Welcome once again to the B1G Shootyhoops Stock Report. The place where I breakdown the weeks that were against my ever fair and just expectations. Yes, this is a few weeks late in getting started. I’m currently writing this whilst on a conference call where I have zero input. Yay.
Anyway, let’s get to it.
Buy
Michigan Wolverines – John Beilein has himself a team. The Wolverines are undefeated and look like a team hell bent on getting back to the Final Four. Dare I say they’re better than last year?
Nebraska Cornhuskers – Dare I say it? I think Nebraska has put themselves in the right spot this season. Last year, their lack of signature wins kept them out of the tourney. This year, they have some nice wins including a roadie over Clemson. This team should be fun to watch once B1G play continues.
Wisconsin Badgers – Welcome back from the dead, Badgers. Wisconsin appears to have righted the ship for the most part this season and are well on their way to punching a ticket to the Dance. I’ll buy in.
Indiana Hoosiers – It pains this Boilermaker to say it, but Indiana is showing some promise this season. I’m not entirely convinced they’ll challenge for elite status (that Duke loss was horribad and they’re still not a good road team), but they have a chance to play well into March.
Ohio State Buckeyes – Aside from a blemish against Syracuse, the Buckeyes look the part this season. The Bucknell game was a bit of an aberration, but overall, Chris Holtmann’s squad looks poised to do some damage this season.
Hold
Michigan State Spartans – I’m still trying to figure out who Sparty actually is this season. The team that blew the doors off UCLA and Iowa? Or the team that struggled to put away Rutgers and lost at Louisville. As far as expectations go, they’re pretty much where I expected them to be, so I’ll go with Hold status for now.
Maryland Terrapins – The same goes for Maryland. There’s little doubt about the talent level for the Terps. They’ve blown out teams they should and challenged Virginia. But the loss at Purdue still stings and Turgeon remains this team’s biggest hindrance.
Northwestern Wildcats – Considering where the Wildcats were last season, I’m considering them on the upswing. Is it THE YEAR again? Probably not, but they’re back to B1G levels.
Iowa Hawkeyes – I’m genuinely conflicted about the Hawkeyes this season. They have some good wins but missed an opportunity against Wisconsin and got BTFO by Sparty. I think they’ll be decent in B1G play but I need more data.
Sell
Penn State Nittany Lions – I’m a bit down on the Nittany Lions. Coming off their NIT win, I thought they might be in position to make a run at a tourney bid. I’m not seeing it right now.
Purdue Boilermakers – Inside Mackey Arena, the Boilers are going to be a tough out. The problem is, they have to play outside of Mackey in B1G play. There are playmakers on this team but someone other than Carsen Edwards needs to contribute on a regular basis.
Minnesota Golden Gophers – I’m slightly down on the Gophers at this point. To their credit, they’ve played a decent schedule but they’re not convincing me they’ll do much in B1G play outside of protecting home court.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights – Rutgers is going to be a team that annoys the hell out of everyone but is usually going to end up in the loss column. Weaker teams will probably fall victim to them but until they get someone who can hit a shot or two without relying on offensive rebounds, they’re still not good.
Illinois Fighting Illini – Woof. Just, bad.