Big Ten Basketball

[SouthSideRyan]

If Michigan or NU could go ahead and beat OSU that'd be just great. Thanks.

[hawkeyecub]

Big day tomorrow in the Big Ten. Iowa at Illinois is the game of the week. Apparently Illinois is handing out 17,000 orange headbands with Augustine and Dee's numbers on them for senior's day. Assembly Hall will probably be rocking, but I'm confident that Iowa can play well and hopefully pull out that signature road win that we could use. Should be a great game either way with a ton on the line.

By the way Lunardi has Iowa and Illinois as 3 seeds today, with Iowa ahead of them on the S-curve. If we can somehow pull this won out, it could easily be the start of a 4 game win streak (PSU, Wisconsin at home next week, then it would probably be Purdue/NW in first round of BTT) which could get us that 2 seed.

 

And let's hope that Michigan can steal at win at Ohio State. I think they match up well with them and can pull it out as long as Ohio State isn't insanely hot from 3-point range.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm pretty shocked Lunardi still has us as a 3. I'm inclined to think we can only lose 1 more game (2 if it's the tournament final) the rest of the way to get a 3 seed.

[bmkhawk]

I would be ecstatic if Iowa could get EITHER a 2 or a 3 seed. It's the 4 seed that I worry about.

[dalgreen]

I still don't know why Big Ten coaches aren't advocating for an 18 game conference schedule. Yes, I'm bitter, but then if we (Illinois) had either Ohio State or Wisconsin at home, I'm sure there wouldn't be a three way tie for first.

 

Even with 18 you still would have problems though because it still would be unbalanced.

 

You would have to go to 20 games to get it the way you used to and that's just never going to happen. The addition of Penn State screwed it up, just like they did with football scheduling.

Now with the 12th game in football, it would definitely be easy to have everyone play 9 Big Ten games and play everyone.

 

Either way in both sports if you play more conference games than every other conference, you're pretty much just adding extra losses and hurting yourselves.

 

Personally, I'd like to see a 20-game schedule -- just drop the conference tourney -- but that's a whole other subject.

 

Yes, you have an unbalanced schedule with 18 conference games, but at least you play two teams only once instead of four teams only once. I hate that the regular season Big Ten title seems to not mean as much anymore. Illinois had two separate weeks where they only played one game in that week. I think it could be done, but evidently the conference and others don't think the regular season title is important enough to schedule more games. We have 11 teams and the Pac-10 has ten, yet they play 18 conference games, so why can't we?

[dalgreen]

I'm pretty shocked Lunardi still has us as a 3. I'm inclined to think we can only lose 1 more game (2 if it's the tournament final) the rest of the way to get a 3 seed.

 

I honestly think the only way we get the sweet 16 is with a 2 seed (pretty much out of the question now). Even a three seed worries me since that likely means a 3-6 matchup in the 2nd round. A four seed and I pretty much see us out before the sweet sixteen. I'm extremely confident that we will win tomorrow, but I'm not so confident about the games at Minnesota and MSU.

[Derwood]

There was an article in the paper today saying that with the expanded Big East as well as the unbalanced schedules in the Big Ten and Big Twelve, the NCAA selection comittee has a really hard task this year. Strength of schedule alone can't be a huge determining factor anymore.

[hawkeyecub]

I would be ecstatic if Iowa could get EITHER a 2 or a 3 seed. It's the 4 seed that I worry about.

 

Yep, not a big difference between a 2 or 3, especially this year where the teams contending for those spots are almost interchangable. Huge difference between a 3 or a 4 though.

I think that if we win 2 more in the regular season and win our first game of the BTT we're in pretty good shape to hold onto a 3. Anything less and we're probably looking at a 4.

[hawkeyecub]

I still don't know why Big Ten coaches aren't advocating for an 18 game conference schedule. Yes, I'm bitter, but then if we (Illinois) had either Ohio State or Wisconsin at home, I'm sure there wouldn't be a three way tie for first.

