Big Ten Basketball 2022/2023 - Return to Power (1 Viewer)

[Ilov80s]

I'm really looking forward to Indiana and Michigan playing twice this year. Both games should be excellent and Oladipo guarding Burke will be a lot of fun to watch.

How does Oladipo compare to Craft in terms of man defense? People hyped Craft up, but Burke did ok against him as a freshman. Craft is supposed to be the best defender.

You can make a case for either of these guys. Oladipo was a great defensive player last year, but was considered somewhat one-dimensional. He has elevated his game so much this year he has to be considered one of the top players in the country.

Can't wait for those matchups, I am curious to see how Michigan responds against a team with similar talent level.

 

[jon_mx]

N. Stauskas....

 

[Ilov80s]

12 mins left and UM is just showing off now.

 

[whoknew]

Pretty awful first 15 minutes for MI today. Since then, they've been terrific.

 

[tri-man 47]

Michigan can turn it on quickly. Nice finish to the first half. The Indiana-Michigan games should be epic.

I remember watching from up close a couple of the Michigan-Indiana games back (way back) when I was in grad school at Michigan. Really looking forward to this year's games.

 

[Bull Dozier]

I've seen Minnesota twice in person now this season, including last nights victory over WI. I really don't think they are anything close to a top ten team. A five minute stretch of dominating offense per game is not going to carry you through the Big 10 schedule.

Andre Hollins has not continued to play at the level he played in the NIT last season.

Mbakwe has no post game. He can rebound the offense glass effectively, but you can't post him up and hope for any points.

Austin Hollins needs to shoot more.

 

[Ilov80s]

Pretty awful first 15 minutes for MI today. Since then, they've been terrific.

They scored 41 points in 11 minutes to more than make up for that slow start.

 

[Frostillicus]

I've seen Minnesota twice in person now this season, including last nights victory over WI. I really don't think they are anything close to a top ten team. A five minute stretch of dominating offense per game is not going to carry you through the Big 10 schedule.Andre Hollins has not continued to play at the level he played in the NIT last season.Mbakwe has no post game. He can rebound the offense glass effectively, but you can't post him up and hope for any points.Austin Hollins needs to shoot more.

That Northwestern game (not WI) was pretty brutal, but the first half was atypical of how they've played this year. The second half, where they scored 52 points, was more like it. Hollins scored 41 against Memphis this season. Mbakwe has added a decent drop step this year. Watch more.

 

[jon_mx]

Tonight's game should provide some good light into how good Illinois and Minnesota are. The grouping of Illini-MSU-OUS-Minn is pretty tight. None of them are at the elite level like IU and Michigan though.

 

[Bull Dozier]

I've seen Minnesota twice in person now this season, including last nights victory over WI. I really don't think they are anything close to a top ten team. A five minute stretch of dominating offense per game is not going to carry you through the Big 10 schedule.Andre Hollins has not continued to play at the level he played in the NIT last season.Mbakwe has no post game. He can rebound the offense glass effectively, but you can't post him up and hope for any points.Austin Hollins needs to shoot more.

That Northwestern game (not WI) was pretty brutal, but the first half was atypical of how they've played this year. The second half, where they scored 52 points, was more like it. Hollins scored 41 against Memphis this season. Mbakwe has added a decent drop step this year. Watch more.

I should never post before 9 am.The first half was the same as the way they played against Lafayette, they came out flat against a team they should dominate for 40 minutes. They can do that at home and make up for it, but they can't come out flat against the mediocre Big 10 teams on the road. They need to win those games and won't if they start like they did those two games.Yes, Andre Hollins has had big games, but I was hoping he would be the consistent first option. I'd like to see more consistency from him.With his size, they can get the ball to Mbakwe anytime they want. The fact that they don't consistently feed him the ball in the post tells me his post game still isn't significant. We'll see in the near future how things go for them, and it will tell us a lot.

