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Three teams with 4 conference losses: Illinois, Northwestern and Rutgers.

motorb54

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Dec 23, 2005
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Looking at what each have left.
Illinois (16-6 7-4) has 7 wins so Rutgers can be tied for second if we take care of business tonight vs. Minnesota.
Illinois has games left against three of the four teams they lost too. And still have to play Purdue (not one of their four losses)
They still host both Rutgers and Northwestern. Have a previous loss at NW.

Northwestern is 15-6 6-4.
They have games left against all four teams they lost too. Three of those four are on the road. That includes the season final at Rutgers. Play at Illinois also.
And they also have to play Purdue (not one of their four losses).


Rutgers is 14-7 6-4.
Michigan State at MSG is the only team to give us a loss that we still have to play.
Done with Ohio State and Iowa. Also done with Perdue (YEAH! Still their only loss)
Play at Illinois and host Northwestern. Previously beat NW at their place.

Of course, one of the 5 loss teams could get hot and challenge for a double bye in the Big Ten tournament.
But the schedule, on paper, is favorable for the Scarlet Knights.
 
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Now that we can't win the championship, I'm almost past caring. I guess a double bye would be nice or whatever but all I care about is making the tourney. Let's go 6-4 on the back end and put to rest all the doubts.
 
We want the double bye.

It's gonna be tough. We can do it, but everyone is bunched up and that's not just a mirage of the standings. There really are about 10 basically evenly matched teams in this conference and it feels like a crap shoot in terms of how it will shake out.
 
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It's gonna be tough. We can do it, but everyone is bunched up and that's not just a mirage of the standings. There really are about 10 basically evenly matched teams in this conference and it feels like a crap shoot in terms of how it will shake out.
Yup, it feels almost like 11 teams are battling for the 3 other available double byes. Obviously Purdue will get one and Minnesota and Nebraska are DOA. I'd say any of the other 11 are are pretty well in the mix.
 
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Yup, it feels almost like 11 teams are battling for the 3 other available double byes. Obviously Purdue will get one and Minnesota and Nebraska are DOA. I'd say any of the other 11 are are pretty well in the mix.
Wisconsin and Ohio State likely are close to out of contention barring them getting very hot
 
Love the Garden competed there 4 times in my career
Saw zeppelin queen and the who there but the MSU game there sucks!!!!
 
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History in the Big Ten leans heavily to home teams prevailing. Playing a game at MSG helps Michigan State significantly, especially if we are in a tie-breaker situation with the Spartans.
It also helps Michigan State that they have all week to rest and prepare for Rutgers on Saturday at MSG.
 
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I see it as nine teams fighting for three spots.

Wisconsin is not going to get a double bye. They are 4-6. They'd need to go at least 7-3 and likely 8-2 to have a good chance. I'm not buying it.

Ohio State is only 3-7. They do have six home games and only four road remaining, but need to get to 11-9 to have any shot. One of their games is at Purdue (also at Michigan, Iowa. and Michigan State on Senior Night).

Everyone else is within a game of a top four finish. If we win the next two, I LOVE our chances of getting one of the four spots. Really, any win(s) in the three games after Minnesota will give us a big leg up on that team(s) in the final standings.

Iowa is our poison lately, but they have five road games in their final nine. That includes trips to Purdue and Indiana, as well as Minnesota, Northwestern and Wisconsin.
 
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We want the double bye.
two fellow RU fans in my area did not want the double bye when we got it last......which I found strange....the rationale is, they would rather play one game earlier and add that game to the
overall win total.....which would be no guaranteed win either

I told my friend, who is also a Yankee fan, would you rather have the Yankees go right to the World Series, or work their way from the Wild card game?.....should be obvious
 
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I see it as nine teams fighting for three spots.

Wisconsin is not going to get a double bye. They are 4-6. They'd need to go at least 7-3 and likely 8-2 to have a good chance. I'm not buying it.

Ohio State is only 3-7. They do have six home games and only four road remaining, but need to get to 11-9 to have any shot. One of their games is at Purdue (also at Michigan, Iowa. and Michigan State on Senior Night).

Everyone else is within a game of a top four finish. If we win the next two, I LOVE our chances of getting one of the four spots. Really, any win(s) in the three games after Minnesota will give us a big leg up on that team(s) in the final standings.

