Crazy day in big ten basketball

[Sbee]

So Indiana just takes it to Maryland in Bloomington, strange game, MD shot 10 for 20 from the 3 and lost by almost 20. it looks like they really didn't use their size the way they did against us, Layman looked completely lost in that game. I guess it goes to show how basketball is all about matchups. Troy williams is a great player and x factor but Dawson is a lock down defender and we beat them by 20. I am still not buying indiana yet, but they're off to a very good start and our win against them is looking better by the day.

On another note, Northwestern just can't buy a break, they lose by 2 at home to OSU with Deangelo Russell hitting two wild 3's late in the game

 

[MSUMatt28]

Crean has done a good job with IU this year with the defections they've had. Strange to think he was on the hot seat at the beginning of this year, one year after winning the Big Ten outright.

 

[Spartanmack]

It's about matchups but teams also have off nights. I doubt we'd beat IU by 20 again and that IU would wax Maryland like that in a rematch.

OSU was up 10 and looked to be cruising with 12 minutes to go and then pissed it away - scored only 4 points over the next 9 minutes (just 13 over the final 12 minutes) while they sat around and watched (and yelled at each other) the mildcats make layups and open shots. That game says a lot more about OSU than it does about NU.

 

[Sbee]

It's about matchups but teams also have off nights. I doubt we'd beat IU by 20 again and that IU would wax Maryland like that in a rematch.

OSU was up 10 and looked to be cruising with 12 minutes to go and then pissed it away - scored only 4 points over the next 9 minutes (just 13 over the final 12 minutes) while they sat around and watched (and yelled at each other) the mildcats make layups and open shots. That game says a lot more about OSU than it does about NU.

my point was NU can't catch a break, their last 3 games were an OT loss to MSU, 2pt loss @ UM, and 2pt loss to OSU at home where it seemed like they outplayed those teams for large stretches. PSU has had a bunch of tough luck losses but so has NU, much better than their records.

I was really surpried to see Layman not have a great game, he had some points but he was a physical load against us and killed us at the line. he usually gets to the line a lot and didn't shoot 1 FT against Indiana.

Izzo was talking about the matchup with MSU-Indiana and i thought it was just coach speak but there was some truth to it. We did a good job of handling them off the dribble and defending switches and closing on the perimiter, that was not the case last night. it's a combination of matchups and IU being on (and at home) last night and off on the road against us

 

[Spartanmack]

my point was NU can't catch a break, their last 3 games were an OT loss to MSU, 2pt loss @ UM, and 2pt loss to OSU at home where it seemed like they outplayed those teams for large stretches. PSU has had a bunch of tough luck losses but so has NU, much better than their records.

I was really surpried to see Layman not have a great game, he had some points but he was a physical load against us and killed us at the line. he usually gets to the line a lot and didn't shoot 1 FT against Indiana.

Izzo was talking about the matchup with MSU-Indiana and i thought it was just coach speak but there was some truth to it. We did a good job of handling them off the dribble and defending switches and closing on the perimiter, that was not the case last night. it's a combination of matchups and IU being on (and at home) last night and off on the road against us

I understand what you're saying. My point is just that while beating any of those 3 teams would still be a "program win" for NU, none of them are as good as they were expected to be at the beginning of the year and only a shadow of what they were the in recent years. They've taken a big enough step back that if they let their guard down, they could find themselves in a dog fight against even the dregs of the league. Case in point, OSU in Evanston last night. I watched the game and that 12 minute stretch to end the game was painful - half-assing it on both ends of the floor, yelling at each other after blown plays, sloppy ball control. Just awful basketball.

 

[Sbee]

I understand what you're saying. My point is just that while beating any of those 3 teams would still be a "program win" for NU, none of them are as good as they were expected to be at the beginning of the year and only a shadow of what they were the in recent years. They've taken a big enough step back that if they let their guard down, they could find themselves in a dog fight against even the dregs of the league. Case in point, OSU in Evanston last night. I watched the game and that 12 minute stretch to end the game was painful - half-assing it on both ends of the floor, yelling at each other after blown plays, sloppy ball control. Just awful basketball.

I never thought that OSU really played great basketball, they always got less out of their talent than they should have, the sum of their parts has always been greater than the whole. They were solid back in the diebler/lighty days but still never moved the ball very well and didn't play great defense. that team that we shared the BT title with in 2012 had twice the talent than we did but we beat them in Columbus and they only beat us in EL when Dawson blew his ACL out up 10 and then OSU came back, we beat them the next week in the BTT. that team had sullinger, buford, craft, Thomas, etc.

they seem to have been a consistenty underachieving program

 

[MSUMatt28]

Not sure I agree on OSU being underachievers. Look at all the guys they've lost early over the years. Far more than any other Big Ten team. Still they've pretty consistently been near the top of the conference, had more success in the BTT than any other team and gotten good NCAA seeds. They blew it in the NCAAs in 2011 when they were probably the best team in the country, but made up for it by making the Final Four the next year. Sure Matta has recruited well, but I wouldn't say they've been overflowing with talent since Sullinger left.

 

[Spartanmack]

I never thought that OSU really played great basketball, they always got less out of their talent than they should have, the sum of their parts has always been greater than the whole. They were solid back in the diebler/lighty days but still never moved the ball very well and didn't play great defense. that team that we shared the BT title with in 2012 had twice the talent than we did but we beat them in Columbus and they only beat us in EL when Dawson blew his ACL out up 10 and then OSU came back, we beat them the next week in the BTT. that team had sullinger, buford, craft, Thomas, etc.

they seem to have been a consistenty underachieving program

Not sure I agree on OSU being underachievers. Look at all the guys they've lost early over the years. Far more than any other Big Ten team. Still they've pretty consistently been near the top of the conference, had more success in the BTT than any other team and gotten good NCAA seeds. They blew it in the NCAAs in 2011 when they were probably the best team in the country, but made up for it by making the Final Four the next year. Sure Matta has recruited well, but I wouldn't say they've been overflowing with talent since Sullinger left.

I agree on OSU underachieving and have always said I don't get why elite players go there. I think Thad Matta is a horrible coach. Look at all the talent unc, dook and Kentucky have lost over the years - sure dook has lost in the first round 2 straight years but all three of those teams have had more success with similar if not worse roster turnover problems. Remember, he's had elite talent before Sullinger and that team Sullinger's sophomore year was still stacked and played really well while he missed a lot of time w/ back problems so going to the FF isn't a huge surprise.

 

[tomdalton22]

I never thought that OSU really played great basketball, they always got less out of their talent than they should have, the sum of their parts has always been greater than the whole. They were solid back in the diebler/lighty days but still never moved the ball very well and didn't play great defense. that team that we shared the BT title with in 2012 had twice the talent than we did but we beat them in Columbus and they only beat us in EL when Dawson blew his ACL out up 10 and then OSU came back, we beat them the next week in the BTT. that team had sullinger, buford, craft, Thomas, etc.

they seem to have been a consistenty underachieving program

The only NBA guy in the bunch is Sullinger. Diebler / Lighty were role players. Bufford was decent but nothing special. Craft was a good defender but couldn't score. Thomas was good but not NBA talent.