 

[Frostillicus]

I've seen Minnesota twice in person now this season, including last nights victory over WI. I really don't think they are anything close to a top ten team. A five minute stretch of dominating offense per game is not going to carry you through the Big 10 schedule.Andre Hollins has not continued to play at the level he played in the NIT last season.Mbakwe has no post game. He can rebound the offense glass effectively, but you can't post him up and hope for any points.Austin Hollins needs to shoot more.

That Northwestern game (not WI) was pretty brutal, but the first half was atypical of how they've played this year. The second half, where they scored 52 points, was more like it. Hollins scored 41 against Memphis this season. Mbakwe has added a decent drop step this year. Watch more.

I should never post before 9 am.The first half was the same as the way they played against Lafayette, they came out flat against a team they should dominate for 40 minutes. They can do that at home and make up for it, but they can't come out flat against the mediocre Big 10 teams on the road. They need to win those games and won't if they start like they did those two games.Yes, Andre Hollins has had big games, but I was hoping he would be the consistent first option. I'd like to see more consistency from him.With his size, they can get the ball to Mbakwe anytime they want. The fact that they don't consistently feed him the ball in the post tells me his post game still isn't significant. We'll see in the near future how things go for them, and it will tell us a lot.

When you put it this way, I agree with all of it. I can't wait until tonight. If they're as good as I think they are they should be able to handle Illinois, even on the road. Really looking forward to it.

 

[Bull Dozier]

I've seen Minnesota twice in person now this season, including last nights victory over WI. I really don't think they are anything close to a top ten team. A five minute stretch of dominating offense per game is not going to carry you through the Big 10 schedule.Andre Hollins has not continued to play at the level he played in the NIT last season.Mbakwe has no post game. He can rebound the offense glass effectively, but you can't post him up and hope for any points.Austin Hollins needs to shoot more.

That Northwestern game (not WI) was pretty brutal, but the first half was atypical of how they've played this year. The second half, where they scored 52 points, was more like it. Hollins scored 41 against Memphis this season. Mbakwe has added a decent drop step this year. Watch more.

I should never post before 9 am.The first half was the same as the way they played against Lafayette, they came out flat against a team they should dominate for 40 minutes. They can do that at home and make up for it, but they can't come out flat against the mediocre Big 10 teams on the road. They need to win those games and won't if they start like they did those two games.Yes, Andre Hollins has had big games, but I was hoping he would be the consistent first option. I'd like to see more consistency from him.With his size, they can get the ball to Mbakwe anytime they want. The fact that they don't consistently feed him the ball in the post tells me his post game still isn't significant. We'll see in the near future how things go for them, and it will tell us a lot.

When you put it this way, I agree with all of it. I can't wait until tonight. If they're as good as I think they are they should be able to handle Illinois, even on the road. Really looking forward to it.

Don't get me wrong, I have high hopes. I think this is the best team by far the Gophers have had since the Jackson/Jacobsen days. I'm just trying to temper my expections....being a MN sports fan and all.

 

[Johnny Rock]

I've seen Minnesota twice in person now this season, including last nights victory over WI. I really don't think they are anything close to a top ten team. A five minute stretch of dominating offense per game is not going to carry you through the Big 10 schedule.Andre Hollins has not continued to play at the level he played in the NIT last season.Mbakwe has no post game. He can rebound the offense glass effectively, but you can't post him up and hope for any points.Austin Hollins needs to shoot more.

That Northwestern game (not WI) was pretty brutal, but the first half was atypical of how they've played this year. The second half, where they scored 52 points, was more like it. Hollins scored 41 against Memphis this season. Mbakwe has added a decent drop step this year. Watch more.

I should never post before 9 am.The first half was the same as the way they played against Lafayette, they came out flat against a team they should dominate for 40 minutes. They can do that at home and make up for it, but they can't come out flat against the mediocre Big 10 teams on the road. They need to win those games and won't if they start like they did those two games.Yes, Andre Hollins has had big games, but I was hoping he would be the consistent first option. I'd like to see more consistency from him.With his size, they can get the ball to Mbakwe anytime they want. The fact that they don't consistently feed him the ball in the post tells me his post game still isn't significant. We'll see in the near future how things go for them, and it will tell us a lot.

