MD??

[Boiler Buck]

Can someone who has watched MD tell me about how they are doing so well....data wise they just do not stack up to a conference champ....but they are there at least for now? I simply have not watched them. So for those that have, some perspective?

Data wise they are 45% on FG, 36% from 3; 37 R a game and score about 75 a game. Defensively they allow 65.2 ppg. For those that want to compare we are 49% on FG, 41% on 3s, 39R and score about 83/game; Defensively we allow 66 ppg.

 

[takedownboiler]

The coach started to play his freshman after their older players stunk it up at the beginning of the season.

 

[boilerzz]

KenPom has them ranked 22nd in the "luck" category. Purdue is 272nd.

 

[FirstDownB]

I've only watched a couple of their games, but it appears they have played (and won) a ton of close games. Several of these games were against mediocre competition. While I put more stock in the concept of a team or player being "clutch" than most sabermetricians, those things usually have a way of evening out over the course of a season. Think 2016 Detroit Lions.

 

[DG10]

I've only watched a couple of their games, but it appears they have played (and won) a ton of close games. Several of these games were against mediocre competition. While I put more stock in the concept of a team or player being "clutch" than most sabermetricians, those things usually have a way of evening out over the course of a season. Think 2016 Detroit Lions.

They have not won many games of substance, and those that they have, they barely won in all but one case. In addition, their entire non-conference (and majority of conference) games have been at home or quasi-home.

Their freshman have played well, but, their "impressive" record is a product of their less than impressive or challenging schedule, just as their place at the top of the conference standings is.

 

[Boiler Wolf]

I've only watched a couple of their games, but it appears they have played (and won) a ton of close games. Several of these games were against mediocre competition. While I put more stock in the concept of a team or player being "clutch" than most sabermetricians, those things usually have a way of evening out over the course of a season. Think 2016 Detroit Lions.

In one of the MD games I caught, the announcers made a point about MD pulling out a lot of close wins. What they said about it was Melo made the winning play in crunch time more often than not. He is having a nice comeback year after a sophomore slump. Will be interesting to see how the season plays out.

 

[Dryfly88]

To build on what DG10 said: They have one of the biggest discrepancies between what they are ranked in the AP poll and what KenPom has them 22 versus 45. What that usually indicates is a team is ranked in the AP by their record only and haven't really "earned" that place.

There is no perfect science to this but right now I think it's fair to say they are at least partly a product of their schedule. Right now KP has the following B1G teams ranked ahead of them:

WI
PU
IU
NW
MN
MI

I'm not suggesting that is right, but it is telling that almost at the halfway point of the conference season, the leader in the standings has 6 teams ranked ahead of them in KP. I have no stats to back this up but have to believe that is highly unusual if not unprecedented.

 

[M51]

They have not won many games of substance, and those that they have, they barely won in all but one case. In addition, their entire non-conference (and majority of conference) games have been at home or quasi-home.

Their freshman have played well, but, their "impressive" record is a product of their less than impressive or challenging schedule, just as their place at the top of the conference standings is.

The conference schedule has been a little soft. Have beaten Iowa and IU. They have played a few historically tough non conference teams. Pitt did beat them by 14. MD has beaten Gtown, KSU, Ok State, Richmond, Charlotte. These are teams that have been pretty good and are not easy wins any year. Bottom line, MD wins.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

Maryland has arguably had one of the easiest conference slates up to date (laid out until the Purdue game):

Maryland: :
Illinois
Nebraska
@ Michigan
Indiana
@ Illinois
@Iowa
Rutgers
@ Minny
@ OSU
Purdue

Purdue
Iowa
Minny
@ OSU
Whisky
@ Iowa
Illinois
PSU
@ MSU
@ Nebraska
Northwestern
@ Maryland

 

[SDBoiler1]

The conference schedule has been a little soft. Have beaten Iowa and IU. They have played a few historically tough non conference teams. Pitt did beat them by 14. MD has beaten Gtown, KSU, Ok State, Richmond, Charlotte. These are teams that have been pretty good and are not easy wins any year. Bottom line, MD wins.

Basically, you're saying that they've beaten no one so far, except maybe IU and KSU, and IU isn't that good. Gtown is down this year. OK ST has been "OK". KSU has been decent. Richmond and Charlotte - LMAO.

They got smoked by a mediocre Pitt team that just lost by over 50 to Louisville.

Purdue has played #1 Villanova, ~#10 Louisville, and beaten ranked Wisconsin and ranked Notre Dame. Purdue has also beaten Auburn, Arizona State, and MSU at MSU. (If you can include mediocre teams as good wins, so can I.)

 

[boilerzz]

What really sucks is I think if you polled 100 people, 90+ would consider Purdue the better team. But the damn unbalanced schedule coupled with a couple of stumbles like Purdue make it just as likely that Maryland wins the Big Ten as Purdue.

