B1G Tournament Brackert (through Feb. 6): Gophers up to #8

[SelectionSunday]

B1G Tournament Bracket (through Feb. 6): Gophers up to #8

Gophers improve from the #11 seed to the #8 with their Saturday win over Illinois. For now have escaped Weakling Wednesday. That's goal #1, avoid that.

The latest bracket and pairings (all times CT):

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools...pdf/2016-17/misc_non_event/2017bttbracket.pdf

Wednesday, March 8 (Weakling Wednesday)
#12 Nebraska (4-7) vs. #13 Illinois (3-8), 3:30 (ESPN2)
#11 Penn State (4-7) vs. #14 Rutgers (2-9), 6 (BTN)

Thursday, March 9 (Second Round)
#8 GOPHERS (4-6) vs. #9 Michigan (4-6), 11 (BTN)
#5 Michigan State (6-4) vs. Nebraska/Illinois winner, 1:30 (BTN)
#7 Indiana (5-6) vs. #10 Ohio State (4-7), 5:30 (ESPN2)
#6 Iowa (6-5) vs. Penn State/Rutgers winner, 8 (ESPN2)

Friday, March 10 (Quarterfinals)
#1 Wisconsin (9-1) vs. GOPHERS/Michigan winner, 11 (ESPN)
#4 Northwestern (7-3) vs. Michigan State/Nebraska/Illinois winner, 1:30 (ESPN)
#2 Maryland (8-2) vs. Indiana/Ohio State winner, 5:30 (BTN)
#3 Purdue (8-3) vs. Iowa/Penn State/Rutgers winner, 8 (BTN)

 

[Dano564]

Avoiding Wednesday is a good idea.

 

[Otis]

I'd like to see us get in the 7-5 range.

 

[upnorthkid]

Avoiding Wednesday is a good idea.

Seconded. Not going to pick up a helpful win there and a loss could look really not great for selection sunday

 

[Holy Man]

Seconded. Not going to pick up a helpful win there and a loss could look really not great for selection sunday

If we are on weakling Wednesday, I think we are out of the tournament save winning it all. Maybe not with the parity in the conference, but Wednesday probably means six wins in the regular season, and we're toast with that.

 

[Otis]

If we are on weakling Wednesday, I think we are out of the tournament save winning it all. Maybe not with the parity in the conference, but Wednesday probably means six wins in the regular season, and we're toast with that.

We better have 6 wins by next Monday if we want to make the tournament.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Margin for error is small

We better have 6 wins by next Monday if we want to make the tournament.

Bingo.

Right now the Gophers have a teency weency margin for error. That margin for error evaporates with a loss to either Iowa or Rutgers. Go 1-1 this week means they couldn't lose any more games where they'd likely be favored (Indiana, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska), and likely needing to steal one in College Park or Madison just to feel "absolutely 100% safe" heading to Washington, D.C.

 

[Otis]

Bingo.

Right now the Gophers have a teency weency margin for error. That margin for error evaporates with a loss to either Iowa or Rutgers. Go 1-1 this week means they couldn't lose any more games where they'd likely be favored (Indiana, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska), and likely needing to steal one in College Park or Madison just to feel "absolutely 100% safe" heading to Washington, D.C.

I see Iowa, @Rutgers, Penn State and Nebraska as must win games. Any one of them has got to be considered a bad loss.

that gives us 8 wins so we need to at least split between Indiana and Michigan. Win both and we are in.

Win at College Park or in Mad-town would erase a loss to the first four.