When you put it this way, I agree with all of it. I can't wait until tonight. If they're as good as I think they are they should be able to handle Illinois, even on the road. Really looking forward to it.

Don't get me wrong, I have high hopes. I think this is the best team by far the Gophers have had since the Jackson/Jacobsen days. I'm just trying to temper my expections....being a MN sports fan and all.

Can't wait either. We'll see if MN has gotten too big for their britches with the recent 10 game streak. Better not be looking ahead.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Should be interesting to see how IU and Mich fair throughout the B1G season. IMO UM really hasn't been tested so far.

 

[Keerock]

Should be interesting to see how IU and Mich fair throughout the B1G season. IMO UM really hasn't been tested so far.

Come on! EMU, CMU, WMU, Binghamton, Bradley, Arkansas?

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Should be interesting to see how IU and Mich fair throughout the B1G season. IMO UM really hasn't been tested so far.

Come on! EMU, CMU, WMU, Binghamton, Bradley, Arkansas?

Going through the B1G gauntlet will certainly battle test them more than they have been so far. No doubt they are a very talented squad. Always good to get the kinks out prior to March and Tourney time.

 

[scrumptrulescent]

Should be interesting to see how IU and Mich fair throughout the B1G season. IMO UM really hasn't been tested so far.

Come on! EMU, CMU, WMU, Binghamton, Bradley, Arkansas?

Name a team that doesn't have easy games on their schedule. They're good but will definitely take lumps in the Big 10, just like everyone else in the Big 10. Murderers row. But they've got the talent to win the conference.

 

[Ilov80s]

Should be interesting to see how IU and Mich fair throughout the B1G season. IMO UM really hasn't been tested so far.

Come on! EMU, CMU, WMU, Binghamton, Bradley, Arkansas?

UM beat NCC State, Arkansas, Bradley, Pitt and Kansas State. Not the toughest schedule, but there are some decent teams there. NC State is the 2nd best ACC team.

 

[jon_mx]

Should be interesting to see how IU and Mich fair throughout the B1G season. IMO UM really hasn't been tested so far.

Indiana has not been all that tested either. I would put their over/under for B1G losses at 3. I still believe that they will both deserve #1 seeds, but one may get knocked down to a #2 just because of schedule.

 

[Captain Quinoa]

One thing we can all agree on is that Aaron Craft needs to be punched in the face.

 

[Johnny Rock]

Golden Gophers with an impressive win 84-67 at Illinois. Tied for Div I lead with 3 wins over ranked opponents. MIN also weathered a nice storm where a 12 pt lead was cut to 2 in about a 2 minute span with around 13 minutes left. Regained their composure, built a lead again quickly and closed strong. Game plan executed nicely. Defended against Illini's tough 3-pt shooting, pounded inside with Mbakwe and wore them down with depth. Tonight sophomore Joe Coleman stepped up with a career high 29. Dre Hollins 22/8 reb/6 assists. Mbakwe 19/11 boards. Brandon Paul for ILL will be a stud in the NBA. If ILL jacks 3s all over the place like tonight they will get bounced from the Tournament. Then again they might put up 100 too. They waited too long to realize the shots weren't falling so take it to the rim. Turned into too many easy transition buckets for MIN. Gophers 3-0 under Tubby Smith for the first time.

 

[The Commish]

Should be interesting to see how IU and Mich fair throughout the B1G season. IMO UM really hasn't been tested so far.

I think there are two or three teams above them in the SOS category. Illinois and Minnesota....and I think Nebraska as well. They haven't played Duke's schedule, but it's not cream puffs either. There are few teams that been "tested" by your standard apparently

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Should be interesting to see how IU and Mich fair throughout the B1G season. IMO UM really hasn't been tested so far.

I think there are two or three teams above them in the SOS category. Illinois and Minnesota....and I think Nebraska as well. They haven't played Duke's schedule, but it's not cream puffs either. There are few teams that been "tested" by your standard apparently

Guess all Im saying is, of the OOC games they've played on the road, the Pitt game was really the only one that was even close. All the others it's seemed they've pretty much been in charge for most if not all the way. With upcoming games at OSU, at Minny, at Illini and at Indy over the next month, winning on the road in the B1G is very tough, it should test them a lot more than they have been.

