Official 2021-22 Big Ten Basketball Thread
 

Figured we have this running every year and the season starts tomorrow.

I'll make my "official" Big Ten standings prediction this evening, but in reference to my Gophers, we will be lucky to win 10 games this year.

EDIT:

Here are my season predictions for Big Ten standing this year

1. Michigan
2. Ohio State
3. Purdue
4. Illinois
5. Michigan State
6. Maryland
7. Indiana
8. Wisconsin
9. Rutgers
10. Iowa
11. Penn State
12. Northwestern
13. Minnesota
14. Nebraska

Big 10 is loaded at the top this year - Michigan, Illinois, Purdue, and Ohio St could all easily be top ten teams. Hoping my Hoosiers can find a way to stay above .500 in conference play.

go blue

Kofi running it back! I think Illini should be even better without Ayo there.

[QUOTE=wiper;17777501]go blue[/QUOTE]


[IMG]https://media4.giphy.com/media/XZyTgKZU6TcGQVHebG/giphy.gif[/IMG]


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Added my prediction for season standings in post one

Ohio St. barely escaping the season opener against Akron at home…

Ohio State's guard play is going to be too shoddy for them to go far this year, I think. Saw a lot of that tonight.

Tomorrow will be interesting. The Gophers play a WKU team that would typically be an expected win, but with the squad filled with a bunch of mid-major transfers, it could be a battle

Fun 35 minutes for the Gophers. The final 5 minutes got a little dicey, but a little adversity never hurts. Jamison Battle is going to be a good player for the Gophers the rest of this year and the next two years. I am glad he is only a sophomore.

The Gophers tend to play some gritty, tough defense since the roster is filled with a bunch of mid-major transfers who are well known for their defense at the mid-major level. It is refreshing seeing the ball move on offense as well and see the vets recognize different defenses that the opposing teams are in instantly.

Now to the concerns. This roster doesn't have much depth since they lost Parker Fox and Isaiah Ihnen for the season before the year even kicked off. Those two would be really nice to have. Since we don't have depth, we tend to gas out during the final 5ish minutes. I am sure Johnson is still figuring out rotations and subs, but this is an obvious concern. Lack of size is the other major concern.

I am just going to try and enjoy the wins while we get them this season since once Big Ten play starts, it is going to get ugly for the Gophers. Hoping South Carolina beats Princeton so we play them on Sunday and see how we match up against another Power 5 program.

michigan is so deep. they’re gonna lose a lot next year so this year is the year.

i’m declaring it. national champs or bust.

Illinois as National Champs this year.........#firstonein

too late, michigan already won [emoji2373]

maybe next year

The Gophers are the best team in Asheville Championship history :D

I am honestly surprised we are 3-0. We still won't do much damage in the Big Ten, but at least it is a fun, hard working, gritty, and disciplined team to watch. A lot more enjoyable than what Pitino was trotting out there every night.

I know George Mason is usually a pretty good school and does make the NCAA tournament here and there but damn Maryland. That's worse than Michigan's loss to Seton Hall.
I think the team is still trying to find a rhythm with so much new talent. Hopefully it's sooner than later they find it.

Upsets so far:

Maryland to George Mason
Illinois to Marquette
Michigan to Seton Hall

Meanwhile I think Michigan State could be a sleeper team this year. Just took down Butler by 21 points. Max Christie is gonna be a baller and Marcus Bingham really stepped up his game.

Terps barely squeak out a two point win against Hofstra at home…

OSU dropped yesterdays game against Xavier.

[QUOTE=texmcpherson;17796720]Upsets so far:

Maryland to George Mason
Illinois to Marquette
Michigan to Seton Hall

Meanwhile I think Michigan State could be a sleeper team this year. Just took down Butler by 21 points. Max Christie is gonna be a baller and Marcus Bingham really stepped up his game.[/QUOTE]

It’s nice to see a guy like Christie that’s so polished right away, unlike almost everyone else on the roster who take years, if ever (Hall) to show that polish.

The East Coast teams so far have looked much better than the Big 10 teams.

Michigan is going to get a bump out of the #4 spot. 18 point loss to Arizona.

2 unranked losses.

I think Michigan was ranked too high to start the season. They look like they are going to have a hard time scoring this season. Season is still early though.

Purdue is the class of the Big Ten. Hard to find a true weakness.


