Big Ten Basketball Thread (Includes Weekly Power Rankings!)

[Lament]

I wonder if that furious Maryland comeback against Northwestern is what the Terps need to keep their season from impending freefall.

Probably not though. I still don't trust Turgeon. Which is a shame, cause they've got the talent to win the Big Ten.

[BigRedLedbetter]

My Skers did everything to blow the game Saturday against Michigan State but we gutted out a W. We are right back on the bubble after a couple of wins. Tough stretch coming up with five of our next seven on the road.

Probably not though. I still don't trust Turgeon. Which is a shame, cause they've got the talent to win the Big Ten.

Shaka Smart will be the Maryland head coach in 3 years or less. It makes too much sense. He has developed ties down south at VCU, he is a Wisconsin native, etc.

[Joesanity]

I'm going to miss D'Angelo Russell after this season.

[Lament]

Shaka Smart will be the Maryland head coach in 3 years or less. It makes too much sense. He has developed ties down south at VCU, he is a Wisconsin native, etc.

I would love that so much.

[BigRedLedbetter]

Shaka Smart will be the Maryland head coach in 3 years or less. It makes too much sense. He has developed ties down south at VCU, he is a Wisconsin native, etc.

I would love that so much.

It makes perfect sense. I'd IU for Smart down the road but that is Brad Stevens job when he is fired in Boston. Crean is a dope. He will get canned in a couple years I bet.

[Monkey_Driven]

Shaka Smart will be the Maryland head coach in 3 years or less. It makes too much sense. He has developed ties down south at VCU, he is a Wisconsin native, etc.

I would love that so much.

It makes perfect sense. I'd IU for Smart down the road but that is Brad Stevens job when he is fired in Boston. Crean is a dope. He will get canned in a couple years I bet.

I don't see Stevens being fired anytime soon from the Celts.

[Lament]

A good recruiter could rebuild Maryland into a powerhouse in a year or two with all of the talent in DC right on their doorstep and all of the Under Armour money and ties pumping through the program.

[BigRedLedbetter]

Shaka Smart will be the Maryland head coach in 3 years or less. It makes too much sense. He has developed ties down south at VCU, he is a Wisconsin native, etc.

I would love that so much.

It makes perfect sense. I'd IU for Smart down the road but that is Brad Stevens job when he is fired in Boston. Crean is a dope. He will get canned in a couple years I bet.

I don't see Stevens being fired anytime soon from the Celts.

Eh. The NBA is so fickle. Who knows. Also could be a different story 3 years from now.

[Monkey_Driven]

Shaka Smart will be the Maryland head coach in 3 years or less. It makes too much sense. He has developed ties down south at VCU, he is a Wisconsin native, etc.

I would love that so much.

It makes perfect sense. I'd IU for Smart down the road but that is Brad Stevens job when he is fired in Boston. Crean is a dope. He will get canned in a couple years I bet.

I don't see Stevens being fired anytime soon from the Celts.

Eh. The NBA is so fickle. Who knows. Also could be a different story 3 years from now.

I wouldn't call 3 years soon. They're rebuilding right now and have a huge stash of draft picks. They're a few trades and draft picks away from winning playoff series.

[BigRedLedbetter]

Shaka Smart will be the Maryland head coach in 3 years or less. It makes too much sense. He has developed ties down south at VCU, he is a Wisconsin native, etc.

I would love that so much.

It makes perfect sense. I'd IU for Smart down the road but that is Brad Stevens job when he is fired in Boston. Crean is a dope. He will get canned in a couple years I bet.

I don't see Stevens being fired anytime soon from the Celts.

Eh. The NBA is so fickle. Who knows. Also could be a different story 3 years from now.

I wouldn't call 3 years soon. They're rebuilding right now and have a huge stash of draft picks. They're a few trades and draft picks away from winning playoff series.

Well, it's a couple recruiting classes. It's quicker than you think ya know.

