2026-2027 B1G Basketball Thread

[MaximumSam]

he's very free to do that for room & board & tuition

Well now we hate freedom and markets

[bayareabadger]

I like the freedom

dislike the market - $4 million a season????

if you want to play at Michigan because you like Michigan - great

if you want $4 million - the NBA awaits

All we need is people who like Michigan not be willing to pay him that much. 

Easy answer. 

[MaximumSam]

All we need is people who like Michigan not be willing to pay him that much.

Easy answer.

I think we can all agree to shoot Michigan into the sun. For the greater good.

[bayareabadger]

Blackwell is probably gonna end up at fMichigan. I know they have been in contact with him/his dad/his agent many times and the offer sits at $4 Mil currently.

What I’m thinking for the rest of the offseason:

1a. Replace people who leave with solid to good talent 
1b. Get another veteran wing
2. Decide if you want to take the late offer Mr Basketball if he wants to come
3. Go bargain hunting 

not counting replacing guys, they have 1-3 spots left depending on how they want to build. And the last two have to be good with going in a bit developmentally. 

[847badgerfan]

What I’m thinking for the rest of the offseason:

1a. Replace people who leave with solid to good talent
1b. Get another veteran wing
2. Decide if you want to take the late offer Mr Basketball if he wants to come
3. Go bargain hunting

not counting replacing guys, they have 1-3 spots left depending on how they want to build. And the last two have to be good with going in a bit developmentally.

My guess is Zens ends up at Illinois.

Should have had a Wisconsin offer from the start. That's on Gard.

[betarhoalphadelta]

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/04/03/report-ncaa-nearing-expansion-of-mens-womens-tournaments-to-76-teams/

[FearlessF]

$$$$

Miami gets in EVERY year!

[medinabuckeye1]

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/04/03/report-ncaa-nearing-expansion-of-mens-womens-tournaments-to-76-teams/

I didn't read the article yet but I'm assuming that 76 teams means 19 seeds per region so the 14-19 seeds play in a mini first round to get down to 16 per region. 

I don't get why they chose THAT number. I can make a data-based case for 20:

The bottom four (13-16) completely and utterly suck historically. It isn't just an incremental difference, they are MUCH worse than 12 and up. It also isn't just because they play such tough opposition, the few that make it suck in the second round as well.  That creates a bona fide data-based case for requiring the 13-16 seeds to get through a play-in. 

There isn't a performance based case for giving 13s a pass.

I understand that some people will oppose any expansion and I get that. I'm just pointing out that I can't understand the case for 76 as opposed to 80.

[bayareabadger]

This strikes me as a move that doesn’t have a Large support base from anyone.

You’re gonna end up with more mid major charity cases just because you have to fill out the bottom of the large pool. And you will drive down the already not that high quality of the last power conference teams who get in.

[betarhoalphadelta]

I understand that some people will oppose any expansion and I get that. 

I see no reason for expansion. Since 1985, no team higher than an 8 seed has ever won it. So expansion is not about including more "worthy teams" that were unfairly excluded. It's just expansion for expansion's sake, i.e. making sure a few more major conference teams can say they didn't miss the tournament. 

But hey, considering IU has only gone twice in the last decade, I'm sure they're happy they might get in!
 

[bayareabadger]

I understand that some people will oppose any expansion and I get that. I'm just pointing out that I can't understand the case for 76 as opposed to 80.

Do you not?