Big Ten Basketball

[NCCubFan]

Are you sure that a loss to Michigan, win against Northwestern/Purdue, and then loss to the #2 or #3 seed will get them there?

Am I sure? No. Do I think it would be probable? Yes. They would have a .500 record in the conference and 17 wins overall. That resume would include several wins over ranked (at least at the time) teams and the aforementioned single-digit losses against the top two teams in the country. I strongly feel that SHOULD be enough to get them in. Whether it actually DOES is up to the committee.

[Sweep The Leg Johnny]

A good win by MSU tonight. Although I have to say that was one ugly game. I hate to see refs control the flow of a game, and they basically dictated everything from start to finish.

 

An MSU-Wisconsin game is never complete without someone from MSU going down with cramps.

[Flames24Rulz]

uh oh, Augustine in a nasty collision and is already in the locker room...not even 4 minutes into the game. Hope it is nothing serious...

[Soul]

He's back now. Looks a little gimpy, but he's back.

[CP_414]

Are you sure that a loss to Michigan, win against Northwestern/Purdue, and then loss to the #2 or #3 seed will get them there?

Am I sure? No. Do I think it would be probable? Yes. They would have a .500 record in the conference and 17 wins overall. That resume would include several wins over ranked (at least at the time) teams and the aforementioned single-digit losses against the top two teams in the country. I strongly feel that SHOULD be enough to get them in. Whether it actually DOES is up to the committee.

 

I agree. I think 1 more win at any point before the end of the BTT gets IU in. IU has beat Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State when they were all ranked. Two of the Hoosier losses are to #1 eams in the country (Duke and UCONN). They will finish no worse than .500 in the Big Ten, despite disappearing for 6 weeks. I think IU is looking at a 10 seed.

[UMFan83]

Are you sure that a loss to Michigan, win against Northwestern/Purdue, and then loss to the #2 or #3 seed will get them there?

Am I sure? No. Do I think it would be probable? Yes. They would have a .500 record in the conference and 17 wins overall. That resume would include several wins over ranked (at least at the time) teams and the aforementioned single-digit losses against the top two teams in the country. I strongly feel that SHOULD be enough to get them in. Whether it actually DOES is up to the committee.

 

I agree. I think 1 more win at any point before the end of the BTT gets IU in. IU has beat Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State when they were all ranked. Two of the Hoosier losses are to #1 eams in the country (Duke and UCONN). They will finish no worse than .500 in the Big Ten, despite disappearing for 6 weeks. I think IU is looking at a 10 seed.

 

Not to nitpick, but Michigan wasn't ranked when IU beat them.

 

Go Blue today. I know everyone is saying that Michigan is in, but since I haven't seen them in the dance since 1998, I'd be worried if they lost today and in the first round of the tourney, something that is entirely possible given the bad karma of the team remaining since the later-90's scandals

[CP_414]

Are you sure that a loss to Michigan, win against Northwestern/Purdue, and then loss to the #2 or #3 seed will get them there?

Am I sure? No. Do I think it would be probable? Yes. They would have a .500 record in the conference and 17 wins overall. That resume would include several wins over ranked (at least at the time) teams and the aforementioned single-digit losses against the top two teams in the country. I strongly feel that SHOULD be enough to get them in. Whether it actually DOES is up to the committee.

 

I agree. I think 1 more win at any point before the end of the BTT gets IU in. IU has beat Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State when they were all ranked. Two of the Hoosier losses are to #1 eams in the country (Duke and UCONN). They will finish no worse than .500 in the Big Ten, despite disappearing for 6 weeks. I think IU is looking at a 10 seed.

 

Not to nitpick, but Michigan wasn't ranked when IU beat them.

 

Go Blue today. I know everyone is saying that Michigan is in, but since I haven't seen them in the dance since 1998, I'd be worried if they lost today and in the first round of the tourney, something that is entirely possible given the bad karma of the team remaining since the later-90's scandals

 

 

I went back and checked and you are correct. Michigan was 10-1, ranked 28th in both polls before the last game with IU.

 

I wouldn't worry if I were you. You will probably win today. If not you will definitly beat Purdue in Indy. You guys are in.

[Soul]

Well, Illini by 10 with 6min to go.

 

Certainly not over yet. Nice job putting the team in a position to win on the road though.

[Flames24Rulz]

Augustine having a real good game today...has a chance to put Illinois up by 9 if he converts the 3 point play.

 

EDIT: maybe not that good, I could've sworn hes done better than 7 and 6. 68-59 Illini with a little under 4 to play.

[da bears]

Good win for the Illini today. I think a first round win for Illinois and they should lock up a 2 seed in the tournament.

[illiniguy]

Good win for the Illini today. I think a first round win for Illinois and they should lock up a 2 seed in the tournament.

Man stupid Penn State. Without that loss we could have had an outside shot at a 1 seed. We are rounding into form at the right time though. Pruitt is so much better now than he was at the start of the year. We could be a real tough out if we play well, we could also easily be an upset victum if Dee doesn't show up. Either way I want a rematch with OSU on a neutral court.

[dalgreen]

Good win for the Illini today. I think a first round win for Illinois and they should lock up a 2 seed in the tournament.

Man stupid Penn State. Without that loss we could have had an outside shot at a 1 seed. We are rounding into form at the right time though. Pruitt is so much better now than he was at the start of the year. We could be a real tough out if we play well, we could also easily be an upset victum if Dee doesn't show up. Either way I want a rematch with OSU on a neutral court.

