2009-2010 Ohio State College Basketball Preview by The Columbus Dispatch/Dispatch Magazines

COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2OO9

TWO FOR THE ROAD

Juniors Evan Turner, right, and David Lighty, far right, are veteran players who have the bona fides to lead the Buckeyes this season.

2009

OSU 2010 ALSO INSIDE OSU men: E2 / OSU women: E3 Big Ten questions: E4 MAC and Ohio colleges: E4-5 Local colleges: E6

Positive outlook Coach Thad Matta has seen his share of players depart early for the NBA, but this year his Ohio State menÕs team has something di!erent to look forward to: an experienced returning group. Matta and the Buckeyes expect that will have a signiÞcant impact in surviving the rigors of the Big Ten, especially on the road. The OSU women, meanwhile, plan to bring their ÔAÕ game this season " athleticism and attitude. Jantel Lavender and Samantha Prahalis lead a top#10 caliber team that likes to crank up the volume and play end#to#end basketball.

FLASH AND DASH

Jantel Lavender, right, is a versatile presence inside and Samantha Prahalis, far right, provides an instant spark with her fast-paced play at point guard.

• BuckeyeXtra.com

DISPATCH PHOTOS BY CHRIS RUSSELL

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

College Basketball

O HI O S TAT E NEW FACES Zisis Sarikopoulos SOPHOMORE CENTER

The 7-foot, 265-pounder from Athens, Greece, is eligible after sitting out last season following his transfer from Alabama-Birmingham. He is expected to open the season as the Buckeyes’ starting center while Dallas Lauderdale recovers from a broken bone in his right hand. Sarikopoulos started four games and played in 20 as a freshman at UAB two years ago and averaged 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds. He has extensive international experience playing for age-group Greek national teams. A knee injury kept him out of most games this past summer, but in 2008 he averaged 10.3 points and 9.4 rebounds and blocked 18 shots to help Greece win the gold medal in the under-18 European championships.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009

BREAKING NEWS: DISPATCH.COM

ME N

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

Eddie Days JUNIOR GUARD

Days, 6 feet and 180 pounds, joined the team as a walk-on in October. He was first-team All-Ohio in Division IV as a senior at Richmond Heights High School in 2006 after he averaged 22 points and five assists for a team that finished 20-2. Days is a nephew of former Linden, Ohio State and NBA standout Jim Cleamons, currently an assistant coach with the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Dustin Reynolds JUNIOR FORWARD

Reynolds, at 6 feet 6 and 215 pounds from Portage, joined the team as a walk-on in October. He is the brother of former Ohio State women’s basketball player DiDi Reynolds, now married to former OSU hockey player Dave Steckel of the Washington Capitals. Dustin Reynolds was second-team All-Ohio in Division III as a senior at Bloomdale Elmwood High School in 2007 after he averaged 18 points and eight rebounds. He also was his class valedictorian. Reynolds played in 16 games as a freshman at Hillsdale (Mich.) College, an NCAA Division II school, two years ago but sat out last season because of a back injury. — Bob Baptist bbaptist@dispatch.com

2009-10 ROSTER NO 2 3 4 10 12 13 15 21 23 24 33 34 44 45 52

PLAYER Jeremie Simmons Walter Offutt P.J. Hill Eddie Days Dustin Reynolds Danny Peters Kyle Madsen Evan Turner David Lighty Nikola Kecman Jon Diebler Mark Titus William Buford Zisis Sarikopoulos Dallas Lauderdale

POS G G G G F G C G/F G/F F G G G C F

HT 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-6 6-2 6-9 6-7 6-5 6-8 6-6 6-4 6-5 7-0 6-8

NEAL C. LAURON

WT 170 190 165 180 215 180 240 205 220 220 205 210 190 265 255

YR Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. So. So. Jr.

HOMETOWN (SCHOOL) Chicago (Mott C.C.) Indianapolis (Warren Central) Minneapolis (Midland J.C.) Richmond Heights, Ohio Portage, Ohio (Elmwood) New Albany Dublin (Coffman) Chicago (St. Joseph’s) Cleveland (Villa Angela-St. Joseph) Belgrade, Serbia (Eastern Arizona) Upper Sandusky Brownsburg, Ind. (Brownsburg) Toledo (Libbey) Athens, Greece (Olympiakos) Solon, Ohio (Solon)

Coach: Thad Matta, sixth season (127-46 at Ohio State, four postseason appearances); 229-77 in nine seasons overall (Butler, Xavier, Ohio State), eight postseason appearances Assistant coaches: Jeff Boals, Alan Major and Brandon Miller

2009-10 SCHEDULE DATE Nov. 9 Nov. 12 Nov. 19 Nov. 20 Nov. 24 Nov. 28 Dec. 2 Dec. 5 Dec. 12 Dec. 16 Dec. 19 Dec. 22 Dec. 31 Jan. 3 Jan. 6 Jan. 9 Jan. 12 Jan. 16 Jan. 19 Jan. 23 Jan. 27 Jan. 31 Feb. 3 Feb. 7 Feb. 10 Feb. 14 Feb. 17 Feb. 20 or 21 Feb. 24 Feb. 27 or 28 March 3 March 11-14

OPPONENT Alcorn State* James Madison* North Carolina** Syracuse or California** Lipscomb St. Francis, Pa. Florida State# Eastern Michigan Butler% Presbyterian Delaware State Cleveland State at Wisconsin at Michigan Indiana at Minnesota at Purdue Wisconsin Northwestern at West Virginia at Iowa Minnesota Penn State Iowa at Indiana at Illinois Purdue at Michigan State at Penn State Michigan Illinois Big Ten Tournament

TIME 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 9:30 p.m. TBA 7 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. Noon Noon 7 p.m. 4 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 2 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m. 7 p.m. 2 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 1 p.m. 6:30 p.m. Noon 6:30 p.m. 1 p.m. 6:30 p.m. TBA 6:30 p.m. TBA TBA

TV Big Ten Network Big Ten Network ESPN2 ESPN2 Big Ten Network Big Ten Network ESPN2 ESPNU ESPN Big Ten Network ESPNU Big Ten Network ESPN2 Big Ten Network Big Ten Network Big Ten Network ESPN Big Ten Network Big Ten Network CBS (Ch. 10) Big Ten Network CBS (Ch. 10) Big Ten Network Big Ten Network Big Ten Network CBS (Ch. 10) Big Ten Network TBA Big Ten Network TBA Big Ten Network

*-2K Sports Classic (Coaches vs. Cancer) **-2K Sports Classic at New York #-Big Ten/ACC Challenge %-at Indianapolis Note: Big Ten Tournament at Indianapolis

2008-09 REVIEW Big Ten standings CONF TEAM Mich St Pur Ill Penn St Ohio St Wis Minn Mich NW Iowa Ind

W L PCT 15 3 .833 11 7 .611 11 7 .611 10 8 .556 10 8 .556 10 8 .556 9 9 .500 9 9 .500 8 10 .444 5 13 .278 1 17 .056

ALL W 31 27 24 27 22 20 22 21 17 15 6

L 7 10 10 11 11 13 11 14 14 17 25

PCT .816 .730 .706 .711 .667 .606 .600 .600 .548 .469 .194

Tournament final Purdue 65, Ohio State 61

NCAA Tournament SEVEN TEAMS (9-7)

Illinois ...........................0-1 Michigan.........................1-1 Michigan State ...............5-1 Minnesota ......................0-1 Ohio State .....................0-1 Purdue ...........................2-1 Wisconsin.......................1-1

DISPATCH

Ohio State returns an experienced nucleus that includes, from left, Dallas Lauderdale, Jon Diebler, Evan Turner, Jeremie Simmons and William Buford.

