T1B

Part of it probably had to do with playing on home court but having a healthy Morgan helped in the Sparty and Hoosier matchups the 2nd time around.

Their frantic pace doesn't do them any favors...see the first 5 or so minutes of yesterday. They don't look like a team that can play half-court either since none of the bigs have a low post game that resembles Payne or Zeller. They can't just settle for open looks on the perimeter and put backs aren't always there since they're not the strongest team on the offensive glass.

If they can't force turnovers, score easy buckets in transition and hit enough 3s...they're very vulnerable heading into the tournament. They've got enough beef down low to handle some small conference upstarts but they'll have problems with any of the big conference elite. I've mentioned the issues from the free throw line before and missing the front half of a 1-and-1 when you're trying to seal up a win...that's another reason they can be bounced early. The game on before IU-Michigan...I see a team like Creighton that plays a structured style and can hit shots from the outside...I'd worry about a matchup like that.

Shoalzie wrote: Their frantic pace doesn't do them any favors...see the first 5 or so minutes of yesterday. They don't look like a team that can play half-court either since none of the bigs have a low post game that resembles Payne or Zeller. They can't just settle for open looks on the perimeter and put backs aren't always there since they're not the strongest team on the offensive glass.

Aish, they should be fine with the drive and kick considering all Beilein recruits are lanky dudes who can put it on the floor as well as hit 35% from 3. That and the pick and roll. Someone should be exploiting a mismatch so don't need a freak big like Zeller, just one that can hit a couple bunnies. Or the weight room. McGary could be that dude if he ever stood still long enough to think anything other than FOULFOULFOUL. This Donnal guy we have coming in looks promising, though standard disclaimers about 6'9" freshmen who weigh 220 lbs. Seriously, these fuckers know they're signing up for B1G basketball; can't they get a Crossfit membership or something the year in between committing and actually showing up on campus just so we can spend another year saying how good they'll be once they get in the gym and lift weights?

Good game with Wisky-Michigan but Michigan is finding themselves in trouble by allowing Wisconsin to dictate the pace of the game. Badgers are killing them inside.

Wisky choking on cock now...was up by 12, now only 2.

And now they've won. Always nice to see the Wolverines go down in defeat.....although I feel the same about Bo and the Badgers. Good game to watch.

Did SCUM lose 2 seed?

In my book, yes, but who knows what the selection committee will do?

I'm about ready to concede this one to Iowa. That was the most pathetic half of basketball MSU has played all year. Not to discredit Iowa, they're playing solidly, just sayin'. Even the wide open looks aren't even coming close.

Good first half for the Hawks. Playing with a lot of intensity on defense, which they'll need to do in the second half to win this one. Playing like they want to make the Big Dance.

Props to Sparty. They brought the intensity in the 2nd half and earned the win. Tough loss for the Hawks and now it's up to the NCAA Tournament committee. Expecting an NIT bid but still hoping for the Big Dance.

That said.......

FUCK!!!!!

Ugh. I feel for your boys, Mace. Ugly, ugly game that Iowa should have won (I don't say that often). I thought that in the first meeting as well.

That was one of the strangest games I've ever seen. Iowa pretty much dominated the first 33 minutes of the game, then out of nowhere MSU goes on a 22-2 run, gets out to an 8 point lead, then promptly pisses it away. For as smart as Izzo is, I don't know why he can't teach his teams to execute a simple in-bounds play. It has been problematic for years. Down the stretch both teams were making some crazy shots.

I hope Iowa gets in. If they don't, this game shouldn't be what causes it.

Agree that this loss isn't what will keep Iowa out of the NCAA, but a win could have put them in. Maybe they'll get selected anyway. The other "bad losses" is what will keep them out, and the weak non-conference schedule that kills their RPI. They should be much better next season and say they'll beef up their pre-conference schedule. A 21 win season is something to build on, and something that was unthinkable during the Lickliter years. Good win for Sparty and a tough loss for the Hawks. Good luck to Sparty in the B1G and beyond.....and beat the fucking Buckeyes tomorrow.

Mace wrote:Expecting an NIT bid but still hoping for the Big Dance.

Going to get in with a higher seed than Michigan, so there's that.

Good game by the floppers to knock off the Hoosiers.

figures...I bet Indiana and they fucking shit the bed...

Steve Kerr made an interesting point today that Iowa won the 36 minutes of basketball last night but Michigan State won the 6 minutes of football. I'm not going to blame the officials, or Ted Valentine in particular, for the loss because there were a lot of things Iowa needed to do in the second half that didn't get done, and I credit MSU for making the comeback, but Valentine expends way too much time and energy sucking Tom Izzo's dick during a game and it has to be somewhat distracting him from the job he's paid to do.

