CHICAGO, Ill. — Illinois guard Dee Brown was adamant that he did not expect to be named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

The media did not listen to him.

They gave Brown the title Sunday in Chicago at Big Ten basketball media day. The Big Ten coaches selected Wisconsin guard Devin Harris as their preseason player of the year.

"It's crazy," Brown said. "I was surprised they picked me and Devin Harris. I thought it was going to be (Michigan State forward) Paul Davis and (Indiana guard) Bracey Wright. I'm happy with it."

Brown appreciates the honor but quickly noted it doesn't guarantee him any honors when the season ends.

"You can throw any name out there," Brown said. "(Whoever's) team is more successful will be the one player to win (it when the season's over)."

As a team, both the coaches and the media selected Illinois as the second best team in the Big Ten, behind Michigan State. Wisconsin was selected third. The Big Ten does not announce any team that was picked below third.

Accompanying Brown and Harris on the All-Conference team for the media was Michigan State guard Chris Hill, Michigan guard Daniel Horton and Wright. The coaches had a tie, allowing Davis to be named along with the five players from the media's list.

Livingston Comes To

Illinois On Visit

Eighty miles is as far as high school standout Shaun Livingston needs to travel.

The Illinois men's basketball team spent this weekend showing Livingston, arguably the number one high school player in the nation from Peoria Central High School, why he should attend college in his own backyard.

"I guess the theme for the weekend is stay at home," said Illinois guard Jerrance Howard, also a Peoria native. "We just want to let him know this can be his home if he commits here."

The fans that packed the Ubben Basketball Complex to capacity took the theme to a whole new level. Banners filled the practice facility. One had a map of the state of Illinois, with Peoria and Champaign connected. "Eighty miles," the distance between the two cities, was written on the top of the banner. The bottom of the banner read "Keep It an Illinois Thing."

The crowd chanted for Livingston for the entire hour scrimmage, yelling, "Eighty miles," "We want Shaun," and "Stay home Shaun."

"We've had some great players here since I've been here, Charlie (Villanueva), Eddie Curry, and I've never seen (the fans) like this," Howard said. "I think that meant a lot for him."

On the court, Livingston, who is also considering Duke and Arizona, was the star. Illinois players would feed him the ball and let him go one on one with his defender.

"He is NBA ready in my opinion," Brown said.

During the scrimmage Livingston drove to the lane, hit the outside shot, made crisp passes and defended well. He shot 14 for 20 during the scrimmage and five of six from behind the three-point line.

"He is so versatile," Howard said. "He's so fluent in everything. He could score when he wanted to. In the open break he could pitch it ahead. He held his own today and he played very good."

Per NCAA rules, Livingston could not talk to the media on his official visit but Howard said Livingston was impressed with how close the team is.

"He really likes that we go out together," Howard said. "Go eat together, stuff off the court. It's a family atmosphere."