Re: College Basketball 2008-2009

[illiniguy]

that's trumped by the unexpected improvement within the conference.

 

There's the issue. Who is Indiana a decent bet to finish ahead of next year or '10-'11? For next year, I've got their best case scenario as 8th in conference. For '10-'11, I'd think MSU, Purdue, Illinois, OSU, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are all pretty safe bets to finish ahead of IU. That leaves them as 7th at best fighting with 4 other teams with way more experienced talent.

 

A couple not-so-quick points (and it seems I'm commenting on your string of posts, not specifically the above quoted one):

 

1) IU is near certain to have an easier schedule next season (admitting that I don't know what it will entail exactly). Pomeroy has their overall schedule as No. 4 in the nation, and No. 55 for non-conference only. IU won't be in Maui, should get a much easier ACC/Big Ten opponent than Wake Forest, won't be playing Gonzaga again, will play a Kentucky team that likely loses both Meeks and Patterson to the NBA, and, finally, I think you'll see Crean ease up on the schedule regardless. Some of the wins they'll need will simply come from easier games.

 

2) With the current crop of coaches in the Big Ten, and the recruiting renaissance, I think you'll see the tournament berths increase. I'd expect six or seven most every season from here on out. While upward mobility will be more difficult, the selection committee is likely to include more Big Ten teams. Your "seventh at best" may, in fact, be good enough.

 

3) As Big Ten fans, we probably should just get accustomed to Ohio State having about the most talent in the league every year. As long as Matta is there, I doubt many -- if any -- will out-recruit him. That said, their on-court results (excepting, of course, a once-in-a-lifetime Oden/Conley Jr. class) figure to lag behind their paper talent. I don't think any talented teams should concede a higher finish to Ohio State because of talent. Who has more talent this year, Ohio State or Illinois? Ohio State. Who is better? Illinois. That may be near axiomatic.

Point three is arguable. Illinois and Michigan State both have a ton of talent coming in, but yes OSU will always put a ton of talent on the floor.

[Exile on Waveland]

1) IU is near certain to have an easier schedule next season (admitting that I don't know what it will entail exactly). Pomeroy has their overall schedule as No. 4 in the nation, and No. 55 for non-conference only. IU won't be in Maui, should get a much easier ACC/Big Ten opponent than Wake Forest, won't be playing Gonzaga again, will play a Kentucky team that likely loses both Meeks and Patterson to the NBA, and, finally, I think you'll see Crean ease up on the schedule regardless. Some of the wins they'll need will simply come from easier games.

 

yeah they should stay away from those potential trap games against northeastern and lipscomb :wink:

:oops:

[Exile on Waveland]

that's trumped by the unexpected improvement within the conference.

 

There's the issue. Who is Indiana a decent bet to finish ahead of next year or '10-'11? For next year, I've got their best case scenario as 8th in conference. For '10-'11, I'd think MSU, Purdue, Illinois, OSU, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are all pretty safe bets to finish ahead of IU. That leaves them as 7th at best fighting with 4 other teams with way more experienced talent.

 

A couple not-so-quick points (and it seems I'm commenting on your string of posts, not specifically the above quoted one):

 

1) IU is near certain to have an easier schedule next season (admitting that I don't know what it will entail exactly). Pomeroy has their overall schedule as No. 4 in the nation, and No. 55 for non-conference only. IU won't be in Maui, should get a much easier ACC/Big Ten opponent than Wake Forest, won't be playing Gonzaga again, will play a Kentucky team that likely loses both Meeks and Patterson to the NBA, and, finally, I think you'll see Crean ease up on the schedule regardless. Some of the wins they'll need will simply come from easier games.

 

2) With the current crop of coaches in the Big Ten, and the recruiting renaissance, I think you'll see the tournament berths increase. I'd expect six or seven most every season from here on out. While upward mobility will be more difficult, the selection committee is likely to include more Big Ten teams. Your "seventh at best" may, in fact, be good enough.

