Big Ten Basketball

[bukie]

Umm...wow. Who had Illinois by 15?

[illiniguy]

If we can go into the Breslin and win this conference race is over. Richard McBride was awesome tonight dalgreen.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If we can go into the Breslin and win this conference race is over. Richard McBride was awesome tonight dalgreen.

 

That's the last conference game, so you're right no matter what. :wink:

[hawkeyecub]

Bo Ryan maybe the biggest crybaby that I have ever seen, and this is in a game where his team has been called for less fouls then the Illini.

 

There are a lot of them in the Big Ten. Weber, Davis, Ryan, Izzo and Monson are all pretty bad.

 

I don't think there's anyone who can work the refs and get more calls than Izzo though.

[illiniguy]

If we can go into the Breslin and win this conference race is over. Richard McBride was awesome tonight dalgreen.

 

That's the last conference game, so you're right no matter what. :wink:

true, ok if we win one more big road game I think we win the conference. Either OSU or Michigan.

[Sweep The Leg Johnny]

Bo Ryan maybe the biggest crybaby that I have ever seen, and this is in a game where his team has been called for less fouls then the Illini.

 

Working the refs and being a crybaby are too different things. Bo isn't a crybaby, but he certainly gets animated when working the refs in game. He never cries about the calls after the game.

[bukie]

If we can go into the Breslin and win this conference race is over. Richard McBride was awesome tonight dalgreen.

 

That's the last conference game, so you're right no matter what. :wink:

true, ok if we win one more big road game I think we win the conference. Either OSU or Michigan.

 

Actually, the Wisconsin loss tonight opens up the door for Iowa, as if all the top 7 teams win out at home and don't slip up (any more?) against the bottom 4, Iowa finishes 12-4 and wins the conference outright. 5 teams would tie for second at 11-5, and OSU would finish 10-6.

[gflore34]

If we can go into the Breslin and win this conference race is over. Richard McBride was awesome tonight dalgreen.

 

Not to mention Randle, in a word, wow. He has amazing talent his combination of quickness and jumping ability may be matched by only Ager or Shannon Brown, once he works on the mid range jumper look out!

By the way, I've seen serveral UW games and not once has Tucker been called for an offensive foul. How does he get away with the left arm wrap around and jumping into the defender on every basket he makes?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Bo Ryan maybe the biggest crybaby that I have ever seen, and this is in a game where his team has been called for less fouls then the Illini.

 

There are a lot of them in the Big Ten. Weber, Davis, Ryan, Izzo and Monson are all pretty bad.

 

I don't think there's anyone who can work the refs and get more calls than Izzo though.

 

I haven't seen much of Monson, and I don't think Davis and Weber are that bad. Ryan is the worst IMO.

 

It's funny you say that about Izzo though. Big Ten Wonk had an emailer today that showed Michigan State has virtually no home court advantage fouls wise.

 

Big Ten Wonk[/url]"]The story so far....

--Last Wednesday Michigan plays Michigan State in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines gather in many more boards and cough up one fewer turnover than their visitors from East Lansing. But said visitors shoot much better from the floor (58.7 effective FG pct.) than does the home team (46.9 eFG pct.). Michigan wins anyway. Was it their 34-10 advantage in free throw attempts? Hmmm....

 

--Thursday Wonk links to some articles on UM-MSU. Articles that say: Hmmm....

 

--Friday your intrepid blogger posts a Q&A in the form of separate emails from alert readers Nick D. and Terry B. If only someone had data on fouls called in Big Ten play, home vs. road, Nick mused aloud. Terry had that data and found that the home team is whistled for about three fewer fouls a game than the visitors.

 

And then came the weekend. More emails....

 

Alert reader Eric F. has refined the Terry B. approach. Eric says: forget about the bottom four! Tossing Northwestern, Purdue, Minnesota, and Penn State out of the mix yields data that, before this weekend's action, looked like this:

 

Top seven at-home avg foul differential: -4.94

Top seven at-home avg FTA differential: 8.32

 

Jinkies! So in Big Ten games not involving the Wildcats, Boilermakers, Gophers, or Nittany Lions, the home team can expect five fewer fouls and about eight more free throws. That's appreciable!

