You're listening to the back home network, presented by home
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This is a first we're going to do double intros of already
recorded the intro to this. I'm going to use part of it.
So you're going to hear a another welcome back to Crimson
cast. Folks was recording this Friday
afternoon with Thomas from BT Powerhouse and up here in
Westfield, we're getting just killer rain and wind and right
in the middle of the interview, my internet went out which makes
it increasingly tough to do a zoom so that cut off in the
middle. We had About 30 minutes in maybe
20 minutes in so Thomas and I hop back on the zoom on my cell
phone. Got about another 25 minutes in
and then myself service got real real choppy because of the wind
misumi or just whether or just, I don't know.
But anyway, we got about 40 minutes at the cut this into
different sections and then it kind of just ends because my
phone drops off. And at that point, I went down
to figure out my router and just for those who are curious, Have
a nor B 3 unit satellite system which which normally just kicks
but with Wi-Fi, but when it restarts, unfortunately have to
unplug both the satellites and then plug them back in before
the main router gets going, it's a weird setup.
I'm not sure why it can't just restart normally, but for
whatever reason, it restarted, after the internet, got back up
and then like wouldn't work. But if I change my SSID, it
would it was very bizarre. And then I found out there is a
firmware update on the main router.
I did that That. And that was basically my Friday
afternoon. And then next thing, you know,
the kids are home from school at 4:00 and I wasted an entire day
not podcasting, but just putzing around on my router and turning
it on and off and restarting. And so good times, I'm sure
nobody cares about this or wants to hear about it.
This is like listening to someone else's fantasy football
team, but it's what I did on Friday, and it was very
frustrating. That's why I'm kind of together
on Saturday. And so, all that said, I
sincerely apologize. This is was turning out to be a
fun podcast, and then it I got cut in the middle.
It just ends abruptly. I'll do a little PostScript here
at the end with them. Some thoughts going into Sunday.
I'm recording this on Saturday afternoon.
But yeah, sorry. We the podcast is kind of janky
but I will put out there what we have and enjoy the conversation
with Thomas from be keep our house.
Hi folks, welcome back to Crimson kescott here with you
really keep it rolling. Go a little bit, higher level,
take a step back and look at the Big Ten as a whole.
All as we have Thomas from Big Ten Powerhouse part of SB Nation
you can find the BT Powerhouse.com for gets Thomas
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and now we go to Thomas from Big Ten Powerhouse.
Alright welcome back to Thomas from Big.
Ten Powerhouse, find them on BT. Power house.com Thomas, man.
How you doing doing? Well, how are you?
I'm good at. You ready to talk about what the
17th tiebreak is. For the five six seed in the Big
Ten tournament, it's insane? Yeah, I mean, there's always,
usually, a few spots that are crazy, you know, for the Big Ten
Tournament seedings, I've never seen it like this, where it's
like, 2 through 10. I mean, that's crazy.
I know, Michigan went from being second in the Big Ten, like, two
days ago, and they lost last night to Illinois and there.
Now, you know, 10th and could be 11th, may be in the tournament
depending on how things go. Oh, yeah, absolutely.
I mean, I was yeah, trying to break down some, you know,
couple days ago, I'm like who like, who is of anyone in
Minnesota? That was about it.
And it's funny because you have you have teams like Indiana
where they kind of had the two seed pretty well in their grasp
and they were put a little distance between them in that
pack and then they lose the Iowa, just it all like no team
has been able to pull away one way or the other.
Like you said, except for Purdue or Minnesota, but even even up
until their win last night against Wisconsin, like there
was an outside chance that having going into this week
sorry I'll rephrase Looks like there is a weird scenario where
like Indiana could have won a Big Ten title of Purdue lost
out, and Indiana, one out, and a couple other things happen.
Like, it's wild that you were at that scenario, even as much as
two days ago. Now obviously pretty one Indiana
lost its off the table, but it's wild that for like 48 Hours, you
were to spot where that was actually possible, 100 100
percent and to me the, the craziest one of it all was
Michigan. As you've mentioned was second
second place, you know, before last night's loss Lost and
they're still projected outside the tournament.
So they were in a position where they could have won the Big Ten
and still been in this bubble outside.
The field scenario which is, I can't remember a time like that
for having a title, Big Ten title on the line and still out
of the tone of. Yeah, I mean well it helps to
win some big games, it helps to win some games.
I'm not, I'm not sure they could have, don't think they could
have won the Big Ten but they could probably finish.
Second. Yeah.
I think they were and I think they were still alive.
And talk about some of the teams, you know, as we look at
Purdue and again, Indiana podcast.
So feel free to talk all the smack.
You want about Purdue? It is funny, they've had a great
run. One of my really good friends
Danny, you know, last year in my When you know Saint Peter's beat
sorry my phones ring in and it's like every device in my house
goes off last year when st. Peter's beat Kentucky.
I'm like, texting him like well that's it like Purdue, you know,
my worst nightmares going to happen.
Like Purdue's making the final four and he just texts me.
He's like who's our coach? And like with Matt Painter is it
could be. All right.
Like that's been a joke at that running for years and it does
he's done a great job, he's a great coach.
I would take the last 20 years that they Add.
But, you know, I want to long long way to ask this question.
You know, do you think this is just a Purdue team that is
falling apart down. The stretch, have teams figured
out Edie is this just, you know, there's another way you could
look at it. Where Purdue really feasted on
the bottom of the Big Ten. And now they're playing some of
the top teams, like, how do you view Purdue going into this
final, stretch of the Big Ten and you know the NCAA
tournament. Yeah.
Can I take all of the above? Yeah.
I think this one spot in the rankings and
never really felt, you know, this is the best team in the
country. This is this Unstoppable Force.
