Big Ten links: Prep for hoops, football with Friday's headlines

Purdue A.D. Morgan Burke took to the BTN airwaves on Thursday to officially say Darrell Hazell will be back in 2016.

"If there's confusion about who the guy is who's going to the lead the Boilermakers in 2016, let's dispel that," Burke told BTN on Thursday night.

So, there?s that. Hazell is 6-27 overall and 2-19 in the Big Ten since taking over in 2013.

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Has the transfer of a player ever worked out better for a player and the schools involved than Jake Rudock?s switch from Iowa to Michigan? Rudock has gone on to thrive running the Wolverine offense, positioning Michigan for a run at the East crown. Meanwhile, Iowa is in control of the West with C.J. Beathard at the controls. This is what: we call a ?win-win.?

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Michigan State inked a boffo recruiting class on Wednesday. And the headliner is Miles Bridges, the highest-rated player signed by any Big Ten team. He could be a one-and-doner.

"He's going to live up to his hype," Denzel Valentine said. "He's the real deal."

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Dan Duggan of NJ.com wonders what Rutgers coach Kyle Flood writes in his notebook during games.

"There's a lot of speculation on that over the years," Flood said. "Some of it is just things that happen throughout the course of the game. The things that are important to winning the game - it allows me to kind of keep track of how we're doing in the drive start, certainly want to keep track of what's going on in the penalty situation, turnovers, explosive plays. There's a lot of stuff we're keeping track of and then anything else that comes up - a reminder to myself, something I may want to say to the team at halftime, something I may want to get to at the second half, or even something I may want to get to in between drives."

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Mlive.com forecasts Michigan?s hoop season. I think this will be a big bounce-back season for the Wolverines, who missed the Big Dance last year. The key: The development of the big men.

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More hoops: This time, the gang at Cleveland.com looks at the league race. Will the Big Ten have a Final Four squad? Who are the best players?

The Big Ten has had at least one team in the Final Four each of the last four years. I think that string will continue. Maryland is my pick. If not the Terps, you never can go wrong picking Michigan State.

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And then there is effervescent Nebraska coach Tim Miles, who is ever the showman. Tom Shatel of Omaha.com thinks Miles never should drop his court jester act. And, I agree.

Shatel says Nebraska basketball needs his energy, the relentless personality that draws fans and media to a program that needs every bit of spotlight. But NU fans also need that coach who pushed all those right buttons two years ago, his second year, the one that ended in the school?s first NCAA dance in 16 years. Not the coach who looked so helpless last year as his worst fears came true.

?Before last season, I said, ?We?re going to find out if we?re a good team or a team that got hot the year before,?? Miles said. ?I think we found out we were a team that got hot.?

Year Three will be telling for Miles.

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Tough blow for Penn State recently with news that safety Jordan Lucas will miss the rest of the season with an injury. Malik Golden and Troy Apke must step up.

"It was really hard on Jordan to know that it's at an end for him, at least at Penn State, but we've also played other guys and have had other guys prepared," James Franklin said. "Jordan's been hurt several times this year, and other guys have been able to go in and play.

"There's certain positions, and certain players, that have played every rep. If you lose them, it'd be a little bit different. Obviously Jordan, being a tremendous player here and also being a captain, it kind of hits home."

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Good news for Iowa with the return of RB Jordan Canzeri from injury. How will that impact the team?s rotation at running back, a deep position? Let?s put it his way: it?s a nice problem to have. It?s what I like to call a ?luxury? problem.

?It?s not going to matter who?s in there,? senior center Austin Blythe said. ?I think we?re going to run the ball, or try to run the ball anyway. Any guy who comes in there, they?ve proven they can run the ball.?

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