Unless there's a hiccup Ohio State could easily be 19-0 when they play at Illinois on 1/22. The first game in what's the most difficult stretch on their schedule.

Hb31187;573198 wrote:KSU and MSU are enough to have a strong potential to slip up, but i was under the impression they played more than those 2 coming up. Guess not

No question, they could lose either one of those games. Although MSU looks beatable as a very avg. UCONN team is giving them a run tonite. Matter of fact, UConn now up by 1pt with 40 seconds to go.

Yeah MSU isnt looking very good early in the year. Izzo teams usually start off slow though and are firing on all cylinders come march

Hb31187;573210 wrote:Yeah MSU isnt looking very good early in the year. Izzo teams usually start off slow though and are firing on all cylinders come march

Very true. No coach in the country is better at getting more out of his squad come March/April.

I fully expect MSU to make a Final Four run, but am I the only one that thinks Kalin Lucas is overrated?? Honestly I think Summers and Green are MSU's best two players. I've never really understood the love for Lucas. Not a great shooter, and not a great assist man.

se-alum;573904 wrote:I fully expect MSU to make a Final Four run, but am I the only one that thinks Kalin Lucas is overrated?? Honestly I think Summers and Green are MSU's best two players. I've never really understood the love for Lucas. Not a great shooter, and not a great assist man.

Not sure he is overrated, but definately overhyped quite a bit. I think he is a very good point player though. But he is better at being a PG then trying to be a scorer and doing it all. Thats when he and MSU get in trouble quite often. And when he settles for jumpers, he isn't very good. His game is transition, getting to the basket and breaking a defense down.

I've always felt Lucas was overrated. Just don't see what others see. I think he's good, but not elite, which people want to make him out to be.

I think he just gets credit for being the PG on a very good team.

As for Duke, they also play Butler, Oregon and a solid St. Louis. They should win all, but all are quality OOC opponents.

I think Delvon Roe is MSU's most important player. When he's on, MSU is nearly unbeatable. Sadly, we'll never see the Delvon Roe that we expected, due to his injuries, but he's still the most versatile player on their team.

hoops23;573959 wrote:I think Delvon Roe is MSU's most important player. When he's on, MSU is nearly unbeatable. Sadly, we'll never see the Delvon Roe that we expected, due to his injuries, but he's still the most versatile player on their team.

After Roe's freshman season, I was really high on him. Just has all the tools and I thought he might gain some explosiveness that offseason. I think he moves better now, but he still seems to lack the athleticism that you would like to see. But yes, I think he is a very good player. Can defend multiple positions and plays well with the ball in his hands.

Hb31187;573188 wrote:Osu WILL be #1 in the country here within the month though. MSU and Duke both play quite a few quality teams and may slip up. and OSU should steamroll through their schedule

thats because Ohio State doesn't play one good team. they are playing JV squads at best.

ZombieKiller;578883 wrote:thats because Ohio State doesn't play one good team. they are playing JV squads at best.

I love reading your posts in both football and basketball, your overall knowledge of sports is incredible.

He'd rather be a broadway actor.

thedynasty1998;573994 wrote:After Roe's freshman season, I was really high on him. Just has all the tools and I thought he might gain some explosiveness that offseason. I think he moves better now, but he still seems to lack the athleticism that you would like to see. But yes, I think he is a very good player. Can defend multiple positions and plays well with the ball in his hands.

He'd rathre be a broadway actor.

He appears to have lost a half a step since his torn achilles tendon.

^^That was Lucas that tore his Achilles. Roe had microfracture surgery I think

1. Ohio State (6-0)
Key Wins: at Florida (5-2), at Florida State (5-2)
Projected Finish: 1st Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

2. Michigan State (6-2)
Key Wins: vs. Washington (5-2), vs. South Carolina (5-1)
Projected Finish: 2nd Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

3. Illinois (8-1)
Key Wins: at Gonzaga (4-3), vs. North Carolina (5-3), vs. Maryland (6-2)
Projected Finish: 3rd Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

4. Minnesota (7-1)
Key Wins: vs. North Carolina (5-3), vs. West Virginia (5-2)
Projected Finish: 4th Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

5. Purdue (7-1)
Key Wins: at Virginia Tech (4-3), vs. Alabama (4-4)
Projected Finish: 5th Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

