Friday, March 2, 2012
Buckeyes bounce Michigan, move onto semifinal round of B10 tournament
The Buckeyes will get to move on to the semifinal round of the 2012 Big Ten Women's basketball tournament as they defeated the Michigan Wolverines 57-48. Tayler Hill scored 15 of her 19 total points to help pace the Buckeyes to a victory. The Buckeyes were also bolstered by solid outings from senior Samantha Prahalis (11 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) and freshman Kalpana Beach (12 points, 7 rebounds). The Buckeyes will either take on #3 seed Iowa or #6 seed Nebraska tomorrow night at 5:00 pm.
Men's Hockey Update: The Playoffs Begin
Opponent: #18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Where: Compton Family Ice Arena; Notre Dame, Indiana – Friday and Saturday at 7:35 p.m., Sunday at 7:05 p.m. if necessary
Going into last weekend against the Miami Redhawks, the Ohio State Buckeyes had an opportunity to win home ice advantage with just one win across two games. They were unable to do so, losing both games by a combined score of 8-1. The Buckeyes have regressed as the season has gone on, and now they must go on the road to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. While this isn’t exactly the hottest opponent in the conference—they’ve lost six of their last seven—the fact that OSU must now go on the road exemplifies just how disappointing the second half of this season has been. Not along ago the Buckeyes were the number one team in the CCHA, the number two team in the nation, and they led the conference in most of the major statistical categories. In the entire year of 2012, they amassed just seven points: one win and four shootout losses.
This final series against Miami was particularly frustrating. While the Redhawks are hitting their stride at the right time and are looking like one of the more dangerous teams in the conference, the disparity between the two teams last weekend was frightening. While there were promising moments in each game, by and large they were pushed around by a more experienced, cohesive team. There’s little chance Buckeye fans watched those games and were reassured that this is a team that will make a lot of noise in the CCHA playoffs.
The second-half performance of goalie Cal Heeter has been particularly frustrating. He’s put together a few nice games, but he’s been far too inconsistent after one of the best starts in the country. His final game (on Senior Night!) against Miami was so lackluster that he was pulled after allowing five goals. The Buckeyes will still need to rely on him this weekend at Notre Dame, but he’s going to need to put this last weekend—and the second half of the season—behind him. If there’s good news for the Buckeyes, it’s that the regular season no longer matters. It’s now all about the Fighting Irish, and they just have to focus on one game at a time.
The other good news is that Notre Dame is actually a pretty favorable opponent. They also have been struggling in the second half of the season, and in postseason play the Buckeyes have not lost to the Irish; going 4-0. Two years ago, these teams met at the OSU Ice Rink, where the Buckeyes took care of business quite easily. Both of these teams have been struggling both defensively and offensively, so don’t expect the prettiest of series this weekend in South Bend.
Weekend prediction: Notre Dame takes it in three games, with the Buckeyes pulling one game out in a squeaker. Neither of these teams is significantly better than the other, but the home ice advantage eventually wins out.
Both the Friday and Saturday games can be heard on Scarlet and Gray Sports Radio at OhioStateSports.net. If necessary, the Sunday game will be streamed for free on UND.com or on the radio at 1460 AM Columbus.
Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Scenarios
Seventeen down, one more to go. It's hard to believe the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament is less than a week away. Everyone in the conference plays this weekend, then the seeds will be set and it's off to Indy where the top teams will look to improve their NCAA seedings, the bubble teams will look to make one more positive impression on the selection committee, and the basement dwellers will try to pull of the greatest Cinderella story that this tournament has ever seen.
Here is a run down of the current seedings:
1. Michigan State (13-4)
2. Michigan (12-5, 1-1 vs. MSU)
3. Ohio State (12-5, 0-1 vs. MSU)
4. Wisconsin (11-6)
5. Indiana (10-7, head-to-head w/ PUR)
6. Purdue (10-7)
7. Iowa (8-9)
8. Northwestern (7-10)
9. Illinois (6-11)
10. Minnesota (5-12)
11. Nebraska (4-13, 1-1 vs. IND & PUR)
12. Penn State (4-13, 1-3 vs. IND & PUR)
If you are curious about how the tiebreakers work, you can just click here or trust me the rest of the way. There are numerous two-way ties that are still possible as well as a couple of potential three-way ties. Let's rundown the possibilities and what it means for various Big Ten schools.
