February 18th, 2018 at 6:42 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 6:42 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 6:45 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 6:54 PM ^
Nothing is more ridiculous than the schedule of the likely champion (MSU). They played:
-Michigan once - at home.
-Purdue once - at home.
-OSU once - on the road (woo!)
-Nebraska once - at home
-PSU once - at home
What an absolute joke.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:27 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 8:25 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 9:15 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 8:25 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 10:44 PM ^
You can say that again
February 18th, 2018 at 7:34 PM ^
Meanwhile, Michigan had to travel to every one of the top teams (MSU, PU, OSU, PSU, Nebraska), while not getting home games against MSU, PSU or Nebraska.
February 18th, 2018 at 8:16 PM ^
And they got killed by two of them
February 18th, 2018 at 9:54 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 6:58 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 7:01 PM ^
after what, four games in ten days or something like that?
February 18th, 2018 at 11:55 PM ^
Tuesday at home against Purdue, three days off, then to EL on a Saturday.
That game started our tough stretch, because after that Saturday, we played Maryland Monday and then traveled to Lincoln to play Nebraska on a Thursday.
February 19th, 2018 at 9:32 AM ^
It was the third of a four-game stretch in nine days, after the emotional MSU win and the Maryland comeback after the flattest first half of the season (to that point). In hindsight we really should've seen a letdown coming in Lincoln. Oh well.
February 18th, 2018 at 6:46 PM ^
Who did they play?
How does their conference schedule compare to ours?
What are their big wins?
Just because they have a better (and now identical) conference record, doesn’t mean we’re equal in terms of tournament resume.
February 18th, 2018 at 6:56 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 7:09 PM ^
Which is why the league is going to a 20-game schedule next year. I don't know why it took them four years to figure out that playing 13 opponents just 18 times would cause problems...
February 18th, 2018 at 8:34 PM ^
I'm surprised it only took 4 years. I'd have given them credit if they had moved to 20 games by 2025.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:24 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 12:10 AM ^
they were that far behind us before today. They were widely regarded as one of the first four teams out.
We're on the 8/9 line but possibly the 10 or 11 line depending on how much the committee cares about RPI and record against Q1 and Q2.
So there's only 10-15 teams between us on the S-curve and it's bunched pretty tightly in that area. Not that crazy considering our far more difficult conf-schedule and their poor/unlucky non-conf.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:16 PM ^
Comparable to Wisconsin trying to make the playoff in football
February 18th, 2018 at 6:45 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^
I guess we'd have to see where it shakes out, but if we do become a double-bye team, then everyone non-double bye are likely NOT touney teams, so they wouldn't qualify as those coveted tier-1 wins.
I's say, take the rest (i.e. double-bye).
February 18th, 2018 at 7:02 PM ^
I doubt a neutral court game against Iowa/Rutgers/Illinois would add much. It is a chance for a blemish should we blow it.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:04 PM ^
There isn't much benefit to playing a bad team in the BTT. A win does little but a loss can hurt. Even with a win, you're now going into the Nebraska game on short rest. The only possible benefit is that you get used to playing in the arena, for whatever that's worth.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:42 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 9:11 AM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 12:56 AM ^
is the potential of them dropping out of the top 75. That's something we don't want because the game against them would go to Q2.
I don't think we're winning twice this week, so today's loss for Nebraska probably did nothing but move them closer to being out of the top 75. They almost certainly won't lose two home games this week.
Worst case scenerio (and the most likely) now is that both teams go 1-1 and M still gets the 5 seed but Nebraska risks dropping out of the top 75.
And Illinois still has almost no chance of getting into the top 160 to make our home win over them a Q3 game.
Btw, the low key worst outcome of the weekend for M was Iowa losing at home to IU. Had Iowa just held serve, they'd be in the top 135 and our road win over them would be a Q2 game. As it is, they dropped to 157th and that game is solidly a Q3 game and the home win over them is in danger of becoming a Q4 game (160+ home games are Q4). Ugh.
February 19th, 2018 at 9:30 AM ^
Nebraska is currently 60 so they'd probably have to lose both their remaining regular season games to fall below 75, which is highly unlikely considering they're both at home. A bigger threat to drop, IMO, is Maryland, currently 67th. Their remaining schedule is difficult: @ NW and home vs. Michigan. A decent chance they go 1-1 (that's what KP predicts) and it's not crazy to see them losing both games (although McIntosh may still be out for NW).
Your point about Iowa is valid and a real bummer. IU is locked into Q3 for Michigan since it was at home so they could've dropped 40+ spots and still been in the same quadrant. Iowa at home is on the cusp of being Michigan's 10th Q4 victory, i.e. basically useless.
Another team that I had hopes for that hasn't come through for Michigan is VCU. They've been mostly a dumpster fire since Maui, bottoming out in both RPI (136) and KP (158(!) after a 24-points loss to 11-15 GWU). Was hopeful they could have a decent year and find themselves in the top-100 to give Michigan a Q2 win.
Lastly, Wisconsin is currently 134 (Q2 road cutoff is 135), so...I know we like to hate the Badgers' awful style of play and former coach, but we really want them to win out. If they could steal a Senior Day victory over MSU, that would be tremendous.
February 18th, 2018 at 6:48 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 11:44 PM ^
The better team. 4 or 5, we will be a tough out.
GO BLUE!!
February 18th, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^
as long as we dont get injuries, the extra game doesn't bother me, especially with an extra week off before tournament
February 18th, 2018 at 6:58 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 12:38 AM ^
between the BTT and NCAA's it would help, but coming the Thursday before the BTT doesn't do anything the change the fact that we'll have two weeks off before the NCAA's.
Anyone know if we scheduled the limit of games allowed this season? I would love to schedule a home game that weekend against a winner of a low-major conference if we can. Would benefit both teams to stay sharp. Could even help our RPI if it's a team with a good record.
Would be a good chance for Warde to actually do something other than this:
February 18th, 2018 at 6:56 PM ^
with 2 wins,if I'm mot mistaken.Getting a double bye is important imo because Mich avoids playing the more rested team after 1st game.Potential Semi game with MSU on Saturday,prefer that being our 2nd game rather than 3rd in 3 days while MSU playing only 2nd game.Yes I know I''m getting way ahead of myself but fuck msu ,I want them to not have the extra days rest.
Edit: PSU has 3 games left,play @Purdue tonight
February 18th, 2018 at 6:59 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 6:59 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 2:03 AM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 7:09 PM ^
Unlike years past, we don't need an extra win against Minnesota, Illinois, Rutgers, or Iowa this year. Take the rest and go after Nebraska either way in round 2. After that is the winner of 1 vs. 8/9. Right now: MSU or Maryland/NW. Big ten isnt even close to deep enough for it to be to our advantage to play anyone below Penn State/Maryland level as far as NCAA seeding goes. In our position, the potential loss to a bad team would hurt WAY more, IMO, while having no benefit.
February 18th, 2018 at 7:09 PM ^
Not to thread jack, but what should the caption be for this picture?
February 18th, 2018 at 7:24 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 7:12 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 7:19 PM ^
It's not about making the tournament anymore. We want as high a seed as possible.
February 18th, 2018 at 8:12 PM ^
February 18th, 2018 at 8:22 PM ^
Most likely we split the last 2 games and this thread is irrelevant (assuming Neb doesn't lose out).
February 18th, 2018 at 8:29 PM ^