Week of 2/23 Games Thread

[lstewart53x3]

I mean sure but throw Northwestern into the WCC and they would get the same results as St Mary’s or Santa Clara and be on the bubble every season

That’s just not how it works. At all. If anything, being in a mid major conference is a huge disadvantage (more difficult to recruit quality players, more difficult to play a quality schedule and get quality wins, etc).

My overall point, however, was that Gonzaga is ranked 12 in KenPom, 14 in Torvik, and 4 in NET. If a bonafide top 15 team is a “fraud”, then there just aren’t any good teams, outside of the top 2-3.

There are 365 teams in college basketball. Surely, there are more than 2-3 good ones.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

I don't think "fraud" necessarily means bad team.... it just means they aren't as good as originally said to be. A more general term would probably be "overrated."

Gonzaga is currently ranked #9 in the country. IMO, that's definitely overrated. They were ranked #6 prior to their loss to Portland.

I think they're a 4seed.

 

[EyeoftheIllini]

Caught some of UNLV’s game last night. Dra had himself another good one.

 

[CentralILLini]

Caught some of UNLV’s game last night. Dra had himself another good one.

Great one: 42 points on 8-14 shooting.

It’s happening again isn’t it -_-

 

[RockfordIllini]

Lots of good teams got boat raced last night. KU, who had previously beaten AZ and had just beaten Houston (who had also lost 3 in a row) loses by 23 to AZ. Iowa State loses at home to a Toppin less Texas Tech. Arkansas got destroyed by Florida.

We do need to find our edge again but these are sort of the dog days of the season. We aren’t the only team laying eggs.

 

[AnnaMay]

Florida looks like a #2 seed to me

They look like the last 1 seed to me. If they run out they should get it.

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

Great one: 42 points on 8-14 shooting.

It’s happening again isn’t it -_-

Who was he going to play over last year? For him to get 15+ shots off, who would be getting less. I'm extremely happy for DGL, but he's a volume shooter for a team that's bad and plays bad competition. He may transfer again next year. Let's see if he goes to a contender and what his opportunity would be.

 

[Chase321]

Great one: 42 points on 8-14 shooting.

It’s happening again isn’t it -_-

It’s not.

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

Lots of good teams got boat raced last night. KU, who had previously beaten AZ and had just beaten Houston (who had also lost 3 in a row) loses by 23 to AZ. Iowa State loses at home to a Toppin less Texas Tech. Arkansas got destroyed by Florida.

We do need to find our edge again but these are sort of the dog days of the season. We aren’t the only team laying eggs.

Add Purdue(Thursday) and Gonzaga to that list.

 

[Chase321]

Lots of good teams got boat raced last night. KU, who had previously beaten AZ and had just beaten Houston (who had also lost 3 in a row) loses by 23 to AZ. Iowa State loses at home to a Toppin less Texas Tech. Arkansas got destroyed by Florida.

We do need to find our edge again but these are sort of the dog days of the season. We aren’t the only team laying eggs.

100%. More than ever this tournament will be about matchups and who goes on a few heaters. If more than two 1 seeds make the final four I’ll be surprised.

 

[RockfordIllini]

As a side note I am really glad we aren’t playing @OSU or @Indiana today. Both teams fighting for their tourney lives. I predict at least one of them wins today.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

As a side note I am really glad we aren’t playing @OSU or @Indiana today. Both teams fighting for their tourney lives. I predict at least one of them wins today.

Would be amazing for us if both won! I’m speaking only RE: solidifying our path to a #2 seed getting to play in St. Louis, of course … haven’t factored in BTT considerations.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

Also RE: my comment on uneven distributions of games, there were 15 games featuring a top 25 team yesterday, 5 of of which featured an actual top 25 matchup. Today? Just 2 games with top 25 games total, neither of which is a top 25 matchup. Other than one Big East game, the Big Ten is the only Power Conference with ANY conference games today at all! Zero from the SEC, Big XII or ACC.

Why do they do this?

 

[WeWillWhen]

I'm extremely happy for DGL, but he's a volume shooter for a team that's bad and plays bad competition. He may transfer again next year. Let's see if he goes to a contender and what his opportunity would be.

He’s shooting nearly 43% from 3 and I think that translates to high major. The question with Dra will be whether his defense is good enough to allow him to stay on the court to shoot at high volume at the other end.