 

But wait a second. Isn't this all a bit conspiratorial? After all, maybe foul differentials and justice can coincide--and did, in the game between Michigan and Michigan State.

 

Let's hear from another alert reader!

 

I think the answer to this particular game is that the officials called a very tight game, which benefited Michigan greatly. The officials cracked down on hand-checking, shoving on rebounds or for post position, and bodying up on players running through screens. All those things that are technically fouls but usually aren’t called are staples of how MSU plays. UM, as everybody knows, is much softer than MSU and doesn’t have a lot of players who through their body around. (The one who does, Graham Brown, was called for several ticky-tack away from the ball fouls, including one for looking at Paul Davis as Davis slipped.)

 

The officiating was not uneven in the sense of bad calls going in one direction. MSU had some bad calls, but so did UM. Horton was hacked on the wrists on a couple drives, Neitzel palmed the ball twice to free himself for an open layup, and Brown was whistled for the ridiculous aforementioned phantom foul on Davis. The officiating was even, but the decision to call it tight and even as opposed to loose and even benefited Michigan enormously.

 

Yes, I’m a Michigan fan, but I bet if you watched the game closely you’d see the same thing.

 

Jon Chait

The New Republic

 

Wow. Jon Chait. I've been a TNR reader since college and subscriber since, well, employment. Would Walter Lippmann or Herbert Croly have read my blog? Edmund Wilson? (Dare I think it? John Dewey?) You made my day, Jon!

 

Anyway, as to your email: excellent points. For the sake of discussion let's accept your premise for this particular instance. The general question then becomes: why does the even-handedness so uncannily benefit the home team so often? In other words, why is it we know in advance the UM-MSU game won't be called this way in East Lansing?

 

Or do we know that? Now comes alert reader, Ph.D., and erstwhile faculty member Matthew S., who decided it was time to put the "significant" back in significance! Matthew looked for home cookin' by parsing box scores from the last 67 games at the Breslin Center and the last 51 games at Crisler. The results will surprise you!

 

Wielding his alpha level and null hypothesis, Matthew found no statistically significant difference between the number of fouls called on the Spartans and the number whistled on the visitors in the last 67 games in the Breslin Center. Zoinks! No home cookin' in East Lansing? C'mon, Coach Izzo, get on those refs!

 

Ah, but in Crisler Arena--a different story! A statistically significant 2.6 foul per game advantage. J'accuse!

 

No, really, what in the name of Brian Ellerbee's going on here? How can Michigan have benefited from home cookin' when the plain fact is that for 49 of the last 51 home games they've been beyond horrific? Is there a sympathy factor at work here? Are Ed Hightower and Ted Hillary busily discussing The Theory of Moral Sentiments before each game?

 

And so the moral of the story so far is simple. Want home cookin'? Suck!

[illiniguy]

If we can go into the Breslin and win this conference race is over. Richard McBride was awesome tonight dalgreen.

 

That's the last conference game, so you're right no matter what. :wink:

true, ok if we win one more big road game I think we win the conference. Either OSU or Michigan.

 

Actually, the Wisconsin loss tonight opens up the door for Iowa, as if all the top 7 teams win out at home and don't slip up (any more?) against the bottom 4, Iowa finishes 12-4 and wins the conference outright. 5 teams would tie for second at 11-5, and OSU would finish 10-6.

I see it as we got a tough win out of the way on the road. Us and MSU both have big road wins, that should put us ahead. Stupid unbalanced schedule.

Edited February 1, 2006 by illiniguy

[illiniguy]

Anyone else notice that snazzy dresser behind the Illinois bench tonight? What was that? Bring your green hat, snoop a loop.

