2024-2025 B1G Basketball Thread

[bayareabadger]

The consolidation of power conferences has made expanding the tournament deeply useless. It was a bad idea before, but if it’s just gonna keep adding schools from big leagues with worse and worse records, entirely not worth bothering. 

[ELA]

The consolidation of power conferences has made expanding the tournament deeply useless. It was a bad idea before, but if it’s just gonna keep adding schools from big leagues with worse and worse records, entirely not worth bothering.

This. 

Every P4 team with a pulse will get in.  An Oklahoma team that is 4-12 in conference play is on the bubble, and at 5-13 is likely in.  Any P4 team can get in by scheduling like shit and then winning 25% of their league games, because they dont get dinged for losses

[medinabuckeye1]

So you think .500 teams playing for a shot at a national title means we need to expand access?

In football I look at it this way because historically every regular season game mattered. 

In basketball I simply look at it from a different perspective. 

The regular season only matters for seeding. That ship sailed decades ago. The system already includes a slew of shitty teams.

[medinabuckeye1]

This.

Every P4 team with a pulse will get in.  An Oklahoma team that is 4-12 in conference play is on the bubble, and at 5-13 is likely in.  Any P4 team can get in by scheduling like shit and then winning 25% of their league games, because they dont get dinged for losses

This, specifically the bolded part is a separate issue and one that I agree with you on. 

A big argument for Ohio State, in my view, is that they absolutely did NOT schedule like shit. Depending on who you ask, Ohio State's SoS is top-10ish nationally. 

Regardless of format or # of teams, a ~.500 (in league) team with three OOC losses on a quality SoS should always be included over a ~.250 (league) team that swept their crappy OOC.

[medinabuckeye1]

Congratulations Michigan State on your B1G title!

[medinabuckeye1]

Maryland, Wisconsin, and Purdue are all in a three-way tie for third at 13-6, one game behind 14-5 Michigan. 

Michigan (@MSU) has by far the toughest remaining game so there is a not insignificant chance of a four-way tie for second place at 14-6.

If that happens three of the four will get double byes into Friday as the #2-#4 seeds while the other will get the #5 seed and play on Thursday. 

The first tiebreaker is H2H2H2H which works out as follows:
Michigan:

• 0-1 vs Maryland 
• 1-0 vs Wisconsin 
• 1-1 vs Purdue 
• 2-2 total

Maryland :

• 1-0 vs Michigan 
• 1-0 vs Wisconsin 
• 0-1 vs Purdue 
• 2-1 total

Wisconsin:

• 0-1 vs Michigan 
• 0-1 vs Maryland 
• 1-0 vs Purdue 
• 1-2 total

Purdue:

• 1-1 vs Michigan 
• 1-0 vs Maryland 
• 0-1 vs Wisconsin 
• 2-2 total 

Thus, Michigan has clinched a double-bye. In the event of a four-way tie for second:

• Maryland gets the #2 seed
• Michigan and Purdue revert to the two-team tiebreaker to determine the #3 and #4 seed*
• Wisconsin gets the #5 seed

*The two-team tiebreaker starts with H2H but that doesn't resolve the issue because Purdue and Michigan split their series. 

Then it moves to record against the best team but that doesn't resolve the issue because both would be 0-season against MSU.

Next would be record against the second place teams but we've already seen that they both went 2-2 against the second place teams.

Then it would go to record against the sixth place team(s). UCLA would be sixth place, possibly tied with Oregon. FWIW:

• Purdue went 1-0 against both UCLA and Oregon. 
• Michigan was also 1-0 against both UCLA and Oregon 

[bayareabadger]

Wisconsin needs Illinois to beat Purdue for a chance of the double bye. Otherwise, a win can only get them the five seed (unless Maryland just throws up all over itself against Northwestern)

Badgers had a kind of gritty win against Minnesota yesterday. They were in sharp, although it wouldn’t have mattered if they hit a couple more open threes. Shooting has been a little dicey last week.