6. Wisconsin (6-2)
Key Wins: vs. Boston College (6-2), vs. N.C. State (4-3)
Projected Finish: 6th Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

7. Northwestern (5-0)
Key Wins: vs. Georgia Tech (4-3)
Projected Finish: 7th Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

8. Michigan (5-2)
Key Wins: at Clemson (5-2)
Projected Finish: 8th Big Ten, NIT

9. Indiana (7-1)
Key Wins: None
Projected Finish: 9th Big Ten

10. Penn State (6-2)
Key Wins: None
Projected Finish: 10th Big Ten

11. Iowa (4-4)
Key Wins: vs. Alabama (4-4)
Projected Finish: 11th Big Ten

Pretty crazy that in an 11 team conference, the worst record is Iowa at 4-4. Too bad they blew that HUGE lead, or even they would be over .500.

Nebraska is 5-2 currently as well.

Actually, it's not that crazy at all... lol.

Just checked other BCS conferences and it's pretty much the same. I think the Big 12 and Pac-10 had 1 or 2 teams under .500 though.

hoops23;588107 wrote:Pretty crazy that in an 11 team conference, the worst record is Iowa at 4-4. Too bad they blew that HUGE lead, or even they would be over .500.

Nebraska is 5-2 currently as well.

Actually, it's not that crazy at all... lol.

Just checked other BCS conferences and it's pretty much the same. I think the Big 12 and Pac-10 had 1 or 2 teams under .500 though.

It's because the big conferences all play terrible cupcakes the first few games... EVERY TEAM does it.

Fly4Fun wrote:It's because the big conferences all play terrible cupcakes the first few games... EVERY TEAM does it.

This is true. Aside from perhaps the Big East, which has just too many teams, most of the big-time basketball conferences sport similar early seasons records during an average conference season. A couple of seasons ago, heading into January, the ACC's worst overall team was like 8-3 or something really insane. The ACC had a combined record as a whole at one point through like five games that season that consisted of only three or four losses.

The Big Ten is the best conference in the nation at the top, though. There's no denying that at this point.

That was who I was talking about

Hb31187;585300 wrote:^^That was Lucas that tore his Achilles. Roe had microfracture surgery I think

I was talking about Lucas, I forgot to connnect to dynasty's post.

Fly4Fun;588224 wrote:It's because the big conferences all play terrible cupcakes the first few games... EVERY TEAM does it.

I know. I was busting my wad about it a little too early.. We'll see how it looks a couple weeks from now.

It is still kind of early, but you can start to see tournament resumes coming together.

1. Ohio State (16-0, 3-0 Big Ten)
RPI: 13
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: at Florida (12-3), vs. Miami (OH) (6-9), at Florida State (11-5), vs. Oakland (11-8), vs. Minnesota (12-4)
Projected Finish: 1st Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

2. Purdue (15-1, 4-0 Big Ten)
RPI: 10
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: vs. Oakland (11-8), vs. Austin Peay (12-6), at Virginia Tech (10-4), at Valparaiso (12-5), at Michigan (11-5), vs. Northwestern (10-4), at Penn State (9-6)
Projected Finish: 3rd Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

3. Michigan State (11-5, 3-1 Big Ten)
RPI: 37
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: vs. Washington (12-3), vs. Oakland (11-8), vs. Minnesota (12-4), at Northwestern (10-4), vs. Wisconsin (12-4)
Projected Finish: 2nd Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

4. Illinois (13-4, 3-1 Big Ten)
RPI: 19
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: vs. North Carolina (11-4), at Gonzaga (11-5), vs. Oakland (11-8), vs. Wisconsin (12-4), vs. Northwestern (10-4)
Projected Finish: 4th Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

5. Wisconsin (12-4, 2-2 Big Ten)
RPI: 27
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: vs. Boston College (12-4), at Marquette (12-5), vs. Minnesota (12-4), vs. Michigan (11-5)
Projected Finish: 5th Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

6. Minnesota (12-4, 1-3 Big Ten)
RPI: 34
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: vs. North Carolina (11-4), vs. West Virginia (10-4), Akron (10-5)
Projected Finish: 6th Big Ten, NCAA Tournament

7. Penn State (10-6, 3-2 Big Ten)
RPI: 66
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: Michigan State (11-5) vs. Illinois (13-4)
Projected Finish: 9th Big Ten

