Big 10 in the Big Dance

[southsider2k5]

They are a tough call this year. With everyone beating each other its hard to tell if everyone is that good or that mediocre. I am curious to hear the following...

 

How far will the last Big Ten team get (final four, sweet sixteen etc)?

 

Who will be the last team standing to represent the Big Ten at March Madness?

[Chisoxfn]

If any team makes it to the final 4 its gonna be MSU. OSU is a sleeper and I think Iowa/Illinois/OSU/MSU/Wiscy are all capable of being sweet 16 teams.

 

If I was going to see any team getting knocked out super early it would be Michigan or Iowa but if Iowa can play at a high level they are very capable thanks to there defense (just like Illinois).

[illinilaw08]

I really think that with the amount of truly mediocre teams in the NCAA this year, there will be a Big 10 team in the final 4... I'm not sure which one, but I think any of Illinois, OSU, Iowa or MSU, maybe even Wisconsin, could get that far. It will all depend on the draws these teams get. Regardless, it should be a very interesting March.

[greasywheels121]

I'm pretty confident that at least 1 Big Ten team will make the FF.

 

The Big Ten's just so much better this year.

 

Last year, Indiana was the first 10-6 team in conference history to not make the tournament. And this year, everyone's saying if we are somehow able to finish at .500, we'll be guaranteed a spot in the tourney. Teams have really beat up on each other in conference, but we've got the #1 RPI as a conference, for a reason.

[aboz56]

With Dee Brown playing well, ILL is capable of a run. I look at them as a Sweet 16 team.

 

Iowa could go either way. I think they'll be another Sweet 16 team, but it will depend on how they are able to step it up as the spotlight grows larger on Alford and the IU job.

 

Michigan St, where do I start? If Brown, Ager and Davis all play well, they are a top 5 team in the land. Rarely does that happen. Losing Trannon doesn't help either, hopefully he'll be back shortly from the broken jaw. I'd say they are a good bet to get to the Sweet 16 as well, but after that, it's a crapshoot.

 

Wisconsin to me is a good candidate to get beat in their second round game. I just haven't liked their inconsistent play this season. Losing at home to North Dakota St? Inexcusable.

 

Ohio State is a team that many people are getting on board with, but like them for a 2nd round loss as well. Maybe I'm completely off base, but I'll stick with my hunch on this.

 

Michigan will get in, but it'll be short lived.

 

Right now I don't think the Big 10 gets anyone else in, unless there is an upset in the Big 10 Tourney or IU wins the rest of their conference games (or 3 of 4 and a game in the Big 10 Tourney).

 

I'll go out on a limb right now and say that both Michigan St and Illinois are the two teams with Elite 8 potential. I just don't see either going much farther than that.

 

I'd love to be wrong though and see a team or two from the Big 10 in the Final Four like last year.

[Goldmember]

no one else stands a chance. it's going to be an all big ten final four...

[Rowand44]

I really doubt any big 10 team makes the final four. Before the brackets come out, I'd have to say OSU will be the team that can go the furthest. I do think however the big 10 has plenty of teams that can make it into the sweet 16, obviously it all depends on the pairings.

[WilliamTell]

I'd like to think 1 Big Ten team will make it. I have no clue who though. When I look at this conference I see some really good teams capable of making it to the Sweet 16, and I see some good teams that should win their first round. Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Iowa I think have an excellent shot at making it to the Sweet 16. Wisconsin and Michigan will probably have to battle and make sure they're on the top of their game. Right now I'm guessing 3 make it to the Sweet 16, 2 make it to the Elite 8, and 1 makes it to the Final Four, who it is, I have no clue.

[Rowand44]

The Big Ten's just so much better this year.

 

 

It's deeper this year but it was completely top heavy last year. What I mean is that Illinois and MSU were great teams, the b10 just had no depth to it, this year there is no great team in the b10 but it's deep as all hell. Like I said in my first post, I really doubt any big 10 teams gets to the ff.

[greasywheels121]

It's deeper this year but it was completely top heavy last year.  What I mean is that Illinois and MSU were great teams, the b10 just had no depth to it, this year there is no great team in the b10 but it's deep as all hell.  Like I said in my first post, I really doubt any big 10 teams gets to the ff.

 

Well there's just more good teams in the Big Ten, and basketball as a whole is down. I think after being tested night in and night out, the Big Ten will take advantage of the weaker tourney field. There's no way that at least 1 team in the Big Ten doesn't make it.