Experience puts Buckeyes in line for shot at Big Ten title untold number of years, everyone on the Ohio State men’s basketball team has. The only newcomer to the oaches spend long team is 7-foot Zisis Sarikodays and sleepless poulos, a third-year nights trying to presophomore who played at pare for every conAlabama-Birmingham as a ceivable situation freshman two years ago and their players will has international experience experience in a playing for his native Greece. game. Videos are shown, For that reason, preseason greaseboards marked up and prognosticators are giving plays walked through again Ohio State the best chance of and again. But there’s one aspect that a number of teams to chalcan’t be covered regardless of lenge Michigan State and how good the sound system Purdue for the Big Ten championship. The Buckin the practice facility. eyes were picked to finish “You really can’t simulate 15,000 people going crazy on third in the conference, the road, yelling and scream- behind the Spartans and Boilermakers, by a ing at you, all of them 24-member panel of media against you and on your who cover conference teams. back,” David Lighty said. When center Dallas The only way to prepare Lauderdale recovers from a for that is to have experibroken bone in his right enced it, Lighty said. hand, the Buckeyes are For the first time in an

By Bob Baptist

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

expected to start four juniors (including Lighty, a fourthyear player who redshirted because of injury last season) and have three seniors available off the bench. “Experience is huge,” coach Thad Matta said. Matta’s best teams at Ohio State have had it. In his second season, a team with four seniors, three of them in their fifth year, and a fourth-year junior won the Big Ten title outright a year after finishing 8-8 in the conference. Even the next year, with a team featuring star freshmen Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. that went 15-1 in the Big Ten and reached the NCAA final, “we did have Ron Lewis, a fifth-year senior, Ivan Harris, a senior, and Jamar Butler was a junior,” Matta said. “So you do need experi-

KEYS TO THE SEASON

avoid foul trouble.

Key stretch of the season

Key offensive players It will be interesting to see the point-guard experiment with Evan Turner progress. Ohio State wants him to initiate the offensive possession and, at times, finish it. He should have space, with defenders obliged to honor perimeter threats William Buford and Jon Diebler. Getting the ball back to Turner after he gives it up will be something defenses will try to deny. Buford and Diebler would help the flow if they can score more off the dribble. Regardless, the Buckeyes should be able to score, especially if they can run as much as they hope to.

enced players.” Ohio State has been light on that seasoning the past two years. It settled for the National Invitation Tournament in 2008 and suffered from Lighty’s injury last season. He played only seven games before a broken foot ended his year. “I figure if Dave hadn’t gone down, we would have won the Big Ten title,” Turner said. “That changed the team a lot because we had freshmen (such as William Buford) who had to step up. “But everything happens for a reason. I think it built us up. Buford has a lot more confidence than he probably would have if Dave had been playing. So it happened for a reason. I think this year is going to be the year we get it right.” bbaptist@dispatch.com

NEAL C. LAURON

DISPATCH

P.J. Hill is among the impact players coach Thad Matta hopes will come into his own this season.

No other Big Ten team plays four of its first five conference games on the road, much less against three teams — Michigan, Minnesota and Purdue — ranked in the preseason top 25. If the Buckeyes can come out of that two-week stretch with three or four wins, the rest of the 18-game schedule sets up nicely and they will have laid the foundation for a run at the championship.

Stat that must change

smaller version of Lighty, fearless going to the Opponents had 201 more field-goal attempts rim and a tenacious defender. than Ohio State last season, an average of about six per game. Only two other Big Ten Best offseason move teams gave up more shot attempts in conferGoing to Canada for three games gave the ence play. Poor defensive rebounding and Buckeyes 10 extra days of practice — and Key defensive players ballhandling were the causes. This team further cemented the bonds of an alreadyneeds to value the ball more than last year’s To run, the Buckeyes must rebound better close group. This is Matta’s most experienced did. than they have the past two years. To reroster in four years, since the 2005-06 Buckbound, they must force missed shots. Longeyes were picked to finish in the middle of Bottom line limbed center Dallas Lauderdale can do that, the Big Ten pack and won the title outright. but whether he can do it for 30 minutes a Defend, rebound and run. The preseason trip to Windsor, Ontario, in game depends on his foul situation. David August gave this team a feel for how Matta Lighty is ready to be his relentless self again, wants it to play, fast and furiously, with forced The Buckeyes will go dancing if ... defending the opponent’s best scorer and turnovers leading to easy baskets. The point-guard experiment doesn’t blow up, then crashing the board when the shot goes everyone stays healthy and the bench makes up. Turner also fancies himself a defensive The pressure is on … a contribution. The starting five can hold its stopper. But can he stay in front of the smurf own with anyone. The reserves must make Has it been mentioned that this team should guards such as Kalin Lucas and Talor Battle? score? Well, it should, as long as it shoots a sure the level of performance doesn’t dip when they get the call. The deeper Matta can high percentage, which Matta’s teams typSecret weapons go on the pine, the better off this team will ically do, and limits its turnovers, which it We have three in mind: P.J. Hill, Jeremie didn’t last year. The Buckeyes basically broke be. Simmons and Walter Offutt. Any of them even in assists (440) and turnovers (439) could be the “impact” sixth man coach Thad after averaging 105 more assists each of The Buckeyes are wallflowers if ... Matta likes having. If Hill can play under Matta’s first four seasons. Turner was the Turner gets hurt. control with the ball, hit the open shots primary culprit, with more than a quarter of defenses will give him and stay sound on the giveaways, but not surprising given how So where do they end up? defense, he could be the man. If Simmons much he was expected to finish possessions. relaxes now that he doesn’t have to play the At the point, he needs to tighten up his 23-8 overall, 13-5 and third in the Big Ten, point and makes a higher percentage of and in the NCAA Tournament. handle and make better decisions with the shots than he did last year, he could be the — Bob Baptist ball. The pressure is also on Lauderdale to man. Offutt has the highest ceiling. He’s a bbaptist@dispatch.com

BREAKING NEWS: DISPATCH.COM

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

College Basketball

O HI O S TAT E

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009

W OME N NEW FACES

RAISING THE BAR

Aleksandra Dobranic FRESHMAN CENTER

Dobranic signed in the spring and is the first European to play for the Buckeyes during the Jim Foster coaching regime. A member of the Serbian junior national team, Dobranic brings much needed inside size and, like most European post players, can shoot from the perimeter.

Quick offense, competitive fervor ignite Buckeyes By Jim Massie THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

he volume rises and begins to echo around the practice gym as soon as Ohio State coach Jim Foster has a team manager turn on the scoreboard for a drill or a scrimmage. None of the players are shy about not wanting to lose even to close friends and teammates. A week away from the opening of the new season, the competitive level feels sharper than the business edge of a new steak knife. “It was there last year,” sophomore point guard Samantha Prahalis said. “But it’s like at a new level now. When the score gets counted, it’s like everyone gets so loud that it’s out of control. “When you’re winning, people call fouls and start yelling at people because they’re not getting their fouls called. It’s crazy. But it’s good because it’s going to make us all better.” The full-court, take-noprisoners atmosphere in the gym is what Foster coveted when he began to reshape the roster following a bitterly disappointing second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Boston College in March 2006. That OSU team brought a buttoned-down approach to the court that was good enough to earn a No. 1 seed in the tournament. Those Buckeyes also were bestsuited athletically to play in the half court. To reach the next level, Foster wanted to assemble more speed and more athleticism while adding more fire. Guard Shavelle Little, a two-time Big Ten defensive player of the year, arrived in the next recruiting class. Center Jantel Lavender, a two-time conference player of the year, showed up the following season. Prahalis, the reigning Big Ten freshman of the year, came aboard to trigger the fastbreak offense in 2008-09. In the early practices, Little and Prahalis often play on different teams and enjoy nose-to-nose encounters. Neither gives an inch. “That’s a perfect example,” Foster said. “That’s what you need in the gym. That’s how you get better.” Freshman guard Tayler Hill was a prolific scorer at Minneapolis South High

Emilee Harmon

FRESHMAN FORWARD

Harmon, from Pickerington Central, was ranked as one of the top forward prospects in the country by ESPN’s Hoopgurlz and All Star Girls Basketball Report. She averaged 19.7 points and 11.3 points as a high-school senior and earned co-player of the year honors in Ohio from the Associated Press. She chose the Buckeyes over Duke, Stanford, Notre Dame and Purdue.

Tayler Hill FRESHMAN GUARD

Hill, like Harmon, was among the most highly recruited players in the country. Her decision to sign in the spring gave the Buckeyes a top-10 recruiting class. The sister of OSU men’s point guard P.J. Hill, she was player of the year in Minnesota and is the state’s all-time leading scorer with 3,894 points. A combo guard with great speed, Hill could play her way into the starting lineup early. She also considered Duke and Texas.