 

[Purdue Grad in Texas]

What really sucks is I think if you polled 100 people, 90+ would consider Purdue the better team. But the damn unbalanced schedule coupled with a couple of stumbles like Purdue make it just as likely that Maryland wins the Big Ten as Purdue.

Yes....though Wisconsin is right there too. Even if that occurred, depending upon how Purdue finishes, there is just last year to look at how the NCAA field might shape up with seeding, etc.

Michigan State was not regular conference champ, won the BTT and was a #2-seed with what looked like a decent draw (prior to Game 1).

Now....I'd love to see the Boilers get at least a share of the regular season title, but as others have shared in recent weeks, it's not the end of the world as to NCAA-seeding if Purdue performs well down the stretch and in the BTT. With 14 teams (and the unbalanced schedule), the Big Ten regular season has lost a little of its luster.....your point still is a good one, zz, IMO. Early stumbles from the Boilers have eliminated just about any margin for error.

 

[SqueakyClean]

There is still a lot of season left folks. Let's see how we survive the next four games before we start to get too worked up about chances for a Big Ten title.

 

[DG10]

The conference schedule has been a little soft. Have beaten Iowa and IU. They have played a few historically tough non conference teams. Pitt did beat them by 14. MD has beaten Gtown, KSU, Ok State, Richmond, Charlotte. These are teams that have been pretty good and are not easy wins any year. Bottom line, MD wins.

None were on the road though I did not think...Pitt was part of the ACC Challenge, and they lost to Pitt, who lost by more than 50 on Tuesday to Louisville (at home nonetheless). They barely beat Richmond and K-State, and those were neutral site (Brooklyn). Georgetown was in D.C. (won by a point), and Charlotte was in Baltimore, but they did not play a true road non-conference game.

They beat American by 6, Towson by 5, Ok State by 1, and St. Peter's by 10...so, yes, they have won as you suggested, but they played anything but a daunting schedule, did not play a single non-conference road game, and have no wins of significance really...a couple of nice wins (all by a basket or less).

I stand by my point that their place in the national polls and atop the conference standings is a bit misleading at this point...and, it may remain the case in light of the incredibly soft conference schedule that they have.

 

[SIBoiler2]

Don't really matter at this point. Win out and smoke 'em all in the BTT and it will take care of itself.

 

[nagemj02]

Can someone who has watched MD tell me about how they are doing so well....data wise they just do not stack up to a conference champ....but they are there at least for now? I simply have not watched them. So for those that have, some perspective?

Data wise they are 45% on FG, 36% from 3; 37 R a game and score about 75 a game. Defensively they allow 65.2 ppg. For those that want to compare we are 49% on FG, 41% on 3s, 39R and score about 83/game; Defensively we allow 66 ppg.

A lot of it has to do with their guard play and their freshmen playing better than expected at this point.
Freshman Anthony Cowan is as quick (or quicker) than Carsen Edwards and he and Trimble starting together makes it tough having to guard two quick guards that can score. As I alluded to, freshmen forwards 3/2 Kevin Huerter and 4/3 Justin Jackson are playing better than anticipated at this point as well.

 

[Dakota Girl]

Can someone who has watched MD tell me about how they are doing so well....data wise they just do not stack up to a conference champ....but they are there at least for now? I simply have not watched them. So for those that have, some perspective?

Data wise they are 45% on FG, 36% from 3; 37 R a game and score about 75 a game. Defensively they allow 65.2 ppg. For those that want to compare we are 49% on FG, 41% on 3s, 39R and score about 83/game; Defensively we allow 66 ppg.

They only play the top 4 or 5 teams in the conference one time each. It will be tough to beat them record wise which is all that matters for the regular season title.

 

[lbodel]

They have not won many games of substance, and those that they have, they barely won in all but one case. In addition, their entire non-conference (and majority of conference) games have been at home or quasi-home.

Their freshman have played well, but, their "impressive" record is a product of their less than impressive or challenging schedule, just as their place at the top of the conference standings is.

I agree - but particularly with freshmen - getting the confidence going can do wonders when it comes to actually having to come through (and quite frankly this Big Ten season, there aren't that many "giant" hurdles). Learning to win some close games, even if against less than impressive competition, can be great for a team.

That being said, learning adversity is also a big part of the game. While you can argue they've had some with some of these close games against average competition, they haven't really had their talents challenged by excellent competition.

 

[nagemj02]

I agree - but particularly with freshmen - getting the confidence going can do wonders when it comes to actually having to come through (and quite frankly this Big Ten season, there aren't that many "giant" hurdles). Learning to win some close games, even if against less than impressive competition, can be great for a team.

That being said, learning adversity is also a big part of the game. While you can argue they've had some with some of these close games against average competition, they haven't really had their talents challenged by excellent competition.

They're kind of similar to the '07-'08 Boilers up to this point (with the exception of the starting backcourts: they're built differently).