ROSEMONT, Ill. — Michigan State was named the Big Ten’s preseason favorite in a poll of coaches and media released Sunday.
The Spartans, who reached the Elite Eight of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, return three starters. Coming off a 22-13 record, Michigan State is looking for its fourth conference title in seven years.
Illinois, last season’s runner up, was picked to finish second by both the media and the coaches. Defending champion Wisconsin took third, although the Badgers return four starters.
Despite the results of the poll, most of the players and coaches at Sunday’s Big Ten media day agreed that nearly any team, including Northwestern, could sneak into the top three.
“This conference is up for grabs,” NU senior captain Jitim Young said. “At any given point, anyone can take it.”
Not all coaches agreed with the top three. Indiana’s Mike Davis said he favored Iowa, despite the Hawkeyes’ eighth-place Big Ten finish in 2003. The Hawkeyes return four starters from last year’s 7-9 squad.
“I think anyone can win the league this year,” Davis said. “But to me, if I was going to give a team the nod, I would go with the one with upperclassmen.”
NU’s Bill Carmody stuck with the tradtional conference leaders, including Illinois and Michigan State, in his preseason ballot.
“Until people knock them out of the box, from their perch, then it’s still those guys,” he said. “Some of the other teams, and we’re certainly in that group, have to do something. Just talking about it is fine but you have to knock them out.”
The Wildcats were not chosen for the top three, not a surprise considering their 3-13 conference record a year ago. However, with Vedran Vukusic returning from a shoulder injury and the continued improvement of Young, the Cats are trying to break into the top of the Big Ten.
“Our goal of going to the NCAA Tournament is definitely achievable,” Young said. “I think it’s no longer a pipe dream.”
Although most attendees agreed that Michigan State stands out as the top team in the league, Young said there won’t be any pushovers this season.
“Now you look at all the Big Ten teams and you say, ‘Wow, Northwestern, Minnesota — good teams,'” he said. “There are no days off.”
The major difference between the Wildcats and the top teams in the Big Ten is NU’s lack of depth, Carmody said. The Cats have just nine scholarship players, including senior Patrick Towne, who will miss this season after tearing his Achilles’ tendon.
“Michigan State and some of these usual suspects can withstand a couple of injuries, because their 10th guy isn’t much different than their sixth guy,” Carmody said.
While the media and coaches agreed on the top three teams in the league, the two groups differed on the Big Ten’s preseason player of the year. Wisconsin’s Devin Harris, who average 12.7 points per game last season, was chosen by the coaches. Illinois’ Dee Brown, a member of the 2002-2003 All-Freshman Team, was picked by the media.