Brianna Sanders FRESHMAN GUARD

Sanders hit the Ohio State recruiting radar as a freshman at Cincinnati Princeton. The Buckeyes stayed with her despite ACL injuries during her junior and senior seasons. She wears a brace on her left knee but is cleared to play. Coaches and teammates already are touting her threepoint shooting range. — Jim Massie jmassie@dispatch.com

2009-10 ROSTER NO 3 4 12 14 15 20 21 24 32 40 42 43 50 51 NEAL C. LAURON

DISPATCH

Ohio State’s Samantha Prahalis leads the fast-break offense. Competitive even in practice, Prahalis says the team has reached a new level. School. Foster has spent early practices watching her watch how others play defense and alter their games to complement the overall team flow. “Those are all questions you have,” Foster said. “You get subtle answers. Last week, she stepped up and tried to take charges from Jantel when Jantel was going to the basket. So I know she

has courage.” To win an unprecedented sixth consecutive Big Ten regular-season championship and go deeper than the Sweet 16 run in last season’s NCAA Tournament, hardnose play has to become second nature. The feel for that is growing, Lavender said. “It’s always been there in a quiet sense,” she said. “But

it’s more verbal now. People get really loud. I see a group of extremely competitive people, people who want to do whatever it takes to win. “Sammy and Shevy are extremely competitive and they set the standard. Everybody wants to play like them because they see you get rewarded when you play hard.” jmassie@dispatch.com

KEYS TO THE SEASON Key offensive player(s) This becomes plural because All-America junior center Jantel Lavender and sophomore point guard Samantha Prahalis have become extensions of one another on the court. By the end of their first season together, Lavender and Prahalis were as good as any big-little fast-break combination in the country. Lavender, now a twotime conference player of the year, led the Big Ten in scoring (20.8) and rebounding (10.7). Prahalis, the reigning freshman of the year, topped the conference in assists (5.8). Both should be better in ’09-10. DORAL CHENOWETH III

Key defensive player Senior guard Shavelle Little earned a second consecutive Big Ten defensive player of the year award despite playing limited minutes because of a chronic right knee injury. The bad news for opposition coaches and point guards is that her surgically repaired knee feels better than it has in two years.

Secret weapon Junior Sarah Schulze probably will get the first chance to replace Star Allen at power forward. She is not as physically imposing as Allen, but Schulze plays tough inside and has three-point range to complement returning starting guard Brittany Johnson.

Best offseason move The Buckeyes are playing in the preseason WNIT, which will provide the opportunity for freshmen Tayler Hill, Brianna Sanders, Emilee Harmon, Aleksandra Dobranic and Amber Stokes (redshirt) to experience stiff early competition.

DISPATCH

Two-time defending Big Ten defensive player of the year Shavelle Little is already a force, and could be an even bigger one now that her knee feels better.

The pressure is on …

can’t hurt as long as it doesn’t dim her electric light show.

The Buckeyes are ranked No. 3 in the preseason polls, and the expectations are sky high Bottom line with four returning starters. So the pressure This is the most athletic team that Foster has remains on Foster to win and go deep into fielded in his seven seasons with the Buckthe NCAA Tournament. eyes and it has the chance to be his best to date, especially if Hill is as good as adKey stretch of the season vertised. Not too many teams are going to How a team plays heading into March always want to run with these Buckeyes. matters more, but a potential Buckeye Classic game against California on Nov. 29, The Buckeyes go dancing if … followed by an ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup at Duke on Dec. 3, have big-picture impli- Barring serious injury, academic problems or a Martian invasion, they’re going. Case cations come NCAA Tournament selection closed. time.

Stat that must change

The Buckeyes are wallflowers if …

The Buckeyes committed 582 turnovers (16.6 See above (Martians would be cool, though). per game) last season. Prahalis, who joined So where do they end up? Lavender on the Wooden Award and Wade Trophy watch lists, is on record saying that Big Ten champions and why not a Final Four? she wants to cut down on her 138. That goal — Jim Massie jmassie@dispatch.com

PLAYER Amber Stokes Tayler Hill Alison Jackson Maria Moeller Aleksandra Dobranic Shavelle Little Samantha Prahalis Cherise Daniel Brianna Sanders Brittany Johnson Jantel Lavender Sarah Schulze Emilee Harmon Andrea Walker

POS G G G G C G G G G G C F F C

HT 5-10 5-10 5-11 5-7 6-4 5-8 5-7 5-11 5-11 5-11 6-4 6-1 6-2 6-5

YR Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Sr.

HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL) Gahanna (Gahanna) Minneapolis (South) Chicago (Fenwick) Maria Stein (Marion Local) Novi Sad, Serbia (Isidora Sekulic) Ann Arbor, Mich. (Huron) Commack, N.Y. (Commack) Columbus (Eastmoor Academy) Cincinnati (Princeton) Olney, Ill. (East Richland) Cleveland (Central Catholic) Anna, Ohio (Anna) Pickerington (Central) Pittsburgh (West Allegheny)

Coach: Jim Foster, eighth season (181-47 at Ohio State; seven NCAA appearances); 685-272 in 31 seasons overall (St. Joseph’s Vanderbilt, Ohio State), 23 postseason appearances Assistant coaches: Ed Baldwin; Debbie Black; Kelley Meury

2009-10 SCHEDULE DATE Nov. 13 Nov. 15 or 16 Nov. 17 Nov. 18 or 19 Nov. 22 Nov. 25 Nov. 28 Nov. 29 Dec. 3 Dec. 6 Dec. 13 Dec. 15 Dec. 19 Dec. 22 Dec. 28 Dec. 31 Jan. 3 Jan. 9 Jan. 14 Jan. 17 Jan. 21 Jan. 25 Jan. 28 Jan. 31 Feb. 4 Feb. 7 Feb. 11 Feb. 14 Feb. 18 Feb. 21 Feb. 25 March 4-7

OPPONENT TIME Eastern Illinois* 5 p.m. Chicago St. or Bowling Green* 2 p.m. Alabama-Birmingham 7 p.m. TBA* 7 p.m. TBA* 2 p.m. North Carolina-Greensboro 7 p.m. Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis# 2 p.m. California or Southern# 2 p.m. at Duke% 7 p.m. Wisconsin 2 p.m. at Mississippi 2 p.m. Wright State 7 p.m. Alabama A&M 8 p.m. Western Illinois 4 p.m. at Illinois 8 p.m. at Northwestern 4 p.m. Michigan 2 p.m. at Michigan State 2 p.m. Illinois 7 p.m. Indiana 2 or 4:30 p.m. at Michigan 7 p.m. at Purdue 7 p.m. Minnesota 7:30 p.m. at Indiana Noon Iowa 7:30 p.m. at Penn State 1 p.m. Purdue 7:30 p.m. at Minnesota Noon at Wisconsin 8 p.m. Michigan State 3 p.m. Northwestern 6:30 or 7 p.m. Big Ten Tournament TBA

TV — — — — — — — — — Big Ten Network — — — — — — — CBS (Ch. 10) — Big Ten Network — ESPN2 Big Ten Network Big Ten Network Big Ten Network — Big Ten Network Big Ten Network — ESPN2 — —

*-Preseason NIT #-Buckeye Classic, St. John Arena %-Big Ten/ACC Challenge Note: Big Ten Tournament at Indianapolis

2008-09 REVIEW Big Ten standings CONF TEAM Ohio St Pur Mich St Iowa Ind Minn Wis Penn St Ill Mich NW

W 15 13 13 13 11 11 6 6 5 3 3

L 3 5 5 5 7 7 12 12 13 15 15

PCT .833 .722 .722 .722 .611 .611 .333 .333 .278 .167 .167

ALL W 29 25 22 21 21 20 19 11 10 10 7

L 6 11 11 11 11 12 15 18 21 20 23

PCT .829 .694 .667 .656 .656 .625 .559 .379 .323 .333 .233

Tournament final Ohio State 67, Purdue 66

NCAA Tournament SIX TEAMS (9-6)

Iowa..............................0-1 Michigan State ...............2-1 Minnesota ......................1-1 Ohio State .....................2-1 Purdue ...........................3-1 Wisconsin.......................1-1

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

College Basketball

THEY’VE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009

BREAKING NEWS: DISPATCH.COM

GOT ISSUES Questions surrounding the Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball seasons: to be stronger at the defensive end. Minnesota is the opposite case, sound defensively but offensively challenged.

