What about NW being preseason top 25?
1 Like
Definitely think Poole evolves as the season progresses. He just needs to play under control and limit the turnovers. JB is one of the best at getting his teams better and teaching winning basketball. I look for a strong finish and better point guard play by March. This team is loaded with young talent, can they make the jump in 8 weeks? How far will they go?
2 Likes
Oh, okay. I agree with that then.
Up to this point, only MSU and Purdue have clearly looked better than us, but after that, we’re in a group of 5-6 other teams, none of which really stands out. 3rd to 8th place are pretty wide open at this point, and there probably won’t be more than two or three games difference between the upper and lower end of that. The way the season usually goes, that means it will hinge on a couple games decided by one free throw or one 3 pointer made or missed, and right now, we’re leaning towards the bad side in both of those areas (which are aspects of the game where Beilein’s teams have normally had an advantage). Last year we shot 39% on threes and 75% on free throws in the Big Ten, and still only went 10-8, and that was with Walton playing like a freak at PG, compared to what we have now. If we don’t improve in both those areas, getting to 12-6 seems very unlikely, even with improved defense.
3 Likes
Looks like 15 games to go and if MW is healthy, I think we can finish 10-5…
7-1 at Home
3-4 away
Go Blue!
Play ‘em one game at a time.
3 Likes
4th place and 11 wins should be the goal. Anything more is gravy. Anything less a
Little disappointing
2 Likes
Goal??? That’s the baseline IMO. 3rd place and 14 wins shoukd be the goal.
Wow…got the split but never thought it would come in Breslin. This changes everything…that’s a nice roadie. Should elevate the team!
8 Likes
Big win. And to think we were beating OSU and had the final shot vs Purdue. No doubt we should be a scary team to draw in the NCAA Tourney.
4 Likes
So it looks like the rotation is set at 9 + Davis if there is foul trouble. Pretty much what most here expected.
1 Like
This could be the bummer-anchor to an otherwise awesome conference season. But riding high, today!!
But I dare say it’s a deeper nine than most of us expected even a few weeks ago.
3 Likes
We’re favored in every Big Ten game but two according to kenpom, with one of them being against an injury ridden Maryland team currently in a free fall.
2 Likes
Bridges agreed that he and his teammates were “out-toughed” by the Wolverines in their only regular season meeting this year. It stung, he said, “especially to a school like that, that doesn’t even focus on [being tough].”
Bulletin board material for the rest of the season? Yes please. I hope we make that part of our identity. D and rebounding seem to be capable of backing it up this year. Who would’ve thunk we’d be grinding out teams. JB is always evolving.
5 Likes
The MSU program has a distorted view of toughness that they think includes big dunks and outdated bully ball. To me, toughness is answering every run they throw at you and not getting affected by big dunks and outdated bully ball.
9 Likes
I wonder–as the tide swings in the rivalry–whether we start to get more respect from the officials. It has always galled me that Izzo got his cake and ate it, too, with his teams bumping and giving hard fouls on one end and crying foul and pleading on the other. Sort of gave the lie to all the toughness.
Where the subject of this thread is concerned, I hope that Beilein is telling the troops that we can win the B1G. Three regular season titles in eight years would be no mean feat, especially given the grief he sometimes took.
2 Likes
The B1G studio guys really criticized the MSU players for all the whining after foul calls. That is Izzo’s job.
5 Likes
Indeed. Definitely hope we can take some lessons from the win and stay amped going forward. A title is not out of the question… hopefully we win all the games we should, the we would need to pay back Purdue on the road and OSU at home, which will be tough. But, hey…just took down MSU at Breslin.
1 Like
I don’t know if it is just me but MSU seems to be getting away with less of their designed fouling and moving screens. Ward, who is an elite cheater is getting away with less of his little cheats. MSU seems to get called for more moving screens too, which has been a real problem for awhile now.
2 Likes