2025-2026 B1G Basketball Thread

[medinabuckeye1]

Michigan on an interesting stretch. Beating USC and they could be 17-0 heading into Indiana. The fact that Maryland took 27 three point shots, shot 52% from 3 and Michigan still won by 18 is crazy. They are LOADED as a team.

Also, David Coit from Maryland is unreal when he's feeling it.

IMHO, Indiana isn't THAT good.  Michigan *SHOULD* be 20-0 when they go to East Lansing in late January and if they manage to win in the Breslin Center then they *SHOULD* be 24-0 when they head to Mackey in mid-February.  

That said, "Should" and "Will" are obviously two very different things.  Conference road games can be tough even against teams that you *SHOULD* beat.  Travelling to the West Coast to play UDub in Seattle could get hairy and you just never know when some middling team is going to have a 'game of their lives' on a random day.  

[SuperMario]

IMHO, Indiana isn't THAT good.  Michigan *SHOULD* be 20-0 when they go to East Lansing in late January and if they manage to win in the Breslin Center then they *SHOULD* be 24-0 when they head to Mackey in mid-February. 

That said, "Should" and "Will" are obviously two very different things.  Conference road games can be tough even against teams that you *SHOULD* beat.  Travelling to the West Coast to play UDub in Seattle could get hairy and you just never know when some middling team is going to have a 'game of their lives' on a random day. 

Agree with all of that..I think all opposition preps different when a team has a #1 or #2 label and ensure they're giving their best because that upset can be more meaningful. Especially from teams that think they may be on the border of NCAA selection committee.

I also think the travel to the west coast or travel from west back out east is downplayed when in reality can be draining. 

[FearlessF]

[medinabuckeye1]

I also think the travel to the west coast or travel from west back out east is downplayed when in reality can be draining.

The other thing that makes the West Coast road trips hokey is that the way they are doing it you usually have two games out there so the second one is a different set of issues than the first.  The second one you don't have a long flight and you might actually have LESS travel than the home team but . . . you will have been living out of a suitcase on the road for a few days which has issues as well.  It may also impact the first game back.  Here is Michigan's West Coast road trip and the games before and after:

• vs Wisconsin at home on Saturday 1/10
• at Washington on Wednesday, 1/14
• at Oregon on Saturday, 1/17
• vs Indiana on Tuesday, 1/20

Lots of potential issues here:
Washington's game prior to Michigan is a home game against Ohio State on 1/11.  That should be advantage UDub even though they play a day later because UDub has ZERO travel.  

Oregon's game prior to Michigan is a road game at Nebraska on 1/13.  Thus Oregon actually has to travel a LOT further for their HOME game against Michigan than the Wolverines who are only coming from Seattle.  

Indiana's game prior to Michigan is a home game against Iowa on 1/17.  Thus Michigan actually has to travel a LOT further for their HOME game against Indiana than the Hoosiers who are only coming from Bloomington.  

[ELA]

Didn't realize how backloaded Michigan's Big Ten schedule is.

They are 2 games into a 12 game stretch where they play no ranked teams, 9 of those 12 games are at home.

Then 7 of their final 11 games are against ranked teams, 6 on the road.

They will be pretty heavy favorites to be 18-0 when they host #23 Nebraska on January 27, and then play at #9 MSU 3 days later.

They have #25 UCLA, at #6 Purdue, #3 Duke, and at #13 Illinois in a 2 week span in late February.

MSU plays 1 more ranked Big Ten opponents than UM, but they at no point face 2 in a row

Mentioned that a week ago

[ELA]

Massey composite rankings...42 computers (last week in parenthesis)

• MICHIGAN (1)
• Duke (2)
• Arizona (3)
• Gonzaga (5)
• Iowa State (4)
• Connecticut (8)
• PURDUE (6)
• BYU (10)
• MICHIGAN STATE (9)
• Vanderbilt (7)
• Houston (12)
• Louisville (13)
• NEBRASKA (22)
• Alabama (11)
• ILLINOIS (14)
• Kansas (16)
• North Carolina (15)
• Arkansas (20)
• St. John's (18)
• Georgia (24)
• Florida (17)
• Texas Tech (19)
• IOWA (-)
• Auburn (23)
• Tennessee (25)

28. USC (29)
31. Indiana (33)
36. UCLA (34)
42. Ohio State (36)
46. Wisconsin (32)
60. Washington (63)
73. Northwestern (75)
88. Oregon (104)
98. Penn State (83)
104. Maryland (102)
116. Minnesota (126)
152. Rutgers (143)

[FearlessF]

that's more like it

[FearlessF]

Sam Hoiberg leads college basketball in assist to turnover ratio. 44-8. Incredible

[SuperMario]

Sam Hoiberg leads college basketball in assist to turnover ratio. 44-8. Incredible

That's a crazy number!

[Brutus Buckeye]

Massey composite rankings...42 computers (last week in parenthesis)

• MICHIGAN (1)
• Duke (2)
• Arizona (3)
• Gonzaga (5)
• Iowa State (4)
• Connecticut (8)
• PURDUE (6)
• BYU (10)
• MICHIGAN STATE (9)
• Vanderbilt (7)
• Houston (12)
• Louisville (13)
• NEBRASKA (22)
• Alabama (11)
• ILLINOIS (14)
• Kansas (16)
• North Carolina (15)
• Arkansas (20)
• St. John's (18)
• Georgia (24)
• Florida (17)
• Texas Tech (19)
• IOWA (-)
• Auburn (23)
• Tennessee (25)

28. USC (29)
31. Indiana (33)
36. UCLA (34)
42. Ohio State (36)
46. Wisconsin (32)
60. Washington (63)
73. Northwestern (75)
88. Oregon (104)
98. Penn State (83)
104. Maryland (102)
116. Minnesota (126)
152. Rutgers (143)

How did Maryland get so bad at basketball? 

[SuperMario]

How did Maryland get so bad at basketball?

Eh.. They may not be bad, but have had a buzzsaw of a schedule. When your last 5 games are Gonzaga, Alabama, Iowa and Michigan in the mix and your next game is Virginia. It's going to be a pretty rough period for a lot of teams. 

[ELA]

Eh.. They may not be bad, but have had a buzzsaw of a schedule. When your last 5 games are Gonzaga, Alabama, Iowa and Michigan in the mix and your next game is Virginia. It's going to be a pretty rough period for a lot of teams.

Yes, but they lost by 39 to Gonzaga, 33 to Alabama, 19 to Iowa, and 18 to Michigan.

They also only beat UMBC by 1, lost to Georgetown, and needed OT to beat Mount St. Mary's

KenPom has them #100.  Right between Illinois State and High Point.

[bayareabadger]

Really needing UW to win on Friday. If they want to look not discombobulated, that’d be great, but a win there makes the tournament path clearer.

[SuperMario]

Yes, but they lost by 39 to Gonzaga, 33 to Alabama, 19 to Iowa, and 18 to Michigan.

They also only beat UMBC by 1, lost to Georgetown, and needed OT to beat Mount St. Mary's

KenPom has them #100.  Right between Illinois State and High Point.

Gonzaga lost to Michigan by 40. Does that mean they suck? Auburn lost to Michigan by 40 and Arizona by 29.

I get the rest of the stats you are using and they're far more than one offs like I'm pointing out. I'm just saying it's probably the worst point in the season from a timing perspective to analyze Maryland. Not that their schedule is void of good opposition in the future, but after watching them I don't think they're bad.