56 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED
BY BRIAN NEUBERT
BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com
P
urdue has what looks like
its best team in several
years, a group that's con-
sidered a top-25 caliber of squad.
Nevertheless, some forecasts
still project the Boilermakers as a
middle-of-the-pack consideration
in the Big Ten.
That's no slap at Purdue, but
rather a testament to the league's
perceived strength and depth.
"It's the best it's ever been,"
Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said.
Coaches say that kind of stuff
every single year.
This year, it at least seems cred-
ible.
Here's a team-by-team look at
Competition atop the Big Ten should be fierce
LOADED
Tom Campbell
Maryland guard Melo Trimble is the Big Ten's Preseason Player-
of-the-Year and the star of a Terrapin team that might be the best
in the country.
PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
The following is the ballot Gold and Black
submitted to the Big Ten for preseason
all-conference.
• Purdue center A.J. Hammons
• Indiana guard Yogi Ferrell
• Maryland guard Melo Trimble
• Michigan wing Caris LeVert
• Maryland center Diamond Stone
• Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes
• Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig
• Michigan State wing Denzel Valentine
• Illinois guard Malcolm Hill
• Iowa forward Jared Uthoff
Player-of-the-Year: Trimble