Wednesday's Bubblicious Watch

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SelectionSunday

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Wow, somehow it's come down to this. The Gophers are pretty much one loss away from completely playing themselves out of the NCAA Tournament, barring another Big Ten Tournament miracle circa 2010. Not what we envisioned after such a promising start to the season in Puerto Rico, is it? But as they say, it is what it is. It's the hand we're dealt, so let's play it out.

Today I'll start the Bubblicious Watch, but please note if the Gophers lose to Michigan on Saturday, it will cease to exist. It's not worth our time to continue it if the Gophers are incapable of winning even one game when their season is truly on the line. As Howeda so eloquently put it in another thread, the Gophers are down to their last (regular season) bullet. Let's hope somehow they find a way to go down with their guns blazing.

Wisconsin @ Michigan, 5:30 p.m. -- Beat Bucky and Big Blue is sitting pretty.
Miami (Florida) @ Boston College, 6 p.m. -- Eagles simply just need to win a couple more.
VCU @ Drexel, 6 p.m. -- Another top-100 opportunity for invigorated Rams.
Auburn @ Alabama, 7 p.m. -- Tide can afford no chokes down the stretch.
Creighton @ Wichita State, 7:05 p.m. -- Shockers as weak as they come on the weakest of bubbles.
Baylor @ Mizzou, 8 p.m. -- Like Gophers, Bears are on life support.
Colorado State @ BYU, 8 p.m. -- Tim Miles' chance for tourney-clinching signature win, and the Jimmer is questionable.
K-State @ Nebraska, 8 p.m. -- Huskers poised to be beneficiaries of weak bubble.
 

Who do we want to win the K-State/Nebraska game. K-State I guess?
 

K-State, definitely. They're pretty solidly in after beating Kansas. If Nebraska wins tonight, they're a serious player for a bid. Their remaining schedule is manageable. ... of course, we all know how that's working out for the Gophers.
 

It times like these you have to remember why you like college basketball in the first place. While a successful Gophers team is icing on that cake, them losing won't take away my enjoyment of the sport.
 

So true, Blizzard. Last night was one of those games where afterwards I had trouble getting to sleep, wasn't able to wind down, but low & behold the sun came up this morning. Amazing how that works every time.

But with the Gophers' freefall, reality is sinking in and I've started to think about which team(s) I'm going to "adopt" in the NCAA tourney in the Gophers' absence. I'm thinkin' I'd like to see Jimmer & BYU go on a tourney run, then there's always my brother's favorite squad (Maine) if they can win the America East tourney as the #3 seed. Also St. John's. ... I'd love to see Lavin keep it going.
 


Sadly

Sadly I have come to the conclusion that 6-12 is as likely as 9-9.

When I ask myself who can the Gophers beat, all I can come up with is Iowa. :(

Oh well, it ain't over 'til it's over!
 

I've sort of gone into Big Ten Tournament mode. That's an area no one can argue that Tubby has had a huge amount of success in comparison to his predecessors. That's giving me a glimmer of hope, so long as we stay out of Ohio State's side of the bracket. My philosophy has always been get to the semis and then you have a sniff of the automatic bid, no matter what your seed is.

We've won 6 games in the BTT under Tubby in 3 years (he's 6-3), with no one-and-dones, an appearance in the semis, and one in the finals. In the previous 10 years, the Gophers won a total of 6 BTT games with 5 one-and-dones and only 2 semifinal appearances ('98 and '05). The pessimist in me says we're due to flame out, but maybe Tubby can work a little more BTT magic, especially if we can find a way to right the ship a little bit and win 2 of these final 3 games.
 

SelectionSunday said:
I've sort of gone into Big Ten Tournament mode. That's an area no one can argue that Tubby has had a huge amount of success in comparison to his predecessors. That's giving me a glimmer of hope, so long as we stay out of Ohio State's side of the bracket. My philosophy has always been get to the semis and then you have a sniff of the automatic bid, no matter what your seed is.

We've won 6 games in the BTT under Tubby in 3 years (he's 6-3), with no one-and-dones, an appearance in the semis, and one in the finals. In the previous 10 years, the Gophers won a total of 6 BTT games with 5 one-and-dones and only 2 semifinal appearances ('98 and '05). The pessimist in me says we're due to flame out, but maybe Tubby can work a little more BTT magic, especially if we can find a way to right the ship a little bit and win 2 of these final 3 games.
Click to expand...

Our depth gives me great concern about relying on a run in the BTT. Hopefully we'll just treat these next four games we'll play as BTT games and win them all.
 

SelectionSunday said:
I've sort of gone into Big Ten Tournament mode. That's an area no one can argue that Tubby has had a huge amount of success in comparison to his predecessors. That's giving me a glimmer of hope, so long as we stay out of Ohio State's side of the bracket. My philosophy has always been get to the semis and then you have a sniff of the automatic bid, no matter what your seed is.

We've won 6 games in the BTT under Tubby in 3 years (he's 6-3), with no one-and-dones, an appearance in the semis, and one in the finals. In the previous 10 years, the Gophers won a total of 6 BTT games with 5 one-and-dones and only 2 semifinal appearances ('98 and '05). The pessimist in me says we're due to flame out, but maybe Tubby can work a little more BTT magic, especially if we can find a way to right the ship a little bit and win 2 of these final 3 games.
Click to expand...

At 8-10 I think we can get in if we reach the BTT Final and lose, and possibly even if we reach the semi-finals. Even though the NCAA preaches about how they have 'alternate brackets' I think they hate actually having to do this, and if a team in the Big Ten final has even a remotely acceptable at-large resume, they put them in since it is the last game. In essense, I think we need 4 more wins to get in, period. Though one regular season and 3 BTT probably won't do it.
 



Bubblicious update

Badgers 53, Michigan 52 (good)
Miami 73, Boston College 64 (good)
Drexel 64, VCU 60 (good)
Alabama 51, Auburn 49 (bad)
Wichita State 67, Creighton 65 (bad)
Mizzou 77, Baylor 59 (good)
BYU 84, Colorado State 76 (good)
K-State 61, Nebraska 57 (good)

For good measure, North Carolina, Akron and Wofford all win tonight and stay near the top of their respective leagues.
 

If Nolen comes back and the gophers make the btt semis and the other leagues go like I think they will. 8-10 gets the gophers in the tourney.
 


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