The Big Ten is as tough as it’s ever been, one of the reasons Michigan’s outright title was so impressive. U-M is one of a handful of teams that could make a deep run this year, Big Ten analyst John Beilein said Wednesday.
The Wolverines are the Big Ten’s No. 1 seed, and they and Illinois are near locks for NCAA one seeds as well when the field is announced Sunday.
The list of teams favored to make deep runs might start with the Illini.
“What’s obvious now is Illinois has more than just Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn,” Beilein said of the elite wing and center. “I saw a state that teams that had the leading scorer in the country never get past the first round … maybe only one time, Jimmer Fredette (BYU) or someone might have won first-round game, but nobody else.
“My point is that Ayo and Kofi can be shut down, but the other guys … [point guard] Andre Curbelo is something else. He’s like a little Henry Bibby (former NBA star) out there. He’s good. The other guys, Da’Monte Wililiams is shooting the ball really well, Trent Frazier was really tough on us (when I was coaching). He was really good.
“My thought there is they have more weapons than people think.”
Which they showed in beating Michigan in Ann Arbor without Dosunmu. They are the league’s hottest team, and while U-M is still the favorite to win the Big Ten Tournament, many believe the Illini will win the banner.
Michigan’s fortunes rest a lot on senior guard Eli Brooks’ return. He was missed in a loss at Michigan State after going down with an ankle injury, and assistant Phil Martelli called him the squad’s “most valuable player.”
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