[badgercub]

The officiating in the Big Ten is horrible! The better team won but boy were those refs bad after 20 years some of those guys should retire. Wisconsin will be lucky to win 3 more games this year. Brian Butch is so soft, hasn't anyone taught him to box out, he just stands under the basket and doesn't put a body on anyone. The Badgers get two quick fouls on Augustine and when he comes back in the game Butch just hangs out at the three point line the rest of the first half. Atrocious basketball played by the Badgers tonight, it's Tucker, Taylor and three guys who can't find their rear ends with both hands.

[gflore34]

The officiating in the Big Ten is horrible! The better team won but boy were those refs bad after 20 years some of those guys should retire. Wisconsin will be lucky to win 3 more games this year. Brian Butch is so soft, hasn't anyone taught him to box out, he just stands under the basket and doesn't put a body on anyone. The Badgers get two quick fouls on Augustine and when he comes back in the game Butch just hangs out at the three point line the rest of the first half. Atrocious basketball played by the Badgers tonight, it's Tucker, Taylor and three guys who can't find their rear ends with both hands.

 

That's what I don't get about Butch, for his size, he has virtually no inside game. Just hangs out around perimeter shooting jumpers.

[badgercub]

The officiating in the Big Ten is horrible! The better team won but boy were those refs bad after 20 years some of those guys should retire. Wisconsin will be lucky to win 3 more games this year. Brian Butch is so soft, hasn't anyone taught him to box out, he just stands under the basket and doesn't put a body on anyone. The Badgers get two quick fouls on Augustine and when he comes back in the game Butch just hangs out at the three point line the rest of the first half. Atrocious basketball played by the Badgers tonight, it's Tucker, Taylor and three guys who can't find their rear ends with both hands.

 

That's what I don't get about Butch, for his size, he has virtually no inside game. Just hangs out around perimeter shooting jumpers.

 

Butch is a wussy. I heard that Musberger was saying how much intensity he brings to the game, what a joke. He'll act fired up after a play once in a while or on the bench but never on the court. He's almost 7 feet tall and when you watch him shoot in the paint he is always fading away and shooting from about his shoulder heighth. The loss of Stiemsa and Landry really hurt this team and will cost them an NCAA bid.

[radarluv1]

Anyone else notice that snazzy dresser behind the Illinois bench tonight? What was that? Bring your green hat, snoop a loop.

 

nice

*drops mike, bends over to pick it up, crowd groans*

 

i did notice some redhead behind the wisconsin bench

[badgercub]

If we can go into the Breslin and win this conference race is over. Richard McBride was awesome tonight dalgreen.

 

Not to mention Randle, in a word, wow. He has amazing talent his combination of quickness and jumping ability may be matched by only Ager or Shannon Brown, once he works on the mid range jumper look out!

By the way, I've seen serveral UW games and not once has Tucker been called for an offensive foul. How does he get away with the left arm wrap around and jumping into the defender on every basket he makes?

 

because of his quickness, if he already has the guy sealed they will not call the wrap around with the arm, he already has position. usually the defender is not in a good defensive position and isn't going straight up when contact is made. Tucker is strong and has good body control and great leaping ability so even taller defender can't block his shot without bodying him up. Too bad he has no midrange game or jumpshot, it will cost him a career in the NBA

[cjbucks]

If we can go into the Breslin and win this conference race is over. Richard McBride was awesome tonight dalgreen.

 

That's the last conference game, so you're right no matter what. :wink:

true, ok if we win one more big road game I think we win the conference. Either OSU or Michigan.

 

Actually, the Wisconsin loss tonight opens up the door for Iowa, as if all the top 7 teams win out at home and don't slip up (any more?) against the bottom 4, Iowa finishes 12-4 and wins the conference outright. 5 teams would tie for second at 11-5, and OSU would finish 10-6.

 

I'm an Iowa grad and a lifelong Hawkeye fan but I don't see that happening. Being an Iowa basketball fan the last few years has been a little like being a Cub fan - you just sit around holding your breath waiting for the worst to happen.

[bmkhawk]

and because Steve Alford is your coach

 

Stop listening to B&B before you form your Alford opinions. If you dislike him, it should be solely for the reason that he is a bad coach.