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[QUOTE=Josie27;17804990]Purdue is the class of the Big Ten. Hard to find a true weakness.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I'd put Purdue in the top 4 at the moment.

Going to take an off shooting night and some foul trouble for them to really be in trouble it seems.

[QUOTE=indyguy;17804998]Yeah, I'd put Purdue in the top 4 at the moment.

Going to take an off shooting night and some foul trouble for them to really be in trouble it seems.[/QUOTE]

Agree that is the formula to get us. We have enough shooters and Big guys that its going to be hard to catch us in either. Im hoping Edey slows down a bit and comes back next year. At this point, he's going to get some NBA looks and even if he's a second round pick....would be silly for him not to go.

Nice W against Loyola-Chicago. Bingham slam off the oop to seal the deal. Couldn’t imagine how complete we would look if we could keep turnovers under 10 a game.

Probably the ugliest game for the Gophers this season, but in a year like this, I am going to take every win we get and enjoy it. Our defense was good though, as it has been all season. Rebounding, especially keeping Jacksonville off the offensive glass, was a concern though. Rebounding is going to be an issue through the Big Ten schedule, especially against teams with legit size (Purdue, Illinois come to mind).

Strong, resilient win against #22 UConn for a shot at playing #6 Baylor. Coughed up a 14 point lead towards the end of the first half and start of the second half then on to be down 7 with under 5 minutes to play. Hopefully we can get Max Christie out of his freshman yips. Also, cut down our turnovers in half which is always good to see.

Big 10 so far looks very young and very sloppy.

[QUOTE=Stifle;17812295]Big 10 so far looks very young and very sloppy.[/QUOTE]

And ready to cannibalize each other come conference play

Gophers #1 in RPI, way better than Gonzaga bums at 35

6-2 start vs acc

Purdue is the real deal.

[QUOTE=Stifle;17812295]Big 10 so far looks very young and very sloppy.[/QUOTE]

So far up 7-4 in the B10/ACC challenge. Also heard three of the losses went to OT.

7-5

Michigan just got rolled.

How old is Brad Davidson? 30?

[QUOTE=texmcpherson;17825271]7-5

Michigan just got rolled.[/QUOTE]

Michigan will struggle this year. They look like an offensively challenged team when Dickinson is on the bench.

even when he’s playing.

they don’t have anyone to go get a bucket. no killers. and if you’re going to play two 7-footers, for god’s sake stop giving up offensive rebounds!

Marky Mark time is out in Maryland.
Great recruiter bad gameday coach.
Mark Few is only making about 2 mill a year at Gonzaga.
Maryland for sure could easily top that if they want the best name out there.

[QUOTE=Wolves4Life;17828548]Marky Mark time is out in Maryland.
Great recruiter bad gameday coach.
Mark Few is only making about 2 mill a year at Gonzaga.
Maryland for sure could easily top that if they want the best name out there.[/QUOTE]

Can't imagine he'd leave Gonzaga for a middle of the pack p5, unless the legal limit is 0.16 or something in Maryland

[QUOTE=Wolves4Life;17828548]Marky Mark time is out in Maryland.
Great recruiter bad gameday coach.
Mark Few is only making about 2 mill a year at Gonzaga.
Maryland for sure could easily top that if they want the best name out there.[/QUOTE]

Why would Mark Few want to start a rebuild in a tough Power 5 conference when he can stay at Gonzaga with a solidified roster and a cupcake conference every year? He has it made where he is

[QUOTE=CC_123;17828620]Why would Mark Few want to start a rebuild in a tough Power 5 conference when he can stay at Gonzaga with a solidified roster and a cupcake conference every year? He has it made where he is[/QUOTE]

What rebuild? Maryland is a constant top team in recruiting. They just need a good coach for the kids.
I agree with the cupcakes but money talks. Dude is only making 2 mill a year at Gonzaga. Maryland could give him at least 5 if not more to lure him away.

[QUOTE=Wolves4Life;17828690]What rebuild? Maryland is a constant top team in recruiting. They just need a good coach for the kids.
I agree with the cupcakes but money talks. Dude is only making 2 mill a year at Gonzaga. Maryland could give him at least 5 if not more to lure him away.[/QUOTE]

Considering Gonzaga is consistently a top 3 program every year in the nation. It would be a rebuild for him. No reason for him to leave the situation he is in

Last nights game against Purdue was about the best I could hope for considering the circumstances. They made a real effort at the end. I hope Keegan Murray is back for the next game.

