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The Big Ten receives the stiff end of many conference-vs.-conference battles.
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Big Ten football has been beaten up in bowl games lately, with a 14-22 (.389) record over the past five seasons. The SEC is faster, the Big 12 has more talent. The list goes on, and even Big Ten fans will admit it: The conference is down. No other event illustrated this notion as well as Ohio State's embarrassing 27-point loss to Florida in the national championship game the season before last.
Basketball's Big Ten-ACC Challenge has been dominated by the ACC in the past decade by a staggering 9-0. The Big Ten only received four bids to the NCAA tournament this year, seemingly a gift, thanks to the efforts of Matt Painter at Purdue. Fans were glum in Big Ten country this postseason.
That is all about to change.
With the hiring of Tom Crean at Indiana, the Big Ten now has the premier coaching of all the basketball conferences in the nation.
Tom Crean, Indiana (.664): Crean has five NCAA tournament appearances in nine seasons as a head coach, including a Final Four appearance with Dwyane Wade in 2003. Crean's recruiting, combined with the program's prestige, will bring Indiana back to the glory days.
Tom Izzo, Michigan State (.702): Izzo is regarded as one of the best tournament coaches in the nation. In his 13 NCAA appearances, Izzo has brought five teams to the Elite Eight and seven to the Sweet 16. You know a program has reached the top tier when a loss in the Sweet 16 is unacceptable. Nobody overlooks the Spartans, especially in the postseason.
Tubby Smith, Minnesota (.719): Tubby got bored ... of winning. Well, not exactly, but to go back to his last sub-20-win season, you would find him coaching Tulsa in '92-'93 (15-14). He took the team to the Sweet 16 the two subsequent years. Tubby came to Minnesota program with less-than-talented players and improved its record from 8-22 in 2006-07 to 20-13 in 2007-08. Look for him to bring this program into the spotlight; he certainly knows how.
Matt Painter, Purdue (.643): Painter is new to this whole coaching thing, but don't overstate his inexperience. In his first four seasons, he has produced three tournament teams, making it to the second round twice. Painter took his team from the worst in the conference to the vice president position in only three seasons. He has already produced on the recruiting end, with a top five class in 2007. Watch out for his Boiler Babies in the next couple of seasons.
Bo Ryan, Wisconsin (.773): Ryan is a system man, and that's why he has year after year of success. It seems his only weakness is recruiting, but that does not stop him from winning. Ryan's last nine seasons at the Division III level produced four national championships. He has achieved an NCAA berth in all of his seven seasons at Wisconsin. Don't plan on him going away anytime soon.
Thad Matta, Ohio State (.755): Matta has only been a head coach for eight seasons, producing six tournament berths, an Elite Eight showing and an appearance in the national championship game in 2007. Matta knows how to bring a team deep into the tournament. Recruiting never dies down at the Ohio State, so don't wipe the Buckeyes off the national stage just yet after that embarrassing NIT appearance in 2008.
John Beilein, Michigan (.607): Beilein has not been able to produce at every school on his way to Michigan, but he did produce at West Virginia, with a Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight under his belt. His last season at West Virginia was three wins short of 30 ended with an NIT championship. Beilein's first season at Michigan was less than stellar -- in fact, it was almost reminiscent of his first season at West Virginia, when the Mountaineers went 14-15. Beilein has the know-how and recruiting power to bring Michigan back to where it was in the late '80s and early '90s.