 

Even with 18 you still would have problems though because it still would be unbalanced.

 

You would have to go to 20 games to get it the way you used to and that's just never going to happen. The addition of Penn State screwed it up, just like they did with football scheduling.

Now with the 12th game in football, it would definitely be easy to have everyone play 9 Big Ten games and play everyone.

 

Either way in both sports if you play more conference games than every other conference, you're pretty much just adding extra losses and hurting yourselves.

 

Personally, I'd like to see a 20-game schedule -- just drop the conference tourney -- but that's a whole other subject.

 

Yes, you have an unbalanced schedule with 18 conference games, but at least you play two teams only once instead of four teams only once. I hate that the regular season Big Ten title seems to not mean as much anymore. Illinois had two separate weeks where they only played one game in that week. I think it could be done, but evidently the conference and others don't think the regular season title is important enough to schedule more games. We have 11 teams and the Pac-10 has ten, yet they play 18 conference games, so why can't we?

 

I've heard some of the coaches talking about this in the teleconferences and interviews this year. The consensus among many of them seems to be that they would love it to crown a true champion, but that they would want all conferences to go to a similar system. Otherwise they say that it would just give every Big Ten team more losses and would hurt them as far as getting in or getting a good seed in the tournament.

I think it was Bo Ryan who gave this kind of example:

If a team went 13-7 in the Big Ten, that's a pretty successful season. But that's still 7 losses and even if they go 8-3 in the nonconference schedule, they're at 10 losses. Coaches would have to try to get more easy wins in the preseason but that would hurt their RPI and the RPI of other teams in the league.

 

I know what you're saying about going to 18, but I think you either would have to go all the way or just leave it how it is. What if it worked out so that Iowa played Penn State and Purdue only once this year, while OSU played Illinois and Wisconsin only once? You still will inevitably have the same problems.

[Jon]

The 'Cats are sure trying to blow this one.

 

Ah, the "just like football" chant returns. There's none better.

 

It is fairly incredible that they beat both Iowa and Wisconsin in football and basketball this year. I don't see that happening again for a while. It seems like Basanez and Vukusic have each been there for 7 years.

I just hate playing at Northwestern in both sports. Weird atmospheres at both venues with not much fan support (I think Wisconsin had more fans tonight) in small arenas and stadiums. And in both sports they play systems that Big Ten teams don't see much of.

 

That said I'm glad they pulled that one out tonight. Now if they can just beat Ohio State at home next week...

On both sides of the ball for the basketball team, too. Their ever-changing defense has worked out pretty well this year.

 

NU jumps out to a 2-0 lead over Penn State. Huge game for their post-season chances.

[Jon]

And they're playing like poop. Penn State's 13 of 15 free throws made to NU's 0 of 2 is the main difference. The 9 first half turnovers don't help, either.

[Jon]

Stinkfest. Probably more fouls and turnovers than baskets.

[Derwood]

Just got back from the PSU vs. NU game. JMD is right, free throws were a huge difference. NU only took 3 and missed them all. Reason? They NEVER passed the ball inside the 3-point line. The only 2 pointers they made were on fastbreaks or rebounds of 3-pointers. I didn't catch the final stats, but at halftime, NU had shot 21 times, 15 from 3-point land. And NU shot 3's from ANYWHERE on the floor. Not quite JJ Reddick silly, but many well beyond the line. I guess if you live or die by the 3, you're going to die sometimes.

 

Good win for PSU, who now guarantees themselves a winning regular season record. Last game is @Iowa on Wed. or Thurs (don't remember).

[stitchface]

looking like a great day for OSU.

[SouthSideRyan]

Sigh it comes down to at NU for a chance for a tie, and that's with 2 tough games on the road left.

[illiniguy]

Sigh it comes down to at NU for a chance for a tie, and that's with 2 tough games on the road left.

We don't deserve it, we lost to Penn State at home.

That said it was sad to see James and Dee play their last games in Champaign. Congrats and good luck guys.

