BIG TEN Regular Season

[LwrcasefaN]

As an Illinois alum I am, of course, happy to see that the Illini are no longer a
conference doormat. However, after watching their game last night against a
not very good Northwestern team I suspect that by the end of the season
Illinois will end up somewhere in the middle with the Purdues and Michigan
States of the conference.

Winning ugly is the new thing. Take it and run.

 

[ISUnorth]

Iowa demolishing Penn State by 35 to 40 in the 2nd half. 83-45 end of 3rd.

12,000 in attendance for Hawks, legit "cheeks-in-the-seats" numbers to me as the place looks full. Really impressive for play versus a non-ranked foe with an 11:00 a.m. tip-off. Plus students are still on break.

We Cyclones like to diss on the Hawks MBB attendance but I have to give a tip of the hat to Hawk WBB fans, they've really been turning out the last few years. Not all Clark, their attendance was good before that to, just REALLY good right now.

 

[Centerstream]

Another Palindrome score, this in the B1G, Ohio State over Nebraska 76-67.

 

[JellyBean]

Michigan looked great against Michigan State.

Iowa looked pretty good in their destruction of Penn State.

Ohio State continues to look unbeatable. Another impressive win today. Nebraska got close, I think 6-7 points and Ohio State just kicked the afterburners on and never looked back.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Michigan looked great against Michigan State.

Iowa looked pretty good in their destruction of Penn State.

Ohio State continues to look unbeatable. Another impressive win today. Nebraska got close, I think 6-7 points and Ohio State just kicked the afterburners on and never looked back.

Their center had a monster game today. I didn't expect that.

 

[GoChips20]

Their center had a monster game today. I didn't expect that.

Her game is so unorthodox. Potentially the most unique 5-player in the nation. She’s not a strong defender but she can make a lot of different shots and is unpredictable offensively which makes her hard to guard.

It would take a hero’s job to pry COY out of Shauna Green’s hands after the incredible turnaround she’s led at Illinois but at this point I just don’t see how it can go to anyone but McGuff. Taking a 29-6 team last year to 17-0 despite losing their best player in Sheldon for all but 5 games. They won’t stay undefeated forever but right now they lead the nation in Q1 wins.

 

[cancontent]

Their center had a monster game today. I didn't expect that.

Which centre? OSU's? She's much improved from last season. That shouldn't be surprising from what I've seen.

 

[JellyBean]

Their center had a monster game today. I didn't expect that.

Yeah. Rebeka Mikulasikova (Ohio State) was a beast in this game. Like folks always say, be ready. Never know when your number is going to be called. She took what the defense was allowing her to do. Rebeka played well last year and I think that this year, she has taken her game to another level.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Caitlin Clark should have been ejected last night for hitting an MSU player in the mouth...intentionally. She did get a T. And why does she get to push off to clear space? Reminds me of Chelsea Dungee.

 

[cancontent]

Caitlin Clark should have been ejected last night for hitting an MSU player in the mouth...intentionally. She did get a T. And why does she get to push off to clear space? Reminds me of Chelsea Dungee.

No idea. People wonder why it seems certain players get away with things.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

No idea. People wonder why it seems certain players get away with things.

I get using the off arm for balance, but even in the game last night...she pushed defenders to the floor. And not just Clark, but the flopping thing is getting old. Czinano ( a post) went 11 for 11 and shot one FT, and Clark shot 14 or some ridiculous number.

 

[JellyBean]

I was surprised that Caitlin Clark did not get ejected for that hit.

 

[cancontent]

I get using the off arm for balance, but even in the game last night...she pushed defenders to the floor. And not just Clark, but the flopping thing is getting old. Czinano ( a post) went 11 for 11 and shot one FT, and Clark shot 14 or some ridiculous number.

It seems like that arm push off is being allowed more nowadays and it's not just Clark. I've noticed the same with Brown at Michigan in some games. Guards are getting more leeway in my opinion. The onus is being put on the defender but I can understand the frustration, especially when the defender does a good job at moving their feet and staying with their man.

 

[azfan]

Caitlin Clark should have been ejected last night for hitting an MSU player in the mouth...intentionally. She did get a T. And why does she get to push off to clear space? Reminds me of Chelsea Dungee.

If the Spartans had managed to make a play with 5 seconds left it would have also cost over the game. I was rather surprised at Clark's lack of composure near the end of the OT.

 

[baggerbob]

It seems like that arm push off is being allowed more nowadays and it's not just Clark. I've noticed the same with Brown at Michigan in some games. Guards are getting more leeway in my opinion. The onus is being put on the defender but I can understand the frustration, especially when the defender does a good job at moving their feet and staying with their man.

Plum does that in the WNBA, and isn't the only one, it seems to be a natural move in basketball now.

 

[cancontent]

I was surprised that Caitlin Clark did not get ejected for that hit.

If you've read the Iowa board, fans have a very different interpretation which has me laughing.

 

[cancontent]

If the Spartans had managed to make a play with 5 seconds left it would have also cost over the game. I was rather surprised at Clark's lack of composure near the end of the OT.

Spartans definitely had their chances to win. Some of their decisions at the end were head scratchers.

 

[Iowa57]

If you've read the Iowa board, fans have a very different interpretation which has me laughing.

I'm an Iowa fan, so apply all the skepticism you want, but my interpretation was that Clark meant to move her arm out, but didn't mean to make contact with anyone. You can see the surprise on her face right after she makes contact.

Maybe I'm just overly clumsy, but I've had a few situations in life where I extend my arms to stretch and hit someone because I didn't realize they were nearby. I immediately turn in horror, which is what it looks like Clark did. I don't think Clark was stretching, but the horror reaction seemed similar.