Mace wrote:Steve Kerr made an interesting point today that Iowa won the 36 minutes of basketball last night but Michigan State won the 6 minutes of football. I'm not going to blame the officials, or Ted Valentine in particular, for the loss because there were a lot of things Iowa needed to do in the second half that didn't get done, and I credit MSU for making the comeback, but Valentine expends way too much time and energy sucking Tom Izzo's dick during a game and it has to be somewhat distracting him from the job he's paid to do.

The only dick TV Teddy sucks is his own. Nobody loves Teddy more than Teddy. Trust me, MSU has been on the wrong end of many of his shitty calls as well. He's fucked a lot of teams over because he sucks at his job, plain and simple. It all comes full circle. But Iowa could have helped themselves by staying aggressive. They got lazy on defense and sat on their lead on offense. They just drained the shot clock and settled for contested jumpers. You can't get calls if you don't get in the paint and attack the rim.

I would have liked to see MSU play for the conf tourney title today, but a loss yesterday isn't a terrible thing. Got out of Chicago without any injuries (though I guess Gary Harris' shoulder popped out again) and get an extra day of rest to get ready for the real tourney.

OSU is really rounding into form. A couple of weeks ago I would have said the Sweet 16 was their ceiling. Now they look like a legit threat to get to the Final Four. They're playing elite defense and finally getting some scoring out of other guys besides Thomas. I have a feeling Wisky gets them today though.

[blatant homerism] I think OSU takes Wisconsin...the sting of that beat down still rings and the fact they are playing for a solid 2 line spot should be enough.[blatant homerism]


it is nice to see Craft/Thompson step up and score...Q had a really nice first half against Neb and has shown some flashes...the one guy that has largely disappeared is Lenzelle for now...if he gets going offensively they might have a shot at Elite 8 but that's about as far as it goes in my opinion...the lack of a TRUE low post threat will hurt them depending on matchups

I wouldn't call it homerism, they are favored to win the game. I think it's a toss up. Just have a feeling Wisky will ugly it up enough and win 54-52 or something like that. Root canal basketball.

Speaking of Craft, how does that guy always turn into fucking Chris Paul when he plays MSU? I've lost track how many times he's sliced and diced his way to the rim and scored. The fucker is annoying, but fun to watch.

buckeye_in_sc wrote:...the lack of a TRUE low post threat will hurt them depending on matchups

Seems to have always been the case, with the exception of Oden's time in the paint.

We could start a new thread on the sucktitude of Ted Valentine and it would end up being 15-20 pages. I agree that Iowa stopped being aggressive, or aggressive enough to extend their lead rather than sit on it, but that has been the trademark of this Iowa team when they've had leads against all of the top teams in the B1G that ended up being Hawkeye losses. That said, the horrible calls changed the momentum of the game and, imo, came because Michigan State was making a run and Valentine got caught up in it like he was working a Sparty home game and contributed to the run by denying defensive stops by Iowa and calling fouls. There was a phantom foul called on Aaron White that led to free throws. An obvious offensive foul on Payne when he was powering his way to the hoop by backing over McCabe, who clearing had good defensive position, but was called for a foul. But the worst no-call of the day was in the first half when they didn't call a shot clock violation on Sparty when the clock had clearly expired.....and they didn't even review it. McCaffery was trying to get a T at one point when he threw his jacket out on the floor and Teddy and his crew didn't even have the sack to give it to him. There was no need, as Teddy had already determined the outcome. I'm not sure how incompetent officials get assigned to a conference tournament but Ted Valentine should never get such an assignment. TV Teddy may like sucking his own dick but he can suck mine right now.

Okay, my rant is over. I'm not one who normally criticizes officiating but bringing it on Valentine is always justified.

And I'll take the Badgers in the championship game today.

I can't disagree with you about many of the calls yesterday. Iowa got hosed on a few of them. Every team gets fucked at some point though, and Iowa still folded down the stretch of that game. A team doesn't go on a 22-2 run against you based solely on bad officiating. At some point, Iowa still needs to make shots and stop the other team from making shots, and they didn't do that the last 7 minutes of the game.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:I can't disagree with you about many of the calls yesterday. Iowa got hosed on a few of them. Every team gets fucked at some point though, and Iowa still folded down the stretch of that game. A team doesn't go on a 22-2 run against you based solely on bad officiating. At some point, Iowa still needs to make shots and stop the other team from making shots, and they didn't do that the last 7 minutes of the game.