 

3) As Big Ten fans, we probably should just get accustomed to Ohio State having about the most talent in the league every year. As long as Matta is there, I doubt many -- if any -- will out-recruit him. That said, their on-court results (excepting, of course, a once-in-a-lifetime Oden/Conley Jr. class) figure to lag behind their paper talent. I don't think any talented teams should concede a higher finish to Ohio State because of talent. Who has more talent this year, Ohio State or Illinois? Ohio State. Who is better? Illinois. That may be near axiomatic.

Point three is arguable. Illinois and Michigan State both have a ton of talent coming in, but yes OSU will always put a ton of talent on the floor.

 

I don't mean to say Ohio State will invariably have the most talent in the league. They figure to be right near the top every season though, and I've seen little to suggest that their league finish will correspond directly to that.

[illiniguy]

that's trumped by the unexpected improvement within the conference.

 

There's the issue. Who is Indiana a decent bet to finish ahead of next year or '10-'11? For next year, I've got their best case scenario as 8th in conference. For '10-'11, I'd think MSU, Purdue, Illinois, OSU, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are all pretty safe bets to finish ahead of IU. That leaves them as 7th at best fighting with 4 other teams with way more experienced talent.

 

A couple not-so-quick points (and it seems I'm commenting on your string of posts, not specifically the above quoted one):

 

1) IU is near certain to have an easier schedule next season (admitting that I don't know what it will entail exactly). Pomeroy has their overall schedule as No. 4 in the nation, and No. 55 for non-conference only. IU won't be in Maui, should get a much easier ACC/Big Ten opponent than Wake Forest, won't be playing Gonzaga again, will play a Kentucky team that likely loses both Meeks and Patterson to the NBA, and, finally, I think you'll see Crean ease up on the schedule regardless. Some of the wins they'll need will simply come from easier games.

 

2) With the current crop of coaches in the Big Ten, and the recruiting renaissance, I think you'll see the tournament berths increase. I'd expect six or seven most every season from here on out. While upward mobility will be more difficult, the selection committee is likely to include more Big Ten teams. Your "seventh at best" may, in fact, be good enough.

 

3) As Big Ten fans, we probably should just get accustomed to Ohio State having about the most talent in the league every year. As long as Matta is there, I doubt many -- if any -- will out-recruit him. That said, their on-court results (excepting, of course, a once-in-a-lifetime Oden/Conley Jr. class) figure to lag behind their paper talent. I don't think any talented teams should concede a higher finish to Ohio State because of talent. Who has more talent this year, Ohio State or Illinois? Ohio State. Who is better? Illinois. That may be near axiomatic.

Point three is arguable. Illinois and Michigan State both have a ton of talent coming in, but yes OSU will always put a ton of talent on the floor.

 

I don't mean to say Ohio State will invariably have the most talent in the league. They figure to be right near the top every season though, and I've seen little to suggest that their league finish will correspond directly to that.

Yeah Matta really loads his teams there is no debating that.

[UK1679666180]

For the U of I fans with Comcast Chicago, I woud suggest watching Tues. night at 7:00 PM as Warren plays Zion-Benton which will feature Brandon Paul against 2010 Ohio State recruit Lenzelle smith.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

wooo Zion

[Magnetic Curses]

For the U of I fans with Comcast Chicago, I woud suggest watching Tues. night at 7:00 PM as Warren plays Zion-Benton which will feature Brandon Paul against 2010 Ohio State recruit Lenzelle smith.

 

yeah, we would have taken lenzelle but i think he was reticent with all of the other guards we had already committed. i don't know much about him, but warren better win.

 

on a side note, warren just lost to lake forest and UM commit matt vogrich in ot 66-64. vogrich had 35 points and 12 boards while paul had 27 and 14, although paul fouled out early in ot.