[CuseCubFan69]

Somebody on ESPN said Indiana has no chance to beat Michigan St......that's funny.

[NCCubFan]

Somebody on ESPN said Indiana has no chance to beat Michigan St......that's funny.

And the outcome of the game makes it even funnier. :D

 

That was a HUGE win for IU. They've now won two in a row, including one over a ranked team. Hopefully they stopped the slide in time to still make the NCAA (I think a win or two in the Big Ten tournament would seal the deal).

[CuseCubFan69]

Somebody on ESPN said Indiana has no chance to beat Michigan St......that's funny.

And the outcome of the game makes it even funnier. :D

 

That was a HUGE win for IU. They've now won two in a row, including one over a ranked team. Hopefully they stopped the slide in time to still make the NCAA (I think a win or two in the Big Ten tournament would seal the deal).

 

As crazy as the Big 10 has been I don't see how anyone can say any game is going to be a definite win.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

For those that saw the MSU-IU game, did Marquise Gray get hurt? He started but only played 4 minutes. Even Ager finally did well(very very well) in a road game and they couldn't win.

[CuseCubFan69]

For those that saw the MSU-IU game, did Marquise Gray get hurt? He started but only played 4 minutes. Even Ager finally did well(very very well) in a road game and they couldn't win.

 

I didn't notice T Squared. I casually watched the game until the UConn vs Villanova game came on and only payed attention to it in the last 5 minutes. Tough loss and a quality win for Indiana.

[rawaction]

Oh, it ain't over! Big 15th win. Most importantly, 4th win vs. RPI top 25. At Purdue and Michigan to finish the season. Should at least finish with 16 wins and a .500 conference record. One win in the BTen tourney, and they're in. This win puts them in the driver's seat for a 5 seed in the conf. tourney. Actually, it would be much better for IU to be the 6th or 7th seed, as a matchup with NW or Purdue in the 1st round is a lot better than a bye and Wisconsin or Iowa in the 2nd round.

[rawaction]

For those that saw the MSU-IU game, did Marquise Gray get hurt? He started but only played 4 minutes. Even Ager finally did well(very very well) in a road game and they couldn't win.

 

I watched from start to finish and couldn't tell you. My guess is that something must have been wrong. MSU started some scrub against Killer in the 2nd half. Gray never came back in after the first 4 minutes. I don't think that made a difference in the outcome, but I believe Trannon's loss certainly did. He's a rough matchup for IU.

[stitchface]

Oh, it ain't over! Big 15th win. Most importantly, 4th win vs. RPI top 25. At Purdue and Michigan to finish the season. Should at least finish with 16 wins and a .500 conference record. One win in the BTen tourney, and they're in. This win puts them in the driver's seat for a 5 seed in the conf. tourney. Actually, it would be much better for IU to be the 6th or 7th seed, as a matchup with NW or Purdue in the 1st round is a lot better than a bye and Wisconsin or Iowa in the 2nd round.

 

I wouldn't count on winning one of those - not saying they can't or won't - just that losing both is a possibility. They better win the Purdue game because Michigan will be tough.

[rawaction]

Oh, it ain't over! Big 15th win. Most importantly, 4th win vs. RPI top 25. At Purdue and Michigan to finish the season. Should at least finish with 16 wins and a .500 conference record. One win in the BTen tourney, and they're in. This win puts them in the driver's seat for a 5 seed in the conf. tourney. Actually, it would be much better for IU to be the 6th or 7th seed, as a matchup with NW or Purdue in the 1st round is a lot better than a bye and Wisconsin or Iowa in the 2nd round.

 

I wouldn't count on winning one of those - not saying they can't or won't - just that losing both is a possibility. They better win the Purdue game because Michigan will be tough.

 

Agreed. Purdue has been playing better since IU saw them last. And that will be tough on their senior (do they have any?) day. But that's a must win. Can't afford another bad loss. I'm actually not too stressed about the Michigan game. Davis owns Amaker.