Thursday's Rooting Guide - Win or Done Edition
No way around it, today is the day. We have a chance for a Quad-1 win and we're out without it. This team has had so many chances. At some point, you need to do it. Let's start that today!
As for last night, Ohio State obviously did us a solid. Wisconsin is almost certainly below us in the pecking order now. We have the chance to do the same to Rutgers today.
I'm actually headed to the game, so going to keep the rooting guide a little more simple today:
- Rutgers vs. MEECHIGAN - 12pm EST on BTN
- Mississippi State vs. Florida - 1pm on SEC Network
- Ohio vs. Ball State - 1:30pm on ESPN+
- Providence vs. UConn - 2:30pm on FS1
- Pittsburgh vs. Duke - 2:30pm on ESPN2
- San Jose State vs. Nevada - 5:30pm on CBS Sports Network
- Washington State vs. Oregon - 5:30pm on Pac-12 Network
- Penn State vs. Illinois - 6:30pm on BTN
- Oklahoma State vs. Texas - 7pm on ESPN2
- North Carolina vs. Virginia - 7pm on ESPN
- Minnesota vs. Maryland - 9pm on BTN
- NC State vs. Clemson - 9:30pm on ESPN
- New Mexico vs. Utah State - 11:30pm on CBS Sports Network (this is a tough one)
- Arizona State vs. USC - 11:30pm on ESPN
If we get the big win tonight, I'll have a full recap of games and a rooting guide tomorrow morning. GO BLUE! WIN THE GAME!
Some big moves in the net last night for teams that won. Apparently these neutral court wins can really move things. Let's get a win today!
Yep, in the weighted D1 record portion of the formula road wins are worth 1.4 wins, neutral are worth 1 and home wins are only worth 0.6.
As True Blue said, if Michigan doesn't win today, whatever else happens in other conference tournaments is irrelevant. Michigan will be o-u-t, OUT.
I'll be curious to see how Michigan responds to two very gut-wrenching losses. Two losses they very well could've (should've?) won and already solidified their tournament status. Do they come out playing like there is no tomorrow (because there literally could be no tomorrow for them), or do they show up just out of gas, deflated, and accepting of their fate? If its the latter, then they don't deserve a chance at the tournament anyway.
In any case, win today and the dream is still alive, even if just for one more day. Lose today, and the threads regarding Jett's, Kobe's and Hunter's future will come a-pourin' in.
While I don't think this team is mature enough to play 40 minutes of basketball without the kinds of mistakes we've seen all year, I have to believe they've still got plenty of fight left in them. They fought tremendously hard last week and proved that they are roughly equal to a couple top 30ish teams on kenpom.
There is no question in my mind that Michigan is good enough to be in tournament. Whether they play well enough to get into the tournament is, unfortunately, a different question. We'll have our answer soon.
Most likey they show up out of gas and deflated for the first 10 minutes. They pick it up and go on a tear. Only question is if their mid game dominance will be enough to get the win.
WIN THE GAME.
Thanks True Blue 9 - bring us home the W!
Add UNLV over Boise State - Boise is in the ~4 teams above the cut line range, and a loss to a 7-11 MW team #90 on the NET won't help
NC State/Clemson is an interesting one, as most have NC State on the last 4 bye line and Clemson next 4 out...could Clemson leverage more upward momentum with a W than NC State could drop? Could Michigan catch NC State? I suppose best to keep Clemson below and wave the white flag on catching the not-as-Hangover-cool Wolfpack.
Big on Illinois over Penn State - not sure where the B1G falls in getting 7-10 bids, but if Michigan can clear the Wiscy, Rutger, AND Penn State hurdles with Ws today and tomorrow, the path to a chair at the dance is that much clearer.
New Mexico over Utah State should be a pretty clear rooting interest - New Mexico isn't close to the cut line as an 8-10 Mountain West team, and Utah State is right at the cut line - and only USU -3.5.
Let's do it again tomorrow after kicking Rutger behind us!
GO BLUE
Yeah I guess the question is, is it at all possible for Clemson to pass Michigan this week? They'd for sure have work to do, getting 1 or 2 wins more than Michigan. Could NC state drop behind Michigan? Their NET might be too high at this point even though they only have a single Q1 win and will not pick up another even with a win today.
Since Michigan probably needs 2 wins no matter what, it might be better to eliminate NC State and hope you can jump them on strenth of Q1 wins.
Yea just with the way NC State won last night…whew. But I agree, it’s a conflicting one.
Good call outs here. Appreciate the added context.
The Bracket Project’s Bracket Matrix update as of March 8 shows that Rutgers and Penn State continue to cling to the Last Four In group for most bracketologists listed there. It seems safe to say that Wisconsin is falling to the First Four Out group. Only two bracketologists, CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm and the quantitative prognosticator, have Michigan in the NCAA field. Most have Michigan among the Next Four Out Group.
If Michigan beats Rutgers, that would be two head-to-head wins for Michigan against Rutgers (one at Rutgers; one at a neutral site) and give the Wolverines a 4-2 record against Rutgers, Penn State and Wisconsin while Rutgers would be 3-2 against Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin. It also would give both teams 18-14 records, but Michigan would have the better record in conference games (12-9 compared to 10-11). Penn State is 1-5 against Michigan, Rutgers and Wisconsin.
Among the four Big Ten teams on the NCAA Bubble, teams, Michigan has the fewest Quad 1/2 wins and is the only one of the four with a Quad 4 loss. Penn State (NET Rank of 55) is 9-11 in Quad 1/2 games. Michigan (NET Rank of 54) is 8-13 in Quad 1/2 games. Rutgers (NET Rank of 43) is 9-9 in Quad 1/2 games. Wisconsin (NET Rank of 81) is 11-13 in Quad 1/2 games. NET Rankings Link
If the battle for a spot in the First Four games comes down to Michigan and Rutgers, then it'll be interesting to see whether the Selection Committee puts any weight on head-to-head and recent results. Michigan is 4-4 in their last eight games and the four losses have been by a total of 12 points (an average of three points a game). Rutgers’ six losses have been by a total of 61 points (just over ten points a game).
Win the game!
We need to channel some of that 2017/2018 BTT magic (without the plane crashes of course)
We're just starting survive and advance early. Get it done!
Win the game.
Fingers crossed that you, True Blue, have to do another Rooting Guide.
Make free throws. Win the game.
Downside of the early time slot is we get Bardo on the call
Jett Howard is so bad. Sorry wrong thread but he is totally lost out there.
Now that the rug has been pulled out from under us, my rooting interests have changed. I'm rooting for PSU and Minnesota Still rooting for Dook to lose. I don't really care about the others.