 

[Bull Dozier]

Golden Gophers with an impressive win 84-67 at Illinois. Tied for Div I lead with 3 wins over ranked opponents. MIN also weathered a nice storm where a 12 pt lead was cut to 2 in about a 2 minute span with around 13 minutes left. Regained their composure, built a lead again quickly and closed strong. Game plan executed nicely. Defended against Illini's tough 3-pt shooting, pounded inside with Mbakwe and wore them down with depth. Tonight sophomore Joe Coleman stepped up with a career high 29. Dre Hollins 22/8 reb/6 assists. Mbakwe 19/11 boards. Brandon Paul for ILL will be a stud in the NBA. If ILL jacks 3s all over the place like tonight they will get bounced from the Tournament. Then again they might put up 100 too. They waited too long to realize the shots weren't falling so take it to the rim. Turned into too many easy transition buckets for MIN. Gophers 3-0 under Tubby Smith for the first time.

Awesome game to watch as a Gopher fan. Like most typical MN sports fans, I had no faith they would stave off the Ilini run, but they did. Big game by the starters, then bench doesn't look as deep in the Big 10 games as it did in the pre-season.I still contend that Mbakwe is more opportunistic than he is a legit low post scoring threat. I missed his first few buckets, but the rest were either offensive boards, or getting a pass down low when the defense was rotating and he had a mismatch. Not that I'm complaining, if he can get 15 points a night off of opportunities he creates, that's fine by me.

 

[Ilov80s]

Michigan's win wasn't pretty, but on a night when Nebraska milked the clock every possession, conceded at the boards to prevent transition basketball, and Michigan was cold from everywhere on the court, a 15 point win feels good. On to Sunday and Columbus.

 

[dancingbones]

Real happy with how the Gophers are playing this year. The strong finish last night after staving off that comeback run, putting the hammer down on Michigan State in the Barn - these are the things that this team hasn't been able to do until this year. They're playing like they have a taste for winning. Fun stuff to watch as a long suffering fan accustomed to watching my team collapse as soon as they nudge their way into the rankings. Love Coleman's moves on the baseline, he's turning into a real fun player to watch. Bench play was sloppy last night, but better when they threw at least one starter back into the mix.Illinois definitely missed some shots with wide open looks though (as did the Gophers). Transition game was what won that one last night for the Gophers. Overall, very excited for this team, and looking forward to Saturday's game. Early road wins in the Big 10 = .

 

[Spartans Rule]

Gritty win for MSU at Iowa. They need to play a lot better than that, in particular Keith Appling, but any road win in the Big Ten this year is huge. Also a very fortunate break for MSU that Marble was hurt. I don't like our chances if he plays.

 

[UOFI_316]

Golden Gophers with an impressive win 84-67 at Illinois. Tied for Div I lead with 3 wins over ranked opponents.

MIN also weathered a nice storm where a 12 pt lead was cut to 2 in about a 2 minute span with around 13 minutes left. Regained their composure, built a lead again quickly and closed strong.

Game plan executed nicely. Defended against Illini's tough 3-pt shooting, pounded inside with Mbakwe and wore them down with depth. Tonight sophomore Joe Coleman stepped up with a career high 29. Dre Hollins 22/8 reb/6 assists. Mbakwe 19/11 boards.

Brandon Paul for ILL will be a stud in the NBA.

If ILL jacks 3s all over the place like tonight they will get bounced from the Tournament. Then again they might put up 100 too. They waited too long to realize the shots weren't falling so take it to the rim. Turned into too many easy transition buckets for MIN.

Gophers 3-0 under Tubby Smith for the first time.

With Abrams on the bench in foul trouble and Paul out with the bloody nose they had no one to run the offense through. Richardson was running point and that is not his game. It turned into a 1-1 contest for us. No fluke the run we made was when Abrams was back in the game and taking it to the hole. When we turned into a "jack every 3pointer we see" team I figured we would have games like this 3-24, and then games like OSU were we ran them out of the building because we were on.Good game to the Gophers, they knew what to do and they did it. HOpefully the rest of the B10 did not watch.