Which coaches are on the hot seat? Only one, Todd Lickliter of Iowa, seems to be getting warm as players transfer out and he tries to replace them with better fits for his system. The former Butler coach is 11-25 in the Big Ten in two seasons and this offseason said goodbye to his best player, guard Jake Kelly, who transferred home to Indiana State for family reasons. Lickliter has a young roster without a lot of size.

Who are the five best players? Last season’s All-Big Ten first team returns intact: guards Talor Battle of Penn State, Manny Harris of Michigan, Kalin Lucas of Michigan State and Evan Turner of Ohio State along with center JaJuan Johnson of Purdue. Better than any of them, though, might be Hummel, who is healthy again and was voted over Johnson to the preseason All-Big Ten team.

Which newcomers will become household names? Not a Rolls Royce (read McDonald’s AllAmerican) in the bunch, but there is power forward Royce White, who should augment Minnesota’s interior play when he returns from indefinite suspension. Long forward Christian Watford will upgrade Indiana’s athleticism and is among three freshmen who could start for the Hoosiers. Wing guards D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul should help Illinois get up and down the floor more than in recent years.

Who will be dancing on Selection Sunday? Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Northwestern. — Bob Baptist bbaptist@dispatch.com

NEAL C. LAURON

DISPATCH

Kalin Lucas (1) of Michigan State and Evan Turner of Ohio State are two of the five first-team All-Big Ten players who return for their respective teams.

Which teams can win the title?

MEN

Ohio State and Michigan State are the clear favorites. The Buckeyes have won at least a piece of the past five regular-season championships. The Spartans have five starters returning from a team that upset top-seeded Duke in the NCAA Tournament. A veteran Minnesota team also has the physical toughness to beat anyone in the conference. Purdue will need time to overcome graduation losses and injuries, but will be tough come tournament time.

Is the Big Ten back? Looks like it. Bashers noted that only one conference player, Ohio State freshman B.J. Mullens, went in the NBA draft. They didn’t mention it was because all five players voted firstteam All-Big Ten — and 11 of the 15 on the first, second and third teams — return to a league that was the nation’s second strongest, according to the Rating Percentage Index. Michigan State and Purdue are preseason top-10 teams being mentioned by national media as Final Four-worthy. Four more — Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois — are in or on the verge of the top 25. And Wisconsin has never missed the NCAA Tournament with Bo Ryan as coach.

Who are the sleepers? Illinois and Northwestern are poised to surprise. The Illini have the most highly touted recruiting class, headed by center Destiny Williams, to add to returning stars Jenna Smith and Lacey Simpson. Northwestern, under second-year coach Joe McKeown, suddenly has a young, strong front line in junior Amy Jaeschke, sophomore Brittany Orban and freshman Kendall Hackney. Guard play will tell for both teams.

Which teams can win the title? Michigan State and Purdue are the favorites. The Spartans won the Big Ten championship by four games last season, reached the NCAA championship game and return 11 of their top 13 players. Coach Tom Izzo is on record as saying they can be as good as his 2000 NCAA title team. Purdue, meanwhile, has a healthy Robbie Hummel — last season’s Big Ten preseason player of the year before a back injury — anchoring a lineup that returns six of its top seven players, including all five starters. Every other team has bigger questions to answer than the other two.

Who are the five best players? It’s hard to argue against Ohio State junior center Jantel Lavender, a two-time Big Ten player of the year. Coaches and media tabbed OSU sophomore point guard Samantha Prahalis, Penn State senior guard Tyra Grant, Illinois senior center Jenna Smith and Michigan State center Allyssa DeHaan with Lavender on the preseason all-conference team.

Who will be dancing on Selection Sunday?

Who are the sleepers? Ohio State, Michigan and Minnesota finished within one or two games of second place last season and return all of their starters and most of their reserves. The Buckeyes have to rebound better and get more scoring support for Evan Turner. Michigan has a potent offense built around Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims, but has

WOMEN

MICHAEL CONROY

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Penn State senior Tyra Grant was a preseason All-Big Ten pick by coaches and media.

Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota and Purdue are good enough to have invitations written in ink. Iowa, Illinois and Northwestern will scrap over the fifth spot. — Jim Massie jmassie@dispatch.com

CINCINNATI BEARCATS

CLEVELAND STATE VIKINGS

DAYTON FLYERS

Coach: Mick Cronin, 42-52 in fourth season, 111-76 overall Last season: 18-14 overall, 8-10 and tied for ninth in Big East

Coach: Gary Waters, 57-44 in fourth season at school, 228-179 in 13 seasons overall Last season: 26-11 overall, 12-6 and tied for third in Horizon League; lost in second round of NCAA Tournament

Coach: Brian Gregory, 125-68 in seventh season and overall. Last season: 27-8 overall, 11-5 and tied for second in Atlantic 10; lost in second round of NCAA Tournament.

Talent pool Guard Deonta Vaughn is the best of a pretty good group of holdovers, but it’s the newcomers on the Bearcats who are creating the most buzz. Chief among them is Lance Stephenson, a much-ballyhooed New York phenom whose talent level is surpassed only by the potential baggage he could be lugging along. There’s also a healthy point guard in redshirt freshman Cashmere Wright.

Talent pool Talent pool Shooting guard Norris Cole is the Vikings’ leading returning scorer (13.3 points per game) and a preseason All-Horizon League selection. He reached double figures 24 times and had eight 20-point games, including 22 in a first-round NCAA upset of Wake Forest. Small forward D’Aundray Brown is the only other returning starter. He averaged 7.4 points and 5.7 rebounds.

It’s a full one, led by forward Chris Wright, a 6-foot-8 junior who averaged 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds a year ago. He’s on the preseason watch list for the Naismith Award. Sophomore Chris Johnson, a Brookhaven product, could be set for a breakout season. The 6-6 Johnson averaged 6.5 points in 2008-09 despite playing through injuries. Guard Marcus Johnson is the Flyers’ glue, a defensive stopper who can also score (11.8 points per game).

Exclamation points

Waters will have far fewer experienced players to work with than he did a year ago, but he figures to rely heavily on juniors Cole and Brown. Cole played his best a year ago against tougher competition, averaging 17.5 points in six games against opponents whose football teams play in BCS conferences. Brown brings instant energy, though that style of play tends to make him prone to injury.

The depth is tremendous: The Flyers return four starters and 10 of their top 11 scorers from last season. Wright, who has a 43-inch vertical leap, is a sure thing and will be even more dangerous if he plays more than his 200809 average of 26.1 minutes. Dayton can defend inside and outside and is athletic enough to create defensive matchup problems for most opponents. UD’s rankings in the preseason top 25 polls are its first since 1967-68.

Question marks

The departure of Cleveland State’s five-player senior class leaves a huge statistical void — 1,396 points, 803 rebounds and 4,168 minutes played. There are two big holes. One is at point guard, where returning letterman Jeremy Montgomery will try to replace Cedric Jackson. The Vikings’ inside game, meanwhile, will largely be starting from scratch.

Dayton was not particularly effective away from UD Arena, going 5-6 on the road last year, including 3-5 in the Atlantic 10. For a team intent on winning its first-ever A-10 regular-season title, that number must change.

Exclamation points Stephenson, a slasher who usually works on the wing, would have been one of the nation’s most-sought recruits if he hadn’t had legal issues this past summer. The Bearcats figure to be steadied by Vaughn, a senior who was all-Big East last season when he averaged 15.3 points and 4.7 assists. Yancy Gates, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound forward who averaged 10.6 points and 6.1 rebounds, mans the middle.

Question marks Cincinnati has plenty of areas for improvement. For one thing, it must do a better job rebounding — UC went 2-9 last season when it was outrebounded. Also, the Bearcats must do better at avoiding bad stretches. They lost four straight after a 10-2 start a year ago, then finished the season with six losses in their last seven games.

