Exile on Waveland

Again, we've won at gonzaga. Beat butler like a red headed step kid, and throttled OSU. We aren't great, but we are capable of beating anyone if we are making shots. It wasn't all just IU shooting themselves in the foot. Sure, Illinois has good players and is capable of beating IU (obviously). They also made the plays they had to down the stretch, no doubt (however: a banked-in free throw, really?). But losing a 10-point lead with less than four minutes left is blowing the game. At that point, IU wins as long as they don't shoot themselves in the foot. But they did, as is their wont.

I love Oladipo, but they recent hype has been over the top. Not sure where Vitale came up with the mini-Jordan stuff. I think he's great, but that is just absurd. Vitale is an idiot and that comparison is idiotic. But Oladipo is a good player and a really good kid; he's not an expletive like Sheehey that deserves the mocking.

Also, reading back through, laughing at the Illinois fans complaining about Griffey playing. Using him at the five is pretty much the exact perfect way to attack IU--a big that can either pull Zeller away from the basket or hit 3's as Zeller stands in the paint and looks at him.

Sigh. I feel like Illinois was the proverbial NASCAR driver just cruising along middle of the pack -- I don't watch NASCAR, so I'm just guessing -- then all of a sudden there's a 15-car pile-up and he cruises past the dumpster fire for the win. Illinois made the plays they had to but, wow, collapse . . . And that's becoming pretty par for the course. This was a mirror image of the Georgetown game (IU managed to win in overtime though). There's the epic collapse against Minnesota (IU manages to win). A lot of similarities to the Butler game. Meaning, of the twenty-three games IU has played (and eight of those were against sacrificial lambs) three or four games include pretty huge collapses. Then you throw in last year's Nebraska game (exact same thing) and even the Kentucky game (thank Watford for the bail-out) and this doesn't look like much of anomaly. It's going to happen again, and it's probably going to happen in the Sweet 16 to end IU's season.

Indiana won at Illinois in 2008. They did not play at Illinois last year. Meaning, IU only has a 3-game losing streak at Illinois. Considering how long it has been since IU won at other locations, say Michigan State, I don't consider that so long. And I agree, I have no idea what to expect. IU matches up pretty well with Illinois so I could see a relatively comfortable win--I do not expect a blowout at all--or I could see Illinois going off from 3 and winning. Who knows?

Combination of some Iowa miscues and horribly bad luck. 4 Big Ten losses now where they led in the final minute. 3 of them against the top half of the league, 3 of them on the road. Wisconsin's 3 that rattled around then went off glass then in pretty much summed it up. Followed by our game-winning shot being 3/4 of the way down then rolling out. This team is a [expletive] hair from being a lock for the tournament and playing for a 5-6 seed. Instead we'll end up in the NIT. Iowa is so close to being good; I thought they'd squeak into the tournament this year, but that's not looking likely. They are going to be the proverbial "out of nowhere" team next year though. They're 3-7 in conference but I wouldn't write them off for this year's tournament yet. They should win these: Northwestern @Penn State @Nebraska Purdue Nebraska Meaning they only need to win one of these to get to 9-9 in conference: Minnesota Illinois @ IU Their schedule was just really front loaded. Plus they're going to look hot coming down the stretch which will benefit them. If they hit 9-9 in the B1G this year, and 20 wins, they're a lock. I certainly hope you're right. There's no doubt in my mind they will/would be better than a number of team that receive at-large bids to the tournament. They're No. 33 in Pomeroy. Pomeroy has them predicted at 8-10 in the Big Ten, but I think most would consider Iowa a home favorite over Minnesota at this point (which would make them 9-9). I just worry that they'll be looked at through the prism of "who did they beat?"--when their best non-conference win is Iowa State and they would have home wins against Wisconsin and Minnesota in the league (and thus no wins against the likely top-4 Big Ten teams). Though they've been so close, I could see them upsetting someone in the Big Ten Tournament and clinching a bid.

Combination of some Iowa miscues and horribly bad luck. 4 Big Ten losses now where they led in the final minute. 3 of them against the top half of the league, 3 of them on the road. Wisconsin's 3 that rattled around then went off glass then in pretty much summed it up. Followed by our game-winning shot being 3/4 of the way down then rolling out. This team is a [expletive] hair from being a lock for the tournament and playing for a 5-6 seed. Instead we'll end up in the NIT. Iowa is so close to being good; I thought they'd squeak into the tournament this year, but that's not looking likely. They are going to be the proverbial "out of nowhere" team next year though.

They have one confusing tourney profile, but I disagree about the "imagine those losses on a BCS team's resume". Losses to the aforementioned, but wins against Miami (FL), Ole Miss, @ Wichita State, and Creighton. I like Indiana State, but beating Miami (FL) without Reggie Johnson (9.8 points, 9.1 rebounds) isn't exacly beating "Miami (FL)" as they currently stand.

