2021-2022 B1G Basketball thread

[847badgerfan]

I'm starting to feel like Illinois is gonna close out at 5-1 and make the conference title race a moot point.

I think you are right. Possibly 6-0. They are really good.

Of course, the cockroach looms large tonight.

[medinabuckeye1]

Updated NET rankings for B1G teams:

• #10 Purdue (tier-1)
• #13 Illinois (tier-1)
• #17 Ohio State (tier-1)
• #19 Iowa (tier-2)
• #21 Wisconsin (tier-1)
• #27 Michigan State (tier-1)
• #36 Michigan (tier-2)
• #45 Indiana (tier-2)
• #66 Northwestern (tier-3)
• #81 Rutgers (tier-2)
• #86 Penn State (tier-3)
• #100 Maryland (tier-3)
• #103 Minnesota (tier-3)
• #175 Nebraska (tier-5)

[medinabuckeye1]

I'm starting to feel like Illinois is gonna close out at 5-1 and make the conference title race a moot point.

Obviously Illinois at Rutgers tonight is a must-win . . . For both teams.  

[ELA]

Obviously Illinois at Rutgers tonight is a must-win . . . For both teams. 

Not even for both teams.  For everyone chasing Illinois, it's a Rutgers must win for them.  It's really a must win for everyone, including teams trying to steal that #3 seed from Illinois

[NickSmith4Three]

I'm starting to feel like Illinois is gonna close out at 5-1 and make the conference title race a moot point.

I wish I had the same confidence.  These next 4 games are going to be a dogfight.  If Illinois plays a complete game, sure, but they have let quite a few teams back into it lately.

[ELA]

I wish I had the same confidence.  These next 4 games are going to be a dogfight.  If Illinois plays a complete game, sure, but they have let quite a few teams back into it lately.

Want to give us another shot without Cockburn and Curbelo this weekend?  I think at home we might be better Illinois without their two best players

[ELA]

Good deal, hope it works out for you and your little Ohio State fan.

On that note, while it is maybe a bit annoying for a Spartan to have a Buckeye, that isn't THAT bad. How do his Wolverine Grandparents feel?

Got a refund, bought nearly identical tickets to the Iowa game for less money.

O-H...?  I guess

[medinabuckeye1]

Got a refund, bought nearly identical tickets to the Iowa game for less money.

O-H...?  I guess

I-O of course!

Glad it worked out for you with the game/ticket switch.  I hope you enjoy the game.  

If you want to catch the MSU/IL game on TV while having lunch with your little guy before heading into the Schott for the Ohio State/Iowa game I *THINK* that the Varsity Club (278 W. Lane) would be good.  It can be a somewhat rowdy college bar on a weekend night but at noon on a non-football Saturday I *THINK* it would be tame enough to take a kid.  I haven't been in a while so maybe some of the more local or more recent tOSU alums on here will have better information for you.  

I recommend it largely because it is a 1/2 mile walk from the BB arena so you should be able to park once and do both.  Plus, if you park for the BB game at around noon you'll find it very easy to get into BB parking as opposed to trying to park for the BB game with everybody else at 1:30 or so.  

[847badgerfan]

I-O of course! W-A!

Fixed.

[Abba]

I agree with dropping MSU one tier.  

Huge win for the Badgers last night.  Going to be very interesting as we go down to the wire in the conference race.  I wonder if the winner will get a 1 or 2 seed.  Wisconsin doesn't necessarily pass the eye test for me, but the resume says they may get there.  Buckeyes probably don't have enough quality wins.  Illinois or Purdue are probably a 1 seed if they win the conference.

[medinabuckeye1]

Not even for both teams.  For everyone chasing Illinois, it's a Rutgers must win for them.  It's really a must win for everyone, including teams trying to steal that #3 seed from Illinois

With respect to control of destiny losses matter not wins so the conference title race right now is:

• 3-loss Illinois:  Controls their own destiny.  
• 4-loss PU, UW, and tOSU:  Need at least one IL loss.  
• 5-loss MSU and RU:  Need at least two IL losses and one loss each by PU, UW, and tOSU.  
• 6-loss IA and M:  Borderline hopeless:  Need at least three IL losses; two losses each by PU, UW, and tOSU; and a loss each by MSU and RU.  
• 8-loss IU:  Mathematically in it but practically eliminated.  
• All other teams are mathematically eliminated because the UW/PU winner can do no worse than 12-8.  

Illinois' remaining schedule sorted most likely loss to most likely win:

• @ M on 2/27
• @ MSU on 2/19
• @ RU tonight
• vs tOSU on 2/24
• vs IA on 3/6
• vs PSU on 3/3

You could argue any order for those first three.  Michigan has the most talent, RU looks the best recently, MSU is Izzo and nearing March.  

