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Gold and Black Illustrated, Vol 27, Digital 2

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58 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED Ohio State: The Buckeyes might be the team in the league people should be talking about more. After an uncharacteristically mediocre season and the wave of transfers that followed, Ohio State returns a solid core, with forwards Jae'Sean Tate and Keita Bates-Diop and center Trevor Thompson seemingly on the upswing in their careers. If nothing else, the Buckeyes will cause problems for opponents with their cache of length and athleticism and the in- terchangeable nature of their personnel. But Thad Matta needs a couple players to come through for him this season to show that last season wasn't the beginning of a downward trend. Marc Loving, inconsistent to this point, has to have a big senior year. He can really score, but has been hot and cold the bulk of his career. And hot-and-cold is the best way to describe point guard JaQuan Lyle, too. He's extremely talented, but was extremely inconsistent as a freshman. Penn State: If the Nittany Lions are ever going to make a move out of their traditional also-ran status in the confer- ence, maybe this is the season. Patrick Chambers' team will be young, but it will be one of the more talented teams Penn State's had, thanks to the arrival of the surprisingly excellent recruiting class the Lions coach was able to sign. Shep Garner returns after averaging just under 15 points per game last year and will now be paired in the backcourt with Tony Carr, a former four-star and top-50- ranked recruit from Philadelphia who held an elite offer sheet. So did his high school teammate, Lamar Stevens, a 6-foot-6 forward and top-100 signee who figures to be a major contributor in Year 1 for Chambers. Stevens, Carr, Garner and freshman Nazeer Bostick are all products of the same high school — Roman Catholic in Philly. Penn State gets a boost on the interior, too, from the addition of its best recruit from the 2015 class, Mike Watkins, a 6-9 post who sat out last year as an academic redshirt. ALSO-RANS We'll see about these teams. Illinois: Injuries and conduct issues have continually undermined the Fight- ing Illini's progress under Coach John Groce, who may be under the most scruti- ny of any conference coach this season. But the hope is for this season to stabilize the pro- gram and solidify the coach's footing in Champaign. Forward Malcolm Hill is a stud, one of the best players in the Big Ten and a contender to lead the conference in scoring. Around him, the Illini simply must get solid point guard play. They'll hope — again — to get it from twice-injured senior Tracy Abrams, who's missed the past two sea- sons. It's important, too, for sophomore Jalen Cole- man-Lands to take a step forward this season. He's a dangerous shooter, but has to improve his overall game and stay healthy. He's not off to a good start, having bro- ken his hand in the off-season. Illinois needs a strong season from sixth-year se- nior Mike Thorne and troubled forward Leron Black (who was suspended for much of the season last year), Tom Campbell Wisconsin's Greg Gard quickly move the team forward after Bo Ryan's resignation and leading the Badgers to a surprise trip to the Sweet 16.

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