Figured I'd start a main thread since there are a bunch of threads all talking about the same thing.

I'm going to step out on a ledge and play the contrarian (for once): things aren't going to get magically better for MSU as this year progresses.

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Fire Phil Emery

Tight game between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Probably one that Wisconsin needs more, being at home.

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Fire Phil Emery

Thoughts on tomorrow night? I'm cautiously optimistic that the Hawkeyes won't be in the cellar but that might be pushing it. I expect a closer game than maybe expected but the ILL win.

I see a close game in the first half turning into a persistent 5-10 point Illinois lead that never really feels like it's getting out of hand but never really feels in doubt either. Illinois doesn't mind running with Iowa as much as some other Big Ten teams will.

Then again, this team just lost to UIC, so I can't say I have endless amounts of confidence.

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Fire Phil Emery

Wisconsin fans chanting "overrated" at Minnesota after a close home win. They're more right than they know.

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Fire Phil Emery

Michigan State has been incredibly fortunate in the past few years and multiple seasons ended up looking much better than they actually were.

Last years final four run is one of the most fortunate in recent memory. The top four teams in the Big Ten could have done the same if they happened to play that group of teams.

Ohio State will run away with the conference but the lack of depth will come back to bite them by the end of the year.

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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!

I give MSU and the legendary Tom Izzo credit for taking on a bunch of real opponents during non-conference time. It gives the team a taste of the kind of basketball that they're likely to encounter in the tournament. Whether that factors into the equation when March rolls around I know naught, however you can't really argue with the tournament results Izzo gets time and time again without a plethora of OMFG shitkicking NBA-ready talent.

That said, I don't know if anyone in the Big Ten is really all that good this year. I thought that Illinois was a bit of a reach starting the season at #18 or whatever, and it seems like their early-season results are backing up my thinking.

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That was about right. Iowa is better but just not very athletic and it showed - plus not having a NBA caliber pg in McCamey helps the Illini alot. He needs to shoot more.

Looked like it was going to get ugly, but I never really felt like the game was over until there were three minutes or so left. Some hot shooting early doomed Iowa. I think the quicker pace might bother some teams--Wisconsin maybe, perhaps OSU because of the short bench--but Illinois is willing to go with it. The talent is improving, and the younger players of Iowa look pretty decent. Way more reason to be optimistic than the past two years.

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Fire Phil Emery

I agree with that - Illinois had many uncotested looks which led to the tremedous shooting (65% I think plus 13 for 18 from 3). Iowa will get better but they are easily 2 years away now.

I'm amazed at how much more competitive Iowa is. They won't be an easy win for very long if they aren't already a capable team. I guess coaching was the issue.

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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!

They are going to have good nights and bad nights. because they have very little inside presence, they will have to rely on outside shooting. Last night they shot close to 50% which kept them in the games. The biggest difference is the style. They want to push when they can and are willing to shoot it early. Won't always work, but some nights it will. They will beat someone unexpectedly this year - and probably get spanked hard several times.

McCaffrey is turning things around. They got a couple of decent committments for next year - Iowa's best prospect (which means alot to keep the in state kids in state) and a forward out of Ohio. They still have two more scholarships they can dish out this year and are looking at a couple of big men who could help.

Northwestern with another moral victory last night against MSU.

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Fire Phil Emery

Northwestern is actually now under performing with the talent they have. Even if you don't count Shurna in this they've still got a bunch of talent that could play for some really good teams in conference.

The Princeton offense is actually limiting them now in my opinion.

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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!

I'm not even a Northwestern fan, and even I'm frustrated by the way they've handled scheduling for their program in its two major sports. Everything is built around building hollow records and providing the appearance of success to boost ticket sales while not giving their teams a chance to really accomplish anything. It's an embarrassment for the Big Ten, both in football and in basketball.

They could go 9-9 or even 10-8 this year in conference and still miss the (68-team) tournament. This isn't a MVC team.

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Fire Phil Emery

Yes, if NW would have scheduled their football season better, I'm sure they would have enjoyed the New Year's Day success that all of the other powerhouse Big Ten teams did.

Come on, you don't really believe that the reason NW didn't "accomplish anything" in football this year was because opf scheduling, do you?

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Maybe not, because of the Persa injury. But if NU goes 9-9 in the Big Ten and misses the tournament, the pathetic scheduling will be the only reason.

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Fire Phil Emery

I don't disagree with IB at all.

