Would make a pretty difficult out for a #1 in the S16. Although they may be playing themselves into a #3 seed with a win like this. This would be the most impressive win of the year.

Well I was going to sing the Indiana fight song, but we may have just moved to a second seed with this loss.

They haven't called them all night. Which, honestly, I prefer over a ticky tack called game.

He was a #1 projected pick at the beginning of this year too, which is laughable in retrospect. Been exposed by other bigs all year. He's like Hansbrough without the ridiculous motor and effort level. I wouldn't want him on my team in the NBA at all.

I understand trying to avoid ticky tack, but you can't let the kids brawl. That's not basketball. I'm all about good hard physical basketball, but you have to be able to play.

Would really like to see Kansas take care of business Saturday and Duke choke at UNC now.

I'm fully prepared to lose to Baylor. I know that is being pessimistic, and I'm not necessarily expecting it to happen, but as awful as Baylor has played, this will be the one game they pull their heads out.

You thinking overall #1?

Honestly, if KU wins out and takes the conference tournament, it's a possibility at this point.

Yes. We would get it over Gonzaga if that all happened.

If KU plays well, they'll win no matter what Baylor does (although I do think there is clearly some latent potential there BU haven't reached). And they should be ready...the conference race may come down to it.

I don't think these seniors are giving that game up. Scott Drew will all but cement our victory. I'm glad we're playing Baylor.

Yes, they would have to. Only IU and Duke could really prevent that if they themselves also won out (and considering IU has to go to Michigan and Duke has to go to UNC, that's really unlikely).

Louisville Cardinals

Pretty much. I think the guys are focused and ready to go.

I don't find either to be unlikely. While Michigan has home court they have more flaws than any other top ten team at this time. This is Crean's motivational moment. Indiana is the superior team.

Even more likely will be that Duke creams a North Carolina team that has fallen hard this year.

Honestly, though, overall it is nice that the Big 10 is the Big Boy conference again. I love that we currently have an argument to put at least 7 teams in the conference this year.

Yep.

If KU beats Baylor(Top 50) on the road and then wins the Big 12 tourney; probably beating two tourney teams to do so, the Number 1 overall is theirs.

That's a lot of what-if's but I'm hoping for it. Never thought that would be possible three weeks ago.

Gonzaga would just be ****ed because of their conference. Sorry brahs.

You think y'all will be favored going into that game at Michigan?

And UNC has put it together as of late. They're not a team to be taken lightly. Not someone you'd want in your bracket as an eight seed.

I'm just curious how we can take the South away from Georgetown. They got Cuse coming up don't they?

At the end of the day, #1 isn't important. Top 4 is what matters. Unless Duke, Gonzaga, IU, or Kansas fall apart, they should be the top seeds. Unfortunately for me, IU is the most likely to loss that standing this weekend, but I have faith in Crean.

Yup, but after that loss to Louisville, they also have been exposed. Georgetown is better manned and coached. Syracuse has to get some emotion together at this point.

Favored isn't important to me. In fact, I hope we are the underdog.

UNC will not beat Duke this weekend. I would be willing to put money on it.

I think they'll take care of business, just because they've stressed not being the team to break the conference streak and they'll know the KSU/OSU final well before they take the court. I could see them falling flat in the B12 tournament though.

Of course they're the superior team. But superior teams lose on the road all the time to teams that are nowhere near as good as Michigan. It's college basketball, home court advantage is immense. Considering Michigan hasn't lost at home all year, it's exactly what I'd call unlikely.

It sounds like you haven't watched UNC over the last month. They've been playing great basketball since Roy decided to go small. They haven't lost since they nearly beat Duke at Cameron in early February. When you consider that (+ the fact that Duke hasn't played a good road game all year against any kind of decent opposition), UNC is the favorite.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebaske...s-grip-on-indy

I still don't think the committee will give Gonzaga and their weak schedule that kind of respect. They might be a #1 now, but not an overall #1. It's more likely going to be a power conference team.

The last line I saw was for Duke at 6.5. If they fell to the underdog line, they did so in the last 24 hours and I haven't received an update.

And keep in mind that Michigan has lost as many as they have won in the last month, including to a Penn State team (not as bad as TCU, but still embarrassing).

@ESPNLunardi: Latest top line: Gonzaga/WEST, Kansas/MW, Indiana/EAST, Georgetown/SOUTH. If you don't like it, just wait a day...

Nice. KU will have to beat three top 50 teams to win out and the Big 12 tourney, but if they do....

It's all gravy, baby.

And Gonzaga played a pretty damn impressive non-con. Unfortunately their conference tourney won't be getting them many nods like winning a Power Six would.

As far as North Carolina goes, it isn't the lineup. It is the fact that they haven't played a top 25 team in the last month. In fact, they have only beaten 1 top 25 team all year and that was to a weak UNLV team that has since fallen off the face of the earth.

