Veteran-rich Purdue gets nod as preseason favorite

Here's a good way to tell which men's basketball team won the nod as the Big Ten's preseason favorite:

Each school was asked to bring two key players to Sunday's media confab in Rosemont.

Purdue brought four - including preseason player of the year Robbie Hummel - and still left a returning starter at home.

"I think it says a lot about our team," Hummel said. "We're very deep and very talented, but there's a lot of teams in the Big Ten that are like that."

The Boilers, who posted a 25-7 record with a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance last year, finished ahead of Michigan State and defending champ Wisconsin in the media poll.

"I think it'll be a challenge for us," Hummel said. "Last year, people were going after the others who were supposed to be the contenders. This year, we'll be the hunted, I guess.

"You kind of relish that and build off it."

Hummel, the lone returning first-team all-Big Ten player from a year ago, was joined on the preseason all-league squad by teammate E'Twaun Moore.

Michigan's Manny Harris was the third sophomore in the group, while Michigan State junior forward Raymar Morgan and Wisconsin senior Marcus Landry rounded out the quintet.

Landry, who rarely displays his emotions on the court, displayed a more demonstrative side away from basketball. He made the day's sartorial statement by wearing a sky-blue suit that inspired Badgers coach Bo Ryan to label him "Mister GQ."

"I've got a lot of suits," Landry said. "Growing up in church, you've got to have a lot of dresswear. This is one of my most favorite and one of my most non-flashy suits."

Most non-flashy?

"I've got a three-piece suit that's cream, and you actually wear the jacket, but you don't put your arms in the sleeves," Landry said. "You wear it over the top of your back. It's a little bit different style."

The Badgers lost key seniors Brian Butch and Michael Flowers from last year's Sweet 16 team that won a school-record 31 games, but don't expect them to develop a different style.

They expect to make a run at another title despite being picked third in the media poll. After all, the Badgers weren't picked among the top three teams in last year's poll.

"I really don't care where we're picked," said Badgers senior Joe Krabbenhoft. "I don't think anyone in this room really cares.

"We're worried about where we're at in March - and right now we're worried about getting better so we can be where we want to be in March."

Illinois just wants to be in the March Madness conversation five months hence.

Coach Bruce Weber and seniors Chester Frazier and Trent Meacham had to hustle back to Champaign for the Orange and Blue intrasquad scrimmage.

Weber hoped 6-foot-10 sophomore forward Richard Semrau, whom he has dubbed the team's X-factor after playing just 19 minutes last year, would have a big scrimmage to boost his confidence.

"If he plays like he has in practice, everyone's going to say, 'Where did he come from?' " Weber said. "He is our most physically gifted big guy. It's not even close."

Sure enough, Semrau contributed 14 points and 3 rebounds in 25 minutes Sunday night at the Assembly Hall.

Sophomore center Mike Tisdale led all scorers with 26 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, while senior Calvin Brock added 22 points.

Soph point guard Demetri McCamey racked up 14 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds as the players switched sides freely.