New Top 25 poll and videos

Here's a fresh video from ESPN with Mr. College Basketball-Dick Vitale. He talks about the first 2010 Men's Basketball ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll that is stacked with Big 10 and Big 12 teams. Kansas received 27 first place votes, Michigan State earned 3 and North Carolina slated 1 vote.

Vitale's Super Six teams: Kansas, Kentucky, Texas, Michigan State, Purdue and Duke.

The Jayhawks are his choice to win it all come March. He said they "have all the components" of a championship team: a great coach, experienced veterans, talented freshman. I agree with Vitale that the off-court issues from this summer will have little if no effect on KU's season.

Top 25 teams with ranking: Big 10 Big 12

Michigan State (2) Kansas (1)

Purdue (7) Texas (3)

Michigan (15) Oklahoma (16)

Ohio State (17)

Minnesota (18)

Others receiving votes, in order, are: Illinois, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Kansas State and Texas A&M.

I think the poll just shows how much the voters understand the top-to-bottom strength in the Big 10 this year. The conference as a whole has developed into one of the top conferences in the nation. Some criticize the conference for its slow pace and lack of scoring, and rightfully so, but I would put its defense up there with the best in the country.

The Big East leads the way with six teams ranked in the poll (Villanova, West Va., UCONN, Georgetown, Louisville, Syracuse) while the ACC only has four (UNC, Duke, Ga. Tech, Clemson).

ESPN release

Follow Dick Vitale on Twitter here.

Here's another video from ESPN-an interview with head coach Bill Self about the high expectations the Jayhawks face this season.

Analysis of Vincent reading

This is also an assignment for my sportswriting class.

(1) In Vincent's paper, he lists several factors that are key in measuring the coverage of female and male athletes in print media. The first one is quantity, which includes the amount of articles and photographs, as well as the number of words/paragraphs in each article and the size of each photo.

The next factor is quality, meaning which page the content appears on: front page, front page of sports, sports or other sections.

Third is position of the page, such as top, middle or bottom, because each position has its own meaning of important.

Content and quality of the photograph is fourth. This means whether the photo is black or white, and what the photo is of-action, competition, mug shot, etc.

Fifth-a balanced coverage (coverage being number, size, prominence and location) of females competing in "female inappropriate" sports with females competing in "female appropriate" sports should be provided.

Sixth-do not thread reports about female athletes onto reports about male athletes.

Seventh-do not portray female athletes in sexist of trivial ways.

Eighth-define female athletes through their athletic rather than gender role.

(2) The inferences and main conclusion of the study is that media are extremely powerful in spreading ideas of mainstream social value and beliefs of stereotyped gender roles. The paper mentions that parents are the most influential people in a child's life, and if they don't see media giving value to female athletes, they won't choose to have their daughter compete in athletics-an important part of a healthy lifestyle, especially in today's "fast food" society.

Also, the media portray the female body in images that are idealized, sexualized and unrealistic to young females. Overall, the paper says it is important that young girls "be able to identify with sporting role models that are determined, powerful, independent, and strong female athletes that are valued by society," without being based on constructed stereotypes of gender roles.

(3) I think that Vincent's recommendations are realistic for equitable media coverage of female and male athletes. From my own experiences, I know many females that are athletes at high levels. They understand that it is ok for women to be athletic and "feminine" at the same time. Personally, I think the media should be more conscious about giving equal coverage to females. I have been a beat writer for two women's sports teams at Iowa, and I always push for my articles to be on the front page and have a photo with them. However, I do understand that media have financial obligations and that male sports articles typically receive more attention by readers. It will be a process and there is still a ways to go before female and male coverage is equal, but with people like Vincent making the issue prominent, hopefully the day will come sooner rather than later.

Iowa City West High preview

This post is an assignment for my sportswriting class.

The theme for the 2009-10 Iowa City West High Trojans women’s basketball team will be an up-tempo game, said head coach B.J. Mayer.

“We’re not very tall,” Mayer said. “That’s going to be one of our weaknesses, defending people inside. One of the things we’re going to have to try to do is create that tempo to be chaotic and crazy, see if we can’t get people out of their element.”

