TV alert tonight at 6:30 on BTN MBB PSU vs Maryland. If they play like

[CattyGuy51]

WOW! Reading this thread you would think that we lost tonight. Weather we get in the dance or not I'm just happy for the win. If we get in all the better. Just remember, there will be only one team in the tourney that finishes the season with a win. So be happy for any win.

 

[psuguy43]

If things really go our way and we go Dancing this year - then we ought to schedule a mid-major loss at the end of every OOC. It would mean that the last 2 times we have made the dance, we lost to an inferior mid-major in December (Main before, Rider this year).

 

[auxgym]

It's a shame that the only offense PSU has in the last 6 minutes of a close game is Carr ISO's. At least Reaves cuts when Carr gets it on the block, but otherwise its take 25 seconds off and get Carr the ball to shoot with 2 left.

Maryland trap did push the offense out to slow down the offense. It would help if they could push the ball with Reeves slashing to the hoop. That could make a defense think twice. The team is improving......Great job by Pat.

 

[Raffycorn]

With Ohio State's win on the road tonight against Purdue, they have all the looks of a top 10 team in the polls when they roll into Happy Valley next Thursday night. Huge opportunity for this team with, if they win against Illinois, what should be a really nice home atmosphere.

 

[lj4heisman1]

Can we go one basketball thread without someone saying something STUPID. We were a 4.5 pt favorite, we won by 4. Huerter and Cowan could start for ANY team in the B1G.

We got 1 good recruiting class. Maryland gets solid recruiting classes EVERY YEAR.

Wait chambers has gotten one good recruiting class in 7 years?

 

[Woodpecker]

Does Jerry have a sister?

You know Rosie REALLY well

 

[Raffycorn]

Wait chambers has gotten one good recruiting class in 7 years?

No. Chambers’ 2015 class with Reaves and Watkins, his 2016 class with Carr, Stevens and Bostick, and his 2018 class with Dread and Bolton are all individually better than any recruiting class we’ve seen at Penn State since the early 90s, and the 2016 class is the best in school history.

That said, take those same recruiting classes and put them at Maryland and some of the luster would come off - but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s better than we’ve seen at Penn State in at least a generation.

 

[Erial_Lion]

No. Chambers’ 2015 class with Reaves and Watkins, his 2016 class with Carr, Stevens and Bostick, and his 2018 class with Dread and Bolton are all individually better than any recruiting class we’ve seen at Penn State since the early 90s, and the 2016 class is the best in school history.

That said, take those same recruiting classes and put them at Maryland and some of the luster would come off - but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s better than we’ve seen at Penn State in at least a generation.

If the Bolton/Dread class turns out to be better than Battle/Brooks, I'd be very pleasantly surprised.

 

[auxgym]

You know Rosie REALLY well

With a name like that you're pointing fingers?!

 

[78SweetRevenge]

Here's the problem IMO--we lost to

A&M 16-8/5-6
NCSU 16-8/6-5
Wisconsin 10/15/3-9 (at home)
Indiana 13-12/6-7
Minnesota 14-12/3-10 (at home)

Does beating Ohio State offset all of that if we go 21-10/11-7...I think we'd need a semifinal run at least in the B1G Tournament
We don't have many big wins. Our non-conference schedule was a joke

 

[psuguy43]

Here's the problem IMO--we lost to

A&M 16-8/5-6
NCSU 16-8/6-5
Wisconsin 10/15/3-9 (at home)
Indiana 13-12/6-7
Minnesota 14-12/3-10 (at home)

Does beating Ohio State offset all of that if we go 21-10/11-7...I think we'd need a semifinal run at least in the B1G Tournament
We don't have many big wins. Our non-conference schedule was a joke

Well, 11-7 would include at least 2 more wins against UM, OSU, @ Nebraska, or @ PU. UMD also had a top 50-60 RPI, so it's not just winning @ OSU.. we are certanly piquing and playing our best ball late in the season.

