2020-2021 B1G Basketball Thread

[Brutus Buckeye]

Does the BTN not hype games between Iowa and Nebraska? 

[ELA]

Does the BTN not hype games between Iowa and Nebraska?

Yeah, that's what I was going to say.  Why would they not try and sell what they are airing?

[FearlessF]

Does the BTN not hype games between Iowa and Nebraska?

rasslin matches, yes

[Brutus Buckeye]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DLINgxG7Fc&ab_channel=BigTenNetwork

[betarhoalphadelta]

Purdue back in the rankings at 24... 

Also KenPom #24, Sagarin #21, and NET #24.

[FearlessF]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DLINgxG7Fc&ab_channel=BigTenNetwork

loved Tim Miles

[MaximumSam]

OSU scratches into the top ten on KenPom, giving the B1G 4 in the top ten and 5 in the top 13

[ELA]

rasslin matches, yes

If the TV title is on the line

[medinabuckeye1]

Interesting slate of games tonight for me as a Buckeye fan.  

I've mentioned this before but right now there are five teams all within one game of each other for 2nd through 6th place in the league:

• 7-3 Illinois is in second
• 8-4 Ohio State is less than 1/2 game behind Iowa in third
• 6-3 Iowa is less than 1/2 game behind tOSU in fourth
• 7-4 Purdue is less than 1/2 game behind Iowa and only 1/2 game behind both IL and tOSU tied for fifth/sixth with
• 7-4 Wisconsin

Ohio State is idle tonight but the other four are playing.  Based on their results the Buckeyes could end up anywhere between alone in second place (if they all lose) or tied with PU and UW for 4th/5th/6th (if they all win).  

Aside from that, I find some interest tonight in the fact that several of their opponents are either in or approaching desperation time.  Penn State and Michigan State have six league losses each while Maryland has seven so none of them can afford too many more.  

[bayareabadger]

I sense Wisconsin will find a way to piss me off today. 

[bayareabadger]

I was making a comparison.  Pepperdine is #122 in BPI and that is good for sixth in Gonzaga's conference, the WCC teams are:

• #2 Gonzaga
• #40 BYU
• #87 San Francisco
• #93 St. Mary's
• #106 Loyola Marymount
• #122 Pepperdine
• #144 Santa Clara
• #189 Pacific
• #215 San Diego
• #335 Portland

...


My point is simply that teams like Baylor, Iowa, Villanova, Virginia, Tennessee, and Colorado are well tested in conference.  They play quality opponents all year long not just in a few early OOC games and then in the tournament.  Gonzaga doesn't. 

With the exception of BYU all of Gonzaga's conference opponents are against teams that would be among the worst in any of the power leagues.  Hyping a game between Gonzaga and Pepperdine would be the equivalent of hyping a game between Iowa and Nebraska or Baylor and ISU or Virginia and Miami or Nova and G'Town or Tennessee and aTm or Colorado and OrSU.  None of those games are serious challenges for the favorites and neither is Pepperdine for Gonzaga. 

So, I thought the point was that Pepperdine was bad, or then relatively bad. Or that it was bad that the game on TV was hyped by the folks broadcasting the game, which all networks do. I'm also still a little unclear where the rec league team shows up. 

Anyway, I'm sure if ESPN was broadcasting some dog of a game, they wouldn't be like "Hey folks, this one is already over, so please don't watch." Sports are about optimism, even silly optimism. 

Ahhh well, should be interesting to see how their season goes. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Purdue #choked that one away 

[bayareabadger]

Wisconsin is starting just OK, AKA to irk me

[MaximumSam]

Iowa ekes out a win over Sparty. They play OSU Thursday, which by Kenpom at least features two great offenses and two meh defenses. We might get an NBA all star game.