Prediction Thread: Spartans @ Hoosiers

[Paterfamilias]

perhaps. I do expect a good effort from State, but they aren’t the team they were last year (or have been pretty much every year lately). The Big Ten is as strong at the bottom as I can remember, but it’s weaker than normal at the top, This isn’t a typical 1-2 NCAA seed Spartan team, IMHO.

if we could sweep them last year, we should easily win tonight.

I agree that we have yet to see this team play to its potential. I actually still think we are only scratching the surface of what this team should be. However, our defense has been much improved, and so has our effort. Last year we swept MSU and that was with a team that had quit on Miller, and was basically sleepwalking through games. I expect a good effort from MSU, but an even better one from IU.

I agree with a lot of that. I didn't broadcast my rankings this year, but I only had MSU #21 in my rankings and they were the highest rated Big 10 team.

I think the conference got a lot of mileage early on from ripping the ACC, which has turned out to be fools gold. The collapse of OSU and Michigan are evidence of this.

What makes the conference so interesting this year is so many good (not great) teams.

I hope you're right about tonight! My confidence has waned due to the inability to find a way to get Devonte to get his head out of his rectum. We need his firepower in these kind of games so much, but he's mentally still a frosh.

 

[T.M.P.]

I agree with a lot of that. I didn't broadcast my rankings this year, but I only had MSU #21 in my rankings and they were the highest rated Big 10 team.

I think the conference got a lot of mileage early on from ripping the ACC, which has turned out to be fools gold. The collapse of OSU and Michigan are evidence of this.

What makes the conference so interesting this year is so many good (not great) teams.

I hope you're right about tonight! My confidence has waned due to the inability to find a way to get Devonte to get his head out of his rectum. We need his firepower in these kind of games so much, but he's mentally still a frosh.

All the analytics based projections had them number one due to returning numbers. And, considering it's now late January and both Kenpom and Sagarin are :connected ie there's enough data, the conference and it's teams are still rating very high. So the beating of a poor ACC probably has/had very little to do with it. Maybe in the perception and subjective opinion of people but it's not backed by numbers. Conference was consistently good regardless of how poor the ACC was. And, I don;t think Michigan or OSU "collapsed", I just think that's how good and balanced the conference is currently. Both teams would probably finish top 4 in any other power conference.

Talent overall is down this year, top frosh were split among many teams instead of being concentrated on two teams, , and too many players who should have returned left for euro d-league. Weakest overall returning talent nationally since we've kept track.

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

IU by 3. In the 60's.

So close.

 

[MrBing]

I’m always a fan. I just try to be objective and realistic. I operate on facts not hope.

I'll just say none of those things are what I see in most of your posts but I'm glad you tried for a day.

 

[iubud]

“Rape enabler”? Is Dane Fife a “rape enabler”, too?

Possibly. It would take more than one person to keep all their players out of jail. I have no idea how much he has been corrupted by Izzo.