tOfficial B1G basketball thread.

[pumpkinhead33793]

Purdue vs Illinois is basically a play in game as far as I am concerned.

 

[jontaejones]

It's the exact same team as last year, but everyone is clearly better. How could anyone not think we could make it? With Frank on the floor, we are 27-2 with 25 of those wins being relatively stress-free. We are #4 in KenPom, and would be top 4 in RPI if you take out the Rutgers injury-fluke game. We are #3 in adjusted scoring margin. We have as much tourney experience as anyone.

I fully expect to win the title. Nothing is guaranteed in college basketball, but when your only losses were games where your opponents shot out of their minds and you shot below average, it's not hard to imagine six straight wins.

If Wisconsin ever had a great chance to win, last year would have been it.

This year, I think it depends on their draw.

I now think Arizona is the most likely team to take out UK, so pray they get matched with them and take them out for you. Because all the brackets have Wisky matched with UK and I don't think they can beat them.

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

If Wisconsin ever had a great chance to win, last year would have been it.

This year, I think it depends on their draw.

I now think Arizona is the most likely team to take out UK, so pray they get matched with them and take them out for you. Because all the brackets have Wisky matched with UK and I don't think they can beat them.

Kentucky is going to be the number 1 overall seed. That means they will be in the same bracket as the last 2 seed (8th best team). Wisconsin probably will be the 5-7th overall team. I don't think they will be in the same bracket as Kentucky.

Wisconsin has a slight disadvantage with the tournament locations this year. Nothing within 500 miles to get a nice home crowd like you could at Bradley or UC. They are gonna have to play in a game where the vast majority of neutral fans want to see an upset. Could be a problem.

 

[jontaejones]

Kentucky is going to be the number 1 overall seed. That means they will be in the same bracket as the last 2 seed (8th best team). Wisconsin probably will be the 5-7th overall team. I don't think they will be in the same bracket as Kentucky.

Wisconsin has a slight disadvantage with the tournament locations this year. Nothing within 500 miles to get a nice home crowd like you could at Bradley or UC. They are gonna have to play in a game where the vast majority of neutral fans want to see an upset. Could be a problem.

It doesn't always work that way. Sometimes geography dictates. I honestly would like to see UK have to go through Arizona and Duke, because I think those are the two teams most capable of beating them.

If my team can't win, then I'm a fan of any team playing Kentucky.

Outside of UK, yes, Wisconsin is as capable of winning as anybody.

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

It doesn't always work that way. Sometimes geography dictates. I honestly would like to see UK have to go through Arizona and Duke, because I think those are the two teams most capable of beating them.

If my team can't win, then I'm a fan of any team playing Kentucky.

Outside of UK, yes, Wisconsin is as capable of winning as anybody.

You have to play really sound team ball and shoot well and hope Kentucky shoots like shit in order to beat them. Arizona in theory has the best chance to beat them. I would love to see Wichita State as a 4 seed in Kentucky's bracket. That could be a good matchup. The griddy Butler like team from year's past that will make you earn every inch.

 

[Smart]

If Wisconsin ever had a great chance to win, last year would have been it.

This year, I think it depends on their draw.

I now think Arizona is the most likely team to take out UK, so pray they get matched with them and take them out for you. Because all the brackets have Wisky matched with UK and I don't think they can beat them.

Whatever. Last year was only our best shot after we beat Arizona (ie with hindsight). By all indications (efficiency, RPI, rankings), the gap between Arizona and us last year was greater than the gap between Kentucky and Us this year.

Could you imagine if North Carolina or UCLA had a team that was top four in all the metrics and was returning 8 of 9 players from a Final Four team? If that team was 27-2 when their best player, the NPOY favorite with a 36 PER, played? If that team was only in danger of losing in the last 5 minutes in two other games? If that team was the most efficient offense in America, and had spent most of the year as the most efficient offense ever? Would anybody say "they couldn't beat" a team?

Kentucky's a great team. They also haven't seen an offense like ours (the best they have played is #19 Kansas). If they shoot poorly like they did against Georgia, they wouldn't beat us. And in the big moments, I trust our Senior-laden team to execute as well as them.

