MBB Remaining Schedule
Alright, there are only 4 games left until the B1G tournment. I think Michigan has a great chance to win all of them. The one I am most concerned about is the next game @ Northwestern. They play an odd style and can be tough to beat at home. After that I would say Purdue in AA and then Illinois and PSU should be W's.
Just wondering how everyone else feels about the last stretch of games? Would love to get the B1G title or at least a piece of it.
GO BLUE!
February 19th, 2012 at 2:17 PM ^
None of these games are "easy".
Michigan must not taken ANY of them lightly. Not one. If state slips up (which I think they will) Michigan will control it's own destiny when it comes to the B1G Championship.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:25 PM ^
Not that anything is given in the B1G, especially on the road, but it would be shocking to lose to Penn St.
February 19th, 2012 at 5:35 PM ^
How do they control their own destiny? I'm just curious because if they beat OSU, they have the tiebreaker over us due to wins against OSU. If they lose to OSU and it's a 3-way tie, then we lose the tiebreaker due to their two wins over OSU. I'm just wondering if I am missing anything.
February 19th, 2012 at 5:48 PM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 5:58 PM ^
Ah...good point.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:20 PM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 2:30 PM ^
about that game as i was a month ago. Team has flat out given up. You dont let Nebraska go on a 42-7 run. Checked out, and Webber is done. He knows it and the players know it.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:41 PM ^
remaining game left on Michigan's schedule. They played an unorthodox style and their small ball lineup has confounded Michigan defensively. Hopefully, JB has something rolled up in his sleeves.
Throw in the fact that NW is fighting for their 1st ever NCAA tourney berth has to be a big factor. They need a marquee win and Michigan provides that opportunity.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:20 PM ^
I agree with you that @ Northwestern is going to be our toughest game. They always play us tough and Shurna/Crawford are both good scorers. We were lucky to escape with a win against them in AA. I think the game @Illinois could also be difficult. I know they have played bad recently but if Brandon Paul gets hot they will be dangerous. Also, Meyers Leonard is 5 inches taller than our tallest guy and could dominate the boards. I would like to think we would beat Purdue at home on senior day. We will see how they respond without Barlow and DJ Byrd...Either way we have a chance to finish 4-0 and hopefully get our first big ten title since 86.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:40 PM ^
The final four games should be
@N'Western
@Illinois
Purdue
@PSU
How much of a drop off between N'Western and Illinois remains to be seen. Purdue just might not have enough firepower now that two guys are not on the team anymore, though Byrd may come back.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:49 PM ^
This team is playing a much better brand of basketball now than they were just a few weeks ago.
I honestly see a very slim chance that we lose any of @Illinois, Purdue or @ Penn St. Illinois is falling apart and got destroyed by Nebraska, Purdue will not win in Ann Arbor, and we will not lose to a league bottom feeder like Penn St. to end the season (I know we lost to Iowa earlier but like I said this team is playing different ball now).
Northwestern game I would give us about a 60% chance of winning. It is a quick turnaround on the road against a team playing for a spot in the NCAA tournament, so it won't be easy. But if we execute the way he have been for the last couple weeks I think we take that game.
I think we finish 4-0, and have to endure watching every Michigan St. game hoping that they slip up along the way.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:54 PM ^
is tournament ready, they will win them all. Speaking of mindset, didn't someone pass a law that Kate Upton had to be in every thread?
February 19th, 2012 at 3:17 PM ^
We haven't won at Illinois since 1997. I really want to win in that building even if that team has quit. But their hatred of all things Michigan makes me think they'll play better against us.
February 19th, 2012 at 3:19 PM ^
Yea we lost to iowa at one point this year. I think all of the remaining games are equally dangerous. Our team is so damn streaky and weird. It sure is exciting.
February 19th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 3:50 PM ^
There are so many Michigan alums in the Chicago area. Hopefully they make a good showing when we're at Northwestern to make for a more favorable atmosphere than other road games.
February 19th, 2012 at 3:53 PM ^
The only game I'm truly worried about is Northwestern. They are a great team and when Shurna goes off he's unstoppable. With that said any game is losable in the big ten season so we can't slack off to anyone.
February 19th, 2012 at 4:24 PM ^
The consensus is that the B1G is the nations toughest conference but I don't see the B1G getting more than six bids, the big guys beat up consisntently on the little guys, unless the committee will put in a 7-11 team over a good mid major
February 19th, 2012 at 4:45 PM ^
I agree about the Northwestern game. Also, I see Bruce Weber possibly get fired before the end of the season & Illinois playing with more fire under the interim coach.
February 19th, 2012 at 4:54 PM ^
Why fire him before the season ends? Unless you really think one of the assistants is the answer (which seems doubtful), it doesn't make sense.
February 19th, 2012 at 6:41 PM ^
I agree that it is unlikely, but after the Nebraska game, I don't think he'll make it through the season.
February 19th, 2012 at 5:20 PM ^
What happens if we win out and State only loses to Ohio? The top 3 teams would each have a 14-4 conference record, each splitting against each other. What's the tiebreaker? Do we get a share of the championship?
February 19th, 2012 at 5:27 PM ^
there would be a tie breaker for seeding in the B1G tournament.
February 19th, 2012 at 5:51 PM ^
We would share the conference title. The BTT is a separate championship that only determines the automatc NCAA bid.
The first tiebreaker for BTT seeding is the record against the other champions. If OSU beats MSU, then all the teams will be 2-2 against each other, so it goes to the next tiebreaker, which is the record against the next-best team (probably Wisconsin). I think all three teams went unbeaten against Wisconsin, so it'd go on to the next one (Indiana?) and continues through the standings until there is finally separation.
Some notes:
Michigan's other losses are to Indiana and Iowa.
OSU's other losses are to Indiana and Illinois.
MSU's other losses are to Illinois and Northwestern.
So MSU (for now at least) is the only one who hasn't lost to Indiana, while we're currently the only one not to lose to Illinois. MSU-Indiana and U-M-Illinois might end up deciding the seeding.
February 19th, 2012 at 5:39 PM ^
Every game left is so much more important given what is on the line. NW will pose the biggest challenge - on the road, Shurna, and the way the game in AA ended.
Also, with the right matchups and seed we can get to the final four. That would be remarkable.
February 19th, 2012 at 6:43 PM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 9:06 PM ^
They just went through what everyone here said was a murderers row of games and came through pretty well. They are on fire and peaking at the right time. Lifetime contract for coach B!!!
February 19th, 2012 at 9:26 PM ^
Whether it is pure hatred or petty jealousy, Illinois sees Michigan as their "rivalry game" in most sports. They killed Michigan on the boards at Crisler. MIchigan is going to have to rebound better or shoot really well to beat Illinois on the road.
Illinois isn't playing very well for Bruce Weber anymore, but they might be able to muster one more peak performance against their "rival" at home. This is THE game that scares the shit out of me out of those that are left.
This is a game where somebody, anybody, is going to have to shoot well from outside. The easiest "solution" would be if THJ got hot, making his man less likely to sag on a Burke drive to the hoop.
The other key would be if Jordan Morgan can have another game as brilliant as he did yesterday. If he can play defense against Meyers Leonard as well as he did against Jared Sullinger, there won't be a "peak performance" for Illinois.
The only other thing I would like to see is for Brandon Paul to not make as many tough shots from outside while being perfectly guarded.