2022-2023 B1G Basketball Thread

[NickSmith4Three]

Bad look for the Krush now that it has come out that they posed as the Boys and Girls club to get tickets.  Especially given their official statement that they released.  I get that they don't want to tell Iowa who they are when they are trying to get bulk tickets but you gotta be smarter than using a group for underprivileged kids.

[grillrat]

As of this moment, there is a 3.5 game difference between 1st place and 2nd place.

As of this moment, there is a 3.5 game difference between 2nd place and 12th place.

Sheesh, what a year.

[medinabuckeye1]

Tonight's games:

• Michigan+3.5 at Northwestern, 7pm ESPN2
• Wisconsin+7.5 at Ohio State, 7pm FS1

Both are interesting to me because both involve two teams from the 2-12 group of bunched up teams in the league.  As I see it, the games are MUCH more important to the home teams because you just can't afford to drop home games.  

Northwestern is the least predictable team in the league.  There have been 16 "upsets" or results not predicted by the tiers.  Northwestern has been involved in nearly one-third of them, five.  The Wildcats have only played 10 games and half of them have ended in upsets with three up (wins at MSU, IU, and UNL) and two down (home losses to tOSU and RU).  Michigan, meanwhile is one of two league teams that has yet to be involved in an upset either way (the other is UMD).  The Wolverines have just one road win and just one home loss but the road win was over woeful Minnesota and the home loss was to #1 Purdue so those were not upsets and otherwise the Wolverines have been perfect in Crisler and perfectly awful away from home.  The projection is that NU will win this game and that both teams will finish 10-10.  If Michigan wins then the Wildcats are going to need to pick up yet another road upset to make up for it.  

Wisconsin and Ohio State have drifted to the bottom of the 2-12 group and are currently in 11th and 12th place respectively.  IMHO, an Ohio State loss here would be catastrophic.  The Buckeyes have a relatively easy remaining schedule with six homes games and only four road trips.  They are projected to go 6-4 in those last 10 and thus finish just below .500 in the league at 9-11 and 17-14 overall.  I *THINK* that finishing there would give them some modicum of a chance to play their way onto the bubble in Chicago but at this point they have approximately zero margin for error.  One extra loss sends them to Chicago at 8-12/16-15 where they'd need to AT LEAST make the CG to have a realistic shot.  

If Ohio State wins they and UW move into a tie for 11th/12th at 4-7 just one game behind PSU (and M if they lose in Evanston).  However, if the Buckeyes lose they drop to just one-half game ahead of Nebraska two games behind PSU/UW.  The Buckeyes would be basically out of the 2-12 group which would become a 2-11 group with Ohio State joining UNL and MN definitively inferior to the 2-12 teams.  

[847badgerfan]

Today is the day that drops UW out of the NCAA tournament. 

[medinabuckeye1]

Today is the day that drops UW out of the NCAA tournament.

I don't think this game does that, even if UW loses. I have them losing tonight and heading to Chicago at 9-11/17-13. I *THINK* that would be at least plausibly on the bubble so I don't think UW is in "must-win" territory yet.

[847badgerfan]

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[grillrat]

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I think I'd be more inclined to think:
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[medinabuckeye1]

I'm having a hard time following so I made it easier:

[Brutus Buckeye]

The Buckeyes are getting absolutely annihilated by the Badgers. 

[medinabuckeye1]

The Buckeyes are getting absolutely annihilated by the Badgers.

If Notre Dame would like to hire Holtmann at halftime, that would be terrific.

[medinabuckeye1]

Today is the day that drops UW out of the NCAA tournament.

LoL, you underestimate Chris Holtmann's ability to cure whatever ails Ohio State's opponents. 

[medinabuckeye1]

Tonight's games:

• Michigan+3.5 at Northwestern, 7pm ESPN2
• Wisconsin+7.5 at Ohio State, 7pm FS1

Both are interesting to me because both involve two teams from the 2-12 group of bunched up teams in the league.  As I see it, the games are MUCH more important to the home teams because you just can't afford to drop home games. 

The two road teams are just obliterating their hosts. 

IMHO, an Ohio State loss here would be catastrophic.

when the Buckeyes lose they drop to just one-half game ahead of Nebraska two games behind PSU/UW.  The Buckeyes would be basically out of the 2-12 group which would become a 2-11 group with Ohio State joining UNL and MN definitively inferior to the 2-12 teams. 

It is no longer a 2-12 bunch. The Buckeyes join the Huskers and Gophers (both of which already beat Ohio State) as definitively inferior to the rest.

[medinabuckeye1]

He should be fired tonight.

Told ya.

[medinabuckeye1]

I plan to drop Ohio State into the blank tier between Nebraska and Minnesota. 

Their two best games are the win over Rutgers and the blowout win in Evanston but those were on December 8 and January 1. Since then they are 1-8 including a loss to Nebraska and a home loss to Minnesota. At this point they are horrible.

Thoughts?