~2017-18 Big Ten Basketball Thread~

[FearlessF]

Purdue wasted that on Iowa.  They would have run any team in the country out of the gym today.

raining 3s on the road

[bayareabadger]

I didn't see the game.  The box score was weird, the Bucks only made 4 threes and only shot 10 free throws, but won in a walk

Even weirder, in 66 possessions, OSU had 66 shots, 10 free throws and Minnesota had 47 and 20, half of which they missed. OSU’s offense was far from great, but the defense was nails across the board, with nothing looking spectacular statistically beside 3 defense (turnovers I suppose)

[grillrat]

Purdue wasted that on Iowa.  They would have run any team in the country out of the gym today.

IIRC, I heard that there were two venues that these seniors had never won in, Michigan and Iowa, so they were on a personal mission to win those two specifically.

[betarhoalphadelta]

IIRC, I heard that there were two venues that these seniors had never won in, Michigan and Iowa, so they were on a personal mission to win those two specifically.

I thought there were three... Obviously with wins in Ann Arbor and Iowa City, that covered 2 of 3...

[MaximumSam]

KenPom rankings

1. Purdue (2)
2. MSU (5)
3. OSU (11)
4. Michigan (27)
5. Maryland (38)
6. PSU (63)
7. Nebraska (67)
8. Wisconsin (80)
9. Minnesota (82)
10. NW (90)
11. Indiana (97)
12. Iowa (101)
13. Illinois (105)
14. Rutgers (117)

[medinabuckeye1]

I am definitely worried about the Ohio State game tonight.  The Buckeyes look to be clearly a better team than the Cornhuskers but Ohio State is on a short turn-around (Sat-Mon) and coming off of three straight games away from home (Jersey, Chicago, NYC).  Meanwhile the Cornhuskers are coming off of one of their best performances of the year (20 point win over Michigan) and playing on more rest and off of back-to-back home games.  

[Brutus Buckeye]

That does indeed sound problematic. 

[ELA]

Lunardi now has OSU joining MSU on the 3 line.  Has there ever been a runaway choice for COTY like this?  This is as good a job as I can recall in the Big Ten ever in terms of overachieving based on preseason expectations.

They actually remind me a lot of 2012 MSU.  Coming off a disappointing 2011 season, where they were preseason #2, had two starters get the boot for weed, and barely limped into the tourney as a 10 seed.  Then graduated Lucas and Summers, and Roe retired due his knee.  Draymond Green went from good player to Big Ten Player of the Year caliber (like Bates-Diop is doing), and while they didn't really have any stars around him, it just all worked better, and a lot of role players contributed more than expected.  They won the Big Ten regular season and BTT titles, and got to the Sweet 16.  I think OSU's expectations this year were even lower though because they additionally had the coaching turnover.

[betarhoalphadelta]

Has there ever been a runaway choice for COTY like this?  This is as good a job as I can recall in the Big Ten ever in terms of overachieving based on preseason expectations.

So put it another way. What will it take for Painter to beat out Holtmann for COY? Because I agree with you that his job has been absolutely stellar, and as far as "exceeding expectations", he's knocked it out of the park.
For Painter, I think it might take a 17-1 or better record, and neither loss can be to MSU or OSU. I think he might be excused from dropping a game, but it certainly can't be to OSU as then Holtmann has wins over both Izzo and Painter [on the road, no less].
And OSU would have to probably fall to 15-3. If OSU is 17-1 with a loss to Purdue, I think Holtmann wins it even if Purdue is the only B1G team in 40 years to go undefeated in conference play. If Purdue is 18-0 and OSU is 16-2, I think it might still be Painter. But I think it'll take 15-3 for OSU not to win it if Purdue goes 17-1. 
Thoughts? 

[bayareabadger]

So put it another way. What will it take for Painter to beat out Holtmann for COY? Because I agree with you that his job has been absolutely stellar, and as far as "exceeding expectations", he's knocked it out of the park.
For Painter, I think it might take a 17-1 or better record, and neither loss can be to MSU or OSU. I think he might be excused from dropping a game, but it certainly can't be to OSU as then Holtmann has wins over both Izzo and Painter [on the road, no less].
And OSU would have to probably fall to 15-3. If OSU is 17-1 with a loss to Purdue, I think Holtmann wins it even if Purdue is the only B1G team in 40 years to go undefeated in conference play. If Purdue is 18-0 and OSU is 16-2, I think it might still be Painter. But I think it'll take 15-3 for OSU not to win it if Purdue goes 17-1.
Thoughts?