Outlook After three years of growing pains under Cronin, Cincinnati looks to be ready to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. Much depends on how Stephenson meshes with his teammates. He had some issues on that front during his high school career.

Outlook If Cleveland State is to make it back to the NCAA Tournament (last season’s appearance was its first in 24 seasons), it will have to be the result of an upset in the Horizon League tournament. The Vikings have some momentum under Waters, but there’s far too much talent to replace.

Outlook Dayton received an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament a year ago and responded with a first-round win over West Virginia before being overmatched by Kansas. The Flyers figure to be an NCAA team once again, assuming everyone stays healthy. They are favored to win the A-10 and indeed seem to have the goods to unseat perennial power Xavier.

BREAKING NEWS: DISPATCH.COM

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

College Basketball

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009

AKRON ZIPS

MIAMI REDHAWKS

Coach: Keith Dambrot, 115-51 in sixth season at school and overall Last season: 23-13 overall, 10-6 and tied for second in MAC East; won MAC championship, lost to Gonzaga in first round of NCAA Tournament

Coach: Charlie Coles, 224-168 in 14th season at school, 302-204 in 19 seasons overall Last season: 17-13 overall, 10-6 and tied for third in MAC East; lost in first round of CollegiateInsider.com tournament

Talent pool

The Zips have wide bodies in the brother act of 6-foot-6, 245-pound Brett McKnight and 6-7, 225 Chris McKnight, and guards that can scoot in Darryl Roberts and Anthony Hitchens. Dambrot calls his roster “diverse” in that he can play the half-court power game or run. Hitchens, a sophomore from Chillicothe, will only get better after playing amid a veteran lineup last season.

Every team in the conference would want senior guard Kenny Hayes on its roster. Last season, he averaged 13.9 points and 3.8 assists and shot 38 percent from threepoint range. When he was injured after eight games, the RedHawks suffered. Center Adam Fletcher and forward Antonio Ballard are solid MAC players.

Miami guard Kenny Hayes

Exclamation points The McKnight brothers won’t wow anyone with their athleticism, but they often play an effective two-man game on offense and can double-team the ball-handler on defense. Few teams in the MAC play such tenacious defense from the opening tip to the final buzzer. This is essentially the same cast that won the conference last season, but now a young team has become seasoned.

Question marks The biggest loss was 6-7 forward Nate Linhart of Gahanna. Linhart averaged 10.3 points per game, but scoring was just one of the many things he did well. Dambrot also is waiting for more offense underneath the basket.

Outlook Akron was picked to win the division, and that’s hard to argue. The Zips have won at least 20 games in each of the past four years and played in the NIT in 2006 and ’08 before breaking through for their first MAC title last season to make the NCAA Tournament. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

BOWLING GREEN FALCONS Coach: Louis Orr, 32-31 in third season at school and 132-111 in eight seasons overall Last season: 19-14 overall, 11-5 tied for first in MAC East; lost to Creighton in the first round of the NIT

Talent pool In a league in which there are precious few big men that can intimidate, the Falcons are hoping to get a lot of mileage out of 6-foot-9, 273-pound Otis Polk. He averaged modest totals of 6.1 points and 5.5 rebounds last season, but he has 122 career blocked shots. Orr said Polk has worked extensively on scoring with his back to the basket. Guard Joe Jakubowski should improve on his scoring average of 7.7 points. He had 34 steals last season.

Exclamation points The load shouldn’t be that heavy for Jakubowski now that 6-3 junior Darion Goins, a transfer from San Jose State, is eligible. Marc Larson is another big man who should help with Polk playing more minutes.

Question marks Bowling Green is still searching for an identity with the loss of Nate Miller, Brian Moten and Darryl Clements. Each averaged double figures in scoring and provided senior leadership. There are four seniors on the roster, but there also are two sophomores and six freshmen as Orr continues to recruit his style of player.

Outlook The Falcons have been picked to finish fifth in the division, and it’s difficult to see how they can climb much higher with only two proven scorers and defenders. The administration likes what it sees of Orr, and extended his contract two years through the 2013-14 season. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES Coach: Geno Ford, 19-15 in second season at school and overall. Last season: 19-15 overall, 10-6 and tied for third in MAC East; lost to Oakland (Mich.) in first round of CollegiateInsider.com tournament.

Talent pool The Flashes have six seniors and Ford said, “They just can’t be decent. They have to play with a sense of urgency.” The backcourt should be one of the best in the MAC with Chris Singletary (12.1 points) and Tyree Evans (11.7). They are both in the 6-foot-4, 215-pound range and play physical defense. Anthony Simpson also should figure heavily into the offense underneath the basket. The difference-maker could be 6-10 senior center Brandon Parks, who has lost 40 pounds and gained muscle.

» SCOTT KISSEL

Bobcats building on a young team Suspensions of key players changes scope of season

the best freshmen in the Mid-American Conference in averaging 9.8 points and 1.66 steals and shooting 47.1 percent from the field. The Bobcats have no proven leader By Mark Znidar with forward Jerome Tillman having THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH used his eligibility. He finished as the Ohio University coach John Groce has team’s eighth all-time scorer and respent the preseason telling his players to bounder. Bassett, a 6-foot-2 point guard, was improve their team on a practice-bythe most important addition. He transpractice basis rather than worry about ferred from Indiana after coach Kelvin what opponents might bring to the taSampson was fired and would have been ble. eligible to play against Marshall on At least three Bobcats apparently Nov. 28. weren’t listening. This is supposed to be a reunion of Before an exhibition game against sorts because Groce recruited Bassett Taylor University, guard Armon Bassett and forward DeVaughn Washington were when he was in high school in Terra Haute, Ind., and became a friend of the placed on indefinite suspension and family. guard Steven Coleman was suspended “What I like about Armon is that he the first three games. Groce refused to elaborate about what has had a lot of experience and hopefully has learned from some of those expethe players did other than to say they riences,” Groce said before the suspenviolated team rules. sion. “We hope he has a calming affect It will be a blow to a team that is on on the other players.” training wheels with five freshmen, one Knowing there would be many young sophomore, one transfer and a medical players, athletic director Jim Schaus and redshirt on the roster. Groce toned down the nonconference “It’s one of those things for us where schedule to include only two name opwe have to take it one day at a time,” ponents, Pittsburgh and Tulsa. The first said Groce, a former Ohio State assistfive games and six of the first seven are ant. “I know that’s a cliche, but that’s at home. how it’s going to have to be. You just The schedule, Groce said, should be don’t look too far ahead. You tell the young guys to respect tradition and look the last thing on the players’ minds. “I’ve told our players not to focus on at the older guys. It’s a delicate balance.” the opponent, but on who we are, what Unfortunately for Ohio, Washington and Coleman are veterans everyone was we’re about, what we’re trying to do well counting on to provide points and lead- and executing our system well,” Groce said after the 76-40 victory over Taylor. ership. Washington averaged 6.7 points mznidar@dispatch.com as a sophomore. Coleman was one of

OTHER MAC

and the Chippewas welcome back forward Chris Kellermann, who was averaging 14.4 points when he was lost to a foot injury.

EAST DIVISION

Eastern Michigan Eagles

Buffalo Bulls Coach: Reggie Weatherspoon, 126-171 in his 11th season at school and 170-194 overall Last season: 21-12 overall, 11-5 and tied for first in MAC East Notable: Buffalo has a preseason All-MAC player in senior shooting guard Rodney Pierce, who averaged 14.3 points. With 10 other returning lettermen, the pieces look to be there for the Bulls, but they need to find a reliable point guard.

WEST DIVISION Ball State Cardinals

Outside of Antonio Gates, Kent State has never had a marquee player. What the Flashes do have on a yearly basis are rugged defenders and unselfish playmakers. Singletary and Evans fit that mold.

Coach: Billy Taylor, 20-41 in third season at school and 101-110 in seven seasons overall Last season: 14-17 overall, 7-9 and tied for first in MAC West Notable: Ball State figures to rely heavily on F-C Jarrod Jones, who a year ago was named MAC freshman of the year after averaging 11.2 points and 7.3 rebounds. Ball State’s 14 wins was an eight-game improvement from the year before.

