2/21 Polls & Bracketology - Illinois #15 in AP Poll

Snoopy · Feb 24, 2022

Navy_illini said:
I don’t any computer can accurately capture all the dynamics of college basketball

Thank God, if they did we wouldn't bother to play the games.

These statistical systems don't attempt to do anything but establish probabilities of winning or losing a single future game (for the gamblers) or rank teams (for the Tournament committee), for teams that otherwise don't play enough comparable games for w/l results to be sufficient for those tasks. They really have little other value.

With 300+ Division 1 Bball teams, just 25-35 game seasons, and a single elimination tournament, using w/l as a predictive measure isn't at all viable.The NBA's system gets quite a bit closer to having w/l being predictive, with 30 teams playing an 82 game season and 7 game series in the playoffs. Even then one has to account for issues like super teams coasting through the regular season to turn it on in the playoffs, injuries, playing hurt, etc.

jrichisamazing · Feb 25, 2022

Almost every year we talk about how the B1G is physical, the refs swallow the whistle, and B1G teams get in the tournament and struggle because touch fouls are being called.

Maybe this year that actually works in our advantage. Maybe we get into the tournament and refs start calling all these fouls on Kofi. Maybe Kofi is our Sean May.

drsmitty74 · Feb 25, 2022

jrichisamazing said:
Almost every year we talk about how the B1G is physical, the refs swallow the whistle, and B1G teams get in the tournament and struggle because touch fouls are being called.

Maybe this year that actually works in our advantage. Maybe we get into the tournament and refs start calling all these fouls on Kofi. Maybe Kofi is our Sean May.

nah, Kofi goes to class.

LvilleILL · Feb 25, 2022

I see us as the last three seed right now...Win at Michigan solidifies a three seed. If we close out the season winning all three (which we should) we will have a chance at a 2 seed if we go far in the BTT

drsmitty74 · Feb 25, 2022

LvilleILL said:
I see us as the last three seed right now...Win at Michigan solidifies a three seed. If we close out the season winning all three (which we should) we will have a chance at a 2 seed if we go far in the BTT

I like your optimism.

DMWSuperFan · Feb 26, 2022

EyeoftheIllini said:
Didn’t BIG do this at least one year recently — though not really by choice — when held tourney at Madison Square Garden? How did BIG do in NCAA tourney that season(s). Obviously from a fan or financial perspective it wasn’t popular as it has now switched back to arena where they can be last weekend before tourney.

2018.

As for results - Michigan was runner up that year, but only 1 other big ten team made it to the sweet 16. MSU was a 3 seed upset in round 2 , Purdue was a 2 seed upset (though only to a 3) in sweet 16, OSU was a 5 seed, lost in round 2. Only 4 teams made it that year, so not a huge sample size.

DeonThomas · Feb 27, 2022

So we've gone 2-1 in Quad 1 games (@MSU, @MICH and OSU) since the Selection Committee had us ranked on the 3-line. I'm guessing we've only solidified that position heading into the last two games of the regular season this coming week!

2-0 plus no worse than 1-1 in the BTT should keep us as a #3.......23-9 overall.

A 5-0 finish pushes that to a 2 seed in the Midwest, with an overall record of 25-8.

BWA · Feb 27, 2022

Uh

DeonThomas said:
So we've gone 2-1 in Quad 1 games (@MSU, @MICH and OSU) since the Selection Committee had us ranked on the 3-line. I'm guessing we've only solidified that position heading into the last two games of the regular season this coming week!

2-0 plus no worse than 1-1 in the BTT should keep us as a #3.......23-9 overall.

A 5-0 finish pushes that to a 2 seed in the Midwest, with an overall record of 25-8.

i think your odd by about one full seed on all of these projections.

Birdus · Feb 27, 2022

drsmitty74 said:
I like your optimism.

Michigan is on the bubble. It was a must win. We will drop again this week with the home loss to O. State. Hopefully not to far. I don't see us at a 3 but a 4. I hope you are right.

Bleedorangeandblue44 · Feb 27, 2022

I just can't tell you how fired up I am about beating Michigan today. I tried to fall asleep 45 minutes ago and am still riding high of winning in Ann Arbor! And of course I didn't play. Can't imagine coaches and players emotions. 2-0 vs. them, so pumped about that....two games to go, both at home, let's freakin' go. Legit shot at Big ten title and at worse a 2-3 seed in BTT. What a difference this thread is in 2022 vs. 4 years ago, or even worse, 6-10 years ago. Thank you Brad Underwood, all Illini Nation thanks you for putting Illinois basketball back WHERE IT BELONGS! Let's go, let's make this March one none of us will ever forget

InDaAZ · Feb 27, 2022

Bleedorangeandblue44 said:
I just can't tell you how fired up I am about beating Michigan today. I tried to fall asleep 45 minutes ago and am still riding high of winning in Ann Arbor! And of course I didn't play. Can't imagine coaches and players emotions. 2-0 vs. them, so pumped about that....two games to go, both at home, let's freakin' go. Legit shot at Big ten title and at worse a 2-3 seed in BTT. What a difference this thread is in 2022 vs. 4 years ago, or even worse, 6-10 years ago. Thank you Brad Underwood, all Illini Nation thanks you for putting Illinois basketball back WHERE IT BELONGS! Let's go, let's make this March one none of us will ever forget