CBS' Rothstein has Iowa at #5 in initial B1G Power Rankings & Moss as a Breakout Player

[Franisdaman]

Rothstein Files | Big Ten offseason notebook

By Jon Rothstein
Posted on Jul 24, 2017
Link: https://www.fanragsports.com/cbb/rothstein-files-big-ten-offseason-notebook/

He states in his column that:

* Everyone in the B1G will be chasing Michigan State.
* Michigan State will be a national title contender; their roster is loaded with talent.
* Indiana, Ohio State and Wisconsin are in transition mode.
* This year's Minnesota team has a chance to become one of the best teams in the history of Minnesota’s program
* Northwestern returns its Top 5 scorers but will play all of its "home" games 17 miles off campus (Welsh Ryan is being renovated).
* The sleeper is Penn State, which returns 5 of its 6 top scorers. Last year’s team won 15 games and lost five conference games by four points or fewer.




Big Ten Offseason Power Rankings

1. Michigan State
2. Minnesota
3. Northwestern
4. Purdue
5. Iowa
6. Maryland
7. Michigan
8. Wisconsin
9. Penn State
10. Illinois
11. Indiana
12. Nebraska
13. Ohio State
14. Rutgers

Big Ten Preseason First-Team

Bryant McIntosh, Northwestern
Nate Mason, Minnesota
Tony Carr, Penn State
Miles Bridges, Michigan State
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin

Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year: Miles Bridges, Michigan State

Big Ten Preseason Sleeper: Penn State

15 Impact Freshmen

Jaren Jackson, Michigan State
Xavier Tillman, Michigan State
Jordan Poole, Michigan
Eli Brooks, Michigan
Isaiah Livers, Michigan
Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State
Kyle Young, Ohio State
Nate Reuvers, Wisconsin
Nojel Eastern, Purdue
Mark Smith, Illinois
Bruno Fernando, Maryland
Luka Garza, Iowa
Isaiah Washington, Minnesota
Thomas Allen, Nebraska
Al Durham, Indiana

10 Under-The-Radar Freshmen

Darryl Morsell, Maryland
Da’Monte Williams, Illinois
Trent Frazier, Illinois
Geo Baker, Rutgers
Anthony Gaines, Northwestern
Jamir Harris, Minnesota
Kobe King, Wisconsin
Justin Smith, Indiana
Clifton Moore, Indiana
Jamari Wheeler, Penn State

5 Impact Transfers

Jaaron Simmons, Michigan
Charles Matthews, Michigan
James Palmer, Nebraska
Isaac Copeland, Nebraska
Mark Alstork, Illinois

10 Breakout Players

Cassius Winston, Michigan State
D’Mitrik Trice, Wisconsin
Leron Black, Illinois
Juwan Morgan, Indiana
Jordy Tshimanga, Nebraska
Josh Reaves, Penn State
C.J. Jackson, Ohio State
Aaron Falzon, Northwestern
Eric Curry, Minnesota
Isaiah Moss, Iowa

Jon Rothstein has been a college basketball insider for CBS Sports since 2010 and is the lead college basketball columnist for the FanRag Sports Network. He is also the host of the College Hoops Today Podcast via Compass Media Networks, which is available via iTunes. Rothstein is also a regular in-studio correspondent for both WFAN and CBS Sports Radio. He currently lives in Manhattan.

 

[DanL53]

Five! Still not good enough. I demand somebody rate Iowa as a ...........

Well, alright I'll be happy with five and I hope MD2020gan, Red87 and a couple others get a load of THIS ranking!

 

[Franisdaman]

Five! Still not good enough. I demand somebody rate Iowa as a ...........

Well, alright I'll be happy with five and I hope MD2020gan, Red87 and a couple others get a load of THIS ranking!

Its crazy how several of the B1G teams have so many returning top players. But, of course, Iowa has 4 of 5 returning starters, which Rothstein fails to note.

Also, he lists Penn State as a sleeper but has them ranked #9? Yikes....

 

[DanL53]

Its crazy how several of the B1G teams have so many returning top players. But, of course, Iowa has 4 of 5 returning starters, which Rothstein fails to note.

Also, he lists Penn State as a sleeper but has them ranked #9? Yikes....

If I were Rothstein I wouldn't try to explain Iowa either. The long and short of it is we are like a cluster bomb of talent and one or two of many guys can be the guys that beat you one night, and one or two other guys another, and so on. Waves....deep and so many guys who can score.

I'd hate to scout us, or prepare for us.

 

[HawkAssassin]

If you also listen to his B1G podcast, Jon says that Luka is projected to be the starter based on his sources.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Does this offset any of the hurt feelings over the #10 ranking previously?

 

[DanL53]

Does this offset any of the hurt feelings over the #10 ranking previously?