PS: I'd love to see the numbers of our top six guys versus theirs. Yes, they have more depth, but I doubt we would send Duje Dukan and Zach Showalter in for 10 minutes in an Elite Eight game. Everyone who has seen us knows that our bench kills our efficiency. It would not surprise me at all if best six have been more efficient than theirs.

 

[jontaejones]

Whatever. Last year was only our best shot after we beat Arizona (ie with hindsight). By all indications (efficiency, RPI, rankings), the gap between Arizona and us last year was greater than the gap between Kentucky and Us this year.

Could you imagine if North Carolina or UCLA had a team that was top four in all the metrics and was returning 8 of 9 players from a Final Four team? If that team was 27-2 when their best player, the NPOY favorite with a 36 PER, played? If that team was only in danger of losing in the last 5 minutes in two other games? If that team was the most efficient offense in America, and had spent most of the year as the most efficient offense ever? Would anybody say "they couldn't beat" a team?

Kentucky's a great team. They also haven't seen an offense like ours (the best they have played is #19 Kansas). If they shoot poorly like they did against Georgia, they wouldn't beat us. And in the big moments, I trust our Senior-laden team to execute as well as them.

PS: I'd love to see the numbers of our top six guys versus theirs. Yes, they have more depth, but I doubt we would send Duje Dukan and Zach Showalter in for 10 minutes in an Elite Eight game. Everyone who has seen us knows that our bench kills our efficiency. It would not surprise me at all if best six have been more efficient than theirs.

The metrics love Villanova too, and they get MUCH less respect than Wisky.

Like I said, it's just matchups, and I feel Arizona matches up better. Just an opinion. I probably didn't mean to say they can't beat them, just that Arizona has a better shot.

I don't have anything against Wisky. I'll be rooting for them and UVA as a matter of fact, as long as they are not in our bracket.

Any team that can win who are not the traditional top bluebloods, I root for.

 

[ericd7633]

Kentucky is going to be the number 1 overall seed. That means they will be in the same bracket as the last 2 seed (8th best team). Wisconsin probably will be the 5-7th overall team. I don't think they will be in the same bracket as Kentucky.

Wisconsin has a slight disadvantage with the tournament locations this year. Nothing within 500 miles to get a nice home crowd like you could at Bradley or UC. They are gonna have to play in a game where the vast majority of neutral fans want to see an upset. Could be a problem.

That isn't the case. Geography dictates the top 2 lines more than any other seed. If Wisconsin is a #2 seed, I fully expect them to be in the Midwest with UK. If that's the case, the committee will pair them with the "worst" #3 and #4 seeds to maintain balance at the top of the bracket. It's not the committee's job to predict if UK and Wisconsin will make the E8.

At this point though, they will need somebody ahead of them to lose, simply winning out will not be enough to get a #1 seed.

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

The metrics love Villanova too, and they get MUCH less respect than Wisky.

Like I said, it's just matchups, and I feel Arizona matches up better. Just an opinion. I probably didn't mean to say they can't beat them, just that Arizona has a better shot.

I don't have anything against Wisky. I'll be rooting for them and UVA as a matter of fact, as long as they are not in our bracket.

Any team that can win who are not the traditional top bluebloods, I root for.

Nothing wrong with HOPING your team wins. Wisconsin fans like Smart have every reason to HOPE their team wins the National Championship. This is their best chance in decades if ever. Live in the moment.

We are just saying that as neutral fans, we think they come up a bit short.

 

[ericd7633]

i would say there would 7 teams that if they won it all, I wouldn't be surprised one bit. Those would be: Kentucky, UVA, Duke, Nova, Arizona, Wisconsin and Kansas. Anybody else that won it, I would slightly surprised. Out of that group, I'd favor Kentucky over everybody.

 

[rmilia1]

I'll say that right now I don't see Kentucky making the final 4. I know that seems strange but the Cats don't play full games, they have consistent lulls where they don't score. Sure they defend but you can't consistently go stretches where you can't score and expect to win a title. It's the same reason Virginia and, to a lesser extent, Arizona have little chance to win a title. At some point Kentucky is going to play a team that is going to score it on them and I don't think their offense is good enough to win them a title

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Here is my Wisco take.

