Big Ten Discussion

Well that would be just ridiculous.

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I agree. And Id guess Bridges is coming back simply because he wants to, as youā€™ve said is likely the case. Im not sure if you can/will weigh in on the subject, but do you think Izzo pushes the kids to do what is best for them? Maybe compared to JB?

I think bridges will go higher just based on the competition. Even if his three ball comes back to earth, heā€™d still be a likely top five kid versus next years prospects. Top 8 for sure.

This year is so competitive I could see him falling out of the top ten. I think heā€™s a definite lottery pick though.

Strange though is Jackson ok wit him this development? You gotta wonder how this would have changed his outlook. Bowen is out. I dont see Bowen having starter minutes locked up at zona either. I think he goes to creighton now or else heā€™s riding pine.

Maybe he opens up other options?

Bowen is running out of options here lol. So wish we wouldā€™ve done more to attract him. Would love to have that kid.

As great of a defender as Matthews is, he would have a little trouble with bridges. That is one big kid who can drabblie and play with his back to the basket. Matthews is currently at 202 and is going to stay around there. Those extra 30-40 pounds bridges has on him would put Matthews at a real disadvantage. Matthews can lock up most SG/SF but not PFs IMO.

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Can someone catch me up here? Has Bridges withdrawn from the draft, or is he just not hiring an agent? If itā€™s the latter, I think when heā€™s around the other guys at workouts/combines, heā€™ll be even more intriguing and can help his draft stock in the next month.

Heā€™s announcing that heā€™s coming back to school and not entering the draft tonight at 6.

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Thanks Dylan - was just too hard for me to believe. Good for him, I hold no ill will towards the kid (though I hate to see a rival look better on paper).

Makes sparty the clear favorite next year, without adding anyone else. Winston, Langford, Bridges, Jackson, Ward is a great starting 5. Bring Schilling, Mcquaid and nairn off the bench. They will be a tough out and should probably win their first B1G regular season since 2012.

Otoh, if Michigan gets Wilson and Wagner back and adds an impact 5th year or Bamba, then it could be a great year for us as well.

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Izzo comes across as one of the most self serving coaches in college. I donā€™t know how that might impact his interaction or even utilization of players though. Friends close to the program tell me he burns for another national title and struggled with the recruiting misses a few years ago. Anyway, look at the back and forth between Izzo and Davis last year. Davis claimed he was always one-and-done, Izzo said that was never the case. He blamed mock drafts put together by people in their basements for planting the idea in Davisā€™ head. Others said Izzo purposely limited his minutes trying to set the team up for the incoming Bridges class.

I canā€™t see Beilein ever being suspected of sandbagging a kid. Of course I havenā€™t played for him, a guy like DJ obviously had other thoughts when he considered transferring last year. Still, Beilein has turned projected 4 year guys into two-and-dones, heā€™s had the opposite issues.

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An Izzo team led by freshmen and sophomores doesnā€™t exactly scare me.

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I donā€™t think they are a clear favorite at all.

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An Izzo team in any form scares me. An Izzo team led by multiple 5 stars scares me more.

We can compete with anyone though.

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I just heard the segment today. Clearly a hot take, but an even hotter take happened right after that:

One of the participants (Brian Cook?) floated out the opinion that, ā€œthe financial burden for Miles Bridges is probably lesser than it is for other people at other schools.ā€

It was a comment that didnā€™t seem to be earth shattering until one of the other participants (Craig Ross?) didnā€™t let it go and praised the ā€œvery careful and very veiledā€ wording of the statement, leading idiots like me to think about the true meaning of the initial opinion on finances. Sam Webb joined in on the uncomfortable laughing at whatever obviously known but unpublishable truth Cook alluded to.

Combined with an earlier comments recalling Izzo needing ā€œmore hoursā€ from players (before they go pro? to repay the schoolā€™s investment?) and it is a scorching hot take. :fire: :fire: :fire:

This was at the 10:20 mark of Segment Two of the MGoBlog Rountable from 4/13/2017, for anyone who wants to hear the exchange right from the source.

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Yeah, Brian (and maybe Ace) have alluded to $ playing a role in Bridges decision to go to MSU instead of Kentucky, and Sam Webb has never really denied it, just tried to move passed it. I just shrug and try to enjoy how immaculately clean my wonderful school, and itā€™s wonderful coach, is, and accept that cheaters prosper for their misdeedsā€¦and then live with other fanbases calling me arrogant :grinning:

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Well said!

I definitely enjoy the ā€œprosperā€ portion of this statement.

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http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-basketball/2017/04/81657/some-kind-of-wonderful

Trevor Thompson is staying in the draft and signed with an agent.