@ NCSU and A&M on a neutral floor are not losses that will be glaring on our resume, neither will @ IU.

Minne was without a key starter which the committee has shown in the past that they weight that.

 

[cfbinsider]

Minne was without a key starter which the committee has shown in the past that they weight that.

We were without a key starter for 4 games (1-3). All three losses were close.

 

[psugisher]

Illinois, Illinois, Illinois.. hope Chambers can steal that mantra from Franklin. The team over the last 5 games is what I expected from them this season. That is why the first two plus months were so frustrating. This finishing stretch is awfully tough but with the way the team is playing, they'll be tough to beat. It really would be nice to have two huge home crowds for Ohio State and Michigan with something on the line. Win at Illinois and it's set up for an exciting finish to the season.

 

[Nittany Security]

Illinois, Illinois, Illinois.. hope Chambers can steal that mantra from Franklin. The team over the last 5 games is what I expected from them this season. That is why the first two plus months were so frustrating. This finishing stretch is awfully tough but with the way the team is playing, they'll be tough to beat. It really would be nice to have two huge home crowds for Ohio State and Michigan with something on the line. Win at Illinois and it's set up for an exciting finish to the season.

FIRE CHAMBERS

 

[psuguy43]

We were without a key starter for 4 games (1-3). All three losses were close.

I was referring to the Minne game, not the actual Minne team -- I was talking about Reaves

 

[psuguy43]

Here is a good look at our resume (complete with RPIs of every opponent we've played):


https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/rpi/PSU/penn-state-nittany-lions

 

[bison13]

Minnesotas been without key players for longer than 4 games, plus the game was at home. That loss was real bad.

 

[greenmanRD]

I think there are a variety of reasons Penn State's schedule was poor, but a part that undoubtedly cannot be ignored are the two early December Big Ten games. That took away two games that could've been scheduled against solid teams and instead, PSU was left to find non-con games in the end of December. I don't think the schedule was designed to pad wins, this team is 7-6 in the Big Ten, if anything a better schedule would've helped. They got a bit unlucky in some respects:

1. Ran into Pitt during their worst team in decades.
2. George Washington and George Mason are struggling more than they have in previous years. Both teams we had games arranged with prior to this season.
3. Early December Big Ten games made it much more difficult to have a less bad schedule. It basically took away the chance for us to get two Quad 2/Quad 3 wins and replace them with two Quad 4 wins. That hurts us.
4. Didn't get a Gavitt Game.

The schedule was not good enough, I think some of that is due to factors outside of their control. Granted, maybe they could've done something else and turned it down for whatever reason. I don't know the ins and outs of how the schedule is made, but Pat and his staff have put together better schedules for NCAA Tournament bids in the past. I fail to see why they'd deliberately not do that this season for their most talented team.

 

[psuguy43]

87 RPI puts us squarely in the NIT. A decent consolation prize when it didn't look like we'd sniff the postseason just a few weeks ago. Hopefully we finish strong and make the NCAA, but if not, we can do some damage in the NIT this year - setting up for a very good NCAA run next season (assuming no one of note transfers, which is a big assumption).

 

[BobPSU92]

FIRE CHAMBERS

Atta boy.

 

[78SweetRevenge]

I'm still shocked people truly believe that, right now, we have any shot to make the NCAA without beating Purdue. I don't see how the resume stands a chance without adding a Purdue win.4-1 with a loss to Purdue and we're out IMO. Unless we get a huge win during the B1G tournament which is difficult since few Big Ten teams are even decent

 

[bdgan]

I'm still shocked people truly believe that, right now, we have any shot to make the NCAA without beating Purdue. I don't see how the resume stands a chance without adding a Purdue win.4-1 with a loss to Purdue and we're out IMO. Unless we get a huge win during the B1G tournament which is difficult since few Big Ten teams are even decent

I disagree. 21-10 with wins over Michigan, Ohio State (twice), and Nebraska would be a nice NCAA resume. It would also move us ahead of Michigan in the BiG standings.