How do you measure success by beating Towson, Hofstra and Rice and finishing 4-4 in the Big 10? The only legit OOC team the basketball team played this year was St. John's - which beat NU.

Even the St. Johns is an accidental good game. They anticipated that being another easy one.

I don't mean to rag on NU too much. I'm just frustrated by the attitude of the program as a whole. If I were an NU season ticket holder and our first I-A home game wasn't until October...well, I wouldn't be an NU season ticket holder. When your premiere basketball home game is against the worst team in the ACC, followed by Creighton and American, you have an attitude program.

It's fun to mock Northwestern and everything, but they are a Big Ten program, and a relatively OK one at that. They should act accordingly.

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Fire Phil Emery

I'm not going to make any excuses for the cupcake schedule, but let's remember that Vandy, Rice and Central Michigan were all bowl teams a year earlier. It's bad, but its not Wisconsin bad, if you get my drift. All I'll say is that even Alabama is scheduling cupcakes (with the exception of Penn State).

Regarding basketball, OOC scheduling is pretty poor. But that's where the RPI comes in, right? But IB is right on how you "pay" for that as a season ticketholder. Georgia Tech is a quality win... and let's remember that they had a bunch of well touted recruits (but didn't do much with them). Separately, I wouldn't go so far as BR in saying that we actually have talent yet. But I think they did a pretty good job considering Shurna wasn't even 50% (you can't be with a high ankle sprain... he arrived in a walking boot for Christsake). I do agree that the Princeton offense is gimmicky and tries to cover up the fact that our talent depth is weak, particularly in the middle. I think BR is right... time for the Princeton offense to go... and take Carmody with you!

Both Vandy and Rice were 2-10 in 2009. They made bowls in 2008.

Iowa up six at halftime against OSU. Chances are the Hawkeyes still lose, and probably lose comfortably, but that's more of a fight than anyone else has put up against OSU this year so far.

Indiana put up a decent fight against Minnesota tonight as well at Minny, but I came away from it thinking less of Minnesota, not more of Indiana.

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Go Iowa Awesome!

OSU looked like they didn't want to be on the floor in the first half. Now they do.

Indiana looked really good in the first half of that game. They looked clueless for much of the second half.

Maurice Creek may never be a good player after his injury and Christian Watford seems to really struggle against good teams.

Olapido is a keeper though. He's still raw but I really like him.

I am sure I will come out looking like a Crean basher but can someone explain to me what offense IU runs? I have a hard time figuring out exactly what they are trying to accomplish outside of the obvious "make shots, score points" stuff.

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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!

I'm coming around to the "Bill Carmody needs to be fired" point of view.

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Fire Phil Emery

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w ... ?eref=sihp

National Power Rankings. Just thought it was the most well done power rankings I've ever seen. Some Purdue and Sparty love.

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Team Cutler.

Luke Winn does a nice job, he's very thorough which makes his rankings just a scan read for me
and usually just check the Big 10 teams or others I am interested in. He does do some good
analysis though.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Yea, I was impressed. I watch less college basketball than NBA basketball if that's possible so don't really know who any of these players are. Just wanted to share with the class

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Team Cutler.

Yeah, I usually read CNN/SI.com everyday during my lunch. They have a
pretty decent online sports section. Keeps my general sports knowledge up
to date and continues to make me master of absolutely nothing.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

That's actually a really in depth preview. I will have to give him more of a look. Thanks Dan.

In defense of the Purdue haters, the team prior to Christmas really was a two man team. No one had stepped up. All of a sudden, the best three point shooter in practice the past 3 years has found out how to do it in games, two freshman have stepped up to provide a valuable role, Lewis Jackson finally seems to be back to where he was before his injury that he never recovered from.

The problem is that even a homer like me doesn't know if it will last for the rest of the season.

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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!

MSU goes down at PSU. Once again, MSU had trouble hitting their free throws, but the game probably shouldn't have been close enough to matter. For PSU, that makes two decent wins for them (@IU, MSU) and two losses. Today's win makes 9-9 and an NIT bid a possibility.

The more interesting story is MSU, who finished the OOC schedule with only one real quality win against Washington (and unfortunately for MSU, Washington is probably better than they'll get credit for). MSU's next four are vs Wisconsin, Northwestern, @Illinois, and @Purdue. If they drop two, all conference championship hopes are over. If they drop three, MSU might actually be a bubble team come tournament time.

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Fire Phil Emery