Purdue is listed as having the easiest B1G schedule on Torvik so I glanced at it. They have single plays against Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, AND IOWA. Every single top 4 team. And they’re currently 3-0 against the mid tier teams of Indiana and OSU.
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I feel like they have the coaching and organization to beat those mid tier teams. But I just don’t like their talent to hold up against the top tier teams. What a break for them to only play them once.
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Similar to '18, I think.
Ivey got pretty choked up in the post-game when talking about making the shot. He acknowledged how he’d been struggling and how much it had been weighing on him, then he just lost it. It was a cool moment.
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Sorry if this has already been discussed but after the game against Purdue Friday is one of the big open windows to “make up” games. Has there been any official word if there will be any games added in?
Really what makes me love college hoops. It just means more.
Also, Ivey seems like a great kid. Rooting for him anytime he’s not playing us.
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It would be great, Chatha, if some of the detractors on our forum understand, as you do, that these players are kids, and it’s SO important to them. They want to do well more than any fan wants them to do well. It is so important to them. Ivey got emotional, I submit, because the game is THAT important to him. I would love it if, the next time guys on our forum want to criticize our kids, which happens in my humble opinion too frequently, that they remember how important these games are to these kids. Thanks for reminding us of that!
Have I been missing people going over the top criticizing kids? If people have been criticizing anyone I feel like it’s been Juwan for his lineup decisions over the last couple of games.
Yes, I guess you have. Criticizing Juwan for playing AD is a criticism of AD, too. The criticism Franz received at the beginning of the year and last year, as a freshman, after breaking his wrist, because he wasn’t shooting well. Criticism of Eli in his first three years in the program. Yeah, criticism of players. It happens, and, as you know, I’m not a fan of that.
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I mean I don’t think saying AD should get taken out of the game before he has to ask out of the game is his fault. How is that criticism of AD?
As far as the other stuff, that was pretty much just random noise – nothing particularly significant? I don’t remember anyone criticizing Franz last year.
The only really harsh criticism I can remember of a player that seemed maybe over the line was Jordan Poole in '19 IMO. A lot of that was earned by how he played but it went kind of far.
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You haven’t been reading your own board? And THAT’s not what I’m talking about. How about “Austin Davis shouldn’t get ANY backup minutes behind Dickinson at the five?”
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I usually love your takes, silver, but I can’t get on board with this particular one. I suppose the operative word is “criticize”. I, in no way, feel that I (or fellow posters) are being critical of Austin Davis when we discuss his lack of lateral movement or some of his defensive deficiencies. I very rarely see any attacks on character–which is what I consider “criticisms”. It’s a hoops forum and we’re debating pros and cons, best lineups, etc.
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Is saying Austin Davis should get the backup minutes at the five a criticism of Johns? I think debating who should play is pretty much fair game for discussing a college hoops team.
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Back on topic in this thread… really curious about Northwestern at Wisconsin tonight. If Wisconsin is going to be a contender then I think this might be a get right spot where they really blow NW out. I’m wondering if Nate Reuvers can get back on track because he’s lost all of his confidence. Think NW could actually be an OK matchup for him.
There are a lot of teams in this league falling like rocks (NW, Rutgers, PSU, NEB) and it is going to be a hard year to get back on track.
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Oh no, it’s not about character. There are people who seem to think they are qualified to critique AD’s playing ability, and to do it publicly. I’m tried of it. It’s why I spend a lot less time on the board now. Eli suffered the same thing. Ask Coach Hay. Iam sure I will take some hits about this, but I don’t really care. Listen, there are a lot of folks who literally can’t carry the gym bags of our players who seem to take pleasure in taking shots at these kids. If I’m wrong for thinking ill of those comments, then so be it!
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Well, see we differently on that, too. We have a GREAT coaching staff, a coaching staff with a wonderful diversity of experience and talent. I trust that coaching staff to make the right decisions. Do we have a right to our opinions? I suppose we do, but again I will trust that Juwan and his staff know a little more about the kids, the program, and, frankly, basketball than any of us here on the forum, as much as that may hurt some people to hear. And, yes, we do have knowledgeable people here on umhoops, but, in my “humble” opinion, it just doesn’t compare with the knowledge of this staff.
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Silver, I respect your take. I needed to take a break from the forums for a while because I was taking myself, and the game, far too seriously. To Dylan’s question, Wisconsin over Northwestern by a huge margin for a Wisconsin-paced game: so, by 5.
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We talk about how losing games against Nebraska and PSU (and MSU??? nah, too soon) as lost opportunities for top teams to stack W’s in hopes of winning the conference; but it’s also becoming obvious that struggling mid-tier teams like Rutgers and NW could really use those games to get to ~ .500 in conference to maintain bubble status.
The B1G did heavy non-con lifting but even before conference play started, we assumed that good B1G teams would finish 10-10 thru 9-11 and still likely to get in. That math gets harder if they mid-tier teams cant play the freebies
Any criticism of a players play and capabilities is 100% ok. Just don’t get personal and start wishing for them to fail.
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Dylan curious to hear why u think Rutgers has become such a bad team lately. Obviously not playing defense, shooting cooled off, bad transition d, etc. Curious to hear if you have any idea WHY this is happening?