Mayer fields a small and also young lineup after losing five seniors from a year ago, including current Iowa volleyball freshman Emma Krieger Kittle. But he has high hopes for the Trojans nonetheless as he inherits a junior class that went 20-1 as sophomores.

The juniors look to mix well with an experienced senior group of Kristin Fomon, Courtney Fritz, Mackenzie Reed, Sophie McDougall and Mallory Daily. Mayer also has been impressed with sophomore Tatum Klein, who he said is the team’s best defender.

Given the depth West has, Mayer plans to use that to his advantage in the fast-paced attack.

“We want to be able to just wear teams down,” he said. “We feel that with our ten kids, we’re going to be able to run kids in and out and not lose a lot of depth and intensity. That’s going to be the biggest challenge for us—playing as many young kids as we’re going to be playing. It’s going to have to keep taking steps forward and hopefully by the end of the year we’ll be playing as good as we can.”

The Trojans are coming off of a 16-6 season in 2008-09 in which they were defeated by Ankeny in the final game of sub-state play. The team learned some good lessons from the experience.

“It’s really difficult to get to the next level until you’ve been there once,” Mayer said. “At West, no one in the girls basketball program has ever been to the state tournament. So to get to that game before state I think was just a huge confidence builder. The more experience you have in those games, the better prepared you are, not only as a coaching staff, but the players who have been there.”

Getting to the tournament surely won’t be an easy path. West has to get through the competitive Mississippi Valley Conference schedule first that boasts top teams like Linn-Mar, Cedar Rapids Kennedy and, of course, the Trojans’ cross-town rival Iowa City High.

Still, that doesn’t take anything away from the goals that Mayer has for this team when it begins practice on November 9.

“We always want to expect a postseason run,” the coach said. “We feel that we play in the top conference in the state. Just by doing that, it gets us better competition and makes you improve in order to compete. Hopefully, when we get to tournament time, we will be playing our best basketball and get that good experience from playing in the Mississippi Valley Conference.”

Advice from the Sports Guy

My favorite sportswriter is ESPN columnist Bill Simmons, aka The Sports Guy. His ability to combine an incredibly deep knowledge of professional sports with witty, edgy jokes about pop culture is unmatched.

Simmons is also regarded as one of the best sources on the NBA, and consequently released "The Book of Basketball" yesterday. It's a 700-page tale of how the league developed and became what we know it as today.

Jason Pinter of the Huffington Post interviewed Simmons about the book and several other topics having to do with his career as a journalist. As an aspiring journalist, I found Simmons' opinions very interesting and took away some great pieces of advice. Here's one part that I particularly liked about finding a voice as a writer:

JP: John A. Walsh (Executive Vice-President and Executive Editor of ESPN) once said of you, "He would not have had his voice in a traditional medium. His entry point allowed him to be himself." With the decline of newspapers and onslaught of blogs, many writers are eschewing 'traditional' journalistic training. Do you feel this path is beneficial to aspiring writers?

BS: With all due respect to Walsh, who's my mentor, I disagree. I could have found that voice in a traditional medium; it's just that the medium was too traditional to ever give it a chance. You were only supposed to succeed by writing exactly like everyone else. I like that about the internet - there's no "accepted" style now. If anything, you're better off NOT writing like anyone else. The basics for aspiring writers are still in place: read as much as possible, figure out what's working for writers that you like, work at a style that combines all of those things, keep writing, keep reading, never settle for being average, and don't just say what you think but say it in a way that's fun to read and is constructed in a thought-provoking way. If you're an aspiring writer and want to blog and settle for immediacy/quantity, that's fine. Knock yourself out. That might be the right choice for you. Really, there's no right answer. It depends on the person.

I just think it's too early to say whether journalism is dying. I'd like to think that it's more alive than ever in a lot of ways. As we covered earlier, 24 year old me couldn't have gotten read in 1994. In 2009, 24 year old me could find an audience pretty quickly.That's not progress?

Check out Simmons on Twitter and his Page 2 Web site full of columns and podcasts, The Sports Guy's World.

Trip to KU

I apologize, I haven't had a new post in a while. But I have a good excuse for being busy-last weekend I took a road trip with my buddies Andy and JT to Kansas (the Sunflower State) to visit my younger sister at KU. It was my fourth trip to the Lawrence campus, and I went to my third Jayhawk football game. Going into the game, I had a 2-0 record but unfortunately Oklahoma got the best of the boys in blue last Saturday.

