Breaking down the Big Ten
January 2, 2013 12:08 PM
Is Illinois the league's biggest surprise?
Yep. In a preseason poll of media covering the Big Ten, Illinois was picked to finish ninth in the Big Ten. Right now, the Illini are 11th -- in the United States. With the way last season ended, losing 12 of the last 14 games, few expected much from a team learning a new system while returning virtually the same roster, minus a 7-foot lottery pick. But Brandon Paul has NBA folks considering spending a first-round pick on him and Illinois has used the three-point shot (Big Ten-best 9.4 per game) to make up for deficiencies in other areas.
Marcus Jackson
Yep. In a preseason poll of media covering the Big Ten, Illinois was picked to finish ninth in the Big Ten. Right now, the Illini are 11th -- in the United States. With the way last season ended, losing 12 of the last 14 games, few expected much from a team learning a new system while returning virtually the same roster, minus a 7-foot lottery pick. But Brandon Paul has NBA folks considering spending a first-round pick on him and Illinois has used the three-point shot (Big Ten-best 9.4 per game) to make up for deficiencies in other areas.
Marcus Jackson
Filed under: Illini Basketball, Purdue Boilermakers
