IU projected to finish middle of Big Ten

ROSEMONT, Ill. — IU Coach Tom Crean, joined by graduate student guard Evan Gordon, senior forward Will Sheehey, sophomore guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell and sophomore forward Jeremy Hollowell traveled to the Hyatt Regency for Big Ten Basketball Media Day Thursday morning.

Players and coaches from all 12 Big Ten schools spoke at the event.

Here’s a brief run down of the day’s news.

CREAN LATE TO PRESS CONFERENCE

Because of some traffic delays, Crean missed his scheduled 8:10 a.m. press conference with the media Thursday morning. Once he arrived, he was slated at the end of the coach press conferences, and he kicked off his 10-minute slot talking about the young team he has on his hands this season.

“Along with Illinois, we’re one of the youngest teams in the league, experience-wise,” Crean said. “I think the biggest thing we’re trying to get accomplished right now is to get our team to understand ... what it takes to practice at a championship level and showing the standards of last year.”

Crean added, though, that one of his freshman, forward Noah Vonleh, has been progressing at a high rate and is eager to keep learning the college game.

“He (has a) high level in wanting to get better,” Crean said. “For somebody with that kind of talent and ability, it’s fun to watch. He understands there’s things that he doesn’t know, but he wants to get them.”

Another member of Vonleh’s class, guard Stanford Robinson, has been plagued this offseason by a right knee injury suffered at Hoosier Hysteria. Crean said Thursday that he’s just now coming back into form and has learned the difference between playing hurt and being injured.

“When you’re hurt, sometimes you just gotta be able to deal with it a little bit and play through it,” Crean said. “He’s come back in there, has just played like he’s not favoring anything at all, really trying to play with a really strong, reckless abandon, which is important.”

MICHIGAN STATE PRESEASON BIG TEN FAVORITE

Big Ten media members unanimously selected No. 2 Michigan State to finish atop the conference rankings in its preseason poll.

The Spartans were followed by No. 7 Michigan and No. 11 Ohio State.
IU was picked by the media to finish sixth in the conference, with Iowa (fifth) and Wisconsin (fourth) finishing ahead of the Hoosiers.

Rounding out the list behind IU in order is Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State and Nebraska.

The media also tabbed Michigan State sophomore guard Gary Harris as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

Last year, IU was picked as the Big Ten favorite with Cody Zeller selected as the Preseason Player of the Year.

No Hoosiers were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team, which features six players because of a tie.

Harris is joined on that team by Ohio State senior Aaron Craft and Penn State senior Tim Frazier, who both make their second consecutive appearance on the lineup.

Michigan State senior Adreian Payne along with Michigan sophomores Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III round out the All-Big Ten team.

IU RECEIVING VOTES IN AP TOP 25, NOT RANKED

For the first time since Dec. 12, 2011, the first poll after IU knocked off then-No. 1 Kentucky, the IU men’s basketball team is not ranked in the AP top 25 poll.

In the first AP poll of the season, IU is the third in receiving votes outside of the top 25 with 111, behind Tennessee (176) and Creighton (145).

There are four Big Ten teams in the AP top 25: Michigan State (No. 2), Michigan (No. 7), Ohio State (No. 11) and Wisconsin (No. 20).

In the first USA Today coaches’ poll of the season, IU is ranked No. 24.

BIG TEN COACHES ON IU, CREAN

Although the Hoosiers aren’t at the top of the rankings in the country or even the conference like they were a year ago, other coaches from around the league still had some things to say related to Crean and his team’s prospects this season.

Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo, who Crean coached under before his head coaching position at Marquette, said he thinks the star power of the conference this season will be even greater than the past, with some teams rising up the ranks and others trying to rebuild, including IU.

“I mean, Indiana loses a couple of good players, but they’ve got some good players coming back and well-coached,” Izzo said.

First-year Minnesota Head Coach Richard Pitino said he has received a lot of help from his peers while trying to adjust to his new position after leaving Florida International, and Crean has been no exception.

“It just shows you how great this league is when you walk down the hall, and you see a Tom Izzo or you see a Thad Matta, or you see a Tom Crean or Coach Beilein,” Pitino said. “I’ve known Tom Crean for a couple of years. He was at Marquette when we were at Louisville, and I know him a little bit. He’s been great.

“They’ve all been great. I’m the young guy in the league, one of the youngest coaches out there. They’ve been very receptive to me. They’ve given me great advice, been guys that I can lean on, which is nice.”

IOWA’S WHITE BEFRIENDS FERRELL, SHEEHEY

After playing in Russia for Team USA in the World University Games, Iowa junior forward Aaron White said he is now “cool” with Ferrell and Sheehey.

White said he ate breakfast with the two IU players Thursday morning before the media day festivities started.

He said he asked them about Vonleh, someone he has heard a lot about.

“I keep reading about him, but I haven’t seen him,” White said of Vonleh. “They said he’s physical, strong. And I keep reading everyone picking him to be Big Ten Freshman of the Year, so he must be pretty talented.”

During the summer, White described the atmosphere in Russia, which included Michigan coach John Beilein and Michigan State’s Payne, as “a bunch of Big Ten guys talking about basketball.”

“It was fun to get perspective from guys on different teams talking about the ups and downs of college basketball and the struggles you have within your team.

“It was just funny, honestly, to hear different stories from different schools.”

Follow men’s basketball reporters Nathan Brown and Robby Howard on Twitter at @Nathan_Brown10 and @RobbyHoward1.