tOfficial B1G Thread 2017-2018

[Smart]

Wisconsin has 14 turnovers in the first half right now. It's insane that this team is three years removed from the most efficient offense ever.

 

[ericd7633]

Wisconsin has 14 turnovers in the first half right now. It's insane that this team is three years removed from the most efficient offense ever.

It's amazing Happ is as awful as he is trying to throw out of a double team. With that said, I think he's trying to do more than he's capable of because of the surrounding cast. Playing the last 2 years with Hayes, Koening and Showalter is a big difference with what he's working with this season. And I do think losing Trice and King has hurt, but I don't think Wisconsin would have been a tournament team with them. But it's tough to expect Freshman like Davison, Reuvers and Ford to come in and be significant contributors on a winning team.

 

[Hitman Hart]

It's amazing Happ is as awful as he is trying to throw out of a double team. With that said, I think he's trying to do more than he's capable of because of the surrounding cast. Playing the last 2 years with Hayes, Koening and Showalter is a big difference with what he's working with this season. And I do think losing Trice and King has hurt, but I don't think Wisconsin would have been a tournament team with them. But it's tough to expect Freshman like Davison, Reuvers and Ford to come in and be significant contributors on a winning team.

Don't tell @Great Dayne this

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Happ should grad transfer

 

[ericd7633]

Interesting year for the Badgers. They lost all but one of their starters which is Happ who is a top candidate for POY in the NCAA. They will be relying heavily on 3 freshmen which never happens. Also these three freshmen round out their best recruiting class ever and all are top 100 players.

They're also returning Pritzel and Van Vilet who are offensive gods but didn't put to much work into anything else until late in the season and worked hard this off season. The coach said those two look like the most improved players on the court. Pritzel scored 28 vs an Austrailian pro team a few weeks back and Van Vilet the 7 foot three point specialist appeared to be well rounded in comparison to last season.

I can see this team starting off as a top 4 BIG team and then competing for the #1/#2 spot in the end of the season and making the sweet 16 again and maybe surprise some people and make the elite 8. So far their 2 week tour in Australia and New Zealand vs pro teams went very well and the freshmen look like veterans out their already.

I'm not hyped up for the championship like I thought we would win in 2015 but it feels like the 2014 season when we made the final four and knowbody knew who the hell the Badgers were that year.

 

[Hitman Hart]

I think you're overreacting a bit to that one game. They had a three game stretch vs all top 25 teams and they could've easily won all three of those games. After they win vs Rutgers in a couple games that will be six games in a row. The slow start was expected as they lost their entire starting five outside of Happ. They'll be fine and end up in the top 4 as they always do.

Wisconsin is 0-3 since this post.

 

[ericd7633]

I know the season hasn't even started but after watching this team vs pro teams in Australia and New Zealand (went 4-1) combined with easily handling Missouri (2 NBA prospects and NCAA tournament team) and obliterating UNI (projected conference winner) this team is looking much better than last season. I mean they lost by one point on a last second buzzer beater (refs gave the opponent some home cooking as well) to a pro team that was beat by OKC a playoff NBA team by just one point.

They're playing more like a team. I believe having Vitto Brown who was very inconsistent at shooting and way too many turnovers, and Hayes was just a ball hog that killed the team chemistry and was a low FG% low efficiency player actually hurt this team in many ways.

Happ will be able to dominate now and he has more shooters that can bail him out when he's double teamed. The defense looks even better as well. Happ should be a POY candidate and I believe Kobe King and Davidson will be freshmen of the year candidates. Both have NBA bodies and are playing like 4 year veterans already. Reauvers still looks green but is offensively gifted. He might be the 10th man off the bench at the PF spot.

I will stick with my prediction of finishing 4th in the Big and being an 8 seed but I can see them potentially shocking many people by winning the BIG and being a 2 seed but a good amount of growth would need to occur during the season. At worst they finish as a 6th seed and barely make it into the NCAA tournament.

 

[ericd7633]

Don't tell @Great Dayne this

This made me search the beginning of this thread because I thought I remembered him saying Wisconsin could potentially be a 2 seed/make the Elite 8. lmao.

 

[Hitman Hart]

This made me search the beginning of this thread because I thought I remembered him saying Wisconsin could potentially be a 2 seed/make the Elite 8. lmao.

I understand having faith in a consistent program to reload, but man, he was so cocky about it.

 

[ericd7633]

I understand having faith in a consistent program to reload, but man, he was so cocky about it.

Yeah, even I didn't think they'd be this bad. I thought they'd be a bubble team and could go either way. At this point they won't even make the NIT.

 

[navamind]

Wisconsin won't even be a 2 seed in the NIT.

 

[Hitman Hart]

Wisconsin won't even be a 2 seed in the NIT.

unless there is a huge improvement over these next 2 months, they won't even be an 8 seed in the NIT.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

@Great Dayne

 

[mr.hockey4242]

unless there is a huge improvement over these next 2 months, they won't even be an 8 seed in the NIT.

Actually at this point they literally can't be in the NIT

Pretty sure it requires a .500 overall record

 

[Hitman Hart]

Actually at this point they literally can't be in the NIT

Pretty sure it requires a .500 overall record

For sure. The highest seed you can be is an 8 seed in the NIT.

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

Wisconsin is about as athletic of a team as Savannah State. Their coach is halfway decent which wins them some games.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

For sure. The highest seed you can be is an 8 seed in the NIT.

On a serious non trolling Dayne not

How long do they give Gard?

Bucky is in big trouble post Bo

 

[pumpkinhead33793]

Purdue might be the best team in the country right now. They are undefeated in the US.

 

[Hitman Hart]

On a serious non trolling Dayne not

How long do they give Gard?

Bucky is in big trouble post Bo

Yeah from an outsider POV, it never looks good when a new guy replacing a legend is having this type of trouble in year #3. I don't know if they're in real trouble or not, but it is interesting.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Yeah from an outsider POV, it never looks good when a new guy replacing a legend is having this type of trouble in year #3. I don't know if they're in real trouble or not, but it is interesting.

Things can change but it doesn't look good especially if Happ bails.

They have no recruits coming in. Even with their big years couldn't attract top flight talent. Bo being the amazing coach he was never needed it. He could find the diamonds in the rough that fit his system. Gard hasn't Shown that.

Next year is the key. Whole team is back along with the 2 injured guys.