College Basketball 2016-2017

[pacopete4]

Happ can't do it all. He's a great player but no one should be expected to carry a team when he is being double teamed. Now, could Happ improve on his jump/hook shot ability to beat some of that? Sure. But either way this all comes down to a lack of any quality around him right now. It should be raining 3's all across the court for Wisconsin. They should be murdering teams who try to double him. But the fact is, they are not a good shooting team. I don't want to hear that they are in a funk or that a guy like Pritzl is the best shooter in the country. These guys stink. Koenig is the exception in most cases but the rest of them flat out stink at shooting the basketball.

 

I will give credit to OSU though. They knocked down a ridiculous amounts of three's that were just too hard to continue making a comeback against. Kudos.

[brwrsfan]

Yeah, the way OSU made ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot in the second half made a comeback impossible - luck had a lot to do with that but they still count.

 

My bigger issue was that for the entire first half, the Badgers just seemingly had no energy. They were getting destroyed on the glass, and much of it was just due too lazy boxouts and a general lack of hustle - and there is just simply no excuse for that at all. Yeah, the offense might have been struggling, but there's no reason to just stand around on defense or not box out. Coming off the Maryland win, coming out completely flat in this one is somewhat baffling.

 

Part of me is getting irritated with Gard - I have issues with the fact that the offense hasn't adjusted or we don't really ever run any set plays to get guys open it seems, but my bigger issue is that I want to see him get fired up. When we come out flat, I want him to send a message. Yank a player and chew him out, or bench the starters. Do something to get the message across. For a team full of senior starters, they seem incredibly disinterested a lot of the time - especially Nigel Hayes. He's seemingly loafed through this entire season. Frustrating.

 

Hate to say it, but with the way they're playing and their inability to beat double teams or make open shots, this certainly feels like a team right now that will be lucky to even win a game in the tournament. Still have a couple weeks to get it turned around, but after 8 games like this, that feels very, very unlikely.

[fondybrewfan]

6-11 or 7/10 matchups are ever easy and however the Badgers play will be one of the better teams they will have played all year. These guys know how to play and win in the tourney so that is really the only thing I feel positive about right now.

 

Gard better hope the incoming freshman class plus Pritzl can shoot next year. The lineup next year will already include Happ and Iverson who in all likelihood still wont be able to shoot next year. Trice, Pritzl, Van Vliet, King, Reuvers, Davison - multiple people in this group are going to need to shoot well next year.

[brewcrewdue80]

Yowsas, They are tanking fast. Committee won't be kind in seeding with a 5-5 or worse 4-6 last ten games on Selection Sunday. Technically they only have two ranked opponent wins.

 

You know they aren't winning the conference tourney that's auto 4 losses in last 10 games played. Lose 2 of these games vs MSU/Minnesota likely and a 23/24-9 unimpressive record We're staring at an 8seed maybe 9 seed.

 

Yep, that's my prediction without 3 more wins. 8seed

[pacopete4]

Badgers heart and desire for this season should be on display today. Coming off a pretty pathetic performance, two to play and STILL a chance at winning the Big 10. Today will tell a lot moving forward.

[DHonks]

If the Badgers win, you can thank me. I bet against them. Usually when I bet against them, they win.

[pacopete4]

Badgers heart and desire for this season should be on display today. Coming off a pretty pathetic performance, two to play and STILL a chance at winning the Big 10. Today will tell a lot moving forward.

[DHonks]

Brew4u, doesn't the same apply to Mich St? They're playing to make the NCAA Tourney and build momentum. March belongs to Izzo, and this young team is trying to keep that tradition going. Badgers need to show they're better than the last 6-7 games, but both sides are really out to play hard today

[pacopete4]

Brew4u, doesn't the same apply to Mich St? They're playing to make the NCAA Tourney and build momentum. March belongs to Izzo, and this young team is trying to keep that tradition going. Badgers need to show they're better than the last 6-7 games, but both sides are really out to play hard today

 

 

Well so far I see it out of Michigan State.

 

 

And Hayes is a mental midget.

[superfly]

Badgers suck. What a disappointment from these core guys Koenig, Hayes, Brown etc that have seen a NCAA title game. Pathetic.

[pacopete4]

Koenig has to be hurt. Just has to be. He is a shell of the player he was even halfway through this season.

 

Vitto Brown shouldn't see the floor unless necessary. Play some younger guy and and at least get them experience moving forward. Let him sing the National Anthem and then sit his behind on the bench. What a waste.

 

Hayes at least has fight. He isn't that good but at least he's out there doing something positive.

[DHonks]

I thought Hayes looked really good when playing within himself today. Koenig was missing until desperation time.

[superfly]

I thought Hayes looked really good when playing within himself today. Koenig was missing until desperation time.

 

His inability to make a FT arguably cost them the game.

[brewcrewdue80]

I thought Hayes looked really good when playing within himself today. Koenig was missing until desperation time.