FWIW I've seen some fans on Iowa boards claim an MSU player hit Clark's arm first and that's what led to the contact. I don't buy that argument. If that were true, I think Clark and Bluder would've mentioned it post-game.

 

[azfan]

If you've read the Iowa board, fans have a very different interpretation which has me laughing.

Wouldn't expect anything different. I don't have a dog in this fight and to my way of thinking both Iowa and Clark were very fortunate to escape with a win. As pointed out Spartans head scratcher on the play after the free throws. But then again Clark's behavior to draw the flagrant or intentional or whatever it's called is a double head scratcher.

 

[cancontent]

I'm an Iowa fan, so apply all the skepticism you want, but my interpretation was that Clark meant to move her arm out, but didn't mean to make contact with anyone. You can see the surprise on her face right after she makes contact.

Maybe I'm just overly clumsy, but I've had a few situations in life where I extend my arms to stretch and hit someone because I didn't realize they were nearby. I immediately turn in horror, which is what it looks like Clark did. I don't think Clark was stretching, but the horror reaction seemed similar.

FWIW I've seen some fans on Iowa boards claim an MSU player hit Clark's arm first and that's what led to the contact. I don't buy that argument. If that were true, I think Clark and Bluder would've mentioned it post-game.

I get your perspective however how the Iowa board is dissecting it is still funny to me.

The call is consistent with other reviews I've seen throughout the season in other games. The was contact above the shoulder/neck area, which is considered more than required. Intentional or not the call had to be made. Fans have argued in other games (e.g. Boston in the UCLA game) that there was no way the player could avoid it but it still was called.

For the analysis that MSU players tried to instigate, we'll never know for sure. The clips posted don't show anything clearly to prove either way.

Not to mention the announcers noted that MSU had a plan to foul someone and told the refs. Had Clark not raised her elbow, this all would have been moot because Iowa would have been shooting. And some Iowa fans noted that Clark has a challenge maintaining composure, so it's all a matter of perception.

 

[Iowa57]

I get your perspective however how the Iowa board is dissecting it is still funny to me.

The call is consistent with other reviews I've seen throughout the season in other games. The was contact above the shoulder/neck area, which is considered more than required. Intentional or not the call had to be made. Fans have argued in other games (e.g. Boston in the UCLA game) that there was no way the player could avoid it but it still was called.

For the analysis that MSU players tried to instigate, we'll never know for sure. The clips posted don't show anything clearly to prove either way.

Not to mention the announcers noted that MSU had a plan to foul someone and told the refs. Had Clark not raised her elbow, this all would have been moot because Iowa would have been shooting. And some Iowa fans noted that Clark has a challenge maintaining composure, so it's all a matter of perception.

Yeah I'm not debating whether the call itself was right or wrong. More so trying to defend Clark's honor I guess. I'm seeing a lot of insinuation that she hit the MSU player intentionally, and I just really don't think that she did.

Clark certainly gets mad at herself a lot. She got a T recently for yelling "Damn it" after missing a shot. She argues with officials more than she should.

All that said, Clark hasn't ever tried to hit another player before to my knowledge. That would go beyond what she's ever done. And the situation itself would be a strange time to lose composure. They just came out of a timeout. The teams had only been setting up for the inbounds for a few seconds.

 

[dabears17]

Caitlin Clark should have been ejected last night for hitting an MSU player in the mouth...intentionally. She did get a T. And why does she get to push off to clear space? Reminds me of Chelsea Dungee.

Intentional happens at about 33 mark of this video, slow motion closeup at about 42 second mark.

 

[cancontent]

Yeah I'm not debating whether the call itself was right or wrong. More so trying to defend Clark's honor I guess. I'm seeing a lot of insinuation that she hit the MSU player intentionally, and I just really don't think that she did.

Clark certainly gets mad at herself a lot. She got a T recently for yelling "Damn it" after missing a shot. She argues with officials more than she should.

All that said, Clark hasn't ever tried to hit another player before to my knowledge. That would go beyond what she's ever done. And the situation itself would be a strange time to lose composure. They just came out of a timeout. The teams had only been setting up for the inbounds for a few seconds.

Similar to how Iowa fans are seeing it, others will have their own perspective. It is what it is.

Like I said before the referees made the right call. If memory is correct, it's called an intentional because of a technicality. The rule description includes unnecessary action (I could have the term wrong) that can be called an intentional foul. It only falls into that category for that reason.

This is why I find it funny. It's being taken too literally when it only was called this way because of how it's classified. Timing or not, it happened and it had to be called. On top of that she wasn't ejected, so the refs obviously didn't see it as malicious.

And we've all seen head scratching things happen in all sports with bizarre calls and endings happen. This is just another one of them.

 

[JellyBean]

If you've read the Iowa board, fans have a very different interpretation which has me laughing.

I have not but I am intrigued now.

 

[cancontent]

I have not but I am intrigued now.

Just found how it's being analyzed to be a bit over the top. Fans of all sports do it but for some reason, this one caught my attention. Reminds me of something during the NFL season, where Patriots fans and some media were using the SkyCam wires as a reason why their QB threw an interception.

It's hard to see what some are claiming to have happened (e.g. the MSU player causing it, player acting, etc.) based on the footage. Thought the announcers did a decent job explaining what the refs were looking for, nor did they make it sound like Clark did anything intentional.

It's not as bad as they are making it seem and like I said, the term intentional is being taken too literally. There's no need for the multiple theories being bandied about. Clark's honour doesn't need to be defended.