Anything like that because of the some of the things As you
pointed out, which is they feasted on primarily the bottom
of the Big Ten. Now they have some some great
ones, of course, but their schedule was back.
Then I don't think there's any doubt about that as far as the
Big Ten is concerned and then the other thing that I really
think shapes the perception of Purdue what we're all those
great non-conference means that they had early on except it
turned out that a lot of their non-conference ones were over
teams. We'll probably a little
overrated coming into the season and if you look back now, it's
like, you know, they beat these big names but those are not the
teams aren't quite as good as maybe.
We're the programs that they be and in years past which is
overdue gets credit, they beat them, they knocked off the
winds. Somebody somebody had to be
ranked number one, but they didn't look like this
overwhelming Force. It to me.
And it has so many of these things to you look, they could
have lost at Michigan State easily.
They could have lost that Michigan, very easily, Ohio
State, you know, before the Buckeyes went off the rails.
They easily could have lost that game.
So they had some fortunate bounces to build into this
incredible ranking with all that said.
They're still a really good team.
If you told me they made the final four, I wouldn't, you
know, be shocked by any stretch. Like yeah.
It's as we sit here today without seeing the bracket.
I'm a little skeptical that they're actually going to have
the goods to put it all together in much.
Yeah, it's, you know, something I've been saying for a while but
you know I think once you get into the tournament he's going
to be you know officiate a little bit differently and I
think back to like last year I'm sitting with my dad who's
obviously a lot he's older than me.
He's also a lot older just to use.
You have me later in life and so he just has A different view of
basketball hoop. This is like, / for the form of
forward is talking. He's just like, yeah, we just
need Indiana. These more big, guys, you know,
I like, I like em big guys in the tournament, like, who he's
like, you know, like e.t. Orchard homegrown.
And I'm like, those guys were all out like, no, those guys
right there. Like, like big guys, don't lead
teams to the final four anymore. Just doesn't happen.
And he's like, yeah, but I still like a big one and I do, I do
worry about that and we'll kind of put a pin in that because,
you know, Indiana might have that same issue.
I think we're a little bit. Protected with that with Jayla
Jaffe know. But yeah, it's it's interesting
with Purdue. I also do I could see the flip
side where, you know, the Freshman guards.
You know, they're no longer be playing and road games.
It's all neutral site games. And then, you know, you have a
situation where, you know, teams in the Big Ten have gotten used
to seeing Ed and a weird way. They know how to play against a
Purdue team with a 77 foot plus guy there when you have Harms.
Haha, so you've had eight years of Purdue having this dude, when
you playing in the tournament, like, how do you, how do you
scheme for a dude? Like this when you have a day
and a half to prepare and it's like, you've never seen somebody
like e.t., because I mean, I've seen him in person twice.
And it is, he's enormous like, just in persons like, you know,
he's a, can I get something for 200-plus pounds, but when you
see it in person, you like my God, that guy is huge, it is
wild and I do think you bring up a good point which is assuming
they get away. Scene which I don't think is
completely established at this point.
You know, there's a scenario where maybe they lose their game
over the weekend. It was next week but assuming
they're a one seed okay. They're going to get a 16.
There's no way they're going to have somebody who can match up
against a team like that is not going to be.
And then you get into this the 89 situation which I think is a
great point which is they could easily get to the Sweet 16 of
the Elite 8. For the Eva team that even just
has the bodies to bang with him, which, which is great news.
It's a boilermaker. Yeah.
I am curious though because they are going to run into a team
that is going to make him uncomfortable, that's going to
have a big amount to the permit on there.
He is not great, you know, today was obviously in some ways -
yeah, he can play Down Low, you know, to win four, five,
tournament games, maybe even six for the big one there.
They're gonna have to overcome a small ball team or somebody who
can do that. So that's going to be
interesting for Ed hasn't well for Purdue when they've had to
face that. Yeah, hopefully you here.
So you mind, I'm a little, I'm a little skeptical.
But I do agree that at least the first couple rounds.
Sounds. It's hard to see.
No I haven't looked at the projections on who are the eight
nine right now once in a while you know you get I think Memphis
felt like an eight or nine last year with all those account to
guys maybe somebody like that falls but I don't like Michigan
State's. I've seen in the Big Ten that's
been projected around there and the Spartans didn't want over
and all that successful against Purdue so should be interesting.
Yeah. Team on the 8 line is Arkansas.
And I'd be a little worried about that.
Just a team that can kind of run up and down.
And get hoppy, you mentioned. Trace Jackson, Davis play
against EDI. So it's time to ask the
question, who you're more impartial.
You look at the Big Ten from a legal perspective, I will just
say this before I lead you into the question of, who do you see
as Big Ten Player of the Year? You know, it you can definitely
that game cup. You know, last week in West
Lafayette where Indiana beat Purdue you know it's you can
definitely see the bye. Bias from both fan bases because
I spend a little bit of time, reading some Purdue comments,
just enjoying the, you know schadenfreude.
But, you know, their thought was all right, we lost, but who
cares though? This this shows that ETS Player
of the Year, you know, he has 26 points in that game, you know,
ten 448 from 17, from the field 10 for 14 from the line,
whatever you'll 16 plus rebounds, he's Player of the
Year and Jackson Davis who didn't score in the first half
and yet, as an Indiana fan, it's like, I see that.
I do understand that argument, but I look at what Jackson
Davis. Is like he's not having a great
game but he still had, you know, 10 points. 8 rebounds, and
where's the seven assists? It's a he damn near had a
triple-double. Like he had a pretty good game
and he realized he didn't have him.
He was able to engage other teammates.
And I look at that, I'm kind of like e.t.
