership for this squad.
Although guard-forward Don
Brotz hasn't seen much time in
the past, he should be ready to
finally contribute.
If senior Larry Gorman can
recover from off-season back
surgery, the 6-foot-7 forward
should help the Wildcats on the
boards.
The strength for
Northwestern will obviously be
youth. 6-foot-I I center Kevin
Rankin leads the crop of
newcomers. He should be a
welcome sight to the Wildcats
and could be forced into a lot of
early-season action.
Kip Kirkpatrick averaged 20x
points per game as a senior in high
school. He will be looked upon to
carry much of the scoring load.
However, the rest of that
youth was obtained from walk-
on tryouts. Michigan walk-ons
traditionally do not contribute
much; imagine what walk-ons at
Northwestern will have to do.
While this year appears
incredibly dreary, things could
get worse for the Wildcats - an
11th team is joining the Big Ten.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F: Lucis Reece
F: Larry Gorman
C: Charles Howell
G: Don Brotz
G: Todd Leslie
Wisconsin Indiana
(14-17,4-14) WISCONSIN (18-11,8-10)
The Badgers only lost one How could Bobby Knight let
starter from last year. Eric Montross get away? To
Unfortunately for them, it was Dean Smith and the University of
Danny Jones, who set the school's North Carolina no less?
career scoring record. So, for the But then again, does it really
first time in four years, they will matter?
have to prepare for life without Knight kept his hands on the
him. recruit he really wanted anyway
A lot of depth remains as - Damon Bailey. Knight began
coach Steve Yoder brings in a recruiting the 6-foot-3 Bailey in
good mixture of veterans and the eighth grade. Bailey was
rookies. And although this team picked to be the Big Ten's rookie
seems a few years away, strong of the year, and was named to the
team unity should arise; this preseason all Big Ten second
could lead to some upsets of teams team.
looking ahead in &e schedule. Even if he turns out to be only
The half as good as he has been built
backcourt up to be, he should be the perfect
should be a point guard to lead this year's
strength for this returning crop of Hoosiers.
team. Larry All five'
Hisle Jr., Billy starters return
Douglass and from last season,
Tim Locum, the including 1989-
conference's top Freshman-of-
returning three-point shooter, are the-Year Eric r
expected to vie for the starting Anderson, and "
slots. In addition, frosh Kass last season's Chea ney
Weaver could be ready for a runner-up,
starting role at the point by Calbert Cheaney.
midseason if Yoder doesn't Those two form one of the
redshirt him. toughest frontcourt
Up front, look for the Badgers combinations in the nation.
to rotate an array of 6-foot-6 and Especially watch Cheaney, the 6-
6-foot-7 look-a-likes into the foot-6 swingman who led the
lineup. However, two of them Hoosiers in scoring and was
should become noticeable: Willie second to Anderson in
Simms, last year's team leader in rebounding.
assists (Yoder must love that a Lawrence Funderburke is also
forward led his team in assists) expected back from his one-year
and in scoring among returnees, hiatus last season, and should be
and Patrick Tompkins, last ready to give the Hoosiers some
season's leading rebounder. added scoring and controversy.
A big problem for Wisconsin The biggest problem for
is that it lost an almost Indiana could be the team's
guaranteed starter in rookie doughnut nature - nothing in
Tracy Webster. The 5-foot-11 the middle. But then again, teams
guard will be forced to sit the have done well before without a
season out because of Prop 48. big center (see Indiana and Illinois
But sophomore Louis Ely returns 1988-89), and a coach with
from his Prop 48 season a year Knight's experience can be
ago. The 6-foot-7 forward should expected to organize his team
be able to contribute outside accordingly.
shooting, as well as a strong move Indiana possesses loads of
to the basket for this relatively young talent, but veterans like
inexperienced team. Anderson and lone senior Lyndon
PROBABLE STARTERS Jones should help Knight do some
F: Willie Simms molding early in the season..