Iowa is our poison lately, but they have five road games in their final nine. That includes trips to Purdue and Indiana, as well as Minnesota, Northwestern and Wisconsin.Minnesota,
Iowa should defeat Minnesota.Northwestern and WisconsIn and probably lose to Purdue and Indiana.
 
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This is a great thread, but February is usually about creating opportunities for your 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th options on your roster.

I like the investment that Pike has put into Mag being a starter and we are starting to see more consistent play and flashes there. I also think Hyatt has completely changed the way we play the game now, he is in the sniper/Jacob Young/instant offense off the bench role.

If we can carve out some minutes for Simpson and he can get going, I would feel much better about double-byes or anything along with this thread. If anything Iowa, Illinois and Indiana have shown in the last 2 to 3 weeks, they have depth and talent off the bench that can produce. Hyatt and Simpson would be a great thing to develop, if we aren't in survival mode.
 
I told my friend, who is also a Yankee fan, would you rather have the Yankees go right to the World Series, or work their way from the Wild card game?.....should be obvious
Yankees in the World Series? That's a good one!
 
It also helps Michigan State that they have all week to rest and prepare for Rutgers on Saturday at MSG.
Unless you have injuries, that's not really a factor. We had significantly more rest going into Iowa and then played poorly. You want to stay sharp by playing.
 
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This is a great thread, but February is usually about creating opportunities for your 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th options on your roster.

I like the investment that Pike has put into Mag being a starter and we are starting to see more consistent play and flashes there. I also think Hyatt has completely changed the way we play the game now, he is in the sniper/Jacob Young/instant offense off the bench role.

If we can carve out some minutes for Simpson and he can get going, I would feel much better about double-byes or anything along with this thread. If anything Iowa, Illinois and Indiana have shown in the last 2 to 3 weeks, they have depth and talent off the bench that can produce. Hyatt and Simpson would be a great thing to develop, if we aren't in survival mode.
Hawk , You have been on this Derek bandwagon too much. Sometimes freshman can only do so much and hit a wall or ceiling for the year. Not saying Derek doesn’t have 1 more critical game that you say “wow” , he is good but I think to expect much more this freshman year is asking much.
Now that Mag and Hyatt are in their groove , the key to a truly successful season is getting Paul , Caleb and Cam to play better and score more. Paul cannot have 1 bad half and a very good second and stop shooting and attacking, which has to be done all game. Caleb has to eliminate his funk and silly turnovers and forced shots and get in the lane or down on the block and hit 4-6 mid range shots a game . Cam has to get out of his slump from 3 and if overplayed has to drive it , create fouls , and pull up from 2. Nothing wrong with him hitting 5-6 mid range shots and hitting his foul shots. All 3 have to be in double figures going forward to show the best Rutgers can be. They are all capable and it is not too much of a stretch to ask for it.
This is much more important than continuing to develop Derek this year.
 
The optimist in me is happy for the OP's analysis, which is well done. The RU fan in me hopes that in the end we do not get hosed by the theft at OSU and the decision to move our home game against MSU to MSG! there's nothing we can do about the first one. But I will rest much easier after RU beats MSU at the garden.
 
Unless you have injuries, that's not really a factor. We had significantly more rest going into Iowa and then played poorly. You want to stay sharp by playing.
Rest had nothing to do with the outcome of thr Iowa game.Iowa has been a bad matchup because they they have a high powered offense which Rutgers can't defend.
 
Fri Feb 3 update:
Rutgers took care of business and joins Illinois at 7-4, tied for second place
6 teams at 6-5: Northwestern, Michigan, Indiana, Maryland, Iowa, and Michigan State.

If this continues it may be well down the list of tie-breakers to set up the seeds for the Big Ten Tournament.
 
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Thur Feb 2 update:
Rutgers took care of business and joins Illinois at 7-4, tied for second place.
Today has Northwestern hosting Michigan.
If NW wins they join the second place tie. If they lose they drop to 6-5.
If Michigan wins there will be 5 teams at 6-5: Northwestern, Michigan, Indiana, Maryland, and Michigan State.

If this continues it may be well down the list of tie-breakers to set up the seeds for the Big Ten Tournament.
Hate to keep harping as has been mentioned a thousand times but that one game at OSU was just so beyond crucial the way the league is just so bunched up and I know nothing we can do!!
 
Yeah Doc, And if Ohio State keeps losing it can't be good for our metrics.
 
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