Can't do that. Like, if he's not scoring, he
can't pull out and have seven, eight, nine, assists, and have a
triple-double. And so, in a weird way, it's
like that almost shows. Again, I think what Jackson
Davis is doing is is Order, although I do agree Edie has
skills not just that he's big but again both sides were
biased. So from your point objective,
looking at the Big Ten, how do you see player of the year?
Yeah, I mean, I will say after the first couple of months, I
expected it was going to be a runaway, slam dunk, easy, easy
choice and it's no longer that for me.
I think I would What, the first ten games of 10 players, so, and
continues to put up great numbers, you know, night in and
night out, that's a Davis. I think has been better here
towards the end in ed. You know, you highlighted that
the big matchup with Purdue where.
Yeah, it's 26 points is nice but as you point out your name is is
a big part of it. But City of Jackson Davis is
game is really impressive. The way he wrote he has run the
port. This year is just wild.
It's for me, I think that's really something that has
expanded in his game, but as of now, I think I would take E.T
just because he has such a head start and so much successful
really that. I think he will still eat, get
out at the finish line, but both clearly just tremendous seasons.
And, you know, Maybe we'll get a third game between the two here.
Next weekend, it's happened three times.
Two times, an IU player has been involved with a 2000, AJ, Guyton
a Morse Peterson and then 89, J, Edwards.
And Glen Rice. Do you see any world where the
Big Ten goes for co-players the year?
I mean it's possible. Yeah, I don't remember if we had
a ton of discussion about that in recent years, you know,
obviously I would imagine it's going to be especially because a
lot of people I think I probably have it already checked off in
the rain. I'm a couple weeks ago but That
wasn't being insane, insane selection, at least of - I
agree. It's it also doesn't, I mean,
this is where for a variety of reasons.
We already talked about it at nauseam, on this podcast, like
that loss for us at Iowa, or sorry, the loss for us at home
to Iowa just and Trace didn't actually have that bad of a
game. He was probably the only one who
had really good as statistical game but that just getting boat
race at home. I think that's just not going to
help. Like if for Tracy, probably need
to finish. Fish on kind of the Herculean
numbers he was putting up and that that was probably it not
only cost Indiana, the two seated probably cost trace the
ability of even having a CO player of the year.
Yeah, I tend to agree. That was, that was just a real
stinker. Yeah.
Howdy, how do you see that? How do you see that game in the
context of Indiana this year? Because we talked on it with my
podcast partner Galen on our last podcast.
And that's a totally real, you know, for the listeners, totally
redo this. But there's a couple ways to
look at it. One is just like, you know,
everyone has stinkers, it's bad game and so you know what you're
going to do, but I will pull up You really quickly.
I know great podcasting here. Pull up my notes from that
pocket said it with gaalan, but the other way to look at it, too
is, you know, when you look at Indiana's losses, this year, you
know, they lost her at Rutgers by 15.
They lost neutral site, Arizona, by 14 at Kansas 22 at Penn State
19, Maryland 11 at Michigan State 15 home to Iowa 22.
Like there's a lot of double digit losses there.
There's another world where you look at it.
It's like this team basically gets blown out every five or six
games and that's not ideal either like How do you put the
Iowa game in the context? We look at Indiana's toll
season. I was shocked as I'm sure many
were by that game just period. I expected Indiana, was going to
win that one and was really going to put the pressure on Pro
dude to try to close things out. You know, I think for me I
almost wonder if it's more about because Iowa is one of these
teams were they can go off. If they have a great
performance, there are really dangerous team, it's just they
are not consistent. They've had these defensive Mo's
four years as everyone knows. So, I almost wonder, and to me,
it's, I am not buying into it as a indication of Indiana's first
season or anything like that. I think it is.
I'm holding it up as of now, it's just a stinker of a
performance, a bad night. It's a continuous in into this
weekend against Michigan. I think I might read into a
little bit more, but for me, I think it's Indiana is a really
good team. I think they have Some flaws
and, you know, have had some injuries and death issues of
course during the course of the season.
But I still think they're really dangerous team that I can see
one of the Big Ten Tournament. I can see going forward March.
Yeah they definitely have that Elite level talent.
I will as before I'm saving the Indiana, deep talk for just a
little bit longer. I'm gonna give you an open
question here because normally I'd kind of asked, you know, who
are you surprised to see, you know this The top of the
standings are surprised to see them at the bottom.
It's I'm kind of gives us. You know, the problem is like
hat, it's like the entire big tennis just there.
Let's talk about Purdue or Minnesota.
It's maybe Ohio State like that's everyone else.
In the Big Ten is just in a one-game, you know, move there.
I'm just going to open it up to you like of that kind of morass
of 12 teams, who are you surprised?
Is there and who are you not surprised as there?
Well, I think the two teams that have some Cries me the most
middle middle which is really almost a Northwestern.
I've been very good as they've been and all they come back to
us a little bit of the last couple weeks, but they're gonna
go to the tournament, obviously, only the second time ever for
Northwestern. So our real notable performance,
it's really their one of those things where it's just kind of
the same group that, Head for a couple of years here and it just
it all came together kind of perfectly for them this year.
So you'll have soft to him. I'm not super optimistic about
their chances of going deep in March, but obviously, I think
fans in Evanston will take any of your, you know, alone.
Comfortable, you know, NCAA tournament bid the other on the
other side that I've been really surprised, it's just the way I
estate has collapsed and I know they Wonder their last two, but
that's him has way too many pieces to be as bad as they've
been this season. I mean they're gonna start out
on the Wednesday. I think they're locked into one
of those bottom seeds. They know the advanced number
still kind of like them because they lose close but that has
been a real shocker and a lot of people are antsy about Chris
holtmann and you know how he's doing in Columbus Etc.