They came in with a lot of Final 4 hype due to returning everyone from a team that made it last year. That team was a true neutral site away from Losing second game to Oregon.

If that happens they come into the year ranked much lower and what they are doing now is respected more.

People forget that last years team was fairly fortunate to make the final 4 and because of that compare this teams regular season to last years 4 game run. In reality that's not how it works. This current Wisco team is last years but more experience and 1 extra year of talent development.

This one can make a run all the way pretty easily.

 

[jontaejones]

I'll say that right now I don't see Kentucky making the final 4. I know that seems strange but the Cats don't play full games, they have consistent lulls where they don't score. Sure they defend but you can't consistently go stretches where you can't score and expect to win a title. It's the same reason Virginia and, to a lesser extent, Arizona have little chance to win a title. At some point Kentucky is going to play a team that is going to score it on them and I don't think their offense is good enough to win them a title

The more I have watched them play, the better I think they are.

However, they have a clear best player and it is Towns. I believe Duke and Arizona both have the size and bodies to match up with Towns and bother him and maybe even get him in foul trouble.

If I was an opposing coach, I'd pressure their guards and throw everything I've got at Towns. They need to try and get him out of the game. If that happens and their guards are off, and it is a close game, Kentucky is in trouble.

 

[rmilia1]

Kentucky is going to get beat by a team that poses match up problems for them on defense. That means teams with multiple shooters and a team with a big guy that can play outside enough to draw their bigs away from the basket. Ironically this talk about whether Wisconsin can make a final 4 leads me to point out that the Badgers are the exact type team that would give Kentucky fits. Other teams I think Kentucky would struggle with are Iowa St, Oklahoma, Nova.. we shall see but for me I would favor Wisconsin to beat Kentucky. Badgers, despite their losses, have been more consistently dominant than UK and are far more versatile on offensr

 

[dcZONAfan]

The metrics love Villanova too, and they get MUCH less respect than Wisky.

Like I said, it's just matchups, and I feel Arizona matches up better. Just an opinion. I probably didn't mean to say they can't beat them, just that Arizona has a better shot.

I don't have anything against Wisky. I'll be rooting for them and UVA as a matter of fact, as long as they are not in our bracket.

Any team that can win who are not the traditional top bluebloods, I root for.

I honestly think that Wisconsin is the most likely team to beat Kentucky. I am PRAYING they are 1/2 in the Midwest because I believe Wisconsin is the perfect team to beat UK. They have 5 starters who can shoot the 3 and I think that a team that rarely turns the ball over will make UK beat them in the half court. UK's offense is efficient because of their defense and what it creates, NOT because it's an elite half court team.

They will struggle with Wisconsin if that matchup happens.

Also whoever said they think Kansas can win the national championship is out of their fucking mind. I'm sorry. Have you watched that team? There's no way they're making the Final Four this year. NONE

 

[dcZONAfan]

haha, nice timing rmilia

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Kentucky is going to get beat by a team that poses match up problems for them on defense. That means teams with multiple shooters and a team with a big guy that can play outside enough to draw their bigs away from the basket. Ironically this talk about whether Wisconsin can make a final 4 leads me to point out that the Badgers are the exact type team that would give Kentucky fits. Other teams I think Kentucky would struggle with are Iowa St, Oklahoma, Nova.. we shall see but for me I would favor Wisconsin to beat Kentucky. Badgers, despite their losses, have been more consistently dominant than UK and are far more versatile on offensr

ISU problem is I think UK would pound them into the ground. They may have Niang and Hogue who can play outside but they have no actual size/rebounding and suck defensively.

Providence is a tough match up for them. Prov hung well at UK early on before dying a slow death.

UNI might be a pain in the ass because they will bomb away from deep.

 

[dcZONAfan]

My opinion of ISU is not high. They would get crushed by Kentucky. Towns, Cauley-Stein, and Dakari would dominate them

 

[podsox]

if only northwestern started putting it together a little earlier

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

I think I would be higher on Wisconsin if they didn't get beat convincingly at home to Duke.