~2017-18 Big Ten Basketball Thread~

[FearlessF]

hopefully Michigan defends the 3 better vs Nova

[Anonymous Coward]

I favor Villanova, if forced to bet, but Michigan matches up way better than KU. The Jayhawks weren't just garbage at defending 3's; they were garbage at trying. Michigan basically never double-team anyone, so they won't be so structurally incapable of defending the full perimeter as Kansas. And Z probably won't have the worst game of his life twice in a row (he's our primary engine for defense and avoiding turnovers).

[Honestbuckeye]

Signed to say:Go Blue!!!

Great run so far, and I think the combination of their defense and Nova’s reaction to going from hot to cold, gets it done for the Wolverines.

Funny ass story. So my 25 year old daughter, UM grad and HUGE fan is in a serious relationship with her HS sweetheart, and Sparty grad/ Big fan. They have lots of mostly joking jabs during the year.

Well apparently he reserved plane tickets to San Antonio at the beginning of the season fully hoping to see the Spartans there.  About halfway through he got a refund , realizing that they just were not that caliber.

So, last week my daughter, who had said nothing to this point, dropped the “hey.....do you still have those San Antonio plane tickets”?

Ha ha, I guess the silence was deafening and if looks could kill.....

[Anonymous Coward]

According to Bart Torvik:
Team rank since February 7:
I know picking a select time frame is often dumb, but Michigan's 14-0 stretch came from a very different team than the preceding version, so I'm posting it begrudgingly. Anyway, Michigan ranks #1 nationally over this stretch. I don't think many expected that and this includes myself. 
http://barttorvik.com/trankslice.php?year=2018&sort=&conlimit=All&begin=20180207&end=20180501&top=&quad=4&mingames=1&venue=All&type=All&mint=0&maxt=200
Michigan: #1 Defense, #12 Offense
Villanova: #15 Defense, #2 Offense

[847badgerfan]

I was impressed with how Michigan put the clamps on Loyola last night. It was fun to watch.

[Honestbuckeye]

According to Bart Torvik:
Team rank since February 7:


I know picking a select time frame is often dumb, but Michigan's 14-0 stretch came from a very different team than the preceding version, so I'm posting it begrudgingly. Anyway, Michigan ranks #1 nationally over this stretch. I don't think many expected that and this includes myself.
http://barttorvik.com/trankslice.php?year=2018&sort=&conlimit=All&begin=20180207&end=20180501&top=&quad=4&mingames=1&venue=All&type=All&mint=0&maxt=200
Michigan: #1 Defense, #12 Offense
Villanova: #15 Defense, #2 Offense

Not “dumb”at all.   How is the team doing down the stretch?  “ the stretch” is what you are referring to, and what time frame could be more important?

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh I agree that it's relevant. My other point was to acknowledge that "beginning February 7" is a timeframe that cast Michigan, specifically, in the best light possible. And that degree of arbitrariness deserves explicit mention.

[Kris61]

The Women’s Final Four has been awesome.  If the chick from ND that hit back to back buzzer beaters in the FF were a guy she would be a legend.  As it stands, I’m calling her the “chick from ND.”

[Temp430]

How did Butler, St. Johns, Providence, and Creighton ever beat Villanova? 

[847badgerfan]

The Women’s Final Four has been awesome.  If the chick from ND that hit back to back buzzer beaters in the FF were a guy she would be a legend.  As it stands, I’m calling her the “chick from ND.”

I call her "former Wisconsin TB Dare Ogunbowale's younger sister" and leave it at that.

[ELA]

How did Butler, St. Johns, Providence, and Creighton ever beat Villanova?

Villanova's A game is better than anybody else's A game.  But nobody can bring their A game 40 times a year.

[medinabuckeye1]

Villanova's A game is better than anybody else's A game.  But nobody can bring their A game 40 times a year.

That is the key because the example that@Temp430 posted for Villanova could be posted for any CBB team:  
How did LSU, UNC (by 15), tOSU (by 11), UNL (by 20), and NU beat Michigan?  
Same answer as to the same question about NOVA:  Nobody brings their "A" game 40 times a year.  
I'm with @ELA on this.  Nova's "A" game is beyond the capacity of Michigan (or probably anybody else).  Thus, question #1 is whether or not Nova brings their "A" game.  If not, then it is in play and just a question of how well Michigan plays.  

[medinabuckeye1]

• No, Michigan shouldn't "walk right off the court and congratulate the Villanova/Kansas winner.  First off, Michigan is going to win.  Loyola-Chicago has defeated a #6 by two, a #3 by one, a #7 by one, and a #9 by 16.  Like Michigan, the Ramblers have beaten the teams on the other end of the court, but also like Michigan, they have gotten very lucky.  They ducked the #1 (first ever #16 over #1 upset) and the #2 (lost to #7), and the #4 (lost to #13), and the #5 (lost to #9).  The difference between the Ramblers and the Wolverines is that while the Ramblers are about to play the best opponent they have ever seen, the Wolverines are about to play their easiest opponent since Montana in the first round.  After Michigan dispenses with the Ramblers they will get either Nova or Kansas in the NCG.  I do believe that both the Wildcats and Jayhawks are better than the Wolverines but it isn't by anywhere near the margin by which all three of them are better than the Ramblers.  Ie, I expect the Nova/Kansas winner to be favored over the Wolverines in the CG but I do not expect the Wildcats or Jayhawks to be a prohibitive favorite.  

According to my phone Nova is a 7.5 point favorite so I'm going to say "told you so" to all of this post and hopefully enjoy a good game tonight.  

[MaximumSam]

Nova is really good, but UM should have some defensive success.  They are comfortable guarding one on one without a lot of help, which should bog down Nova some and keep them from bombing away from three.