{"id":4669,"date":"2014-03-16T12:07:35","date_gmt":"2014-03-16T16:07:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=4669"},"modified":"2014-03-16T12:08:57","modified_gmt":"2014-03-16T16:08:57","slug":"2014-ctc-the-big-ten-313","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=4669","title":{"rendered":"2014 CTC: The Big Ten (3\/16)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It was a strange(-ly awesome) year in the BiG this year.\u00a0 First of all, I have to point out to all the people that are tired of this being the best league in the country and are trying to boost up the Big XII\u00a0– that’s cute and all, but it’s just no true and it’s not really that close.\u00a0 I am not a Big Ten lover.\u00a0 I didn’t go to Penn State or root for Maize and Blue or even worship at the altar of Izzo.\u00a0 I actually never really like the Big Ten growing up because the style of play was rough and slow and the teams weren’t good enough to make that style incredibly watchable.\u00a0 But, in recent years, this conference has proven time and time again that it is THE premier conference in college basketball.\u00a0 Look at this year as a perfect example of why it’s the best.\u00a0 Michigan State is ravaged<\/em> by injuries.\u00a0 Ohio State has an incredibly down year.\u00a0 Michigan loses its best player for the season.\u00a0 Wisconsin loses three in a row at one point.\u00a0 Purdue, Indiana, and Illinois are all down and in serious rebuilds.\u00a0 And, what conference is STILL the best?\u00a0 The Big Ten.\u00a0 I know that this league hasn’t won since 2000 (which is shocking to me), but there is no doubt, in my mind at least, that this has – by any objective measure – by clearly the best conference in the country for at least 3-4 years now.\u00a0 And, 2014 has been no different.\u00a0 This tournament should insanely interesting with the champion having certainly earned it.<\/p>\n

The majority of the field went with either Wisconsin or Michigan State as their Big Ten champ, so if they meet in the semifinals, it will be huge.\u00a0 5 of the top 6 seeds were pegged as champions with only #4 Nebraska getting no support.\u00a0 Only 3 people took top-seeded Michigan.\u00a0 Not a lot of sleepers, though a lot of people like Iowa and Ohio State to go further than their seeds say they should.\u00a0 Gersh and Stri split the 2012 title and since our 2013 champ didn’t enter this year, they are the de facto defending champs.\u00a0 Bry won the Big Ten in the first two years and remains the only one with multiple titles in this conference.<\/p>\n

CHAMPIONSHIP (March 16th – 60 points)<\/h1>\n

#1 Michigan vs #3 Michigan State<\/strong>
\nMuch like the ACC final, the Big Ten finale pits the regular season champ versus the consensus preseason pick to win the league.\u00a0 The Wolverines came out of nowhere to win the Big Ten by 3 full games over Wisconsin and MSU.\u00a0 But, I think it’s safe to say that things might be slightly – or totally – different if the Spartans had stayed healthy all year.\u00a0 And, they looked pretty spry in their impressive win over Wisconsin in the semis.\u00a0 Michigan has looked really shaky this week, barely surviving Illinois in the quarters and then squeaking by Ohio State in the semis. Do they have one more bullet in the holster for their dear old rivals?<\/p>\n

Bry, Lohse, and RDoc are the only 3 with Michigan here.\u00a0 10 people (Becks, Chris, Gersh, GrossJr, GrossSr, Lynch, PapaCim, Stritts, Teddy, WaTers) have Sparty.\u00a0 GrossSr and PapaCim have locked up the 2014 Big Ten title regardless of Sunday’s outcome.<\/p>\n

SEMIFINALS (March 15th – 40 points each)<\/h1>\n

#1 Michigan vs #5 Ohio State<\/strong>
\nNot sure if these two teams ever play in any other sport, but it’s always nice to see the state universities of these two neighbor states engage in a friendly sporting endeavor.\u00a0 Both teams are somewhat lucky to even be in this game, as Michigan needed a last-second bucket to beat Illinois in the quarters, and Ohio State barely survived a pair of games – first, a 2-point win over\u00a0Purdue in the opening round, then erasing an 18-point second half deficit against Nebraska in the quarters.<\/p>\n

8 people (Alexi, Beks, Dave, Gersh, Lynch, Stritts, Teddy, WaTers) have Ohio State in this one, with Alexi and Dave picking the Buckeyes to win it all.\u00a0 Lazarow has already lost this game with Nebraska.\u00a0 The other 16 all have Michigan, though only Bry, Lohse, and RDoc have the Wolverines winning this tourney.<\/p>\n