 

[Johnny Rock]

Golden Gophers with an impressive win 84-67 at Illinois. Tied for Div I lead with 3 wins over ranked opponents.

MIN also weathered a nice storm where a 12 pt lead was cut to 2 in about a 2 minute span with around 13 minutes left. Regained their composure, built a lead again quickly and closed strong.

Game plan executed nicely. Defended against Illini's tough 3-pt shooting, pounded inside with Mbakwe and wore them down with depth. Tonight sophomore Joe Coleman stepped up with a career high 29. Dre Hollins 22/8 reb/6 assists. Mbakwe 19/11 boards.

Brandon Paul for ILL will be a stud in the NBA.

If ILL jacks 3s all over the place like tonight they will get bounced from the Tournament. Then again they might put up 100 too. They waited too long to realize the shots weren't falling so take it to the rim. Turned into too many easy transition buckets for MIN.

Gophers 3-0 under Tubby Smith for the first time.

With Abrams on the bench in foul trouble and Paul out with the bloody nose they had no one to run the offense through. Richardson was running point and that is not his game. It turned into a 1-1 contest for us. No fluke the run we made was when Abrams was back in the game and taking it to the hole. When we turned into a "jack every 3pointer we see" team I figured we would have games like this 3-24, and then games like OSU were we ran them out of the building because we were on.Good game to the Gophers, they knew what to do and they did it. HOpefully the rest of the B10 did not watch.

Well said. I didn't want to write a book so I didn't get into Abram's foul trouble or Paul's bloody nose; big factors early on when MIN was trying to get comfortable. Tough road when the PG goes out. I feel ya. Did you see how bad Ahanmisi was when Dre Hollins went out for the Goph's? Brutal.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Ugly win for the Spartans, but a road W nonetheless. A W is a W, I'll take it.

 

[Keerock]

Ugly win for the Spartans, but a road W nonetheless. A W is a W, I'll take it.

Painful to watch until the bitter end...

 

[The Commish]

Michigan and OSU bloggers exchanging comments on this weekend's matchup

 

[Ilov80s]

With that offense or lack of, MSU could be in some trouble this year. 5th in the Big 10?

 

[jon_mx]

With that offense or lack of, MSU could be in some trouble this year. 5th in the Big 10?

I would say 6th. I would put them just ahead of Wisconsin.1. Michigan2. Indiana3. Minnesota4. OSU5. Illinois

 

[whoknew]

With that offense or lack of, MSU could be in some trouble this year. 5th in the Big 10?

I would say 6th. I would put them just ahead of Wisconsin.1. Michigan2. Indiana3. Minnesota4. OSU5. Illinois

Its still so early, though. And Izzo's teams always get better as the season goes along.

 

[Ilov80s]

With that offense or lack of, MSU could be in some trouble this year. 5th in the Big 10?

I would say 6th. I would put them just ahead of Wisconsin.1. Michigan2. Indiana3. Minnesota4. OSU5. Illinois

Its still so early, though. And Izzo's teams always get better as the season goes along.

Yeah, I have them a slight benefit of the doubt that MSU will outperform one of those teams, but they look really mediocre.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

With that offense or lack of, MSU could be in some trouble this year. 5th in the Big 10?

I would say 6th. I would put them just ahead of Wisconsin.1. Michigan2. Indiana3. Minnesota4. OSU5. Illinois

Its still so early, though. And Izzo's teams always get better as the season goes along.

Yeah, I have them a slight benefit of the doubt that MSU will outperform one of those teams, but they look really mediocre.

Problem with State is, the lineup combo's are just not working well at all right now. They have very good talent individually, but together, it's not making a lot of sense. I have no doubt they will be in the hunt come March, but they have a long road to hoe in the meantime. I'm stocking up on rolaids, because I can't watch this team without them.

 

[Ilov80s]

With that offense or lack of, MSU could be in some trouble this year. 5th in the Big 10?