1. Michigan State will be the #1 seed even with a loss to Ohio State on Sunday. Even though that would mean splits with both Ohio State and Michigan, their two wins over Wisconsin will ensure they get the #1 seed in Indianapolis no matter what.
2. Because of their 1-0 record vs. Wisconsin, Michigan holds the tiebreaker over Ohio State at the moment. However, if Purdue beats Indiana and Wisconsin falls to Illinois, the Buckeyes get the tiebreaker. Both the Boilers and Badgers will haved finished tied at 11-7. OSU and UM would be 2-1 vs. 11-7 teams. The tiebreaker will go all the way down to Iowa and give the Buckeyes the tiebreaker because of Michigan's embarrassing 75-59 loss back on January 14 in Iowa City.
3. Ohio State cannot fall below Wisconsin nor a #3 seed because the Badgers' 59-41 loss to Michigan all the way back on January 8 in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes split their season series with the Wolverines. In turn, Michigan holds the tiebreaker over Wisconsin because of their lone meeting this season.
4. Wisconsin is locked in at the #4 seed. While they can't leapfrog Ohio State, they cannot be passed by either of the schools in Indiana because of their 1-0 records against both schools. On January 12, Wisconsin beat Purdue on the road, 67-62. Then two weeks later, they beat Indiana in Madison, 57-50.
5. If Ohio State and Michigan both lose and Wisconsin wins, there will be a three-way tie for 2nd in the Big Ten. In this scenario, Michigan (2-1) gets the #2 seed, despite a would-be loss to Penn State, Ohio State (2-2) gets the #3 seed, and Wisconsin (1-2), as mentioned before, gets the #4 seed.
6. Indiana and Purdue cannot tie each other in the standings because they play this weekend in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have an 81% chance of winning according to Ken Massey.
7. The winner of the Northwestern-Iowa game will get the #7 seed right behind the loser of the Purdue-Indiana game. Northwestern would hold the tiebreaker based on a season sweep of the Hawkeyes.
8. Despite splits with both Northwestern and Minnesota, Illinois holds the tiebreaker over both with their 1-0 record vs. Michigan State. This guarantees the Illini will play in the 8-9 game on Thursday in Indianapolis and would face Sparty again if they advance to the quarterfinals.
9. If Nebraska spoils Minnesota's senior day, they would hold the tiebreaker over the Gophers. While both teams hold wins over Indiana, Minnesota also holds a loss to the Hoosiers.
10. If Penn State adds to this mess by upsetting Michigan alongside a Huskers win in Minneapolis, then we have a three-way tie at the bottom of the Big Ten. In this case, head-to-head records prevail. Minnesota (2-1) would get the #10 seed, Nebraska (2-2) would get the #11 seed, and Penn State (1-2) would get the #12 seed.
11. Finally, if Nebraska and Penn State both lose as expected, there will be a two-way tie at the bottom of the Big Ten. In this case, the tiebreaker will be decided by the Purdue-Indiana game. If the favored Hoosiers win, Nebraska gets the #11 seed. If the Boilers pull off the upset, then Penn State gets the #11 seed.