#2 Wisconsin vs #3 Michigan State<\/strong>
\nWisconsin looked really, really good against Minnesota in the quarters.\u00a0 Michigan State took care of business against Northwestern.\u00a0 Now, we have a Final Four caliber game in the Big Ten semifinals.\u00a0 These two only played once in the regular season – at the Kohl Center in Madison – and it was a hard-fought 2-point win for the Badgers.\u00a0 But, MSU was missing both Brandon Dawson and Keith Appling.\u00a0 This should be really, really good.<\/p>\n

11 people (Alexi, Becks, Chris, Gersh, GrossJr, GrossSr, Lynch, PapaCim, Stritts, Teddy, WaTers) have the Spartans.\u00a0 Doogan and Lohse have already lost this game.\u00a0 The other 12 all have Wisconsin, including 9 (Caleb, Colton, J, Lazarow, Mac, Primm, Scoot, Stri, Stumpf) with the Badgers winning the tournament.\u00a0 10 people actually have MSU winning this whole thing (everyone who has them winning here except Alexi).\u00a0 Needless to say, this game is a BIG DEAL for the CTC.<\/p>\n

QUARTERFINALS (March 14th – 20 points each)<\/h1>\n

#1 Michigan vs #9 Illinois<\/strong>
\nPossibly the most underrated coaching job of 2013-14 is the one done – AGAIN – by John Beilein in Ann Arbor.\u00a0 Can we finally put him in the discussion with the best coaches in the country?\u00a0 He just flat-out wins everywhere he goes.\u00a0 Last year, he took a young team to the championship game, and this year, he loses his backcourt to the NBA and his best player to a back injury, and still wins the best conference in America by THREE FULL GAMES.\u00a0 We should also be talking about Nick Stauskas as a potential Big Ten POY and the Wolverines as a possible 1-seed.\u00a0 That is amazing after losing Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway, and Mitch McGary.\u00a0 Walkon Spike Albrecht (who, despite his ridiculous heroics in the title game, was a walkon for a reason) is even playing major minutes for this team.\u00a0 And, let\u00a0me repeat – they won the best conference in the country by three whole games.\u00a0 They open their Big Ten tournament against an Illinois team that is very dangerous and handled Indiana on Thursday.<\/p>\n

All 25 entries have Michigan winning this one, but only Bry, Lohse, and RDoc have the Wolverines taking the Big Ten title on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Michigan 64 – Illinois 63<\/em><\/p>\n

#4 Nebraska vs #5 Ohio State<\/strong>
\nThis is the one.\u00a0 The one the Cornhuskers need to complete their case for inclusion in the field.\u00a0 Nebraska has made incredible strides this year – after opening their shiny new building – and want to finish the season off right, with their first trip to the Dance in quite some time.\u00a0 Terran Petteway has emerged as a go-to guy for the ‘Huskers on the offensive end, but the main improvements they have made this year have come on the defensive side of the ball.\u00a0 They are a fantastic defensive team who finishes possessions by limiting offensive rebounds.\u00a0 Their quarterfinal opponent, Ohio State, is seriously deficient offensively, so this could be a real struggle for the Buckeyes, who lost in Lincoln in late-January – the game that was the start of the turnaround for Nebraska.\u00a0 The teams also played on Jan 4, when Ohio State was in the Top 5 in the country (man, that seems like a long time ago), and the Buckeyes annihilated the ‘Huskers 84-53 in Columbus.<\/p>\n

Only 5 people (Bry, Caleb, Chris, Doogan, Lazarow) took Nebraska here.\u00a0 The other 20 all have OSU, including Alexi and Dave, who have them winning this tournament.\u00a0 6 others (Becks, Gersh, Lynch, Stritts, Teddy, WaTers) all have the Buckeyes reaching the finals.<\/p>\n