It would surprise me greatly if Duke was a 6 point favorite on the road against a team playing as well as UNC. Any idea where you saw that?


And yet they lost none of those games at home. Michigan is a completely different team at home, like most teams in college basketball. It's not exactly easy to walk into a top 10 team's building and win. You can count the number of times that happens in one NCAA season on one hand.

Either Vegas Gaming or Odds Shark. I get updates from both.

BTW - Indiana has already done so at Michigan State and and Ohio State this season. both were top ten when it happened.

No, it actually had a ton to do with the lineup. Check out this article on what they've done since Hairston was inserted and how it's completely changed the way they operate: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...r-heels-season

They're winning games (both at home and on the road) that they would have lost in December. UNC was on the way out of the tournament a few months back, now they're looking like a real threat in the tournament to go a round or two.

I'm not seeing anything, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. FWIW, KP has Duke winning by 2 (and Vegas lines usually correspond quite closely to his system's projections).

There's a reason why Indiana is considered #1 in the country. That doesn't mean going to Michigan and winning is going to be easy or likely.

Still not impressed with wins against Maryland, UVA, Clemson, and Florida State. Especially with the crushing loss to Miami and a beating at home by Virginia Tech. Maybe the lineup has helped, but switching from a wheelchair to a cane does not make you a marathon runner. I am comfortable saying I don't see Duke losing this weekend. Copy and paste it if I'm wrong, I have eaten crow before.

I don't expect it to be easy. Zeller has let me down for 3 weeks straight, I don't expect that to change. However, Oladipo increases his NBA value with every game, including tonight's loss. I do think they will do it though.

They go down each night. We should have an update sometime tomorrow or Thursday. Either way, I will be surprised if Duke is not favored.

It's better than losing half of those games, which is what the UNC of November and December would have done...particularly on the road.

Duke has lost their last four games to decent opposition (which UNC would most certainly qualify as at this point) and I would be surprised if Saturday will be a change to that trend.

I'm not so sure myself. Indiana still probably has to win out to get the overall #1, though. And even if they do beat Michigan, that means having to go through the gauntlet of the B10 tournament unscathed.

RPI:
1. Duke
2. New Mexico
3. Miami
4. Louisville
5. Kansas
6. Indiana
7. Florida
8. Michigan State
9. Michigan
10. Georgetown

ESPN BPI:
1. Louisville
2. Duke
3. Indiana
4. Florida
5. Gonzaga
6. Kansas
7. Syracuse
8. Michigan
9. Oklahoma St
10. ohio st

Pomeroy ratings:
1. Florida
2. Indiana
3. Louisville
4. Gonzaga
5. Duke
6. Kansas
7. Pittsburgh
8. Wisconsin
9. ohio st
10. Syracuse

not yet. they won't be a #2 until Michigan beats them Sunday! :D

AARON CRAFT for President!
YAY ****EYES!

hey......what was that noise? sounded just like the window of opportunity opening.

could be a 5 way tie for conference championship.

Hilton Magic at work tonight. Just got in so I haven't watched much, but ISU is up 57-45 on OSU.

More refereeing controversy. Did you see that T?

Come on Purdue!!!

Georgetown should lose.

That should finally finish talking about them getting a #1 seed.

Yeah we want the South. Georgetown can leave.

Georgetown loses @ Nova.

Duke had a better resume anyway. Not sure why Georgetown was still a #1 for Lunardi.

Sweet. Take care of business Saturday fellas!

OSU's out of the running for the conference now, but I hope they'll still be motivated to take out KSU on Sat.

I don't see why not. They're probably pissed now. I'd be.

Whatever happened to Buck and his Azrecs?

No. I've been busy and probably only watched five minutes of the game.

We izz a top twentee fiv teem!!!

Brutal conference schedule took it's toll.

Just noticed my typo.

I suppose Az-wrecks would be better.

Gotta give the Big East crowd something to beat it to.

I thought your "typo" was a clever quip.

I typed my response in relation to an Aztec fan named Buck who thinks his team is a top 25 team. Just like my response, it's stupid.

Oh yeah....

Uhh, I am so clever I meant to do it.

Yeah, that's it. :)

For a team that came so close to sweeping KU, they haven't impressed me at all... granted, I didn't see the game at AFH. They were lucky to beat OU, didn't impress vs KU in Stillwater, and didn't look good tonight. Small sample size, but it's not like they've really beaten anyone else. They're just kind of annoying to watch with the number of dumb shots they make.

Florida outright SEC Regular Season Conference Champions & undefeated @ home PBJ

Miami just lost to Georgia Tech at home. Yes, that's as bad as it sounds.

They're not elite or anything, but they're very good. There is little shame in losing at OU or ISU this season.

And yeah, OSU just beat down KU at AFH. Out toughed them really, one of the most impressive wins of the season. They go as Smart goes.

Some teams are playing great at the right time, some are not.