F: John Ellenson PROBABLE STARTERS
C: Patrick Tompkins F: Calbert Cheaney
G: Tim Locum F: Matt Nover
G: Billy Douglass C: Eric Anderson
G: Lyndon Jones
Michigan,
State
(23-8, 12-6)
While Michigan's Sean
Higgins and Illinois' Marcus
Liberty went to the NBA
following their junior seasons, the
conference's best junior last year,
Steve Smith, decided to return to
Michigan State for his senior
year.
Without the 6-foot-6 guard,
the Spartans would have been a
middle-of-the-pack team, despite
some other experienced talent: an
often injured, clumsy big man in
6-foot-10 Mike Peplowski; an
unproven raw talent just waiting
for the green light to shoot the
ball in Matt Steigenga; junior
Mark Montgomery, who filled in
more than adequately for the
injured Kirk Manns down the
stretch last season; and 6-foot-7
forwards Parish Hickman and
Dwayne Stephens, who
combined to average over ten
points and eight rebounds per
game off the bench last season.
A lot of question marks
surround these players, but with
the spectacular Smith, this team
becomes a serious national
contender.
There is also
the Spartans'
strong recruitingn
class, which has
been ranked
among the top
few in the Smith
conference.
However, their
top recruit, Michigan's Mr.
Basketball Anthony Miller, will
sit out the season as a Prop 48
student. That leaves guard Andy
Penick to lead the class. He brings
excellent ball handling skills to
East Lansing and could be ready
to contribute right away.
State was a Kenny Anderson
jump shot from making it to the
Final Four last year. If Smith can
avoid his periodic lapses of the
past, even shots with no time left
won't be able to keep the
Spartans out of Indianapolis.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F: Matt Steigenga
F: Parish Hickman
C: Mike Peplowski
G: Mark Montgomery
Minnesoo
(23-9, 11-7)
The Golden Gophers lost
almost two-thirds of their scoring
from last year's Final Eight team,
but most of the remaining one-
third belonged to Kevin Lynch -
who will be back.
Lynch may not be the most
popular player in the Big Ten,
but he is definitely one of the
most prolific.
The 6-foot-5 guard averaged
more than 13 points and three
assists per game last year, and
now, with most of that team
gone, he will be expected to do
even more.
Former sixth man Walter
Bond is ready to start. He was the
team's fourth leading scorer and
third leading rebounder a year ago.
This year he could possibly lead
in both. The other player to
watch is 7-foot junior Bob
Martin. He led the team in
blocked shots, and while he looks
incredibly awkward, with
enough playing time he has the
potential to take charge of the
inside game. He owns the one
thing that no coach can teach:
size - an incredible asset in this
conference.
Those three form a solid
nucleus for fifth-year coach Clem
Haskins to work with.
Haskins has .
also brought in
eight
newcomers, and
they will
definitely need to .
produce. A
definite member Lynch
of this season s
all-name team, Ernest
Nzigamasago, is one of the frosh
who should see plenty of action.
At 6-foot-9, this native of
Bujumbura, Burundi, in Africa,
can surely help the Gophers'
inside scoring and rebounding,
and for a man his size, he
possesses some excellent passing
skills.
One of the rookies could also
easily end up playing the point
guard - either redshirt frosh
Arriel McDonald, or blue-chipper
Townsend Orr.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F: Walter Bond
F: Ernest Nzigamasago
C: Bob Martin
G: Kevin Lynch
G: Arriel McDonald
Ohio T
State STAEi
UNIVERSiY
(17-13, 10-8)
For the first time in years,
there is more pressure on Ohio
State's basketball team than its
football team. The pressure is
well deserved, though, as the
Buckeye cagers won nine of their
last 12 gameslast season. They
advanced to the second round of
the NCAA tournamentrbefore
losing to eventual national
champion Nevada-Las Vegas.
The Buckeyes return all 12
players, and the biggest question
facing them isn't their talent
level, but their ability to handle
the pressure of being picked near
the top of the Big Ten.
