m1jjb00

February 16th, 2014 at 5:12 PM ^

As it's snowing in northwestern Virginia.

BTW, for those interested NBC Sports Network is showing the USA-Russia hockey game.  2nd period just started.

Joined: 11/21/2009

MGoPoints: 8065

ixcuincle

February 16th, 2014 at 5:14 PM ^

Good to see but I'd like a little more breathing room. Team has got to step up if they want to win the Big 10 regular season title. It's a decent team, but they're just getting blown out by Iowa and Wisconsin, teams they beat before.

Joined: 08/11/2010

MGoPoints: 6791

Maize and Blue…

February 16th, 2014 at 6:55 PM ^

if we play well and lose I can accept it.  In our three losses we have played like crap and seem to be either playing complacent or getting worse the last couple weeks.

I would say races for titles are generally fun but it looks like we are trying to back in instead of winning the damn thing.  Unfortunately, I have to believe given the way teams are playing right now that Iowa may be the favorite to win the conference.

Joined: 03/15/2009

MGoPoints: 6750

Gustavo Fring

February 17th, 2014 at 10:39 AM ^

Is turnovers.  The defense is what it is, we are simply an average defensive team due to youth and lack of true rim protector (love what Horford and Morgan have given us, but we don't really have a Mutombo-esque shotblocker who can deter guards from finishing at the rim).  Good offensive teams like Iowa and Wisconsin will put up points on us.  Full stop.

What is unacceptable (and so uncharacteristic of this and other Beilein teams) is sloppiness.  So many turnovers and quick shots yesterday, particularly in the first half.  Stauskas and LeVert are good playmakers, but they are still 6'6" guys handling the ball quite a bit and sometimes this leads to turnovers.  I think Walton needs to take charge and be the ballhandling safety blanket.  If someone's in trouble, he's got to go to the ball and stabilize the situation.  We also have to run mroe plays through him.  After breaking out against O$U, I expected him to be more assertive against Wisconsin.  Instead, he deferred to LeVert and Stauskas way too much.  

Right now, this team looks like a four seed.  Which is fine.  If we can share the B1G Championship and return to the Sweet 16, it's more than safe to say that we will have sustained our momentum from last year and not taken a huge hit from the losses of Burke, THJ, and McGary.  With the addition of recruits that are both uber-talented and very strong fits for Beilein's system as well as the (likely) return of McGary, incremental improvement from LeVert and a true escalation to star level for Walton, this team will be loaded AND experienced next year.

Joined: 09/29/2009

MGoPoints: 5175

snarling wolverine

February 16th, 2014 at 8:25 PM ^

We'd all like more breathing room, but if we look at the big picture, to be 10-3 right now is fantastic.  

MSU's loss today was a game-changer.  They really needed to be up a game in the standings by now.  We now have only one more game against one of the top five teams in the conference (UM/MSU/Iowa/Wisc/Ohio) and it's at home, while MSU has three - two of them on the road.  We now clearly have the easier remaining schedule of the two.  If we win next Sunday, the outright title becomes a strong possibility, and even if we lose, a share is very much possible.

 

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 98351

mgohusker

February 16th, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^

That was impressive by Nebraska.  Just when it looked like the Huskers might fold, they got tougher.  I think Miles' team has just played its way into at-large consideration.
 
Nebraska is now .500 in the league.  They have 6 left to play and 4 of them are at home. The road games are at struggling Illinois and Indiana.

Joined: 09/26/2008

MGoPoints: 1448

aiglick

February 16th, 2014 at 6:55 PM ^

Yeah I said it in another thread. Nebraska needs to go at least 4-2 but if your team does that I think it definitely deserves a bid. I think .500 in conference and 18 total wins can get a team over the hump if the team is in one of the better conferences. Whether the Big Ten is the best when comparing top to bottom remains to be seen but it should be a top 3 conference. Great win and thank you Nebraska for evening things up.

Joined: 11/27/2010

MGoPoints: 21521

Leaders And Best

February 16th, 2014 at 5:14 PM ^

BTN, I salute you.

 

8) Nebraska (13-10, 5-6 B1G)

This week: Beat Ohio State (68-62); Beat Illinois (67-58)

Thing: This appeared on my television screen last night. On the Big Ten Network. For serious.

NCAA wha

In case you can't read the top bar, it really does say "NCAA Tournament Resume." If the question is, “does a 15 or 16 win team with a single top-100 non-conference win and a 7-11 or 8-10 record in conference make the NCAA tournament?” the answer is “Trololololo.”

Still, the fact that the BTN can even run such a graphic shows how far Tim Miles has taken this team. And how much peyote is apparently available in BTN Headquarters.

Thing they are like: An NIT tournament team, which, hey, that’s not terrible if you’re Nebraska.

Joined: 09/09/2009

MGoPoints: 22312

StoneRoses

February 16th, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^

Unbelievable that this stuff keeps on happening, to think that we are still one game away from taking the lead in the B1G again is crazy considering how this season has been.

Joined: 05/30/2012

MGoPoints: 510

umchicago

February 16th, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^

a few weeks ago i had a sparty fan say we aren't that good given that we only beat NE by one point in their building.  i said, look out.  NE is better than you think, especially at home.  and sparty ends up losing to them in their own house.  hilarious. 

Joined: 02/05/2009

MGoPoints: 33628

LSAClassOf2000

February 16th, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^

So, it appears that each time we happen to lose in conference play, the Spartans will step up and lose a game just to get back at us. I will say that this strategy could very well favor us in the long term. The Big Ten Tournament, at this point, is going to be an interesting tournament, to say the least. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130627

Gucci Mane

February 16th, 2014 at 5:33 PM ^

Hopefully we can win either the regular season or tournament big ten title. The regular season title means a lot more to me however and I believe that's th consensus.

Joined: 02/10/2014

MGoPoints: -99957423

SF Wolverine

February 16th, 2014 at 5:43 PM ^

on how to slow down Sparty's inside game.  Not sure if we have the personnel to execute the Husker's plan, but at least food for thought.  Here's hoping Coach B can ID a defensive strategy and get it in place in the next six days.

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 24906