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Can we win the BIG?

M

Mr Wickerpark

Redshirt
Dec 28, 2016
2,864
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The thought is a reasonable one this year as there are not many "why nots".

The conversation on this board is centered on nit or ncaa talk. However, at this point, we have shown a level of competitiveness to allow for something bigger.

The season is early but we have been given enough of a window to assess that we have a pretty darn good team. Plus i see no dominant team in the BIG.
 
B

backdoorpass

Sophomore
Jun 13, 2008
2,411
104
0
Mr Wickerpark said:
The thought is a reasonable one this year as there are not many "why nots".

The conversation on this board is centered on nit or ncaa talk. However, at this point, we have shown a level of competitiveness to allow for something bigger.

The season is early but we have been given enough of a window to assess that we have a pretty darn good team. Plus i see no dominant team in the BIG.
Click to expand...

Well, there are two ways to be B1G Champions--regular season or BTT. Winning one or the other is the only true guarantee to make the NCAA Tournament.

As someone mentioned earlier, OSU missed the NCAA Tournament last season after finishing 11-7 regular season and then winning an additional game in the BTT. Of course, OSU had a couple sub-100 losses out of conference. And the B1G had 4 really weak teams in Rutgers (kenpom 279), Minnesota (kenpom 192), Penn State (kenpom 140) and Illinois (kenpom 125) who everyone else in the league racked up a ton of wins against. Ohio State went 6-0 against this group. (NU went 5-1 against this group.)

The B1G is a lot tighter and more competitive this season with 11 B1G teams currently between kenpom 28 and 86. (Purdue and Wisconsin are top 25, and Rutgers is 141.)

I know that CC and the 'Cats are treating every game as a "must win." Still, I have to admit that I would be shocked by a regular season B1G championship...

That said, finishing in the top 4 regular season earns you byes on the first two days of the BTT and a free ticket to the quarterfinals. A top 4 finish in the league and a little run to become BTT Champs may be within the realm of possibility.
 
N

NURoseBowl

Junior
Jun 16, 2009
8,137
319
58
Mr Wickerpark said:
The thought is a reasonable one this year as there are not many "why nots".

The conversation on this board is centered on nit or ncaa talk. However, at this point, we have shown a level of competitiveness to allow for something bigger.

The season is early but we have been given enough of a window to assess that we have a pretty darn good team. Plus i see no dominant team in the BIG.
Click to expand...
Much as I hate to say it, I just don't see that we have much of an answer for Swanigan and Haas at Purdue, and beating Wisconsin would, to me, be a major surprise. Wouldn't be stunned to see us pull off wins in any of the other games this season, though I'd consider Indiana and Maryland to be fairly tall orders. One game at a time, though, and the first order of business is Iowa on Sunday. Looking for a great atmosphere for that one, and I hope the students show up in force.
 
M

Mr Wickerpark

Redshirt
Dec 28, 2016
2,864
33
0
NURoseBowl said:
Much as I hate to say it, I just don't see that we have much of an answer for Swanigan and Haas at Purdue, and beating Wisconsin would, to me, be a major surprise. Wouldn't be stunned to see us pull off wins in any of the other games this season, though I'd consider Indiana and Maryland to be fairly tall orders. One game at a time, though, and the first order of business is Iowa on Sunday. Looking for a great atmosphere for that one, and I hope the students show up in force.
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Id be lying if i told you that i dont expect a letdown. We struggle in games when fans have renewed excitement only to lose.
 
TheC

TheC

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
19,096
1,168
62
Mr Wickerpark said:
The thought is a reasonable one this year as there are not many "why nots".

The conversation on this board is centered on nit or ncaa talk. However, at this point, we have shown a level of competitiveness to allow for something bigger.

The season is early but we have been given enough of a window to assess that we have a pretty darn good team. Plus i see no dominant team in the BIG.
Click to expand...
We have beaten Penn State, Nebraska and Rutgers. None of these teams should wind up in the top half of the conference and maybe not even the top 2/3rds of the conference. When we beat a BIG blueblood, then I'll talk about how competitive we are. We still haven't beaten a really good team.
 
G

GeorgiaCat

Redshirt
Sep 23, 2001
352
14
18
We can crap all we want on Penn State, Nebraska and Rutgers, but all three of those wins were on the road. Four of five games on the road to start the B1G schedule, and we went 3-1 with the loss at Michigan State. If we want to be taken serious, those are all games we should win. But in previous seasons, those were games we found ways to lose.
 
M

Mr Wickerpark

Redshirt
Dec 28, 2016
2,864
33
0
TheC said:
We have beaten Penn State, Nebraska and Rutgers. None of these teams should wind up in the top half of the conference and maybe not even the top 2/3rds of the conference. When we beat a BIG blueblood, then I'll talk about how competitive we are. We still haven't beaten a really good team.
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Dayton is a good team.
 
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