[SouthSideRyan]

For the U of I fans with Comcast Chicago, I woud suggest watching Tues. night at 7:00 PM as Warren plays Zion-Benton which will feature Brandon Paul against 2010 Ohio State recruit Lenzelle smith.

 

yeah, we would have taken lenzelle but i think he was reticent with all of the other guards we had already committed. i don't know much about him, but warren better win.

 

I think it was a two way street with Smith. All our big men except Simpson and Griffey will be seniors his freshman year. We needed a post player for some class balance and so we weren't running a freshman out in the rotation in '11. I know Richmond was pushing hard to get him here.

[dew1679666265]

I don't know if this was posted yet but . . .

 

Gus Johnson is announcing the Tennessee/Memphis game today!!!! :yahoo:

 

A great game just got even better. :D

[illiniguy]

For the U of I fans with Comcast Chicago, I woud suggest watching Tues. night at 7:00 PM as Warren plays Zion-Benton which will feature Brandon Paul against 2010 Ohio State recruit Lenzelle smith.

 

yeah, we would have taken lenzelle but i think he was reticent with all of the other guards we had already committed. i don't know much about him, but warren better win.

 

I think it was a two way street with Smith. All our big men except Simpson and Griffey will be seniors his freshman year. We needed a post player for some class balance and so we weren't running a freshman out in the rotation in '11. I know Richmond was pushing hard to get him here.

Meyers Leonard will also be in the '10 class. I think we offered him and Smith and said "here it is who wants it?" I wouldn't have minded either guy. Luckily Lenzelle was smart and jumped on OSUs offer, didn't want to get the same deal Colvin did by waiting around too long.

[SouthSideRyan]

I don't know if this was posted yet but . . .

 

Gus Johnson is announcing the Tennessee/Memphis game today!!!! :yahoo:

 

A great game just got even better. :D

 

Gus doesn't do nearly enough BTN games.

[dew1679666265]

I don't know if this was posted yet but . . .

 

Gus Johnson is announcing the Tennessee/Memphis game today!!!! :yahoo:

 

A great game just got even better. :D

 

Gus doesn't do nearly enough BTN games.

 

Gus should do all games. In all sports.

[SouthSideRyan]

I don't know if this was posted yet but . . .

 

Gus Johnson is announcing the Tennessee/Memphis game today!!!! :yahoo:

 

A great game just got even better. :D

 

Gus doesn't do nearly enough BTN games.

 

Gus should do all games. In all sports.

 

I wouldn't limit him to sports.

[illiniguy]

I don't know if this was posted yet but . . .

 

Gus Johnson is announcing the Tennessee/Memphis game today!!!! :yahoo:

 

A great game just got even better. :D

 

Gus doesn't do nearly enough BTN games.

He narrorated the greatest season thing they did on 1989. Almost made it bearable to watch the end of it. Almost.

[Magnetic Curses]

brackins tearing up with like 40 points.

[Magnetic Curses]

you lost, stop fouling.

[Magnetic Curses]

okay, if you're down 16 with 1:30 to play, do you stop fouling?

[illiniguy]

brackins tearing up with like 40 points.

Apparently we offered him, do you remember that Sully?

[illiniguy]

okay, if you're down 16 with 1:30 to play, do you stop fouling?

I do because I don't want to lose by 20.

[Magnetic Curses]

brackins tearing up with like 40 points.

Apparently we offered him, do you remember that Sully?

 

no. but i remember offering mario little from kansas. i'll have to look that up.

[Magnetic Curses]

get brackins the record and stop fouling.

[Magnetic Curses]

and a timeout. this is the longest blowout in sports history.

[illiniguy]

brackins tearing up with like 40 points.

Apparently we offered him, do you remember that Sully?

 

no. but i remember offering mario little from kansas. i'll have to look that up.

I don't either, but they are talking about it on the IB.

[illiniguy]

Yeah Steven tip your hat to Self being smart enough to have all the other North schools be god awful.

[Vanilla Ice]

Duke is so much better than I expected