Ohio State\u00a071 – Nebraska 67<\/em><\/p>\n

#2 Wisconsin vs #7 Minnesota<\/strong>
\nThe Gophers avoided a probable bubble-bursting loss Thursday night with a comeback win over Penn State.\u00a0 Now, they have a chance to get off the bubble – in the right direction – on Friday if they can take down potential #1-seed in the Dance, Wisconsin.\u00a0 Can we quick talk – as I like to any chance I get – about just how great Bo Ryan is.\u00a0 Bo has been at Wisconsin for 12 years now.\u00a0 He has been in the top 4 of the Big Ten (the best conference in basketball for much of that time) 12 times.\u00a0 That’s right, Bo Ryan’s Badgers have never been lower than 4th place in the Big Ten regular season.\u00a0 That would be impressive at any school, let alone at Wisconsin.\u00a0 And, there are many who think (myself included) that this year’s version might be Bo’s best team ever.\u00a0 Aside from a strange dip in late January, where they lost 5 of 6, the Badgers are 24-1, including wins over Florida, Saint Louis, Virginia (in the ugliest game ever played), Iowa (2x), Michigan State, and Michigan.\u00a0 He’s got at least 4 guys (usually all 5) that are dead-eye shooters on the court at all times, and he’s got a 7-footer that dropped 43 (including 6-6 from 3-point range) against North Dakota earlier this year.\u00a0 This Wisconsin team is so tough and will be a really tough out in any tournament they participate in.<\/p>\n

Teddy is all alone on Minnesota here, hoping for a free 70 points on the field.\u00a0 The other 24 all have the Badgers, including 9 people (Caleb, Colton, J, Lazarow, Mac, Primm, Scoot, Stri, Stumpf) that have the Badgers taking this title.\u00a0 Bry and Dave are the only two that have them going to the finals and losing.<\/p>\n

Wisconsin 83 – Minnesota 57<\/em><\/p>\n

#3 Michigan State vs #11 Northwestern<\/strong>
\nAnd, the final entry to the Big Ten tournament this year is that team from East Lansing.\u00a0 That\u00a0team of the walking wounded.\u00a0 Another fascinating stat about the greatness of a coach can be told here – no\u00a0player that\u00a0has played four years for Tom Izzo has\u00a0ever <\/em>left Michigan State without a trip to the Final Four.\u00a0 But, that amazing statistic is actually on the line this year.\u00a0 And, wouldn’t it be ironic if\u00a0the class that breaks it is\u00a0consists of Adrien Payne and\u00a0Keith Appling?\u00a0 Those two are fantastic and, yet, they are in danger of being the first two Spartans to play\u00a04 years with a trip to the Final Four.\u00a0 But,\u00a0there are reasons why these stats exist, and, when healthy, this team is\u00a0one of the best bets to make the Final Four and keep it going.\u00a0 The big question that remains is:\u00a0 are they healthy?\u00a0 They are all back on the court, but are they\u00a0healthy<\/em>?\u00a0 That remains to be seen.\u00a0 The first team to test them was supposed to be a good, deep Iowa team that would run, run, and run.\u00a0\u00a0That\u00a0would have been a real test for a team that\u00a0hasn’t played much together this year.\u00a0 But, instead they get a NW team that likes to go slow, slow, and slower.\u00a0 The\u00a0Wildcats knocked off Iowa in the nightcap of\u00a0Thursday’s festivities and now\u00a0get a crack at Izzo and\u00a0company.<\/p>\n

7\u00a0people (Bry, Dave, Doogan, Lazarow,\u00a0Lohse, RDoc,\u00a0Scoot) have already lost this game with\u00a0Iowa.\u00a0 The other 18 have the\u00a0Spartans, including 10 (Becks, Chris, Gersh, GrossJr, GrossSr, Lynch, PapaCim, Stritts, Teddy, WaTers)\u00a0with them as their champs.\u00a0 Alexi\u00a0is the\u00a0only one that has them in the finals without picking them to win it.<\/p>\n

Michigan State 67 – Northwestern 51<\/em><\/p>\n

OPENING ROUND (March 13th – 10 points each)<\/h1>\n

#8 Indiana vs #9 Illinois<\/strong>
\nThe tipoff of the 2014 Big Ten tournament is between two teams that are too talented to be in the position of mere spoiler of “bid thief.”\u00a0 But, that is the case for both UI and IU.\u00a0 John Groce better get it together in Champaign, as Bruce Weber continues to shine in Manhattan, KS.\u00a0 They Illini only have one senior of significance, and they were spectacular down the stretch, as they finished with a crazy 5-game stretch (@Min, Neb, @MichSt, Mich, @Iowa) in which they went an astonishing 4-1.\u00a0 I’m not sure I would pick any team in the country to go 4-1 over that stretch, especially not a team that won ONE game (against Penn State) between Jan 5 and Feb 18.\u00a0 But, tournaments like this are about who you can beat and Illinois has proven all year that they can beat anyone.\u00a0 As for the Hoosiers, I am not sure why Tom Crean (who I think is a terrific coach) is getting a total pass on this season.\u00a0 They have no chance at an at-large bid, despite one of the best freshmen in the country (Noah Vonleigh), a solid, if not spectacular, PG (Yogi Ferrell), and an experienced role player who can do a lot of things on both ends (Will Sheehey).\u00a0 Is it\u00a0because there just isn’t much other talent?\u00a0 Well, doesn’t that fall on Crean as well?\u00a0 I know that they lost an All-Star roster of players to the NBA, but at a place like Indiana who was put back on the map the past couple of years, I didn’t expect any down years any more, but that’s what we had.\u00a0 I guess there is still time to make it up, but they have to win a really tough tournament.\u00a0 The winner of this game will get #1 Michigan on Friday.<\/p>\n

