~2017-18 Big Ten Basketball Thread~

[medinabuckeye1]

0-3 in the early games.

For the conference as a whole this season is rapidly moving from disappointment to disaster.

[MarqHusker]

Nebraska trying to carry their weight again.

[GopherRock]

 Isaiah Washington is not Russell Westbrook. Him going 0-4 on the first four possessions coming out of the half led directly to an 8-0 Hurricane run, and now they're banking in 3s. Pitino needed to park him firmly on the bench. 

[ELA]

And yet somehow Indiana leading Duke late.  Of all the games, that was the one I had the least confidence in the Big Ten winning.

[FearlessF]

Huskers didn't embarrass the conference

small victory 

[medinabuckeye1]

1-5 tonight, 2-11 with MSU/ND to go. Ugh.

[jhetfield99]

Big Ten isn't looking the best early in preconf. I figured 7 bid league with chance for 8. 5 may be pushing it.
 
 I know Wisc vs Tony Bennett is just asking for ugliness, but 37 points for the game?
 
Worst part is a bunch of the games weren't even close with Big Ten getting housed. Really thought IL would pull it off at Wake, sucks the refs did them no favors.

[bayareabadger]

Big Ten isn't looking the best early in preconf. I figured 7 bid league with chance for 8. 5 may be pushing it.
 
 I know Wisc vs Tony Bennett is just asking for ugliness, but 37 points for the game?
 
Worst part is a bunch of the games weren't even close with Big Ten getting housed. Really thought IL would pull it off at Wake, sucks the refs did them no favors.

Wisconsin is really behind right now. The whole class that should be juniors has disappointed. They're 327th in experience on KenPom. I think UW will round into form, but the growing pains won't be fun. 

[ELA]

Big Ten isn't looking the best early in preconf. I figured 7 bid league with chance for 8. 5 may be pushing it.
 
 I know Wisc vs Tony Bennett is just asking for ugliness, but 37 points for the game?
 
Worst part is a bunch of the games weren't even close with Big Ten getting housed. Really thought IL would pull it off at Wake, sucks the refs did them no favors.

Michigan made it look less terrible at the end, and I didn't expect Nebraska to win...so I guess we got that.

[medinabuckeye1]

Wisconsin is really behind right now. The whole class that should be juniors has disappointed. They're 327th in experience on KenPom. I think UW will round into form, but the growing pains won't be fun.

Well lucky for Wisconsin, the conference looks weak enough that they should be able to keep their 4th or better streak going.  I think in a normal year that might be in danger.  

[betarhoalphadelta]

Wisconsin is really behind right now. The whole class that should be juniors has disappointed. They're 327th in experience on KenPom. I think UW will round into form, but the growing pains won't be fun.

I'm still not sold on what UW is going to be without Bo Ryan. While everyone was all in on Gard when he was largely continuing Bo's trajectory, every year removed from Bo is Greg's team regarding style, recruiting, and developing players. While the first year and a half looked very good, I consider that an "incomplete" grade given that the 2016-17 starting core was a bunch of upperclassmen that came in and developed under Bo. 
Don't get me wrong here. I am *not* saying Greg Gard isn't a good coach. I'm just saying the expectation that they "will round into form" might be based on the hope that Greg is a Bo clone, when I don't think we have enough evidence to say that yet. This year and next will really determine what you have up there in Madison. 

[847badgerfan]

I'm still not sold on what UW is going to be without Bo Ryan. While everyone was all in on Gard when he was largely continuing Bo's trajectory, every year removed from Bo is Greg's team regarding style, recruiting, and developing players. While the first year and a half looked very good, I consider that an "incomplete" grade given that the 2016-17 starting core was a bunch of upperclassmen that came in and developed under Bo.
Don't get me wrong here. I am *not* saying Greg Gard isn't a good coach. I'm just saying the expectation that they "will round into form" might be based on the hope that Greg is a Bo clone, when I don't think we have enough evidence to say that yet. This year and next will really determine what you have up there in Madison.

The more disappointing players on the team right now were brought in by Bo, with the exception of Happ. The underclassmen are going to make this team what it will be. Some look promising. Others not yet.

[betarhoalphadelta]

The more disappointing players on the team right now were brought in by Bo, with the exception of Happ. The underclassmen are going to make this team what it will be. Some look promising. Others not yet.

Yes, but Bo had a history of developing the players on his roster. Now, perhaps these players are somehow different than other players in previous classes, or perhaps Bo's teaching and development was the difference between other players being disappointing or being solid.

That's my point. Wisconsin has never been the school that brings in multiple high 4* / 5* recruits every year. They rarely have had "instant impact freshmen" that can come in and take over. They've made their living based upon identifying players that will fit their system and developing them over time. Now Bo isn't there to develop them. Perhaps Gard can be as effective as Bo in developing players. Perhaps he can't.

Or it could be that the type of players/system Bo ran is actually different than what Gard is now trying to do, and maybe just the players are a mismatch or haven't bought in as they were Bo's recruits.

[bayareabadger]

I'm still not sold on what UW is going to be without Bo Ryan. While everyone was all in on Gard when he was largely continuing Bo's trajectory, every year removed from Bo is Greg's team regarding style, recruiting, and developing players. While the first year and a half looked very good, I consider that an "incomplete" grade given that the 2016-17 starting core was a bunch of upperclassmen that came in and developed under Bo.
Don't get me wrong here. I am *not* saying Greg Gard isn't a good coach. I'm just saying the expectation that they "will round into form" might be based on the hope that Greg is a Bo clone, when I don't think we have enough evidence to say that yet. This year and next will really determine what you have up there in Madison.

I'll address this with a longer post later, but I should clarify, when I say "round into form," I mean be one of the weaker teams since the Bo era started (assuming heath), but good enough to make the tournament with some comfort. 
Right now they're 38th in KenPom and their worst loss is a last-second one to the No. 45 team or by 12 at No. 3. It's not fine, but I'm not near the panic button.