~2017-18 Big Ten Basketball Thread~

[grillrat]

Bowen might be trying to pull a Cam Newton and wants eligibility reinstated because "my daddy's the one who took the money, I gots nut'tin to do with that."  The FBI has already cleared him (ie, they will not prosecute him).  Now it's up to the NCAA to see if they have a spine or not.

[ELA]

Bowen might be trying to pull a Cam Newton and wants eligibility reinstated because "my daddy's the one who took the money, I gots nut'tin to do with that."  The FBI has already cleared him (ie, they will not prosecute him).  Now it's up to the NCAA to see if they have a spine or not.

I'm sure his teammates and the Louisville fans will embrace the kid who finally cost Pitino his job

[NickSmith4Three]

Illinois collapses in the second half and loses pretty badly to Eastern Illinois in exhibition.  Underwood has his work cut out for him this season.

[ELA]

<sup>I hate reading too much into exhibition games.  MSU lost to GVSU one year, then went to the Final 4.  But after a blowout win over Hillsdale last night I'll say that Jackson is looking like the hype was deserved, but Langford is concerning.  The shallowest portion of the roster is the wing.  You onviously have Bridges, but then...?   McQuaid is a solid catch and shoot guy, but that's it.  Ahrens was expected to contribute 10 minutes a game, and he sounds done for the year.  Langford has to build on his growth from the end of last year, when he started showing flashes of why he was a McDonalds AA.  Instead he played terribly in all three exhibition games.

Have to figure it out quickly.  North Florida on Friday, but then #1 Duke in Game 2.</sup>

[Brutus Buckeye]

[grillrat]

Supposedly Purdue had a secret scrimmage against Wet Virginia yesterday and won by about 12 points.

I don't read much either into these scrimmages, but that is still somewhat of a good sign considering WVU is a top 15 team.

[ELA]

Iowa F Nicholas Baer out 3-4 weeks with a broken finger.

Hawkeyes open with 4 cupcakes, then @VT (Nov. 28), PSU (Dec. 2), @Indiana (Dec. 4) and @Iowa State (Dec. 7).

Seems like that 4 games stretch is right around the time he'd be returning.

[ELA]

Supposedly Purdue had a secret scrimmage against Wet Virginia yesterday and won by about 12 points.

I don't read much either into these scrimmages, but that is still somewhat of a good sign considering WVU is a top 15 team.

Yeah, I look more at player performance than team.  You never really know how the coaches deal with player rotations, and groupings that you may never see again.  That's why Langford is concerning to me.  Having Ferris State hang around for 30 minutes isn't.

Although Ferris opened at #9 in the D2 poll, and opened their season with wins against #5 and #6, so they look like a top 5 D2 school.  No clue where the top of D2 ranks against the bottom of D1, like we kind of do with the top of the FCS against the bottom of the FBS.

[mcwterps1]

Will be fun to watch this Maryland team grow. 

[Brutus Buckeye]

Supposedly Purdue had a secret scrimmage against Wet Virginia yesterday and won by about 12 points.

I don't read much either into these scrimmages, but that is still somewhat of a good sign considering WVU is a top 15 team.

Allegedly OSU beat Xavier in a secret scrimmage. 
I have to believe that the rumors are true, otherwise the Xavier players would be denying the humiliating defeat from the hill tops. 

[ELA]

Nice to see someone of Knight's stature actually taking Wooden to task for what everyone knew was going on

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/21336574/bob-knight-criticizes-john-wooden-ucla-bruins-recruiting-practices

[847badgerfan]

Nice to see someone of Knight's stature actually taking Wooden to task for what everyone knew was going on

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/21336574/bob-knight-criticizes-john-wooden-ucla-bruins-recruiting-practices

I wish more people would come out and say it. Alcindor made more at UCLA than he did in Milwaukee. 

[grillrat]

...and so it begins.

[grillrat]

I posted this on the Purdue rivals board and it could possibly be discussed here as well.
I looked at Purdue's first 5 weeks schedule, and it's a lot tougher than we've seen in several years, especially if things go well in the Atlantis tournament. Based off of the preseason AP poll (with others receiving votes figured...)

 11/14 @ Marquette
 11/22 (N) Tennessee
 11/23 (N) #6 Villanova / NC St. / #3 Arizona
 11/24 (N) #3 Arizona / #43 SMU / UNI / etc (anyone in the field really)
 11/28 #16 Louisville
 12/1 @ #37 Maryland
 12/3 #19 Northwestern
 12/16 (N) #34 Butler

 There are a few cupcakes in there, but otherwise that is a pretty daunting first 5 weeks.

 Couple of addition notable items:

 Tennessee is ranked 43rd according to Pomeroy, so they are no slouch.
 Marquette is ranked 48th according to Pomeroy, and that is our third game of the year....on the road.
 All but two of these eight games above are either on the road or neutral sites.
 Louisville plays four total cupcakes before playing us on 11/28, with only one game from 11/22 until our game. We play three games from 11/22 to 11/28, with two of the three potentially against top 10 teams.

 I'm hoping for the best, but looking at this schedule, I think I'd be ecstatic with just getting to January 1 with only three losses.

This is kinda what MSU does every year.  Has an impossible schedule, and they always tank a few, but then I think it really helps them come tourney time.