Saturday (2-1-14) BB thread
It's a non-Michigan day but still plenty of basketball going on.
In B1G play we have:
*Ohio State @ Wisconsin (12:00)
*Northwestern @ Minnesota (2:00)
*Michigan State vs. Georgetown (3:00)
*Iowa @ Illinois (7:30)
And in non-B1G games, a few games between ranked teams:
Oklahoma @ Iowa State (4:00)
Kansas @ Texas (4:00)
And the game of the day...
Duke @ Syracuse (6:30)
The Duke/Syracuse game sounds like a great watch but it will probably have Dick Vitale broadcasting and he has multiple orgasms over anything Duke related. So put your TV's on mute.
February 1st, 2014 at 2:05 PM ^
My God Wisconsin was playing much better ball than this earlier in the season. Even starting Big Ten they seemed like a legit Top 10 team. ANd Ohio's season is pretty much saved.
February 1st, 2014 at 2:07 PM ^
Dammit, I wanted Ohio to lose and have that dunk/travel be the reason.
No one for Wisconsin wanted to take a shot (or a FT for that matter) down the stretch. Good thing we have guys who aren't afraid of those situations.
February 1st, 2014 at 2:08 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 2:12 PM ^
Entering this game, Wisconsin's only shot at a B1G title was to go 10-0 and hope we lost four times and MSU three. It wasn't going to happen regardless.
I'd prefer to see Ohio put out of its misery. I'd hate for them to turn it around in time for our visit to Value City Arena (it's hard to type that name without laughing).
February 1st, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^
As some others have said, this result really doesn't impact anything in the Big Ten standings. Both of these teams have been out of it for AT LEAST a few days and probably even more if you're just being realistic about things. The odds of OSU and Wisconsin winning out are pretty slim and they're already probably too far back. To me, would have rather seen OSU lose since it would have started pushing them toward the bubble. Probably safe now.
February 1st, 2014 at 2:04 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 2:04 PM ^
Stop marginalizing Michigan's victory at the Kohl Center!
February 1st, 2014 at 2:07 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 2:08 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 2:30 PM ^
Can't we just argue the same dumb crap that CBS and ESPN argue about SEC football?
"This league is just so good, so deep from top to bottom that anyone can beat anyone on a given night. You just don't find this depth in leagues like the SEC and Pac-12. Wisconsin and Ohio State were top 5 and look at all the teams that beat them! That means there are sooo many top 5 teams in this conference. If you put Purdue in the SEC they'd be 24-0 right now!!1"
February 1st, 2014 at 3:15 PM ^
Yes. Very good.
February 1st, 2014 at 2:09 PM ^
Doug Gottlieb on CBS halftime show:
"I still think Big XII is the strongest conference" No arguments there necessarily.
"I still think Michigan State is the only Final 4 worthy team in the Big Ten"
Before that he of course said "Michigan has the best resume, they went into Michigan State to win, as Michigan St. was down two players to injury." No mention of McGary
"I still like Ohio St. in the TOurnament...They're defense, speed, and EXPERIENCE!".
I do no like that man.
February 1st, 2014 at 2:24 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 2:27 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^
Of course, he originally went to ND, but ran into some, uh, difficulties (*cough*credit card fraud*cough*) which caused him to end up in Stillwater. I always thought he seemed a little smarmy.
February 1st, 2014 at 2:32 PM ^
His incessant whining worked. People don't take our win as seriously because "OMG MSU was soo injured". No mention of the fact that Michigan is 8-0 and reeled off 3 straight top 10 wins without their PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN LOTTERY PICK CENTER. Nope, don't remember to mention that or anything
February 1st, 2014 at 2:38 PM ^
We lost a pre-season All-American center? Really? Wow that hurts.
Somebody ought to let people know about this what with it being a big, big secret and all. I'm sure if this ever got out people might appreciate the job Beilein is doing this year.
Who knew?
February 1st, 2014 at 3:54 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:21 PM ^
Actually, McGary played most of the nonconference season. The decision to shut him down and have surgery only came at the end of December. He and Payne have been out for close to the same length of time.
February 1st, 2014 at 5:06 PM ^
I get the whole we lost Mcgary thing to for that game, but when looking at who you think will do better over the rest of the season it is fair to bring up because msu is getting those guys back and we aren't gettting Mcgary back. If MSU plus those two is better than us sans Mcgary it doesn't really matter what the game would like with both teams at full strength MSU would be the better pick to go further in the tourney. People keep saying they can't see us not getting a share of the title and I'm not sure why everyone is so confident. Our defense is still not good and all it will take is one bad shooting night against one of the teams we should beat and our advantage over MSU is gone.
