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Spartans favored MSU, Ohio State, Illinois picked 1-2-3 by Big Ten voters
Posted: Sunday October 31, 1999 04:06 PM
CHICAGO (AP) -- The votes are in and Michigan State is the preseason favorite to win a third straight Big Ten men's basketball championship. But the selection might need an asterisk since most of the votes were cast before All-American guard Mateen Cleaves suffered a stress fracture in his right foot. Cleaves had surgery last Monday and will miss eight to 10 weeks. There's a possibility Cleaves could play before Christmas, but he likely won't return until the start of the Big Ten season, coach Tom Izzo said at the conference's preseason meeting with coaches and players. "David Thomas will take his spot for now," said Izzo. "We will also look at Brandon Smith and Charlie Bell at the point." The Spartans open the Big Ten season Jan. 5 against Penn State. Michigan State went 33-5 last year, including a 15-1 record in the Big Ten. It won both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the Final Four for the first time in 20 years. The Spartans lost to Duke in the Final Four. Ohio State, the Big Ten's second Final Four team last season, was picked to finish second in the conference by both the coaches and the media. The Buckeyes produced one of the biggest turnarounds in college basketball last year, going 27-9 one season after finishing with a 8-22 record. Illinois was third in both polls. Purdue and Indiana were chosen to finish fourth and fifth by the coaches. The media only picked the top three teams. "There are no get-well cards, and there are no easy games," Northwestern coach Kevin O'Neill said of the league. "You go against talented players, coaches and crowds. It is the toughest, and it will always be good." Cleaves and Ohio State point guard Scoonie Penn led the preseason all-conference teams, with Penn the coaches' choice for player of the year and Cleaves getting the media vote. Cleaves, the only returning All-American, averaged 11.7 points per game and a Big Ten-high 7.2 assists per game. Penn, a third-team All America last year, averaged 16.9 points and 4.28 assists per game. "Is tough to take the heart and soul off of any team," Ohio State's Jim O'Brien said of Cleaves. "This will be a tough stretch for them you can't take a player like Cleaves off any team and not be affected." Penn and teammate Michael Redd were unanimous selections on the coaches' preseason all-conference team. Joining them were Cleaves, Michigan State's Morris Peterson and Indiana's A.J. Guyton. On the media team, it was Cleaves, Penn, Redd, Peterson and Illinois' Cory Bradford. "Last year really helped Cory expand his game by playing the point, but he will slide over to the two this year," Illinois coach Lon Kruger said of Bradford. "He will not have to do as much because there are more players around to help him." Two high-profile new coaches, Iowa's Steve Alford and Minnesota's Dan Monson, introduced themselves to the Big Ten media. Alford, the former Indiana star, came from Southwest Missouri State, and Monson from Gonzaga. "I always said it would take the opportunity of a lifetime to leave the situation I was in at Gonzaga," said Monson, whose team played in the NCAA Elite Eight last season. "That is exactly what the Minnesota job is."
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