IU predicted to finish 9th in conference preseason polls

CHICAGO – In a women’s basketball season that promises to be wide-open, a few things were clear at Big Ten Media Day on Sunday – a precious few things. \nOhio State is the favorite to defend its Big Ten crown, Wisconsin’s Jolene Anderson is the pick for conference player of the year and after that, nothing is really clear.\nThe Buckeyes are tabbed to win the conference in both the preseason coaches and media polls. They are followed by Wisconsin and Illinois in the coaches poll and Michigan State and Wisconsin in the media poll. IU is picked to finish ninth in both. \n“Rightfully so,” said IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack of her team’s preseason ranking. “We have six freshmen coming in and only three returning starters. It makes sense, but in the end, we are the ones who determine if it makes sense at the end of the year.”\nAfter leading the Big Ten in scoring last year, Anderson is projected as the player of the year by the coaches and the media.\nWhile Ohio State is picked as the clear favorite, most coaches agreed that the race for the conference title is still up for grabs. \n“Anybody has a chance,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “There are a lot of teams who can beat anybody in the conference. It could come down to who can stay injury-free throughout the season.”\nThis year marks a changing of the guard in the Big Ten, with four new coaches and an influx of young talent. \n“There are a lot of new faces,” Northwestern coach Beth Combs said. “There are new coaches and new players and a lot of good talent that graduated last year. A lot of teams will rely on newcomers, but we have some of the most heralded recruits in the country coming to play in our conference this year.”\nWith so many contenders in the conference, consistency could be a key in determining who wins the regular season title. \n“Nobody is going to give anyone an easy game,” Legette-Jack said. “Whether it’s the first-place team or the last-place team, it’s going to be intense. If you don’t come to play on any given day, it will be the death of you in this conference.”\nLast year, the Big Ten received only three bids to the NCAA tournament. This year, the coaches feel that number should increase.\n“Last year, we had the number one conference RPI early in the year, but it dropped dramatically by the end,” Jack said. “I think we took the three bids as a sign of disrespect for the conference, but in the end, it is the play of the teams that decide how our conference is viewed.”\nWith Ohio State targeted as the team to beat, Buckeyes coach Jim Foster said they shouldn’t feel pressured to repeat as conference champions. \n“I didn’t read it in the New York Times today,” he said of the predictions. “We’re a young team, but we are talented. We’re going to be a different team from last year.”