[Soxbadger]

I think it would be a pretty disapointing ending if Wisconsin does not make it to the sweet 16.

 

I know everyone is still on them about the ND State loss, but 1 bad shooting game (maybe the worst shooting performance ive ever heard of at less than 25%) does not make a season.

 

Luckily they got their slump out of the way, and it seems like Nixon and Butch are ready to step up. They will give many teams problems because of their size and game style. Their pace usually plays well in the NCAA tournament, especially against smaller less physical teams.

 

Outside of an early match up against a UConn etc, Wisconsin should be able to hang with any team that they match against, especially if they get a bracket regionally close to Wisconsin where fans can travel.

 

If I had to bet, I would say OSU and Wisconsin go the farthest of the Big 10. Illinois is right there but if Brown or Augie got into foul trouble it could be over quick. MSU has not done much for me this year over all, but Izzo seems to get his guys up for the tournament so they shouldnt be counted out either.

 

Over all I think this will be a pretty good year for the Big 10, they are under rated as usual. I mean in another thread some one said the bottom half of the Big East would be Big 10 title contenders.

 

(edit)

 

I also think the last week and Big 10 tourney will really show which teams are going to have a legitimate shot and which teams will not.

 

If Wisconsin can split the Iowa and MSU away games and get to the finals of the Big 10 tourney, I can see big things.

Edited February 22, 2006 by Soxbadger

[Rowand44]

Well there's just more good teams in the Big Ten, and basketball as a whole is down.  I think after being tested night in and night out, the Big Ten will take advantage of the weaker tourney field.  There's no way that at least 1 team in the Big Ten doesn't make it.

I smell a sig bit.

[ZoomSlowik]

I think it's possible that a Big Ten team makes a run to the Elite 8 or Final Four. However, there's no way they win it all, and at least one team is going to fall flat on their face.

 

I think Illinois makes it to the Sweet 16 unless they get a really nasty draw. After that they'd have to play a 1 or 2 seed, where their run probably ends. Their best chances of pulling the upset are probably Duke, Gonzaga, or Tennessee. OSU can definitely put together a run if they're shooting well. They should get a similar seed as the Illini, and a lot of the favorable matchups for the two teams would be similar. I think they also have a better shot at beating Villanova though, because they're a bit more athletic and can probably take advantage of Nova's size deficiency a bit more. MSU is a really tough team to read. They're probably the most gifted of the teams, but for some reason they can never put it together. I don't think they're as deep as they were last year, so I think they're probably a Sweet 16 at best.

 

Iowa and Wisconsin get my votes for most likely to flop. Iowa has not shot well most of the year, and they don't have many reliable scoring options. If they face an athletic team with solid ball handling, they're probably going down. Wisconsin needs a lot of help in my opinion. They haven't done much outside of the Kohl Center, and they don't have a very productive roster outside of Tucker, Taylor, and Butch. They need to avoid big and/or athletic teams, and Taylor really needs to shoot well. If Indiana or make the tournament, they are also teams I think will be a quick out. Now that Michigan is probably in, I think they get out of the first round but lose in the second.

[Soxbadger]

Wisconsin is good against big teams, they have big players. Their starting line up only has 1 player under 6'6 (Taylor) and Tucker is the next smallest player.

 

Wisconsin has gotten a lot of bad press because of 1 bad losing streak after a few players were suspended.

 

Now that they have had time to work it out, they have been playing much better.

[ZoomSlowik]

Wisconsin is good against big teams, they have big players. Their starting line up only has 1 player under 6'6 (Taylor) and Tucker is the next smallest player.

 

Wisconsin has gotten a lot of bad press because of 1 bad losing streak after a few players were suspended.

 

Now that they have had time to work it out, they have been playing much better.

 

6'6" isn't that big. Butch and Chappell are their only real big players. The first one is kind of soft and the second one isn't very good. Tucker is their best post player, and he's listed at 6'6". Someone like Texas, OSU, or Georgetown could absolutely kill them inside and on the glass.

 

They've only played 3 games since they lost those games. OSU was an impressive win (albiet at home), but the other two were Penn State and an Indiana team that hasn't won a game since NU on February first. Considering that they were down 9 at the half against OSU, that's one really impressive half in 3 games. That's not exactly a whole lot of evidence that they've turned it around.