I still think he's a good coach. I'm just a fan.
I would not want to dump him for one down here and then I
suppose, you know, teams that I kind of expected, and I thought
Indiana would be pretty good. They have performed pretty well.
I think I took them to win the league title and obviously
putting has performed expectation of a little bit, but
I thought it would be solid, not quite this good.
But yeah, so, I mean Indiana's done well.
But to me the big surprise, Yeah, Ohio State.
They have completely collapsed and it's going to be tough when
they see sensible. I walking across the stage
getting drafted in the first round.
It's like we did this with that. Yeah, it's but I I'm with you.
I have. I'm Ohio State.
I at least give Holtman one more year.
I mean, the the track record is he has, you know, probably not
the tournament success. They've wanted and I think that,
you know, losing is a two seed, hurts a lot.
Wasn't ideal in 21. But, you know, he's had, he said
teams and, you know, just going through his history.
It's like he's been in the top 20 of Ken Palm, pretty much
every year, except for looks like 2019 and then this year and
so there, you know, he's done pretty well.
But yeah, that team looks basically Dead on Arrival and
they really have not, I guess they're picking themselves up
off the ground a little bit here with some home wins against
Illinois in Maryland. A bit, they go and win at
Michigan State. I'd be that I might perk.
Up a little bit. But there's that one year.
I mean got this was like, you know, 2000 or 2001 like weren't
they maybe those Illinois X, you know, somebody made a run to the
finals? The Big Ten Tournament.
Yeah. There, they have enough Talent
or they could theoretically make a run in the Big Ten Tournament.
I just don't know if this is the year or not, but that's that's
about all I care about Ohio State.
Yeah, no, I mean it's they've underachieved in the obviously
that to see being the worst example, but I think the Stan.
Now, finally engine top hits as a legitimate player.
Yeah. With holtmann and still they
finish like second in the Big Ten that you're.
So I think home is a good coach. I think his the roster
construction I would say is probably the most legitimate
criticism of whom were things have not really balanced out any
season but part of that has been he's got sort of a victim of his
own success where he gets these freshmen like sensible Very
well, might declare. And then also your, you know,
your back to the drawing board signs of things.
The Harvard transfer really never played.
Once he got there, a lot of injuries, he deserves
Talking about every other Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
Saturday to get to the final. And that's, that's quite a help
there for the Buckeyes. So sorry for the weird cut here,
folks. My internet went out which makes
it really tough to do a podcast but we're picking this back up
on my cell phone using cell service because I got to keep
going. Thomas, you're talking about
Ohio State, I believe when that cut out with Holman, am I right?
Yep. Yep.
Yeah, I know. And this weekend, I could see
them going on a run. But, you know, doing anything
from that, Wednesday slots. It's just such a huge ask, so
it's going to be tough for them. So, now, focusing on Indiana
since. Now, I know the internet's
conspiring against me or not have as much time with you and
maybe I wanted, you know, I think for Indiana fans, it was
for a lot. It was a real eye-opening
experience seeing what Janet Ruffino did against Purdue 35
points. It's, we've been joking.
That, you know, we're putting up the 70 stat lines with no Trace
Jackson Davis and just putting up these you know wild 70 stat
lines or he's getting you a 32 points off into and then Jalen
did basically the same thing where he was again I have no
internet now, so I apologize. But, you know, 13, I believe in
that game in the rest of it was all, you know, mid-range
jumpers. You know, I feel like, you know,
for here myself and Galen. We've been pretty high on jail
and put your Pinot for most of this year and I've seen a lot of
the elite stuff that he does. I think it's taken Indiana fans
a little bit of time just because he's really, really
unique. And we've been trying to put it
in kind of a historical perspective where he fits in and
there's just IU has not had a lot of guards like him.
I'm curious from your perspective, seeing more other
teams around the league. You know?
I look at Jalen I'm like he's He's really special and he's
obviously a NBA talent, but you just don't see guys like that.
With that kind of poise come in and planting obviously the guys
to come in the Big Ten who have Elite level talents, but the
skills that he has that kind of, you know, shooting guard, the
ability to drive and pass and score from mid-range, you know.
It's something. I know Indiana hasn't seen.
I feel like we haven't seen the Big Ten in a while either.
No, he's been outstanding and you know it seemed like it took
him a little bit for him to get his feet under him especially
Big 10 in Big, Ten play, you know, Indiana had that those
hiccups in December and early. January where we talked about
Ohio State. Going off the rails and felt
like Indiana. Let's go off the ropes there for
a minute and really he he stepped up in my eyes and was
the difference because Jackson Davis I think has been
fantastic. All year but he has grown into I
think he's probably the Big Ten freshman of the year in my eyes.
I think Sensabaugh has. It depends a little bit on how
much you factoring team success because Ohio State's been such a
mess but he has been to me. I think he's been the best
freshman in the Big Ten. I think he's quickly becoming
one of the best guards in the Big Ten and you know what, I'm
sure we'll get into March and the tournament but That's the
thing that's going to be so challenging, you know, for an
opponent is they against Indiana, is they have church.
Jackson Davis down low, where there's there, aren't going to
be a lot of teams, you know, nationally that can match up
with a big man like that. And then you have this Rising
freshman guard, who is who is turning into a real force.
And if they can get anybody else step up on a given night
offensive ly, you know, it's just such a tough team to beat
so it's been exciting to watch. And you know, those Purdue
Indiana games were just epic. I mean, they frankly were both
of them, just fantastic matchups.
Felt like a final four game, almost Yeah, in a weird way, as
you look at the Big Ten Tournament, like as an Indiana
fan, I'm, I think produce a really good team, I'm not
talking trash, but I would much rather like see them then
playing. I know, again, like I just, I
think we match up, well, with a team, like, Purdue.
