What are your Big 10 predictions going into the season...



Ohio State #1

Bucky #2....

after that who knows

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I see Western Illinois almost knocked off a ranked Michigan squad last night. I think it is going to be a
bit of a down year for the Big Ten.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Wisconsin
Purdue
Indiana
Northwestern
Minnesota
Illinois
Iowa
Nebraska
Penn State

As you said though, it's really Ohio State #1 and then a big blob.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

This is a very important year for Crean at IU. If the team does not show significant improvement in the conference his seat is going to start to get extremely hot!

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Crean has one of the best recruiting classes in the country next year. I think they will DEFINITELY give him a chance to see how that class turns out.

OSU
MSU
Wisc






Other teams







Nebraska
Penn State

Ohio State
Michigan State
Wisconsin
Michigan
Purdue
Indiana
Illinois
Minnesota
Northwestern
Iowa
Penn State
Nebraska

Oh yeah, I did not mean to imply that if he does bad this year he is gone, but if things do not go well this year the pressure on next year will be off the charts.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Those damn directional Illinois schools are causing all sorts of havoc on powerhouse programs this year..

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Are we a directional school? I guess so.

I'll step out and say that if DJ Richardson has actually remembered how to shoot the ball and, as a result, he returns to the defensive player that he was before his head got all messed up, that Illinois will be better than people might anticipate. There is a lot of talent on that team.

Leonard has to be strong in the middle and not be foul-prone, though. They are still thin in the middle, as always.

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You know me like that.

I watched the game last night, they are pretty stacked in the middle actually. They lack good ball handlers on the perimeter. Tons of TO's and no assists.

I didn't realize that game was on TV. I believe that. Maniscalco is probably their only ball-handler. Paul is wild with the ball (unless he's improved). Richardson works better without the ball. I thought they talked about trying to groom Head into being a PG but I know he's been out (suspended).

I don't know how stacked they can be down low. Griffey is one of their classic tall/outside guys. Leonard should be solid but the other guys are young or unskilled or both. I don't think you can count on them.

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You know me like that.

Leonard has developed quite a mean streak and Nnana Egwu is a real solid interior player. Still raw, but solid on the boards and defensively. Mike Shaw has also looks to be ready to play as well. Much bigger than I expected him to be.

Interior players showed a lot of physicality that has been lacking in recent years.

Great. Let's see if Weber can get something out of Paul, Richardson, and Head like he did with a certain trio a few years ago.

I wouldn't count out Abrams or Bertrand from contributing this year, either.

I mean, on paper, they should be good. But, after last year, when, on paper, they should have been very good, I just can't say that it is going to happen. But, it is going to happen. Big Ten Title!!!

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You know me like that.

They are playing all of the guards on the roster so far, but none of them seem to get it right now. Better movement, but no purpose. No go-to guy on the perimeter. Paul hasn't looked good. Head was bad last night. Richardson has looked good when his shots are falling, but he is still streaky.

Big Ten has actually looked pretty good so far. MSU losing to Duke and UNC the only losses and no upsets. OSU beat Florida, Northwestern beat LSU the other day, Nebraska won at USC, and Purdue beat Temple, and some other good midmajor wins by Minnesota and Indiana.

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Git on back there.

Northwestern actually just beat a decent Tulsa team too!

Think they can make the tourney this year?

They should be 12-1 going into Big Ten play. Assuming 20 wins gets a Big Ten team in, they need to go 8-8. Definitely do-able. I can see them beating Penn State (twice), Iowa (twice), Nebraska (once), Michigan (once), Illinois (once), Purdue (once), Indiana (once), and Minnesota (once) for a 9-7 record.

That's 10.

Yeah, I'm math retarded apparently. I think NW plays only 12 OOC games and 18 in conference games, too. So, my numbers were skewed everywhere. Regardless, they need to win 9 or 10 in conference to make the tourney and it would seem do-able for them.

Well, when you put it like that...

no...

Sorry Mud, I just can't see them doing all of that, I know that the conference is sub-par this season, but that looks like a heavy assumption that they can do all that, are they that much improved over last years team?

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Just bumping this for a Big 10 College Basketball thought,

Since Big 10 play has started, you can tell Nebraska was brought in for football, because is just seems that when they play in basketball, it doesn't matter.

May only matter in Women's basketball.

No need to apologize... I want Northwestern to not win another game. I'm sick of Carmody and it seems that's the only thing that is gonna get him out of there.

I know this could go in the Illinois Hoops part, but I heard B&B talk about Weber and if you look at the last 5 years, he should be gone, and looking at it, I would have to agree.

SInce going to the title game, only have 2 Tournament wins, No Big 10 titles.

To add on other Coaches, I know Carmody of Northwestern keeps surviving with not even going to the Tournament, and been there since 2000. Is it time for him to go.

One more I will throw out, and I always wonder about this guy and that's Matta of Ohio State. He gets the players and gets the Regular Season wins, but once the Tournamet starts, have been shut out of the Final 4. I would say the last 2 years should have been Final 4, and out in the Sweet 16 to teams they were better than. Even the 1 year they made it to the Final 4, almost lost in the 2nd round to Xavier.

I know they say the Big 10 is the toughest conference, and I could see 4 teams make the Sweet 16 (Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Indiana), but after that I don't see a title team and not even a Final 4 team.

My guess is Ohio State and Michigan State around 2 seeds, Michigan a 3 or 4, and IU a 4 or 5.

I will say we will have to see where everybody's bracketed and of the possible 1 seeds, Kentucky, Syracuse, and 2 of these 4 Duke, UNC, Kansas, and Missouri.

If Ohio State was paired, with Kansas or Missouri and possibly Duke, Buckeyes could possibly get past them, but like most Ohio State teams under Matta, usually under perform.

I know everybody talks about Northwestern getting in, not a bad resume, a non conference win against Seton Hall, what will hurt them is at best not a winning conference record.

16-11, does 19-13 get you in, win 2 of 3 in the regular season and 1-1 in the Big 10 Tournament. Of course those 3 wins will all be away from home.

The team I have questions about is Purdue. 17-10 right now, will say a 3-3 finish, ( win both at home, lose both on road and 1-1 at Big Ten tournament) that's 20-13 and their best win may be against Miami at home.

I would say today the Big 10 has 5 locks, Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State, and WIsconsin. Purdue and Northwestern on the bubble.

I heard Spiegel said Iowa, I just don't see it right now, may have to go 4-0 in regular season which is possible and 2 wins in Big 10 Tournament.

I would need to win the Big 10 tournie to get in. Their RPI is a woeful 135. With an over 500 record, they might get into the NIT or CBI but they won't be dancing.

Doesn't winning late count for something? Iowa is definitely playing better basketball. I wouldn't rule it out.