2020-2021 B1G Basketball Thread

[MaximumSam]

Watching Okie State-Baylor. Okie State could make a hell of a run for a team banned from the postseason

[NickSmith4Three]

Nobody of substance has confirmed, but there is talk on Twitter that Livers maybe has broken foot.  Hopefully it's false info.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Keeping it classy.... 

The University of Maryland told the Big Ten that Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard allegedly threatened Terps coach Mark Turgeon during a verbal altercation that broke out during the second half of the teams' game in Friday's Big Ten quarterfinal, a source with knowledge of the situation told InsideMDSports.

Howard, according to Maryland's communications with the conference, said to Turgeon: "I'll f*****g kill you," during a screaming match that saw both coaches move toward one another at midcourt and resulted in Howard's ejection in the Wolverines' eventual 79-66 win.

"This has been going on for three games. I've been doing this for 34 years and I've called the conference office. I called the commissioner about what transpired in the first two games. And I said I wasn't gonna take it the third game. And so I stood up for my team, I stood up for me," Turgeon said afterward, referring to complaints Maryland had made about Howard making disrespectful comments to Maryland's bench during the first two meetings between the two teams this season.

[MaximumSam]

Nobody of substance has confirmed, but there is talk on Twitter that Livers maybe has broken foot.  Hopefully it's false info.

Unfortunately true.  Out indefinitely, though not sure how long that will be.

[bayareabadger]

Wisconsin losing wasn't odd, but the way it happened was. Iowa delivering a horrendous 3-point shooting game. Super tight game after UW let a small lead slip. Then the Badgers turn it over 5 times in the final 7 minutes (in the last 10-11 real possessions).

They had 3 up to that point. This season has been annoying on the late game front. Like, I don't need a sweep there, but in nine games against the best teams, five were close, and I'd like to win ONE! Oh well, on to the dance. 

[847badgerfan]

I think UW is probably one and done.

[bayareabadger]

I think UW is probably one and done.

Should that happen, it'll annoy me because they will be favored. 

Unless they end up a few seeds lower than Lunardi thinks, I'd be annoyed with a 1-and-done, basically accepting of a second-round loss, and if they want to surprise, I'd be OK with it. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Ended up missing the game yesterday in real-time, so went into internet quarantine and waited until I could watch on the DVR. Then it was time to start making dinner, so didn't have a chance to log in here since.

Overall I actually came away from that game pretty pleased. While obviously a win and an opportunity to advance and hang a BTT banner is the goal, Purdue came into the game a 1 point underdog and I knew it was going to be a fight.

But if you're not going to win the damn thing, at least you want to go into the real tourney right. 

Positive takeaways:

• Trevion Williams is back. He's seemed to be in a bit of a slump of late, and the first half was looking like it was continuing. He's the engine that can propel Purdue farthest in the tournament. During his slump we've had tremendous performances from Edey, but Tre is the guy with experience and when he's on, is unstoppable. Double him and he'll rack up assists (5 yesterday), leave him single covered and he'll eat you alive in the paint. 
• The team fought back from the early deficit. Obviously you never want to see a team down 18 at the half, but they never stopped fighting and proved to themselves that you CAN fight back. They've been doing that all year, but "win or go home" is a bigger stage. To force OT is huge.
• They lost in the end. In a way, this is a good thing. Only a handful of Purdue players have played in a collegiate tournament, and the most experienced were redshirt on a team that made it to the S16 and/or playing on the team that made it to the Elite Eight. The freshmen needed to understand that it doesn't matter if you fight back to force OT--you need to come out with that same intensity and do the things you did to come back in the next 5 minutes--a team like OSU isn't going to roll over and let you just walk all over them.
• This loss will stop them from getting big-headed. They'd won 5 in a row and the loss will hopefully humble them and make them work harder going into next week. Especially since some of the reasons for the loss, such as poor FT shooting, are entirely in their own control. 
• They're healthy and don't have to play any games--or potentially expose themselves to COVID, between now and next week. In a normal season this is not as big of an issue, but the BTT is the appetizer and the NCAAT is the main course. Would hate to see them have to withdraw or forfeit due to COVID exposure--as may be happening to a few other teams right now. 

Regarding the last point--sorry to see what happened to Kyle Young. I think everyone can see that it was a basketball play and not intentional, but as a fan of a team that has been snakebit by injury in both football and basketball over the years, I hate to see that. Seems like a hell of a competitor. A concussion may take him out for the remainder of the BTT, which sucks for OSU, but I hope he's healthy and ready to go next week. 

[MaximumSam]

Rock fight in first half

[TyphonInc]

Ugg. OSU fouled TTUN elbow with his face?

[betarhoalphadelta]

Lunardi has Purdue as a 4, facing my wife's alma mater UCSB, in the first round as the 13...

[TyphonInc]

Rock fight in first half

I don't follow the refs. They have been allowing heavy weight punches get thrown all game, then they turn on the ticky tack meter in the last 3 minutes. And it's been both ways, TTUN's Wagner got called for a hand touch well after the shot was released. Towns getting called for being in the same zip code as Johns.

[MaximumSam]

Late game Buckeyes are inexplicable

[MaximumSam]

Luckily bailed out my inexplicable call from Michigan