 

The reasons I think they aren't going very far isn't that they lost to ND State and Purdue (although they do contribute). It's the fact that they are a suspect ballhandling team, they don't force many turnovers on defense, they shoot a paltry 44.3% from the field, they shoot 19 3's per game even though they only hit 35.2%, they only have 3 players that average more than 6.5 points per game, and they're not a particularly good rebounding team.

 

I understand you're a Wisconsin fan and you want to believe that your team can do something, but I just don't see it.

[Soxbadger]

Its not because Im a Wisconsin fan, go back in the NCAA basketball thread during the time when Wisconsin was not palying well and you well see I said:

 

"Unless Wisconsin picks up their game they are not going to make the NCAA tournament."

 

Also I just do not agree with your assessment of Wisconsin cant match up against big teams, as I think that is their strength.

 

Using G-Town as an example, it only has 1 really big player, the rest are 6'9.

 

Wisconsin will run the swing offense, putting in Chappel, Butch, Tucker, Nixon, and Taylor.

 

They will spread the court so that Chappel and Butch are both at the 3 point arc, meaning that G-Town will have to move its 2 biggest out, or play zone. If they move out, Wisconsin will post Tucker, Nixon, and Taylor, using Nixon's 6'7 as a guard to their advantage, or using Tucker's quickness and fakes to take advantage of the slower bigger player (smaller players actually play Tucker better).

 

If the play zone, Wisconsin will pack the paint with Butch, Chappel, Tucker, and try and get Taylor/Nixon open for good looks beyond the 3-point arc.

 

Its not like Wisconsin is a bunch of sub 6'5 players, almost the entire team outside of 3 are over 6'6. And its not like many teams are running out more than 2 6'10 players. I mean Wisconsin is not as big with out Steitsma, but having 3 6'10 players is something most teams dont have.

 

As for the rest, Illinois lost to Penn State at home, Wisconsin thrashed Penn State 2 times by more than 20 points. Does that mean Illinois is not a good team?

 

All it means is on any given day, that is why the upcoming weeks and tournament are the most important. If Wisconsin splits Iowa and MSU away, and gets to the Big 10 tourney final, they have to be considered a real threat. Outside of ND State, they have only lost away and only 2 of those games have been to non-ranked opponents, Purdue and Michigan.

 

2 bad games, thats all Wisconsin has had this season.

 

::shrugs::

 

I dont think its homerism, I think its just fair analysis. Im not coming in here saying Wisconsin will win the tournament, im saying they should make the sweet 16.

 

Wisconsin tournament record since 2000:

 

2000- Final Four, eliminated by MSU (NC winner)

 

2001- Eliminated first round

 

2002- Second Round, eliminated by Maryland (NC winner)

 

2003- Sweet 16, eliminated by Kentucky

 

2004- Second round, eliminated by Pittsburgh

 

2005- Elite 8, eliminated by UNC (NC Winner)

 

Since 2002, Bo Ryan's first year coaching, Wisconsin has never been eliminated in the first round. And has never been eliminated as a favorite.

 

Every team can lose, but Ryan has been very successful in the NCAA tournament with lesser talent. This year he has as good of talent as he has ever had, and I think they will make some noise.

[Jordan4life_2007]

People can talk about Dee Brown all they want. The Illini are at their best when Auggy is playing well. If Auggy can get hot like he did in the Big Ten tourney last year, they could get there. MSU is another team. They're loaded and extremely talented. If they get hot, watch out. I don't see anybody else from the conference doing any real damage.

[KWs OK for Me]

6'6" isn't that big. Butch and Chappell are their only real big players. The first one is kind of soft and the second one isn't very good. Tucker is their best post player, and he's listed at 6'6". Someone like Texas, OSU, or Georgetown could absolutely kill them inside and on the glass.

 

They've only played 3 games since they lost those games. OSU was an impressive win (albiet at home), but the other two were Penn State and an Indiana team that hasn't won a game since NU on February first. Considering that they were down 9 at the half against OSU, that's one really impressive half in 3 games. That's not exactly a whole lot of evidence that they've turned it around.

 

The reasons I think they aren't going very far isn't that they lost to ND State and Purdue (although they do contribute). It's the fact that they are a suspect ballhandling team, they don't force many turnovers on defense, they shoot a paltry 44.3% from the field, they shoot 19 3's per game even though they only hit 35.2%, they only have 3 players that average more than 6.5 points per game, and they're not a particularly good rebounding team.

