2023-2024 B1G Basketball Thread

[medinabuckeye1]

Review of tiers:

• Wisconsin (-1/+1), Purdue, Illinois -1, Michigan State -1
• Northwestern, Nebraska
• Maryland +2, Minnesota (-1/+1), Ohio State, Rutgers, Iowa (-2/+1)
• Penn State +1, Indiana +1, Michigan (-2/+1)

Upsets so far:

Projected final records/BTT seeds:

• 17-3/25-6 Wisconsin
• 16-4/27-4 Purdue
• 15-5/24-7 Illinois
• 14-6/22-9 Michigan State
• 12-8/22-9 Nebraska (wins tie with NU based on record against Wisconsin, Northwestern doesn't host them)
• 12-8/21-10 Northwestern
• 9-11/17-14 Maryland
• 8-12/17-14 Minnesota
• 7-13/15-16 Rutgers (1st in tie with tOSU and PSU based on H2H2H, no game in Happy Valley)
• 7-13/17-14 Ohio State (2nd in tie with RU and PSU based on H2H2H of 2-2)
• 7-13/13-18 Penn State (last in tie with RU and tOSU)
• 6-14/14-17 Indiana (wins tie with Iowa based on H2H, no game in Iowa City)
• 6-14/14-17 Iowa
• 4-16/9-22 Michigan

Based on that, the match-ups at the B1G Tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota would be:
Wednesday (Peacock):

• #11 Penn State vs #14 Michigan, 9pm
• #12 Indiana vs #13 Iowa, 630

Thursday (BTN):

• #5 Nebraska vs PSU/M, 230
• #6 Northwestern vs PSU/M, 9pm
• #7 Maryland vs #10 Ohio State, 630
• #8 Minnesota vs #9 Rutgers, noon

Friday (BTN):

• #1 Wisconsin vs MN/RU, noon
• #2 Purdue vs UMD/tOSU, 630
• #3 Illinois vs NU/PSU/M, 9pm
• #4 Michigan State vs UNL/PSU/M, 230

Saturday (CBS):

• UW/MN/RU vs MSU/UNL/PSU/M, 1pm
• PU/UMD/tOSU vs IL/NU/PSU/M, 330

Sunday (CBS):

• UW/MN/RU/MSU/UNL/PSU/M vs PU/UMD/tOSU/IL/NU/PSU/M, 330

To answer @Brutus Buckeye 's standing question:
Ohio State can meet Michigan in the BTT but it wouldn't be until the semi-final on Saturday and would only happen if:

• Michigan beats Penn State on Wednesday
• Ohio State beats Maryland on Thursday
• Michigan beats Nebraska on Thursday
• Ohio State beats Purdue on Friday
• Michigan beats Illinois on Friday

[MaximumSam]

To my point about the changing nature of the sport


https://twitter.com/BRamseyKSR/status/1750875056941498463

[bayareabadger]

This makes it hard to sandbag. Real hard. 

[JWilly86]

According to The Athletic starting next year the BTT will include 15/18 conference teams. Reason given was to avoid a 6 day tournament. 6 days or 2 venues are reasonably the only way to accommodate 18 teams. 

The strangest part of the whole thing to me was, going to 15 instead of 16. 

Sticking with the 20 game conference schedule. I think I might like to see a true round robin 17 game schedule. Might create an issue with the TV partners but maybe another league challenge or creative solution could help solve any inventory concerns. 

Aside: Jeff Sagarin appears to have stopped publishing ratings, this is super disappointing and other than finding a couple Reddit threads, completely uncovered. People might notice come selection Sunday through. 

[847badgerfan]

1 down.

Now, for a road game.

[ELA]

This makes it hard to sandbag. Real hard.

You win a lot of games by shooting 51% from the field, and collecting 40% of your misses.

[bayareabadger]

You win a lot of games by shooting 51% from the field, and collecting 40% of your misses.

That was the old Izzo playbook.

I was having a discussion on a UW board. I was arguing MSU seems to lack that top dude. Someone countered that Walker was him, and the issue was a lack of pop with the bigs (remembering various moments of Hoggard and Hall making Badgers fans mad). But my read was that MSU at times has had those filler bigs, but between Walker/Hoggard/Hall, it doesn't feel like anyone can grab the game by the stones consistently. 

I think I'm right, but does this other person have a point. I feel like Walker is good, but he ain't say a Drew Neitzel. 

[ELA]

That was the old Izzo playbook.

https://twitter.com/jaypo1961/status/1751297214205341724?t=I3tKsXfpJ1kdUzz3oCvncw&s=19

[medinabuckeye1]

Remember back when Ohio State had a better Basketball program than Northwestern?

[bayareabadger]

https://twitter.com/jaypo1961/status/1751297214205341724?t=I3tKsXfpJ1kdUzz3oCvncw&s=19

Ehhhh, that felt like a certain kind of coach speak. I love Chucky, but he has some gaps in his game when it comes to the position at UW.

[medinabuckeye1]

Ohio State is getting run out of Welsh Ryan. This team is an embarrassment. 

Losing at Northwestern isn't terrible, they have home wins over Purdue, MSU, Maryland, and Illinois.  Note however that Northwestern's wins over PU and IL were in OT while the win over UMD was a one-possession game. The MSU win was by 14 points and this is more than double that halfway through the second half.

[bayareabadger]

Remember back when Ohio State had a better Basketball program than Northwestern?

I tend to put off saying a team has given up. 

However, in this case ...

[medinabuckeye1]

I tend to put off saying a team has given up.

However, in this case ...

This is an absolute embarrassment. 

It makes five losses in the last six games and Ohio State drops into tie with Penn State for 11/12th in the league. 

The Buckeyes have Tier-1 talent but they have a Tier-5 coach. Holtmann should be fired TONIGHT!

[medinabuckeye1]

I was busy with the kids and turned the game on just in time to see Ohio State give up a three to lose a 4-2 lead. Good thing, that was my last chance to see Ohio State in the lead.