I'm sure that will provide much needed closure to the families. What in the hell.

Yep, most of the time. Like when I said Indiana fans are insufferable. That's pretty much what I was going for; I learned from the best in this thread . . . Hosak? Best 11-9 team in the country. Fought their way to a 3-5 record in a stacked conference.

Yep, most of the time. Like when I said Indiana fans are insufferable. That's pretty much what I was going for; I learned from the best in this thread . . .

The theory I heard is that he really hit the weights hard and had to get used to shooting with a bulked up body. It's possible. His form early in the season was simply not the form that he used as a high schooler (kind of flinging it, no follow through, a bit herky). Whether that was weights, nerves, or just being temporarily out of whack, his form has been much better recently. Though he still isn't going straight up consistently.

Also: Yogi Ferrell is now shooting 40 percent from 3 in the Big Ten. Oh SSR, are you ever right?

Great game. Michigan is really good and likely will end up winning the Big Ten. However, if they're better than IU it's not by much. Contrary to the media storyline, IU matches up well with Michigan both in style and personnel -- unlike Wisconsin (style) or Michigan State (personnel). Too much was made of Hulls. First, Hulls is second on the team in minutes and IU is the thirteenth most efficient defense in the nation. He is a defensive liability, but it clearly isn't *that* much of an issue (excepting late-game clear outs). Second, as far as top level teams go, Stauskas is about as good of a matchup as possible for Hulls. And if that doesn't work, the answer is simple: play Sheehey. The frontcourt is a bigger matchup issue for Michigan. Morgan wasn't healthy I know, but IU's starting front court combined for 33 and 20, Michigan's 12 and 11. And unlike IU bringing in Sheehey, Michigan can't really bring in Chris Webber. Mental toughness will again be put to the test at Illinois. I'm expecting a dogfight.

Lyle would be a huge coup. He's immature/pouty at times but his court-vision/passing is next-level stuff. Probably the best I've ever seen in Indiana.

Best team in the nation right now.

I saw him once and he looked better than I remembered. Edit: but I'm not sure he should be counted on for much next year.

Hopefully Hammons averages 30ppg the rest of the year and leaves :D Very impressive. He needs help though. Purdue is going to have a very nice backcourt next year. That, combined with Hammons, is going to make for a pretty darn good team (you can play four-out, one-in nowadays). But the rest of the frontcourt will remain a pretty big question mark.

Who are you talking to? This dejected Purdue fan that has not mentioned the refs at all? Or the one that was complaining about fouls in the first half and admitted defeat long ago regardless of the foul situation? He's just gloating, let him have it. Pretty much.

Yeah . . . Pretty sure it was the refs that caused that 37-point demolition.

Last year's game likely cuts against IU. It's difficult for IU to win any game in Mackey, much less two in a row. This game figures to be much closer than last year. And it's not like some really good (better?) IU teams haven't lost to pretty bad Purdue teams before -- with a Big Ten title on the line, no less: http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/indiana/1992-schedule.html (see March 15). Don't know why winning last year would change the odds of winning this year. But I did say I'd expect a 9 ish point win instead of 16. Because games don't happen in a vacuum. Previous games -- even previous years -- play some subtle part that gets lost. Last year, a confluence of events conspired to make the game more meaningful to IU than Purdue. There wasn't a single player on IU that had ever beaten Purdue. In general, IU was a pretty desperate team -- 5-6 in the Big Ten and four straight road losses (a slump they were bound to break out of at some point). Moreover, the Purdue game was the first game in which Oladipo transitioned to more of a ballhandling role, constantly attacking from high pick and rolls. That offensive change proved to be revelatory and Purdue was unprepared. This year, however, it's a bit different. Purdue has lost two straight to IU. D.J. Byrd is not going to want to end his career with two straight home losses to IU (which would also mean a likely four-game losing streak to IU) -- and his teammates will feel the same for him. If Purdue beats IU, they could easily be looking at 14-9 (7-3) and being a rather surprising bubble-type team. For IU -- a team prone to losing concentration -- they just won a big home game against Michigan State and will be three days away from a huge home game with No. 1 Michigan. IU will have to be very mentally tough to win this game.

I'm sure he will hit four or five at least.

Last year's game likely cuts against IU. It's difficult for IU to win any game in Mackey, much less two in a row. This game figures to be much closer than last year. And it's not like some really good (better?) IU teams haven't lost to pretty bad Purdue teams before -- with a Big Ten title on the line, no less: http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/indiana/1992-schedule.html (see March 15).

I think the "undersized" thing for point guards is pretty overplayed.