2023-2024 B1G Basketball Thread

[ELA]

Wisconsin lost because of this:

5/24 from three.

I said earlier, that's mostly what basketball has become.  Particularly in the transfer era, where nobody runs any offense.  If you make 3s, you generally win

[ELA]

I have made a lot of money betting against MSU ML over the past month off the fallacy that MOV matters.  Bad teams lose, even if they lose close, which MSU frequently does.  And somehow the Vegas computers haven't figured that out

7th time this year MSU lost a game they led at the under 4 timeout.  That has to be some sort of record.

[ELA]

7th time this year MSU lost a game they led at the under 4 timeout.  That has to be some sort of record.

But at least this team should learn once this starting lineup of...checks notes...4 seniors...figures it out

[medinabuckeye1]

Illinois' lead over Iowa looks pretty secure. If it holds up Wisconsin gets the #5 seed while Iowa ties Indiana and Michigan State for 6th/7th/8th at 10-10. That tie goes IU/IA/MSU so the top eight seeds are:

• Purdue 
• Illinois 
• Nebraska 
• Northwestern 
• Wisconsin 
• Indiana 
• Iowa
• Michigan State 

As noted previously, Michigan is #14.

I believe that Rutgers is locked into the #13 seed because depending on the UMD/PSU result they'll either be 13th place alone or tied with UMD for 12th/13th and they lose that tie.

9-12 are still up in the air (I think) because the PSU/UMD game tonight can rearrange tOSU/MN/PSU/UMD.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Where would the Pac 4 slot into all of this?

[bayareabadger]

Wisconsin lost because of this:

5/24 from three.

Also, Purdue is like, really good. 

[bayareabadger]

The UW game was a bit of a reminder of how tricky the thing is with final MOV and the computer ranking with NET.

UW cut the deficit by 8 in the last minute and a half, so it didn't look like a beatdown. But it was also a 5 point game at 5 1/2 minutes left before Purdue extended it by 11. But the lead was also 14 in the first half, and down to 4 with less than 10 minutes to go. 

So UW gets credit for a bit more than a cover, I think. Maybe that feels right?

[medinabuckeye1]

@ELA 
Will there be a B1G Tournament game this year?

[medinabuckeye1]

This is odd:
On ESPN's bracketology page
ESPN's bracketology page right now they have Iowa listed as "out without" and Ohio State listed as "live to fight another day".

That part makes sense but they say that:

• Iowa is playing PSU/M on Thursday at 9pm
• Ohio State is playing MSU on Thursday at noon.

Ah . . .
Either ESPN doesn't understand the B1G's tiebreakers or I don't. 

[medinabuckeye1]

Per ESPN's bracketology:

• #1 seed: Purdue
• #4 seed: Illinois 
• #6 seed: Wisconsin
• #8 seed: Northwestern
• #9 seed: Michigan State, Nebraska

Then Iowa is among the "First Four Out" and among the teams that are out without winning their conference tournament opener.

The only other B1G team mentioned is Ohio State which is listed among the teams that can live to fight another day by winning their conference tournament opener.

As noted above, I *THINK* that ESPN's understanding of the B1G's tiebreakers is wrong. They have Iowa as the #6 seed playing the winner of PSU/M and Ohio State as the #9 seed playing #8 Michigan State.

My understanding of B1G tiebreakers is that Iowa is the #7 seed and Ohio State is the #10 seed. If I'm right, then the B1G's ONLY two bubble teams will face each other in the 7/10 game on Thursday.

Thus, if my understanding of B1G tiebreakers is correct the only B1G Tournament games relevant to NCAA admission are:

• #7 Iowa vs #10 Ohio State Thursday at 630. Loser is out.
• #2 Illinois vs Iowa/Ohio State on Friday at 630. The Iowa/Ohio State winner likely needs a win here.

[medinabuckeye1]

FWIW:
I was right about tiebreakers. ESPN is showing the correct match-ups but their bracketology page still has the wrong match-ups for Iowa and Ohio State. 

Here are the correct seeds with tiebreakers explained:

• 17-3 Purdue 
• 14-6 Illinois 
• 12-8 Nebraska 
• 12-8 Northwestern 
• 11-9 Wisconsin 
• 10-10 Indiana 
• 10-10 Iowa
• 10-10 Michigan State 
• 9-11 Minnesota 
• 9-11 Ohio State 
• 9-11 Penn State 
• 7-13 Maryland 
• 7-13 Rutgers 
• 3-17 Michigan 

Tiebreakers:
For the tie between Nebraska and Northwestern at 12-8 for 3rd/4th:

• First tiebreaker is H2H but they split.
• Second tiebreaker is record against Purdue. Nebraska was 1-0 and Northwestern was 1-1.

For the tie between Indiana, Iowa, and MSU at 10-10 for 6th/7th/8th:

• First tiebreaker is H2H2H. They only played each other once each. Indiana hosted and beat both. Iowa traveled to both. They won in East Lansing and lost in Bloomington. Michigan State was 0-2 with a home loss to Iowa and a road loss to Indiana. 

For the tie between Minnesota, Ohio State, and Penn State at 9-11 for 9th/10th/11th:

• First tiebreaker is H2H2H. Minnesota swept PSU and split with tOSU, 3-1. Ohio State split with both, 2-2. Penn State split with tOSU and got swept by MN, 1-3.

For the tie between Maryland and Rutgers at 7-13 for 12th/13th:

• First tiebreaker is H2H but they split.
• Second tiebreaker is record against Purdue but they were both 0-season.
• Third tiebreaker is record against Illinois where Maryland has a win and Rutgers doesn't. 

[CatsbyAZ]

Also, Wisconsin ripped off a couple nice runs to top Rutgers. Puts to rest any Chicken Little-ing about UW's tourney hopes. (It was dumb, but people were on it)

Only because I peruse Outkick did I notice this oddity, but one of their prominent columnists, David Hookstead, who covers a wide range of topics, takes free reign to post article after article on Wisconsin basketball. No other program gets close to this amount of devoted coverage on Outkick, a website that isn't geared toward college basketball.

Everything from betting, postgame analysis, criticisms of Gard, social media reactions: https://www.outkick.com/category/wisconsin-badgers

Definitely contributes his share of chicken little-ing:


https://twitter.com/dhookstead/status/1765816104390099237

[847badgerfan]

Also, Purdue is like, really good.

They do have some great players, but IMO Edey is not one of them.

He's just huge - not much game. Also, breathe on him and you will be called for a foul - and that doesn't go the other way.

Even Hummel about said as much.

The NBA is gonna eat him alive - if he makes it.

As for UW, they would be great if the Centers weren't Charmin soft.

[MaximumSam]

They do have some great players, but IMO Edey is not one of them.