Michigan All Alone in Second Place
Hopefully, we solidify this on Thursday night with a win at Illinois, but following the losses by Northwestern and Maryland tonight, we're all alone in second place in the Big Ten.
Also, with two games left to play, we theoretically have a chance to tie for the championship. If we win out and Purdue loses out (against Wisconsin and Illinois, which is possible), we're Big Ten champs.
Nobody would have predicted in January that we'd be in this position in March, so let's enjoy the moment. And then let's kick some ass in Champaign.
Go Blue
So you're saying there's a chance gif
Seriously though, if this happens it would be pretty unbelievable. The B1G as a whole is parity defined. It ate itself alive this season. Because everything is ridiculous I fully expect to see two B1G teams in the NCAA final 4.
So I agree a month ago this would seem unfathomable, but I still pump the breaks a little as we could still finish 8th or worse and NIT bound with the having most difficult B1G schedule left. Don't want to rain on the parade at all and this is totally stressful and fun as well. Got to beat Illinois!
Edit* and what's interesting to me is we were 16-12 at this point last year with 2 games left in the regular season and still made it to the sweet 16 so there is that.
Eight in the elite eight.
If 8 B1G teams are in the elite eight, I predict we will have at least 2 teams in the final four!
Teams are dropping like flies, but the likelihood of us getting lower than 7th even with two losses is not a high probability when looking at all the games left to play. I believe if we win tonight, we cannot drop lower than 6.
Rutgers and Northwestern....
Go Blue. Hope Jett plays and looks crisp tomorrow. Also hope he’s learned a thing or two about his teammates after watching them close out the last three games.
Jett is a great individual scorer but I worry with him back in the offense doesn't move the ball and the defense suffers.
I love Jett, and aside from the real issues with his lazy defense, the team also seems to defer to him too much and too quickly to start the game rather than build an offensive rhythm. And if Jett has an off-night shooting (or if he starts hot and then cools off) the team seems to quickly fall apart.
That said, Cheddar and Williams don't offer that much either, so who knows.
Jett coming back means a lot less Tschetter. That alone is a huge positive for the team on both sides of the ball. And less TWill.
A quick reminder the Michigan was +30 with Williams in the game against Wisconsin.
But yes, spot duty from Tschetter is all I want.
To be in this position is pretty remarkable, regardless of how it ultimately turns out. Proud of them for continuing to grind and hope they can be rewarded by making the NCAA tourney.
I’ll be surprised if we even split the next two games, but regardless it’s sort of amazing to be in this situation at all, considering how bleak things looked a month ago.
don't give me shit in my morning coffee, please. turn that frown upside down. better chance we win both than lose both
If we were playing both games at home I’d agree with you.
don was a lot more upbeat when he had flesh, back in pharaoh narmer's day.
Expected this in January?
Things looked bleak a month ago?
Things looked hopeless on February 26 with 2.1 seconds left.
:)
Being there was almost as much fun as being in Columbus last November.
I question the BT mediocre theme.
Most of the conference ratings are based on 2022 non-con results.
E.g. Illini beat UCLA & Marquette and that is keeping them in brackets now,
So the 7th place BT team beat the champs of the Pac-whatever and Big East,
UM and most other college teams are much different from what they were in 2022,
I reserve judgement on relative conference strength until NCAA tournament results are in,
I share Dunham Blue's optimistic take.
Second place alone!
Of course that’s partly a quirk of the state of the conference, with many okay-to-good teams.
But it’s also an indication the team—individually, together, and with good coaching—has fought back and improved, as some predicted / hoped.
Keep fighting. Go Blue!
Well surprise, surprise!
Thank you for the reference to Gomer Pyle, USMC.
Gol-eeeee Sargent Carter!!!!
Surprise, surprise, surprise!!!!!
I can't wait to see the banner.
Both Illinois and Indiana are 14-2 at home this season. I would be thrilled with a split to finish the regular season, which would ensure no worse than a tie for 2nd.
I don’t think there is any room for a “picture” in the conference standings. So, in a way, it doesn’t matter how Michigan got here - but, they ARE able to secure second place - alone - with a win tonight.
Go Blue!
Second place but not projected to make the tournament. Wild......that fricking Iowa loss still haunts me.
Imaging being an msu fan
is that the same as: imagine you have the runs?
Swap out “runs” with syphilis
Herpes came to mind, but syphilis works.
I'd rather not.
Iowa, Wisconsin, CMU...
and how many of us two months ago either posted or thought, 'we'll be lucky to have 5 B10 conf wins!'?
we still have a lot of things to work on, but overall juwan and the kids have straightened out or at least improved in many areas and we finally won a couple of tough, close games. of course, we all want to make the NCAA's and not the least of reasons is that our high-variability team also has the possibility of surprisingly high achievement, too. would be fun. i hope they get the chance.
The team flashed early. Some of us suggested to give them through February before rushing to judgment. ;)
That said, the team should hit the ground running next year.
We're a second half team.....
any sport.....
all the sports.....
even risk.
To think....if Michigan could have just a few of those games back....Iowa, Indiana, @ Wisconsin, Purdue....Even just one of them, we're talking about a legitimate possibility to win the Big Ten this year. Which....after the way OOC play went, who in their wildest dreams thought that would've happened?
Hope they can take care of business tonight against Illinois. This isn't a vintage Illinois squad, but Brad Underwood seems to have had Juwan's number since the day he got back on campus. I think this is the one conference team Juwan has not beaten yet as a coach. They always seem to have one guy who just goes off when they play Michigan. Hope that changes tonight.
It's going to hurt when that "guy who goes off" is Terrance Shannon.
B1G regular season champs. Who woulda thunk it? Better chance that we win out than Purdue loses both games, but this is not impossible. Regardless, finishing at least tied for 2nd would be sort of amazing after how this season began.
Once all hope and expectations were lost, this season turned into a very exciting and FUN season to be a Michigan fan. Next several weeks will be a lot of Michigan basketball
Sixteen &
Sixteen &
Sixteen &
Sixteen &
Sixteen &
(Sixteen????)
Keep the dream alive
Michigan will have to perform a few triple lindies to secure their spot at the big dance. Let's hope the team can do it.
Perhaps a Triple Illini tonight, and a Triple Indy on Sunday.
And, for good measure - a Triple Chicago next week...
who does number two work for?
Sitting all alone in 2nd place after horrendous start?!?! Life is good...just beat the brakes off of illini and shout up some of their mouthy fanbase.
With a true freshman PG and very little depth there, Michigan would really benefit from the double bye in the BTT. They need one of these next 2.
I seriously thought this thread was going to be about college football risk.
Damn - this is a wild turn of events (seriously)
The advantage of having 2 of your hardest games of the season in your last 2 :). Like others have said, the #s say its likely that they lose both and finish 7th or 8th in the league.
With that said, it's great that these games are the last 2 because we're playing our best basketball right now.
The range of outcomes left is pretty wild. Everything from a banner for a conference title (!) to 7th or 8th in a bad conference and missing the tourney is still on the table.
It's crazy that with two games left to go, there's a tense debate about whether the team sitting in sole second place in the Big 10 will make the NCAA tournament. If someone had suggested that scenario at the start of the season, I would have written it off as a "yeah, it's theoretically possible, but would never happen" situation.
Let's talk in a few days when we actually finish 1st or 2nd! Still could be 8th.
Our Quad-1 loss ratio and non-conference losses are a little worse than other Big Ten bubble teams.
So need to finish the deal in-conference!
The boys need to close out the season on a 5 game winning streak.
I hope we blowout Illinois, I hate Underwood.
Win the Game.