I think we're starting to match up well, against a team like
Michigan. Like, I look at teams like Iowa.
They just scared. We have no one to guard.
Chris, to me, they have no one to guard, our guys, but we have
no one to guard. The Chris Murray type, but no, I
Homer. But I agree, I look at Indiana.
I think, you know, I think On Any Given night, if it's all
clicking their final four, if not national champion level
teamed, the trouble is they're just not consistent and and
they, you know, they're not going to get it.
Clicking for eight straight games.
And it's just like, when's that stinker going to come and, you
know, when of the Roll guy is going to bail out, but I agree,
I look at it, you know, and that's where I think they even
might have more March level success than a team like Purdue
who's a little bit better constructed and much.
Much more consistent is just, you know, you kind of say, all
right, you know, they have any, we have Jackson Davis, those are
tough matchups, but it's like wheat when you add jails,
atrophy, no in there, you know, you look at the Purdue
backcourt. I think those guys are good, you
know, Smith and lawyer, they're good, but they're freshmen, and
they don't have that delete level talent.
And those Elite games that Jalen HP, no, could you get both those
guys going? You know, it could be something
special for for Indiana in March Lisa.
I see it. Oh, 100%.
I mean you know, you talk about consistency and, you know, we
went through Purdue a little bit where it's like, you know, they
could be a one seed, they could be a to see, but man, is it
tough to see them losing, you know, their first game even
without knowing the opponent this year, just because one,
they're going to be much better obviously than their opponent on
paper, but because of Ed it's just, they're not going to have
a guy who can match up with him. But yeah, like I Oh, I feel like
they're going to hit some ceiling.
They're going to hit a team that has a matchup that's
uncomfortable for Ed. And then it's kind of Beyond
these these role players because really that is the rest of
Purdue's lineup which I'm not trying to diminish them or rip
on them in anyway. Produce a great team but
everybody else in that lineup is a role player other than ET and
he is so special that it allows them to play.
Like they're great, great players because there's so much
pressure off of them merci. Indiana where you have these two
guys where they can go off on any night and really carry the
team. So for Purdue, I think they're
going to when Eddie gets into a tough position which will happen
eventually, there will be one team in the tournament that can
do it. Maybe later, maybe earlier, you
know, we'll have to see but I think they're going to bow out
at that point versus Indiana. If you told me, I'm not
predicting it. But if you told me, they lost
their first game, I'd be like Okay, maybe if they get the
wrong matchup but if you told me they went pretty far.
I'd be like yeah I could see that school because they're also
going to be a really tough team to match up against the other
thing that is playing in our favor, in my mind for March is
and I'm not seeing it talked about as much but I think it's
as important is you know, produced going to look back and
make the final four who know they're not going to care but if
they don't, you know, I think they'll look back.
A bit. Like I look back at 2013 when
you know for Indiana's like the Indianapolis Regional was
sitting right there and we just we didn't win down the stretch
and we got shipped out to DC and we lost Syracuse.
Now we lost for a variety of reasons.
It's like I much rather would have played it in D and that was
there that Midwest. Was there for the taking, you
know, Purdue you got to Regional in Kansas City, you got a
regional Louisville and they're both sitting there and produce
not going to get them and unfortunately, they're, they're
going to be the one seed unless there's no guesswork.
Or were they could drop to the to and maybe get one of those.
But it's like they're probably going to be a one shipped out to
the west or the East and and because of that, you know, I
think you're going to have Indiana is going to be probably
seated if therefore they'll probably be in the bracket.
That's not Purdue base, just based on kind of Big Ten and
playing again and then not wanting to have that as a
regional game. So you know all this said it's
like there's a you know, 66% chance in the As Regional site
could be, Kansas City or Louisville, and it's just
staring at us and like, every these, the all these mock
projections, like, most of them have us in the South Playing
Louisville is a second round are started.
Second Sight game. It's like that's going to be a
home game and Kansas City could damn near be a home game as
well. And I think that that's
something that like really I'm almost more I almost just want
to get in the South and I don't care what our seat is because
we'll be in that 45 range to me. It's like the South Is there but
it does feel like there's, you know, a better than a coin flip
that we get the south in which case we're playing Louisville in
Louisville which you know, we've that'll be a home game and
that's Indiana has shown they play better when they have kind
of a home crowd behind them. 100%.
Yeah, and I think that's a, that's a nice opportunity there.
You know, for Indiana and, you know, we've seen kind of some
ups and downs and when the Indiana has made the tournament
are over the last, you know, 10, 15 years, you know that 2013
team, I agree. You know, that was a huge
letdown that team was way better than where they finished in the
tournament and Purdue, you know, on that note, it will be a
colossal. Appointment.
If they don't make a run here in March, I don't know how to spin
it if you got a one seed, your rank number one for a couple you
know of weeks. Yeah.
They get the Big Ten title, you know?
They get to hang a banner. They get the trophy Etc, but
obviously it's the final four. That that's really going to make
this a special year for Purdue so well.
And I would I'll go on top of that.
Let's, let's stay on that for a second if we could cool off.
Smack it on Purdue but I Record saying that, you know, to me
last year was a colossal failure because I mean, that was, oh
yeah, that was a team. That was, you know, took a
couple years to construct and it's like, you had, you had a
neat, you had ET, you had, you know, story out of it, you the
shooting, you had Jaden IV, you had an MBA level talmon, you
have the team there and then the bracket could not have broken
better for you for any team ever.
Then what produce? Aired in the face, to get to the
final four and it's like that team last year, didn't win a Big
Ten title. Didn't win the Big Ten
Tournament didn't even get to the final four and it's like and
you lost to a 15 seat like to me that was a colossal failure and
I agree with you. It's like so you come back this
year, the expectations are lower but you know to their credit,
they figure it out and they get back on that train.