Finally, if all the favorites win (this is the Big Ten, are you kidding me?), this is how the bracket will shake out:
Thu, Mar 1:
9-Illinois (6-12) vs. 8-Northwestern (7-11), 11:30AM, BTN
12-Penn State (4-14) vs. 5-Indiana (11-7), 1:55PM, BTN
10-Minnesota (6-12) vs. 7-Iowa (9-9), 5:30PM, ESPN2
11-Nebraska (4-14) vs. 6-Purdue (10-8), 7:55PM, ESPN2
Fri, Mar 2:
NW/ILL vs. 1-Michigan State (14-4), 12:00PM, ESPN
IND/PSU vs. 4-Wisconsin (12-6), 2:25PM, ESPN
IOWA/MINN vs. 2-Michigan (13-5), 6:00PM, BTN
PUR/NEB vs. 3-Ohio State (12-6), 8:25PM, BTN
Sat, Mar 3:
MSU/NW/ILL vs. WIS/IND/PSU, 1:40PM, CBS
MICH/IOWA/MINN vs. OSU/PUR/NEB, 4:05PM, CBS
Sun, Mar 4:
Big Ten Tournament Championship, 3:30PM, CBS
Here is a run down of the current seedings:
1. Michigan State (13-4)
2. Michigan (12-5, 1-1 vs. MSU)
3. Ohio State (12-5, 0-1 vs. MSU)
4. Wisconsin (11-6)
5. Indiana (10-7, head-to-head w/ PUR)
6. Purdue (10-7)
7. Iowa (8-9)
8. Northwestern (7-10)
9. Illinois (6-11)
10. Minnesota (5-12)
11. Nebraska (4-13, 1-1 vs. IND & PUR)
12. Penn State (4-13, 1-3 vs. IND & PUR)
If you are curious about how the tiebreakers work, you can just click here or trust me the rest of the way. There are numerous two-way ties that are still possible as well as a couple of potential three-way ties. Let's rundown the possibilities and what it means for various Big Ten schools.
1. Michigan State will be the #1 seed even with a loss to Ohio State on Sunday. Even though that would mean splits with both Ohio State and Michigan, their two wins over Wisconsin will ensure they get the #1 seed in Indianapolis no matter what.
2. Because of their 1-0 record vs. Wisconsin, Michigan holds the tiebreaker over Ohio State at the moment. However, if Purdue beats Indiana and Wisconsin falls to Illinois, the Buckeyes get the tiebreaker. Both the Boilers and Badgers will haved finished tied at 11-7. OSU and UM would be 2-1 vs. 11-7 teams. The tiebreaker will go all the way down to Iowa and give the Buckeyes the tiebreaker because of Michigan's embarrassing 75-59 loss back on January 14 in Iowa City.
3. Ohio State cannot fall below Wisconsin nor a #3 seed because the Badgers' 59-41 loss to Michigan all the way back on January 8 in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes split their season series with the Wolverines. In turn, Michigan holds the tiebreaker over Wisconsin because of their lone meeting this season.
4. Wisconsin is locked in at the #4 seed. While they can't leapfrog Ohio State, they cannot be passed by either of the schools in Indiana because of their 1-0 records against both schools. On January 12, Wisconsin beat Purdue on the road, 67-62. Then two weeks later, they beat Indiana in Madison, 57-50.
5. If Ohio State and Michigan both lose and Wisconsin wins, there will be a three-way tie for 2nd in the Big Ten. In this scenario, Michigan (2-1) gets the #2 seed, despite a would-be loss to Penn State, Ohio State (2-2) gets the #3 seed, and Wisconsin (1-2), as mentioned before, gets the #4 seed.
6. Indiana and Purdue cannot tie each other in the standings because they play this weekend in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have an 81% chance of winning according to Ken Massey.
7. The winner of the Northwestern-Iowa game will get the #7 seed right behind the loser of the Purdue-Indiana game. Northwestern would hold the tiebreaker based on a season sweep of the Hawkeyes.
8. Despite splits with both Northwestern and Minnesota, Illinois holds the tiebreaker over both with their 1-0 record vs. Michigan State. This guarantees the Illini will play in the 8-9 game on Thursday in Indianapolis and would face Sparty again if they advance to the quarterfinals.
9. If Nebraska spoils Minnesota's senior day, they would hold the tiebreaker over the Gophers. While both teams hold wins over Indiana, Minnesota also holds a loss to the Hoosiers.