[QUOTE=Wolves4Life;17828548]Marky Mark time is out in Maryland.
Great recruiter bad gameday coach.
Mark Few is only making about 2 mill a year at Gonzaga.
Maryland for sure could easily top that if they want the best name out there.[/QUOTE]

He’s been there forever. If he wanted another job, he’d have one by now.

[QUOTE=rcmb3220;17829885]He’s been there forever. If he wanted another job, he’d have one by now.[/QUOTE]

How many good programs (yes Maryland is one) have called? Duke and UNC wanted to keep it in house.

Lol mark few going to maryland.

Big game Gophers/Michigan St this week

HUGE win for the Gophers today against a really, really good Mississippi State team! This was a game we probably shouldn't have won, but it was a fun one to get! If you said we would be 7-0 at this point, I wouldn't have believed you. But we have one of the top defenses in the country so far, especially against the three. Only allowing 23.1% (top in the nation) from beyond the arc this season has went a long way for us so far!

Jamison Battle has also been a blast to watch. So happy that dude is only a sophomore. Once he sees one go in, he is about to see five more. He had a stretch to start the second half where he went 5-5 for 13 points.

Gonna be a tough one against Michigan State though. A game in which I fully expect to lose by 10+, but maybe coming off two straight Power 5 wins will give this squad some confidence.

[QUOTE=Wolves4Life;17831907]How many good programs (yes Maryland is one) have called? Duke and UNC wanted to keep it in house.[/QUOTE]

Mark Few is good personal friends with Mark Turgeon. It aint happening. List is Oats, Mussleman, Enfield, Matta as top choices with worse case scenario Kevin Willard or Ed Cooley which as a Maryland fan I don’t want.

[QUOTE=Wolves4Life;17831907]How many good programs (yes Maryland is one) have called? Duke and UNC wanted to keep it in house.[/QUOTE]

Arizona. Indiana. Probably others.

First NET ratings came out. Here is where the Big Ten stands.

1 Purdue
9 Iowa
18 Wisconsin
19 Michigan State
28 Ohio State
36 Minnesota
42 Northwestern
48 Illinois
56 Indiana
63 Michigan
137 Penn State
155 Maryland
192 Nebraska
217 Rutgers

The obviously missed goaltending on Gabe Brown really changed the feel of the game. That missed call turned into a 5 point swing

Michigan State cant miss, but Minnesota also isnt as talented. We work hard and grind, but the talent just isnt there. Not a shock to lose to MSU. Thought maybe it would be a bit closer, but for everyone on the roster besides Curry and Willis, they have never played in a Big Ten game with this sort of physicality. We might be able to compete and beat teams like Penn State, Nebraska, Rutgers, Northwestern, but we arent going to beat, or in most cases, compete with teams like Purdue, Michigan, MSU, Illinois, OSU

That is absolutely ridiculous. Yeah, it is a 16 point game, but Loewe was literally close lined and no foul call

Gophers are a pesky squad. We played scared and settled for a lot of bad shots in the 1st half but we showed up in the second half and grinded. A lot to work on, but for this team, a single digit loss to MSU could go a long way for their confidence

[QUOTE=CC_123;17838842]Gophers are a pesky squad. We played scared and settled for a lot of bad shots in the 1st half but we showed up in the second half and grinded. A lot to work on, but for this team, a single digit loss to MSU could go a long way for their confidence[/QUOTE]

We need to learn how to stomp on the gas pedal and not let 19 point leads turn into 6; sometimes I feel like we get lax with our leads and pull off. But yeah, it definitely didn’t help Minnesota that they forced a ton of shots that weren’t there. I’ll take any B10 win and Minnesota is far from a bottom of the pack team.

Took way too many long range 2 pointers and then missed the easy ones plus MSU made a fair amount of contested 3s. Frustrating game to only have a couple points to actually get crowd into it

Every year it seems like MSU leads the nation in giving up basketball’s version of a pick 6. They also like to give away the ball on an inbound after a made basket.

Johnny Davis looking like a potential 1st rounder out there with the Badgers. Pretty good size, athletic, and creative.