Only 6 people (Bry, Caleb, GrossJr, J, Lazarow, PapaCim) went with Illinois here.\u00a0 No one has either of these teams beating Michigan in the quarters.<\/p>\n

Illinois 64 – Indiana 54<\/em><\/p>\n

#5 Ohio State vs #12 Purdue<\/strong>
\nWhat happened to OSU this year?\u00a0 They should be great, and they looked great early on.\u00a0 But, they just don’t have any offense and, ya know, scoring is important.\u00a0 I asked Doogan the other day if Ohio State would be a Top 10 team in the country if Desean Thomas stayed in school instead of leaving a year early to play in Spain.\u00a0 He said yes, and I agree.\u00a0 That is exactly what they are missing – and he is one of the best at it – scoring.\u00a0 As for Purdue, it doesn’t get much tougher for a 5-seed than to draw a 12-seed as good as the Boilers. The winner of this game will take on a Nebraska team that really needs a win to get off the bubble.<\/p>\n

Bry is the only one that went for the\u00a0big upset here with Purdue.\u00a0 A Purdue win would\u00a0also bust a ton of brackets.\u00a0 Alexi and Dave have the Buckeyes winning this tournament.\u00a0 Becks, Gersh, Lynch, Stritts, and WaTers have them going to the finals.\u00a0 11 more (Colton, GrossJr, GrossSr, J, Lohse, Mac, PapaCim, Primm, RDoc, Scoot, Stumpf) have them reaching the semis, so this is huge here for most of the field to keep OSU alive.\u00a0 Aside from Bry, only Caleb, Chris, Doogan, and Lazarow have OSU not making the semis.<\/p>\n

Ohio State 63 – Purdue 61
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

#7 Minnesota vs #10 Penn State<\/strong>
\nRichard Pitino has done a great job in Minneapolis, but the team is inconsistent and unsteady.\u00a0 Sometimes they look great, sometimes they look very flat – and that might be inexperienced coaching.\u00a0 But, they are in decent shape to make the tournament, but they have to beat Penn State on Thursday.\u00a0 The Nittany Lions have one of the best backcourt duos in the great Tim Frazier and the nearly-great D.J. Newbill.\u00a0 This is a dangerous game for the Gophers, and they better bring the good team to this one.\u00a0 The winner here gets #2 Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

9 people (Bry, Dave, Doogan, GrossJr, Lynch, PapaCim, Primm, RDoc, WaTers) took the Nittany Lions here with an upset that might kill Minnesota’s tournament hopes.\u00a0 No one has either of these teams beating Wisconsin in the quarters.<\/p>\n

Minnesota 63 – Penn State 56<\/em><\/p>\n

#6 Iowa vs #11 Northwestern<\/strong>
\nGod, I love this Iowa team.\u00a0 But, they have really struggled to stop anyone lately.\u00a0 And, if you don’t play defense, you just don’t win Big Ten games.\u00a0 But, they do have a TON of talent and are probably the deepest team in the league (depth has hidden importance this year because of the new quicker whistles).\u00a0 This game should be a fascinating game of completely contrasting styles.\u00a0 Iowa LOVES to run and will on any occasion.\u00a0 Northwestern will go slow, slow, and slower.\u00a0 The ‘Cats are tough and should not be overlooked.\u00a0 Iowa is in no danger of missing the Dance, but they are playing with the fire of a bad seeding and a loss here might put them in the dreaded 8\/9 game.<\/p>\n

Gersh, GrossJr, Lynch, and PapaCim went with a really nice NW upset pick here, though none of them have the ‘Cats beating Mich State.\u00a0 Doogan puts his Big Ten champ at risk here in the nightcap.\u00a0 Lohse has the Hawkeyes in the finals.\u00a0 Bry, Dave, Lazarow, RDoc, and Scoot all have them beating Michigan State, so they need them to stay alive here.<\/p>\n

Northwestern 67 – Iowa 62<\/em><\/p>\n

CTC UPDATE<\/h1>\n

Championship Picks<\/strong><\/p>\n