They become very consistent. It's like they want a Big Ten
title, but I do think if you look at this two-year stretch
like this is this This might go down in the matte painter are as
like these were the best two years for him.
It's very similar. I think like Jean Katie when he
had those teeth with Glenn Robinson.
It's like if you're not gonna do it now I don't know when you're
going to do it and I do you know to me that's what's on the line
for Purdue is like if you finish this two-year stretch where you
just had, you know, generational talent in, you know, Zack ET you
have a, you know, once in a you know, just super high level NBA
Talent Jane I have You have, you know, the right breaks in the
tournament draw and you finish that two-year stretch with one
big, ten title and that's all you get.
Like, I think, I think it's a colossal to your failure.
I completely Concur. And you know I've heard a lot of
people try to spend last year as well.
You know, say marriage is really good, you know, they were really
hot Etc. And the example, I would use is
another big 10 team who made the final four recently which was
Michigan and they got Loyola Chicago, Chicago, you know this
crazy run this low seed in the final four and everybody was
like you know you got the easiest draw blah, blah blah
which is probably true. I mean it's not often you get a
final four team. That's a, I think they were like
an 11 cedar or something like that.
But Michigan one, they took care of business and for Purdue that
was a huge missed opportunity against st.
Mary's because I don't care that st.
Mary's was playing well, I don't care if they were red-hot or St.
Mary's, what I keep saying, Steamers, same thing.
Yes, thank you. Thank you know, it sounds like
less of an idiot's Saint Peters. Purdue was better than them.
Like that, that was a complete upset.
I don't care what happened before.
It Purdue had better players as you meant.
I mean, Jaden IV, St. Peters didn't have anybody
close? That was good enough.
Let's stop Jaden IV. It was.
I mean, Purdue just laying down to them.
So yeah. It would be a noisy.
I mean, it's, it's what you want.
It's been way too long. But the last time in 2002, you
know, they had to be Duke. So you mean you did that but
like part of part of what happened is that bracket really
broke for them? Well like I think and again I
have no internet but I'm doing this all by memory.
I'm pretty sure like they would have played USC in the second
round but they didn't USC lost. And then yes, they had the play
Duke but then their Regional game was against ten state and I
think was like an 11 seed that year and similar can stay with
hot. But you know, it's like I don't
know who the two seed would have been in that, that years
bracket, but it's like that's it's much easier playing a Kent
State even though they're hot and playing.
Well, like if you're Indiana you have the at you you know who's
going to stop Jared Jeffries, who's gonna guard Jeff Newton,
you know, you have some advantages versus whoever, the
two seed was that year, you're playing them 48 hours after you
just beat Duke in a while game. So like that's you have to take
advantage of those situations and I'm with you, you hearing
Purdue fans kind of, you know, just kind of, you know, Figure
out a way to God. You know, no, that wasn't a big
deal to know that you didn't have to play Kentucky, you
didn't have to play, you know, it's like that was that was the
bracket for you 100% And we haven't gotten, you know, for
us, we covered the Big Ten and we haven't gotten to cover as
many Big Ten final fours. As you know, we may have wished
for the last 15, 20 years lot, a lot of let downs, but I I mean
it's yes. You get your like perennial
epic. You know the Wisconsin Frank
Kaminsky teams? Yeah.
Those teams were especially the second one like it was pretty
obvious. They were going to make a deep
deep run but most of the time you get a favorable bouncer to
to get to the final four and Purdue had it last year and they
just miss. So I hate to judge this year's
team based on last year's Miss steps.
But you know, that those All those ghosts are going to show
up in March when they get into a tight game.
I guarantee you that. So as we look at, let's talk
about the Big Ten tournament and then I kind of want to get your
picks on who you like and don't like going into the NCAA
tournament. You know, looking at the big
tent, look, like Texas, somebody, so I can still pull it
up. If you look at the games this
weekend, I'm going to assume Michigan State beats, Ohio,
State Indiana beats. Michigan, Iowa beats Nebraska,
Wisconsin beats Minnesota, Maryland, beats Penn, State,
Purdue beats, Illinois. And I have Northwestern beating
Rutgers. That's the next toss-up, but it
does kind of change everything. If that puts the for Purdue
Iowa, Maryland Northwestern is the protected for and then you
have Indiana at 56, Michigan State, you know, I don't even
know where to go with this because it's like you change one
of those and suddenly you known as the for and the everything
just gets completely jumbled around.
I guess I'll ask you this, I'll probably ask you the same
question, twice will do it once for Big Ten.
You know, who do you like in the Big Ten Tournament, you know,
and who do you see As you know, obviously I think Michigan has
the most to do, but who do you, who do you like in the
tournament and then I would say, who do you think has the most to
do? But I honestly think outside of
Michigan it feels like everyone else is kind of locked into
their tournament scene. So I'm in a weird way, I'm not
sure how important this Big Ten Tournament is for NCAA seating.
Yeah, I don't know if it's, I mean, the three teams that I
think are still kind of in flux, here are Michigan Penn State and
Wisconsin. Wisconsin, seems like they're,
they're in on the on the right side of most projections will
have to see, I think. Do they play Wisconsin or
Minnesota this weekend? That that could be a potential
bad loss if they do. I'm trying to keep track here
but um Yes, they do. So I Wisconsin, just, just with
that Minnesota game hanging out there, if they beat Minnesota,
they should be safe. Yeah, I kind of thought Michigan
has been playing up Michigan, Michigan, State over the last
couple of weeks, but then the Wolverines, you know, fall last
night in double overtime to Illinois, so maybe they're
coming down her Earth a little bit.
