February Madness: The Messy Big Ten

I, for one, much preferred that nice, clean ending featured in the 2009 Big Ten basketball season.

Mr. Gasaway on MSU's prospects among the five contenders for the conference title:

"For my money Izzo's team is the most interesting member of the Gang of Five in this strange new era. Lucas is hobbled and the Spartans are putatively "reeling," but at the end of the day they're still tied for first and they still have perhaps the easiest remaining schedule of any contender. (Put it this way. One in every three remaining Michigan State games will be played against Penn State.) If MSU can just avoid freaking out unnecessarily and pick up a couple road wins at Happy Valley (Saturday) and Indiana (Tuesday), they'll be in good shape to win this thing, possibly even outright."

Good to hear a neutral observer (one who know a little something about Big Ten basketball, no less) conclude much the same thing we did last night.

over 2 years ago KJ@theonlycolors 7 comments 0 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

I'm kind of repeating myself but again

My analysis for how to win the Big Ten if you’re MSU is still the same as I said before Tuesday night.
First, win all the games you’re “supposed” to. There’s 12 of those and four remaining. Gotta take care of biz.
Get as many as you can of the toss-ups. I’m calling OSU at Breslin a toss up. If MSU wins, they’re 2-2 in those games. 3-1 would have put the team on smooth sailing. Oh well.
Steal one you’re a clear underdog in if you can. I say we only have two on our conference schedule. First was @WISC. One left – @PU. That victory would be gravey.

Anyway, MSU does this and we end up 14-4. That should be easily enough for a share if not an outright title.

by intrpdtrvlr on Feb 10, 2010 4:30 PM CST reply actions

Sorry, to clarify

I don’t think MSU should have to beat Purdue at home. 5-1 is attainable and what you shoot for. I think that gets a tshare at least.

by intrpdtrvlr on Feb 10, 2010 4:31 PM CST up reply actions

Agree

Neither I nor the “soulless know-nothing computers” think anyone will run the remainder of the table – and the team most likely to, Wisconsin, is one game back in the loss column. Split the two biggies remaining (with no traumatizing upsets) and we should get a share of the title.

by Con-T on Feb 10, 2010 5:16 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Anyone else

semi-worried about the PSU game, especially there? Yeah, yeah, they’re terrible, no Cornley anymore, etc., but we’ve really struggled against them the past few years.

PP-TPW.
The Only Colors

by LVS on Feb 10, 2010 7:21 PM CST reply actions

Given the way we've defended lately?

I’m quite a bit more than semi-worried. We shouldn’t lose to them, but we shouldn’t have last year or the year before either.

by SpartanDan on Feb 10, 2010 9:04 PM CST up reply actions

I'm actually more worried about Indiana

Granted, they aren’t good this year, but we play on the road at PSU on Saturday and then have a pretty quick turnaround for another road game in Bloomington on Tuesday night.

by TheCrestedHelm on Feb 12, 2010 10:20 AM CST up reply actions

I agree we have a pretty favorable remaining schedule

We need to win the ones we’re supposed to and also take either the OSU game or the Purdue rematch. If we do that we should get at least a share of the title. Of course that assumes OSU loses one more if we happen to lose to them at the Breslin. That’s probable, but they have been looking pretty strong since Turner came back.

by TheCrestedHelm on Feb 12, 2010 10:24 AM CST reply actions