Friday, November 11, 2016 // Tip Off
8B
while averaging 10.2 points in
his first season at the collegiate
level. Purdue will also benefit
from the veteran experience of
former Wolverine Spike Albrecht,
who returns to his home state
as a graduate transfer and the
lone Boilermaker to have won an
NCAA Tournament game.
While
Purdue
may
be
overlooked because of the caliber
of the other three teams at the top,
the Boilermakers have the pieces
in place to make their presence
felt in the title race.
No. 25 Maryland
The final team in that four-way
tie for third place on the preseason
AP Top 25, the Terrapins fell
short of expectations after being
tabbed as the favorite to win the
conference crown before last
season. But they bounced back
with a NCAA Tournament run that
lasted until the Elite Eight — on
par with Wisconsin and Indiana
for the best showing of any Big
Ten team — before succumbing
to the top-seeded team in their
region, Kansas.
Junior guard Melo Trimble
returns to carry the load for
Maryland, despite playing well
enough his freshman year to
warrant the Big Ten Preseason
Player of the Year nod at last
season’s outset. While that title
belongs to Wisconsin’s Hayes
now,
Trimble
should
remain
one of the best players in the
conference. Last year, he led the
team in scoring average with 14.8
points per game, 3-pointers with
58, assists with an average of 4.9
and steals with 44.
The Terrapins will look to
ride their momentum from the
end of last season in order to
position themselves back into the
conversation for the conference
title this year.
Ohio State
Landing in the middle of the
pack in the conference last year,
just above Michigan at 11-7, the
Buckeyes have the ability to crash
the party at the top this season.
With all five starters returning
to the team, Ohio State brings a
developing core made up of three
juniors, a senior and a sophomore
to the table.
Sophomore
guard
JaQuan
Lyle, a rising star, announced
his arrival to the collegiate level
last season with an average of
11.2 points, 4.2 assists and 4.7
rebounds per game. Meanwhile,
senior forward Marc Loving, an
established presence, capitalized
on
his
leadership
role
with
14 points, 1.5 assists and 5.3
rebounds per game. Together,
the pair will likely spearhead that
effort for the Buckeyes this year.
Growing into their roles both
individually and collectively, the
starting five seems poised for a
breakthrough, which could lead
Ohio State to make a splash in the
Big Ten this season.
BIG TEN
From Page 7B
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ALLISON FARRAND / LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/DAILY
Wisconsin’s Bronson Koenig (top) is back to run the point for the ninth-ranked
Badgers, while Indiana’s Thomas Bryant (bottom) came back to school for his
sophomore season for the 11th-ranked Hoosiers.