INDIANAPOLIS -- No Big Ten team is ranked in the top 10. In fact, only three schools are ranked.

But Purdue coach Kristy Curry doesn't think this has been a down year for the league, just a different year.

When Curry looks around, she sees a league that's recruiting better and is becoming more balanced. The result has been more parity.

"I see much more athleticism in the league this year,'' she said. "I think we've done a better job of recruiting from top to bottom.''

The key to this week's tournament, in Curry's opinion, isn't which team has the best athletes. It's which teams have the most athletes.

"I think it's going to come down to depth and whose bench performs well,'' she said.

What's in a record?
Indiana coach Kathi Bennett believes her team has been playing well -- even if its 5-11 conference record doesn't reflect it.

Bennett said Monday that the biggest problem for the Hoosiers isn't a lack of experience, poor free-throw shooting or scoring problems. It's the league itself.

"I feel we've played some really good basketball, and we have five wins to show for it,'' Bennett said. "That shows you how good Purdue is and how good all of the teams that got a bye are.''

Last year, Bennett's squad got a bye and used that to start a remarkable run that led to the Hoosiers' first tournament title in school history. This year, they are seeded eighth and will play Wisconsin in Thursday's first game.

But Bennett has not forgotten the lessons of last March.

"It was a life-affirming experience,'' she said. "To see my team grow and fight like they did was really something.''

Commissioner expects good NCAA showing
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said Monday he believed at least five or six conference teams belonged in this year's NCAA Tournament.

If there's an upset, like Indiana pulled last year in Indianapolis, Delany said he could even see seven league schools getting bids.

That might be a stretch, considering that Penn State, the regular-season champ, is just one of three Big Ten teams ranked in the top 25. The Lady Lions are No. 14. Minnesota, which shared second place with Purdue, is No. 13 and the Boilermakers are No. 12. Ohio State fell 35 points short of cracking the Top 25.

Delany doesn't put much stock in the polls, though.

"I think there are six teams that deserve to be among the top 34 at-large teams,'' he said.