8. Michigan (11-5, 1-2 Big Ten)
RPI: 72
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: vs. Harvard (11-3), vs. Oakland (11-8), vs. Penn State (9-6)
Projected Finish: 7th Big Ten, NIT

9. Northwestern (10-4, 1-3 Big Ten)
RPI: 59
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: vs. American (11-5)
Projected Finish: 8th Big Ten, NIT

10. Iowa (7-8, 0-3 Big Ten)
RPI: 153
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: vs. Northern Iowa (11-6)
Projected Finish: 10th Big Ten

11. Indiana (9-8, 0-4 Big Ten)
RPI: 191
Wins vs. RPI Top 100: None
Projected Finish: 11th Big Ten

Does anyone care about top 100 rpi wins? I thought it was always top 50 they look at for the tourney.

1. Ohio State (21-0, 8-0 Big Ten)
RPI: 5
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 5-0 (Wins: vs. Purdue (13), at Florida (14), vs. Minnesota (22), at Illinois (30), at Florida State (46))
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 5-0 (Wins: vs. Penn State (53), vs. Oakland (57), vs. South Carolina (81), at Michigan (90), vs. Miami (OH) (99))
Projected Finish: 1st Big Ten, NCAA Tournament


2. Wisconsin (15-4, 5-2 Big Ten)
RPI: 24
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 3-4 (Wins: vs. Minnesota (22), vs. Illinois (30), vs. Boston College (34))
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 4-0 (Wins: at Marquette (68), at Northwestern (77), vs. Michigan (90), vs. N.C. State (94))
Projected Finish: 3rd Big Ten, NCAA Tournament


3. Purdue (17-4, 6-2 Big Ten)
RPI: 13
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 1-4 (Wins: vs. Michigan State (25))
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 7-0 (Wins: at Penn State (53), vs. Penn State (53), vs. Oakland (57), at Valparaiso (59), at Virginia Tech (73), vs. Northwestern (77), at Michigan (90))
Projected Finish: 2nd Big Ten, NCAA Tournament


4. Minnesota (16-4, 5-3 Big Ten)
RPI: 22
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 3-3 (Wins: vs. Purdue (13), vs. North Carolina (15), vs. West Virginia (18))
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 2-0 (Wins: vs. Northwestern (77), at Michigan (90))
Projected Finish: 5th Big Ten, NCAA Tournament


5. Michigan State (12-8, 4-4 Big Ten)
RPI: 25
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 3-6 (Wins: vs. Washington (21), vs. Minnesota (22), vs. Wisconsin (24))
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 4-2 (Wins: vs. Oakland (57), at Northwestern (77), vs. Northwestern (77), vs. South Carolina (81))
Projected Finish: 4th Big Ten, NCAA Tournament


6. Illinois (14-7, 4-4 Big Ten)
RPI: 30
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 3-4 (Wins: vs. North Carolina (15), vs. Wisconsin (24), vs. Michigan State (25))
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 4-1 (Wins: vs. Oakland (57), vs. Gonzaga (65), vs. Northwestern (77), vs. Maryland (84))
Projected Finish: 6th Big Ten, NCAA Tournament


7. Penn State (11-8, 4-4 Big Ten)
RPI: 53
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 2-3 (Wins: vs. Michigan State (25), vs. Illinois (30))
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 1-4 (Wins: vs. Duquesne (85))
Projected Finish: 7th Big Ten, NIT


8. Michigan (12-9, 2-6 Big Ten)
RPI: 90
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 1-6 (Wins: Michigan State (25))
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 4-2 (Wins: vs. Harvard (51), vs. Penn State (53), vs. Oakland (57), at Clemson (79))
Projected Finish: 8th Big Ten, NIT


9. Northwestern (13-7, 3-6 Big Ten)
RPI: 77
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 0-7
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 1-0 (Wins: vs. Michigan (90))
Projected Finish: 9th Big Ten


10. Indiana (11-10, 2-6 Big Ten)
RPI: 166
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 1-5 (Wins: vs. Illinois (30))
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 1-4 (Wins: vs. Michigan (90))
Projected Finish: 10th Big Ten


11. Iowa (8-12, 1-7 Big Ten)
RPI: 150
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 0-6
Record vs. RPI 51-100: 1-2 (Wins: vs. Northern Iowa (64))
Projected Finish: 11th Big Ten