833 replies to this topic

[BSLZackKiesel]

They did it! Holy cow.

[BSLChrisStoner]

E8!

[You Play to Win the Game]

Phenomenal game. Great story. First ever #15 seed to reach the Elite 8.

[Mike in STL]

Small Ten doesn’t make it to a regional final.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Its gonna be Duke -UNC in the final four and we will all have to have it shoved down our throats about how special that is. How its never happened before and it was fate in Ks last tourny. Blah. Blah. Blah. No one outside of Carolina cares people. Ill head that off right now.

[Mike B]

Small Ten doesn’t make it to a regional final.

That to me is not the story.  St Peters is the story and is what makes the tourney so damn great.

[Mike B]

Phenomenal game. Great story. First ever #15 seed to reach the Elite 8.

Just fantastic

[CantonJester]

That to me is not the story.  St Peters is the story and is what makes the tourney so damn great.

 

Everyone loves a good cinderella story, but it’s plain as day the Big Ten is still the most overrated basketball conference in the country.

[Mike B]

Does anyone feel like Ian Eagle is flat out rooting for UNC?

 

And does Iowa State have the most generic uniforms in CBB?

[BSLZackKiesel]

It’s official, I predicted exactly zero Elite 8 teams correctly lol

[You Play to Win the Game]

The ACC with 3 teams in the Elite 8, none for the Big Ten.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Well, maybe 3. We’ll see.

[Mike in STL]

That to me is not the story. St Peters is the story and is what makes the tourney so damn great.

Every game has multiple stories. St. Peter’s story is amazing right now.

I will be a little peeved if they are the ones who ruin UNC +3500 for me though

Side note. Tar Heels currently +700 to win it all.

[Mackus]

It’s official, I predicted exactly zero Elite 8 teams correctly lol

 

I got 1, but don't have them going any further.  This has gotta be the worst I've ever done.  Only 5 Sweet 16 teams.  

[Mackus]

Big Ten falls flat again as a conference.

 

Zero teams in the Elite 8.  Only two Sweet 16.

Last year it was one Elite 8 and one Sweet 16.

No tourney in 2020.

2019 it was was one Final 4, two Elite 8, and three Sweet 16.

2018 it was one Final 4, one Elite 8, and two Sweet 16.

2017 it was zero Elite 8, three Sweet 16.

 

Pretty weak for a conference that wants to be considered the best.  I don't think there is much support to that claim given the collectively terrible tournament performances lately.  I'm not sure if only 2 Final Four teams over five seasons or only 11 Sweet 16 appearances over five seasons is worse.  The regular season matters, and the Big Ten is certainly deep, but the lack of consistent results in the tourney is very damning.

[Mackus]

I got 1, but don't have them going any further.  This has gotta be the worst I've ever done.  Only 5 Sweet 16 teams.  

 

I correctly faded the Big Ten.  Didn't pick any in the Final 4 or Elite 8 and only two in Sweet 16.  Still picked everything wrong!

[BSLChrisStoner]

Big Ten falls flat again as a conference.

 

Zero teams in the Elite 8.  Only two Sweet 16.

Last year it was one Elite 8 and one Sweet 16.

No tourney in 2020.

2019 it was was one Final 4, two Elite 8, and three Sweet 16.

2018 it was one Final 4, one Elite 8, and two Sweet 16.

2017 it was zero Elite 8, three Sweet 16.

 

Pretty weak for a conference that wants to be considered the best.  I don't think there is much support to that claim given the collectively terrible tournament performances lately.  I'm not sure if only 2 Final Four teams over five seasons or only 11 Sweet 16 appearances over five seasons is worse.  The regular season matters, and the Big Ten is certainly deep, but the lack of consistent results in the tourney is very damning.

 

Conference RPI Rankings By Year: 

 

'21-'22: Big Ten 4th, ACC 7th

'20-'21: Big Ten 2nd, ACC 8th
'19-'20: Big Ten 5th, ACC 6th
'18-'19: Big Ten 2nd, ACC 3rd

'17-'18: Big Ten 5th, ACC 4th
'16-'17: Big Ten 4th, ACC 1st
'15-'16: Big Ten 5th, ACC 2nd
'14-'15: Big Ten 4th, ACC 2nd
'13-'14: Big Ten 2nd, ACC 5th
'12-'13: Big Ten 1st, ACC 4th
'11-'12: Big Ten 1st, ACC 6th

 

 

Big Ten / ACC Challenge

 

2021: Big Ten 8-6
2020: Big Ten 7-5

2019: Big Ten 8-6

2018: Tied

2017: ACC 11-3
2016: ACC 9-5

2015: Big Ten 8-6

2014: Big Ten 8-6

2013: Tied

2012: Tied

 

Agree with the NCAAT performance being weak, and that ultimately being what matters and is remembered. 

 

As I said earlier, I think two things happen:

 

1) Sometimes the Big Ten teams get athletically overmatched. Big Ten isn't unathletic and plodding... but where it felt like growing up every ACC team had 12 guys who could run, it feels like every Big Ten team has 8 guys, and then a few bangers. 

 

2) There is no such thing as a foul in Big Ten conference games. Well, okay that isn't completely fair... but Big Ten officials let guys bang and foul each other... and then the NCAAT begins, and these teams get called for fouls which aren't called in conference play.

 

 

The Big Ten's RPI rankings are positively impacted by the 20 game conference schedule.  Maybe that inflates the evaluation of the league during the regular season, but it's working at-least in-terms of getting teams to the tournament. 

 

Overall? 

The Big Ten is a good league.  Consistently it's one of the best. It's a deep league, with some good home courts. 
If we added up all the of the Sweet 16's since 2000, I'd imagine the Big Ten is 2nd - 4th. 
 

While we spend a lot of time comparing it to the ACC we grew up with, the bigger thing to watch imo is the rise of the Big 12, and SEC. Those leagues have surged. 

 

And I'm agreed... the Big Ten has to figure out how to have better success in March.  Maryland the last currently Big Ten affiliated team to win a National Title, and no team from the Big Ten since Michigan State in 2000.

[Mackus]

Wasn't intending to compare to the ACC, just point out that its been quite bad for the Big Ten, but to tally the same March numbers for the ACC over the last five tourneys...

 

2022:  Championship & Final 4 TBD; 3 Elite Eight, 3 Sweet 16

2021:  0 Elite 8, 2 Sweet 16

2020:  No tourney

2019:  National Champion, 1 Final 4, 2 Elite Eight, 5 Sweet 16

2018:  2 Elite Eight, 4 Sweet 16

2017:  National Champion, 1 Final 4, 1 Elite Eight, 1 Sweet 16

 

2 champions for ACC, 0 for Big Ten

2 Final 4 for ACC, 2 for Big Ten

6 Elite 8 for ACC, 4 for Big Ten

15 Sweet 16 for ACC, 11 for Big Ten

 

Even if the 3 remaining ACC teams lose this weekend, its no contest.  ACC has performed far better in the tournament than the Big Ten in recent seasons.  I haven't tallied how it all stacks up going back 10 or 20 years, but I was aware of the 20+ year drought for any Big Ten national champions.

[Mike B]

In a game out of the no shot clock era, Nova goes to  the final 4.

 50-44

[BSLZackKiesel]

Duke starting to pull away here.