If you saw a review saying you were tenth best at what you do, out of fourteen, wouldn't it tick you off? You can call it hurt feelings but I call it concern over public perception.

 

[JRingo]

15 Impact Freshmen and 10 Under the Radar Freshmen. My feeling is that there are not 25 Big Ten freshmen better than Nunge.

 

[hawk-i bob]

15 Impact Freshmen and 10 Under the Radar Freshmen. My feeling is that there are not 25 Big Ten freshmen better than Nunge.

spot on....

 

[Steve Waite]

15 Impact Freshmen and 10 Under the Radar Freshmen. My feeling is that there are not 25 Big Ten freshmen better than Nunge.

That's a complete joke. This is preseason will see who makes all freshmen team at the end
of the season when it matters.

 

[luvmyhawks]

Its crazy how several of the B1G teams have so many returning top players. But, of course, Iowa has 4 of 5 returning starters, which Rothstein fails to note.

Also, he lists Penn State as a sleeper but has them ranked #9? Yikes....

That is why it is a sleeper pick. He is picking them ninth, but is saying "watch out, they could make some noise." Do you not know what a sleeper pick is?

 

[SDHawkDoc]

I respect how much you put into this DanL, I simply can't take as seriously as you what one outlet predicts for an order of finish in the preseason.

 

[CanadaHawk]

Rothstein Files | Big Ten offseason notebook

By Jon Rothstein
Posted on Jul 24, 2017
Link: https://www.fanragsports.com/cbb/rothstein-files-big-ten-offseason-notebook/

He states in his column that:

* Everyone in the B1G will be chasing Michigan State.
* Michigan State will be a national title contender; their roster is loaded with talent.
* Indiana, Ohio State and Wisconsin are in transition mode.
* This year's Minnesota team has a chance to become one of the best teams in the history of Minnesota’s program
* Northwestern returns its Top 5 scorers but will play all of its "home" games 17 miles off campus (Welsh Ryan is being renovated).
* The sleeper is Penn State, which returns 5 of its 6 top scorers. Last year’s team won 15 games and lost five conference games by four points or fewer.




Big Ten Offseason Power Rankings

1. Michigan State
2. Minnesota
3. Northwestern
4. Purdue
5. Iowa
6. Maryland
7. Michigan
8. Wisconsin
9. Penn State
10. Illinois
11. Indiana
12. Nebraska
13. Ohio State
14. Rutgers

Big Ten Preseason First-Team

Bryant McIntosh, Northwestern
Nate Mason, Minnesota
Tony Carr, Penn State
Miles Bridges, Michigan State
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin

Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year: Miles Bridges, Michigan State

Big Ten Preseason Sleeper: Penn State

15 Impact Freshmen

Jaren Jackson, Michigan State
Xavier Tillman, Michigan State
Jordan Poole, Michigan
Eli Brooks, Michigan
Isaiah Livers, Michigan
Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State
Kyle Young, Ohio State
Nate Reuvers, Wisconsin
Nojel Eastern, Purdue
Mark Smith, Illinois
Bruno Fernando, Maryland
Luka Garza, Iowa
Isaiah Washington, Minnesota
Thomas Allen, Nebraska
Al Durham, Indiana

10 Under-The-Radar Freshmen

Darryl Morsell, Maryland
Da’Monte Williams, Illinois
Trent Frazier, Illinois
Geo Baker, Rutgers
Anthony Gaines, Northwestern
Jamir Harris, Minnesota
Kobe King, Wisconsin
Justin Smith, Indiana
Clifton Moore, Indiana
Jamari Wheeler, Penn State

5 Impact Transfers

Jaaron Simmons, Michigan
Charles Matthews, Michigan
James Palmer, Nebraska
Isaac Copeland, Nebraska
Mark Alstork, Illinois

10 Breakout Players

Cassius Winston, Michigan State
D’Mitrik Trice, Wisconsin
Leron Black, Illinois
Juwan Morgan, Indiana
Jordy Tshimanga, Nebraska
Josh Reaves, Penn State
C.J. Jackson, Ohio State
Aaron Falzon, Northwestern
Eric Curry, Minnesota
Isaiah Moss, Iowa

Jon Rothstein has been a college basketball insider for CBS Sports since 2010 and is the lead college basketball columnist for the FanRag Sports Network. He is also the host of the College Hoops Today Podcast via Compass Media Networks, which is available via iTunes. Rothstein is also a regular in-studio correspondent for both WFAN and CBS Sports Radio. He currently lives in Manhattan.

Another way to look at this is as a list of players whose development is key to the progress of their teams this year. So follow how these guys are doing this fall and you might have a good predictor of how their teams will do in the B1G. No, certainly not a perfect one- yes, some players are left out. But it is a different way of looking at the B1G race that has some validity.

 

[RocknRollface]

Seems to be quite a bit more familiar with the subject matter than the previous guy.