Top Big Ten coaches say Gophers will be a much-improved basketball team

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It only means so much when a head coach is saying his team is going to be better, but Richard Pitino had two of the Big Ten's top coaches talking at Big Ten Media Day about the Gophers being much improved this season.

Indiana coach Tom Crean endorsed Pitino and Minnesota before addressing his program at Thursday's news conference. The Gophers, who lost eight games last season by six points or fewer, finished 8-23.

"One guy that I think was in so many close games last year, so many games that could have gone either way, including two with us, is Richard Pitino," Crean said. "And I think he's on the cusp of getting that team to where he wants it to be, playing the style of play that they want."

In order for the Big Ten to be considered one of the top leagues in college basketball again, it will need teams at the bottom to make a jump.

"You've got to have everybody from top to bottom doing their very best," Crean said. "I don't know a lot of people talking about Richard's team, but there are a lot of us thinking about it, I know we are, in the realm of how much better they're getting."

The Hoosiers won't be overlooking the Gophers when they meet this season despite last season's 2-16 Big Ten record. Neither will Michigan State.

"Wisconsin has lost the least (players), so I think they're everybody's pick to win it," Izzo said. "But I think you're going to see improvement from teams like Illinois and Michigan who had a lot of injuries, and Minnesota. Those teams are going to improve a lot. Michigan State, Iowa and Ohio State lost a lot of people."