I would say 6th. I would put them just ahead of Wisconsin.1. Michigan2. Indiana3. Minnesota4. OSU5. Illinois

Its still so early, though. And Izzo's teams always get better as the season goes along.

Yeah, I have them a slight benefit of the doubt that MSU will outperform one of those teams, but they look really mediocre.

Problem with State is, the lineup combo's are just not working well at all right now. They have very good talent individually, but together, it's not making a lot of sense. I have no doubt they will be in the hunt come March, but they have a long road to hoe in the meantime. I'm stocking up on rolaids, because I can't watch this team without them.

Good point. Michigan and Minnesota have really done so well because the lineups are working. They have been able to move different guys in and out while keeping a cohesive style of play. Everyone seems to understand the philosophy and how to enhance their teammates. If anyone can get MSU to that point, it is a good coach like Izzo. However, you are spot on when you say MSU looks like a team that just isn't comfortable with itself yet.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

With that offense or lack of, MSU could be in some trouble this year. 5th in the Big 10?

I would say 6th. I would put them just ahead of Wisconsin.1. Michigan2. Indiana3. Minnesota4. OSU5. Illinois

Its still so early, though. And Izzo's teams always get better as the season goes along.

Yeah, I have them a slight benefit of the doubt that MSU will outperform one of those teams, but they look really mediocre.

Problem with State is, the lineup combo's are just not working well at all right now. They have very good talent individually, but together, it's not making a lot of sense. I have no doubt they will be in the hunt come March, but they have a long road to hoe in the meantime. I'm stocking up on rolaids, because I can't watch this team without them.

Good point. Michigan and Minnesota have really done so well because the lineups are working. They have been able to move different guys in and out while keeping a cohesive style of play. Everyone seems to understand the philosophy and how to enhance their teammates. If anyone can get MSU to that point, it is a good coach like Izzo. However, you are spot on when you say MSU looks like a team that just isn't comfortable with itself yet.

Im very uncomfortable with them right now. Thats why I was very happy to squeak out that ugly win last night. This team does have a knack for getting down early and clawing their way back into games at the end. Trouble is, we won't play Iowa every week.

 

[Johnny Rock]

Minnesota at Indiana tomorrow!

 

[The General]

Minnesota at Indiana tomorrow!

Saw Minnesota play for the first time against Illini last week. They looked great in that game, great shooters, fast team and the center who got hurt last year played like a beast. IU has played an easy schedule so far, this should be a great game.

 

[Garrett]

Minnesota has definitely proven they can play at a very high level this year, but winning a game at Assembly Hall is a very tall order. The Gophers have to stop Indiana from feeding off the crowd and going on big runs late 1st half/early 2nd half. Indiana has regularly dealt knockout blows to visitors at AH during those periods. Should be a great game.http://imgur.com/haF90.jpg

 

[jon_mx]

Both teams off to a solid start. Going to be a good one

 

[jon_mx]

Oladipo such a one-dimentional player. All he does is rebound, block shots, play lock down defense, steal, get second chance points, drive and make nice one-handed off-balance shots, and shoot threes.

 

[pizzatyme]

Oladipo such a one-dimentional player. All he does is rebound, block shots, play lock down defense, steal, get second chance points, drive and make nice one-handed off-balance shots, and shoot threes.

Yeah, but what else?

 

[jon_mx]

Oladipo such a one-dimentional player. All he does is rebound, block shots, play lock down defense, steal, get second chance points, drive and make nice one-handed off-balance shots, and shoot threes.

Yeah, but what else?

Only one assist.

 

[jon_mx]

Oladipo such a one-dimentional player. All he does is rebound, block shots, play lock down defense, steal, get second chance points, drive and make nice one-handed off-balance shots, and shoot threes.

Yeah, but what else?

Only one assist.

A couple of dunks though.

 

[Garrett]

40-17 run, welcome to Bloomington.

 

[Frostillicus]

Well ####

 

[jon_mx]

Look at IU scoring in the first half......13 Oldipo, 12 Hulls, 10 Watford, 9 Zeller, 8 Ferrell.....Zeller and Ferrell with 3 and 6 assists.