tOfficial B1G basketball thread.

[rmilia1]

They won't be top 4 in the polls with all three wins.. Those 4 losses did too much damage earlier in the year, but they will be a top 10 team and yes a final four contender.. Well possibly... Who knows with Beilein..

I think he meant top 4 in the B10...

 

[Lions=TeHsUcKs]

I think he meant top 4 in the B10...

OH for sure..

 

[mr.hockey4242]

lol ya I meant top 4 in big10

A lot of people were writing them off after they got to 4 losses but I said not to count them out too early.

 

[rmilia1]

lol ya I meant top 4 in big10

A lot of people were writing them off after they got to 4 losses but I said not to count them out too early.

I would put Michigan as currently composed 5th in the B10 BUT their schedule is certainly much nicer than a team like Iowas so a top 4 finish is not out of the realm. That said the first 4 games really dont tell us anything IMO, the win at Minnesota was good but Minnesota is probably the 6th or 7th best team in the league at best ( todays performance against MSU not withstanding)

 

[mr.hockey4242]

This gophers team is actually surprising so far this year.

Especially considering Austin Hollins has sucked ass every big game.

If he and Andre(couple of times) play well they beat Michigan, Cuse and MSU.

But they didn't and that's part of the game. Seniors gotta step up.

 

[Lions=TeHsUcKs]

Minnesota did a great job against MSU but got destroyed in overtime sadly.. I guess the Spartans woke up..

 

[Lions=TeHsUcKs]

This gophers team is actually surprising so far this year.

Especially considering Austin Hollins has sucked ass every big game.

If he and Andre(couple of times) play well they beat Michigan, Cuse and MSU.

But they didn't and that's part of the game. Seniors gotta step up.

They probably have as good if not a better case at being ranked over Michigan.. Granted the home loss to the Wolverines hurt them big time..

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Minnesota did a great job against MSU but got destroyed in overtime sadly.. I guess the Spartans woke up..

Yeah when Mathieu tied it even though it was a fantastic drive to the hoop. They had to go for the win. Should have let Malik Smith shoot a 3.

 

[H2S]

Minnesota played 25 minutes of excellent ball...the 10m lapse in the 2nd half and 5m OT (and 67 brazillion freethrows) killed em. Sparty did what Sparty's done all season long (bar one): Scrape out a tough win.



(was pretty coo seeing Oklahoma -another team who had MSU down by double digits when they played- chew the #9 Cyclones a new ass today)

 

[Great Dayne]

The Big Ten is stacked this season. Minnesota has proven they can run with the best in the country but need to learn to close the deal and the same goes with Iowa. The only teams that have no shot at the tournament is the newest additions in Penn St., Nebraska, and Northwestern (maybe Purdue as well). It's possible for 8 teams to make the tournament this season. That would be more impressive than the Big East with 11 teams in 2011 since they have 500 teams in there conference.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

The Big Ten is stacked this season. Minnesota has proven they can run with the best in the country but need to learn to close the deal and the same goes with Iowa. The only teams that have no shot at the tournament is the newest additions in Penn St., Nebraska, and Northwestern (maybe Purdue as well). It's possible for 8 teams to make the tournament this season. That would be more impressive than the Big East with 11 teams in 2011 since they have 500 teams in there conference.

Purdue is nowhere near a tourney team. They might even be the worst team in the conference.

Don't think Indiana is either.

Hopefully gophers can start closing games out and get themselves in. Right on the bubble now. Illinois near there.

Top 4 are really, really legit. With Michigan still looking to prove itself.

Stacked? wouldn't go that far.

 

[Great Dayne]

Purdue is nowhere near a tourney team. They might even be the worst team in the conference.

Don't think Indiana is either.

Hopefully gophers can start closing games out and get themselves in. Right on the bubble now. Illinois near there.

Top 4 are really, really legit. With Michigan still looking to prove itself.

Stacked? wouldn't go that far.

