Big Ten player, freshman of the year returns to Buckeyes

Big Ten Conference women's basketball had nine postseason teams last season.

Ohio State, Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue made the NCAA tournament while Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State, Illinois and Michigan went to the WNIT.

But, parity ruled during the season as the first through eighth teams in the standings were separated by just four games.

Following is a look at Big Ten women's teams by order of last season's standings:

Ohio State (22-9, 13-5)

Big Ten player of the year and freshman of the year Jantel Lavender is back with the Buckeyes. The 6-foot-4 sophomore scored 17.6 points per game while winning the league rebounding title with 9.9 a game. An All-American honorable mention selection who scored in double-figures ever game.

Ashlee Trebilcock, a 5-9 senior, has a string of 40 consecutive starts. She scored 9.6 points per game.

Senior forward Star Allen (8.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg) was named All-Big Ten second team. Junior guard Shavelle Little was the conference defensive player of the year.

Iowa (21-11, 13-5)

All-conference guard Kristi Smith is a 1,000-point career scorer as a senior. Smith averaged 13.3 points in 2007-08.

The 5-6 Smith and 6-2 senior forward Wendy Ausdemore were Iowa's top two point-producers.

Ausdemore, an all-league honorable mention selection, scored 11.6 points a game with 78 three-pointers. She was second in the conference with 2.44 three-pointers per game.

Iowa won its final eight games of 2007-08.

Minnesota (20-12, 11-7)

The Gophers are coming off their sixth NCAA tournament appearance in seven years.

Emily Fox enters her senior season with 1,039 career points. Fox, a 5-9 senior, was on the all-conference first team. She averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 assists and 2.9 steals.

Six-foot-two junior Ashley Ellis-Milan averaged 9.9 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Junior guard Katie Ohm made 46 percent from the 3-point line.

Purdue (19-15, 11-7)

Coach Sharon Versyp's squad placed fourth last season in the Big Ten regular season and rose up to win its second consecutive conference tournament title. Purdue beat Illinois in the finals to earn its 15th consecutive NCAA tournament berth.

Lakisha Freeman, a 6-1 senior forward, scored 11.4 points a game and averaged 5.9 rebounds.

Junior guard FahKara Malone was in the top 50 nationally with 2.7 steals per contest.

Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, a 6-2 senior, returns from a medical redshirt year. She averaged 14.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in 2007.

Michigan State (23-14, 10-8)

Coach Suzy Merchant took Michigan State to the WNIT championship game in her first season. The Spartans lost to Marquette.

Allyssa DeHaan, a 6-9 junior, is the fastest player in NCAA history to reach 200 career blocked shots. She averaged 14.4 points and 4.1 blocks as a sophomore.

The Spartans also have two members of last season's Big Ten All-Freshman Team, 6-1 Kalisha Keane (12.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and 5-10 Brittney Thomas (7.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg). Keane shot 84 percent at the foul line.

Indiana (18-15, 10-8)

A group of 10 letterwinners return to a team that advanced to the WNIT second round.

Jamie Braun led her team and was sixth in conference scoring with a 14.5 average.

One of the Big Ten's top rebounders, senior Whitney Thomas (8.7) returns for the Hoosiers. She also scored 12.2 points per game and recorded a dozen double-doubles.

Braun and Thomas were All-Big Ten second team selections.

Michigan (19-14, 9-9)

Coach Kevin Borseth directed a major turnaround last season, turning a 10-20 team into a 19-game winner that finished with a WNIT quarterfinals appearance.

Jessica Minnfield was one of two Michigan players with double-figure scoring averages (10.0) and ranked among the league leaders in assists (3.2). The 5-5 senior led the Wolverines in assists and steals (1.64).

Krista Phillips, a 6-6 junior, pulled down 5.8 rebounds a game. Senior forward Carly Benson (9.6 ppg) was an 84.6 percent free throw shooter.

Wisconsin (16-14, 9-9)

Badgers guard Jolene Anderson, the conference scoring champion with a 19.9 average, departed after last season. Anderson set the school record for men and women with 2,312 career points. She also averaged 7.7 points and 3.7 assists.

Anderson is with the Connecticut Suns of the WNBA.

Left behind are junior guard Rae Lin D'Allie (5.7 ppg), 6-4 sophomore Lin Zastrow (5.5 ppg), sophomore guard Alyssa Karel (5.2 ppg) and 6-1 sophomore Tara Steinbauer (5.1 ppg),.

ILLINOIS (20-15, 8-10)

Coach Jolette Law and the Illini made a historic run in the Big Ten tournament as the No. 9 seed by advancing to the championship. Purdue beat Illinois for the title on a buzzer-beater. Illinois' selection to the WNIT marked its fourth consecutive postseason appearance.

Jenna Smith, a 6-3 junior, was a unanimous all-conference pick by the media who averaged 18.3 points and 9.4 rebounds. Smith led the conference with 16 double-doubles. She had three games with 30 or more points.

PENN STATE (13-18, 4-14)

Coquese Washington takes over as head coach after eight seasons as an assistant coach.

The Lady Lions return four of their top five scorers including 5-11 sophomore Tyra Grant who led the team and was eighth in Big Ten scoring (13.8).

Conference assists leader Brianne O'Rourke (4.74) is back for her senior season. She scored 11.2 points a game.

Senior guard Kam Gissendanner scored 12.8 points.

NORTHWESTERN (5-26, 1-17)

Joe McKeown is the new head coach of the Wildcats. In a 22-season career at George Washington and New Mexico State he compiled 509 victories and a .745 winning percentage. In the past 19 seasons at George Washington he was 441-154 with an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 1997 and Sweet Sixteen berths in 1995, 2007 and 2008.

Big Ten All-Freshman Team member Amy Jaeschke led Northwestern in scoring (12.9) and rebounds (6.5) last season.

-- Information from www.bigten.cstv.com