2025-2026 B1G Basketball Thread

[utee94]

This. 

I don't want this to come off as an anti-Michigan rant because it isn't.  The new rules are the new rules and Michigan did a better job than anybody else of building a team under the new rules but this is nothing like the college teams that I cared about even just 5-10 years ago. 

The last time Ohio State went to the F4 their starters were:

• Jared Sullinger a sophomore in his second year at tOSU with NO PRIOR colleges from Columbus, Ohio. 
• Deshaun Thomas a sophomore in his second year at tOSU with NO PRIOR colleges from Fort Wayne, Indiana. 
• Aaron Craft a sophomore in his second year at tOSU with NO PRIOR colleges  from Findlay, Ohio. 
• William Buford a Senior in his fourth year at tOSU with NO PRIOR colleges from Toledo, Ohio. 
• Lenzelle Smith Jr a sophomore in his second year at tOSU with NO PRIOR colleges from Zion, Illinois. 

Three of the five were from the state and all five played ALL of their college ball at Ohio State.  That 'felt like' an Ohio State team.  The teams today (not just Michigan) 'feel like' a bunch of mercenaries slapped together for a one-year run. 


I keep waiting for one of these guys to slip up in the postgame interviews and name their prior school.  Ie:  "We really wanted to come together and win this for (prior school name instead of current school name)".  I think that will be hilarious when it happens. 

You don't have to cite basketball, Ohio State's national championship football team from 2024 had several portal transfers, including the most important player on the field, the starting QB.

Did you feel the same about that football team?  Did you expect Will Howard to slip up and say "Kansas State" in his postgame interview?

I'm not picking on you or Ohio State directly, and I echo your general sentiment.  But it's already happened at your school in another sport.  And it's only going to get worse over time.

[Wildcat4E]

The teams today (not just Michigan) 'feel like' a bunch of mercenaries slapped together for a one-year run. 

Yep.

MLB has much better continuity.  

Paid my $99 to watch all the KC Royals games.  Developed a team through the draft and trading draftees for needs.  Amsinger from MLB Network says they are going to win 101 games.  Take it to the bank. Lol.

Old Skule.

Old people.

But I don't think we're going back.

[medinabuckeye1]

You don't have to cite basketball, Ohio State's national championship football team from 2024 had several portal transfers, including the most important player on the field, the starting QB.

Did you feel the same about that football team?  Did you expect Will Howard to slip up and say "Kansas State" in his postgame interview?

I'm not picking on you or Ohio State directly, and I echo your general sentiment.  But it's already happened at your school in another sport.  And it's only going to get worse over time.

This is true and I don't like it in football either.  However, at least from my perspective it seems like it is less of the team in football.  Per @847badgerfan 's post:

Every starter on the "Michigan" roster was a transfer. Very high payroll.

Whatever.

Emphasis added. 

You are right, Ohio State's starting QB on the NC team was a transfer from KSU and I'll add that one of the two best RBs and probably the best DB were transfers from SEC schools.  That said, I think that was it or at least close to all of it.  So out of 22 offensive and defensive starters and even more frequent players (when you add in nickelbacks, extra WRs, extra TEs, K, P, LS, etc) I think something like half a dozen or less were transfers. 

To me that was a 'traditional' Ohio State team with a few transfers sprinkled in.  That would be the equivalent of a BB team having one or maybe two transfers not all five. 

[bayareabadger]

I find the NBA loathing sort of fascinating. But it seems like a ride people hopped off of at some point and never really jumped back on. 

[utee94]

This is true and I don't like it in football either.  However, at least from my perspective it seems like it is less of the team in football.  Per @847badgerfan 's post:Emphasis added. 

You are right, Ohio State's starting QB on the NC team was a transfer from your school and I'll add that one of the two best RBs and probably the best DB were transfers from SEC schools.  That said, I think that was it or at least close to all of it.  So out of 22 offensive and defensive starters and even more frequent players (when you add in nickelbacks, extra WRs, extra TEs, K, P, LS, etc) I think something like half a dozen or less were transfers. 

To me that was a 'traditional' Ohio State team with a few transfers sprinkled in.  That would be the equivalent of a BB team having one or maybe two transfers not all five. 

It's only a higher percentage in basketball because there are only 5 starters on a team and only 7-9 contributors at any given time. It's only noteworthy for basketball because it's possible. Theoretically you could start 22-29 new transfers on a football team but it's a lot less likely.

Regardless, I don't view football mercenaries as any different and I don't view football teams with 5-7 key portal transfer contributors including and especially the starting QB as any different than a basketball team with 5 starting portal transfer mercenary guys.

[MaximumSam]

I find the NBA loathing sort of fascinating. But it seems like a ride people hopped off of at some point and never really jumped back on.

Every time I watch the NBA I am both amazed at the beauty and quality of basketball and also quite aware that whatever I'm watching has almost no effect on anything. 82 games plus four rounds of best of sevens means every game is watered down to almost nothing.

[medinabuckeye1]

Updated to include the 2026 NCAAT:

Teams seeded #9 and below have made it to the F4 nine times but they have never won a game in the event's final weekend.  

Teams seeded #12 and below have made it to the S16 34 times but they have only won three second-weekend games.  

The most curious stat to me is the difference between the 8 seeds and the 9 seeds.  The 9 seeds actually have a winning record against the 8 seeds in the first round but after that the 8 seeds are MUCH better.  In the second round the 8 seeds are 16-60 against the 1 seed which is a paltry 0.211 but the 9 seeds are even worse at 9-79 which is 0.102.  The disparity is actually worse when looking at games against the 1 seed because both 16 seeds that took out a 1 seed lost to a 9 seed.  Thus, the 9 seeds are only 7-79 or 0.081 against the 1 seed.  Only two 9 seeds made the F4 while three times that many 8 seeds did it and the 8 seeds have a winning record in National semi-finals (4-2) while 9 seeds are 0-2 in such games.  There has been an 8 seed NC while the 9 seeds have never even gotten to the Championship Game.  

[bayareabadger]

Every time I watch the NBA I am both amazed at the beauty and quality of basketball and also quite aware that whatever I'm watching has almost no effect on anything. 82 games plus four rounds of best of sevens means every game is watered down to almost nothing.

I think that’s fair. Especially because they’re actually weighted equally.

Granted, I watch random Big Ten games that don’t have much effect on me, so maybe my brain can just wire that way. 

[ELA]

The difference between the regular season and the postseason for both the NBA and NHL is large.  I don't mind the timing, that college basketball ends right when those sports are heating up. 

MLB is really the same, the difference there is that I enjoy the two very different brands of baseball.  I love having a beer and listening to a "meaningless" July game on the radio.  And I also love the chess match of the postseason