Anyway, I had the luck and privilege of meeting KU center Cole Aldrich. We ran into each other at the same tailgate party, and he had just gotten done with an early morning prac

tice and was chowing some food. Feeling like a stalker or something, I walked over to the 6-11, 245 junior to chat him up and tell him I was a big from Iowa. I mean, you're not not going to meet the Big 12 Co-Preseason Player of the Year when you randomly see him at a party, right?

The Bloomington, Minnesota native nearly crushed my hand when he shook it. I didn't want to bother him too much, so I kept it short. He said practice was going well, and that he was glad the football team was having such a good season. I also asked him if he knew much about the Iowa basketball team, but he said he usually follows the Gophers. I wished him luck and was on my way, but not before getting a picture with the big fella. Too bad he's sitting down because you can't tell how much he towers over me.

Last year, Aldrich averaged a double-double of 14.9 points and 11.1 rebounds, while leading the Big 12 in blocks with 2.7 a game (12th nationally). He compiled 21 double-dou

bles in all in 2008-09, and even recorded a triple-double against Dayton in the NCAA Tournament with 13 points, 20 rebounds and 10 blocked shots.

Not that I'm complaining, but I wish KU guard Sherron Collins was with Aldrich. I

would've enjoyed meeting the other half of the preseason player of the year honor. The final unfortunate thing about the trip was that we were so busy with the football game and all, I never made it to Allen Fieldhouse. I've been inside it before, but no one that goes to Lawrence should ever leave without setting sights on this legendary facility. It's named in honor of 39-year head coach Forrest "Phog" Allen. It seats 16, 300 (4,000 reserved for students alone) and is the second largest arena in the Big 12 after Texas (16,775).

It was pretty crazy over the course of the weekend how many Iowa fans we met, or at least people that had heard of the university now that the Hawkeye football team is currently undefeated and ranked No. 7 in the country and No. 4 in the BCS standings. People would come up to us at the bars wanting to talk about Iowa. We even requested the Iowa fight song and the deejay played it while we screamed our lungs out to it. I'll never forget that.

Poll results and new poll

We had an interesting and dramatic finish to the Basketblog's first poll, folks. It actually ended in a tie, meaning I have to break it by making the final vote. Here's the rundown of how the 21 total votes panned out, in reverse order, just for the sake of suspense:

Ohio State-1

Minnesota-1

Illinois-1

Purdue-2

Iowa-8

Michigan State-8

Honestly, I'm extremely surprised to see the Boilermakers get so little love from everyone. They have a solid team that is balanced on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively. I like the optimism by Hawkeye fans, but sorry, I'm going to have to side with the Spartans on this one. The team is just too stacked with quality athletes and their coach's resume speaks for itself. Izzo will have MSU cruising through the Big Ten all the way to Indianapolis in early April.

Don't forget to vote one the new poll everyone-Who will win the Big 12 in men's basketball this season?-and to post comments and send emails!

Photo from sarottefamily.com.

Column Time

Here's a column I wrote for my sportswriting class. I haven't written many before, so be easy on me. Enjoy!

Two words mean the world to sports fans in the Sunflower State: Kansas Basketball.

The mystique that surrounds the Jayhawk hoops team doesn't only exist in Lawrence, either. Every high school kid who has laced up his sneakers dreams

about playing college ball at a university like Kansas, and would give everything for the opportunity to be a part of a program so legendary.

That is why the recent negative actions of a few Kansas basketball players is so disappointing. Sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor dislocated his thumb after throwing a punch at a football player, allegedly over a girl. Junior guard Brady Morningstar was suspended by head coach Bill Self for all first semester games after driving under the influence of alcohol and violating curfew at the same time.

Why embarrass the name of such a historic program and university? Why waste such a chance to be idolized by an entire fan base? It's beyond me.

That is how they treat the university after everything it has done for them? A free education, free clothes and shoes, television exposure and the opportunity to showcase talent that may land a big paycheck in the NBA didn't stop these athletes from thinking before they acted. Taylor and Morningstar essentially slapped the university in the face with their actions.

