College Basketball

[Turkey Creek]

Good lord the officials are going to have to have extra whistles delivered to them. They are about ready to wear out the ones they have. What a poor job of officiating ... its Big10 basketball NOT tea with queen!

 

[Turkey Creek]

It was a squeeker, but we will take the win!:)

 

[SmallChunk]

That one hurt....and it was ugly. I think that's our fifth loss by less than five points, we just don't have that player that is a stone cold finisher

 

[wiscwhip]

Iowa. LOL.

Yup and we get to play them again the game after next!

 

[jlonll]

Iowa was great at eye goughing.

 

[wiscwhip]

Bucky has a very winnable stretch coming up for the next 6 or so games. The best team we face will be Indiana, and we get them at the Kohl Center. I suppose this Saturday we have to get past the dirty, cheap-shotting Hawkeyes in Iowa City first, without getting anyone injured!

 

[Turkey Creek]

Unfortunately the Husker men cant seem to get their act together this year, the big dance doent look possble at this point. Hope the rest of the Big 10 can represent from here on out.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

All the "expert analysts" I've heard address the subject keep saying that the Big 10 is down this year. Watching the games, I just don't see it. They appear to be the same style of dog fights as have gone on ever since pro ball allowed freshmen to enter the draft (that was a real hit to the quality of college BB, but it actually tended to help the Big 10, as they don't get as many 1 and done players as the college BB factories get). If anything, I see the Big 10 being more solid top to bottom than they typically are.

The more I've thought about it, I believe it's because MI State is having an off year and the analysts are trained to expect them to be the class of Big 10 BB (and they are/have been during most recent seasons). So, if Sparty is down, the Big 10 has to be, as well. That said, I think Maryland makes that a wash and think the Big 10 is poised to represent as well or better this year as most any other year in The Dance, at least through the first two rounds. I obviously could be way wrong on this, but with every Big 10 game being so tough this year, that generally preps teams well for the tourneys. Gimme games are great for fans, but does nothing more than a practice to prep teams for tourneys. I just don't see any gimme games in the Big 10 this year. Sleep on a team like the Huskers and you're likely to pay the price of an L (see Rutgers handing the Badgers their.....them beating them soundly).

 

[wiscwhip]

I would tend to agree Steve, the team in the B1G right now with the worst record in Northwestern and they are at .500 and 10-10. Can't be down too far, how many other conferences have no teams below .500?

 

[wiscwhip]

Bucky and the Terps have a legit shot for sure, everyone else would be based on a favorable bracket selection and some luck.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

I don't see 3 B1G teams in the elite eight this year. The league has some downright terrible losses. Still a tough league though.

I don't either, though I wouldn't be surprised if Indiana, MI State or MI surprise some people and make it. That's why I wrote "at least through the first two rounds." I really think the Big 10 is about as solid top to bottom than I can remember, but lacks Ohio State &/or MI State being power houses, giving them 3 truly elite teams. Add that all together and I think the Big 10 has the potential to do really well in the first couple rounds (depending on matchups, of course), but that we may fizzle really fast after that.

For me, I guess it comes down to would you rather have a really strong top, couple teams, be decent in the middle and have a glut of bad teams or a whole bunch of "good" teams, with some dangerous, decent teams making up the bottom. Which is the stronger conference? I tend to see the "whole bunch of good teams" being the stronger of the two. That could just be because I enjoy that more than 2-4 teams beating the snot out of ll the rest, even when Bucky is one of the teams doing the beatings.

 

[SmallChunk]

Ohio state sure looked good tonight, wow

 

[jlonll]

Maryland????

 

[dipper]

Hoosiers are playing pretty good, but they ain't knocking Bucky off tonight

 

[Turkey Creek]

Another game, another win. Train keeps rolling. Nebraska could be a tricky test on Tuesday. Could have a 3 game lead by then.

Right because we will lull you to sleep with our unbelievable shooting! I wasnt sure if I was listening to a baseball or basketball game when they played Penn Sate.

 

[dipper]

Kentucky on the ropes, Bucky is gonna have his hands full tonight

 

[Turkey Creek]

Well at least we are making a game of it! That missed foul call on Parker's last shot was outrageous.... I could have made that call without my glasses on.

 

[jlonll]

It was a w but not pretty for Bucky. They were tired. They have not played well the last 3 games in the second half. Got to knock them out when you have a chance.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

Next year is dependent on Stone and Dekker.

I'm afraid Dekker is gone. Also, I must admit that I was wrong in my judgement of Dekker. The more I study him, he really is coming into his own and has become a very key piece of the puzzle. I now get why he is so hyped. He just shows up and gives you those 15-18 points virtually every game, all while playing selfless BB.

P.S. I do think they'll be fine next season, though. Will they be top 5? I doubt it, but I think it's a pretty safe bet that they'll be top 25 again and, more importantly, deserve it.

 

[SmallChunk]

Decker is a huge part of the team, imo. So is the depth. Man, once they get Jackson back they will be really rolling. I wouldn't worry about next year, the Grinch always manages to get his teams into the tourney....hasn't it been like 15 straight now?