bukie

So I suppose I should start gearing up to hold a mock tournament selection committee again this year...

I think what most Big Ten fans are missing is that the gap between the best team (say, MSU or Purdue) and the 10th best team (say, Iowa) is small enough that any team can beat any other team on even a slight off-night by the other team. Cases in point: MSU at home vs. NU and PSU, Illinois and PSU at home vs. Iowa (although both ended up being wins, both were tight games throughout). And really, at the halfway point of the conference season, any of the ten teams can still make a run for the tournament (ok, except maybe Iowa...but if they somehow won out, they'd still make it).

I can make it work pretty much whenever, as long as I can plan on it.

Would be nice if the Illini could get back to actually running their motion offense, instead of their "stand around for 35 seconds and take a fallaway jumper" offense.

I can't believe the Illini have won 20 straight against Minnesota, including sweeping 3 games last year.

Manny Harris is the short list. EDIT: Kevin Coble, Talor Battle, Evan Turner, Jamelle Cornley, Lawrence Westbrook, Kalin Lucas, Robbie Hummel, Demetri McCamey and Matt Gatens are probably also on the list for conference honors, but nobody's close to Harris.

Oh, I'm not saying either team should necessarily be "in", right now, I was just somewhat amused by how strikingly similar the profiles were, and how nobody is saying Team B should be in or ranked, and somehow Team A is ranked and largely assumed in.

Let's play a game...who has the better tournament resume? Team A: 11-7, RPI: 73, 5-5 in the last 10, 2-5 vs. top 50, 3-6 vs. top 100, 4-5 road/neutral record, non-con schedule rated 311, one loss outside top 100 Team B: 10-7, RPI: 41, 4-6 in the last 10, 1-5 vs. top 50, 3-7 vs. top 100, 2-5 road/neutral record, non-con schedule rated 234, no losses outside top 100

They're at least as likely to make the tournament as the other team I talk about, so why not? Oh my God, no they don't. Ball St. has like a 1% chance of making the tourney. The MAC West is terrible. Well, the MAC is definitely a one-bid league this year, so maybe he just thinks there's just as much chance Ball State wins the MAC tourney as the 8th best team as ND has winning the Big East tourney as the 9th best team. Ball State is 4-1 in the MAC currently tied for the best record in conference and they already beat one of the other 4-1 teams on the road. Not sure where you get the 8th best team in the MAC from. As statistical measures go, they are worse than the entire MAC East and Western Michigan. They have played better since conference play started, yes, but overall they're the 8th best team. EDIT: And if by "on the road", you mean "at home by 6", then what you said is true. Yes, they're better than the rest of the MAC West. The MAC West is terrible.

They're at least as likely to make the tournament as the other team I talk about, so why not? Oh my God, no they don't. Ball St. has like a 1% chance of making the tourney. The MAC West is terrible. Well, the MAC is definitely a one-bid league this year, so maybe he just thinks there's just as much chance Ball State wins the MAC tourney as the 8th best team as ND has winning the Big East tourney as the 9th best team.

BP's John Gasaway posted an article on conference analysis (still early edition). On Illinois:

Dude, show some respect for CMG.

And that leaves Illinois as the only Big Ten team without a home conference loss.

First newbie question(s): - Where can I see how many fantasy points players are worth, so I can know who I can keep? - Also, as per the "4 exemption years" thing, does that include major league service time only?

Heh, great, now my team can't finish last, because I have an entire branch of baseball thinking to symbolize. :)

As an aside, Ken Pomeroy was really, really good at predicting the scores of the Big Ten games today.

PSU now alone in 4th in the Big Ten behind MSU, Illinois and Purdue. They've certainly taken advantage of what has been a favorable first-half BT schedule, but they've also still won games they weren't expected to, like against Purdue. Of course, the schedule kicks up in difficulty right about....now.

Just shows once again that you can't have an off-night in the Big Ten and expect to win anyway, except against Indiana.

Man, what a slow, plodding, first 35 minutes this game has been. I can't believe a team can shoot 55% from the field and still just score 55 in the game through 35 minutes.

Thanks for the invite. Going to take me a couple days (weeks?) to even get up to speed on everything, so if I don't accept your trade offers immediately, that just means I hate you. ;)

I'll join the Bears war room while there's still space available, if possible. I know nothing about Buffalo or Tampa's needs, and I assumed TT would want to be the Tampa guy.

Another thing that affects programs depending on what conference they're in is a bonus for winning the conference title game. So, Big 12, ACC and SEC teams get bumps for that, while Big Ten, Pac-10 and Big East programs get nothing.

To me, it looks like the biggest flaw in putting together that list is in weighting success equally throughout all time. Winning 50 years ago means just as much as winning this year. If they weighted the list so that more recent success meant more, it'd probably look better.

Bracket based on Pomeroy ratings: SOUTH 1.Duke (ACC) 16a.Morgan St. (MEAC) 16b.Alabama St. (SWAC) 8.Syracuse 9.Oklahoma St. 4.Illinois 13.Miami OH (MAC) 5.Xavier (A10) 12.LSU 2.Connecticut 15.Jacksonville (ASun) 7.Utah (MWC) 10.Wisconsin 3.Memphis (CUSA) 14.Texas Arlington (Slnd) 6.Kentucky (SEC) 11.Kansas St. ----------------------- EAST 1.Pittsburgh (BE) 16.Mount St. Mary's (NEC) 8.Baylor 9.Florida 4.Wake Forest 13.North Dakota St. (Sum) 5.Washington 12.Houston 2.Missouri (B12) 15.Cornell (Ivy) 7.Butler (Horz) 10.Miami FL 3.West Virginia 14.Middle Tennessee (SB) 6.California 11.Minnesota ----------------------- MIDWEST 1.North Carolina 16.Tennessee Martin (OVC) 8.Villanova 9.Stanford 4.Purdue (B10) 13.Creighton (MVC) 5.Kansas 12.Utah St. (WAC) 2.Arizona St. (P10) 15.Pacific (BW) 7.Brigham Young 10.Davidson (SC) 3.Louisville 14.Vermont (AE) 6.Clemson 11.Northwestern ----------------------- WEST 1.Gonzaga (WCC) 16.Liberty (BSth) 8.Southern California 9.Tennessee 4.Oklahoma 13.Siena (MAAC) 5.Marquette 12.Virginia Commonwealth (CAA) 2.Georgetown 15.American (Pat) 7.Texas 10.San Diego St. 3.UCLA 14.Portland St. (BSky) 6.Michigan St. 11.Notre Dame Last 4 in: Minnesota, Notre Dame, LSU, Houston First 10 out: St. Mary's, Ohio State, UAB, Arizona, Cleveland State, Maryland, Washington State, Tulsa, New Mexico, Rhode Island Conference representation: Big East - 9 Big 12 - 7 Big Ten - 6 Pac-10 - 6 ACC - 5 SEC - 4 MWC - 3 For amusement, if nothing else. :)

I should do another bracket today based on Pomeroy ratings. It'd be hilarious, because Northwestern would be in.