First game ever ranked #1 for Purdue and they proceed to lose to Rutgers. Definitely didn't see that coming

What a HUGE win for the Gophers! Jamison Battle was the best player on the court tonight with 27 and 7 rebounds. And that was with him shooting 1-6 from three! Dude was a killer in the second half!

Also helped that we slowed Dickinson down a ton in the 2nd half because he had a field day in the 1st half! Gophers also defended the three really well, holding Michigan to 16.7% from beyond the arc! But that is a huge win for this team and for Ben Johnson. Third true road win this season too, which feels weird after only having, I believe, 3 total road wins in the last two season.

This Gophers team is looking like it might be more competitive in the Big Ten than everyone (myself including) thought with its peskiness and ability to get hot with Battle and Willis.

SKI-U-MAH!

Michigan is garbage

[QUOTE=mnvikingstwins;17844106]Michigan is garbage[/QUOTE]

That preseason 4 spot isn’t looking so good.

I left the bar with them struggling in the first half so I’m very impressed with the victory on the road vs a team who was in the dance last year.

Current NCAA Net Rankings in the Big Ten

6 Purdue
13 Michigan State
20 Ohio State
26 Wisconsin
32 Illinois
33 Iowa
35 Minnesota
42 Northwestern
43 Indiana
50 Michigan
113 Penn State
137 Maryland
162 Rutgers
221 Nebraska

ILL-INI for the 'chip this year......

Ugly game for the Gophers. A decent amount of minutes for the bench guys, but we probably had more turnovers in this one game than we have all season combined. A lot of carelessness taking care of the ball tonight due to "knowing we are better". They went away from what got them to an 8-1 record tonight. Still won, but it was ugly on a lot of aspects. But something to learn from. Next game will be telling on if they learned from it

Nice W on the road at NW from being down 7 at halftime. Kinda like that there’s no “go-to guy,” maybe Gabe Brown? A lot of depth and guys that can all score (and some at high amounts at any given moment).

By the time the Gophers play again, it will be almost 2 weeks without a game. So I am fully expecting us to come out flat against Illinois. 2 weeks off is a long time

Johnny Davis just lit up Purdue… 37 points and 14 boards

As expected, Gophers come out flat. Also struggling with the size of Illinois. Probably wouldnt have won either way, but a 2 week layoff has had its impact early.

Cockburn is obviously fantastic, but man does he get the softest calls. And he gets away with a lot. How the hell is that not a charge on him, but then he gets a super soft and one? Just annoying to watch. Mini Shaq doesnt need the benefit of soft calls

No surprise tonight. Even all the soft calls Cockburn got didn't make the 30 point difference. I said earlier in the thread that we would struggle with any team that has size because we cannot match up with that. We also went absolutely ice cold in the second half where we couldn't buy a bucket. Two week layoff definitely can cause that, especially with a team who has succeeded this year due to being able to get into a rhythm and built-up confidence, because we definitely aren't the most talented.

I still think we can compete in the Big Ten and if we can get to 17-18 wins (crazy to talk that way when I was pretty certain we wouldn't even hit 10 wins this season), I think there is a legit conversation that we should be in the tournament. At Indiana on Sunday will be a tough one, but I think both teams are built pretty similar, so I think it could be a good, close game.

[QUOTE=CC_123;17896657]No surprise tonight. Even all the soft calls Cockburn got didn't make the 30 point difference. I said earlier in the thread that we would struggle with any team that has size because we cannot match up with that. We also went absolutely ice cold in the second half where we couldn't buy a bucket. Two week layoff definitely can cause that, especially with a team who has succeeded this year due to being able to get into a rhythm and built-up confidence, because we definitely aren't the most talented.

I still think we can compete in the Big Ten and if we can get to 17-18 wins (crazy to talk that way when I was pretty certain we wouldn't even hit 10 wins this season), I think there is a legit conversation that we should be in the tournament. At Indiana on Sunday will be a tough one, but I think both teams are built pretty similar, so I think it could be a good, close game.[/QUOTE]



ILL-INI for the National Championship!!!!!!! Called it!!!!!!!!!!!!

[QUOTE=DajuanWagner;17897223]ILL-INI for the National Championship!!!!!!! Called it!!!!!!!!!!!![/QUOTE]

Train keeps rollin'! Just wait until we get a healthy Belo back too!