WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
Anything can happen on a given day but the way things are falling into place for this Minnesota game makes an upset extremely unlikely.
now that we have our signiture win
- Thread starter PCHawk
- Start date
PC, I'm just a fan, so I want to talk about it now. Lunardi has us as the 15th team today which would put us at a 4 seed. I think we can get as high as 2, and I really am hoping for a 3 seed. With how tough the B1G is, I'm predicting a 4 (where we are now). At the end of the day, I just want to hear our name called on Selection Sunday, but anything less than a 6 seed would be a little disappointing.
I don't think we lose at home to Minnesota. The week off comes at a good time I think. There will be tougher trap games on our schedule, but not this one. On the road against Illinois and Indiana scare me the most. We play Mich St and Wisconsin after both those.
I don't think we lose at home to Minnesota. The week off comes at a good time I think. There will be tougher trap games on our schedule, but not this one. On the road against Illinois and Indiana scare me the most. We play Mich St and Wisconsin after both those.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
Both of these teams will have to step their play up a couple notches and we probably have to take our play down a notch. Neither is as good as us right now. I know. I know. Games on the road are tough in the Big 10 but the really good teams that vie for championships win their home games and 5 or 6 of their 9 road games. I think we are vying for a championship.
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
Windsor, just curious, have you seen Wisconsin schedule? Had Iowa beaten the Badgers and was 4-0 right now I would be a little more optimistic (just a little), but at 3-1 and sitting 4th in the conference I think we are exactly that a 4th place team. I know it is going to be a long week, but for me it has to be 1 game at a time.
Part of me is still worried about closing out games, especially with both Gesell and Marble shooting below 70% at the free throw line. They have lost 3 games so far this season because of being unable to close. Perhaps winning at Ohio State gives this team the confidence that they have gotten over that hump. But I need to see it more than 1 time against a top team.
Part of me is still worried about closing out games, especially with both Gesell and Marble shooting below 70% at the free throw line. They have lost 3 games so far this season because of being unable to close. Perhaps winning at Ohio State gives this team the confidence that they have gotten over that hump. But I need to see it more than 1 time against a top team.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
I'll leave the worrying to you. I'm having too much fun not worrying. Smile!
I have looked at Wisconsin's schedule and I haven't changed my signature. Wisconsin should win the Big 10. However, we have a dog in the fight and will have a great deal to do with what happens with the standings...may even be understating this.
I know it's hard to throw away the last few years but we're good. We're real good. How were we even in those close losses this year? Those were good teams. Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana are not the teams they were last year. They all took a step back and we took a big step forward. Keep in mind we were right with these teams last year...before our step forward. I also should note that we didn't have JO at all or at 100% in this year's losses. I'm 1 of the guys that thinks he makes a difference...a huge difference and not just on the stat sheet.
If we can avoid the injury bug I think the 2nd to last game of the season will determine our fate. Win at Michigan State and we get a share of 1st place. Lose and we tie Michigan State for 2nd...just my opinion. And don't think a loss at Michigan State is a given. It wasn't all that many years ago that Michigan State had their Big 10 Championship banner hanging in the rafters to be unveiled after winning their last home game on Senior Day...if I remember right. Wisconsin won and they had to take that banner down...kind of enjoyed that particular win by Wisconsin. You don't hang a banner before the game...Basketball 101 Izzo!
I have looked at Wisconsin's schedule and I haven't changed my signature. Wisconsin should win the Big 10. However, we have a dog in the fight and will have a great deal to do with what happens with the standings...may even be understating this.
I know it's hard to throw away the last few years but we're good. We're real good. How were we even in those close losses this year? Those were good teams. Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana are not the teams they were last year. They all took a step back and we took a big step forward. Keep in mind we were right with these teams last year...before our step forward. I also should note that we didn't have JO at all or at 100% in this year's losses. I'm 1 of the guys that thinks he makes a difference...a huge difference and not just on the stat sheet.
If we can avoid the injury bug I think the 2nd to last game of the season will determine our fate. Win at Michigan State and we get a share of 1st place. Lose and we tie Michigan State for 2nd...just my opinion. And don't think a loss at Michigan State is a given. It wasn't all that many years ago that Michigan State had their Big 10 Championship banner hanging in the rafters to be unveiled after winning their last home game on Senior Day...if I remember right. Wisconsin won and they had to take that banner down...kind of enjoyed that particular win by Wisconsin. You don't hang a banner before the game...Basketball 101 Izzo!
People keep talking about us closing out games because of what happened last year. Last year we lost a bunch of games where we were huge favorites to win with a minute or 2 left. We put an end to that trend in the NIT and it hasn't happened again.
This year we lost 3 games to really good teams but the difference is they were anybody's game with a minute or 2 left. It's not like we choked away leads in the last minute like we did last year. We had double digits leads in those games but basketball is a game of runs and those leads were gone halfway through the 2nd half. From that point on there were even times where it looked like the other team might pull away but we made plays down the stretch to make it anybody's game at the end. The one exception to this is the Iowa state game where we only needed to make free throws to win. One game doesn't make a trend though.
This year we lost 3 games to really good teams but the difference is they were anybody's game with a minute or 2 left. It's not like we choked away leads in the last minute like we did last year. We had double digits leads in those games but basketball is a game of runs and those leads were gone halfway through the 2nd half. From that point on there were even times where it looked like the other team might pull away but we made plays down the stretch to make it anybody's game at the end. The one exception to this is the Iowa state game where we only needed to make free throws to win. One game doesn't make a trend though.
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
ok, another question that has been gnawing on me. Just how good is Ohio State? A road win is awesome and I know they were 3rd ranked but were they really deserving of that ranking? I look at who they have beaten, they have a strong RPI because they have 7 wins against RPI 50-100 and their best win is against North Dakota State (RPI 46). Had Iowa played that same schedule they would be at least 16-1. This win makes me wonder if at the end of the year we look back on it and say this is a game they should have won anyway.
I get Iowa is good, this is the deepest team I have seen since Tom Davis was here. They have proven that by giving teams like Villanova, Iowa State, and Wisconsin all they wanted and, quite frankly, should have won a couple of them. Hopefully Iowa will not stumble at home, but winning on the road is hard and I can't pencil any of those road games as wins.
I get Iowa is good, this is the deepest team I have seen since Tom Davis was here. They have proven that by giving teams like Villanova, Iowa State, and Wisconsin all they wanted and, quite frankly, should have won a couple of them. Hopefully Iowa will not stumble at home, but winning on the road is hard and I can't pencil any of those road games as wins.
They probably aren't the 3rd best team in the nation but they are definitely better than the rest of the big 10 not in the top 4. Beating them on the road was tougher than it will be beating Wisconsin and MSU at home. We will have nights where we lose because we played bad or our opponent played lights out, but we only have 1 game left tougher than the one we just won.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
I think Ohio State is good but not great...probably in the 15 to 20 range nationally. We just got a win that very few teams are going to get...maybe no one else. If there's really a chance we will look back at the Ohio State game and say it's a game we should have won then it's fair to look ahead and say the road games at Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana and say those are games we should win.
I still think we will go 9-0 at home and 5-4 on the road. If we somehow get to 6-3 on the road we probably tie for the conference championship. I still don't think Wisconsin is a top 5 team nationally come March. There are a lot of teams in the conference that match up well with them. No one in the conference matches up well with us due to our size and depth inside IMO.