Ohio State's backcourt boasts
1990 Big Ten Freshman-of-the-
Year Jimmy Jackson and 6-foot-1
junior Mark Baker. There may
not be a better starting pair of
guards this side of Raleigh-
Durham.
Jackson did it
all for the .
Buckeyes last
season. His 16.1
points per game M
paced Ohio State
while placing Jackson
him tenth in the
conference. He also led the team in
assists, tied for the team lead in
steals, and at 6-foot-6 proved to be
the Buckeyes second leading
offensive rebounder.
Baker could be the key here at
the point, because when he plays
well, the team plays well.
Ohio State's frontcourt is
probably just as strong with the
conference's top returning
rebounder, Perry Carter, and 6-
foot-8 forward Treg Lee. When
Carter wants to be, he is the best
forward in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes also possess a
rare commodity in college
basketball these days, a true big
man. Coming off the bench, 7-
foot center Bill Robinson clogs
the middle. He may not be the
quickest player on the floor, but
when he lines up between Carter
and Lee, he becomes an instant
force.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F: Chris Jent
F: Treg Lee
C: Perry Carter
G: Jimmy Jackson
G: Mark Baker
Purdue
(22-8, 13-5)
Purdue coach GeneKeady
worked a world of magic last
season by leading the
Boilermakers to the upper echelon
of the Big Ten. But doing it again
this year will be a more difficult
trick.
Last season's heart and soul is
gone; center Steve Scheffler and
point guard Tony Jones have
graduated.
However, a
solid, though
inexperiencedF
nucleus remains
Senior 6-foot- 6
forwards
ChuckiesWhite Oliver
and Jimmy
Oliver provide
leadership, scoring, rebounding
and defense, but not consistency.
6-foot-2 junior guard Woody
Austin, the Boilermakers' leading
returning scorer (8.5 points per
game), should provide much of
Purdue's offense. Still, he really
can't play the point.
So, the problem remains, who
can fill the Boilermakers' holes up
the middle at center and point
guard?
For now, the center spot
belongs to 6-foot-9, 235 pound
junior Craig Riley. He's got the
size, but no experience. If he
doesn't get the job done, look for
rookie Cornelius McNary to enter
the starting lineup.
Things could get interesting in
the backcourt. Senior Dave
Barrett can do it defensively, and
Keady thinks 6-foot-6 sophomore
Matt Painter is the best passer he
has ever recruited. It comes down
to which improves first: Barrett's
ability to run the offense or
Painter's defense. Frosh Travis
Tryce could take over the starting
role if they prove incapable.
For some reason you always
get the feeling that when things
look really bleak for Purdue,
Keady will get the job done. If
White, Austin and Oliver provide
leadership and scoring, and one or
two of the newcomers produce,
the Boilermakers should enter the
conference's upper half.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F: Jimmy Oliver
F: Chuckie White
C: Craig Riley
G: Woody Austin
G: Dave Barret. .
Iowa
I
(12-16,4-14)
Unlike most
of the
conference, the
H awkeyes
return their
backcourt.
Juniors James
Moses and Troy Moses
Skinner return to
lead Iowa's attack.
Behind them, a slew of first-
year players appear ready for
action. The Hawkeyes pulled in
one of the conference's stronger
recruiting classes, and it is loaded
with guards, namely Paul Lusk
and James Winters. Junior college
transfer Val Barnes could be
ready to start, and may bump
Moses up to the small forward
slot.
Up front, Iowa will be looking
to junior Wade Lookingbill and 6-
foot-10 Acie Earl to pick up the
slack. Like last year, though,
injuries are already a factor;
Lookingbill's back injury has
made him a question mark for the
season. If he is out, look for the
Hawkeyes to implement a three-
guard lineup, with Moses playing
up front.
PROBABLE STARTERS
F: Chris Street
F: James Moses
C: Acie Earl
G: Troy Skinner
G: Val Barnes
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WEEKEND H hmi 16,1990