 

[AyoDos11]

Would be amazing for us if both won! I’m speaking only RE: solidifying our path to a #2 seed getting to play in St. Louis, of course … haven’t factored in BTT considerations.

In terms of the BTT I think it's slightly better for us if Purdue stays at 5 losses for tiebreaker purposes, although it only helps in certain combinations of ties (some of which move us from a 2 to a 3, and there's not much difference between those anyway.)
And then the best way for us to avoid the 4 seed and a potential meeting with Michigan in the semis is MSU losing 2 more times to finish 14-6. So definitely root for Indiana today

 

[AyoDos11]

In terms of the BTT I think it's slightly better for us if Purdue stays at 5 losses for tiebreaker purposes, although it only helps in certain combinations of ties (some of which move us from a 2 to a 3, and there's not much difference between those anyway.)
And then the best way for us to avoid the 4 seed and a potential meeting with Michigan in the semis is MSU losing 2 more times to finish 14-6. So definitely root for Indiana today

Somebody posted the following 5-loss tiebreaker scenarios on here yesterday:

Illinois, Purdue, Nebraska = 2 seed for IL
Illinois, MSU, Purdue = 3 seed for IL
Illinois, MSU, Nebraska = 4 seed for IL
Illinois, MSU, Purdue, Nebraska = 4 seed for IL

 

[HillJackBob]

Georgetown is terrible. Cooley with 3 straight losing seasons in his first three years but he called Illinois the !!!! program. Epps hasn't been to a NCAA TOURNAMENT since he left Illinois.

Heck, even Epps bailed on that train wreck and is at Mississippi State now!

 

[IlliniFaninHoosierLand]

Also RE: my comment on uneven distributions of games, there were 15 games featuring a top 25 team yesterday, 5 of of which featured an actual top 25 matchup. Today? Just 2 games with top 25 games total, neither of which is a top 25 matchup. Other than one Big East game, the Big Ten is the only Power Conference with ANY conference games today at all! Zero from the SEC, Big XII or ACC.

Why do they do this?

It's always seemed to me that the Sunday window of games was (aside from a few marquee men's games) normally reserved for women's hoops. Plus most leagues wouldn't schedule many if any men's games on Sunday until after the Super Bowl as they wouldn't want to compete with eyeballs with football.

 

[Bucktown]

In terms of the BTT I think it's slightly better for us if Purdue stays at 5 losses for tiebreaker purposes, although it only helps in certain combinations of ties (some of which move us from a 2 to a 3, and there's not much difference between those anyway.)
And then the best way for us to avoid the 4 seed and a potential meeting with Michigan in the semis is MSU losing 2 more times to finish 14-6. So definitely root for Indiana today

Purdue winning out helps in most tie breaker scenarios.

However, you are correct assuming there are no really, really big upsets in that the most important game for Illinois to get to a 2 or 3 seed in the BTT is Indiana over Michigan State. If Michigan State wins the really only other scenario seems to be if Nebraska looses to both UCLA and Iowa. If MSU beats both Michigan and Indiana and Nebraska loses to either Iowa or UCLA also gets us off the 4 line.

 

[Chase321]

He’s shooting nearly 43% from 3 and I think that translates to high major. The question with Dra will be whether his defense is good enough to allow him to stay on the court to shoot at high volume at the other end.

The quality of defense is much better at the high major. He’s unlikely to shoot that in the B1G.

 

[PasadenaIllini]

Purdue field a veteran lineup that look like they have absolutely no answers for Ohio State. Teams are shooting over 50% against Purdue their past 3 games.

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

I'm voting for a Purdue and MSU loss today. That, on top of Iowa State losing, would pretty much erase the Friday mishap.

 

[EmeraldCityIllini]

TKR looks like he plays mad all the time.

And not in a good way

 

[PasadenaIllini]

I'm voting for a Purdue and MSU loss today. That, on top of Iowa State losing, would pretty much erase the Friday mishap.

Crazier things have happened, but I don't see a way back for Purdue. They look completely overmatched right now. Kaufman-Renn is the biggest head scratcher for me. He was unstoppable at times last season. He looks like he's lost his confidence right now.

 

[DeeIL89]

Ohio State's leading Purdue 50-38 with 14 minutes left in the game. Hoping Ohio State can get it done.