if we go into the conf tourney with only 20 wins that means we lost to USC or Minnesota....and that we have bigger problems than we think. Not going back to back in the conference tournament under that scenario.
right now we are projected a 10 seed. That will not change if we win the games we are supposed to and lose the games we are supposed to. 20 wins = losing to the remaining ranked opponents + an unranked opponent (below us in the standings) and our first round matchup. That is not getting us in.
21 wins would be like going 4-3 the rest of the way and bouncing out the first game of the Big 10 tourney. That's not getting us into the tournament. I also don't think it is very likely. Just the way the bracket is set up with all the byes, we are going to be playing a pretty shitty team opening round.
is Danny Sprinkle one of the worst coaches in the conference? Washington has players talented enough to play in the NBA either next season or the season after, and they’re armed with more NIL money than we are, and yet, they couldn’t beat us, and they’re sitting in the bottom quarter of the conference. At least with Maryland and Rutgers you can point to the fact that there’s a notable lack of talent on those teams but you can’t say the same for Washington
UCLA was not a full strength either of the times we played UW - didn’t have Trent Perry for the first game, and didn’t have Skyy today. So definitely glad that ucla completed the PNW sweep tonight even if it’s a little ugly. Now it’s time for a week of recovery before the Michigan trip.
And the social media drama has started to intensify. Jeremy Fears from MSU is turning into the next Grayson Allen of college basketball and I’m surprised Tom Izzo has been tolerating dirty behavior on his team. Our guys better watch out because in Michigan St’s games against Minnesota and Illinois this week, it looked like Fears was purposely trying to injure opposing players.
Turns out coaching does matter after all. Rutgers last year was the same - they had 2 NBA lottery picks and still went 15-17. Though other report say that the rest of the roster besides those 2 guys was middling at best
Nice breakdown of the game last night Dimitri……..I was especially drawn to your assessment of the ref’s calling the game one way in the first half and then another way (inconsistently) in the second half and UCLA getting the “anti-home cooking” at Pauley on top of that (are the ref’s we get for Big 18 games still treating us as PAC 12 arch rivals, because it seems we get very few calls in our favor, home or away, whether they are “under review” or not; or maybe JF88 is on to something).
I really noticed what IMHO was blatant “home cookin’” in the recent Nebraska at Michigan game, where I posted the fact that Mich won 75-72, but that IMO Nebraska, the better team, got killed by Michigan home cookin.': NEBRASKA 3 OF 4 FROM THE LINE; MICH 19 OF 23! In that game, it was very physical on both sides with no fouls called either way in the first half. In the second, both teams continued to play physical, but it seemed that the refs were only interested in whistling fouls on Nebraska. Even the color guy working the game that night was calling out the favorable home calls (It was so noticeable that he was forced to say something or else look incompetent).
So, we better be ready. We might have to beat both Michigan and the refs in our next game. If we are hitting our three’s the home calls would be neutralized to a great extent, but if we have to mix it up inside, we might be served up the same kind of crap Nebraska was served.
Another mention you made DD was the shooting of Trent Perry. I don't think there is another player on our team, including Bilo, who can, in rhythm, receive a pass in transition and go up without a dribble and hit a jumper. He does it a couple of times a game and did so on the shot you mentioned after the missed tech fouls and the turnover. Trent has become "money" in that situation.
I think 21 wins gets the Bruins in, 20 and we're out. I don't see anything past the first weekend though.
21 wins would mean we win at least 1 of the next 3 against Mich, Mich St, or Illinois (or against Nebraska) and that should get us in for sure.
If we lose all 4 of our upcoming games against ranked teams, we could still get to 20 wins by sweeping SC home and away, and a road win against MN
20 + a decent performance in the Big Ten tournament could still get us in I think
I think we’d need two wins in the B1G tournament if we stall at 20 in the regular season. otoh the four letters still have some cache with the ncaa.
if we go into the conf tourney with only 20 wins that means we lost to USC or Minnesota....and that we have bigger problems than we think. Not going back to back in the conference tournament under that scenario.
right now we are projected a 10 seed. That will not change if we win the games we are supposed to and lose the games we are supposed to. 20 wins = losing to the remaining ranked opponents + an unranked opponent (below us in the standings) and our first round matchup. That is not getting us in.
21 wins would be like going 4-3 the rest of the way and bouncing out the first game of the Big 10 tourney. That's not getting us into the tournament. I also don't think it is very likely. Just the way the bracket is set up with all the byes, we are going to be playing a pretty shitty team opening round.
is Danny Sprinkle one of the worst coaches in the conference? Washington has players talented enough to play in the NBA either next season or the season after, and they’re armed with more NIL money than we are, and yet, they couldn’t beat us, and they’re sitting in the bottom quarter of the conference. At least with Maryland and Rutgers you can point to the fact that there’s a notable lack of talent on those teams but you can’t say the same for Washington
UCLA was not a full strength either of the times we played UW - didn’t have Trent Perry for the first game, and didn’t have Skyy today. So definitely glad that ucla completed the PNW sweep tonight even if it’s a little ugly. Now it’s time for a week of recovery before the Michigan trip.
And the social media drama has started to intensify. Jeremy Fears from MSU is turning into the next Grayson Allen of college basketball and I’m surprised Tom Izzo has been tolerating dirty behavior on his team. Our guys better watch out because in Michigan St’s games against Minnesota and Illinois this week, it looked like Fears was purposely trying to injure opposing players.
Also, Indiana won today in OT on a foul call with a couple seconds left. Again. Crazy how that keeps happening for them.
Turns out coaching does matter after all. Rutgers last year was the same - they had 2 NBA lottery picks and still went 15-17. Though other report say that the rest of the roster besides those 2 guys was middling at best
Did those refs have money on that game, or are they just that bad?
Nice breakdown of the game last night Dimitri……..I was especially drawn to your assessment of the ref’s calling the game one way in the first half and then another way (inconsistently) in the second half and UCLA getting the “anti-home cooking” at Pauley on top of that (are the ref’s we get for Big 18 games still treating us as PAC 12 arch rivals, because it seems we get very few calls in our favor, home or away, whether they are “under review” or not; or maybe JF88 is on to something).
I really noticed what IMHO was blatant “home cookin’” in the recent Nebraska at Michigan game, where I posted the fact that Mich won 75-72, but that IMO Nebraska, the better team, got killed by Michigan home cookin.': NEBRASKA 3 OF 4 FROM THE LINE; MICH 19 OF 23! In that game, it was very physical on both sides with no fouls called either way in the first half. In the second, both teams continued to play physical, but it seemed that the refs were only interested in whistling fouls on Nebraska. Even the color guy working the game that night was calling out the favorable home calls (It was so noticeable that he was forced to say something or else look incompetent).
So, we better be ready. We might have to beat both Michigan and the refs in our next game. If we are hitting our three’s the home calls would be neutralized to a great extent, but if we have to mix it up inside, we might be served up the same kind of crap Nebraska was served.
Another mention you made DD was the shooting of Trent Perry. I don't think there is another player on our team, including Bilo, who can, in rhythm, receive a pass in transition and go up without a dribble and hit a jumper. He does it a couple of times a game and did so on the shot you mentioned after the missed tech fouls and the turnover. Trent has become "money" in that situation.
Cronin finally got some good press