I don't think 4-1 is going to happen but if it did...

 

[psugisher]

I'm still shocked people truly believe that, right now, we have any shot to make the NCAA without beating Purdue. I don't see how the resume stands a chance without adding a Purdue win.4-1 with a loss to Purdue and we're out IMO. Unless we get a huge win during the B1G tournament which is difficult since few Big Ten teams are even decent

11-7 prior to the B1G tournament gives us a chance. There's so many flawed teams around the bubble that a team that wins 8 of their last 10 regular season games including a sweep of Ohio State, a win vs Michigan and a road win at Nebraska will at least be considered. Probably need 2 wins in the conference tournament to get in but that could reasonably happen. FWIW, Vegasinsider.com has their version of bracketology and we're included as the last team of the "next four out" as of today.

 

[cfbinsider]

I'm still shocked people truly believe that, right now, we have any shot to make the NCAA without beating Purdue.

In Bart Torvik's calculator, if we go 4-1 (not Purdue), and win one in the Big Ten tourney, his formula has us as the first team out.

I think it certainly gets us in because his formula doesn't factor 1. a hot finish, 2. missing best player for a 1-3 stretch, 3. committee is starting to move away from the archaic, flawed RPI and more towards metrics like BPI, Kenpom, and Sagarin, which we are stronger in than the RPI.

You're being way pessimistic. 4-1 gives us two wins over Ohio State, two over Nebraska, one over Michigan, a close loss @ Michigan State. With that kind of resume there's an argument that we're the 3rd best team in the B1G after Purdue and MSU. The committee is not leaving us out.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

I think missing a player for four games and getting some credit for that by the Selection Committee is being way way way overstated here.

I suspect almost every team in the country will have games where a starter or key sub is HURT and misses games. Having a player miss games because of ACADEMICS, well, I’m not sure the same value is given (or should be given).

 

[cfbinsider]

Having a player miss games because of ACADEMICS, well, I’m not sure the same value is given (or should be given).

In light of all the academic problems the NCAA has had with schools like UNC, I would think holding a kid out for academics and not cheating our ass off to get him on the court would be looked at with kind eyes.

"Meh, that school requires kids to make the grade, screw them. Let's put another SEC team in."

The NCAA committee looks at more than just a team's resume, they look at the potential of a team to win multiple games in the tournament. With a full squad, we fit the bill.

 

[bison13]

Beyond all the previously mentioned things, PSU's biggest need to get in the NCAA isn't 4-1 or beating Purdue or whatever, its hoping that all of the 1 and 2 bid conferences have the best team win the conference tourney. I used the example of Rhode Island and the A-10 last time, they will get in if they dont win it, but no one else will get in if RI does win it. Thats a stolen bid if the Bonnies or someone beats them in their tourney. Same with a team like Temple in the American, they aren't in unless they win it. Those types of teams all need to lose.

 

[cfbinsider]

Thats a stolen bid if the Bonnies or someone beats them in their tourney.

Bonnies could easily get in without winning their tourney. If we get lucky, they lose a few down the stretch and Rhode Island rolls, but I'd be worried about 3 teams coming out of there. Davidson is the demon to worry about.

 

[78SweetRevenge]

In Bart Torvik's calculator, if we go 4-1 (not Purdue), and win one in the Big Ten tourney, his formula has us as the first team out.

I think it certainly gets us in because his formula doesn't factor 1. a hot finish, 2. missing best player for a 1-3 stretch, 3. committee is starting to move away from the archaic, flawed RPI and more towards metrics like BPI, Kenpom, and Sagarin, which we are stronger in than the RPI.

You're being way pessimistic. 4-1 gives us two wins over Ohio State, two over Nebraska, one over Michigan, a close loss @ Michigan State. With that kind of resume there's an argument that we're the 3rd best team in the B1G after Purdue and MSU. The committee is not leaving us out.

