Pregame: Illinois vs Northwestern, Tuesday, February 21st, 7:00pm CT, BTN
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Oh how far we have fallen...Going from having our pg on the cover of SI and wondering if we are going to win both the B1G tournament title and the B1G conference title, to wondering if we can sweep both Iowa and Northwestern.
OrangeAndBlues
- Indianapolis
Let's not get carried away, we won but it wasn't pretty. That performance won't win against Northwestern.
I think we'll win two more games - probably against Nebraska and Rutgers - but I'd love to sweep Northwestern. If we win all three (assuming we lose to MSU), we'll go into the BTT at 18-13 (8-10). If we win a game or two there, we'll almost certainly make the NIT. I wonder if Groce will coach the team in the NIT or if he'll be let go after the BTT regardless?
I don't see us winning @ Nebraska, they play really good defense and Watson will probably put up 25+ against us.
Why are so many people counting MSU as a loss? They're not that good, especially on the road. I'd give us about a 50/50 shot of winning that game.
You could replace "MSU" with "Minnesota" or "Penn St", and yet...
True, doesn't make MSU any less beatable though. Every game left on the schedule looks like a tossup to me.
I would expect us to be dogs against MSU, although the Harris injury today is a big deal for them. I just don't see us containing Bridges or Ward effectively.
Pomeroy has us beating MSU by 2.
I didn't say it was pretty but we gutted out a good win
Even the ugliest wins are beautiful.
Its never too late. Still living in my fantasy world where we finish 9-9 in a 7 way tie for fourth in the B1G, lol. NW would have to lose their last 4 for that to happen, and MSU 3 of 4, but both their schedules are tough.
I predict we sweep the rest of the reg games. And win one, perhaps two in the BTT.
But we can't get in a time machine and go back to three weeks ago, so now is in fact the best time available to start that streak.
I would love to see this team go on a winning streak to end the regular season. However, Illinois has not demonstrated the ability to maintain any sort of consistent play during the Big 10 season.
Illini1221
Peru,IL
Eron Harris probably done for the season for them too.
Its never too late. Still living in my fantasy world where we finish 9-9 in a 7 way tie for fourth in the B1G, lol. NW would have to lose their last 4 for that to happen, and MSU 3 of 4, but both their schedules are tough.
Just curious, which seven teams are in this imaginary tie for fourth? I assume your top three are Wisconsin, Purdue and Maryland. Michigan is 7-6 and has only one game left against the top three. For them to finish 9-9, they have to either lose at Rutgers or else lose 2 of 3 to fellow 9-9 candidates. And if they lose to those in range for 9-9, then the teams they lose to are likely to wind up 10-8.
I know this is all fantasy, but even in a fantasy world I am having a hard time finding seven teams @ 9-9 at the same time. I think that is harder to imagine than is Illinois being one of them.
Michigan has only 1 home game left and it's against Purdue. Pomeroy projects them at 10-8 but that's not an easy road.
I agree the 4th place scenario seems unlikely but I haven't gone through all the schedules. It would require NW to lose out, which is possible but unlikely.
I'll play the game.
Eliminate anyone with more than 9 Ws or Ls (Purdue, Maryland, Wisconsin, tOSU, Rutgers). That leaves 9 with a possibility of 9-9.
Assume Northwestern loses out (ILL, IU, UM, Purdue) to finish 9-9 (1).
Illinois (NW, Neb, MSU, Rut) and Indiana (Iowa, NW, Purdue, tOSU) both win out to finish 9-9 (2, 3).
Nebraska loses to us, but wins the other three (MSU, Minn, UM) (4).
Iowa loses to IU, but somehow runs the other three (MD, WIS, PSU) to get it (5).
PSU loses to Iowa, but somehow runs the other three (Purdue, MINN, tOSU) to get it (6).
UM wins NW and Rutgers, but loses to Minn, Purdue and Neb to get it (7).
Minn goes bi-polar, winning MD and WIS while losing UM, Neb, and PSU (8).
MSU loses to Neb and ILL as discussed above, and then splits WIS/MD (9).
So 9 are still in play. The above is pretty "not going to happen", but you can see the path. I could see NW losing out and IU winning out. Nebraska's looks reasonable. Iowa isn't happening, but that would help PSU get there, which could help MINN too. UM and MSU's are feasible.
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