~2017-18 Big Ten Basketball Thread~

[HailHailMSP]

The Jackrabbits are going to cause someone fits in the tourney. Tall, inside-out NBA prospect in Dahm, athletic guards, and an entire team that can shoot the lights out. I am assuming they’ll be a popular upset pick on the 12 or 13 line. I would hate to see Michigan as a 4 with them. 

[PSUinNC]

Does it help or hurt Penn State that all of their good wins came against Ohio State?  Conversely, does it help or hurt Ohio State that all of their bad losses came against Penn State?  
I mean both questions as compared to having the same record but with different opponents?  
By RPI, Penn State's three best wins (by far*) are:

• At #21 Ohio State
• Vs #21 Ohio State (neutral court)
• Vs #21 Ohio State

Ohio State's three worst losses (by far^) are:

• Vs #80 Penn State
• Vs #80 Penn State (neutral court)
• At #80 Penn State

Hypothetically, if Penn State had won the home game over Ohio State but lost the other two but also won:

• At #15 Michigan State, and
• Vs #23 aTm (neutral court)

Would that be better, worse, or about the same for PSU's NCAA chances?  It would have little or no impact on their RPI.  

Similarly, hypothetically, if Ohio State had won the home and neutral court games over Penn State but also lost:

• Vs #72 Stanford (neutral court), and
• Vs #92 William&Mary

Would that be better, worse, or about the same for tOSU's NCAA seed?  It would have little or no impact on their RPI.  

In considering this question please ignore the impact that these changes would have had on other games (ie, PSU not playing PU if they lost to tOSU in the BTT and both PSU and tOSU having different later round opponents if they won/lost preseason tournament games against aTm and Stanford.  I'm simply asking how we think the committee will view the three wins / three losses.  I could make a reasonable argument either way and I'm curious how the committee will view it.  

*After the THREE wins over #21 tOSU, PSU's next best RPI wins were:

• Over #63 Nebraska at home.  
• Over #70 Maryland at home.  
• Over #95 Montana at home.  

^After the THREE losses to #80 PSU, tOSU's next worst RPI losses were:

• To #45 Butler on a neutral court.  
• To #30 Gonzaga on a neutral court.  
• To #13 Michigan on the road.  

I have to think, purely from a subjective look at this (and let's be honest, the committee can be quite subjective at times even by their own admission) that diversifying those wins would have been better.  It simply appears PSU matches up quite well with OSU and has their number.  That's it.  I think showing they could have beaten a Michigan, aTm or NC State out of conference, one of the late games against Purdue, would have shown they aren't just a simple 1:1 matchup with OSU.  
PSU will miss this tourney for one of two reasons:
1.  Bad losses to Rider and Minne at home
2.  Missed chances on the road at Purdue, home to Michigan and the Purdue game at MSG.  
I believe if either would have happened (beat both teams in scenario 1, or win one of the games in scenario 2), they are in.

[ELA]

The Jackrabbits are going to cause someone fits in the tourney. Tall, inside-out NBA prospect in Dahm, athletic guards, and an entire team that can shoot the lights out. I am assuming they’ll be a popular upset pick on the 12 or 13 line. I would hate to see Michigan as a 4 with them.

I said that last year, and put my money where my mouth was, by picking them to upset Gonzaga as a 16 over a 1.  First time in my life I had ever picked a 15 or a 16.  Instead Gonzaga whipped them by 20.

[ELA]

I think Illinois will be seeing a handful of transfers today or this week.  If Mark Smith wants to be a PG, it is probably not going to happen at Illinois.  John Groce and Underwood are clearly different types of guys with different coaching styles.  If Mark Smith isn't a fit with that style, best of luck to him somewhere else.  He was a liability on defense and lacked confidence in his offense.

Rumors Leron Black may do the grad transfer thing and follow him out.

[medinabuckeye1]

I have to think, purely from a subjective look at this (and let's be honest, the committee can be quite subjective at times even by their own admission) that diversifying those wins would have been better.  It simply appears PSU matches up quite well with OSU and has their number.  That's it.  I think showing they could have beaten a Michigan, aTm or NC State out of conference, one of the late games against Purdue, would have shown they aren't just a simple 1:1 matchup with OSU.  
PSU will miss this tourney for one of two reasons:
1.  Bad losses to Rider and Minne at home
2.  Missed chances on the road at Purdue, home to Michigan and the Purdue game at MSG.  
I believe if either would have happened (beat both teams in scenario 1, or win one of the games in scenario 2), they are in.

I have a feeling that you are right.  I wonder, however, how that will impact tOSU's seed.  In theory, if it is a negative for PSU that they "only" beat tOSU three times rather than beating three different tournament teams then it should be a positive for tOSU that they "only" lost to the same team three times.  Ie, logically you would have to choose one of the following three positions:

• It should be held against PSU and in favor of tOSU, or
• It should be held against tOSU and in favor of PSU, or
• It should not impact how we view either team.  

However, the committee isn't required to be logical and, as you mentioned, they can be quite subjective.  My guess is that they'll choose a logically flawed option:

• They will effectively hold it against PSU that they "only" beat one tournament team, and
• They will effectively hold it against tOSU that they lost three times to the same mediocre opponent.  

My guess is NIT for PSU and a #6 seed for Ohio State.  

[PSUinNC]

Agreed Medina, I don't think OSU should be punished whatsoever for losing three times to PSU.  It just happens at times that some teams have the other's number and the whole body of work indicates that OSU is at minimum a Top 20 team, putting them on the 5 line in my opinion.  

PSU just didn't get the upsets yesterday (thanks VaTech, what a bedwetting that was) to keep them alive.  It's pretty much a done deal now. I myself would put PSU in over:  ND, Louisville, Syracuse, OU, Okie St, Texas and Baylor, but I doubt the committee will think so.  PSU just lacks that other definitive data point unfortunately.  

[Kris61]

If your team is on the bubble Middle Tennessee didn’t do you any favors tonight.

[ELA]

If your team is on the bubble Middle Tennessee didn’t do you any favors tonight.

Worthless trash school anyway.  

[ELA]

My EMU Hurons with a 32-6 run to end the game, erasing Akron's 18 point lead.

They were probably the MACs best program in the 90s, but off the top of my head, this is their first trip even to the MAC semis since 1998.

[Kris61]

Worthless trash school anyway.  

Really?  Why?  I must have missed something.

[ELA]

When they beat MSU in the tourney 2 years ago.

[Brutus Buckeye]

[Kris61]

When they beat MSU in the tourney 2 years ago.

LOL.  I forgot.  I was too busy wallowing in Stephen F. Austin beating WVU that year.

[ELA]

Maryland's RPI just fell from #74 to #76 overnight, meaning MSU, Purdue and UM all lose one Quadrant 1 win, because a road win over Maryland no longer qualifies.