 

I understand you're a Wisconsin fan and you want to believe that your team can do something, but I just don't see it.

 

I'm a Sconi fan here too, being a student and all, and I agree with you on almost everything that you have said. We do have only 2 big men and Jason Chappell is by far the worst starter in the Big Ten. All you have to do is watch him and the poor decisions that he makes to see his complete lack of basketball sense (you'd think that would run in the family). Butch, however, I think is going to shine towards the end of the season. He is a player that has finally started to learn to use his size and abilities on theNCAA level.

 

If Wisconsin didn't lose 3 of their top 4 bench players to academic ineligibility Wisconsin would havfe run away with the Big Ten and competed well in the tournament. Losing Steisma, Landry, and DeArron Williams significantly hurt the team. Steisma in particular was playing really well before he got suspsended, and the best part of his play was that when he was in Chappell was on the bench. Wisconsin had a 9 man rotation that allowed them to play exceptionally well. However, if they get consist play out of Taylor and Butch throughout the tournament and Tucker is Tucker they can make a run to at least the Sweet 16, with a little luck a little bit farther.

 

The one team I think will definately falter in the tournament is Illinois. The team only goes as far as Dee Brown takes them. And if he is somewhat off on any given day and Augustine gets his normal 2 fouls in the first five minutes Illinois is primed to be upset in the second round. However, I think that they are going to get too good of a seed because of their success from last year. In my opinion they are hardly a top 25 team (somewhere between 17 and 23) and 5 or 4 seed at best. Oh well. Thats my thought.

 

I think the Big Ten tournament will give everyone a good idea of who will make a run in the tournament. Oh, and I think MSU will make it the farthest in the tournament out of any Big Ten team.

[IlliniKrush]

MSU will make the Elite 8, and i'd give them a decent shot at the final four, depending on who is in their bracket.

 

Illinois should make the sweet 16, but i can't see us going any further.

 

OSU probly sweet 16, but after that a good matchup could get them in, they have a lot of potential if everyone is clicking.

 

I'd say MSU makes it or no one makes it. And i'd say MSU has a 35% chance to make it into the final four.

[ZoomSlowik]

Using G-Town as an example, it only has 1 really big player, the rest are 6'9.

 

Wisconsin will run the swing offense, putting in Chappel, Butch, Tucker, Nixon, and Taylor.

 

They will spread the court so that Chappel and Butch are both at the 3 point arc, meaning that G-Town will have to move its 2 biggest out, or play zone. If they move out, Wisconsin will post Tucker, Nixon, and Taylor, using Nixon's 6'7 as a guard to their advantage, or using Tucker's quickness and fakes to take advantage of the slower bigger player (smaller players actually play Tucker better).

 

If the play zone, Wisconsin will pack the paint with Butch, Chappel, Tucker, and try and get Taylor/Nixon open for good looks beyond the 3-point arc.

 

Its not like Wisconsin is a bunch of sub 6'5 players, almost the entire team outside of 3 are over 6'6. And its not like many teams are running out more than 2 6'10 players. I mean Wisconsin is not as big with out Steitsma, but having 3 6'10 players is something most teams dont have.

 

As for the rest, Illinois lost to Penn State at home, Wisconsin thrashed Penn State 2 times by more than 20 points. Does that mean Illinois is not a good team?

 

All it means is on any given day, that is why the upcoming weeks and tournament are the most important. If Wisconsin splits Iowa and MSU away, and gets to the Big 10 tourney final, they have to be considered a real threat. Outside of ND State, they have only lost away and only 2 of those games have been to non-ranked opponents, Purdue and Michigan.

 

2 bad games, thats all Wisconsin has had this season.

 

::shrugs::

 

I dont think its homerism, I think its just fair analysis. Im not coming in here saying Wisconsin will win the tournament, im saying they should make the sweet 16.

 

Wisconsin tournament record since 2000:

 

2000- Final Four, eliminated by MSU (NC winner)

 

2001- Eliminated first round

 

2002- Second Round, eliminated by Maryland (NC winner)

 

2003- Sweet 16, eliminated by Kentucky

 

2004- Second round, eliminated by Pittsburgh

 

2005- Elite 8, eliminated by UNC (NC Winner)

 

Since 2002, Bo Ryan's first year coaching, Wisconsin has never been eliminated in the first round. And has never been eliminated as a favorite.

