Before you give up on this MBB season...
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:18 PM ^
but I haven't "given up" on the season. Still love watching them play- admittedly it is extra nice to get over the hump today.
February 22nd, 2015 at 11:36 PM ^
I am already thinking of next year, but today's performance opens the possibility that this team has made a small "Beilein Leap" and could perform well the next few games. If they play well and get a few breaks, they could win the Big Ten Tournament.
I still think it's impossible for them to get an at large bid, but I also think the NIT would take them if they win two of the next three and maybe win two Big Ten Tournament games. At any rate, it's nice to see the unheralded recruits grow so quickly.
February 22nd, 2015 at 11:43 PM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 8:56 PM ^
Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
February 22nd, 2015 at 9:25 PM ^
go to the NBA draft early.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:21 PM ^
but, whatever, I'm in, Jonesie! I was at Crisler today and it was fun!
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:22 PM ^
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February 22nd, 2015 at 7:25 PM ^
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February 22nd, 2015 at 7:25 PM ^
They were without Kaminsky (which doesn't excuse losing to Rutgers, but still). They had a great win today and played with a lot of effort, but it seems highly unlikely that this team will win the BTT. Just finish strong and have a nice NIT run.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:25 PM ^
It's simple math--this team needed to win a couple more games, and not lose to NJIT, to really make this work. It's not as much giving up as resigning the fact that there doesn't seem to be a way to get this team to the NCAA tournament at this point.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:35 PM ^
Agreed. In the battle between hope and reason...we still have only a small reason to hope. That said, I raise a glass to your optimism.
February 22nd, 2015 at 8:21 PM ^
NJIT and EMU, for that matter, aren't horrible.
NJIT is rated 180 by Kenpom, ahead of VT, Miami OH, and Rutgers (#208).
EMU is 136, ahead of Oakland, Auburn, and BC.
Granted, losing to those teams is obviously not a good thing, but it's not an automatic death knell. It does mean Michigan will have to make a pretty incredible run to have a shot at the NCAA tourney, though.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:26 PM ^
I like your optimism, but here's the conference tourney bracket as it stands: 
Those are some awful matchups. Iowa's size kills us, as does Wisconsin's size and skill. I think we'd have to get to the 7 seed to get the better matchups and give us any kind of chance.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:43 PM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:48 PM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:49 PM ^
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February 22nd, 2015 at 7:58 PM ^
Seeds 11-14 aren't going to win the BTT. They'd have to win five games in five days, including some against much better-rested (and just better) teams.
February 22nd, 2015 at 8:15 PM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 10:00 PM ^
Not gonna lie we look pretty locked into that 8/9 game which if we were on the bubble would be perfect but as of now is probably the worst place to be and its rough.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:56 PM ^
and actually Illinois is in the 8th spot as I post at 7-6 as the Illini tip off at home against MSU.
So while I think we're very likely to be the 9th seed, Iowa as the 8th is in VERY light pencil.
As to falling to 10th or 11th, very unlikely. Minnesota, Nebraska, and Northwestern are sitting in 10th-12th at 5-10, 5-10, and 4-10, respectively. While they could hypothetically catch us should we drop two more (DON'T WANT), they'll all likely drop a couple more.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:47 PM ^
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February 22nd, 2015 at 7:48 PM ^
You never have that "Damn, she has nice_____." moment.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:49 PM ^
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February 22nd, 2015 at 7:50 PM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 8:20 PM ^
For me, it's the cheese.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:29 PM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:43 PM ^
For even a chance at a miracle we need Walton back. All those games in a week is too much for this team with 0 depth.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:44 PM ^
The problem with the BTT isn't the matchups, it's the schedule. We're not built to play four games in four days.
I'm just cheering for us in each game and hoping for the best. Whatever postseason bid (if any) we get, so be it.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:51 PM ^
Agreed.
See last year - we lost our sea legs the last day of the tourney - so did MSU, both teams jump shooting was awful. But MSU had leaping Dawson everywhere to get rebounds, and Payne can play inside and out - with our 2 main bigs on the bench almost the entire 1st half and bigs not really a part of the offense much we suffered, That was with 3 NBA wings/guards. This team doesnt have that - and is playing basically a 7 man rotation. If you think playing 4 nights in a row with guys like MAAR and Spike and Irvin playing 37-38 minutes is going to work, well good luck. On any given night we can pull a upset but the 2nd night of a back to back with a team that lives by jump shooting is brutal as it is - with this team with such little depth its killer.
February 22nd, 2015 at 8:01 PM ^
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February 22nd, 2015 at 9:33 PM ^
but when you play wrestling on the basketball court like MSU does, you're going to have an advantage over the less-physical, jump shooting team with no rest.
I hate everything - everything - about the BTT.
Even more now that they're showing the Evan Turner shot in the fucking promos.
We won the conference by three games after McGary went down. Fuck MSU and their game show championship.
We dominated the non-freakshow portion of conference competition. And I would much rather win a regular season championship.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:48 PM ^
Thanks /s
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:49 PM ^
I am not as optimistic as everyone else is, but what if this team were to win out the regular season and then make it to Sunday of the BTT and lose on Sunday. That would probably play themselves onto the bubble. There would be a couple of quality wins against OSU and Maryland not to mention probably another one along the way of the BT tourney. i know highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened. I do love the effort of this team and they are bound for greater things in the future.
February 22nd, 2015 at 8:06 PM ^
(The D2 Hillsdale win doesn't count.)
In your hypothetical, we likely take out Wiscy, so why not just go all the way?
In any event, I still don't think it's enough to get into the Big Dance. Maybe enough to warrant a mention on the "Next Four Out" or so, but this resume, even with the boosts that winning streak would provide, wouldn't be sufficient IME.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rpi/_/teamId/130
(includes our Ohio State win in the individual game listing but not in the season stats)
February 22nd, 2015 at 8:08 PM ^
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February 22nd, 2015 at 7:55 PM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 10:32 PM ^
5 game losing streak. Nice win today, but we are not going to win out and take 2 or 3 games in the tournament. I would love it, but it is not going to happen.
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:57 PM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:58 PM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 7:58 PM ^
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February 22nd, 2015 at 8:00 PM ^
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February 22nd, 2015 at 8:01 PM ^
That's the goal.
February 23rd, 2015 at 7:28 PM ^
I'm all for being pragmatic, but getting hot and winning a few games in a tournament that we aren't suppose to isn't out of the question. I'm sorry but we should never be just trying to win a couple games and get to the nit. It's not like we're THAT bad where we can't compete with the top teams in our conference. F***that, let's play our weird guys and shoot the shit out of the ball and give it 110% and try to make a run at this thing.
February 22nd, 2015 at 8:04 PM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 8:08 PM ^
with each game being worthwhile on its own.
(Today's game was especially worthwhile on its own.)
February 23rd, 2015 at 2:00 AM ^
February 22nd, 2015 at 8:16 PM ^
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