Of course, while being a Division I college basketball player does put one in the limelight, it also shines a spotlight on everything he does. Fans and media are constantly obsessed with every little detail of their lives, causing them to live under a microscope of admiration and scrutiny. Thes

e athletes are people too, and they make mistakes like the rest of us. Their screw-ups are just more noticeable.

But that still doesn't make what they did right and that the public should just brush it off.

Morningstar did compose a public apology, in which he acknowledged that he gave everyone associated with Kansas a "black eye." His first sentence reads:

"Recently I made a regrettable mistake that has let down my family, friends, coaches, teammates, fellow KU student-athletes, the University of Kansas, KU basketball fans and the State whose name I wear proudly across my chest."

A native of Lawrence, Morningstar understands the impact of his actions in the community and beyond. He worked hard to earn a scholarship and a starting spot on the team, even going to a prep school in New Hampshire for a year after high school to improve his game.

"I know how lucky and privileged I am to be living my dream and to be a part of the best college basketball program in the country," Morningstar states near the end of his statement.

I thought this was a very sincere and heartfelt apology, and whether if was Morningstar's idea or not to write it is unknown.

These "black eyes" also couldn't come at a worse time for the team. the Jayhawks are unanimous preseason favorites, ranked No. 1 in nearly every poll. There is talk of a second national championship in three years. With a veteran core led by Big 12 Preseason Co-Players of the Year Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, and a group of young playmakers under their wings, Kansas looks primed to make a deep title run come March. Or at least it did.

The truth of the matter is that these negative events will soon be forgotten once the season gets rolling along. And they should. But college student-athletes should also be smarter than that because they really are held to a higher standard than normal students. Make the most of your opportunities, Jayhawks.

November 17 Hoops Marathon

Beginning at midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 17, college basketball fans will have the potential of watching 24 consecutive hours of live games. For the second year, ESPN has put together the marathon as a way to "tip-off" the college hoops season.

I remember watching this last year and how incredibly exciting it was to see so many games on all day, especially after

going a whole summer without college basketball. I think this is a brilliant idea, and I'm sure it gets great ratings which is why it's back for a second season. Hopefully, the marathon is here to stay and can become a great tradition to start every college basketball season from here to eternity.

There are a few Big Ten and Big 12 teams participating in the marathon.

Gonzaga at Michigan State @ 8 p.m. (ESPN)

This matchup is very intriguing and deserves this prime time slot as there will be playmakers galore. Both teams have a solid history of dominating their respective leagues. MSU is the favorite in the Big Ten, and the squad is hungry to get back to the national title game behind Kalin Lucas (right), Raymar Morgan and company. The Zags, as always, are a lock to be extremely competitive in the WCC. Matt Bouldin returns as a senior veteran, and speedy sophomore Demetri Goodson should be much improved in his second season. Both squads also play some down and dirty defense, so it will be interesting to see what type of pace this game is played at.

Northern Illinois at Illinois @ 8 p.m. (ESPN360)

This intra-state battle looks pretty one-sided to me. I'd pick the Illini to cruise past the Huskies if the game was in Dekalb. Being in Champaign there is no chance for an upset in this one. Plus, Illinois is just too strong this year behind leader Demetri McCamey.

Duquense at Iowa @ 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

I don't know much about the Dukes, other than some analysts have picked them to challenge in the A-10, but I do know about the Hawkeyes. This should be a good test for a young team that only has one senior in Devan Bawinkel, but an emerging star in sophomore Iowa City-native Matt Gatens (left). Iowa should have a better grasp on coach Todd Lickliter's three-point heavy system than it did a year ago. Look for a Iowa to play well at home in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where it hasn't lost much in the last few seasons.

Memphis vs Kansas in St. Louis @ 10 p.m. (ESPN)

This game is the headliner, and for obvious reasons. With all the drama going on with these two teams beginning in the offseason, it should by very interesting to see how they handle it all as they play in a neutral court setting. Memphis has a new coach in young Josh Pastner. Will he be able to handle the pressures and responsibilities of being the top-dog for the first time in his career? The Jayhawks are the preseason No. 1 team in nearly every major poll. Can they live up to the hype and produce a second national championship in three years? We certainly won't know the answers to these questions after this game, but it should give us a good place to start.