 

Every team can lose, but Ryan has been very successful in the NCAA tournament with lesser talent. This year he has as good of talent as he has ever had, and I think they will make some noise.

 

6'9" is a bit bigger than 6'6", and Bowman and Green are really athletic at that height. I don't really see how having 2 6'9" guys and a 7'2" guy is worse than having 2 6'10" guys, and Georgetown has another wing player that's 6'7". More importantly, all of those guys can score, something that can't be said for a lot of the bigger players throughout the country.

 

They always play a zone anyways, and they do it pretty well. I've seen a lot of teams with better offensive options than Wisconsin struggle against them. Butch isn't really going to help them inside against anyone good. His strength is perimeter play, and he's not going to dominate anyone with real talent inside. I also wouldn't expect Taylor to get a ton of open jumpers since GT play good perimeter defense and are obviously going to key on him. I found it interesting that you chose to comment on them and not the other two teams also.

 

You keep harping on one game as a measure for how good a team is, and that is a really bad tactic. Illinois losing to PSU by one doesn't really change anything. If you really want to use that approach, Illinois beat Wisconsin on their home floor by 15. That has a lot more value comparing the two teams than a couple of games against another Big Ten dog that isn't going anywhere. Illinois is going to go farther because they play better defense and they have several guys that can seriously impact the game other than Dee and Augustine.

 

If Wisconsin actually wins a few more games maybe they're a bit more of threat, although I don't think it's too likely. They haven't proven that they can beat anyone good away from the Kohl Center, and even with the home court advantage they lost big to Illinois and had the debacle against ND State. Plus they still lost to Purdue and Wake Forest on the road, both of which are having really bad years. That's 4 pretty bad games by my count, and that's without a whole lot of good wins on the other side of things. They're starting to slip towards a 6 or 7 seed, which sets them up for a really tough road.

 

I don't really care what they'e done in the past. That has no bearing on what is happening now. Last I checked, Devin Harris and Mike Wilkinson aren't on the roster. I don't see how you can say that this is the most talented team he's had. It's far from it. They have 3 players that are any good, and I'm being somewhat generous in including Butch (he has talent, but he has no consistency and has struggled more often in Big Ten play than before it). Especially considering that they're probably going to end up facing a 2 or 3 seed in the second round, the Sweet 16 isn't very likely.

[ZoomSlowik]

The one team I think will definately falter in the tournament is Illinois.  The team only goes as far as Dee Brown takes them.  And if he is somewhat off on any given day and Augustine gets his normal 2 fouls in the first five minutes Illinois is primed to be upset in the second round.  However, I think that they are going to get too good of a seed because of their success from last year.  In my opinion they are hardly a top 25 team (somewhere between 17 and 23) and 5 or 4 seed at best.  Oh well.  Thats my thought.

 

I think the Big Ten tournament will give everyone a good idea of who will make a run in the tournament.  Oh, and I think MSU will make it the farthest in the tournament out of any Big Ten team.

 

Okay, so Wisconsin can get by with only two really strong contributors, and the Illini can't even though they have a better supporting cast? Dee's shot poorly almost every game this year, and it hasn't really come back to hurt them. Augustine has gotten in foul trouble at times, but it isn't all that regular an occurence. It's highly unlikely that they lose in the first round, and unless they get a really tough team in the second round I don't see it happening either.

 

I don't really see the love for MSU either. They have 3 really good players, I won't argue that. However, Neitzel is extremely inconsistent, Ager has been shooting poorly for some time, and they're in at least as bad of shape as Illinois sans Augustine if Davis gets in foul trouble. They really needed one of their PF's or bench players to step up to excel, taking some pressure off the top guys. That hasn't happened tough. I don't think they'll lose in the first round, but depending on who they draw it could be about 50-50 in the second, and I don't think they can knock off most of the higher seeds.

[thedoctor]

i really like ohio state's chances. i've liked them all season really.

 

to me, they have all the elements you need to make a deep tournament run. great guard play from foster and butler (the league's best point guard, imo), have a great big man who scores well and can play defense, have good depth and an outstanding coach. of course, with ohio state you can always run into the trouble of having a cold-shooting night or having dials in foul trouble. that could end anyone's run, though.

 

outside of them i am having a really hard time assessing how the other teams are going to fare. big ten teams have played like utter crap on the road in the league, and i'm not sure if that's a result of the league being so strong or those teams just not having what it takes from a mental toughness standpoint to win on the road. the latter scenario would not bode well for teams in the tournament.

