Big 10 Tourney

[Cooter]

Schedule should be out soon - can't wait!

[Scott M]

Brackets

[Cooter]

Doesn't look like the Badgers and Gophers will end up playing each other. I'd like to see Purdue and Mich St meet up - with the winner likely playing Ohio St in the final.

[Brade4]

Gophers have a must win first round. If they do, then they will meet a tough Michigan State. If they can get by Michigan State, they have a chance of getting in to the Big Dance.

[hamrej23]

my prediction and everyone can laugh is that the gophers make the finals .

Here is why

Penn St: worst team in conference.. should win by 7-10 pts

Mich st in quarterfinals: No Allen for Mich. St. I feel we match up really well with them. Very close games this year with them and it is tough to beat a team 3 times in one season.

Purdue in semis: No Hummel, Same thing as before with the three times in a season. We will be high on confidence here after beating Michigan st.

Ohio St in Finals-- no comment

any thoughts ?

[Cooter]

I'll agree up to beating Penn St. Never know though.

[Scott M]

I don't even know if I can go that far. Way too inconsistent. I wouldn't be surprised to see PSU win. I'd call the game a push in my mind. "I want to believe"...but I have emotional scar tissue from this team

[CJH]

Ditto. Its a Jeckyl and Hyde team!!

[Brade4]

hamrej23- I agree with you. If we play at the top of our ability I think the championship is in reach. Take care of the ball and we should be fine agains Penn. State. We are going to have to play pretty well and hit some shots against Mich. State and Purdue but I definitely think it can be done.

[mr_jman]

I don't hold any stock in the beat a team 3 times thing. It was hashed to death before the NFL playoffs if the Packers would end up facing the Vikings in round 2. The odds still favor the team who has won both games.

Anyways... I think people want to believe this team can pull something out of their a.. and get 3 victories. I WANT to believe they can but they have been so on and off. They could slip by Northwestern and then play an excellent game and beat Michigan State but history should show us that they won't be able to follow that up with another great performance against Purdue!

Yes, the Gophers can beat anyone in this conference... I fully believe that, especially in the barn. On a nuetral floor in Indiana I just don't see them coming away with more than 1 victory but I HOPE I AM WRONG!

[mr_jman]

FINALLY a start to finish dominating performance. Tomorrow is much more up in the air with the injury and suspension of one of the Michigan State players. The gophers may have a shot if they can get the same solid play inside and Devoe plays like he did tonight. Get Hoffarber a bunch of looks and maybe we can beat them and get to the semi's!

[CJH]

Looked good, not that Penn State is much of a challenge, especially with their best player limping around.

Good start though, and I definitely will be tuning in tomorrow!!!

[Mudcutter]

One more win agst MSU and I think we deserve a serious look at getting in.

BEat Butler,OSU,Wisky,at Illni and if win MSU-- Would get to play on CBS with lots of the nation watching. plus 20 wins in a good conf doesn't hurt.

probly nothing higher than a 10 seed thou.

[hamrej23]

I see people are starting to turn their thoughts around now.

The biggest reason I feel they are going to get to the championship game is due to a chip on their shoulder from nobody on the team getting 1st, 2nd, 3rd team all big ten. More outrageous is the fact that Damien didnt get defensive player of the year.

I see a close game here won by the gophers with westbrook going off in the second half for 15 pts alone.

If Illinios loses and we win we are in, there is no way they can look at our resume and keep us out. They will look at the fact we played purdue close and M. State close twice.

[Scott M]

Ham, I like you're thinking, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Nice win by the Gophers, but its been a while since they stringed together some wins. I want to see them succeed and I'll cheer hard, but I keep waiting for the inevitable let down. How do they find some heart and chops now after the Michigan game with the season on the line? If they couldn't do it by now, it seems too unlikely.

Damian Johnson was a huge snub. Should have been BTDPoY. I like Chris Kramer and everything, but Johnson was better statistically and if you watched the games, he was a better help defender. Johnson guards 2-5, Kramer 1-3. Johnson defends the backcourt on the press...He's a more versatile defender. Westbrook wasn't snubbed for anything. But if he needs to play mental games to get up for games, whatever.

[CJH]

Damian Johnson was a huge snub. Should have been BTDPoY. I like Chris Kramer and everything, but Johnson was better statistically and if you watched the games, he was a better help defender. Johnson guards 2-5, Kramer 1-3. Johnson defends the backcourt on the press...He's a more versatile defender. Westbrook wasn't snubbed for anything. But if he needs to play mental games to get up for games, whatever.

Agreed on Johnson. Westbrook is an allstar in his mind only. He's not even the best guard on his own team!!!

[mr_jman]

What a great finish to the Michigan vs. Ohio State game. Not sure if the Gophers would have benefitted more by having Michigan lose or if it was better that Ohio State won! Either way it was an exciting game to watch especially down the stretch!

Gophers still control their own destiny and really need a win tonight!

[Cooter]

I watched the buzzer beater by OH St - MI should have walked away with the upset. Also see the Badgers are out already after losing to IL.

[guideman]

After watching all the upsets in all of the major conference tourneys this week, anything is possible.

If the Gophers shoot the ball like they did last night, they will have a chance. I think they are in it, if they win it tonight.

Go Gophers!! 19-12 overall and still alive.

Just play great!!

"Ace"

[Scott M]

Illinois won, but a lot of dark horse/sleepers got bounced, so that might help the Gophs. I'd put them back on the bubble with a win, get to the championship and they'd have a nice chance to make it despite their shortcomings.

Cooter, I'd still pick Wiscy to get to the Sweet 16 unless there is a real lockdown defensive team or freakishly athletic team in their path. They are a resilient bunch.

[hamrej23]

If they win tonight they are in, no doubt about it. 20-11 9-9 conference, wins at Illinios, Ohio State at home, Butler neutral, and wisconsin at home, put along with that Michigan state Neutral court and they will be 6 out of their last 8 and be 4-6 against top 50 rpi

[hamrej23]

35-32 1354 left were up

[hamrej23]

Paul Carter needs more PT BIG TIME!

[Scott M]

Is Devoe Joseph blind? He missed Sampson trailing on the second to last play when he took on 4 MSU players and he missed like 2 open guys on the buzzer shot. Not looking good for momentum going into OT.

[hamrej23]

OT what a bad call on johnson absolutey terrible

Westbrook needs to step up and hit some shots. He is terrible right now missing open shots