Graduation losses never seem to affect the Flashes for long, but it’s going to be interesting to see how they move on without guards Al Fisher and Jordan Mincy and guard/forward Julian Sullinger. Each was the prototypical program player in sacrificing personal statistics for victories.

Outlook Kent State has been tabbed to finish second in the division. But the Flashes are on equal footing with next-door neighbor Akron. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

MIAMI UNIVERSITY

With Coles, it has never mattered if he has a former Mr. Basketball or a bunch of lunch-pail players. Miami reached the NCAA tournament in 1997, ’99 and 2001 and the NIT in ’05 and ’06 under Coles.

Question marks

Exclamation points

Question marks

Exclamation points

Central Michigan Chippewas Coach: Ernie Zeigler, 39-54 in his fourth season at the school and overall Last season: 12-19 overall, 7-9 and tied for first in MAC West Notable: Senior guards Jordan Bitzer and Robbie Harman combined to average 23.5 points a year ago,

Coach: Charles E. Ramsey, 42-81 in his fifth season at the school and overall Last season: 8-24 overall, 6-10 and tied for third in MAC West Notable: Staying healthy is the first initiative at Eastern, which has lost guard Carlos Medlock and/or forward Brandon Bowdry for all or parts of the past three seasons. Those two, along with forward Justin Dobbins, give the Eagles reason for hope.

The RedHawks played in postseason tournaments the previous four years playing a physical half-court game that broke the spirit of opponents. Three players who were ringleaders on those teams are gone — conference player of the year Michael Bramos (17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds), Tyler Dierkers and Eric Pollitz. There are eight freshmen and sophomores on the roster. Worse yet, the nonconference schedule includes Kentucky, Xavier, Cincinnati, Dayton, New Mexico and Temple.

Outlook Miami is picked to finish fourth in the division. The RedHawks are counting on freshmen such as 6-foot-7, 250-pound Drew Kelly and guards Allen Roberts and Orlando Williams to plug holes in the rotation. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

OHIO BOBCATS Coach: John Groce, 15-17 in second season at school and overall. Last season: 15-17 overall, 7-9 and sixth in MAC East.

Talent pool Guard Armon Bassett was supposed to become one of the best players in the MAC, but the Indiana transfer has been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules. The only proven scorers on the roster are 6-foot-5 junior guard Tommy Freeman (7.4 points), guard Steven Coleman (9.8) and 6-8 junior forward DeVaughn Washington (6.7).

Exclamation points Groce was a great recruiter at Ohio State, and he hasn’t lost his touch in gathering a celebrated group in Athens that includes 6-8, 263-pound Reggie Keely; 6-6 Marquis Horne; and 6-8 Ivo Baltic. Freeman is one of the best three-point shooters in the conference and Washington has proved to be a dependable scorer from 15 feet in.

Question marks Where will the leadership come from? Last season, Jerome Tillman did it all in averaging 17.7 points and 8.1 rebounds and pulling together a roster that was green. The Bobcats must hope that Bassett gets his act together.

Outlook The Bobcats have been picked to finish sixth in the division. With the help of athletic director Jim Schaus, Groce toned down the nonconference schedule to include Ohio Valley, Delaware, Elon and Robert Morris. It should be a season of growing pains and not many thrills for the O-Zone student section while Groce builds. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

TOLEDO ROCKETS Coach: Gene Cross, 7-25 in second season at school and overall Last season: 7-25 overall, 5-11 and tied for fifth in MAC West.

Talent pool The Rockets might as well be an expansion team with only a few players returning with experience: junior forwards Justin Anyijong (9.7 points, 6.3 rebounds) and Mouhamed Lo (5.2 points). The good news is that both have excellent size for MAC players. Anyijong is 6 feet 9, 205 pounds and Lo is 6-8, 230.

Northern Illinois Huskies

Exclamation points

Coach: Ricardo Patton, 16-42 in his third season at the school and 200-202 in 14 seasons overall Last season: 10-20 overall, 5-11 and fifth in MAC West Notable: Sunnier days might be on the way at Northern Illinois, which returns four starters and 13 lettermen. The best player looks to be junior guard Darion Anderson, who averaged 16.9 points, and the Huskies also expect a spark from Colorado transfer Xavier Silas.

One of the selling points for Cross during his interview for the Toledo job was his work as a recruiter at DePaul and Notre Dame. He hasn’t brought in a class as much as a small army. Three freshmen stars are guards Josh Freelove and Neil Watson and small forward Malcolm Griffin. Freelove is pushing to become the starting point guard. Cross said he has “big plans” for Griffin (6-4, 220).

Question marks

Western Michigan Broncos Coach: Steve Hawkins, 106-84 in his seventh season at the school, 243-195 in 15 seasons overall Last season: 10-21 overall, 7-9 and tied for first in MAC West Notable: Western goes for its third straight division title and fifth in Hawkins’ tenure with a young team that has some talent. Among the returnees is senior David Kool, who is just that in critical situations. A year ago, he made 39 of 40 free throws in the final two minutes and overtime. sports@dispatch.com

With so little talent returning and so many freshmen being counted on, it’s a question of how low can the Rockets go. Toledo was awful last season in averaging 59.2 points and 17.1 turnovers and losing 11 of its last 14 games.

Outlook On paper, Toledo looks to have the worst team in the MAC. Any shot at winning probably won’t happen until next season. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS

XAVIER MUSKETEERS

YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS

Coach: Brad Brownell, 64-33 in fourth season at school and 147-73 in seven seasons overall Last season: 20-13 overall, 12-6 and tied for third in Horizon League

Coach: Chris Mack, first season at school and overall Last season: 27-8 overall, 12-4 and first in Atlantic-10 Conference; lost in third round of NCAA Tournament.

Coach: Jerry Slocum, 41-78 in his fifth season at school and 621-403 in 33 seasons overall. Last season: 11-19 overall, 7-11 and tied for sixth in the Horizon League.

Talent pool

Senior Todd Brown is the team’s leading returning scorer (11.7 points per game) and its most consistent outside threat. Guard Vaughn Duggins averaged 13.8 points in 2007-08 but missed most of last season to injury. Forward Cory Cooperwood was the most consistent inside player, averaging 9.5 points and leading the team in rebounding and blocked shots.

Forward Jason Love is the top returning scorer (6.7 points per game) and rebounder (5.9). He’s also a solid defender. Seven-foot sophomore Kenny Frease could be primed to make an impact inside. Jordan Crawford could step in as an immediate starter at guard. He is a transfer from Indiana who averaged 9.7 points in his only season with the Hoosiers.

Point guard DeAndre Mays leads an accomplished backcourt. He averaged 10.7 points and 3.5 assists. Guard Kelvin Bright can spell Mays at the point and can get his work done at shooting guard. He averaged 11.4 points and had four games of 20 points or better. Forward Sirlester Martin averaged 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds, which ranked second in the Horizon League.

Exclamation points

Duggins was a preseason All-Horizon League player a year ago, but he suffered a broken finger in the fourth game and eventually decided to take a redshirt. He averaged 11.8 points in the Raiders’ first four games. Brown became Wright’s go-to player, and he shot nearly 40 percent from the field and from three-point range.

The 6-foot-4 Crawford made the loudest offseason noise when he dunked over LeBron James at a camp. Video of the moment was confiscated by Nike, then made its way online. Xavier’s sophomore class, the last recruited by coach Sean Miller before he departed for Arizona, could be the strength of the team. Besides Frease, the Musketeers figure to get solid contributions from sophs Terrell Holloway and Brad Redford.

The Penguins have plenty of experience, returning 87.6 percent of their 2008-09 scoring, 84.3 percent of their rebounding and 99.4 percent of their three-point scoring. Junior small forward Vytas Sulskis averaged 10.3 points and was especially effective down the stretch, scoring in double figures in eight of the final 10 games.

Question marks Brownell’s teams historically are tough on defense, but Wright State will need to shore up its rebounding. Raiders opponents averaged three more rebounds per game during the course of last season. Wright State also must avoid another slow start. Duggins’ injury led to an 0-6 start, but the Raiders won eight of their next nine games.

Question marks Question marks Xavier survived coach Thad Matta’s departure to bigger pastures by promoting Miller, so there’s no reason to think Mack can’t follow the same blueprint now that Miller is in Tucson. Mack, 39, is a Xavier alum. On the court, the Musketeers will need better play from Holloway and/or Dante Jackson at point guard. Xavier had more turnovers than assists last season.

