- Joined
- Nov 3, 2008
- Messages
- 5,106
- Reaction score
- 1,259
- Points
- 113
Big Ten Schedule Release Puts Michigan State at Minnesota Game as Marquee Big Ten Battle
By by BuzzKing (follow on Twitter @Fieldof68Freak)
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/819712?referrer_id=331171
YOU'RE (SWEET) SIXTEEN, MN -- Let's start the Road to Selection Sunday (it could be a special one for the Minnesota Gophers) with a look at the 2017-18 B1G schedule, which the conference released July 31. I have graded/ranked each of the 14 teams' conference schedules four different ways: (1) Home 1-plays; (2) Road 1-plays; (3) Home & Homes; and (4) overall.
Each team was given a number value (lower the better) based on what I project to be their B1G Tournament seed at Madison Square Garden (Feb. 28-March 4). Those are as follows:
1 Michigan State
2 Purdue
3 Minnesota
4 Northwestern
5 Michigan
6 Maryland
7 Iowa
8 Penn State
9 Wisconsin
10 Indiana
11 Illinois
12 Ohio State
13 Rutgers
14 Nebraska
At first glance, two things stood out when perusing each teams' schedule. One, the clear-cut favorite (MSU) was given a clear path to the conference title, not that the loaded Spartans needed any help. Sparty and super sophomore Miles Bridges (who woulda' thunk he'd be back? ) appear to have the easiest overall and home & home slates. Tom Izzo and his uber-deep roster don't play home & homes vs. any of the projected top 5.
Two, relative B1G newbie Maryland was done no favors by Commissioner Jim Delany & Company. That's somewhat surprising considering The Commish has slobbered on and on about the expanded "B1G footprint" while giving his beloved East coast back-to-back (D.C., New York) conference tournaments.
Terrapins head coach Mark Turgeon probably is none too pleased with Mr. Footprint right about now, as the Terps own far and away the most difficult path to a B1G regular-season championship. On paper (of course), the Terps have the toughest overall schedule, including home & homes vs. 4 of the projected top 5 teams. The flip (good) side of that is the Terps strength of schedule will not be an issue if they end up on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Lets' take a look at some of the numbers.
Home 1 -Plays (each team has 4)
Toughest: Iowa -- Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Easiest (tie): Purdue -- Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Northwestern
Easiest (tie): Northwestern -- Nebraska, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State
Gophers (tied for 11th most difficult): Michigan State, Illinois, vs. Ohio State (in New York), Rutgers
Road 1-Plays (each team has 4)
Toughest: Ohio State -- Purdue, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Easiest: Maryland -- Nebraska, Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana
Gophers (7th most difficult): Michigan, Maryland, Penn State, Wisconsin
Home & Homes (each team has 5)
Toughest: Maryland -- Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern, Michigan, Penn State
Easiest: Michigan State -- Rutgers, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Maryland
Gophers (7th most difficult): Purdue, Northwestern, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska
And last, but certainly not least. ...
Toughest to Easiest B1G Schedule (+ a tidbit)
1 Maryland (119) -- Terps quietly have been a really nice get for B1G hoops
2 Wisconsin (128) -- If Badgers finish in top 4 again, what a season they've had
3 Indiana (129) -- Don't sleep on the Hoosiers in Archie Miller's first season
4 Michigan (131) -- Really like this team, despite significant personnel losses
T5 Northwestern (132) -- While Welsh-Ryan gets a remodel, will Rosemont Horizon provide any kind of home-court advantage?
T5 Rutgers (132) -- Scarlet Knights getting better, but will it show in B1G win column?
7 Nebraska (135) -- Tim Miles last season in Lincoln?
T8 Iowa (136) -- Loads of young talent in Iowa City, but do Fran's red-faced tantrums wear on his players? (full disclosure, I like Fran)
T8 Ohio State (136) -- Don't expect the Buckeyes to be down long, despite lame fan support
T10 Gophers (139) -- Tonight I'm gonna' party like it's 199(7)?
T10 Purdue (139) -- Boilers roster takes a "biggie" hit, but personnel still there to challenge MSU
12 Penn State (140) -- Is this the year Pat Chambers breaks through to NCAA?
13 Illinois (141) -- Only team that plays Rutgers & Nebraska twice each. "Thank you very much," said first-year Illini coach Brad Underwood.
14 Michigan State (153) -- 15-3 (at worst) should get the hardware. Sparty On.
Can't wait for this season to get started. 2017-18 has a chance to be the Gophers' most memorable season since the 1997 Final Four run, but handling increased expectations always is an entirely different animal. It's a lot more comfortable being the hunter than the hunted, and make no mistake Richard Pitino's Gophers will be sneaking up on no one this winter. Their front-end talent and depth dictate that.