 

Had they played with any heart in Ann Arbor, that win would've nearly canceled the Penn State loss. The Illini played well today. I'm not too sure Pruitt is that much better now than at the beginning of the season. I still think the Indiana game in Bloomington was his best game of the year. When is Brian Randle going to realize that he's one of the most talented players on the floor day in day out? It's really inexcusable any game that he can't contribute 10 pts.

[Soul]

Augustine having a real good game today...has a chance to put Illinois up by 9 if he converts the 3 point play.

 

EDIT: maybe not that good, I could've sworn hes done better than 7 and 6. 68-59 Illini with a little under 4 to play.

 

Despite the point total, I agree. He had a good game today. He was playing with a tweak, and yet he had several key plays down the stretch.

 

Good win for the Illini today. Never easy to go in there and win.

[CP_414]

WOO HOO!

 

The Hoosiers are gonna be dancing after that win over Michigan.

 

Nice save to a sinking season.

[NCCubFan]

I think the Hoosiers played their way up to a #7 or 8 seed now. Beating a very good team on the road in the last game of the regular season is HUGE. Four wins in a row now, including beating a ranked team at home and winning a very tough road game to end the season. The nightmarish freefall is a distant memory now. Absolute lock for the tournament, no questions asked.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Disappointing Big 10 season for Michigan State. With Gray out now too, I'm not too optimistic heading into the BTT and NCAA's.

[CP_414]

I think the Hoosiers played their way up to a #7 or 8 seed now. Beating a very good team on the road in the last game of the regular season is HUGE. Four wins in a row now, including beating a ranked team at home and winning a very tough road game to end the season. The nightmarish freefall is a distant memory now. Absolute lock for the tournament, no questions asked.

 

A 7 seed would be great, but I think they need to beat Wisconsin to get that high. I would rather have a 10 than an 8 or 9 this year because the #1 seeds are so much better than the #2's.

 

I know that's getting ahead of myself, but they are starting to look like the team that was ranked #8 in the country in January. Is DJ White definitly out the rest of the way? Mike Davis should have quit a long time ago. They have been much better since the game in Illinois.

[NCCubFan]

I either read or heard (I don't recall which) that White is definitely finished this year and may ask for a medical redshirt. I agree that #10 would be mch better than 8 or 9, which I consider to be the worst possible seedings. Being seeded lower than 9 means having to beat a higher seeded team in the first round, but a more favorable second round matchup if they do. Ideally I'd like to see them climb to #6 and play #3 in the second round, but I think to have ANY chance at that they'd probably need to win the Big Ten tournament, and even then I don't think it's a sure thing (it seems to me that the committee usually gives more weight to the regular season than the conference tournament when seeding teams). So looking at a #7 if they win a game in the conference tournament and a #10 otherwise is probably the most realistic scenerio that would give a decent chance in the second round.

[Jon]

Time to go say goodbye to Vedran and Mo. :(

[UMFan83]

All my sports teams suck. Michigan won't make the tourney

[da bears]

All my sports teams suck. Michigan won't make the tourney

 

Ya wanna switch and I'll cheer for Michigan and you can cheer for Mizzou? :wink:

[rawaction]

I'm actually not too stressed about the Michigan game. Davis owns Amaker.

 

Yeah, baby! Can you play any worse and win a road game vs. a RPI top 50 team? 14 first half turnovers. 17 in the first 24 minutes. 24 fouls committed. 11 FT disadvantage. Allowed 50% from the field in the 2nd half.

 

That's a tourney bid for IU. Hopefully, a win over Wisconsin puts us in the #7 seed range. Davis deserves credit for once again getting his team to play with a chip on their shoulder when they need a win, as a lame duck coach.

[UMFan83]

I'm actually not too stressed about the Michigan game. Davis owns Amaker.

 

Yeah, baby! Can you play any worse and win a road game vs. a RPI top 50 team? 14 first half turnovers. 17 in the first 24 minutes. 24 fouls committed. 11 FT disadvantage. Allowed 50% from the field in the 2nd half.

 

That's a tourney bid for IU. Hopefully, a win over Wisconsin puts us in the #7 seed range. Davis deserves credit for once again getting his team to play with a chip on their shoulder when they need a win, as a lame duck coach.

 

Don't get too exited. Michigan is simply not that good. They haven't won a single meaningful game on the road this year (Penn State was probably their best road win, all of their good wins - MSU, Illinois, Wisconsin have come at home). They have lost 6 of their last 8 games and they are starting to look like a one dimentional team (Horton was the only player doing anything for UM in the second half)

 

I doubt Michigan will even make it to MSG this year for the Final 4 of the NIT**

 

** - If Hunter and Abram come back, they they might be a much better team. But very doubtful Abram and his spained ankle make it back (he's more injured then Kerry Wood) and Hunter is about 50/50 to make it back for the first round of the NIT.

[Jon]

Not a great win, but it was a nice way to finish out my time in the student section (I doubt I'm going to spend $83 for young alumni season tickets for basketball games). Horribly officiated game on both sides in the first half and Minnesota blew it on a defensive goaltend on an uncontested rebound attempt last in the game as the ball was bouncing off, but he clearly grabbed it while it was still over the rim. Major boner.

 

I'm not looking forward to facing Penn State. The perimeter defense has really been lacking as of late.

 

Oh, and Vedran won the first scoring title in Northwestern's history since 1951.

[Derwood]

I'm not looking forward to facing Penn State. The perimeter defense has really been lacking as of late.

 

I felt like PSU's style of play matched up really well against NU's when I saw them play last weekend. If the Wildcats are just going to shoot 25 foot 3-pointers all game, they are screwed (unless they go like 15-25 from behind the line). If they can get the ball inside, they may have a shot. On the other hand, it's awfully tough to beat the same team 3 times in one season, so history isn't on Penn State's side.