[medinabuckeye1]

Wisconsin needs Illinois to beat Purdue for a chance of the double bye. Otherwise, a win can only get them the five seed (unless Maryland just throws up all over itself against Northwestern)

Badgers had a kind of gritty win against Minnesota yesterday. They were in sharp, although it wouldn’t have mattered if they hit a couple more open threes. Shooting has been a little dicey last week.

What if Michigan upsets the Spartans?

That takes the Wolverines out of the tie which helps Wisconsin because the Badgers were 0-1 against Michigan.

Assume a three-way tie for 3/4/5 between Maryland, Purdue, and Wisconsin:

• Wisconsin is 1-1, beat PU lost to UMD
• Purdue is 1-1, beat UMD, lost to UW
• Maryland is 1-1, beat UW lost to PU

Then we drop to record against the best team(s) which is MSU unless they lose at Iowa in which case it is the two Michigan schools.


Nevermind, that doesn't help because Wisconsin's record against Michigan still takes them out.

[Cincydawg]

This.

Every P4 team with a pulse will get in.  An Oklahoma team that is 4-12 in conference play is on the bubble, and at 5-13 is likely in.  Any P4 team can get in by scheduling like shit and then winning 25% of their league games, because they dont get dinged for losses

Yup, one reason I pay almost no attention.  UGA now apparently is off the bubble no matter what happens from here.

[bayareabadger]

What if Michigan upsets the Spartans?

That takes the Wolverines out of the tie which helps Wisconsin because the Badgers were 0-1 against Michigan.

Assume a three-way tie for 3/4/5 between Maryland, Purdue, and Wisconsin:

• Wisconsin is 1-1, beat PU lost to UMD
• Purdue is 1-1, beat UMD, lost to UW
• Maryland is 1-1, beat UW lost to PU

Then we drop to record against the best team(s) which is MSU unless they lose at Iowa in which case it is the two Michigan schools.


Nevermind, that doesn't help because Wisconsin's record against Michigan still takes them out.

Badger quants have been on this. UW loses basically every tiebreaker.

[medinabuckeye1]

Badger quants have been on this. UW loses basically every tiebreaker.

I realize that now. It seems the only tie they'd win would be a two-way tie with Purdue so yeah, they need to pull for the Illini. 

[medinabuckeye1]

Tonight's game is MSU at Iowa at 8pm on FS1.  

With a win, Michigan State clinches an outright B1G title as a win would move then 2 games up on Michigan with only one game to go.  With a loss, the Spartans would drop to *ONLY* one game ahead of Michigan.  They'd still be guaranteed of a share of the B1G title and they could still win it outright by beating Michigan this weekend but they'd have to beat Michigan to win it outright.  

For Iowa this is close to a must-win in terms of making the B1G Tournament.  With a loss they'd be in 16th place and a game down on a five-way tie for 11th-15th.  They could theoretically still catch up but they'd need all kinds of help.

[ELA]

For Iowa this is close to a must-win in terms of making the B1G Tournament.  With a loss they'd be in 16th place and a game down on a five-way tie for 11th-15th.  They could theoretically still catch up but they'd need all kinds of help.

Apparently this game is irrelevant to the BTT hopes based upon a podcast I was listening to.  They have to beat Nebraska because of how it impacts tiebreakers.  If they split, but the win is MSU, they are out, if they split, but the win is over Nebraska, they are in.

However, winning both could jump them all the way up to #11?

[medinabuckeye1]

Apparently this game is irrelevant to the BTT hopes based upon a podcast I was listening to.  They have to beat Nebraska because of how it impacts tiebreakers.  If they split, but the win is MSU, they are out, if they split, but the win is over Nebraska, they are in.

However, winning both could jump them all the way up to #11?

I hadn't thought that far ahead but that makes sense.  If they beat Nebraska they are either tied with them (loss to MSU) or ahead of them (win over MSU) and the win would give them the tiebreaker so it doesn't matter and they are in.