Who would've thought we'd be saying that just nine short months ago?
By by BuzzKing (follow on Twitter @Fieldof68Freak)
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/819712?referrer_id=331171
YOU'RE (SWEET) SIXTEEN, MN -- Let's start the Road to Selection Sunday (it could be a special one for the Minnesota Gophers) with a look at the 2017-18 B1G schedule, which the conference released July 31. I have graded/ranked each of the 14 teams' conference schedules four different ways: (1) Home 1-plays; (2) Road 1-plays; (3) Home & Homes; and (4) overall.
Each team was given a number value (lower the better) based on what I project to be their B1G Tournament seed at Madison Square Garden (Feb. 28-March 4). Those are as follows:
1 Michigan State
2 Purdue
3 Minnesota
4 Northwestern
5 Michigan
6 Maryland
7 Iowa
8 Penn State
9 Wisconsin
10 Indiana
11 Illinois
12 Ohio State
13 Rutgers
14 Nebraska
At first glance, two things stood out when perusing each teams' schedule. One, the clear-cut favorite (MSU) was given a clear path to the conference title, not that the loaded Spartans needed any help. Sparty and super sophomore Miles Bridges (who woulda' thunk he'd be back? ) appear to have the easiest overall and home & home slates. Tom Izzo and his uber-deep roster don't play home & homes vs. any of the projected top 5.
Two, relative B1G newbie Maryland was done no favors by Commissioner Jim Delany & Company. That's somewhat surprising considering The Commish has slobbered on and on about the expanded "B1G footprint" while giving his beloved East coast back-to-back (D.C., New York) conference tournaments.
Terrapins head coach Mark Turgeon probably is none too pleased with Mr. Footprint right about now, as the Terps own far and away the most difficult path to a B1G regular-season championship. On paper (of course), the Terps have the toughest overall schedule, including home & homes vs. 4 of the projected top 5 teams. The flip (good) side of that is the Terps strength of schedule will not be an issue if they end up on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Lets' take a look at some of the numbers.
Home 1 -Plays (each team has 4)
Toughest: Iowa -- Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Easiest (tie): Purdue -- Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Northwestern
Easiest (tie): Northwestern -- Nebraska, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State
Gophers (tied for 11th most difficult): Michigan State, Illinois, vs. Ohio State (in New York), Rutgers
Road 1-Plays (each team has 4)
Toughest: Ohio State -- Purdue, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Easiest: Maryland -- Nebraska, Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana
Gophers (7th most difficult): Michigan, Maryland, Penn State, Wisconsin
Home & Homes (each team has 5)
Toughest: Maryland -- Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern, Michigan, Penn State
Easiest: Michigan State -- Rutgers, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Maryland
Gophers (7th most difficult): Purdue, Northwestern, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska
And last, but certainly not least. ...
Toughest to Easiest B1G Schedule (+ a tidbit)
1 Maryland (119) -- Terps quietly have been a really nice get for B1G hoops
2 Wisconsin (128) -- If Badgers finish in top 4 again, what a season they've had
3 Indiana (129) -- Don't sleep on the Hoosiers in Archie Miller's first season
4 Michigan (131) -- Really like this team, despite significant personnel losses
T5 Northwestern (132) -- While Welsh-Ryan gets a remodel, will Rosemont Horizon provide any kind of home-court advantage?
T5 Rutgers (132) -- Scarlet Knights getting better, but will it show in B1G win column?
7 Nebraska (135) -- Tim Miles last season in Lincoln?
T8 Iowa (136) -- Loads of young talent in Iowa City, but do Fran's red-faced tantrums wear on his players? (full disclosure, I like Fran)
T8 Ohio State (136) -- Don't expect the Buckeyes to be down long, despite lame fan support
T10 Gophers (139) -- Tonight I'm gonna' party like it's 199(7)?
T10 Purdue (139) -- Boilers roster takes a "biggie" hit, but personnel still there to challenge MSU
12 Penn State (140) -- Is this the year Pat Chambers breaks through to NCAA?
13 Illinois (141) -- Only team that plays Rutgers & Nebraska twice each. "Thank you very much," said first-year Illini coach Brad Underwood.
14 Michigan State (153) -- 15-3 (at worst) should get the hardware. Sparty On.
Can't wait for this season to get started. 2017-18 has a chance to be the Gophers' most memorable season since the 1997 Final Four run, but handling increased expectations always is an entirely different animal. It's a lot more comfortable being the hunter than the hunted, and make no mistake Richard Pitino's Gophers will be sneaking up on no one this winter. Their front-end talent and depth dictate that.
Who would've thought we'd be saying that just nine short months ago?