I think if Purdue isn’t undefeated, 14-4 or even 13-5 might get it done for OSU.
The narrative is that strong. OSU was supposed to be 10th before an absurdly late coaching change. Purdue’s case is that it went from very good to great after losing a NPOY, but returning about everything else. 
It’s OSU’s with some cushion unless 18-0. You also could get a split, as happened in 2014 and 2015 (fun tidbit, there were no good candidates in 2013. They gave it to Bo Ryan, who had his worst team since 2009.)

[ELA]

So put it another way. What will it take for Painter to beat out Holtmann for COY? Because I agree with you that his job has been absolutely stellar, and as far as "exceeding expectations", he's knocked it out of the park.
For Painter, I think it might take a 17-1 or better record, and neither loss can be to MSU or OSU. I think he might be excused from dropping a game, but it certainly can't be to OSU as then Holtmann has wins over both Izzo and Painter [on the road, no less].
And OSU would have to probably fall to 15-3. If OSU is 17-1 with a loss to Purdue, I think Holtmann wins it even if Purdue is the only B1G team in 40 years to go undefeated in conference play. If Purdue is 18-0 and OSU is 16-2, I think it might still be Painter. But I think it'll take 15-3 for OSU not to win it if Purdue goes 17-1.
Thoughts?

Same reason Meyer never wins coach of the year.  I don't think there's anything Painter can do to win it.  It's on OSU, they need a monumental collapse.  Like 12-6 type collapse.  I think the question with OSU was whether they'd even be able to avoid playing on Wednesday in NYC.  Purdue is only sliightly better than I figured they'd be.  I think Nebraska and Michigan have possibly exceeded my expectations (which is all that award really is) more than Purdue has.
Granted I was the one at the end of last season, saying even after Bridges came back, Purdue was my 1b to MSU's 1a, that both looked loaded to me.

[ELA]

Purdue holds at #3, MSU up 3 spots to #6, OSU up 9 to #13, UM down 2 to #25.  Nobody else getting votes

[grillrat]

Same reason Meyer never wins coach of the year.  I don't think there's anything Painter can do to win it.  It's on OSU, they need a monumental collapse.  Like 12-6 type collapse.  I think the question with OSU was whether they'd even be able to avoid playing on Wednesday in NYC.  Purdue is only sliightly better than I figured they'd be.  I think Nebraska and Michigan have possibly exceeded my expectations (which is all that award really is) more than Purdue has.
Granted I was the one at the end of last season, saying even after Bridges came back, Purdue was my 1b to MSU's 1a, that both looked loaded to me.

I could easily see it being a split.  Looking through the preseason polls, most knowledgeable sources (including the unofficial coaches poll) had Purdue in the 2 slot.  So Purdue's success this year won't really be considered a surprise to the coaches.  It was the other media sources that had Purdue down in the 4th through 6th level, usually behind MSU, Minnesota, NW, and sometimes Michigan (and occasionally, laughably, behind IU).  So to the media, Purdue is a much bigger surprise.

I'd say if Purdue goes undefeated and OSU has 4 losses, it's Painter's.  3 losses or less for OSU and it goes to Holtman.

[medinabuckeye1]

ELA already referred to Meyer never winning COTY in football but you have to look back a lot further than that to find an Ohio State football coach winning COTY.  I believe the last one was Bruce in his first year, 1979.  

COTY awards are basically an award for the coach of the team that most exceeded expectations.  Ohio State never wins it in football because the expectations are too high.  They can't be exceeded by much.  Painter/Purdue faces the same problem this year.  Even if Purdue does manage to go 18-0, that is only what, 3-4 games better than expected?  If Ohio State goes 12-6 (which at this point would require a disastrous 4-6 finish) then the Buckeyes will still have exceeded expectations more than even an undefeated Purdue.  

I think for Painter/Purdue to win it would require both an extremely strong finish (like probably 18-0) by Purdue and a stupendous collapse (like probably 12-6) by Ohio State.