Purdue's remaining schedule sorted the same way:

• @ UW on 3/1
• @ MSU on 2/26
• vs RU on 2/20
• vs IU on 3/5
• @ NU tonight

Wisconsin's remaining schedule sorted the same way:

• @ RU on 2/26
• vs PU on 3/1
• vs M on 2/20
• @ MN on 2/23
• vs UNL on 3/6

Ohio State's remaining schedule sorted the same way:

• @ IL on 2/24
• vs MSU on 3/3
• vs M on 3/6
• @ UMD on 2/27
• vs IU on 2/21
• vs IA on 2/19
• vs UNL on 3/1

[ELA]

I-O of course!

Glad it worked out for you with the game/ticket switch.  I hope you enjoy the game. 

If you want to catch the MSU/IL game on TV while having lunch with your little guy before heading into the Schott for the Ohio State/Iowa game I *THINK* that the Varsity Club (278 W. Lane) would be good.  It can be a somewhat rowdy college bar on a weekend night but at noon on a non-football Saturday I *THINK* it would be tame enough to take a kid.  I haven't been in a while so maybe some of the more local or more recent tOSU alums on here will have better information for you. 

I recommend it largely because it is a 1/2 mile walk from the BB arena so you should be able to park once and do both.  Plus, if you park for the BB game at around noon you'll find it very easy to get into BB parking as opposed to trying to park for the BB game with everybody else at 1:30 or so. 

We are comboing with Legoland, which is where our hotel is.  Not sure if we'll get there in time for lunch.  My do a dog at the game, with a dinner near the hotel

[medinabuckeye1]

Tournament view, locks (as per usual, my definition of "lock" is literal.  I define it as a team that could lose all remaining games and would still make the tournament):

• 22-4/11-4 Purdue:  Even if they lost out they'd finish 22-10/11-9 and be in.  
• 20-5/11-4 Wisconsin:  Even if they lost out they'd finish 20-11/11-9 and be in.  
• 18-6/11-3 Illinois:  Even if they lost out they'd finish 18-13/11-9.  They'd be a bubble team but they'd get in.  

Should be in:

• 18-7/9-5 Michigan State:  What is holding me back from calling them a lock is that they *COULD* finish sub .500 in the league.  If they lost out they'd be 18-14/9-11 and that might not do it.  
• 16-6/9-4 Ohio State:  If they had played and won their two postponed games they'd be in roughly the same situation as Illinois but they didn't so they are here.  

Work to do:

• 17-7/7-6 Iowa:  The Hawkeyes' problem is a serious lack of quality wins.  They are 0-5 in Q1 games.  Finishing 0-fer in Q1 games probably will not keep them out as long as they avoid bad losses which they've done a good job of so far.  
• 16-9/7-8 Indiana:  Dropping below .500 in the league is a bad omen for the Hoosiers.  Their OOC was weak so they are wholly dependent on league games for quality wins and they have two (home wins over tOSU and PU) but they are currently on a four-game losing streak.  
• 15-9/9-5 Rutgers:  The Scarlet Knights three-game winning streak involving wins over MSU, tOSU, and UW with the last of those coming on the road as put them on the bubble but that status is precarious because the Scarlet Knights have three REALLY bad losses holding them back.  They need to keep winning but the schedule doesn't get any easier with IL, @PU, @M, vsUW, @IU coming up.  
• 13-10/7-6 Michigan:  When they are good, the Wolverines are REALLY good.  Their two Q1 wins were a blowout of Purdue and a blowout of IU in Bloomington.  Those are impressive results but they are also Michigan's only Q1 wins.  They are on the bubble but they need to keep winning and there aren't any easy games left for the Wolverines.  

Need a miraculous finish:

• 12-11/5-9 Northwestern:  If the Wildcats won out to the B1GCG then lost that they'd finish 21-12/11-9 and that is pretty much their only chance at an at-large bid.  
• 10-12/5-9 Penn State:  If the Nittany Lions won out to the B1GCG then lost that they'd finish 19-13/11-9 and that is pretty much their only chance at an at-large bid.  
• 12-11/3-11 Minnesota:  I'm not sure that an at-large bid is even possible for the Gophers.  Winning every game between now and the B1GCG then losing that would put them at either 21-12/9-11 or 22-12/9-11 and that might not do it.  
• 11-14/3-11 Maryland:  Same as MN, winning to the B1GCG and losing that puts them at either 20-15/9-11 or 21-15/9-11 and that would be borderline at best.  

Need to win the B1GCG:

• 7-18/1-13 Nebraska:  Nebraska suddenly starting to win and winning their last six regular season games then getting all the way to the B1GCG would be a huge story but it wouldn't get the Cornhuskers in the Tournament, they'd need to win the B1GCG.  

[grillrat]

Purdue's remaining schedule sorted the same way:

• @ UW on 3/1
• @ MSU on 2/26
• vs RU on 2/20
• vs IU on 3/5
• @ NU tonight

I actually disagree with this.  The NU game tonight is at least the 3rd hardest or arguably the 2nd.  Might depend upon the upcoming results though.  It's distinctly possible that MSU will be coming home with a 3 game losing streak when Purdue comes, so they might be desperate by that time.  We'll see.