Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Picked To Repeat As Big Ten Champs
10/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 29, 2009
Coach Izzo Press Conference Audio
Media Day Video
EAST LANSING, Mich. - After winning the 2009 Big Ten regular-season title by four games, Michigan State was selected as the preseason conference favorite for the 2009-10 men's basketball season, as voted upon by a 24-member media panel at Big Ten Media Day in Chicago on Oct. 29. Purdue and Ohio State were chosen to finish second and third, respectively. Reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Kalin Lucas was tabbed as Preseason Player of the Year.
"It's a great sign of respect for our program to be picked to win the league," said MSU head coach Tom Izzo. "I honestly see eight or nine teams that realistically could win the league. It's the most competitive the Big Ten has been in a decade. Somebody's got to be picked first. I could see somebody picked first or fifth and not be much different. But I kind of like being picked first because it means that our program is in the right spot. "
Michigan State returns three starters and 12 letterwinners from a team that finished with a 31-7 overall record and a 15-3 conference mark, capturing its fifth Big Ten title under 2009 Big Ten Coach of the Year Tom Izzo. The Spartans advanced to the Final Four for a nation's-best fifth time in the last 11 years, before falling in the national championship game. Izzo will look to guide MSU to a 12th Big Ten crown this season and back-to-back titles for the first time since he boosted the program to at least a share of four straight championships from 1998-2001.
Lucas is joined on the preseason all-league team by four other juniors: Michigan's Manny Harris, Ohio State's Evan Turner, Penn State's Talor Battle and Purdue's Robbie Hummel. Last season, Lucas became just the seventh sophomore in conference annals to earn Big Ten Player of the Year accolades last season. The junior guard led MSU to its first Big Ten Championship since 2001, while ranking second among all players with 16.5 points per game in conference play. Lucas is the second Spartan in the last three years to earn Preseason Player of the Year laurels after Drew Neitzel was honored prior to the 2007-08 campaign.
