Yep we will see .. if Hill is as good as his practices are insinuating and the outside shooting is there for Purdue, I like our chances against anyone in the country.
Predict your conference record
- Thread starter Da_Bull
- Start date
I agree, but that is a big if. (Like IU's D) I think a lot of people have lost focus on Rapheal's successes last year. Along with Hammons & Octeus, Davis turned his career around last year by being a really good defender & he hit a lot of clutch jumpers in the middle stretch of b10 season. Boilers really need him to have a similar year too.
Great point. While the PG spot is important, we can have very good success with even average play as long as the PG can pass.
That said, everything I have read/heard about Hill is that he is the real deal. Painter may very well have gotten Octeus 2.0.
The power players are the only ones that matter. Don't sleep on Neb & Iowa. Those snakes will be better than most think. Neb losing Petteway is prob a good thing for them as he brought a lot of distractions into the locker room. Illinois lost Abrahams, that's a bad blow for them. The top 6-7 teams this year will be better than last year & that was my point.
Don't sleep on Northwestern. They could be good as well.
Also any Purdue or IU fan who says that game any year isn't one of the most important games of the season is being disingenuous. It matters a lot to both sides in down years and up years. Always has.
I fear Iowa and Northwestern much more than I fear Nebraska. Nebraska didn't just lose Petteway. They also lost two other starters in Pitchford (C) and Rivers (PF) along with three other players. They will be playing at least three freshmen 10+ minutes a game. They might be a handful in a couple of years when the 6 freshmen they brought in this year are three years in, but they are going to get hammered this year.
The only really big mystery for me this year is OSU in the pecking order. They will still be one of the most "talented" teams in the league, but it's just a question as to whether they can function as a complete team.
Also in hindsight, even before MSU's run in the tourney, they were a very good team last year. They had a few bad losses that made them seem worse than they were. So while I expect them to have better results this year, I think their overall team will be about the same level as to what it was last year.
Maryland: Better
Purdue: Slightly better
NW: Slightly better
IU: Slightly better
Michigan: Slightly better
MSU: Same (Still top 4)
Illinois: Same or Slightly worse (Was going to be better before Abrahms injuiry)
OSU: Same or Slightly worse
Iowa: Slightly worse
Minnesota: Slightly worse
Wisconsin: Worse (but still top 6)
Rutgers: Worse
Penn State - Worse
Nebraska - Worse
Squeaky,
If I follow your "math," it looks like the conference will be "Slightly Worse" as a whole this year? I may have to actually agree with that.
I tend to agree with this other than Neb. I don't think Neb is in the top 9 but I think they can be better as Miles has 2 transfers ready to play this year. B10 had 6 in the dance last year & they are project 7-8 this year. Who knows as scheduling will play a factor in the race. Also I know Wisky will not be top 5 nationally, but they've yet to finish under 4th in the last decade it seems. So it's logical to say they are worse but it still sucks to play them.
I think that you are underestimating the improvement of Purdue, Northwestern, IU, and especially Michigan. All 4 should be clearly better. I think that MSU should be slightly better. They have a very strong roster top to bottom. (I'm assuming Eron Harris stays out of more trouble.) Overall, I think that the conference will be significantly improved, despite no team being as dominant as Wisconsin was last season.
You're right about Iowa. Hawkeyes could be far better than most think.
Nebraska, on the other hand, may win 3 games in the B10.
After going back and looking at Northwestern again, I think you might be right in that they will be much better. So I have no problem putting them in the "better" category instead of "slightly better". Also, looking at their schedule, they have an absolutely cupcake OOC lineup with Virginia Tech being their toughest game (who were 11-22 last year).
Michigan 2015 will be Purdue 2014. A bunch of their players were freshmen last year and took their lumps. They will be improved this year, but I think they are still a year away from being truly elite. Everyone has this incredible image of Michigan last year, but frankly, I don't really see it. They were 11-7 before LeVert went down with losses to NJIT, EMU, SMU (at home), and getting absolutely blasted at OSU. Their one good win before losing Levert was Oregon on a neutral court. After he went down, Michigan beat exactly one tournament team (OSU at home). Those are the only tournament teams they beat the entire year. So yeah, they'll be slightly better, but I don't think I'm ready to put them in the top 5 of the Big Ten.
Again, with MSU, they were top 3 in the conference already. I think they were better than most people believed, so I don't really think they will be "better" than last year because they were one of the best to begin with.
I'm just not as optimistic for either Purdue or IU. IU because of defense. Purdue because, well, I've just been a Purdue fan for too long...
. I hope I'm wrong and Purdue puts it together, but I'm thinking we are still a 14-4 team.
I'm just not as optimistic for either Purdue or IU. IU because of defense. Purdue because, well, I've just been a Purdue fan for too long...
I think a 14-4 with this years schedule for Purdue vs last years 12-6 would be a nice improvement. Would likely land a 2-3 seed.
They lost Walton too. Even Andrew Dakich got minutes.After going back and looking at Northwestern again, I think you might be right in that they will be much better. So I have no problem putting them in the "better" category instead of "slightly better". Also, looking at their schedule, they have an absolutely cupcake OOC lineup with Virginia Tech being their toughest game (who were 11-22 last year).
Michigan 2015 will be Purdue 2014. A bunch of their players were freshmen last year and took their lumps. They will be improved this year, but I think they are still a year away from being truly elite. Everyone has this incredible image of Michigan last year, but frankly, I don't really see it. They were 11-7 before LeVert went down with losses to NJIT, EMU, SMU (at home), and getting absolutely blasted at OSU. Their one good win before losing Levert was Oregon on a neutral court. After he went down, Michigan beat exactly one tournament team (OSU at home). Those are the only tournament teams they beat the entire year. So yeah, they'll be slightly better, but I don't think I'm ready to put them in the top 5 of the Big Ten.
Again, with MSU, they were top 3 in the conference already. I think they were better than most people believed, so I don't really think they will be "better" than last year because they were one of the best to begin with.
I'm just not as optimistic for either Purdue or IU. IU because of defense. Purdue because, well, I've just been a Purdue fan for too long...
A major factor in our poor seed last year were the unexplainable losses to some really poor teams early in the year. That loomed large every time someone discussed our seeding. We need to avoid those this year, then maybe a 2-3 seed will be possible.
Purdue cant talk trash to OSU in football,but the Boilermakers have beaten the Bucks four times in this century,and IU has topped OSU only twice since 1951.BBG - Seriously? Ok, if you say so. Haha I'm not saying IU will be top 10 or even top 25. I will say this tho, PU & IU strength of schedule in the B10 swapped from last year to this year. IU & PU both have big holes in their program (IU - def (&crean); PU - backcourt ?) and the big10 as a whole got a lot better this year despite WI's losses. So both teams should slow their roll right now.
In regards to NT title game, IU is not coordinating with our former players to make a pregame video for the IU/PU game. IU saves those videos for when we do make final fours. Sorry, but PU trash talking NT games in hoops is like PU FB talking trash to OSU... Really does not hold any value. Your better than that BBG. (Though it is fun to throw our trash at each other.)
A major factor in our poor seed last year were the unexplainable losses to some really poor teams early in the year. That loomed large every time someone discussed our seeding. We need to avoid those this year, then maybe a 2-3 seed will be possible.
You just didnt have that many quality wins and too many bad losses. This years schedule will give you a chance to get those quality wins.
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