Smart is so young maybe he doesn't want to leave yet. As for the Celts lets be honest....if you don't have a superstar or two you aren't winning shit. Do they really have one right now? Probably not. So these picks better pan out. I like
Jared Sullinger a lot but is he really a build your team around kinda guy? The distance between the haves and have nots is further than in any of the four major sports. Just my two cents. Not a Celtics fan but a good friend of mine is so I hear about them all the time.

As for Stevens I think he is a phenomenal coach but I just see him getting swallowed up by the NBA. Maybe I will be wrong who knows.

[Lament]

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketba ... -trust-yet

The list below features 10 teams that could make deep runs in March. Some of these squads might even reach the Final Four in Indianapolis.

There is no denying their respective talent, potential and capability.

But there’s also something about each of them that makes it difficult to assume that they’ll ever reach their ceilings this season. On paper is one thing. On the court? Well, that’s a bit more complicated with the following programs. They’re the kind of squads that induce moments of beauty and heartbreak. Sometimes in the same game.

Can’t trust them ... yet.

1. Maryland

There’s so much to love about Mark Turgeon’s program. Melo Trimble and Jake Layman are pros. The Terrapins might be the only team with the goods to dethrone Wisconsin in the Big Ten, and they have a favorable matchup in their only meeting of the season with the Badgers toward the end of the year in College Park. But Dez Wells (36-percent clip in the last four games), a 19-point loss at Indiana and a tight home victory over Northwestern that demanded a miracle in the final seconds should concern supporters of a team that’s gone 10-13 in February under Turgeon.

3. Indiana

First, Tom Crean deserves credit for everything he’s achieved thus far following a turbulent start that appeared to be the beginning of the end for him. Indiana is a top-five team in the Big Ten. After all of that early drama? Wow. Yogi Ferrell leads a high-powered, top-10 offensive attack that produced 89 points against Maryland. But can the Hoosiers stop anyone? They couldn't stop, gulp, Purdue in a 16-point loss to their rival on Wednesday. They’re ranked 227th in adjusted defensive efficiency. They’ve given up an average of 85 points per game in their six losses. So, Indiana can score 90. But it can also surrender 95. That’s what makes the Hoosiers both fascinating and impossible to trust right now.

9. Ohio State

The Buckeyes have found an abundance of success under Thad Matta. One thing they’re not searching for this season is a star. D'Angelo Russell (19.4 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 5.1 assists per game) has accepted that role and the NBA buzz that often accompanies those numbers. The Buckeyes are 5-3 in the Big Ten with a significant matchup against Maryland on Thursday. Are the Buckeyes contenders? Stay tuned. It’s just odd to see an Ohio State team struggle on the defensive end. Ohio State is giving up 0.96 points per possession, according to Ken Pomeroy, their highest mark since since the 2008-09 season, which ended with a 22-11 record and a first-round loss to Siena in the Big Dance. The team held opponents under 0.90 PPP three of the four years during the Aaron Craft Era. Though they are connecting on 38.6 percent of their 3s, they are not much of a threat in the paint via their bigs. Does Ohio State have the talent to surge in the Big Ten? Of course. The balance? TBD.

[BigRedLedbetter]

Tom Crean is such a doucher.

[Lament]

[BigRedLedbetter]

Turtle, turtle

[Lament]

Obviously this was going to happen with how much I've trashed the guy...

Oh well. It's wonderful to see a single-digit number next to Maryland's name again. It hasn't happened since I was a senior there.

[BigRedLedbetter]

Terps survive and advance.

[Chris_H_2]

Aside of Purdue's choke job, the Big Ten's looked pretty good.

[Green Habit]

Aside of Purdue's choke job, the Big Ten's looked pretty good.

Is it as good as it looked ten years ago (to the day!)?

http://archive.theskyiscrape.com/viewto ... =8&t=11854

[Lament]

Terps survive and advance.

If they can knock off West Virginia and make it to the Sweet Sixteen, this season will have exceeded my wildest expectations going into it.

[Chris_H_2]

Aside of Purdue's choke job, the Big Ten's looked pretty good.

Is it as good as it looked ten years ago (to the day!)?

http://archive.theskyiscrape.com/viewto ... =8&t=11854

Ha ha. Holy shit, I forgot about that.

I miss Pearljamminagain though.