Rosemont, Ill. ­— The Big Ten men’s basketball season kicked off Thursday as all 12 teams gathered at Chicago’s Crowne Plaza Hotel for media day.

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany was in attendance, talking about expectations for the 2011-12 season.

“Obviously Ohio State is highly regarded and has some great players returning, and Michigan is getting some consideration,” Delany said. “Wisconsin is an incredibly stable program. Then we have new coaches at Penn State, and the new member in Nebraska, so I think everybody is excited about that.”

*Illinois*

The Illini return just one starter from last season in junior Brandon Paul and are relying on him and junior D.J. Richardson for leadership, head coach Bruce Weber said. Illinois also looks to the six freshmen, led by Nnanna Egwu and Tracy Abrams, to contribute.

“I’m excited and I think we have a lot of unknowns,” Weber said. “But I think, in some ways, it’s a good thing we can take advantage of coming out of — being the dark horse. And I think our kids are looking forward to the season.”

Basketball columnist Gordon Voit’s take: The roster-wide line change is intriguing, but a couple questions remain for this talent-rich group. Namely, who in the backcourt will get to the basket? Brandon Paul is the leading candidate here, as he led the backcourt with 21 free throw attempts on the Italy trip. Meanwhile, hyper-athletic wings Joe Bertrand and Crandall Head combined for four attempts.

*Indiana*

Finishing 11th in the Big Ten last season, Indiana head coach Tom Crean said the Hoosiers will have to climb to get out of the bottom of the conference. Indiana only graduated one senior last year and has nine upperclassmen.

“I thought we had an outstanding spring, and one of the best I’ve been involved in, in the sense of really trying to get our guys to understand that for us to take steps, it was going to have to be a complete year-round process,” Crean said.

GV’s take: Things are looking up for Tom Crean’s crew despite the devastating announcement that Maurice Creek has suffered a season-ending injury for the third straight year. McDonald’s All-American forward Cody Zeller will team up with Christian Watford (16.0 points per game) to form a formidable duo in the frontcourt.

*Iowa*

Finishing in 10th place last season and missing the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight year, the Hawkeyes have spent the offseason working to be more physical. Second-year head coach Fran McCaffery said he is excited about the experience Iowa returns, with 11 letterwinners.

“What I’ve seen is a tremendous commitment individually to improving physically, which I think is important, especially for our big guys. … Body fat down. Weight up,” McCaffery said. “Much better shape to play the kind of style we want to play.”

GV’s take: Leading the charge on the Hawkeyes front line is sophomore phenom Melsahn Basabe, who is undersized at 6-foot-7 but productive nevertheless. The New York native started all 31 games last season and posted 22 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks against then-No. 2 Ohio State. A great fit in coach Fran McCaffery’s up-tempo offense.

*Michigan*

Ranked No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today preseason polls, Michigan is likely to finish near the top of the Big Ten. The Wolverines will look to sophomore Tim Hardaway, Jr., who returns with the highest shooting percentage on the team.

“I think obviously he’s still young,” head coach John Beilein said. “He’s 19-years-old. He’s still young. His body is developing. But, still, he’s going to have a lot of bumps in the road, because you have to guard him. But he realized that’s part of the journey himself to reach his goals of being a great Michigan basketball player.”

GV’s take: Can Michigan rebound? That’s the single greatest question hovering over the Wolverines, who are likewise without primary scoring threat Darius Morris. Michigan ranked 241st in the nation last season in rebounding margin (-1.8 per game). Can center Jordan Morgan (5.4 rebounds per game) stay out of foul trouble?

*Michigan State*

After finishing in a three-way tie for fourth last season, Michigan State is in unfamiliar territory. Losing three of five starters, the Spartans have six freshmen and will look to senior Draymond Green to lead the team.

“So I don’t enjoy the underdog role because I think our program is to the point where you don’t want to be there,” head coach Tom Izzo said. “But I’m enjoying the challenge of realizing we lost a lot. … And I think this team has more talent. It’s just a little more inexperienced, and we’ll see which is worth more — talent or experience.”

GV’s take: The arrival of fifth-year Valparaiso transfer Brandon Wood couldn’t come at a better time for a rebuilding Spartans group. Wood is a prolific scorer (16.7 points per game in 2010) and earned First-team All-Horizon League honors last season. He and sophomore Keith Appling combine for an undersized yet talented backcourt.

*Minnesota*

The Gophers finished 6-12 in the Big Ten last season, the worst under head coach Tubby Smith. Minnesota will look to All-Big Ten honoree Trevor Mbakwe for leadership after he played on Team USA under Purdue head coach Matt Painter.

