Am I crazy to feel less uncomfortable about the @MSU game compared to the @RU game?
Polls & Bracketology - Illinois #12 in AP Poll
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the national
- the Front Range
thats how I feel. MSU is tough but now quite like this @RU game. @MSU could get interesting due to their loss last night @PSU.
I was thinking that all of these games EXCEPT MSU look a little more challenging than they did just a couple weeks ago.
But I still have a hard time believing that we will lose to a team we already beat by 35 points, regardless of who either team did or did not have available in the first matchup.
Edit: just realized you said "less uncomfortable". No, you're not crazy.
chrisRunner7
- Spokane, WA
I am more concerned about Rutgers. I thought Rutgers might even be favored today, and I was way off on that.
But Rutgers is playing really well, Geo is back, and they are a completely different team at home. We lost to them last year at the RAC even with Ayo. Hawkins also had probably his best game of the year in the first encounter; it remains to be seen if he'll duplicate that today. If Kofi doesn't get into foul trouble and we hit a reasonable number of threes, I do think we'll win.
But comparing MSU to Rutgers starters, heck, I'd take the Rutgers player at the majority of positions.
DB11Headband
- Chicago Burbs
Completely agree. MSU has a really tough remaining schedule. I could definitely see them losing out until the Maryland game. I have not been sold on them at all this year. They simply are not a top 25 team in the country.
Down to a #4 seed in latest Lunardi projections. I'd say that's about right, maybe even high for current play, but not for overall season.
Rutgers would be a scary #11 seed right now!! Wowzers
Rutgers would be a scary #11 seed right now!! Wowzers
Epsilon
M tipping over
- Pdx
Saw this article and felt that it said what I wanted to say a bit better…Agree with this 100%. To play devil’s advocate though, I think the consternation comes more from long scoring droughts where we just can’t seem to be able to put some teams away that we should be able to. And I think that as a fan, that makes you feel like we’re vulnerable to losing to just about anyone if they’re having a good night at the same time we’re having a bad night, which seems to happen a lot come tourney time. But honestly, I think the fact that we still come away with wins is a testament to our defense, because our defense gets stops when they’re needed. The overall W-L record speaks for itself. An ugly win is still a win, and while we’re not perfect, if we can get stops when we need them, we should have hope that we can do some real damage come March (and hopefully April).
Illinois and its Troubling Case of Scoreless Streaks
This is our kryptonite.
www.thechampaignroom.com
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yep, while I never thought this team would be "better" overall than last year's I did think that we might be able to avoid a Loyola-type loss more easily. In other words, whereas last year's team was good enough to cut down the nets but could have an Achilles' Heel game like Loyola where Ayo is shut down and Kofi is well guarded, I thought this year's improved shooting would make us harder to shut out offensively. Unfortunately, there seems to be a stretch during most games where we stall. We have to figure that out if we are going to go on a run ... and I really hope we do, because if we get hot at the right time and play at the level we have vs. Arizona, vs. Purdue, at Indiana, etc., we honestly can go a long way in March. (Yes, I know two of those were losses, but we still played extremely well.)Saw this article and felt that it said what I wanted to say a bit better…
Illinois and its Troubling Case of Scoreless Streaks
This is our kryptonite.
That -25 in those 3 streaks...oof, impossible to overcome.Saw this article and felt that it said what I wanted to say a bit better…
Illinois and its Troubling Case of Scoreless Streaks
This is our kryptonite.
Thanks for posting
So based on this, here's where the early round games would be for each team (I think?):
-Gonzaga: Portland
-Auburn: Greenville
-Arizona: San Diego
-Kansas: Fort Worth
-Baylor: Fort Worth
-Kentucky: Indianapolis
-Purdue: Indianapolis
-Duke: Greenville
-Villanova: Pittsburgh
-Texas Tech: San Diego
-Tennessee: Buffalo
-Illinois: Milwaukee
-Wisconsin: Milwaukee
-UCLA: Portland
-Providence: Buffalo
-Texas: Pittsburgh
Need bama to win and Texas
Currently rate Illinois as the last 3 seed. And picked up a quality win on the road over MSU today. Not sure there's a lot of room to move up with the toughest remaining game being tOSU at home, but with the BTT, could see us getting a 2 seed, or at least a better 3.
The bubble years seem a distant memory, and I'm ok with that
The bubble years seem a distant memory, and I'm ok with that
Rather not see rutgers in our region
You have an oracles sense, my Friend!
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Milwaukee to Chicago?? Yes please!
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
College basketball winners and losers: Auburn hurts No. 1 seed chances, bubble teams stumble
A look at the winners and losers from Saturday's action:
Illinois. The Fighting Illini (19-7, 12-4 Big Ten) got 27 points from All-American big man Kofi Cockburn to help fuel a 79-74 win on the road vs. Michigan State, its second victory over the Spartans this year. The selection committee seeded Illinois at No. 3 in the top 16 reveal and this Quadrant 1 win will only build the seeding case further.
Williams played 12 NBA seasons - Same as Anderson, but 2 years fewer than Gill
Problem here is if Purdue is the 2 or 3 seed above Illinois. It used to be you could not play a “fellow” league school until the final 4. Obviously, with the size of the various leagues now that can’t be guaranteed. I believe you can play a fellow league school in the elite 8. But! They would never put the 2 top schools (seeds) from one conference in the same region on a collision path for the elite 8.
So what I am saying is that if Purdue gets the Chicago region, we will not get it. A school like Iowa or Indiana would be put there but not Illinois as let’s say a 3 with a potential match up with Purdue as a 2.
We need to root for Purdue to fall hard, like loose 2 more regular season games. Which could happen they have Rutgers today at home, but still have to go to both MSU and Wisconsin.
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
mred's Big 10 MBB Tournament Seeding Tiebreaker
Big 10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Seeding and Tiebreakers
bball.notnothing.net
Looks like I've found that very cool Big10 Tourney bracket predictor. (Hoping the link works!)
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
Here's one potential outcome. Purdue still has to play Rutgers today and then road games at Wisc and MSU. All 3 are potential losses.
Yeah, sure feels that way after the beatdown, but if the guys fear Rutgers, they're in trouble. Just need to play better. I'd like to think they use it as a wake up call. Rebounds:
IL 28
Rut 46
That tells me it's more about having a down game and not bringing the fight. Honestly, I'm impressed with how many wins we've gotten without bringing our A game. Seems like there's enough weapons in the arsenal to give this team a high floor. Not sure what the ceiling is. Other than Kofi, seems to be win by committee. Trent, Jake, Plummer, DMW, RJ have all had great games that translated to putting us over the top.
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