1. Penn State
The Nittany Lions are returning all five starters from last year, including Big Ten Pre-season Player of the Year and All-America candidate Kelly Mazzante. Mazzante, who averaged 23.9 points per game, is joined by fellow All-America candidate Tanisha Wright as the No. 8 Nittany Lions try to defend last year’s Big Ten title. Penn State’s only weakness is the lack of a low-post game, as it often employs up to four guards on the floor at a time.
2. Purdue
No. 7 Purdue is led by its three senior starters — Shereka Wright, Erika Valek and Beth Jones — who led the squad to the 2003 Big Ten Tournament title. The Boilermakers are already off to a flying start this season, downing No. 5 Kansas State in the Tip-Off Classic. Wright is an All-America candidate while Valek has emerged as one of the Big Ten’s premiere point guards. In the preseason, Purdue destroyed the Netherlands National Team, 80-34 — a team that defeated NU the very next night.
3. Minnesota
Senior guard Lindsay Whalen leads the high-powered Minnesota offense as the Golden Gophers hope to crawl to the top of an extremely top-heavy conference. Minnesota led the Big Ten last year in scoring average, field-goal percentage and assists. This year, the Gophers return four of the five starters that led the team to a Sweet Sixteen appearance.
4. Ohio State
All-Conference selections Caity Matter and Kim Wilburn will have to make up for the absence of graduated senior Courtney Coleman, as the Buckeyes boast one of the top recruiting classes in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes welcome sophomore transfer Michelle Munoz, who arrives from Tennessee. Ohio State relies heavily on a stingy defense that gave up only 57.5 points per game last year, tops in the Big Ten.
5. Michigan State
Coming off its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1997, Michigan State returns four starters. The Spartans were first in the Big Ten last year from behind the arc, connecting on just under 40 percent of its three-point attempts. Much of Michigan State’s success will depend on the development of its Big Ten Co-Freshmen of the Year Liz Shimek and Lindsay Bowen. Junior co-captain Kristin Haynie runs the floor for the Spartans, who also led the Big Ten in rebounding margin at +7.7.
6. Illinois
Senior Cindy Dallas was the Big Ten’s leading rebounder last year, averaging 9.6 boards a game. This year, Dallas has vowed to snag 12 rebounds a game in hopes of leading the Illini to a repeat appearance in the NCAA tournament. Leading scorer Angelina Williams returns for Illinois, who will try and break its tendency to play poorly against less talented teams.
7. Iowa
Seniors Jennie Lillis and Kristi Faulkner lead an Iowa squad that returns three starters. Lillis and Faulkner were tied for fourth in the conference for scoring, each averaging 16.3 points per game. Lillis is also a force on the glass, finishing fifth in the conference with 7.2 rebounds per game. But Iowa doesn’t have anyone else on the squad that contributes regularly and will need to fix a defense that gave up a Big Ten-worst 71 points per contest last year.
8. Michigan
Under new coach Cheryl Burnett, Michigan will try and bounce back from a last-place Big Ten finish. The Wolverines have looked impressive so far this season, winning all three of its exhibition games, including a 38-point dismantling of the Netherlands National Team.
9. Wisconsin
The Badgers boast the Big Ten’s tallest front line, as Emily Ashbaugh (six-foot-five) and sisters Lello (six-foot-seven) and Ebba (six-foot-seven) Gebisa try and make head coach Lisa Stone’s first year at Wisconsin a seuccessful one. Junior Stephanie Rich leads all returning Badgers with a11.6 points per game average.
10. Indiana
Jenny DeMuth and Cyndi Valentin lead a Hoosiers squad that was last in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (37 percent) and free throw percentage (67 percent) last year. The success of Indiana’s frontcourt may depend on freshman Sarah McKay, a 6-foot-7 center from Canada who averaged nearly 40 points a game in high school and once blocked 25 shots in a game.
11. NU
NU should be much improved from last year, returning all five of its starters. But the Wildcats need to improve on finishing games. Last year, NU made it a habit to play well in the first half and then break down in the game’s latter stages. For NU to stay out of the Big Ten basement, junior center Sarah Kwasinski and guard Samantha McComb must keep the Cats focused