[ZoomSlowik]

i really like ohio state's chances. i've liked them all season really.

 

to me, they have all the elements you need to make a deep tournament run. great guard play from foster and butler (the league's best point guard, imo), have a great big man who scores well and can play defense, have good depth and an outstanding coach. of course, with ohio state you can always run into the trouble of having a cold-shooting night or having dials in foul trouble. that could end anyone's run, though.

 

outside of them i am having a really hard time assessing how the other teams are going to fare. big ten teams have played like utter crap on the road in the league, and i'm not sure if that's a result of the league being so strong or those teams just not having what it takes from a mental toughness standpoint to win on the road. the latter scenario would not bode well for teams in the tournament.

 

I've also liked OSU since they put together that run out of conference. I knew Dials would be a stud, but I didn't think their guard play was going to be as solid as it is. I'd feel a lot better about them if they had another big man though. If Dials gets in foul trouble, it could get interesting. It might also be a problem if they face a really big, athletic team, but I can't think of one that also has good enough guards to keep up with OSU, other than UConn.

 

As I've said, Illinois is the only other team that I really have any faith in, although I think their chances of getting past the Sweet 16 are fairly slim. Every other team looks like a world-beater one night and awful the next (I guess the Illini do it to, but they get by with their defense).

 

I think the team with the best shot of making a run outside of those two is Michigan, but only if they get 100% healthy or very close to it. They haven't fallen off the face of the earth despite playing without Abram for most of conference play, without Harris for two games and half of two others (they might have beaten OSU if he hadn't gotten hurt), without Smith for a few games, and are now playing without Hunter. If they do get healthy and no one suffers significant slumps getting back into game shape, a starting lineup of Horton-Harris-Abram-Brown-Sims with Hunter, Pettway, Coleman, and Smith off the bench is a very impressive lineup. On paper, that's the best team in the conference, although I'm not sure how close they can get to a full squad between now and the tournament.

[thedoctor]

I've also liked OSU since they put together that run out of conference. I knew Dials would be a stud, but I didn't think their guard play was going to be as solid as it is. I'd feel a lot better about them if they had another big man though. If Dials gets in foul trouble, it could get interesting. It might also be a problem if they face a really big, athletic team, but I can't think of one that also has good enough guards to keep up with OSU, other than UConn.

 

As I've said, Illinois is the only other team that I really have any faith in, although I think their chances of getting past the Sweet 16 are fairly slim. Every other team looks like a world-beater one night and awful the next (I guess the Illini do it to, but they get by with their defense).

 

I think the team with the best shot of making a run outside of those two is Michigan, but only if they get 100% healthy or very close to it. They haven't fallen off the face of the earth despite playing without Abram for most of conference play, without Harris for two games and half of two others (they might have beaten OSU if he hadn't gotten hurt), without Smith for a few games, and are now playing without Hunter. If they do get healthy and no one suffers significant slumps getting back into game shape, a starting lineup of Horton-Harris-Abram-Brown-Sims with Hunter, Pettway, Coleman, and Smith off the bench is a very impressive lineup. On paper, that's the best team in the conference, although I'm not sure how close they can get to a full squad between now and the tournament.

 

you have been very consistent in your support of michigan. i could see them putting it together if they get in, and right now i think they are in.

 

as for illinois? i guess i feel like them a lot like i feel about the rest of the big ten contending teams. they are great at home, but outside of the wisky game have not proven themselves on the road. i could see them making a huge run, and i could see them having a horrid shooting game and being out in the second round.

[ZoomSlowik]

you have been very consistent in your support of michigan. i could see them putting it together if they get in, and right now i think they are in.

 

I put quite a few qualifiers on that though. I figured that they could have a good year for quite some time. They haven't exactly kicked ass, but they haven't sucked either, and the injury problem has come back to bite them again. It's not as bad as last year, but Abram is a major asset, and they lost Harris at a bad time. If he doesn't get hurt in that game, they might have beaten OSU, they probably don't lose at Purdue, and they're probably more competitive at East Lansing if that isn't his first game back.

 

We'll see what happens. For them to make serious noise, they need Abram. That gives them a really good perimeter game, and enough big guys to hold their own. If they don't have him but Harris and Hunter are back at full speed, I think they're in a similar spot as the Illini. In their current state, they'll struggle to get out of the second round.

Edited February 23, 2006 by ZoomSlowik