~2017-18 Big Ten Basketball Thread~

[ELA]

I know it's naive and understand that college sports is a business, but I'm going to be very disappointed in UMD if it's true that Diamond Stone got paid.

These seem like weird amounts, as in, really low, for players/programs to be taking this kind of risk.  My guess is that

a) it's bogus
or
b) these amounts are only the tip of the iceberg.

You can be disappointed in Stone, but these were agents, not boosters, so I'd have a hard time being disappointed in Maryland.  They seemingly had no ties to programs.  Hell, Bridges mom got $400, but Josh Jackson, who MSU was favored in for a while, got his mom $1,700, and he went to Kansas.  I don't think any of (at least this portion) was tied to steering players to schools like in a booster scandal.  This is more about trying to steer guys to an agency once they reach the NBA.  His notes next to those big money guys reflect that.  Things like "Bad Loan" and "Not signing with us, working out repayment plan."
Now if more shoe company stuff comes out, that's where things could get ugly.

[JerseyTerrapin]

You can be disappointed in Stone, but these were agents, not boosters, so I'd have a hard time being disappointed in Maryland.  They seemingly had no ties to programs.  Hell, Bridges mom got $400, but Josh Jackson, who MSU was favored in for a while, got his mom $1,700, and he went to Kansas.  I don't think any of (at least this portion) was tied to steering players to schools like in a booster scandal.  This is more about trying to steer guys to an agency once they reach the NBA.  His notes next to those big money guys reflect that.  Things like "Bad Loan" and "Not signing with us, working out repayment plan."
Now if more shoe company stuff comes out, that's where things could get ugly.

Ah, okay.  Thanks, Adam.  I guess I'm not up to speed on this topic.

[847badgerfan]

This is quite the load of shit from the head man of an agency that couldn't take down North Carolina.



“These allegations, if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America. Simply put, people who engage in this kind of behavior have no place in college sports. They are an affront to all those who play by the rules, Emmert said.
“Following the Southern District of New York’s indictments last year, the NCAA Board of Governors and I formed the independent Commission on College Basketball, chaired by Condoleezza Rice, to provide recommendations on how to clean up the sport. With these latest allegations, it’s clear this work is more important now than ever. The Board and I are completely committed to making transformational changes to the game and ensuring all involved in college basketball do so with integrity. We also will continue to cooperate with the efforts of federal prosecutors to identify and punish the unscrupulous parties seeking to exploit the system through criminal acts.”

[Entropy]

What a dud, Penn State.  What a total lack of preparation, Patrick Chambers.  What a lack of in-game adjustments when Michigan was making, oh I don't know, 75% of their 3pt shots.  

Never again should anyone around State College mutter why people don't attend PSU hoops games.  Just when excitement is brewing, when national pundits are talking, you come up with THAT performance?

Anyone seen Mike Watkins the past week?  Anyone?  Buehler?  Buehler?

Shaking my head.....

see UNL and their Illinois loss...  at least Michigan is legit.

[Entropy]

So the question is not are agents giving kids money, but are agents directing kids to certain schools...   what relationships do they have?   I think that is where a school could get in trouble. 

[medinabuckeye1]

May I recommend that we move the scandal discussion to a separate thread?  I think it is already confusing and going to get worse trying to keep track of BB discussion and agent/shoe company money scandal in the same thread.  

[847badgerfan]

That's a good idea moving forward. I put it in here because it impacts programs in the Big Ten (PSU is also involved, in addition to UMd and MSU).

[ELA]

So the question is not are agents giving kids money, but are agents directing kids to certain schools...   what relationships do they have?   I think that is where a school could get in trouble.  

