10/26-Purdue's Hummel named Preseason POY

Park Ridge, Ill.—Purdue swingman Robbie Hummel was named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year by a 22-member media panel, the conference announced today. Hummel’s Boilermakers were tabbed as the preseason favorite for the 2008-09 men’s basketball season by the media panel. Hummel was chosen as the Preseason Player of the Year after earning first-team All-Conference and All-Freshman Team accolades last year. He led the Big Ten in three-point field percentage in conference games while averaging 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in all games. He becomes the first Purdue standout to earn Preseason Player of the Year accolades since Chad Austin received the honor in 1997. The Boilermakers welcome back all five starters from a year ago, returning 82 percent of their scoring overall. Purdue finished with a 25-9 record and a 15-3 conference mark. Entering his fourth season at the Boilermakers helm, Matt Painter will aim to lead the Boilermakers to a conference crown for the first time since 1996. Painter has led his squad to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. With the return of three starters and three of its top four scorers from last season, Michigan State garners a second-place showing in the preseason poll. The Spartans finished fourth in the Big Ten last year with a 12-6 mark and 27-9 overall record under veteran head coach Tom Izzo. Michigan State is led by a talented trio in Raymar Morgan, Kalin Lucas and Goran Suton, accounting for 47 percent of the team’s offensive production in 2007-08. Wisconsin, the defending Big Ten and Big Ten Tournament champion, earned the remaining votes for the No. 3 preseason slot. Head coach Bo Ryan guided the Badgers to a school-record 31 wins last season and a berth into the Sweet Sixteen. Ryan’s Badgers are one of only five teams in the country to win 30 or more games in each of the last two seasons. The five-man Preseason All-Big Ten Team is highlighted by one first-team All-Big Ten returnee in Hummel, while Michigan’s Manny Harris, Michigan State’s Morgan and Purdue’s E’Twaun Moore were named to the second team by the coaches and media. Wisconsin’s Landry is the fifth member of the Preseason All-Big Ten Team and was named to the second team by the coaches before being named the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player. 2008-09 Top Three Preseason Picks Team 2007-08 Final Records (Finish) 1. Purdue 25-9, 15-3 Big Ten (2nd) 2. Michigan State 27-9, 12-6 Big Ten (4th) 3. Wisconsin 31-5, 16-2 Big Ten (1st) 2008-09 Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Team Player 2007-08 Final Stats Manny Harris, MICH, So., G 16.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg Raymar Morgan, MSU, Jr., F 14.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg Robbie Hummel, PUR, So., F 11.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg E’Twaun Moore, PUR, So., G 12.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg Marcus Landry, WIS, Sr., F 10.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg 2008-09 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Robbie Hummel, PUR