“We think we have a chance to be a much improved team after going — losing 10 of our 11 games last year,” Smith said. “We lost in many different ways. So I think my expectations are this would be much more competitive in the Big Ten.”

GV’s take: Mbakwe has as infectious a smile as any, but don’t let that fool you. The transfer from Marquette is an aggressive force in the paint and shot a remarkable 202 free throws last season to go with 13.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He will need Rodney Williams to step up in the post as the Gophers lost 6-foot-10 bruiser Colton Iverson to graduation.

*Nebraska*

After just missing the NCAA tournament last season with a 19-13 record, expectations are high for the Cornhuskers’ first year in the Big Ten, but the coming season won’t be without its challenges.

“In the league that we left, it was pretty much a man-to-man team. So that part’s going to be different,” head coach Doc Sadler said. “The unknown is always scary.”

GV’s take: Nebraska’s nagging injury bug has caused star guard Toney McCray (foot), junior college transfers Caleb Walker (ankle) and Dylan Talley (thigh), versatile big man Brandon Ubel (ankle), and freshman point Corey Hilliard (ankle) to miss practice recently in addition to 6-foot-11 towers Christopher Niemann and Andre Almeida (knee). The Cornhuskers will be strong on defense yet again, but athleticism and perimeter scoring is scarce.

*Northwestern*

Pressure is once again on the Wildcats to make the NCAA tournament, something the school has never done. Northwestern hopes senior forward John Shurna can build off his 16.6 points per game season from a year ago.

“That’s the goal of every team to get in the tournament,” head coach Bill Carmody said. “But the spotlight is on us more than other teams because we have not been there. We’re getting pretty close.”

GV’s take: Heart-and-soul point guard “Juice” Thompson provided the Wildcats with some much-needed slashing ability in his four years. Without him, look for junior wing Drew Crawford to fill that role. Sophomore guard JerShon Cobb is coming off a strong freshman campaign and could take a leap forward after adding 20 pounds to his 6-foot-5 frame this offseason.

*Ohio State*

The only two solidified spots in the starting lineup for the Buckeyes belong to sophomores Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft. As for the remaining three positions, head coach Thad Matta hasn’t made any decisions and doesn’t expect to anytime soon.

“I really haven’t put a ton of thought into a, quote-unquote, starting lineup,” Matta said. “And the reason for that, I’m really enjoying the competition that we’re getting in practice every day.”

GV’s take: Look for forward Deshaun Thomas to take a significant leap forward this year now that there is room for him in the lineup. The national blue-chip recruit is a potentially elite scorer and should help make up for the loss of 3-point ace Jon Diebler and wing David Lighty.

*Penn State*

With just one starter and five total lettermen returning, the Nittany Lions are looking to fill major holes after making the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001. Junior guard Tim Frazier is expected to contribute more offensively after averaging 6.3 points and 5.1 assists per game last season.

“I’ve coached a lot of great guards: Kyle Lowry, Corey Fisher, Scottie Reynolds, Randy Foye, and I’ll put Tim Frazier right up there with those guys,” first year head coach and former Villanova head coach Patrick Chambers said. “His speed, his intensity, his willingness to be coached is really second to none.”

GV’s take: A lot is being expected of sophomore guard Frazier, perhaps too much. The speedy 6-foot-1 point man averaged 5.1 assists last season, but who will he have to dish to this year? Billy Oliver is an intriguing prospect as a 6-foot-8 forward who can hit from the outside.

*Purdue*

Without Robbie Hummel, who missed last season with an injury, the Boilermakers finished second in the Big Ten with a 14-4 record. Head coach Matt Painter said the best is still yet to come from the senior forward.

“We expect him to have the best season of his career,” Painter said.

GV’s take: While Mackey Arena and the other basketball facilities have been remodeled, this Purdue team will rely on a core of seasoned veterans. Last year the Boilermakers struggled to score efficiently in Hummel’s absence, as the team finished seventh in the Big Ten in field goal percentage with a .447 mark. Count on his on-court leadership to pad the losses of E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson. It wouldn’t surprise me if Purdue matched its 14-4 mark in Big Ten play this year.

*Wisconsin*

Poised to battle with Sullinger for the Big Ten’s Player of the Year will be senior guard Jordan Taylor, who averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game last season. In order to take his game to the next level, head coach Bo Ryan said it comes down to consistency.

“I don’t know about total numbers, but maybe consistency would be something that we all strive for,” Ryan said.

GV’s take: Wisconsin welcomes athletic freshmen guards Traevon Jackson and George Marshall. “Traevon is thicker, stronger, but good feet,” Ryan said. “George Marshall is a little more wiry, but he has a long wing span and he’s quick.” Until the two are game-ready, POY candidate Taylor will need sophomore Josh Gasser to step up at the two-guard spot.