Yeah, the the bizarre thing is, you know, not to keep harping on
this, but the matchups are just So influx that it's hard to get
a feel for anybody here. But yeah, I mean Purdue in
Indiana. I think are the best teams in
the league and I don't think that's a that's a hot take or
anything. So I think just on paper I would
expect those teams to do the best.
It would be really interesting if Indiana does fall into the
the five just because this is this is one of these points that
I've always been interested in and I've never done like a
breakdown or anything but I've always felt like the team that
would rested the day before. Start sloppy early on in their
game. So like if Indiana played their
first game on Thursday, they would play, what would be a
pretty low seed? You would expect them to win,
then they feed into that for on Friday.
Don't expect Indiana to have the advantage early on.
So I've always I've always wondered and debated it.
I mean, it seems like there's mixed opinions on whether it's
good or bad. To play the day before but yeah,
I don't like Northwestern in this.
I feel like Northwestern has faded significantly Rucker's
obviously, they lost the Minnesota last night.
Horrible loss. They have been a mess, the last
couple of weeks, so those two teams.
I'm definitely down right now. But Purdue in Indiana, I think
are the best team, so I would pick them to go the farthest,
but I Michigan and Michigan State.
If you look at T rank which, you know, you I'm sure you got
mainly DieHard. Yep, diehards for college
basketball, but the spin on the knockoff of can palm and, you
know, so to speak if you look in February Michigan and Michigan
State have been playing like top 15 teams just over that that
range. I don't know if it's changed
with last night's games but those are those are teams
playing pretty well that are probably going to be seated
relatively low in the Big Ten Tournament.
I would think. So using know and you stole my,
my dark horse's big. It can't be a dark horse from
the best team in the conference last 20 years, but the mission
State like they are playing better.
And this is, this is what Tom Izzo does.
Like, they play a brutal, non-conference they get beat up,
you kind of forget about them big.
Normally they're a little higher in the Big Ten, but they've been
in that middle spot, you know, the whole time and they also,
you know, what happened on their campus was a tragedy, but I will
say they there's a game. Against Minnesota there.
That was not played, which probably is another.
You could pretty much chalk that up to another win.
You know, I'm not trying to be callous were just looking at the
logistics of the Big Ten and you're just focusing this on
basketball and that would put them problem you know.
Again I have no internet right now but you give them just
another win. They might be in the protected
seed line because anyway the the things that I gave you the wins
and losses for this That puts the tournament that would put
Indiana as a five-seat, they play the winner of Ohio, State,
Nebraska and they play, they wouldn't that they play the four
seed Northwestern. Like, I think that's a really
good path for them to get to the semi-final obvious, a Michigan
State, like Michigan state would play the winner, Minnesota Penn
State. I feel good about that for them,
and they play Maryland. And I don't, that's a pretty
good matchup for them. And then you could look at you
looking at, you know, Purdue Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State in
the final for the Big Ten Tournament, which I would take.
And then at that point, Point. If I'm Indiana, it's like I love
the matchup against Purdue but I almost, you know, at least for
Indiana. I look at this year's Big Ten
Tournament. I'd love to win one because
we've never done it, which is Bonkers but I also like if we're
coming at it from, you know, starting on Thursday, I'm not
sure that I want to see Jackson Davis and Jalen of the Cioppino,
four straight games of 40 plus minutes.
There's a, there's a part for Indiana where I think you're not
going to move up to the one or the two line in the NCAA.
So it's like I almost some kind of That's bowing out on Friday
or Saturday just to get ready for what really matters.
Yeah, no. I mean I think you bring up good
points and that Michigan State's eating.
It was really interesting. Yeah.
If it plays out that way, you know, one of these games goes
another way, as you mentioned it's like yeah they can be taken
to ferment so who knows what are you looking at the NCAA
tournament? You know who do you?
Who do you like to go far? Who's kind of a Dark Horse and
who Ooh, who do you think is going to be most disappointed?
You know, come the end of the tournament?
Well, I think the first thing you know, as far as the Big Ten
is concerned, I mean Indiana, Maryland and Purdue are probably
going to be the seated, the highest I would anticipate, you
know, barring some really weird stuff over the next week and a
half per. Do I see them as like a sweet 16
team and then I see them get knocked out.
Are Indiana, I think is good enough to make the elite eight.
Maybe the final four if they get a favorable matchup because of
course you know they could get in one of these regions of death
or something. You know that happened yet once
in a while so I don't know. On their Maryland, the weird
thing about the Terps is they give me The Vibes of some of the
Wisconsin teams over the last decade, and not the Frank
Kaminsky ones, but the ones that kind of are engaged in this.
He's drowning activity where you know you're going to pull your
opponent down in the water and you just hope they drown before
you do where there's when. You look at Maryland there's
nothing that really makes you go.
Wow but they keep winning. They flake out like they just
played nice fundamental basketball for the most part.
But the thing that would scare me to death is if I'm at work
fan is Jameer young is his usage, numbers are off the
chart. Massive and that doesn't even
take into account the fact that he is their primary ball handler
and is passing, you know, with the assist rate and and those
types of things when you actually factor in how much of
the offense he's accounting for. They truly are like a one-man
show offensive ly and that you know for obvious reasons is
really scary going into the tournament because if a team can
figure out how to defend him Maryland's, probably going down.
That's not me, that's just yeah. The the nature of it.
So Maryland, I'm I kind of feel like they can get such such a
home team. Yep.
Oh, hundred percent. Yeah, so I mean, if Marilyn, I
wouldn't be shocked if they lose their first game.
