B1G/NCAA basketball

[iam416]

Mike must be thrilled. M essentially wraps up the B10 thanks to Sparty. And Sparty inches closer to the NCAA tournament. Win-win.

[Mike]

DO THY BIDDING!

Sparty moves up to 75 in NET. They still have some work to do and a compacted schedule like ours to end the season.

If Illinois loses another game (and they still have trips to Wiscy, OSU, and Michigan), then Michigan can lose 3 of it's last 5 and still win the outright title. I like those odds.

[hack]

Here's hoping they are on the bubble by the time we face them. We have two games to crush those hopes and end Izzo's tournament streak. Bring in Zack Novak for locker room speeches.

[Whitley]

Latest Bubble WATCH (espn)



Big Ten


Locks: Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin
Should be in


Purdue Boilermakers

In a season in which headlines in the Big Ten have been dominated by the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois and Iowa, the Boilermakers have quietly put themselves in position to earn a very good spot in the bracket in their own right. Matt Painter's men have games remaining at Penn State and at home against Wisconsin and Indiana. If, for the sake of discussion, Purdue won out, you would be looking at a team that is 18-8 and 13-6 in the historically strong Big Ten. While the Boilermakers are currently seen as a likely No. 6 seed, a few more wins could change that number.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

In the big picture, Rutgers is about to make its first NCAA tournament appearance in 30 years. (Though, of course, the Scarlet Knights would in all probability have received a bid had there been a tournament last year.) That's why Steve Pikiell was hired, and he is delivering. He is also, however, wondering how to pump some life into an offense that has appeared rather listless in losses to Michigan and Maryland. In the course of those two defeats, Rutgers shot 24% on its 3s and scored just 123 points in 132 possessions. The Scarlet Knights are projected as a No. 7 seed, and if Pikiell finds the answers on offense, this group is capable of giving a No. 2 seed a game.
Work to do


Indiana Hoosiers

Who says blue-chip programs are struggling in 2021? Michigan State looked like a regular Gonzaga in its 52-point second-half eruption at Indiana. The 78-71 loss suffered by the Hoosiers is not, by itself, fatal for the tournament hopes of a team previously projected as a No. 11 seed. The defeat does, however, represent a costly blown opportunity. Instead of one more win, Archie Miller's team now has a second Quad 3 loss on its profile (the other being the win Northwestern posted in Bloomington). IU will wrap up its season with road games at Rutgers, MSU and Purdue and a home date against Michigan. As it stands now, the Hoosiers badly need a win in at least one of those games.

Maryland Terrapins

When the Terrapins were 10-10 and 4-9 in the Big Ten, we here at Bubble Watch HQ had to preface any remarks about the team with an explanation for why Mark Turgeon's group was still here in the first place. No need for disclaimers

anymore. Maryland has won four straight, including wins over Minnesota and on the road at Rutgers. Now you're looking at a 14-10 and 8-9 team with a top-35 NET ranking and an embarrassment of riches in the "good win" column (at Illinois, at Wisconsin, at Rutgers, at home against Purdue and the season sweep of the Golden Gophers). Purveyors of mock brackets have taken note, and the Terps are commonly shown as one of the last teams in the field.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minnesota's position has grown more precarious. Joe Lunardi, an official Friend of Bubble Watch, dropped the team all the way down to the last spot in the field in the wake of the Golden Gophers' 94-63 loss at home to Illinois. Richard Pitino's team is still yet to win a game this season on an opponent's home floor. For a time, this fact was balanced by the stellar roster of opponents who have lost at Williams Arena: Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Purdue and Saint Louis, among others. But the Gophers are 13-10, 6-10 in the Big Ten and carrying a NET ranking that could drop into the 60s. It all feels precarious, but Minnesota can turn things around with a sufficient number of wins against Northwestern and Rutgers at home and against Nebraska and Penn State on the road.

[Cody_Russell]

If Sparty wins 3 out of their last 5 regular season games + at least 1 B10 tourney game... think they make the NCAA tourney. Beating Ohio State next would be so significant.
On Saturday, Dan Dakich emphasized the idea that playing Rocket Watts and Gabe Brown is best for Sparty. This is when Sparty went on a big run to beat Indiana.
Watts and Brown played 30+ minutes in the win vs Illinois yesterday.

Whoa, Maryland. Look at them. Assumed they were done two weeks ago.

[hack]

Really though they just beat Illinois and moved up to only 75 in NET, as Mike points out. Right now it's not even clearly a bubble team.

It's incredibly important to sweep them this year. Should not be necessary, but I would happily take an L against Iowa or Indiana if that helps them go into those two games angry and focused.

[Cody_Russell]

Maybe. Sparty winning 4 out of 5, definitely yes. 3 out of 5 in the B10 "best conference in the land" (+ one B10 tourney win). Think they are in the discussion.
MSU fans on here would know more. Winning those games will be tough anyways. I'm obviously not a fan of them so it isn't like this is biased fan bullshit. Just saying... Beat Ohio State tomorrow and see what happens.

Non-B10 related.
See that Duke is heating up. It's going to suck if they end up as the 8 or 9 seed in M's region. Long ways to go... hope they aren't in M's region.

[lineygoblue]

MSU has always been a late season surge type of team. The losses are more than normal, but the surge they're in now is typical. Izzo is almost as good at sandbagging as AbabamAlum and Talent.

[iam416]

Any B10 team finishing w/ 9 wins should be in. And Sparty beat Duke. If they can win their 2 "easy" games and get 1 against a top 5 team then I think they'll get in. And, TBH, they should.

[lineygoblue]

I'm fine with both Sparty and Duke getting in the tournament. Seeing them whipped in the first round will do my old soul well.

[Mike]

To hell with that. I want them both out. Michigan can help provide some much needed basketball justice on March 4th and 7th.

[hack]

Linesman if you don't prefer Izzo getting his tournament streak snapped it's YOU who should be whipped.

Usually he's not 5-9 in the conference when that late season surge begins. He's awful behind this year and will be lucky to sneak into an 11 seed. This won't be like playing up to a 5 or 6 seed.

But it's true that he was at last-gasp status and is still alive.

[Whitley]

Lundari in his latest doesn't even have MSU in the last 8 out (Duke is #3). MSU is going to have really make a run in the B1G tourney (getting to Day 3 type run) AND win at least 3 of their last 5 probably 4.

Latest Lundari

1 Ohio State (Region 4), Michigan (Region 3)
2 Iowa (Region 1), Illinois (Region 2)
5 Purdue (Region 1, up), Wisconsin (Region 2)
8 Rutgers (Region 2, down)
10 Maryland (#1 Last Four Byes, Region 4, up)
11 Indiana (#1 Last Four In, play in game, Region 3)
12 Minnesota (play in game, #3 last four in, Region 4)

[Mike]

If the Big Ten gets 10 teams in the tourney and one them isn’t Sparty.... Well, let’s just say that would make me happy.

[iam416]

Kyle Young, who pretty much has two bad legs, will sit out tomorrow at EL. That’s really bad news. He’s the consummate glue guy and they really need him. Gonna need Sparty to build a skyscraper with their bricks.