All #2 Seeds in latest Bracketology from BIG
I know its early, but still impressive all current projected number 2 seeds are from the BIG. Lunardi now has Michigan in that group. (Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin)
# GOBLUE!
January 5th, 2021 at 2:16 PM ^
The BIG has turned into quite a well rounded conference. Top to bottom, no matter whom you play, you're going to be in for a dogfight most likely.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:52 PM ^
Unless you find yourself in East Landfill.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:37 PM ^
It would be nice if that were the case in football too.
January 5th, 2021 at 6:47 PM ^
3 posts to bring up football in a basketball thread
January 5th, 2021 at 2:18 PM ^
Four number 2s? Sounds like my New Years Day.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:25 PM ^
Great Success!
January 5th, 2021 at 2:46 PM ^
Username checks out.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:19 PM ^
Anyone else excited to see how Hunter fares against guys like Cockburn or Garza? Obviously different skillsets but very talented big men.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:22 PM ^
We'll get a preview tomorrow when he goes against Liam Robbins.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^
Another talented big man. Hunter has a good 20lbs on him but Robbins isn't afraid to shoot from deep. Not sure Hunter has been tested much in that regard yet.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:53 PM ^
Hunter may not have him on D. Have to wait and see how M plays him. Livers or Wagner might D him.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:34 PM ^
Good point, based on how Coach Howard had Michigan defend Northwestern's front line.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:06 PM ^
He'll def be guarding Robbins. NW was very different because they just play a bunch of wings/stretch fours so it was easy to put Hunter on the lowest usage one of them (Beran) that also can't really get to the basket.
Minnesota doesn't have that situation at all. Robbins is a taller, more traditional big that you don't really want Livers or Wagner to have to guard in the post. He's also not a great shooter. Michigan will let Robbins pick and pop. He's only hitting 32% from three which is Jon Teske range (and he was well under 30% last year). You let him shoot and if he hits, tip the cap.
Plus, Johnson is a more dangerous stretch 4 than Beran that you don't want Dickinson guarding.
It's a no brainer matchup that we'll see Dickinson on Robbins.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:23 PM ^
I can't wait. And the thing is, he doesn't need to match them. Just keep that matchup competitive and prove he belongs on the same floor as those guys, and Michigan's advantages on the wing should be able to do the rest.
And I have no doubt that Dickinson, Michigan's best player and statistically a top 10 player in all of college basketball, is capable of doing that.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:26 PM ^
Being surrounded by ELITE perimeter defenders like Franz, Livers, and Chaundee who can all switch onto most any player, along with Eli who can hold his own against most ball handlers in the B1G.... Maybe I'm a nerd but this team is so fun to watch.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:31 PM ^
Wondering what the “book” will be on Hunter? None yet, but opposing coaches are going to be looking for a workable strategy....ought to be interesting to watch.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:00 PM ^
If you have a postup big, get him in foul trouble. If you have a mobile big, get him out on the perimeter and make him defend in space. Maryland and Northwestern tried the latter, but Maryland couldn't defend us (especially Hunter) worth a damn, and Northwestern had a passive player in Beren we could hide Hunter on. Maryland and Northwestern are limited teams that are gonna find themselves on the bubble this year, so we will face tougher challenges
January 5th, 2021 at 3:09 PM ^
The book is to force him to his right yet it's hard to do it because you can't send a double or Michigan will punish you for it and most don't have enough size to deal with him. I'm interested to see how B1G with an actual big deal with Hunter.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:37 PM ^
Garza and Cockburn should have the size to try to keep him as far away from the basket as possible. That's about the best you can do. Keep him out of the paint and force longer hooks and jumpers. Michigan has enough shooters around him, and he's a good enough passer that doubles and zones won't work beyond being the occasional change-ups.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:26 PM ^
I saw a video of pickup game with garza and dickinson and dickinson held his own and looked like he belonged.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:31 PM ^
As long as he uses proper protection he shouldn't have to deal with Cockburn.
January 5th, 2021 at 6:05 PM ^
Someone should have told the ref in our game last year about protection.