Well that's where schools themselves could be in trouble.
Here, really the only issue is the impact on schools of the kids being punished.  I don't know what will come of the big payment schools (Washington, Maryland, NC State, Utah) because all those kids are gone.  I don't see the NCAA vacating any wins unless there's some proof out there the school knew, and obviously they can't punish the players who took the money at this point.  So really, I think all that comes out of this story is what punishment, if any, for Bridges, Wendell Carter, Kevin Knox, Collin Sexton, right now.
The Carter, Knox and Sexton ones are particularly tough to pin any sort of penalty to, because I think all they can prove is that they met with the guy.  Then Bridges you have a smallish sum of money ($400), paid to the mother.  I did see someone find a sort of on point case where an agent paid a Miami player $400 to sign autographs, and the kid was suspended 1 game, and had to pay the money back.  That was football, so 1 game was about the equivalent of 2.5 games in basketball.  That case the money was paid directly to the kid too.  I almost wonder if MSU comes out with a statement, and suspends him 2 or 3 games for the actions of his mom, and the NCAA leaves it at that.
The complicating factor is that it wasn't like Yahoo got everything the FBI had on this guy.  I think they got like one balance sheet from this one specific runner.  This runner is the son of a long time Michigan high school coach, which is why so many of the names that came up today (Bridges (MSU), Jackson (Kansas), Kuzma (Utah), Sumner (Xavier), Bowen (Louisville/South Carolina), and Davis (Texas)) were Michigan high school players.  My guess is those were the contacts this specific runner was working.
This guy's brother actually died at an MSU basketball camp like a decade ago due to an undiagnosed heart condition.

[medinabuckeye1]

Back to Basketball.  At this point every team in the B1G has exactly one game remaining so I can be a bit more specific with the seeding projections:

• Michigan State unless they lose (@UW) and tOSU wins (@IU), then tOSU
• Ohio State unless MSU (see above) or PU (see below)
• Purdue unless they win (vMN) and tOSU loses (@IU)
• Nebraska unless they lose (vPSU) and M wins (@UMD), then Michigan
• Michigan unless UNL (see above)
• Indiana unless they lose (vtOSU) and PSU wins (@UNL), then Penn State
• Penn State unless Indiana (see above)
• Maryland
• Wisconsin (the Badgers could end up tied with UMD for 8/9 or with NU for 9/10 but they lose the tie with UMD and win the tie with NU so it doesn't matter, they get the #9 seed no matter what).  
• Northwestern
• *Minnesota . . . probably.  If Minnesota wins they get it.  If they lose they will be tied with the RU/IL winner and Iowa (if Iowa beats NU at home).  
• *The Rutgers/Illinois winner . . . probably.  The RU/IL winner would be tied with Iowa if they win (vNU) and/or Minnesota if they lose (@PU).  
• *Iowa . . . probably.  
• *The Rutgers/Illinois loser . . . probably.  

*The bottom four are a confusing mess to figure out.  

If Minnesota wins (@PU) they will finish alone in 11th place.  If they lose, they will finish tied with the RU/IL winner and Iowa (if they win vNU) for 11th, 12th, and possibly 13th.  

The RU/IL winner will either finish alone in 12th place (if MN wins and Iowa loses) or tied with MN (if they lose @PU) and/or Iowa (if they win (vNU).  

If Iowa wins they will finish tied with the RU/IL winner and MN (if they win @PU).  If Iowa loses they will finish tied for 13th/14th with the RU/IL loser.  

The RU/IL loser will either finish alone in 14th place (if Iowa wins vNU) or tied for 13th/14th (if Iowa loses).  

What we know for sure is this:

• Maryland will be the home team against Wisconsin in the 8/9 game on Thursday, March 1 at noon on BTN.  
• Northwestern will be the road team against either Penn State or Indiana in the 7/10 game on Thursday, March 1 at 6:30pm on BTN.  

[847badgerfan]

You could make the argument that the 10 seed has an easier road to hoe than the 8 and 9 seeds if things play out to projections. 

[medinabuckeye1]

You could make the argument that the 10 seed has an easier road to hoe than the 8 and 9 seeds if things play out to projections.

It depends on a lot of things but you certainly could be right.  I'd rather play IU than PSU right now.  

[Entropy]

I just have this gut punching feeling that UNL is going to lose to PSU..  and there will be no discussion left about the NCAA tourney.   The team has played very tight late in games the last couple weeks... I can see the moment impacting shots. 

either way, I have enjoyed this team and this season.  While exceeding expectations always makes the year better, UNL has some great team chemistry, they have guys who are athletes (and hence look like they belong) and they play pretty good defense (typically).    I won't consider it a failure if they end up in the NIT.   I just hope nobody leaves early and they can build upon this year's success

[ELA]

Woah, did Big Jim actually admit he was wrong?


https://twitter.com/ChicagoSports/status/967114577833091072

[847badgerfan]

I don't think he actually said he was wrong. He also said he is not looking back and then tried to put some positive spins on it, like extra rest and all that shit.

All I know is he wasn't worried about rest when he scheduled UW to play 9 games in 22 days.