Basketball Recaps: The Weekend in Welp.

Saturday

Indiana Hoosiers 63, #6 Michigan State Spartans 62

Andrew K: In this observer’s humble opinion, Indiana doesn’t actually come up with that many “steals” in any other building and Devonte Green fouls out three times over

But these are just observations, not complaints, you understand.

MNW: You’re still on timeout, buddy.

Boilerman31: I thank them for the gift. Now they can kindly get fucked.

#14 Purdue Boilermakers 86, Ohio State Buckeyes 51

Boilerman31: Purdue was able to exploit the suspension of Kaleb Wesson and rolled the Buckeyes. The only regret is that the halftime score missed a repeat of the football game by a point. Carsen Edwards was very good.

#19 wisconsin badgers 61, Penn State Nittany Lions 57

Beezer07: What a horse shit game that was.

The B1G seriously needs to do something about the way they just let people in the paint do whatever they want on defense. It’s not good basketball, and it’s unwatchable.

rutgers Scarlet Knights 86, #22 Iowa Hawkeyes 72

Stewmonkey13: So Iowa’s defense has been anywhere between serviceable at best and super horrendous at worst. But the last 5ish games the offense has also fallen off a cliff.

Today there was a stretch of over ten minutes without a FG. Over those 5 games Iowa is shooting about 35% from the field. Having the bad defense is acceptable when they’re running out a top 10 offense, the team is flat out awful when the offense goes in the tank.

This team has been headed in the wrong direction for about a month, and the pattern of season ending swoons continues for the best teams in the McCaffery era.

Jesse Collins: Fran is Bo Pelini. Like, almost to a t. [Ed. note: Good pun.]

I mean, I actually feel bad about it because that is a shitty place to be as a fan.

His anger issues are probably less of a problem than they are perceived nationally (and to an extent, even within the conference), but precedent is a bitch. Every official has a much tighter leash on him than they should. And, when he gets his back against the wall, he goes crazy and/or goes into a ‘us vs. them’ mentality. His players will fight for him tooth and nail. His fans are divided to death.

Oh, and he’s actually not a bad coach but is he worth the overall headache? Probably not.

...and then there’s the whole ‘glaring weaknesses’ part of the resume in which there are things that don’t change each season (swoons, bad defense because reasons, and the trademark ‘well, we’re an offensive team but we can’t stop a jet sweep’ {maybe getting analogies mixed but stick with me})

Sunday

#9 Michigan Wolverines 69 (nice), #17 Maryland Terrapins 62

DJ Carver [before game]: Huge recruiting presence for this game for MD. A ton of 2019 and 2020 recruits are supposed to be in attendance, game is sold out, etc.

DJ Carver [during game]: I don’t know if this is trash or absolutely beautiful that Zavier Simpson can make a hook shot off the backboard from a ridiculous angle that he throws like 15 feet in the air

That is absolutely unblockable and he’s done it twice.

Oh yay, look we play in transition and do well! Sigh...only if the coach would ever learn he recruited players that would excel doing that

DJ Carver [after game]: Turgeon is an absolutely awful coach. I don’t know why kids want to play for him. This offense is absolutely horrendous. He calls a TO to presumably run a good play before end of half. Resulting play: one player dribble for 25 seconds, pass it to Anthony Cowan Jr. for what seemed like a 30 foot three that clanked off the rim

Michigan rebounds, drives the length of the floor uncontested for a lay in before half.

We move slow AF even under a minute when losing. Turgeon runs strong in them.

Illinois Fighting Illini 81, Northwestern Wildcats 76

MNW: I dunno. Didn’t watch.Season’s over. I’m praying for the 14-over-11 upset so I can come watch the 6-11 game in the night session of the BTT.

Thump: That game was ass, but at least, unlike the first asstastic game Illinois played with Northwestern, it was a victory for the Illini. If I’m not mistaken, Illinois made two field goals in the last 12 minutes.

But that’s the kind of game you’re gonna see when Illinois’ opponent is hell-bent on proving they’re capable of committing more fouls than the Foulin’ Illini.