As the conference churns . . .
Yeah, we know. All we have to do is look out our window to realize spring training is long past and the days of verdant green and wood smacking cowhide are upon us–Wednesday’s strange snowfall notwithstanding. But here in Big Ten heaven, our little corner of the universe, it is again that time when hope springs (pun intended) eternal.
It is always that way when the newcomers, surely superstars all, are able to ink their letters of intent officially, which they started doing again with Wednesday’s opening of another signing period.
Most of them, and certainly most of the best of them, did that in the fall. But this is when the final commitments are collected, classes are rounded out and visions of the future, surely rose-colored everywhere, finally can be glimpsed.
That was the case at Indiana, which already had corralled highly acclaimed guard Eric Gordon and a group considered among the 10 best in the country.
The Hoosiers on Wednesday officially welcomed Chipola Junior College’s DeAndre Thomas, a 6-foot-8-inch, 300-pound center who played at Westinghouse High School.
Still awaiting official word was Purdue, which was expecting former Merrillville High guard Greg Hill to join another group considered among the nation’s best. But all was quiet at Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan, where new coaches Tubby Smith, Todd Lickliter and John Beilein were still getting settled.
Smith has a scholarship available and, as of late Wednesday, still unsigned were guard Jai Lucas and forward Patrick Patterson, highly regarded prospects he had sought for Kentucky before he bolted for the Golden Gophers. It is unlikely either will land in Minneapolis, but it also was unlikely Smith would land there.
Lickliter, too, has available scholarships, which he is expected to use in the coming weeks. Yet just as significant for the Hawkeyes is the recent loss of Dairese Gary, a 6-1 point guard who signed with them in the fall but asked for and received his release after Lickliter replaced Steve Alford.
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Beilein, with no scholarships remaining, is left to hope he can retain the three recruits signed by his predecessor, new Harvard coach Tommy Amaker. Two of them, 5-11 guard Kelvin Grady and 6-5 Corperryale “Manny” Harris, seem certain to stay, but 6-5 wing Alex Legion is wavering.
So changes are yet possible even as the tulips bloom and balls disappear onto Waveland Avenue, but what already is clear is the tumult that awaits the Big Ten come fall.
Some of it will result from players (think Greg Oden) skipping off to the pros. More of it will come from that triumvirate of new coaches, each of whom will flavor the league with a distinctive style. But most will be delivered by an influx of new talent, which promises a race as chaotic as a kindergarten classroom.
For proof, consider one simple fact. Not only do Indiana and Purdue have incoming groups ranked among the nation’s best, but so do Michigan State and Ohio State.
Then think of this: The Hoosiers’ Gordon may be acclaimed as one of the finest prospects in the country, but it was Purdue recruit E’Twaun Moore who led his team past Gordon’s in the Indiana 4A championship game and won the tournament’s Trester Award for outstanding play and character. That history just might reignite (you think?) their bitter rivalry and return it to those glory days when Bob Knight and Gene Keady flailed at each other.
Looking for a return to glory, too, are the Spartans, who last season suffered from a dearth of depth on the perimeter. That is where all three of their newcomers play and one of them, 6-3 Chris Allen, arrives with a story all his own.
He is a top 10 shooting guard from Lawrenceville, Ga., not exactly fertile recruiting ground for Michigan State. But his aunt and uncle, whom he began visiting each summer at the age of 5, were neighbors of Magic Johnson’s folks. That transformed him early into a huge fan of the Spartans, who should return as a factor in the conference race with his help.
Then there is Ohio State, which loaded up again to protect itself against the expected departure of Oden, and possibly Mike Conley Jr.. Its class features 6-7 point guard John Diebler, who merely ended his high school career with an Ohio-record 3,208 points, plus 7-1 center Kosta Koufos, 6-9 center Dallas Lauderdale and 6-6 Tribune All-Stater Evan Turner of St. Joseph’s.
None of them will replace Oden, of course. But they and all the newcomers do offer hope, which is–after all–what spring is all about.
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