2022-2023 B1G Basketball Thread

[medinabuckeye1]

Heh well yeah, you have to really try to be as bad as Louisville. But Louisville is a bigger basketball program than OSU, ran their coach off when he didn't deliver Louisville basketball, and now find themselves among the Wagners and Arkansas-Pine-Bluffs. OSU basketball really doesn't have a ton of support in the community - the arena sucks and they don't sell out. I still have a subscription the The Athletic and it doesn't even cover OSU basketball anymore. All that's to say, OSU used to be attractive because you got the perks of a giant athletic department without the pressure. With NIL, I'm not sure how much the Buckeyes can compete. It's very nebulous to speculate on such a thing with the lack of hard numbers anywhere, but that's been my biggest worry.

Obviously that was an extreme example but even if that were something like a 50/50 proposition, I just don't care.

As far as I am concerned basketball success is a dichotomy:

• Either you are competing for league titles and getting past the first weekend of the tournament, or
• You are not competing for league titles and getting past the first weekend of the tournament.

Ohio State is in category #2.

I understand @MaximumSam argument. Ohio State is one of the best teams in category #2 and he doesn't want to risk losing that. I disagree because I don't care. As far as I am concerned the difference between being a mediocre team and being a crappy team is irrelevant

[Brutus Buckeye]

Ehhh, that’s extremely extreme.

Like, a program like OSU that has teams that deliver worse records than their ability eventually makes a change. I think Wisconsin could treadmill, but OSU’s talent access should allow for at least one team after the first.

I might just be worn down by Medina essays, so that might just be my problem.

Come on now. The Medina essays are the best part. 

[FearlessF]

don't need the sound bar for Gus

[medinabuckeye1]

Come on now. The Medina essays are the best part.

LoL, thanks!

[medinabuckeye1]

Medina,

IU might be worthy of moving to Tier 2, I think if they beat Mich St this weekend we should move them, if not they stay where they are.  Something has changed with them.

It is looking more and more like you are right.

It seems like they flipped a switch sometime between their January 11 loss to Penn State and their January 14 win over Wisconsin. As you put it, something has changed with them.

They opened January with three straight losses and two of them were BAD:

• A home loss to NU on 1/8
• A 19 point blowout at PSU on 1/11

Since then they have won five straight. That in and of itself isn't all that impressive when you consider that three were at home (UW, MSU, tOSU) and a fourth was MN. Thus, only the Illinois win was unexpected.

What stands out to me is that the Hoosiers have been dominant:

• 18 point win over UW
• 15 point win at IL
• 13 point win over MSU
• 4 point win at MN
• 16  point win over tOSU

[847badgerfan]

Luckily for the Badgers' next game is an easy one.

No such thing anymore.

Something is off in Madison. Really off.

[medinabuckeye1]

No such thing anymore.

Something is off in Madison. Really off.

Things are not well in Columbus either, I think even @MaximumSam would agree with that. I guess Thursday's game is a "get right" game for someone. 

My prediction:
January is over. Holtmann's typical January collapse will be over and the Buckeyes roll. 

[medinabuckeye1]

My prediction for the rest of Ohio State's season, care to compare @MaximumSam  ?

The Buckeyes will win their next four (vsUW, @M, vsNU, vsMSU) to improve to 15-10/7-7.

Then they will lose two straight (@IA, @PU) to drop to 15-12/7-9.

Then they have a three game home stand (PSU, IL, UMD) and they will win two of the three to improve to 17-13/9-10 before losing their last game at MSU to finish 17-14/9-11.

They will probably make the tournament where they will not last past the first weekend.

[boilerbanger]

It is looking more and more like you are right.

It seems like they flipped a switch sometime between their January 11 loss to Penn State and their January 14 win over Wisconsin. As you put it, something has changed with them.

They opened January with three straight losses and two of them were BAD:

• A home loss to NU on 1/8
• A 19 point blowout at PSU on 1/11

Since then they have won five straight. That in and of itself isn't all that impressive when you consider that three were at home (UW, MSU, tOSU) and a fourth was MN. Thus, only the Illinois win was unexpected.

What stands out to me is that the Hoosiers have been dominant:

• 18 point win over UW
• 15 point win at IL
• 13 point win over MSU
• 4 point win at MN
• 16  point win over tOSU

Medina, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then

[boilerbanger]

No such thing anymore.

Something is off in Madison. Really off.

I agree, something is out of whack there.  I will be at the game on 3/2 when Purdue rolls into town.

[847badgerfan]

I agree, something is out of whack there.  I will be at the game on 3/2 when Purdue rolls into town.

You will have a great time.

[medinabuckeye1]

Have you seen MSU play in Mackey?

Well, you were right.

Fwiw, this is more what I expect from #1!

[ELA]

Well, you were right.

Fwiw, this is more what I expect from #1!

Considering Purdue is the clearly better team, this is actually one of MSUs better efforts there

[MaximumSam]

My prediction for the rest of Ohio State's season, care to compare @MaximumSam  ?

The Buckeyes will win their next four (vsUW, @M, vsNU, vsMSU) to improve to 15-10/7-7.

Then they will lose two straight (@IA, @PU) to drop to 15-12/7-9.

Then they have a three game home stand (PSU, IL, UMD) and they will win two of the three to improve to 17-13/9-10 before losing their last game at MSU to finish 17-14/9-11.

They will probably make the tournament where they will not last past the first weekend.

LOL I'm not at the point where I can pick the Buckeyes in any game. Lemme see how they look against the Badgers.