Jump to content

Eight Game B1G Gauntlet


Recommended Posts

The stretch that will decide our season. Six road games against KenPom #s 4, 6, 19, 32, 45, and 114. Two home games against #s 4 and 14. Just an absolutely brutal schedule. Personally, I would be happy if we came away from this with a 4-4 mark. Curious to get everyone's thoughts on this stretch of the season as we kill time before the Illinois game...

image.png.aa6eef4758c733cd4054e019ef3aa848.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 84
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Nailed it.  This is the defining stretch.  6 of last 9 at home after Feb 2 game vs Sparty.

I’m an unashamed homer, but 6-2 in this stretch is doable.  And I say that on this basis: talent is not the issue this season.  Pre-conference work has been solid.  Close game finishing experience.  I’m anxious to see IU at Michigan.  That is a great test, and if IU could find a way there, they could get on a nice roll.

If IU loses at Purdue, IU will have given that away.   I’ve watched them play more than usual this year, and they are not a good team.  I am a KenPom fan, but the rankings there and other places for Purdue are way, way off this year.  Butler beats Purdue by 12+ on a neutral floor.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Call me a homer if you want.  I think IU is better than all but UM and MSU who are more equals.  Those 2 are 50/50 as away games in my opinion.  So I agree with Fundamentals that 6-2 is my expectation.  Of course that is predicated on RP being healthy.  It also requires our team functioning on all cylinders and keeping TO's < 10, FT >70%, 3pt Shooting ~35% for RL, and for finally having good starts to games and not beginning down 10 after 10min(Man I hope Santa was generous for this team this year!😊)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, FWIUFan said:

Call me a homer if you want.  I think IU is better than all but UM and MSU who are more equals.  Those 2 are 50/50 as away games in my opinion.  So I agree with Fundamentals that 6-2 is my expectation.  Of course that is predicated on RP being healthy.  It also requires our team functioning on all cylinders and keeping TO's < 10, FT >70%, 3pt Shooting ~35% for RL, and for finally having good starts to games and not beginning down 10 after 10min(Man I hope Santa was generous for this team this year!😊)

Yes, you are a homer :coffee:

Statistically you are asking for this team to do something it has not done once all season.  Less than 10 turnovers a game.  The best game all season was against Louisville right at 10.

Next you ask for greater than 70% free throw shooting.  Something this team has only accomplished 3 out of 13 tries.  Us Hoosiers, even arm chair coaches, can walk out to the driveway and stroke 7/10 with no warm ups in today's weather, currently 41 degrees with 20 mph wind.  On a positive note, Juwan has hit 10 of his last 12, Romeo shot 73% in December and they are the leaders in attempts.  This could be possible.    

Romeo was a 35% career 3 point shooter in high school.  I wonder when he is getting that little brace/wrap off his hand.  If he does this, no more sagging off and he becomes an absolute monster.  

#4, let's call it mental toughness.  This team has developed it for sure.  There is reason for hope.  

Realistically- 5-3 and I'd be happy.  4-4 and there was probably one or two that could have gone either way.  3-5, pretty disappointing.  6-2, we probably win the conference.  So yes, you are a homer.  :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, NotIThatLives said:

They force 17 turnovers a game and this team avgs 14.5/gm.  CTC is no longer our coach but this is still a concern, especially with RP in question.  

This is the national title game for BU.  I can guarantee you he'll have them well prepared.  We will get hacked early and often.  We'd better hope the refs are calling them and that we're making our FTs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, NotIThatLives said:

They force 17 turnovers a game and this team avgs 14.5/gm.  CTC is no longer our coach but this is still a concern, especially with RP in question.  

Hearing, that unless something untoward happens in practice, that Rob P. will be good to go for the Illinois game.  On the other hand McRobert's back is acting up on him again... and he may not be good to go against the Illini.  Hunter and Race.... still no goes.  Again, anything can change over time.  But that should bring HSN up to the minute concerning injuries. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, FWIUFan said:

Call me a homer if you want.  I think IU is better than all but UM and MSU who are more equals.  Those 2 are 50/50 as away games in my opinion.  So I agree with Fundamentals that 6-2 is my expectation.  Of course that is predicated on RP being healthy.  It also requires our team functioning on all cylinders and keeping TO's < 10, FT >70%, 3pt Shooting ~35% for RL, and for finally having good starts to games and not beginning down 10 after 10min(Man I hope Santa was generous for this team this year!😊)

Homer 

 

😁

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure what to project here. No doubt it is a critical stretch. Hoping we benefit more than most from some extended practice time.  Not too worried about IL since it is a home game. Granted students will be gone and we cannot count on any home court officiating but it is a road game for them. MI will be the big test. A win there greatly changes the outlook for the season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It really is a brutal stretch. 

I think we lose at UM, which I think is the best team in conference, that is one seriously good team. Lose at MSU. Think we win at MD. We barely eeked out our home game against NWU, wouldn’t look past that road game. PU, who knows, we’re clearly the better team by a good distance, but it’s of course a rivalry game they have circled and will be hard fought, and it’s away.

I’ll be fine with 4-4, happy with 5-3, disappointed with less than 4-4.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anything less than 5-3 would be disappointing, every game outside of the Michigan road game is winnable. If healthy at the very least Illinois, Rutgers, Nebraska at home, at Northwestern, and Purdue should be wins. It isn't an easy stretch, but it isn't as tough as people are making it out to be either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would suggest we take one game at a time and evaluate the teams performance after each game. The health of the team is very important game to game. Expectations can cause people to negatively over react if the team doesn't live up to them. The 4 game stretch earlier this year that we won all 4 still had a lot of unhappy campers on the message boards although that is probably less than .05 percent or less of fans. Even if the team stumbles and ends up 5- 5 after the first ten games the second 10 games should be in a more favorable outcome for the Hoosiers 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Cutter said:

I would suggest we take one game at a time and evaluate the teams performance after each game. The health of the team is very important game to game. Expectations can cause people to negatively over react if the team doesn't live up to them. The 4 game stretch earlier this year that we won all 4 still had a lot of unhappy campers on the message boards although that is probably less than .05 percent or less of fans. Even if the team stumbles and ends up 5- 5 after the first ten games the second 10 games should be in a more favorable outcome for the Hoosiers 

So, you're saying you don't want to discuss how we would handle the rematch with Duke when we meet them in the National Championship game.  Damn.  Another thread idea down the drain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, dbmhoosier said:

We'll have our hands full with Illinois.  I'm just hoping for a win there first.

Sorry. Illinois just sucks. Morgan could go for 40 if the team wants. As for the rest of the schedule. 5-3 would be great. 4-4 isn't the end of the season...nor is it the end of a top 4 seed. Those wins we've piled up vs Marquette, Louisville, Butler....will look really nice on the resume come March. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Seeking6 said:

Sorry. Illinois just sucks. Morgan could go for 40 if the team wants. As for the rest of the schedule. 5-3 would be great. 4-4 isn't the end of the season...nor is it the end of a top 4 seed. Those wins we've piled up vs Marquette, Louisville, Butler....will look really nice on the resume come March. 

NW and PSU suck too.  ISU and FW sucked last season.  I'm just telling you that Archie and our guys had better be prepared next Thursday.  This season is already a major loss for Underwood.  But he can salvage it if he beats IU and he knows that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

W

1 hour ago, 5fouls said:

So, you're saying you don't want to discuss how we would handle the rematch with Duke when we meet them in the National Championship game.  Damn.  Another thread idea down the drain.

Lol I do hope we have Duke visit us next year, that would be more likely. Duke in the national title game this year is very possible. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.




×
×
  • Create New...