Andy Katz lists the complete lineup of the marathon on his college basketball blog. All games will be aired live on and also can be seen on ESPN360 as well.

Make sure to take a couple five-hour energies at midnight and strap yourself down to your recliner. It's going to be a great season!

Photos from Sports Illustrated and Quad City Times.

Big Ten news

The Big Ten Conference has made several announcements on its Web site.

It has launched a new men's basketball blog, as well as releasing the Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchups and the 2009-10 conference single plays.

I'll give my picks on opinions on the Challenge when it gets nearer, but the obvious highlighted game is Michigan State at North Carolina on December 1. The Spartans lost to the Tar Heels twice last season, first in the nonconference and second in the national championship game, both times at Ford Field in Detroit.

Iowa welcomes Virginia Tech on the same day. Another game I like is Boston College at Michigan on December 2.

Don't forget to vote on the poll who you think will win the Big Ten this year. Only two days left!

Photo from athlonsports.com.

Short Iowa vid

Nothing too fancy here, but I stumbled upon Iowa's newest promotional video for the upcoming season. I'll have more regarding the Hawkeyes' media day very soon, but for now enjoy this clip!

Sherron Collins video

Time for the basketblog to lose it's video virginity. Without further ado, my first video. It's on Kansas senior guard Sherron Collins from sophomore year. Collins gives insight into his background coming from the streets of Chicago, as well as being a dedicated father and living his dream of playing basketball. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Kansas and the preseason Top-25

It sounds like Kansas head coach Bill Self is extremely disappointed with a few of his players that have been in the news the last couple weeks for the wrong reasons, according to this article by ESPN's college basketball writer Andy Katz. (Click here for junior guard Brady Morningstar's public apology for driving under the influence.) However, Self did say that the team had the best preseason camp since he has been in Lawrence. He expects a lot out of this team, as does just about everyone else. Katz predicted his 2009-10 preseason Top-25 in June, with the Jayhawks locked into the No. 1 spot. The list was heavy with Big 12 an Big 10 teams. Here are the eight squads that made the cut, and a few leftovers trying to claw their way in.

Big 12

1. Kansas

3. Texas

24. Kansas State

Big 10

2. Michigan State

6. Purdue

13. Michigan

16. Ohio State

19. Minnesota

Honorable Mentions: Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas A&M.

Look for fresh rankings to be coming out soon as Midnight Madness (Oct. 16) is less than two days away!

New look and features to the Basketblog

Hey ya'll. Just wanted to let all my followers know that the Basketblog will be going through a makeover as a try to spice things up a little bit in order to make the page more reader-friendly and interactive. I'll be experimenting with everything: a new layout, colors, graphics, sidebar items, etc. I also hope to be adding regular videos soon as well, so please bear with me as I'm sure I'll hit a few speed bumps before I get it right.

Take notice the new features on the left side of the page: Up-to-date standings of teams in both conferences, with team names hyperlinked that will take you directly to that school's men's basketball Web page for more information. Also, I will be posting a weekly poll question where ya'll can vote on different topics and see the results instantly.

Obviously, I'm always looking for ways to keep the blog fresh and entertaining, so I would love to hear some feedback of what people think. My email is rlehman718@gmail.com. Send me comments, critiques, criticisms, suggestions, questions or something funny that relates to Big Ten/Big 12 basketball. If it's good I'll post in on the blog!

Thanks a lot for being patient with me and I hope you all enjoy the new stuff!
Robbie Lehman, Basket-blogger

Back to basketball for Jeff Jordan?

It has been reported that Jeff Jordan is considering a return to the game of basketball.

The eldest son of the sport's greatest player ever, played two seasons at the University of Illinois. After walking on his first year and earning a scholarship his second season, he unexpectedly quit the team last June. Jordan was expected to earn a larger amount of playing time, but he said that he his heart wasn't in basketball anymore and he was ready to move on to the next phase of his life.

But Illinois has stated that Jordan met with assistant coaches about a possible return to the hardwood, but has not discussed it with head coach Bruce Weber. Apparently word started to spread when Jordan used his Twitter feed to express his desire to work out with his teammates once again.

