It's not news when Michigan State gets the nod as the Big Ten's preseason favorite.

Not only have the Spartans participated in five of the last 11 Final Fours, the national preseason polls released on Thursday predict they'll make it six out of 12 in April.

It IS news, though, when Michigan State's coach declares this to be the season Northwestern qualifies for the NCAA Tournament.

"I told (NU coach Bill Carmody) I was going to put pressure on him," said Spartans coach Tom Izzo. "This is his year to get there. I think it is. I really honestly do."

For those who don't know the Wildcats' sordid hoops history, they're not among the 302 schools that have appeared in the NCAA Tournament since it began in 1939 (held at NU's Patten Gym, oddly enough).

Of the 118 teams in college basketball's top 10 power conferences, Northwestern is the only one that hasn't made the NCAAs.

Those dismal factoids make it sound like Izzo must be Photoshopping the Wildcats into the promised land - when in fact they might be in the picture more than ever before.

They retain all but one key player from last year's group that went 6-10 against NCAA Tournament teams and finished 79th in the RPI rankings.

And while everyone in the league knows senior forward Kevin Coble (a second-team all-Big Ten pick last year) and junior point guard Michael Thompson, they haven't been the best player in the gym during the first two weeks of practice.

"I think it's John Shurna," Thompson said. "Playing with that (U-19) USA team, he's come back with a lot of experience and a lot of confidence."

Shurna, a 6-foot-8 sophomore from Glenbard West who won a gold medal in FIBA's U-19 World Championship this summer, has been more assertive during practice and finished at the rim more aggressively (and ambidextrously) than last year.

"Playing with the best players in the country, he feels as though he belongs," Thompson said. "He's playing a lot better. He's coming off screens at a fast pace and knocking down shots consistently."

Meanwhile, junior point guard Demetri McCamey has been the best guy in Illinois' gym as Bruce Weber's bunch heads into today's exhibition opener against Div. II Missouri Southern.

"Consistently, it has to be Demetri," Weber said. "D.J. (Richardson is) probably second. A close second. And then Brandon Paul on certain days is the best player - and has that potential."

Weber says his prized freshman group has hit a bit of a wall, which might explain why senior forward Dominique Keller and junior guard Alex Legion will start today's exhibition with Richardson and Paul the first two off the bench.

In any case, Richardson and Paul sound like they're in better shape with Weber than junior big men Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale.

Weber sent them one of his motivational nudges during Thursday's media day festivities in Rosemont.

"They should have their days (in the practice gym) where they're dominating, too," he said. "That might be the key to our season."