What effectively constitutes a stacked conference? When you have 3 top 5 teams in the nation combined with the middle of the conference (3-4 teams) all being in or near the top 25 and an additional 1-2 that could potential make the tourney that's stacked IMO).

Indiana is only 10-5 but they posses a fairly merciless schedule Including @ #4 Syracuse, vs #5 MSU, and @ 23 Illinois. There 2 bad L's were on a neutral court vs ND and Uconn (lost by 1 pt). They're undefeated at home so far and I am not willing to count them out of having a possibility of making the tournament. I will be able to form a more accurately assess them after they face the Badgers next week.

I agree with your analysis of Michigan. I see experts and people on these boards all season stating that they will pull it together and end up in the top 4 in the Big Ten in the end but I have yet to be really impressed and they have not shown the slightest sign of pulling things together.

Illinois is not even close to a bubble team and will most likely end up were the ESPN Bracketology site has them around a 7-9 seed.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

What effectively constitutes a stacked conference? When you have 3 top 5 teams in the nation combined with the middle of the conference (3-4 teams) all being in or near the top 25 and an additional 1-2 that could potential make the tourney that's stacked IMO).

Indiana is only 10-5 but they posses a fairly merciless schedule Including @ #4 Syracuse, vs #5 MSU, and @ 23 Illinois. There 2 bad L's were on a neutral court vs ND and Uconn (lost by 1 pt). They're undefeated at home so far and I am not willing to count them out of having a possibility of making the tournament. I will be able to form a more accurately assess them after they face the Badgers next week.

I agree with your analysis of Michigan. I see experts and people on these boards all season stating that they will pull it together and end up in the top 4 in the Big Ten in the end but I have yet to be really impressed and they have not shown the slightest sign of pulling things together.

Illinois is not even close to a bubble team and will most likely end up were the ESPN Bracketology site has them around a 7-9 seed.

Well, I believe a stacked conference is kind of like the BE one you mentioned. Getting 11/16 in. The top 4 the Big10 has this year is really impressive no doubt. And the big10 is definitely the best conference this year. I just don't think I would say stacked yet.

Too much what if's and unprovens with the middle teams(so far). We know the really good ones, and the really bad ones.

You're right that Indiana has a lot of good losses but they really havn't looked good if you have watched them to this point. It's kind of like Marquette's down year this year. We don't actually have a bad loss yet but it's really what you see.

Right now I just think these teams when they run into murders row of MSU/Wisco/Iowa/OSU 3 or so games in a row...will start losing a lot.

But we'll see. A big thing for the Gophers is that Indiana and Illinois(two teams they are fighting for 6th with) only come to the barn this year. Those are huge games for big10 positioning and making the tourney.

 

[wingsauce7]

Today's Games:
Neb @ Pur (I'm taking The Corn here)
Iowa @ OSU (On paper, this should be a win for Iowa. The Hawkeyes have yet to win the big game tho. I'm still picking the Hawks to upset today)
ILL @ NW (Illinois wins)

 

[BigAppleBadger]

^ congrats Hawks

 

[rmilia1]

Good win for iowa. I like the osu team, just worried about their scoring

 

[Great Dayne]

It was obvious the Hawks were going to win based on comparing SOS and top wins. OSU was easily the most overrated team coming into this week and their is no reason Iowa shouldn't compete for the #2 spot in the Big Ten.

Thanks for bumping up our ranking Iowa. I wonder if the people will use our win against vs you as reasoning why we shouldn't be #1.

 

[H2S]

and ILL is going to pound NW...

Who ya got?? Ill take MSU, PSU, Nebraska, NW, OSU

MN, IU, PU, ILL and UI

LOL, we took the exact opposite teams.... Thats weird.

MSU - You win...I win.
IU - I win.
PU - I win.
ILL - ?
UI - I win...you win.

 

[rmilia1]

MSU - You win...I win.
IU - I win.
PU - I win.
ILL - ?
UI - I win...you win.

Hey as long as the hawks won im good

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Put to bed the Illinois talk.