January 5th, 2021 at 7:25 PM ^
January 5th, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^
Curious - does the Big 12 have three #1 seeds?
January 5th, 2021 at 2:27 PM ^
Gonzaga, Baylor, Villanova and Texas
January 5th, 2021 at 2:26 PM ^
Biggest Michigan basketball slap here who is super excited about this team...
With that being said, there's still a gnawing feeling that they haven't been really tested yet. Northwestern was a nice win, but I don't think they are all that great.
If they can take 2/4 from Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Rutgers, I will be a happy fan.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:37 PM ^
Schedule sets up nicely for a team that has lots of new parts compared to last year. Let’s beat Minnesota before we think about Illinois and beyond....
January 5th, 2021 at 4:39 PM ^
They haven't really been tested but the way they're beating decent teams bodes well for their ability to beat the best teams.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:34 PM ^
Rutgers as a #4 seed just looks so weird
January 5th, 2021 at 3:11 PM ^
It does look weird but Rutgers is a legit good team. A lot of long and rangy athletes who can defend and finally found their shooting to go with their stifling defense.
January 5th, 2021 at 2:42 PM ^
The other day, Dakich admitted that the Big Ten was great this season but wouldn't acknowledge it was the best.
I'm curious what season/s he'd place higher? My first thought would be the undefeated Indiana team beating Michigan in the national championship game but was the rest of the league then as strong as this season's?
January 5th, 2021 at 2:59 PM ^
The early 90's were absolutely stacked years. Jim Jackson, Calbert Cheaney, Steve Smith, Glenn Robinson, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, etc. were stars in a very deep Big 10 conference (also recall that there weren't as many league members back then). I'm missing a few others and obviously didn't include Michigan names. The mid-to-late 1980's also featured a very deep and talented conference. I'm too young to recall the 1970's with much clarity - don't know if league depth during the fabulous Indiana years was on par with later eras.
It's so difficult to compare eras, but this year's league depth is shockingly good top to bottom.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:57 PM ^
Thanks, Naked. It's good to get a longer perspective.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:14 PM ^
I will allow Dakich that this isn't the most talented year ever for the B1G (you make great points on the 80s/90s - BJ Armstrong, Roy Marble, Voshon Leonard, Marcus Liberty, Steve Alford), but it's never been this good top to bottom, especially with 14 teams.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:08 PM ^
I remember when the old Big East had 3 of the 4 FF. It was a monster conference back then, even with a pretty strong ACC. While the ACC has had it's years of being the strongest, and the 80s Big East was pretty deep, this is the toughest, deepest MBB conference I can recall in my lifetime.
Not only can the B1G put 4 in the FF, but all have the potential to win it all. How appropriate the entire tournament is the heart of B1G country.
January 5th, 2021 at 5:38 PM ^
It might be the deepest, but because of the lack of elite teams, I def wouldn't say it's the best I've ever seen. Maybe the conference does end up dominating the FF, but there are at least four teams that look more likely to make the FF than the big tens best team (whomever that is).
The two best Big Ten teams per the fancy stats are 1) Wisconsin which has a nice, experienced, balanced team but probably lacks any NBA talent which usually matters in the tournament and 2) Iowa which is quite bad at defense and has lets say one NBA player on the roster (Garza will get drafted but is not a shoe-in to stick so let's call him 0.75 of an NBA player, and Wieskamp could possibly make a team so he's 0.25 of an NBA player).
Michigan and Illinois have more talent so they could get to elite status. For Michigan it'll depend on Franz continuing to get more dominant at both ends of the floor and for Dickinson to be able to win against guys like Cockburn, Garza and Timme. Good bigs on good teams.
January 5th, 2021 at 5:16 PM ^
Iowa is a #1 in my view.
January 7th, 2021 at 5:20 PM ^
Really!!! All Big 10 teams as #2.
I can accept that, but it would be highly unlikely. (I understand that it is as of the current ranking stand.)
Obviously, those teams still need to play each other soooooooooo....it probably won't happen.