February 1st, 2014 at 5:06 PM ^
I get the whole we lost Mcgary thing to for that game, but when looking at who you think will do better over the rest of the season it is fair to bring up because msu is getting those guys back and we aren't gettting Mcgary back. If MSU plus those two is better than us sans Mcgary it doesn't really matter what the game would like with both teams at full strength MSU would be the better pick to go further in the tourney. People keep saying they can't see us not getting a share of the title and I'm not sure why everyone is so confident. Our defense is still not good and all it will take is one bad shooting night against one of the teams we should beat and our advantage over MSU is gone.
February 1st, 2014 at 2:37 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 2:32 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 2:55 PM ^
The four teams we beat on the road have like seven losses between them at home. Four to us, one to that bizarre UNC team, and then Wisconsin's last two.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^
Would love to see NW get a W today to get to .500 in-conference and a half-game lead on Wisconsin and Ohio. I'll be rooting for them the rest of the year. I'll feel bad for Carmody and all but if they SOMEHOW make the NCAA Torunament, I dunno...that would just be friggin' crazy. After reading their Sippin'OnPurple blog a few weeks back and their facetious posts about how bad the baskeball team is, and for them to turn around and get a Tourney bid, I would find hilarious.
February 1st, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 2:48 PM ^
Wisconsin went on a, what, 6 minute scoring (made FG) drought to end the game? Again? Jesus that team just can't shoot. And boy oh boy does Dekker look terrible. What happened to his game?? I have a feeling Beilein would have done sooooo much more with his potential than what Bo is getting out of him.
February 1st, 2014 at 2:53 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 3:13 PM ^
Does anyone else hate Fox Sports 1?
February 1st, 2014 at 3:14 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 3:16 PM ^
Eroding home-court advantage is a good thing for us, and Wisky was closer in the standings. Ohio will have plenty of chances to stumble this season.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:20 PM ^
Who's watching the Notre Dame vs Georgetown game?
February 1st, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^
hehe I get it!
February 1st, 2014 at 3:23 PM ^
Why is MSU wearing Purdue unis...oh wait those are Notre Dame unis...of wait I see Sparty helmets. Anyway those are ugly.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:38 PM ^
Northwestern might f--- around and play their way onto the bubble.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:50 PM ^
They have almost no room for error. They have been playing well and I think Chris Collins has been a great additon to the conference. Would not be surprised to see them in the Tourney next year. They are currently 11-11 so it's possible but they'd have to go almost if not perfect down the stetch to be in contention for a spot. This brings up an interesting point though. The MSM is starting to question the Big Ten conference. There is only one team that is at .500 in the overall record and that is Northwestern. They have a decent change to knock off Minnesota but of course they have to hold on here. If they do every Big Ten team will be above .500 in the overall record and I wonder if that has ever happened before this late into the season. Agan, there may not be that many elite teams though I think there are potentially at least two but this really is a tough conference. Can't wait for the Tourney since at the end of the day that is where conferences can be judged somewhat fairly though of course certain matchups are more favorable.
Basketball is great.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
Northwestern will need a good showing in the B1G Tournament.
February 1st, 2014 at 5:13 PM ^
They'll probably need to win it. Just winning a game or two in the BTT probably won't matter, since it's so late in the game. The selection committee has admitted that it doesn't pay too much attention to the tournaments held in that last weekend.
The B1G should really just dump the tournament and play more regular-season games, especially with two more teams coming in. Having 14 teams play an 18-game schedule is going to result in some ridiculously unbalanced schedules.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^
NW and Minny is going to be a good finish. Everybody with me in cheering for them?
February 1st, 2014 at 4:00 PM ^
Northwestern 5-5, 4th place in the Big Ten!!!
February 1st, 2014 at 4:01 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:02 PM ^
No one in that second tier after UM/MSU/Iowa seems to be stepping up and grabbing it right now. Entirely possible that things break in such a way that three of Wiscy, Ohio, Minnesota and [fill in the blank here] do NOT make the tourney. The teams that do make it will be tough outs, and we could have a bunch of teams in the NIT.
Does not indicate that the conference is weak, just very balanced through the 7/8/9 teams.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:04 PM ^
lol @ lil' Pitino ... "You gotta be f--kin s--ttin me"
February 1st, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
Northwestern has wins over Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota. 339th in PPG, 331st in FG%.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:09 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:26 PM ^
And as Brian brought up this week:
91.8 points given up per 100 possessions*. #10 in the entire country and up there with very good company.
*KenPom.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^
So if Northwestern actually finishes 4th in the conference, which somehow seems reasonable given the horrific mire below the 3rd spot, how can they be left out of the tournament? They have a horrendous non-conference record, but this team has made pretty incredible progress the last few weeks
February 1st, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
4th through 10th in the conference all have five losses right now. That's pretty amazing.