My analysis of the situation is this: There is no possible way anyone can imagine what kind of pressure this young man is under. The connection between his family history and the game of basketball is undeniable. No one should criticize Jordan whatsoever, no matter what decision he ultimately decides to make. This is his life, he should do whatever he wants. If that's play basketball, then so be it, if not, that's his choice to move on to the rest of his life.

Jordan's brother Marcus Jordan has verbally committed to play at the University of Central Florida.

Photo from isportsweb.

The Rabbit Hunter

For my sportswriting class I have to post about a piece we read titled, "The Rabbit Hunter." It was written in 1982 by Frank Deford of Sports Illustrated. It is a lengthy story about Bob Knight, his life and personality. We agreed in class that it was well written, but the subsections were a bit unorganized. So I am going to explain how I think Deford should have put his story in order, starting at the beginning where the initial quote by William Faulkner should be taken out completely for irrelevance. (Original placement in parentheses.)

I. Rabbits (1)

II. Players (5)

I thought this section began with a great story about Knight's first coaching job on a 10th grade team in which he broke a clipboard in his first game. A mini story like that should be closer to the beginning.

III. Coaches (2)

This would have been a nice way to follow up Players, in my opinion, because the content just transitions smoothly.

IV. Women (4)

This part gets a little bit more into Knight's personal life. I think now would be a good place for the story to transition with more detail into that area after already talking about his early life and coaching.

V. Older People (3)

Finally, I liked this section just before the end because, although it had some info about him in college that would also be good closer to the beginning, it ends with a quote from Knight about why he loves fishing that would flow into the final section very nicely.

VI. More Rabbits (6)

Illinois (Part 2)

Sorry, first Illinois post got a little long. Here's the breakdown continued, and here's what I don't like about the Illini this season:

While the new freshman guards Brandon Paul and DJ Richardson will help, I'm not sold that these youngsters can step in right away and fill the void created by departed perimeter players Chester Frazier, Trent Meacham and Calvin Brock. Only Meacham averaged in double figures (10.2 ppg), but any team that loses that much experience in the backcourt looks to struggle, especially when the top replacements are freshman, no matter what their recruiting ranking was.

NCAA upset. I'm not a fan of a Big Ten team falling in the first round to a team from the Sun Belt. Although Western Kentucky was experienced and had some pretty solid players, they had a rookie coach in Ken McDonald. Teams that should challenge for the Big Ten title just shouldn't lose like that. I'm sorry, they just shouldn't.

Rebound margin. Last season, the Illini ranked fifth in the conference in this category at -0.1. I like teams that rebound, because those teams win. Given the solid years that Davis and Tisdale had, I'm surprised this is so low. These two guys need to get tougher on the glass. Those few extra rebounds don't seem like much, but that means extra possessions for Illinois and no second-chance opportunities for other teams. That could be the difference between winning and losing 2-3 games at the least, meaning a 4-6 game swing in the W-L record.

That about does it for Illinois. Signing off, RL.

Big Ten breakdown: Illinois

Time to preview Illinois. The Illini shocked some people when they finished tied for second with Purdue last season with an overall record of 24-10, 11-7 Big Ten. I'm sure the upset loss to Western Kentucky (72-76) in the first round of the NCAA tournament still stings in Champaign. There will be no surprises this year though, only growing expectations for Bruce Weber and company.

Here's what I like:

Frontcourt. You can't win in the Big Ten if you don't have a presence (or two) in the post, and Illinois certainly has it this year. Bigs Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale both had breakout sophomore years. Davis (6-9) was second in the conference in rebounding at 8.1 rpg, and is getting buzz from NBA scouts. He should average close to a double-double this year. Tisdale (7-0) is still a bit scrawny but word on him is that he had a great summer and learned a lot at tryouts for the Team USA World Games. The pair started all 34 games together last season, so the chemistry is there for them to take another leap forward (pun intended).

Demetri McCamey. This guy is a stud...when he is consistent. The 6-3 guard has slimmed down ten pounds to a comfortable 195, which should help his already above average quickness. The junior from Bellwood, Ill. is extremely versatile - he can slash, dish, shoot, score and defend. His numbers from last year: 11.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.6 apg, 41% FG, 76% FT, playing all 34 games. No doubt he will be the team leader again this season. He said it himself that he wants to be first-team all-Big Ten. I've got a hunch he will be close.