The frontcourt could be a major problem area without departed Jack Liles, a four-year letter-winner who did all of the little things for the Penguins. YSU could get a lift there from senior forward Dallas Blocker, who missed the final seven games last season because of illness. The Penguins also must take better care of the ball. They were 3-14 last season when committing more turnovers than their opponent.

Outlook

This is prime time for the Xavier program, which has won the past three Atlantic-10 regular-season titles, made it to the Elite Eight in 2008 and the Sweet 16 last season. But heavy losses — B.J. Raymond and C.J. Anderson to graduation and Derrick Brown to the NBA — mean the Musketeers might be chasing instead of being chased in the A-10. No one should think Xavier isn’t an NCAA Tournament team, however.

With all of the returning players, Youngstown State likely can expect some improvement on its performance from 2008-09. But improvement at YSU might mean no more than a .500 record. The Penguins haven’t had a winning season since 2000-01, but the veteran Slocum might be able to squeeze out a couple of extra wins with so many veterans.

Outlook With all of that returning experience, a fourth consecutive 20-win season is not out of the question. The Butler Bulldogs, however, are kings of the Horizon, and Wright State might not have the horses to topple them from the throne. The Raiders lost three times to Butler a year ago, including a fivepoint defeat in a Horizon semifinal.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

College Basketball

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009

Reloading and rebuilding Capital, Ohio Wesleyan, Otterbein look forward By Mark Znidar THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

This is the time of year when many college basketball coaches get behind a curtain, blow a lot of smoke, ring a lot of bells and play the Wizard of Oz in trying to build up their teams. That’s not how Damon Goodwin of Capital, Mike DeWitt of Ohio Wesleyan and Dick Reynolds of Otterbein operate. The only promise each is making is that their teams will compete and have a chance to be winners. Capital has the most questions to answer after losing seven seniors, including twotime Ohio Athletic Conference player of the year Nate Stahl and all-conference guardforward Ryan Wood. The Crusaders won 50 games and reached the NCAA Tournament the previous two years. “Our goals are no different and that is to

compete in the conference for a championship and to get into the NCAA Tournament,” Goodwin said. “We lost a lot of great players, but we won’t change much. We are who we are.” What will change is the leadership. A lot is expected of senior guards Ben McGrath and D.J. Frazier and junior forward Adam Johns. “Those three must step up and must be the focal point of our team, and they know that,” Goodwin said. “How much they do will determine how far we go.” Ohio Wesleyan is coming off four straight winning seasons. DeWitt thinks a fifth is possible despite losing two of his top three scorers. The Bishops will lean on 6-foot-6 sophomore Pat Pellerite and senior point guard Rob Gardiner of Dublin Coffman. “We lost some good players, but we do reload at Ohio Wesleyan,” DeWitt said. “We lost three guys off the team that went to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament two years ago and we still competed for a conference championship. Pat has a chance to be one of the best players in the conference and Rob is one of the best leaders we’ve had.”

BREAKING NEWS: DISPATCH.COM

OTHER OAC Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets

DeWitt said the Bishops should compete for a championship in a North Coast Athletic Conference that had been dominated by Wooster and Wittenberg until the past five years. “We’ve put a lot of hard work in,” he said. “We’re not a two-team conference anymore. We still have to work to get what we want.” The chances are good that Otterbein won’t come anywhere close to finishing with a 5-20 record like it did last season because of a refurbished lineup. The Cardinals return OAC scoring champion Brian Pollock, a 6-2 senior from London who averaged 20.1 points, and 6-5 senior Cory Ratai of Johnstown. “We’ve got some size that we haven’t had in a few years and hopefully we can get back to being competitive,” said coach Dick Reynolds, who was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in May. An example of the added bulk is 6-7, 235-pound freshman Chris Davis of Fairbanks. “I don’t know how good we’ll be. I think we’re going to have a better attitude and more commitment,” Reynolds said. mznidar@dispatch.com

Coach: Duane Sheldon, 8-17 in second season at school Last season: 8-17 overall, 4-14 in OAC (tied for ninth) Notable: Seniors Kyle Brown (11.3 points per game) and Paul Glass will have to carry the mail for B-W, which lost 10 of its last 12 a year ago and must replace three of its top four scorers.

Heidelberg Student Princes Coach: Anthony Gholson, 8-18 in second season at school Last season: 8-18 overall, 4-14 in OAC (tied for ninth) Notable: Heidelberg has firepower, with three returning double-digit scorers, including Travis Kinn (16 per game). What the Princes need is defense to lower that 79.4 points per game allowed.

John Carroll Blue Streaks Coach: Mike Moran, 308-62 in his 17th season at school Last season: 25-5 overall, 16-2 in OAC (first); OAC (lost in third round of NCAA Division III Tournament) Notable: With All-OAC performers Rudy Kirbus and Maurice Haynes, as well as their next nine scorers from last year’s team back, the Blue Streaks enter the season ranked No. 2 nationally in Division III.

Marietta Pioneers Coach: Jon VanderWal, 25-27 in third season at school Last season: 13-13 overall, 7-11 in OAC (sixth) Notable: Sophomores Kevin Knab and Trevor Halter were honorable mention All-OAC a year ago and will be joined by two other returning starters. Senior Matt Kubachka also returns from injury.

Mount Union Purple Raiders Coach: Lee Hood, 228-218 in his 18th season at school Last season: 12-14 overall, 6-12 in OAC (seventh) Notable: Sharpshooters Dave Pellerite and Luke Conley, who combined to shoot 40 percent from behind the arc, will lead a Purple Raiders team that returns four starters.

Muskingum Fighting Muskies Coach: Gene Ford, 14-13 in second season at school Last season: 14-13 overall, 10-8 in OAC (fifth) Notable: Life will be different at Muskingum without Brandon Todd, who was the 12th-leading scorer in school history. Tyler Felt leads an experienced group looking to step in.

Ohio Northern Polar Bears Coach: John Rhodes, first season at school Last season: 18-9 overall, 12-6 in OAC (tied for third) Notable: Seniors Kyle Meyer (17.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game) and Ezra Bradshaw (11.7 points) lead a group of seven returning lettermen for the Polar Bears, who are looking for their 20th consecutive winning season.

Wilmington Quakers Coach: K.C. Hunt, 33-20 in his third season at school Last season: 16-10 overall, 12-6 in OAC (tied for third) Notable: A trio of key returnees in Brandon Rogers (14.6 points per game), point guard Tyler Ledford (10.5) and R.J. Brown (9.9) make the Quakers a team that could challenge John Carroll for first place.

OTHER NCAC KAREN CARTER

DISPATCH FILE PHOTO

Expectations are high for senior guard Ben McGrath of Capital. The Crusaders lost seven seniors.

Brian Pollock led Otterbein in scoring last season, but he was the Cardinals’ only consistent threat.

CAPITAL CRUSADERS

OTTERBEIN CARDINALS

Coach: Damon Goodwin, 16th season (251-150) Last season: 26-5 overall, 15-3 and second in OAC; lost to Texas-Dallas in NCAA Division III regional semifinals

Talent pool The Crusaders have three players back from the previous two teams that made the NCAA Tournament, guards Ben McGrath and D.J. Frazier and forward Adam Johns. Frazier is Goodwin’s type of player in that he doesn’t care about statistics and gets the team into its offense. He averaged 7.6 points as a junior. Johns averaged 5.5 points. What the trio might lack in numbers it gained by playing with a Class of 2009 that won 69 games in three seasons and one OAC regular-season and tournament championship.

Exclamation points This is going to be the season in which we find out if Capital is one of those teams that reloads. Outside of three players that were in the rotation last year, the roster is full of names even the most rabid fans don’t know. The key for Goodwin has been recruiting players who don’t have to have their hands held. They come from winning high-school programs and know fundamentals. Four of the new faces will be forward Tyler Munro,

guards Scott Steineman and Kelly Winter and center Scott Robertson, a transfer from Muskingum.