I dislike him because he defended Pierre Pierce and even went so far as to say he was the victim in his first sexuall assualt charge. The man was the national president of the FCA when he was in college, yet he sided with a rapist over a real victim. The fact that he has destroyed Iowa's program I like hjim for. I realize you guys are good this year, but after this year you guys will be really horrible.

 

Find me where he said Pierre was the vicitim. Not once did that take place. He also never sided with Pierre over the victim. I also doubt that you know what actually took place, but it surely wasn't rape. There are a few reasons why the female and her family were so willing to settle so that the details didn't go public.

 

Also how can you say we're good this year but will be "really horrible" afterward? You were on this board this summer saying that our lack of success the past few years wasn't Alford's fault, it was because we had no talent. So first of all how are we good without any talent this year and why will be worse if we aren't losing any talent?

And who can forget your guarantee after the '03 football season that Iowa football would take a big step backwards because we were losing Gallery and Russell. Of course we improved by 2 games between the two years, but hey who cares.

Yeah I admitted I was wrong about your football. They have however, regressed back to the middle of the Big Ten.

Two big ten titles in four years, four straight New Years Day or after bowl games, and tied for third in the leauge this year constitutes "back to the middle of the big 10"?

 

They will be right back in the big 10 title hunt next year, that I can assure you.

[bmkhawk]

Another exciting Illinois Wisconsin matchup tonight! It should be a great game for what has become a nice rivalry over the last 3 years or so. Illinois knows that they only play Wiscy once and this is it so they will be fired up. Wisconsin just fell out fo the top 25 and will be eager to show their homecourt advantage still means something.

 

I don't think Wisconsin matches up well with Augustine and I don't think Illinois matches up well with Tucker. The matchup to watch is Chris Rock vs. Dee Brown.

 

My roomates (Illini alums) and myself (Badger) have been giving each other crap all week regarding this game. I'm pumped!

 

i think that randle will shut tucker down.

 

I would think that pretty unlikely. Especially considering the fact Weber said he was giving Randle a "Crash course in post defense." He's likely to get in foul trouble on the road anyway. If Tucker scores under 20 I'd consider it a job well done by Illinois.

 

that would be a first, seeing as how nobody has scored 20 on randle yet, and he always draws the opposing team's best offensive player.

Even if that player is a guard? Somehow I doubt it.

[illiniguy]

Another exciting Illinois Wisconsin matchup tonight! It should be a great game for what has become a nice rivalry over the last 3 years or so. Illinois knows that they only play Wiscy once and this is it so they will be fired up. Wisconsin just fell out fo the top 25 and will be eager to show their homecourt advantage still means something.

 

I don't think Wisconsin matches up well with Augustine and I don't think Illinois matches up well with Tucker. The matchup to watch is Chris Rock vs. Dee Brown.

 

My roomates (Illini alums) and myself (Badger) have been giving each other crap all week regarding this game. I'm pumped!

 

i think that randle will shut tucker down.

 

I would think that pretty unlikely. Especially considering the fact Weber said he was giving Randle a "Crash course in post defense." He's likely to get in foul trouble on the road anyway. If Tucker scores under 20 I'd consider it a job well done by Illinois.

 

that would be a first, seeing as how nobody has scored 20 on randle yet, and he always draws the opposing team's best offensive player.

Even if that player is a guard? Somehow I doubt it.

he guarded malik hairston a sg for oregon.

[bmkhawk]

I still think he is a little overmatched when it comes to running a successful Big time college program and you would have been better served keeping Tom Davis.

 

Now there's an accurate basis for an opninion on Alford, but one that I will also disagree with in a way. Alford was not exactly overmatched when he was hired -- in fact his first recruiting class was top 5 at the time. The problem came where some rumblings came out that certain people were unhappy/treated differently/lied to, and long story short, it's really gone downhill from there. I can think of 2 players off the top of my head, and because of the dissent of a couple, now he is overmatched.

 

Haluska grew up a Hawkeye fan, and we couldn't land him. Horner and Brunner didn't need to be recruited, they had committed when they were 6 or something. Nobody saw Hansen ever getting significant playing time. Henderson didn't have too many people knocking on his door, as I recall. Yada, yada. Tom Davis wasn't exactly the best at recruiting in-state either. Heinrich, Collison, and LaFrentz being 3 of the more recent big examples.

