~2017-18 Big Ten Basketball Thread~

[Brutus Buckeye]

With Dayton going off the rails this year, it looks like OSU is now only behind Xavier and Cincinnati within the State. 

[847badgerfan]

I know you're watching Badge

I saw the start and the end. I was watching a special on RUSH, how 2112 and Moving Pictures propelled them into a super machine and how the records came together. Anyway..

It was great to see UW get a win over Indiana - the 16th in a row in Madison.

Who woulda thought that could happen 20 years ago?

[ELA]

Northwestern in some real trouble now too.  15 point loss to Nebraska at home?

[Entropy]

I'm still not sure what to think of this years UNL team.   Over the last couple of years, each time I feel like they are turning a corner, they take a step back.   This year's team seems to be taking small steps towards that corner without major glitches.  I'm hopeful, but I still can't trust. 

[847badgerfan]

Northwestern in some real trouble now too.  15 point loss to Nebraska at home?

NU is missing McIntosh and will be for some time (2 weeks??). The good news for him and them is that there is no structural damage in the knee. Missing him really hurts NU though.

[betarhoalphadelta]

I'm still not sure what to think of this years UNL team.   Over the last couple of years, each time I feel like they are turning a corner, they take a step back.   This year's team seems to be taking small steps towards that corner without major glitches.  I'm hopeful, but I still can't trust.  

They certainly feel more dangerous than they have in years past... I'm not sure they're bottom-tier. But as you say, it'll probably take a few weeks of conference play before we can be sure.

[847badgerfan]

I was just looking at the Badgers' schedule for the next month and I found:

01/05 @Rutgers
01/09 @Nebraska
01/16 @Purdue
01/19 Illinois
01/23 @Iowa
01/26 @Michigan State
01/29 Nebraska

That's a whole lot of "@" in one month.

[ELA]

I was just looking at the Badgers' schedule for the next month and I found:

01/05 @Rutgers
01/09 @Nebraska
01/16 @Purdue
01/19 Illinois
01/23 @Iowa
01/26 @Michigan State
01/29 Nebraska

That's a whole lot of "@" in one month.

Yeah, we mentioned that back when the schedule was released, how weirdly lopsided it is for a lot of teams.  Everyone still plays 9 and 9, so it just means a backloaded home schedule.  MSU's is the opposite.  Off the top of my head I think it's like 7 of the first 9 are at home, and 7 of the last 9 are on the road.  Not sure what the hell Delany is letting them do to the schedules this year, but it makes no sense.

[ELA]

NU is missing McIntosh and will be for some time (2 weeks??). The good news for him and them is that there is no structural damage in the knee. Missing him really hurts NU though.

Wasn't that their first game without him though?  They were already struggling pretty badly, although that certainly doesn't help things.
This is probably their easiest stretch of the Big Ten schedule too (NEB, @psu, MINN, @indiana, OSU, PSU)
After that, things get really rough, starting with 5 of 6 on the road (@minn, @mich, @uw, MICH, @umd, @rutgers, MSU, UMD, WIS, @iowa)

[847badgerfan]

I honestly don't know. I missed a lot of things with all of the holiday parties and being in LA for a week. I'm just getting caught up to a lot of things now. I didn't see a lick of football until I got on the plane to come home Saturday (PSU).

[medinabuckeye1]

The only upset last night was Nebraska winning in Evanston.  That slightly changes the projections:

• 18-0 MSU
• 17-1 PU
• 12-6 PSU (I think they win tie-breaker over tOSU)
• 12-6 tOSU
• 10-8 UMD (no idea who wins the UMD/M tie)
• 10-8 M
• 9-9 MN
• 7-11 UNL (wins tie based on road win in Evanston)
• 7-11 UW
• 7-11 NU (loses tie based on home loss to UNL)
• 6-12 RU
• 5-13 ILL
• 3-15 IU (no idea who wins IU/IA tie)
• 3-15 IA

[medinabuckeye1]

I was just looking at the Badgers' schedule for the next month and I found:

01/05 @Rutgers
01/09 @Nebraska
01/16 @Purdue
01/19 Illinois
01/23 @Iowa
01/26 @Michigan State
01/29 Nebraska

That's a whole lot of "@" in one month.

How does this impact Wisconsin's chances to improve their way into continuing their NCAA streak?  
My thoughts:
It probably helps.  The Badgers play MSU and Purdue twice each.  They travel to both in January and host both in February.  As the Badgers look right now, it probably doesn't matter one bit where those games are played so getting the more difficult road games out of the way in January and holding the (potentially) easier home games until February maintains the possibility that Wisconsin could improve enough to pull off an upset or two at home late in the season.  
We currently project the Badgers to finish 7-11/14-17 with the remaining games on their schedule as follows (with projection):

• 1/5:  @ RU, L
• 1/9:  @ UNL, L
• 1/16:  @ PU, L
• 1/19:  v ILL, W
• 1/23:  @ IA, L
• 1/26:  @ MSU, L
• 1/29:  v UNL, W
• 2/1:  v NU, W
• 2/4:  @ UMD, L
• 2/8:  @ ILL, L
• 2/11:  v M, W
• 2/15:  v PU, L
• 2/19:  v MN, W
• 2/22:  @ NU, L
• 2/25:  v MSU, L

[grillrat]

The problem is that Wisconsin has absolutely no good OOC wins.  Their best win is what?......Western Kentucky?  Even if they manage to get two upset wins over MSU and Purdue at home, that puts them at 16-15 with only 3 top 50 wins (assuming they beat Michigan at home and Michigan maintains their current ranking level).  They would probably still need at least 3 more wins in the BTT to even get on the bubble.
That's a pretty tall order.

[betarhoalphadelta]

The problem is that Wisconsin has absolutely no good OOC wins.  Their best win is what?......Western Kentucky?  

That's their best win*, yes.