Looking at Miami's "body of work", can someone explain to me how they're top 10? They've lost to Florida Gulf Coast, Indiana St., Wake Forest and now Georgia Tech. Their big wins are Duke, Michigan St., and @NC State. Everyone fell in love when they were undefeated for a stretch in the mediocre ACC, and now everyone wants to keep Cinderella up top.

Well...they shouldn't be anymore. Enough of the #1 seed talk for good, too. Losing to GT at home might be just as bad as losing to Wake on the road.

And you just can't gloss over losses to Florida Gulf Coast and Indiana St. at home. Sure, they happened a while ago, but the games still count.

Miami got hot during a stretch where the top teams were losing every week, plus they dominated Duke and UNC. It was pretty easy to say they were the most consistent team in the moment.

And at the time, their losses didn't look as bad. Arizona was undefeated and looking solid the first part of the year, and even Indiana State was considered either part of the last 4 in/out by many at the time. They've both limped to the finish though... and now Miami compounded it with a couple terrible losses.

Congrats.

Billy D is a great coach.

you being a state fan....do you have any idea how STUPID it is that you were rooting for Purdue? WOW.

makes no damn sense. maybe you were planning on losing to Wisconsin tonight? or better yet to NW sunday!

Sparty now has a shot at a share of the conference title thanks to Burke.

you're welcome.

PS - I guess you'll be rooting for IN sunday?

It gets tough when your starting PG and SG get injured and miss serious time.

Even so we'll probably make the dance, but a disappointing season for sure. Before conference play I would have guessed we were a top 10 team. I think we made it as high as 15 before the injury bug hit.

Luckily we're healthy now and I hope we make a run. A tourney win at this point would be a great accomplishment.

Also I dropped cable and nobody streams MWC games so I don't really see the games. I'll be heading to a bar for the MWC tourney so I can watch.

And I don't think we're a top 25 team.

Maybe I just hate Michigan that much and my mom also went to Purdue.

But mostly my hate of Michigan.....

But please explain how Michigan winning last night has meaning for Sparty? I obviously will be rooting for UM this weekend so there is a tie of IU, UM, MSU and OSU. I must be unaware of some tie-breaker?

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!

First to 49 wins it tonight.

:facepalm:

Wisconsin and Bo Ryan make men's college basketball games resemble the WNBA better than any program I have ever seen.

And I mean that in the most derogatory way possible to women's basketball.....

LOLOLOLOLOL

BIG BALL RULEZZZZZZZ

I was at the game last night buck (my wife's alma matter)......

Here's my take on the Aztecs (from someone who's watched at least half their games this year:

Their offense drives me crazy. Fisher has never been a set-piece offense kind of guy - and it shows. Too many one-pass-then-shoot offensive possessions....too many one-on-one, I'll beat my man, type of possessions.

When they're patient on offense - they are a much better team.

They dont hit the boards as well as you might think they would - and they'll have big-time trouble against anyone long and athletic (like they ran into against Syracuse for example).

Air Force played zone all night against the aztecs - and they struggled finding seams - and they didnt flash to the middle to break the zone down enough at all.

Franklin is legit. Thames is a nice complementary player to Franklin. Rahon seems to have regressed a bit this year from last.

MWC is getting some pub this year, but when you look at the guts of their schedules and 'big wins'....most of the 'big wins' are coming within the conference (UNLV, New Mexico, SDSU)....rather than outside.

SDSU beat UCLA (should have beaten Arizona)
CSU beat nobody worthwhile outside of conference
UNLV's best non-conference win was probably Iowa STate at home
New Mexico won at UCONN and Cinci....but those arent looking as good now as they did earlier in the season.

I hope the aztecs can pull it together for a run in the MWC tourney....but they havent looked fluid lately.....and they really struggled last night against air force until late in the game

I'm glad this game is on. I've got to get up early and this will surely lull me to sleep.

B1G Ball: More Effective than NyQuil

Michigan HAD to beat Purdue in order to set up the possibility of a TIE for conference championship on Sunday. had Purdue won, IN would have been outright conference champs regardless of whether they win or lose on Sunday.

as it stands now, if Ohio beats IL and you guys beat NW on Sunday....then come 6:00 there's gonna be all kindsa Sparty and Nuts rooting for BLUE! because MI beating IN will cause a FOUR WAY tie for conf champioinship.

now the weirdest thing about all this for ME is that I had to root my ass off fo Ohio to beat Sparty and IN for any of this to be possible, which was rather bizarre for me. I don't hate Ohio, but I don't find myself rooting for them very often either. but anyways.....CRAFT FOR PRESIDENT! LMAO

now.....why do you hate Michigan so? what would possibly be the reason. Sparty has owned them in bball for most of the last decade. are you still pissed off about the little brother comment? :LOL:

FYP

B1G is THE premier basketball conference this year. there is no valid argument otherwise. it is what it is.

hatas gonna hate.

I do agree it is the best. But it is super top heavy.

Iowa, NW, PSU, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota are all pretty awful.