I agree with you but the calls that were made denied Iowa defensive stops that could have stopped the Sparty run and changed the outcome of the game. Bottom line....when TV Teddy walks out on the court, you know that someone is going to get fucked...usually the visitors when he's playing up to the home crowd....and Friday it was Iowa.

Okay, now I'm really done talking about it. I may start throwing shit at my TV if I don't stop now.

OSU needs Thomas to get going...good sign at the end of the first half that he started to heat up...


loved the Bo Ryan half time interview...

i love when Hightower and Valentine do a game...you talk about look at me shit...holy fuck and don't forget Karl Hess as well...


those fucking 3 are awful

Who needs a shot clock when you have Wisconsin...

Props to tOSU for winning the tournament.

Somebody get Charles Barkley off the tube, for God's sake. He is a total fucking idiot. "The MWC is better than the B1G." Seriously? Alford won't get past the second round. Guaranteed.

Mace wrote:Somebody get Charles Barkley off the tube, for God's sake. He is a total fucking idiot. "The MWC is better than the B1G." Seriously? Alford won't get past the second round. Guaranteed.

Yeah, I saw that. Why do they even have him on the air, other than for comedic value? That comment of his was total Babsense.

MGO...yeah Craft was a beast in the B1G tourney...

although yeah watching Wisconsin...holy fuck...

Mace wrote:Somebody get Charles Barkley off the tube, for God's sake. He is a total fucking idiot. "The MWC is better than the B1G." Seriously? Alford won't get past the second round. Guaranteed.

Uh you do realize the MWC was the highest rated conference? Fuck yourself, jerkoff. Don't let the facts interrupt your misguided rants.

Screw_Michigan wrote:

Mace wrote:Somebody get Charles Barkley off the tube, for God's sake. He is a total fucking idiot. "The MWC is better than the B1G." Seriously? Alford won't get past the second round. Guaranteed.

Uh you do realize the MWC was the highest rated conference? Fuck yourself, jerkoff. Don't let the facts interrupt your misguided rants.

Are you trying to edge out Wags for the title of Village Idiot? You're in the running and your RPI is on the rise. Congratulations, dumbfuck, you're as intelligent as Charles Barkley.

Barkley had to be trolling (or he's not watched a second of college hoops all year)...my money is on B. The CBS talking heads weren't big on the B1G either...big mistake.

Screw_Michigan wrote:

Mace wrote:Somebody get Charles Barkley off the tube, for God's sake. He is a total fucking idiot. "The MWC is better than the B1G." Seriously? Alford won't get past the second round. Guaranteed.

Uh you do realize the MWC was the highest rated conference? Fuck yourself, jerkoff. Don't let the facts interrupt your misguided rants.

And you do realize that non-Division I opponents are not included in the RPI rankings, right? The MWC schools played 14 games against lower division schools and none of those games are applied toward the strength of schedule. I guess the MWC figured out how to manipulate the RPI but, unfortunately for them, there won't be any Division II schools playing in the NCAA Tournament.

SEC has been taking a hit in the NIT, Sam, not that that's what will happen in the NCAA but it could be an indication of what's going to happen. Kentucky goes down to Robert Morris last night and Tennessee falls to Mercer tonight.

Yeah, it's only the NIT but a big 11 point win for the Hawkeyes over Virginia tonight. Only the third road win of the season, and by far the best. 15-15 from the free throw line never hurts. Maryland is next at Madison Square Garden. Devyn Marble has looked great at the point and I'm guessing we'll see him there next season. I like this team a lot and I'm anxious to see what they can do in the FF.

I was looking forward to matching up against 'Bama too, Sam, but will settle for future B1G conference member Maryland. Haven't seen them play this year so it'll be interesting. I think this NIT run will pay huge dividends for Iowa next season and is just what they needed.

Sudden Sam wrote:Maryland's big. Got a 7' something Russian kid who clogs the middle and can score. 6'8" kid rained threes on us when we were within 2 of the Terps. Lotsa muscle inside.

They're young, too. Should be a serious contender in your conference in '14.

Should be a good matchup then. Iowa's 7 footer is only a freshman and isn't very strong yet, but he had his best game last night against Virginia. Should be a good game if Iowa continues shooting at their current pace. Looking forward to Tuesday night.

Hawkeyes beat the Terps by 11 and move on to the championship game against Baylor. The NIT has made Iowa a better team. Really looking forward to next season.