We're not even listed as a team on the bubble watch
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ks-likes-butler-bulldogs-alabama-crimson-tide
You guys are creating hope where it doesn't exist

 

[cfbinsider]

We're not even listed as a team on the bubble watch
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ks-likes-butler-bulldogs-alabama-crimson-tide
You guys are creating hope where it doesn't exist

Sorry, but you're absolutely wrong on this one. Any article leaving PSU out of the discussion is not credible. We're probably 8th-10th team on the outside right now, but we have the schedule left to make major ground up.

That shows how dopey that ESPN article is including Nebraska and leaving us out, they can't pick up any key results. We have a significantly better chance than they do to make the tourney because we can improve our resume significantly, they can't.

We still need to win the games obviously, but the door is open and we do not need to beat Purdue or win the B1G tourney to walk through it. If we drop it to Illinois or Ohio State, then Purdue and the tourney comes back in as a requirement obviously.

Here's a much better read on the bubble from Andy Katz: https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketbal...all-bubble-breakdown-whos-positioned-get-ncaa

Using Torvik's calculator, with a win over Illinois and Ohio State, we are the 5th team out with a 29% chance of an at-large. Factor in the Marquette loss, and we probably 4th out, with winnable games vs Michigan and at Nebraska left.

 

[bison13]

Bonnies are not a lock by any means, probably ahead of PSU at this point but probably have to beat RI in the reg season and get to A10 champ to get in. Temple is to me a big threat to steal one

 

[78SweetRevenge]

Sorry, but you're absolutely wrong on this one. Any article leaving PSU out of the discussion is not credible. We're probably 8th-10th team on the outside right now, but we have the schedule left to make major ground up.

That shows how dopey that ESPN article is including Nebraska and leaving us out, they can't pick up any key results. We have a significantly better chance than they do to make the tourney because we can improve our resume significantly, they can't.

We still need to win the games obviously, but the door is open and we do not need to beat Purdue or win the B1G tourney to walk through it. If we drop it to Illinois or Ohio State, then Purdue and the tourney comes back in as a requirement obviously.

Here's a much better read on the bubble from Andy Katz: https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketbal...all-bubble-breakdown-whos-positioned-get-ncaa

Using Torvik's calculator, with a win over Illinois and Ohio State, we are the 5th team out with a 29% chance of an at-large. Factor in the Marquette loss, and we probably 4th out, with winnable games vs Michigan and at Nebraska left.

So, they list us but basically indicates we may have to win out because of bad losses.

 

[cfbinsider]

So, they list us but basically indicates we may have to win out because of bad losses.

4-1 gets us in. Try not being a troll for one day.

 

[AWS1022]

4-1 gets us in. Try not being a troll for one day.

5-0 would too, but neither are very likely.

 

[cfbinsider]

5-0 would too, but neither are very likely.

No one said it was likely, but it's certainly possible. We'll be decent favorites (3-5 pts) @ Illinois, a 1-3 pt fav over both Michigan and Nebraska, and a 1-3 pt home dog vs Ohio State.

If we slip up in one of those, we'll probably have another chance to beat either Purdue or MSU in the Big Ten Tournament. It's not likely we make it, but we have a couple paths to play our way in. The team is good enough to do it.

If we come up short, we could make a deep run in the NIT (likely hosting at least 1 game, maybe 2). From where we were after that Northwestern loss, I'll take it.

 

[78SweetRevenge]

4-1 gets us in. Try not being a troll for one day.

I hope we go 4-1..I'd love to see what happens. I don't think we get in withoiut a Purdue run or, lacking that, a semifinal run in the B1G. No idea why you think I'm trolling. Even stating that indicates you know you don't have a good argument. 4-1 and a win against Purdue and we've got a great shot. I don't think 4-1 is realistic but that's JMO