That's that's kind of what I'm thinking of them, the rest of
the league. Well, I mean, most of these like
Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan, somehow gets into the
field. They're going to be such low
seeds. That it's hard to sit here with
a straight face and say, oh yeah, you know as the 11th.
You know, Wisconsin's going to make a Deep Run or something.
So, none of those, I feel great about the only other Michigan
state is going to be a really interesting one.
They're probably going to land between a 7 to 10 State Bar in a
huge run this weekend. And it seems like the committee
always wants to put them in one of those because they get to
play the, you know, the one, or the two on Saturday or Sunday.
And it's always this big, big primetime game.
But they're playing much better than their seed would indicate
right now. And you almost wonder, you know,
sometimes you get these, like storybook runs, you know, with
everything that's happened there.
You wonder if we could be in store for one of those just more
of a gut thing and some Yeah. there's our people use like, you
know, Yeah, you broke up a little bit but it's as far as
Michigan state is is concerned. Yeah, I mean they they play a
lot of three-pointers, they push the ball in transition still as
they've kind of done here for the last last couple of years.
So I think they're going to, they're going to be a really
interesting team to watch the big.
The big thing is just however, they match up against whoever
that one or two seed is that they're likely going to face on
Saturday. Or Sunday in the first weekend
so it but to me I almost feel more confident than I do a team
like Maryland, who's probably going to be seated higher.
Well, there you go. That's that's the end.
That is where I had a complete all system failure.
No, internet myself. Own kind of stopped, being able
to hold a signal for like 10 minutes, and that was the end of
the podcast. And that's where I just said
we're done. And this is where it's going to
end. And so, you know, Thomas and I
unfortunately, I didn't get to kind of finish off with a bunch
of Indiana stuff. That's my fault for kind of
waiting to the very end. But as we stand here on a
Saturday afternoon, Michigan state has just beaten Ohio
State. The remaining games are Indiana,
Michigan. I'm gonna put down Indiana as
the winner for that one. And then I'm going to give you
what the, what that would result in.
For our big ten seeds, you have Iowa, Nebraska.
I think Iowans that you have Minnesota and Wisconsin.
I feel comfortable giving that to the Badgers.
You have Penn State. Let me get the home in a way.
Splits you have Maryland at Penn State.
If this is a Maryland, I think I would easily pick Maryland.
It's at Penn State. I think just for this, I'm going
to say Penn State a sorry. I'm going to say Maryland, you
could go either way, we could maybe play with that one, a
little bit. You have Purdue or Illinois at
Purdue produce, winning that. And then the other one that I'm
a little bit unsure on Northwestern truckers I think
Rutgers going to win that and home senior night.
So with those being our assumptions, then calculate
seeds that It's Indiana as the double by with the four seed.
You have pretty with the won Iowa to, to Marilyn with the
three, in Indiana, with the, for, in their little sub
bracket. You have a house state Nebraska,
playing on Wednesday, the winner of that place, Michigan State,
the winner of that will play Indiana on Friday night ideal.
I kind of want to stay away from Michigan State.
They worry me. I think their physical and can
get hot. I'd rather not play them.
That's not an ideal draw, like to win.
At least one game in the Big Ten tournament, and then you're kind
of looking at Michigan State and Purdue.
Do that. That's a rough that I just I
think that's not the best draw. You could possibly have.
I'm going to back up and we're just going to swap that Marilyn
Penn State game. Let's get Penn State, the win,
everything else stays constant. In that case you have Purdue is
the one seed Iowa. The two seed Indiana, the three
seed, Michigan State, the four seed in our little sub-regional.
You have Minnesota, Wisconsin, playing on Wednesday.
The winter that plays Rutgers we play, the winner of that.
I like that. I like that a lot.
We would then play Penn State, Maryland will be the night, the
7:10. And then the winner of that
would play Iowa and then we'd come out on Saturday, to play
the winner of that. If we win, which I like, because
I like our chances against Maryland, Penn State.
I don't particularly like our chances against Iowa, we don't
match up well with them, but what I would say is we don't a
game against Iowa is not going to be an overly physical game,
especially for like, Tres Jackson Davis as it would be for
playing. You know, Purdue or Michigan or
Michigan. State was just some guys who
have, you know, big dudes and just play with, in the post,
like, Iowa plays a little more open and free, we can get our
doors blown off again. But to me, it's like, it's more
about trying to not have hard minutes at this point in the
season and that's kind of a game where we just go in.
Like, if we shoot well, maybe we win, if we don't, we don't, but
we're not, you know, I don't really want to see on a Saturday
before the NCAA tournament Trace do another 40 minutes against
And just getting to know just getting beat to hell.
So I do like that set up their the opening.
Again, it's that with Scott that Penn State Maryland game.
I'm not sure if we swap that back and forth and the Rutgers
Northwestern Northwestern could wins a lot of, a lot of Mac ways
to slice this up. But those are some ways that I
think it could possibly go down and wait and see.
So if you're listening to this on Sunday and everything's
already happened, I'm sure it all happen differently.
And there's like, you know, we if we lose the Michigan I'm not
even going to go down that road. Because we just can't its traces
senior night. Let's go out and win that game.
So that's all we have. Now I want to thank you very
much for listening to this pod. If you're all the way through,
thank you, thanks for staying with it.
Technology has given much. And also she's a Fickle fickle
lover, and she takes away as well.
So thank you all for listening will have much, much, more and
look forward to seeing Sunday night when we know what the Big
Ten bracket looks like, and then we can really start dissecting
this and then get ready for NCAA.
Going to be fun. You know, fun week and a half
here where we can actually watch this tournament show not be.
We know. Are we going to make it?
Are we not it's been quite a while since we've been in that.
So good times for all, until next time.
Thank you guys, very much for listening.
This is Scott for Crimson cast signing off.