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By Nate, March 13, 2009 6:45 pm

Noon Quarter Game:

MSU defeated Minny by 8 – Chet and I enjoyed the game with a Hot and Ready in the basement on the plasma. It was an ugly game – lots of missed throws, on both sides – MSU outlasted Minny with solid D and some nice sets exploiting an opening in Minny’s D on the baseline.

Marquise and the Dunk Police were in full force today – some real quality minutes from Quise in the first half (oh, and Chris Allen too). G and Ray seemed to play with their heads in the clouds today and Kalin was not fully himself – so to get a win in those circumstances is nothing I’ll complain too much about.

Odds and Ends from the game:

The old dudes sitting behind Lavin and Mushburger were top notch. The one old timer loved to ham it up for the cameras.

By my count at least 100 dolphins were killed during this contest – nice work Eddie

Other BTT items:

Word is that Chester Frazier is out for the weekend and possibly next week for the 1st weekend of the NCAAs with a practice related hand injury – this gives UM and edge tonight, I’d now call this game a push – the Illini need someone to step up on D to clamp down on Harris.

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By Nate, March 13, 2009 3:49 pm

Minnesota (8) v Michigan State (1):

Well, now Jimmy is parroting his idol Digger and telling us how hard it is to beat a team three times in a season. I have much the same response as Hubert Davis – not if you’re better than them. I don’t expect this game to be of the 30-point blowout variety that this season’s match-up at Breslin produced but I think MSU will win. Minnesota will fight and play hard and has the twin towers down low in Iversen and Sampson III complimented by Nolen and Westbrook in their backcourt who will all contribute today. However, Michigan State just has too much for Minny – Lucas and Walton are the top guard combo in the conference, Raymar Morgan is getting back to form and Roe and Suton have shown they can defend and score on Minnesota’s frontcourt. The bench advantage also goes to the Spartans. Minnesota is likely playing for their NCAA Tourney life (although I think they should be okay with the win over NU yesterday) and MSU is playing for a 1 seed with both Pitt and Uconn going down last night (Yes, that was a game for the ages – amazing) – so both teams should be ready to go for a great BTT game.

On a side note, odds are that Ed Hightower will be officiating this contest so I thought I would share one interesting item with my interweb friends – Ed uses a whistle named “The Dolphin” it was given this name because every time Ed blows his whistle a dolphin dies in a tuna net – true story.

Pick: Michigan State

Ohio State (5) v. Wisconsin (4):

Certain parties told me yesterday that I want Ohio State to win because I am afraid of Wisconsin in the semi’s. Well this isn’t true – I want Ohio State to beat Wisconsin because I want Wisconsin to lose every game they play. That being said, this should be an interesting game – a classic Big Ten slugfest, Bucky Ryan will be well prepared and of course has taught his team how not to foul so as per usual Wisconsin will be ready to set basketball back 30 years (and not a moment too soon for all those cheese eaters after the Cuse – Uconn game last night). Wisconsin lives and dies with Landry and Krabbenhoft up front and Hughes in the backcourt. Lately, they been living but so too has Ohio State – just outlasting NU in the regular season finale behind great efforts from Mullens and Turner. There is no doubt OSU has the better players and athletes (Buford, Diebler and Lauderdale)– and Evan Turner deserves every prop he gets – but when these teams played in Madison it was Wisconsin that won a defensive dog fight (an aside, I for one have never bought the Bo does more with less nonsense, he’s had his share of 4 & 5 star recruits, just not this season). Both teams should make the dance but a lose makes one of them sweat on Sunday – so these guys should be ready to play. On paper, I give the edge to Ohio State but something tells me that Wisconsin will squeak this one out.

Pick: Wisconsin

Michigan (7) v. Illinois (2):

So, my powers of prediction were a little off yesterday and to be honest Michigan played a great game. Now, today the competition improves a great deal and it will be interesting to see if all the wolvies not named Harris or Sims can maintain yesterday’s level of play. Illinois is a defensive machine and will make Harris and Sims work for everything they get – the question becomes will one of the other wolvies step into the breech and produce. I tend to think Illinois will have answers for the other wolvies too. Chester Frazier is the kind of player you wish was on your team – all guts and effort. And Tisdale’s continued improvement has been a big part of the Illini’s success this season. But the difference maker in this game for the Fightin’s won’t be McCamey, Meacham, Frazer or Tisdale – it will be Jeff Jordan…okay not really the Illini difference maker is clearly Mike Davis – if Davis plays well the Illini win, I have a hunch he’s ready for a big game but so too are Manny and Dion. These teams split the regular season series – both good games, expect more of the same tonight.

Pick: Illinois

Penn State (6) v. Purdue (3):

Talor Battle has a foot/leg injury it didn’t matter too much against IU but the other BTT home-state school is just a little bit better than their counterparts. Well, more than just a little bit – vastly superior would be a better term. Purdue is an NCAA team – PSU could use one more marquee win to solidify their ticket to the dance (they should be in regardless but this time of year a team can’t take anything for granted). If Battle can go at full-strength it will be a good game – if he’s hobbled Kramer from Purdue will eat him for lunch on the defensive end. I think JuJuan Johnson will have a field day (e.g., see the game b/w these two in Mackey) – if Hummel or Moore also have nice nights I doubt PSU can overcome that – but these teams split the regular season series and PSU has proven they’re legit – the Battle injury and home-state locale tilt the scale (ever so slightly) in Purdue’s favor.

Pick: Purdue

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By Nate, March 12, 2009 4:04 pm

Item!  We all know of the “Dharma Initiative” and are learning more about it each week – but what I want to know about is the “Greg Initiative” – I wonder what that island is like?

