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Frazier, Davis on N-G's second team; Pruitt to China

Posted by: Paul Klee

Monday, March 9, 2009 3:11 PM

The All-Big Ten teams will be announced at 6 p.m. tonight (Big Ten Network), so stay tuned. Here's the ballot we submitted on Sunday:

First team: Kalin Lucas, Manny Harris, Talor Battle, JaJuan Johnson, Evan Turner.
Second team: Chester Frazier, Kevin Coble, E'Twaun Moore, Mike Davis, Goran Suton.
Third team: DeShawn Sims, Jamelle Cornley, Marcus Landry, Robbie Hummel, Demetri McCamey.

Player of the Year: Lucas, Michigan State (Turner was second, Johnson was third).
Freshman of the Year: William Buford, Ohio State (Verdell Jones was second, Matt Gatens was third).
Coach of the Year: Bruce Weber, Illinois (Tom Izzo was second, Ed DeChellis was third).

- More on these picks in the College Basketball Insider on HQ tonight.

- For Klee's AP Top 25 ballot today, click here.

- The lights went out on the Illini in practice yesterday, and they had a team dinner by the lights of their cell phones. Click here.

- Bruce Weber believes the outcome of Friday's quarterfinal matchup is crucial for a number of reasons, one of them being seeding for the NCAA tournament. No. 2 Illinois will face either No. 7 Michigan or No. 10 Iowa.

"In the history I've dealt with, most of the seeding is done Saturday night and Sunday morning," Weber said today. "Friday's a big game for us, especially coming off of two heartbreak losses. ... I think it would be more of a bonus if we can find our way to the championship."

- Illinois recruit Tyler Griffey today was selected to compete in the Derby Festival Classic, a prep all-star game in Louisville on April 11.

- Former UI center Shaun Pruitt has signed with a franchise in China, agent Mike Naiditch said today.

pklee@news-gazette.com