10. If Penn State adds to this mess by upsetting Michigan alongside a Huskers win in Minneapolis, then we have a three-way tie at the bottom of the Big Ten. In this case, head-to-head records prevail. Minnesota (2-1) would get the #10 seed, Nebraska (2-2) would get the #11 seed, and Penn State (1-2) would get the #12 seed.
11. Finally, if Nebraska and Penn State both lose as expected, there will be a two-way tie at the bottom of the Big Ten. In this case, the tiebreaker will be decided by the Purdue-Indiana game. If the favored Hoosiers win, Nebraska gets the #11 seed. If the Boilers pull off the upset, then Penn State gets the #11 seed.
Finally, if all the favorites win (this is the Big Ten, are you kidding me?), this is how the bracket will shake out:
Thu, Mar 1:
9-Illinois (6-12) vs. 8-Northwestern (7-11), 11:30AM, BTN
12-Penn State (4-14) vs. 5-Indiana (11-7), 1:55PM, BTN
10-Minnesota (6-12) vs. 7-Iowa (9-9), 5:30PM, ESPN2
11-Nebraska (4-14) vs. 6-Purdue (10-8), 7:55PM, ESPN2
Fri, Mar 2:
NW/ILL vs. 1-Michigan State (14-4), 12:00PM, ESPN
IND/PSU vs. 4-Wisconsin (12-6), 2:25PM, ESPN
IOWA/MINN vs. 2-Michigan (13-5), 6:00PM, BTN
PUR/NEB vs. 3-Ohio State (12-6), 8:25PM, BTN
Sat, Mar 3:
MSU/NW/ILL vs. WIS/IND/PSU, 1:40PM, CBS
MICH/IOWA/MINN vs. OSU/PUR/NEB, 4:05PM, CBS
Sun, Mar 4:
Big Ten Tournament Championship, 3:30PM, CBS
Thursday, March 1, 2012
It's Michigan...
Our dear friends from That State Up North knocked off the Illinois Fighting Illini 68-53 today, setting up a showdown with Ohio State in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament Friday.
Michigan handed Ohio State its first loss of the season back on January 7, winning 73-62. The Buckeyes were unable to put the ball in the basket, shooting an uncharacteristic 37% from the field. Outside of Sammy Prahalis' 17 and Tayler Hill's 15 points, no other Buckeye reached double figures, a common theme in OSU's losses this season.
Michigan guard Courtney Boylan dominated Ohio State to the tune of 19 points and 6 boards, and if OSU is going to win the re-match, guard, and Big Ten defensive player of the year Amber Stokes has to lock down the Michigan point guard.
Whether it's football, basketball, crew, or gymnastics, Ohio State/Michigan promises to be an intense, hard fought battle between two teams that absolutely hate each other. Ohio State certainly didn't forget January 7, and here's to hoping they make Michigan's off-season a long, cold one.
The game tips off at 11:30 a.m., Friday, March 2.
Michigan handed Ohio State its first loss of the season back on January 7, winning 73-62. The Buckeyes were unable to put the ball in the basket, shooting an uncharacteristic 37% from the field. Outside of Sammy Prahalis' 17 and Tayler Hill's 15 points, no other Buckeye reached double figures, a common theme in OSU's losses this season.
Michigan guard Courtney Boylan dominated Ohio State to the tune of 19 points and 6 boards, and if OSU is going to win the re-match, guard, and Big Ten defensive player of the year Amber Stokes has to lock down the Michigan point guard.
Whether it's football, basketball, crew, or gymnastics, Ohio State/Michigan promises to be an intense, hard fought battle between two teams that absolutely hate each other. Ohio State certainly didn't forget January 7, and here's to hoping they make Michigan's off-season a long, cold one.
The game tips off at 11:30 a.m., Friday, March 2.
Ohio State to take on Michigan in friday quaterfinal game
Tomorrow's quarterfinal game will be a rematch between two traditional Big Ten rivals as the Michigan Wolverines get set to take on the Buckeyes. Michigan, who beat Illinois 68-53 to advance to the second round, won the only matchup of the regular season 73-62. The rematch will take place tomorrow morning at 11:30 AM.
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