Item!  After broadcasting two games last night with Jay Bilas and Sean McDonough I wonder how many gin and tonics The Raft had to drink just to get the sounds of their insipid chatter out of his head.  At one point Bilas advocated taking the Big East Tournament down to 8 teams, of course in Jay’s mind the NCAA Tourney should be one team – Duke, just Duke playing Duke, that we can dispense with the nonsense of these lesser teams that think they’re as good or better than Duke.

Item!  I don’t know if corndogs were the first food on a stick but for my money they’re the best food on a stick.

Item!  One more from the Big East last night, man am I’m glad that Devendorf never showed up in East Lansing and I still think Boeheim is the kind of guy that yells at a waiter for cold soup.

Item!  Hey gang, if you’re going to see one movie this year make it The Pink Panther 2.

Item!  Dick Vitale will be doing ACC Tournament games this week, at least when Vitale works the ACC all the other things he talks about besides the actual game occurring in front of him might have a chance of being in the same building at some point during the day.

Item!  I think America began to slide down hill when we all got electronic pencil sharpeners – we lost touch with the feel of the blades on the pencil and let the machines take over, it was the first step…

Item!  The bubble has burst for Notre Dame, Georgetown, Cincinnati – I like one of these teams so my heart isn’t too broken but the joy of not having to be subjected to more Notre Dame b.s. is pretty overwhelming right now – I’m as happy as Digger Phelps is sad.

Item!  Louie Anderson’s Las Vegas Comedy Show is top shelf entertainment – the FAT COMEDIAN is back – I repeat the FAT COMEDIAN is back

And now on to the BTT:

Indiana (11): plays Penn State late this afternoon – I expect the Hoosiers will play hard and give Penn State a tough game but PSU knows the Big Dance is on the line and will outlast IU.  You can count me among the many that think IU will be back sooner rather than later under Tom Crean but even he didn’t think this year would be as bad as it was so that will likely delay the process by at least a year.  

Iowa (10): plays Michigan this afternoon.  Man I sure hope the Hawkeye Nation travels well to Indy and supports their Hawks as they battle the rodents that piss on themselves.  I’m not sure that Lickliter is a BT caliber coach or that his style of play will work over the course of a major conference season (especially when you can’t recruit – gee if it weren’t for Beeline he’d be my John L. Smith of BT hoops nominee) – anyway I’ll be rooting for the Hawks to pull one out today and put Beeline and his boys were they naturally belong, the NIT.  Side note, does the Iowa Dance Team travel to the BTT – now that is a team with talent and one superstar.

Northwestern (9): plays Minnesota at noon.  This is the first BTT play-in game (at least for Minny) – the Cats have been so close this year – so damn close.  A win here helps them but I don’t think MSU will be in a mood to give them a second win.  In reality NU’s season rests on two games – home loses to Purdue and Illinois – win those and they’d be dancing no matter what happens versus Minny – but as they say if my aunt had….she’d be my uncle.  Hopefully, the Cats can build on a strong showing in the NIT and make a tourney run next year.

Minnesota (8): plays NU at noon.  It’s simple for my favorite non-MSU associated coach in the Big Ten and his team – beat NU and you’re dance card is punched.  A good season for Minny but to erase that um home loss from the Committee’s mind they need this one against NU – they don’t match-up well against MSU in the quarters but Digger Phelps keeps saying it hard to beat a team three times – well here’s hoping Minny is to MSU this year what Wisconsin was to MSU in 2000.

Michigan (7): plays Iowa this afternoon.  GO HAWKS! The skunkbears and their program are the biggest cheats in the history of college hoops and the whole program belongs in jail but the NIT will do for now. 

Penn State (6): plays IU late this afternoon.  Every dolt on the BTN (that means you Timmy Doyle) picked the Lions as their sleeper BTT team – well here’s a newsflash if you stop Battle or either Cornley or Pringle (how’s the library Stanley?) the Nitany Lions are pretty average – painfully average.  That said I think they beat IU and punch their ticket for sure – I’d be real surprised if they hang with Purdue, the Boilers seem to have their number this year.

Ohio State (5): plays Wisconsin tomorrow.  I think they’re in – so beating Bucky Badger is icing on the cake – c’mon Thad do it for all the little hot dog things out there.

Wisconsin (4) plays Ohio State tomorrow.  In the best of all worlds the team bus never makes it to Conseco, the players all end up on the Lost island and Bo Ryan is sent directly to the 5^th Circle of Hell – that rat faced jerk belongs with the wrathful in the River Styx…okay, I guess that’s even a little harsh for Bo – here’s to them losing and possibly being bounced to the NIT but Bo’s pal and deal partner Mephistopheles probably has already arranged for them to be in the Big Dance.

Pudue (3): plays PSU/IU winner tomorrow.  I think Purdue is the second best team in the league and makes it to the BTT Final – moving up in seeding along the way.  Brokeback Hummel (eat it Rosenberg) seems healthy and ready to go.

Illinois (2): plays Iowa/um winner tomorrow.  Illinois doesn’t score much but neither do the teams they play – I think, despite or maybe inspite of their inferior LIR program, the Fightin’s will make it to the semi’s but I give the Boilers the edge playing in their home state.

Michigan State (1): plays Minny/NU winner tomorrow.  MSU is clearly the best team in the conference – but no one seems to think they’ll win the BTT.  The Spartans have been hit and miss in BTTs of the past but this team is focused and healthy – and that’s bad news for the rest of the Big Ten and NCAA field.  I’m sure Uncle Eddie and has traveling band of whistle blowers won’t make it easy but the Spartans are my pick (big surprise) for the BTT crown – it should be a fun tournament, enjoy it and see you on Selection Sunday.