Last year, right around this time, I made a relatively bold prediction about our Indiana Hoosiers. I predicted — nay, demanded — that they win 25 games in the regular season. That was, of course, before the nonsense derailed the Hoosiers and saw them end their season with a meek tournament performance. Weak.

This year, I harbor no such illusions. It’s not that the schedule’s (view here) tougher — it’s that this IU team is so much less talented, so less lauded, and so obviously the first phase of long-term rebuilding. And that’s OK. We all know it. No one is setting the bar too high.

Merficully, the schedule doesn’t start with the impossible out-of-conference schedule Mike Davis saddled himself with. Tom Crean’s first Hoosier team will face only three early challenges in the non-conference portion: Notre Dame, Kentucky, and Wake Forest. Making matters worse, none of the three is at home; Notre Dame will be during the Maui Invitational, Wake Forest is in Wake Forest, and IU will travel to Lexington for the Wildcat revenge. Yikes.

Once the conference season starts, things don’t look much better. Instead of detailing the losses, let’s take a look at the games that we know — absolutely know — IU can win:

– Jan. 7 vs. Michigan
– Jan. 17 vs. Penn State
– Feb. 4 vs. Iowa

And that’s about it. (When I was taking some quick cursory notes about the schedule, next to Penn State I actually wrote “win!”, complete with the exclamation point, because I was so excited to be sure that IU could win one game. No Geary Claxton! Whoo!)

Then, of course, are the rivalry games. I don’t hold much hope for our one game against Purdue this season; the Boilermakers will be well-oiled and the game is at the (Bud) Mackey Arena. But as long as we get one — just one — of the two games with Illinois this year, I will be happy. Incredibly, deliriously happy. The rest is just a bonus.

Big Ten media day is this afternoon in Chicago and the Big Ten announced the following this morning:

Michigan State has been selected as the preseason Big Ten favorite for the 2007-08 men’s basketball season, as voted upon by a 22-member media panel. Indiana and defending Big Ten Champion Ohio State are ranked second and third, respectively. In addition, Michigan State guard Drew Neitzel was named the Preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the Preseason All-Big Ten Team by Illinois’ Shaun Pruitt, Indiana’s D.J. White, Ohio State’s Jamar Butler and Penn State’s Geary Claxton.

The preseason All-Big Ten team that I did over the summer was nearly identical to the one selected by the media. The only difference was that I had Raymar Morgan in place of Pruitt. I also had Neitzel as the player of the year with D.J. a close second.

As far as the order of finish in the conference, you can make a case for Michigan State or Indiana. Everyone else is playing for third.

Steve Grinczel, a Michigan State beat writer, gave us an excellent breakdown of the Spartans a few months back. If, and it’s a big if, Tom Izzo can find consistency in the frontcourt, I would also give the nod to Neitzel and Co. However, considering the options up front are Goran Suton, Marquise Gray, Drew Naymick, Idong Ibok and Tom Herzog, I would say consistency from that group is a longshot. Gray is an effective player when his head is in the game and the rest of the gang is relatively unproven (or not any good) sans Suton.

So, who do you have to win the conference? Player of the year? Surprise team? Coach of the year? Newcomer of the year? Let’s hear your thoughts.

Another day and another hoops preview is on the newsstands. This time its The Sporting News, which is publishing for the last time on its own after merging with Street & Smith’s.

Here’s the rundown on the magazine from the IU perspective:

1. The Hoosiers are picked as the No. 10 team in the country. Michigan St. is No. 9.
2. Michigan St. is the pick to win the Big Ten with the Hoosiers taking second.
3. Eric Gordon is a first team All-American joining Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina, D.J. Augustin of Texas, Chase Buddinger of Arizona and Chris Lofton of Tennessee.
4. Gordon and D.J. White are both on the first team All-Big Ten along with Geary Claxton of Penn St., Shaun Pruitt of Illinois and Drew Neitzel of Michigan St.
5. Jamarcus Ellis is the given the nod as the best transfer in the Big Ten.
6. Gordon is the league’s best freshman.
7. White is recognized as the top NBA prospect and top shot blocker in the Big Ten.
8. Kelvin Sampson is called the best interview among Big Ten coaches.
9. Tom Izzo is their pick for the best coach in the Big Ten.
10. And finally, their top five teams nationally: UCLA, Memphis, North Carolina, Kansas and Georgetown.

I agree with most of the predictions here, although calling D.J. the best NBA prospect would seem to be a bit of a stretch. I’d say Mr. Gordon should have that distinction. I think most of us can agree that the Hoosiers and Spartans are the two best teams in the league. And it’s nice to see Jamarcus Ellis get some love. He’ll be a huge addition, no doubt. Is it time to start playing games yet?

It’s Monday and that means it’s time for another player to be revealed in our All-Big Ten preview for the upcoming season. Inside the Hall has already taken a look at Raymar Morgan of Michigan State and Jamar Butler of Ohio State. This week, Geary Claxton of Penn State joins our list of soon-to-be five players.

If Claxton played for a more prominent Big Ten program — say Ohio State, Michigan State or IU — I’d be talking about him as one of the favorites for Big Ten Player of the Year.

Since he plays for one of the lesser known programs in the league, he has to settle for the title of “Best Big Ten Player You’ve Never Heard Of.”

Passed over by the likes of Connecticut, Syracuse and Villanova, Claxton came to coach Ed DeChellis and the Nittany Lions as a two-time first team All-State selection out of West Haven, Connecticut.

To give you an idea of how overlooked he was on the national scene, his only other offer came from Fordham, an Atlantic 10 program.

As a freshman in 2005, he was named one of the five best freshman in the league. As a sophomore in 2006, he was third team All-Big Ten by the coaches and the media (he was the first Penn State player to be selected to an all-league team since 2001).

And last season as a junior, Claxton was second team All-Big Ten by the media and third team by the coaches.

The 6′5″, 215 pound guard-forward has been forced to play out of position at Penn State due to the personnel surrounding him. He can take larger defenders out on the perimeter and hit the midrange jumper and overpower smaller defenders down on the box. He’s a stud athlete for his size and once he is able to play his natural position full-time, his game could translate well at the NBA level.

Despite being the center of attention each time he steps on the floor, he’s averaged 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game over his career.

Expect more good things for Claxton this upcoming year as he looks to try and get Penn State to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.