 

His inability to make a FT arguably cost them the game.

 

Yeah. The first half had 4straight. 2 on the 1-1 so 2FT attempts/pts more than the statline will show. I dont know about 2nd half I stopped watching after Matt Kenseth crashed out of Daytona race.

 

So now WI at minimum will be 5-5 last 10. And can get worse. They may drop to a 9seed.

 

Marq, blew their game as well. Man I want them in the tourney because they can prove a tough out with shooting. But they are hanging by a thread in last teams in. They need a big win in the Big East tourney to lock it down.

[MrTPlush]

Wow has the Wisconsin Badgers hit a new low of lows. I was actually excited to see what they could do this year(even as a none Wisconsin fan), but this team just hasn't performed even in the slightest. As a coach you have to keep your team together and Gard has failed to do so. Wisconsin could easily be a one and done team that's how poor they look these days.

[patrickgpe]

 

Marq, blew their game as well. Man I want them in the tourney because they can prove a tough out with shooting. But they are hanging by a thread in last teams in. They need a big win in the Big East tourney to lock it down.

marquette really backed themselves in a corner, they really need to win both games this week and probably 1 conference tournament game to get off of the bubble. The 2 losses to providence and 1 to st johns really doesn't look good on a resume.

[brwrsfan]

Marquette has to be one of the worst teams in the country in the last 5 minutes of games. They just simply find ways to NOT win games. They very easily should have beaten Providence twice (especially this past Saturday). They completely blew the SH game around New Years and they let a 15-18 point lead slip away in the second half against Butler. They just have poor execution and very little defense. If they won even two of those games, they're sitting in quite comfortably right now.

 

Every bracket I see has them in right now - but usually in the "last 4 in" and in a play in game. That's a very precarious spot to be - teams can steal bids winning their tournaments, a bad loss can knock you out or a team in the "last 4 out" can easily jump past you with a big win or two. And that's assuming everyone agrees they are actually in right now - which is far from certain. They really, really need to win these last two games. A split wouldn't be the worst thing, probably keeps them right where they are going into the BE tournament.

[DHonks]

Marquette has been terrible with the lack of leadership, especially from seniors. But they have some very good wins and are in the 2nd ranked conference, so that helps. Coming into the final stretch, I expected Marquette to go 2-3, 3-2 at best. They've gone 2-1 so far. If they can win 1 of 2 and then win a game in the BE tourney, they should definitely be in the conversation

[MrTPlush]

Marquette is in a lot of trouble because they have to go 2-1 over their next three games just to stay where they are(possibly not even in). Doesn't help that two other Big East teams are on the bubble(Providence/Seton Hall) and one of which they just lost to for the second straight time. Lose in the opening round of the Big East tourney and they will be on the wrong side of those other bubble teams. Doesn't help teams like TCU/Kansas State might get to pop shots at Kansas/WVU/Baylor among other high quality tournament bound teams to sweeten their resume.

 

If Marquette wants to punch their ticket they need to beat Creighton and then win a tournament game(winning both regular season games would probably suffice too). If they don't do that who knows what will happen.

[DHonks]

At this point Marquette is likely in the tournament. A win vs Creighton would be a lock, and getting a BE tourney win would help. Scary how good their 3-point shooting is. They seem to be finding their identity.

[patrickgpe]

they probably do need to beat Creighton or win a conference tournament game to lock it up, but they have a kenpom ranking of 30, RPI of 58, and most impressively 7 wins over a top 50 RPI team.

 

if the big east does get 6 teams, i think Xavier has fallen off of the bubble which can only help Marquette. if the committee looks at your last 10 and you lost 6 in a row, thats not good.

[brwrsfan]

It depends who they wind up playing in the BE tournament. Right now, they'd avoid the first round (I think). I think it's possible they wind up playing Creighton again (could happen win or lose on Saturday I believe). If they were to lose to Creighton twice, it would hurt but not necessarily knock them out. Would depend on what some of the other bubble teams do.

 

But I'm with the rest of you, win either Saturday or the first BE game and they should be in - just about every projection has them in now. Though some have them in the play-in games which I'm sure is something they'd much rather avoid.

[patrickgpe]

lunardi has them off the bubble and not in a play in game in todays update.

 

i BELIEVE that Marquette could end up as high as a #3 seed in the tournament or as low as a 6 (their current seeding). Marquette's win last night clinched a 1st round bye, which is good news. (top 6 get byes)

[brwrsfan]

Just looked at Lunardi's bracket. Has Marquette out of the play in games, but still an 11 seed (he has two other 11's in a play in game) so they're right there on the edge - and who knows if the committee agrees. They'd be much better served just winning another game (or two) and not sweating it.

 

He also has Wisconsin as a six seed...in Milwaukee. Not sure I see that happening, not with that low a seed.

[MrTPlush]

A win against Creighton or whoever in the conference tourney would be enough since it should be a decent team considering they have a first round bye. Big win for them.