College Basketball Thread

[iowatreat54]

As others have said, the BIG should easily get 6 teams in, probably 7, possibly 8 and the following teams are almost assured of making the tourny:

Indiana
Michigan
OSU
Wisconsin
MSU
Illinois
Minnesota (probably)

That's 7 right there that I don't see jNW passing in conference play unless something big happens. After that, they are competing basically with Iowa and Purdue for an 8th spot if it's there.

Unless there are some surprises with one of the top 7 teams falling off and jNW surprising everyone, I really can't see them making it this year.

[bearsfan_51]

Minnesota probably? We're 14 in the country!

And no, Northwestern isn't getting in. That's your 7. I think Illinois or Wisconsin will have the hardest time getting in out of that group, not us.

[yo123]

Yeah, Minny has been the 4th best team in the conference so far. Becky has played 2 ranked teams and gotten killed by both, they also lost to Virginia at home, and Illinois has ridden ridiculous three point shooting that won't continue.

[iowatreat54]

I'll be honest, I haven't watched any of Minnesota this year. I knew coming in to the year they should be good, despite Mbakwe's best chances to derail his career. But #14 now really means jack. It's like saying Kentucky was top 10 to start the season. I could still easily see Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Illinois fall off a cliff come conference play and be one of the borderline BIG teams.

But I was just listing the top 7 teams off the top of my head. But ya, I'll be curious to see how Wisconsin does this year.

[yo123]

It doesn't really mean the same as a ranking before the year at all, because the Gophers have built their way up to that spot by winning games that are going to help them come bracket time, and Kentucky was ranked that high because they're Kentucky.

[iowatreat54]

True. I guess what I really meant is it's like 8 games into the season. Just because a team is ranked 14 doesn't mean they are a lock to make the tourny. All the teams I listed should make the tourny, as they are the top 7 teams in the BIG was my point is all.

IMO, of those teams, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are the top 3 (in no order) most likely to not make the tourny because who knows when any of those 3 will decide they want to be laughed at and lose to Iowa like last year.

[bearsfan_51]

Originally Posted by iowatreat54

I'll be honest, I haven't watched any of Minnesota this year. I knew coming in to the year they should be good, despite Mbakwe's best chances to derail his career. But #14 now really means jack. It's like saying Kentucky was top 10 to start the season. I could still easily see Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Illinois fall off a cliff come conference play and be one of the borderline BIG teams.

We're 9-1 and have beaten Memphis, Florida State, Stanford, and Richmond. Our only loss is to Duke, who is probably the best team in the country.

Now, that isn't exactly murderer's row, but it's a hell of a lot better than what a lot of teams have played.

[yo123]

To be fair the Gophers have done this before under Tubby and collapsed, but this team has more overall talent and those previous teams had serious injury/legal/luck problems that won't happen this year if the basketball gods have mercy on us for once.

[bearsfan_51]

Originally Posted by yo123

To be fair the Gophers have done this before under Tubby and collapsed

Look at the schedules from those years; they were absolute cupcakes. This year they've already played 5 pretty good to great schools.

[iowatreat54]

Agreed, and I expect Minnesota to be good and they have a good resume so far. All I was contesting is that being #14 right now doesn't secure a bid to the tournament, especially when probably 50% of your schedule left is going to be tougher than any game minus Duke that you've played so far.

I don't expect Minnesota to go like 8-10 in conference, but I also don't expect them to go like 15-3. And especially considering they started 12-1 before hitting conference games last year (albeit against a much weaker schedule), but you can't really assume Tubby will have them there like you can with MSU or OSU.

[iowatreat54]

Originally Posted by bearsfan_51

Look at the schedules from those years; they were absolute cupcakes. This year they've already played 5 pretty good to great schools.

Agreed. But I still can't give Tubby the benefit of the doubt at this point in his career.

[yo123]

Originally Posted by bearsfan_51

Look at the schedules from those years; they were absolute cupcakes. This year they've already played 5 pretty good to great schools.

We had good wins against teams like UNC, Butler, and Louisville those years, but overall you're right. Those just stuck out in my mind I guess and made me remember the overall schedule as tougher than it was.

[bearsfan_51]

Originally Posted by iowatreat54

I don't expect Minnesota to go like 8-10 in conference, but I also don't expect them to go like 15-3. And especially considering they started 12-1 before hitting conference games last year (albeit against a much weaker schedule), but you can't really assume Tubby will have them there like you can with MSU or OSU.

8-10 in the conference would put them at 20-11 and probably in the dance. That's what I'm saying, with the resume that they have they would have to tank seriously hard to not make it.

[iowatreat54]

The moral of the story is that you will probably lose to Iowa because we are awesome and beat South Dakota by 20. GO IOWA AWESOME!

[yo123]

Goddamnit njx, I roll over in bed just wanting to watch a half decent basketball game and your boys are losing by a hundred, like a minute in.

[njx9]

Originally Posted by yo123

Goddamnit njx, I roll over in bed just wanting to watch a half decent basketball game and your boys are losing by a hundred like a minute in.

i know, this sucks. hopefully this is like, the opposite of every other year, and we'll suck against them in the first half, then come back and win in the second.

[SuperMcGee]

There was a nice HS game around here last night that featured a couple Cuse recruits, Thomas Bryant, and a couple more guys that will be playing D1, likely (hopefully) in the area. Chinonso Obokoh did alright and came up with a bunch of blocks, as you'd expect. Most impressive player on the court was actually a Canisius commit, Jermaine Crumpton. Godspower Ogide also had some nice moments off the bench.

Anyway, Canisius actually looks decent this year. Coach/son combo Jim and Billy Baron are looking like very nice additions and the team has already matched their win total from last year.

Buffalo looks much worse, but if McCrea can pitch in another big game before the upcoming break, then I'll still be on the hook for conference play. He'll have no problem settling in as the dominant forward in place of Mitchell Watt, we just need some consistency to form around him.

[bearsfan_51]

Originally Posted by yo123

Goddamnit njx, I roll over in bed just wanting to watch a half decent basketball game and your boys are losing by a hundred, like a minute in.

Turn to BTN. Loyola is tied with Michigan State.

[yo123]

I don't get BTN.

:(

[bearsfan_51]

Don't you live in Duluth?

[Brodeur]

Originally Posted by yo123

Goddamnit njx, I roll over in bed just wanting to watch a half decent basketball game and your boys are losing by a hundred, like a minute in.

Thinking Colorado is a half decent team...

[yo123]

Originally Posted by bearsfan_51

Don't you live in Duluth?

Yeah, I'm almost positive I'm supposed to get it but every time we try to hook up our cable box we just get static. One of these days I'll call about that...

[yo123]

Originally Posted by Brodeur

Thinking Colorado is a half decent team...

Andre Roberson, Askia Booker, Spencer Dinwiddie....there are plenty of teams with less talent.

[njx9]

Originally Posted by Brodeur

Thinking Colorado is a half decent team...

as if you can spell basketball.

it might've helped if dinwiddie was healthy. probably not 30 40 points of help. but maybe we'd only be losing by 15 25.

josh scott is fantastic, though.

[Brodeur]

Originally Posted by yo123

Andre Roberson, Askia Booker, Spencer Dinwiddie....there are plenty of teams with less talent.

Askia Booker is not worth a mention at all, he's undersized and is a ****** shooter. Roberson is solid enough and Dinwiddle is alright, but they aren't anything special at all.