Recruiting class. It's been a while since Bruce Weber brought in a class with this much buzz, or any for that matter. The fifth-year coach got to the 2005 title game in St. Louis with Bill Self's guys (Dee Brown, James Augustine, Deron Williams). Athlon Sports rates Illinois' incoming class No. 3 in the Big Ten, behind Indiana and Minnesota. It's led by two 6-3 guards, DJ Richardson ( No. 13 by Rivals.com) and Brandon Paul (No. 22 by Scout.com, 2009 Mr. Basketball of Illinois). These two playmakers should step in nicely for the departed guards from last year's squad.

More Kansas basketball news

Junior guard Brady Morningstar of Kansas was suspended by head coach Bill Self after being stopped early Saturday on the Kansas Turnpike for suspicion of driving while intoxicated. To read more about the details, check out out ESPN's release.

This comes in the wake of last month's reports of several fights between the KU's basketball and football teams that left sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor with a dislocated thumb after throwing a punch. Police are currently investigating the incidents, one of which is said to have involved as many as 100 people. For that release, click here.

I want to get right down to the effect this will have on the Kansas basketball team. Although Morningstar and Taylor are starters, I don't think the Jayhawks will miss them too much. It was reported that Morningstar will be out for the entire first semester after violating the team curfew, which was made stricter by Self due to the aforementioned brawls. Taylor is estimated to be out about a month or so.

Luckily, the two off guard spots are KU's strongest and deepest positions. With Sherron Collins running the point, there are several players that have seen solid minutes already and are capable of filling in. Junior Tyrel Reed averaged 6.5 points last season as a reserve, and is a similar player to Morningstar. He can shoot the trey and is a smart decision-maker who will play defense the way Self teaches it. Sophomore Travis Releford was a highly-ranked recruit who didn't see the court as much as people were expecting him to in his freshman campaign. He's got the tools to be a dangerous wing player. If he can snatch some minutes, the Kansas City native will show fans that he's more than just hype.

Senior Mario Little is listed as a guard, but played more of a forward role last year. It is possible that the 6-5, 210-pounder could fill in on the wing, as the Jayhawks have enough depth at the post. Don't forget, top five ranked recruit Xavier Henry in this mix. He is an absolute stud and figured to challenge for minutes at the guard spots even before these two mishaps took place. His brother CJ should also be a solid backup to Collins.

I think it's pretty fair to say while KU will miss the experience of these two players for a while, it will be able to do without, no problem. Especially for the nonconference and early portion of the schedule. It's better now than March. Plus, it will allow these younger guys to gain some valuable PT and confidence so that the team will be firing on all cylinders come tourney time.

For a complete look at KU's roster, go here.

Big Ten breakdown: Penn State

Sorry I've been away for a while. Need to stop slacking and crank out some solid posts. Today's topic, previewing Penn State.

The Nittany Lions are coming off a 27-11 (10-8, 4th place Big Ten) season in which they won the NIT championship after narrowly missing the NCAA tourney cut. The team set a school record for wins, but says it's hungrier to make it to the big show this year. Coach Ed DeChellis was just awarded a three-year extension at his alma mater. In his seventh season, he is expecting a lot as he returns three starters and eight lettermen.

Key Losses are Jamelle Cornely (NIT tournament MVP), Danny Morrissey, and Stanley Pringle. But the Lions have one of my favorite players in the conference in junior guard Taylor Battle. At 5-11, 160, this kid plays like the game's on the line every possession. He's a fearless attacker not afraid to take his lumps because he'll make you pay at the free throw line. He's also a more than capable threat from the three.

Along the same lines, there is much hype being given to recent commit Taran Buie, a high school senior-to-be and half-brother of Battle. He's being called the most highly touted recruit in the program's history. But unfortunately, PSU fans will have to wait another year to see him in white and navy.

What might put the Lions over the NCAA tourney edge this year, and what most likely kept them on the outside looking in last year, is their nonconference schedule, which has apparently been beefed up this season just for that reason. PSU was third in scoring in the Big Ten last season, but eight in scoring defense. If it can shape up that side of the ball, it should be in good shape come March.