Today's team is: <font color="Navy">Michigan</font> RPI: 50 Schedule: 51st Record: 16-9 Big Ten Record: 7-7 3 Best Wins: #10 Wisconsin, North Carolina State, Purdue 3 Worst Losses: at Minnesota (RPI - 149), Boston U. (RPI - 74), at Iowa (RPI - 73) Michigan has nine losses on the year, but they only lost two non-conference games. That stands out to me when I look at the Wolverines. The Big Ten is underrated. Unlike the SEC, Pac-10, and other conferences, all the teams in the Big Ten are on the same playing field. In the SEC, teams like Mississippi State and Kentucky get good records by beating up on Arkansas, Mississippi, Auburn, Tennessee, etc., but in the Big Ten the worst team has a chance of upsetting the best team. Some conferences claim that they're that even, but the only conference I really see like that is the Big Ten. As long as they can keep a 50% record in the Big Ten they should be fine. That's why I feel Michigan will be accepted.
They have a chance of making it, but once they do, making it past the 2nd round would be hard. Still, they'd put up a charge to get accepted. And I think they will.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">They have a chance of making it, but once they do, making it past the 2nd round would be hard. Still, they'd put up a charge to get accepted. And I think they will.</div> This is where I completely dissagree with you. The Big Ten always goes far in the tournament. Example, in 2000 Wisconsin had 13 losses and made it to the Final Four. Last year, Michigan State was the fifth or sixth best team in the Big Ten and made it to the Elite Eight. I find that the SEC usually folds come tournament time while the Big 12 and Big 10 do really well. Just look at Michigan. They're talented all around. They have one of the top three Freshman classes in the nation, with Dion Harris, Courtney Sims, and Brent Pettway; and they have Daniel Horton, Bernard Robinson, Jr., and Lester Abrahm. I don't know how well you follow individuals in the NCAA, but Robinson, Horton, and Abrahm are among the league's best.
Michigan really opened the Big Ten with pretty lackluster play. After watching them lately, though, I feel like they are a strong team that could do well in the NCAA tournament. I also feel like they could already be in right now if they hadn't blown the game against Minnesota a couple weeks ago. Minnesota isn't downright awful, but that loss still hurts Michigan. I feel they absolutely can not make the NCAA tournament at 8-8 in the Big Ten without running deep in the conference tournament, perhaps to the conference tournament finals (although sometimes it seems like the commission ignores conference tournaments). Their remaining two games are at Indiana at Northwestern They can win both games, but doing so will be difficult in both cases, especially at Northwestern. One thing to look ahead to is a possible match-up with Iowa. I believe the 4 seed and 5 seed in the Big Ten tournament match up and that could very well be these teams. Iowa is one game ahead of Michigan in the Big Ten, and one game back for their overall record. If Iowa beats them, could they steal Michigan's spot? Maybe, but Iowa does have a weaker RPI at 73. The last team to look at in the Big Ten is Purdue. However, Purdue has been playing their way out of the tournament as of late, and have an RPI in the 90s.
Needing to win their last two games for a shot to make the tournament, Michigan is struggling to do so right now at Indiana in a close, close game.
