This is the most wide open basketball season I can remember

[Caliknight]

Anyone can beat anyone.

 

[RUJMM78]

In power conference basketball you are right.Those teams do,however,win most games against mediocre out of conference opponents.

 

[RU82]

Anyone can beat anyone.

I totally agree. I don’t think a winning record in the B1G is outside the realm of possibility. Here’s hoping.

 

[Caliknight]

I’m predicting that no number 1 seeds make the final four.

 

[RUJMM78]

I’m predicting that no number 1 seeds make the final four.

Gonzaga would be my pick right now to make the final four.

 

[Degaz-RU]

I totally agree. I don’t think a winning record in the B1G is outside the realm of possibility. Here’s hoping.

The thing is, it’s a wide open season across all of college basketball, but the B1G is much stronger than anybody could have predicted.

I think NW and Nebraska are bad as expected, but Michigan, OSU, Minnesota and Iowa are better than expected (Michigan, OSU and Iowa markedly so). Illinois and PSU are as good or better than advertised. And you still have MSU and Maryland as top 4 teams.

The only blue blood teams that have probably performed slightly below preseason expectations are Purdue and Wisconsin (although I happen to think the prognosticators were off base in thinking Wisky would be a top half of the B1G team after losing Happ, so the Badgers are about where I personally thought they would be).

So I don’t think the parity in college basketball actually helps us, as the B1G is a BEAR this year. The teams we will be battling for the middle of the pack (6 through 12) — are all tough teams. Unless we improve our 3-pt shooting, we are going to struggle to win the 7 B1G games we won last year.

 

[BillyC80]

A key difference this year is that I’m confident, as I believe the team is, that we can beat anyone on our home court. I wasn’t as confident last year.

 

[BigEastPhil]

A key difference this year is that I’m confident, as I believe the team is, that we can beat anyone on our home court. I wasn’t as confident last year.

I agree. I just hope we can start winning on the road starting with Nebraska

 

[RUJMM78]

The thing is, it’s a wide open season across all of college basketball, but the B1G is much stronger than anybody could have predicted.

I think NW and Nebraska are bad as expected, but Michigan, OSU, Minnesota and Iowa are better than expected (Michigan, OSU and Iowa markedly so). Illinois and PSU are as good or better than advertised. And you still have MSU and Maryland as top 4 teams.

The only blue blood teams that have probably performed slightly below preseason expectations are Purdue and Wisconsin (although I happen to think the prognosticators were off base in thinking Wisky would be a top half of the B1G team after losing Happ, so the Badgers are about where I personally thought they would be).

So I don’t think the parity in college basketball actually helps us, as the B1G is a BEAR this year. The teams we will be battling for the middle of the pack (6 through 12) — are all tough teams. Unless we improve our 3-pt shooting, we are going to struggle to win the 7 B1G games we won last year.

Rutgers will have to win at least six more B1G games to have a 16-15 record for the season .

 

[RU82]

Rutgers will have to win at least six more B1G games to have a 16-15 record for the season .

Totally doable

 

[IBleedScarlet]

The thing is, it’s a wide open season across all of college basketball, but the B1G is much stronger than anybody could have predicted.

Great post. Insightful and well-penned.

I think NW and Nebraska are bad as expected, but Michigan, OSU, Minnesota and Iowa are better than expected (Michigan, OSU and Iowa markedly so). Illinois and PSU are as good or better than advertised. And you still have MSU and Maryland as top 4 teams.

The only blue blood teams that have probably performed slightly below preseason expectations are Purdue and Wisconsin (although I happen to think the prognosticators were off base in thinking Wisky would be a top half of the B1G team after losing Happ, so the Badgers are about where I personally thought they would be).

So I don’t think the parity in college basketball actually helps us, as the B1G is a BEAR this year. The teams we will be battling for the middle of the pack (6 through 12) — are all tough teams. Unless we improve our 3-pt shooting, we are going to struggle to win the 7 B1G games we won last year.