IU was selected as the No. 3 team in the Big Ten this season at Big Ten media day this weekend in Chicago. The Hoosiers were predicted to finish behind Michigan State, who claims the top spot, and defending Big Ten champion Illinois.\n"It's the first time we've been picked that high in a long time" said IU coach Mike Davis. "I think when you go from two, three, four, five and six, every (team) is the same ... I think we have about eight teams that could make it to the tournament (from the Big Ten)."\nIU finished fifth in the Conference last season with a 10-6 conference record. The team jumped Minnesota and Wisconsin in the preseason rankings as it returns four starters and adds Auburn transfers Marco Killingsworth and Lewis Monroe.\n"(Marco) is a different type of player than we've ever had," Davis said. "He's a 270 pound guy who can run."\nAhead of the Hoosiers are two teams that reached last year's Final Four. The Spartans return four starters: senior center Paul Davis, senior guard Maurice Ager, junior guard Shannon Brown and sophomore guard Drew Neitzel.\nComing off a loss in the national championship game, the Illini lose three key players in Roger Powell, Deron Williams and Luther Head but welcome back former Big Ten Player of the Year and current preseason Conference Player of the Year Dee Brown. \n"I think (the preseason Player of the Year award) is more about what a person did last year," Brown said. "I don't really pay attention to it. It's all about the team and winning."
White picked to preseason 1st \nteam All-Big Ten
Fresh off being named the Freshman Player of the Year in the Big Ten, sophomore D.J. White was named to the first team All-Big Ten Team this weekend at Big Ten media day.\n"When I talk about him I get a smile on my face," Killingsworth said. "I mean, I call DJ my son. He's bulked up and put on about 20 to 25 pounds. When I got here, you'd touch him and he would fall on the ground. Now, when you touch him, he's finishing it."\nThe 6-foot-9-inch forward joins Illinois' Brown, Michigan State's Davis, Minnesota forward/guard Vincent Grier and Wisconsin forward Alando Tucker.\nWhite is the Hoosiers' leading returning scorer and rebounder, averaging 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his first season. White was also third in the conference in blocks, averaging 2.21 per game last year.\n"You've got to play up to (the honor)," Killingsworth said. "I think he's an all-conference guy, but he's got to play up to it."
Hoosiers named No. 21 in national preseason poll
ESPN.com ranked IU No. 21 in a national preseason poll released Oct. 14. The Hoosiers joined three other Big Ten squads in the top 25: No. 5 Michigan State, No. 17 Illinois and No. 20 Iowa.\nIU will play three of the poll's top ten teams in nonconference play -- No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Connecticut and No. 10 Kentucky.
Alabama 2-sport standout signs with Hoosiers
Recruiting Web site www.peegs.com reported Alabama standout Xavier Keeling signed with IU early last week, making the 2006 recruiting class three guards strong.\nThe 6-foot-6-inch wingman joins Terre Haute South star Armon Bassett and Indianapolis native Deonta Vaughn in the 2006 class.\nThe Huntsville, Ala., native was a two-sport standout at Johnson High School, averaging 16 points, 13 rebounds and four assists per game in his junior season while playing linebacker and wide receiver on the school's football team.