Question marks No team in the OAC lost as much talent as the Crusaders. The biggest loss was 6-foot-6 guard-forward Nate Stahl, the two-time conference player of the year. He was one of the best outside shooters around, yet he also set up teammates for easy baskets. Ryan Wood, a 6-3 guard and forward, was one of the best all-around players in the conference. There is no player of that caliber on the roster, which means sheer talent will no longer get Capital over the top in those close games.

Outlook John Carroll is the hands-down choice to win the conference championship. The Blue Streaks are ranked second nationally in the preseason D3hoops.com poll. Ohio Northern is expected to be the second-best team. After that, it will be the same old OAC with teams beating on one another twice weekly. Goodwin believes Capital can be one of those teams if the younger players come through. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

Coach: Dick Reynolds, 623-379 in his 38th season at the school Last season: 5-20 overall, 3-15 and 10th in Ohio Athletic Conference

percent from the floor despite taking 185 shots behind the three-point line. Ratai is valuable as an inside and outside scorer.

Talent pool

The Cardinals have just 13 victories in two years, and much of the blame can be pinned on their being soft underneath the basket. Reynolds hopes that begins to change with an influx of tall, strong players. “We have no Jeff Gibbs,” he said of the former All-American, “but we do think we have more size so we can compete inside.” One of those players should be 6-7, 235-pound freshman Chris Davis of Fairbanks. Reynolds is concerned about finding outside shooters to complement Pollock.

The Cardinals have four players who are expected to carry the team on a nightly basis: guards Brian Pollock and Brice Rausch and forwards Cory Ratai and Alan Kavanaugh. The key is how much support Pollock, a 6-foot-2 senior from London, can get. Ratai, a senior from Johnstown, averaged 10.2 points and 7.1 rebounds and shot 56 percent from the field last season. Rausch, a sophomore from Fairbanks, averaged 10.4 points and 4.2 rebounds. Kavanaugh is being counted on to raise his 4.4-point average.

Exclamation points Everybody in the world of small-college basketball would know about Pollock if he played on a winning team. As a junior, he led the conference in scoring (20.1) and three-pointers (73), but also minutes played at 36.8 per game. Opponents knew he was Otterbein’s only consistent scoring threat, yet could not stop him with double-teams. Pollock had such a sensational season that he shot 42.7

Question marks

Outlook Fans generally came to games last season wondering how many points Pollock would score. Winning usually was out of the question. Although Reynolds has revamped the lineup and likes the fighting spirit of this group, victories still should be hard to come by. It’s a good bet that Otterbein will do a lot better than last place. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

OHIO DOMINICAN PANTHERS

DENISON BIG RED

OHIO WESLEYAN BISHOPS

Coach: Artie Taylor, third season (34-26 record at school) Last season: 15-15 overall, 7-6 in American Mid-East Conference (tied for fifth)

Coach: Bob Ghiloni, eighth season (55-123 record at school) Last season: 8-18 overall, 5-11 in NCAC (eighth)

Coach: Mike DeWitt, 11th season (146-121 record at school) Last season: 17-8 overall, 13-3 in NCAC (second)

Talent pool

The Big Red has one of the best players in the North Coast Athletic Conference in 6-foot-4 senior guard Chris Luther. Luther averaged 14.9 points and made 45 threepointers last season in being named second-team all-conference. He scored 20 or more points seven times and was the team’s leading scorer 14 times. He has started 67 games in three seasons. Forward Larry Farmer, a 6-5 junior, should lend support. He averaged 8.8 points and 5.0 rebounds last season. Guards Mike Garabedian and Jim Leffew averaged 7.7 and 6.4 points, respectively.

The Bishops lost two of their top three scorers, but 6-foot-5 forward Pat Pellerite could make up for that by becoming one of the best point producers in the conference. He averaged 10.4 points and 6.9 rebounds and shot 56.7 percent as a freshman. Center Brent Pleiman, a 6-8, 255-pound senior, has transformed himself from a big man with promise to a valuable player. He averaged 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds last year. Everything will run through senior point guard Rob Gardiner, a senior from Dublin Coffman. Guard Mike Schwartz of Upper Arlington and forward Dillon McBride are expected to go from role players to major contributors. Forward Tim Brady of Dublin Jerome could be a freshman of influence.

Talent pool The Panthers lost a great player in guard Donald Suel, an Africentric graduate who averaged 16.3 points. Another key loss was 6-foot-6 forward Bryan West of Coshocton. He averaged 12.4 points. The backcourt might not miss a beat behind senior Adriene Rodriguez, sophomore Dominic Russo and senior Sonny Stattmiller of Ready. Rodriguez is heading into his third year as a starter. He averaged 16.4 points and had 42 steals last year. Russo averaged 8.8 points and made 57 threepointers. Stattmiller is the team’s defensive stopper and provides instant energy. He started 14 games as a junior and averaged 8.3 points.

Outlook Ohio Dominican is a team in transition. It is an independent in its final season in NAIA and a provisional member of NCAA Division II, and is playing a schedule comprised of teams from the NAIA and NCAA. The Panthers can make the NAIA playoffs by receiving an at-large bid. Every opponent will find out what pressure defense is all about. Last season, ODU averaged more than seven steals. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

Outlook With four key players returning, it’s difficult to imagine Denison finishing with less than 10 to 12 victories. Getting there won’t be easy. There isn’t much height beyond Farmer, and 14 players are freshmen and sophomores. Plus, there are six games against powerful Wooster, Wittenberg and Ohio Wesleyan. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

Outlook Wooster has been the unquestioned king of the NCAC, but Ohio Wesleyan has leapt over Wittenberg to become the second-best team in the conference. The Bishops have had four straight winning seasons — five of their past six — and that beat should go on. The only question is how far the team can go. A second appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament in three years is a distinct possibility. — Mark Znidar mznidar@dispatch.com

Allegheny Gators Coach: Rob Clune, 82-101 in eighth season at school Last season: 12-15 overall, 7-9 in NCAC (tied for sixth) Notable: Allegheny returns four of its top five scorers from last season, including first-team AllNCAC selection George Raftis, who averaged 15.2 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Earlham Quakers Coach: Jeff Justus, 12th season Last season: 3-22 overall, 3-13 in NCAC (ninth) Notable: Leading scorer Tristian Gregory is gone, so the Quakers will look to sophomores A.J. Sutherlin and Shane Heidt for points and leadership.

Hiram Terriers Coach: Steve Fleming, 31-47 in fourth season at school Last season: 16-10 overall, 11-5 in NCAC (third) Notable: Among Hiram’s three returning starters is junior guard Chris Roberts, who shot better than 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from threepoint range in averaging 17.1 points.

Kenyon Lords Coach: Matt Croci, 60-97 in seventh season at school Last season: 16-11 overall, 9-7 in NCAC (tied for fourth) Notable: The Lords are a team on the rise behind Croci, a former NCAC player of the year. The returnees include Bryan Yelvington and J.T. Knight, who combined to average 35.7 points.

Oberlin Yeomen Coach: Isaiah Cavaco, 15-61 in fourth season at school Last season: 5-20 overall, 2-14 in NCAC (10th) Notable: A sophomore class led by point guard Josh Merritt will be charged with keeping Oberlin afloat after the Yeomen lost top scorers Jordan Beard and Mike Loll.

Wabash Little Giants Coach: Malcolm Petty, 463-364 in 34th season at school Last season: 14-13 overall, 7-9 in NCAC (tied for sixth) Notable: The pieces seem to be in place at Wabash, which returns its top three scorers in Wes Smith, Aaron Brock and Chase Haltom. Combined, the trio averaged 42.3 points and 14 rebounds.

Wittenberg Tigers Coach: Bill Brown, 356-98 in 16th season at school Last season: 13-13 overall, 9-7 in NCAC (tied for fourth) Notable: There’s no reason to expect anything but a rebound for one of the NCAC’s premier programs. The Tigers lost leading scorer Kevin Murray but return 10 other players who averaged more than 10 minutes.

Wooster Fighting Scots Coach: Steve Moore, 513-120 in 23rd season at school Last season: 23-7 overall, 14-2 in NCAC (first) Notable: Perennial power Wooster, which has won nine of the past 12 league titles, might be even more dangerous if senior guard Brandon Johnson of Groveport can return from another knee injury.