Michigan got a huge win over Purdue, Rutgers toppled Ohio State at home, and Indiana faceplanted on the road...

...did any of it matter for the Big Ten in the latest NCAA Tournament projections?

Big Ten Bracketology Update

B1G Thoughts

• Seems like the most that’ll come of the Purdue loss is a potential drop onto the 2-line. While Purdue’s NET tumbled from 4 to 9, Palm’s already been negative on them most of the year. Games with Maryland, at Northwestern, and Rutgers on horizon shouldn’t hurt anything unless the Boilers forget how to be tall.
• Do I have to acknowledge that wisconsin will be an Elite Eight team, probably? No, good. Moving on.
• As I’m firmly in the “the Big Ten probably won’t do anything in the NCAA Tournament” camp because why would they, the potential for a first-round Illinois loss to the Fucking Falwells is disastrous. A loss to the Jackrabbits, though, would be hilarious.
• Green Akers promised in the Midweek Recaps that we’re coming up on Michigan State’s “fourth tournament disaster in their last five tries,” and I have to say that a first-round loss to Rick Pitino’s Iona would be perfecting that art.
• You still can’t convince me that Ohio State is (1) a six-seed or (2) has actually played basketball at all this year.
• Games against three straight ranked teams (@MSU, wisc, @OSU) do not have me convinced that Indiana will be on the right side of the bubble come February 20. Then again, we talked about them being a yo-yo team, so...
• Sure, Iowa could be a 7-seed or an 11-seed. This all makes sense.
• Do we think Michigan one win over Purdue could pull them all the way onto the bubble or, as Jerry Palm suggests, into the tournament? Five ranked in their last eight should give them plenty of chances to prove how good they are or aren’t.

• Regarding Rutgers: I’m thoroughly convinced Andy Katz has lost his goddamn mind:

• The interesting question for Rutgers, to me and most sane people, is whether they’re an NIT team—our friend Joe Stunardi at The Barking Crow is considering them, and if they can get a 3- or 4-seed they might be a threat to go at least one round in the NIT. Then again, does Madison Square Garden count as a home game? Because if so, you could be talking about “NIT Champion Rutgers”...

• Northwestern, again, is 5-8 in the Big Ten but should get to 7-13 and could reasonably get to 8-12. (That’s a statement I don’t actually believe, but...well...) Would that be an NIT resume? Northwestern would likely have as its only “bad” losses a pair of Quad 2 stumbles (Penn State and Maryland at home). The problem comes in when the ‘Cats have as their good wins...uh...Michigan State that one time, I guess.

CBI, here we come!

Games to Watch Tonight (Friday, 2/11)

Are you lonely and sad like me? Do you want some bad basketball to watch tonight?

UConn-Xavier is technically a ranked matchup (6pm, FS1), but I want to see how the Milwaukee Panthers bounce back against Wright State (6pm, ESPNU)—Pat Baldwin Jr. & Co. got booed off the court last time.

In the late slot, St. Bonaventure travels to Saint Louis (8pm, ESPN2) in an A-10 matchup that’s lost a little of its luster, but that has nice overlap with Fresno State-Colorado State (8:30pm, CBSSN) to get you through the sad drinking part. Then, right when you think “Great, now what will I do?” and start to sob, there’s UNLV trying to keep up with Boise State (10pm, FS1) until you pass out, sobbing.

Enjoy the games, everyone!