The 6-1 junior guard became the first Boilermaker to earn the honor since Robbie Hummel in 2008.

CHICAGO – Purdue's Carsen Edwards opens his junior season at the Big Ten Preseason Conference Player of the Year.

The announcement Thursday at Big Ten media Day follows Edwards receiving the same honor from an official poll of 28 media members who cover league teams, which was announced on Wednesday.

Edwards is the first Purdue player since Robbie Hummel in 2008 to be named preseason Player of the Year. Since the 2007-08 season, only one player – Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky in 2016 – Won the Big Ten Player of the Year after winning the preseason vote.

Edwards averaged 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season. He received the Jerry West Award as the nation's top shooting guard.

"Anytime you start a game and you feel like you have the best player on the floor it's a good start," Purdue coach Matt Painter said during his turn on the podium.

Edwards and Wisconsin's Ethan Happ were both unanimously preseason All-Big Ten selections. Other selections included Indiana's Romeo Langford and Juwan Morgan, Maryland's Anthony Cowan, Michigan's Charles Matthews, Michigan's Nick's State Ward and Cassius Winston, Jordan's Minnesota's Jordan and Jordan's Nebraska's Palmer.

Edwards is the only returning starter of a team which posted a program record 30 victories last season and returned to the Sweet 16.

The Big Ten Player of the Year award for the Purdue player in three years to win the postseason. Caleb "Biggie" Swanigan won in 2016-17.

more: Carsen Edwards should be preseason Big Ten Player of the Year. Next comes the hard part.

more: Purdue's Carsen Edwards Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year in unofficial media poll

more: Purdue Basketball's Carsen Edwards Prepared For The Body For Bigger Things In The Season Ahead

Matt Painter comments

On Edwards, regards the feedback he has made to the NBA evaluation process

Painter said Edwards' assist-turnover ratio and field goal percentage can both improve.

"Last year, when he got it going, but it's going to be so tough, that's the part that's tough with that scoring mentality."

Ryan Cline is a senior guard, and he is expected to play the same thing. Painter explained Clone needs to be "like" now-departed three-year starter Dakota Mathias by keeping the ball moving and hitting open contested shots from the perimeter.

Senior Grady EIfert, a walk-on now on scholarship trainer: "A lot of guys who are walk-ons can not do it." He actually can do it. to play for us. "

News and notes

Big Ten Media Day returned to Washington, D.C., and New York City the past two years. Those sites hosted in conjunction with the Big Ten Tournament.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany reiterated Thursday that he expects "80 percent" of future Big Ten Tournaments to be played in the Midwest. He also said that he will be coming to Chicago and Indianapolis for the next four-year cycle, he expects other Midwestern cities to have the opportunity to bid to host.

All-session tickets for the Big Ten Tournament, at Chicago's United Center, go on sale Saturday.

• Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said he felt Purdue could have won a national championship last season before Isaac Haas fractured his right elbow in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament.

Pikiell used that as an example of how difficult it is to climb in a league so competitive from top to bottom. Rutgers has finished last in each of its four years in the league.

"This league is unbelievable and is even harder," Pikiell said. "Last year was the fifth place team (Michigan) made to the national championship game."

Looking up

Nebraska coach Tim Miles showed up for his second Big Ten Conference Media Day in 2013 aware of the also-ren reputation of his program.

"I see we're picked 12th out of 12th again," Miles said that morning in Chicago. "And it's not just by you guys … I see it's by everybody."

Miles had the last laugh, winning 19 games, finishing fourth in the Big Ten and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cornhuskers have not been back to the tournament since – snubbed last season despite 13 league victories and another fourth-place finish.

Consensus now considers the Cornhuskers one of the best teams in the league thanks to James Palmer Jr. and Isaac Copeland. An unofficial poll of 28 league media members picked Nebraska fourth behind Michigan State, Michigan and Indiana and ahead of Purdue.

The last time Nebraska raised expectations, it won only 13 games and finished 12th in 2014-15.

"I like this group because I really think all of these guys are getting better," Miles said. "We have four guys I think anyone in the league would take … I like the direction of their work ethic and their leadership."

On Feb. 9, Purdue travels to Lincoln for the first time since losing to the Cornhuskers in the stretch run of its 2016-17 outright Big Ten championship. Nebraska returns two weeks later.

Bucking expectations

One year ago, the unofficial media poll picked up Ohio State to finish 11th. The Buckeyes went on to tie Purdue for second – winning in West Lafayette fashion on Keita Bates – Diop 's last – second basketball in a 25 – win season.

The same poll picked this year 's Buckeyes to finish ninth, after the loss of Big Ten Player of the Tear Diop to the NBA and three seniors from the rotation.

"OSU coach Chris Holtmann said," We tried to put on a last year as soon as possible in the rear-view mirror. "I think our guys understand many of the major components of last year's team are gone, and that's exciting for them in new roles.

Purdue and Ohio State are double-play opponents again this season, including a big March 2 game in Columbus.

Nathan Baird reports on Purdue Basketball for the Journal & Courier. Contact him at 765-420-5234 or [email protected]. Follow on Twitter: @nbairdjc