 

Collison is a very poor example. It is a definite possibility that Collison would have came to Iowa had Davis not been canned and had that awful lame-duck situation.

[SouthSideRyan]

The officiating in the Big Ten is horrible! The better team won but boy were those refs bad after 20 years some of those guys should retire. Wisconsin will be lucky to win 3 more games this year. Brian Butch is so soft, hasn't anyone taught him to box out, he just stands under the basket and doesn't put a body on anyone. The Badgers get two quick fouls on Augustine and when he comes back in the game Butch just hangs out at the three point line the rest of the first half. Atrocious basketball played by the Badgers tonight, it's Tucker, Taylor and three guys who can't find their rear ends with both hands.

 

That's what I don't get about Butch, for his size, he has virtually no inside game. Just hangs out around perimeter shooting jumpers.

 

Butch is a wussy. I heard that Musberger was saying how much intensity he brings to the game, what a joke. He'll act fired up after a play once in a while or on the bench but never on the court. He's almost 7 feet tall and when you watch him shoot in the paint he is always fading away and shooting from about his shoulder heighth. The loss of Stiemsa and Landry really hurt this team and will cost them an NCAA bid.

 

At PSU, At Purdue, and At NU, and Minnesota at Kohl should be easy wins. 19 wins and a winning record in Big 10 play isn't gonna keep a team out.

[bmkhawk]

I don't know if anything this year on the road in the big 10 will be an "easy win" for anyone.

[stitchface]

Wow, take it easy. No offense was meant. I've seen every single one of Tucker's college games and this is how his game appears to me. If it appears differently to you, then that's fine by me, I don't care.

 

I was asking if you'd seen him play much becaue I didn't know. If I didn't see him play much, judging by his size that would be my impression of him as well.

 

it's a pet peeve of mine, that's all. i'm no definitive expert on college basketball, but i know enough about the BT, and wisco (being a current resident and all) to be offended when someone asks me that question.

 

tucker's just not a back-to-the-basket player. he's an inside-out guy, similar to roger powell, but with more skill and less power. he gets his points driving into the lane, shotting from mid-range, and exploiting mismatches down on the blocks. randle is not a mismatch.

 

i'm predicting 10 points from tucker tonight. if i'm wrong, i'll face up.

 

Sorry, if I came across snippy there. Wasn't my intent. I was just pumped about the game and wanted to talk some basketball.

 

I agree that he doesn't play excusively with his back to the basket but he does post up about as much as anyone else on the team. Then again, basketball isn't really my strong suit when it comes to sports. So I could be wrong.

 

10 points it is! If he scores under 20 then I'll come back and eat my crow as well. God, I hope it's not 10 points. That would be really really bad for Wisconsin's chances of winning.

 

Looks like you both lose!

[burnt out cubbie fan]

Another exciting Illinois Wisconsin matchup tonight! It should be a great game for what has become a nice rivalry over the last 3 years or so. Illinois knows that they only play Wiscy once and this is it so they will be fired up. Wisconsin just fell out fo the top 25 and will be eager to show their homecourt advantage still means something.

 

I don't think Wisconsin matches up well with Augustine and I don't think Illinois matches up well with Tucker. The matchup to watch is Chris Rock vs. Dee Brown.

 

My roomates (Illini alums) and myself (Badger) have been giving each other crap all week regarding this game. I'm pumped!

 

i think that randle will shut tucker down.

 

I would think that pretty unlikely. Especially considering the fact Weber said he was giving Randle a "Crash course in post defense." He's likely to get in foul trouble on the road anyway. If Tucker scores under 20 I'd consider it a job well done by Illinois.

 

that would be a first, seeing as how nobody has scored 20 on randle yet, and he always draws the opposing team's best offensive player.

The streak stays alive. :D

 

It's a shame that he really doesn't have a shot. If he can develop one in the next two years, he could be a first rounder.