Week 16 - Feb 16 to 22

[WBBTakeover]

I won't say they should make the tournament. But Mississippi State has wins over Kentucky and Georgia. They lost to Vandy by only 5 points. So, they may not be as bad as they looked today. They can have good moments when they aren't turning the ball over. Also, it is unfortunate for Texas' last 2 opponents, both of whom tried to play zone defense, that Texas decided to start shooting and making threes. The Longhorns hit 11 threes today, most of them before halftime.

I'm not singling you out here, but a lot of people place heavy emphasis on only one part of a team's resume (either the quality wins or NET) to advocate for a team's inclusion. The truth is that Mississippi State is 5-9 in the SEC (and cannot get to 0.500) and still has games left against TAMU (on the road) and LSU (at home). They could lose both games (to drop to 5-11), which would send them on a four-game losing streak at the end of the season. They've looked HORRIBLE in some of their losses. Yes, I know that the SEC is tough. But a 48-point loss to Oklahoma, a 43-point loss to South Carolina, AND a 50-point loss to Texas are not going to look good for the "competitive in losses" component. That doesn't even include the 8-point and 15-point home losses to 4-10 Missouri and 4-10 Florida.

TAMU has looked similar to them during the SEC season (multiple Q1 wins, several blowouts) and TAMU is not anywhere near the NCAA tournament bubble.

 

[triaddukefan]

And you got mad because I questioned your results with sports betting!


I see an opportunity here. Continue to share your thoughts and picks. Then we can all do the opposite and score big time. Til Vegas figures out what is going on and shuts you down.

If you could, possibly, do you think you, perhaps, might be able to post your betting choices before game time?

I've been saving up for a trip to Aruba, but this would be faster.

You beat me to it! 🤣

New idea to replace my "NWHoopfan can save the world" concept. @nwhoopfan and @triaddukefan collaborate and come up with a communication system for us BYers leverage on parlays. 😉

Lots of comedians on the Boneyard. February ain't been my month. Best believe that I'll be eating good and making vacation plans come March Madness. Thinking already of where to go... Hilton Head Island, Cincinnati, Nova Scotia....

 

[cancontent]

Lots of comedians on the Boneyard. February ain't been my month. Best believe that I'll be eating good and making vacation plans come March Madness. Thinking already of where to go... Hilton Head Island, Cincinnati, Nova Scotia....

Interesting mix of options. My Canadian bias would be to recommend Halifax, Nova Scotia. Great for the history, scenery and seafood.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Maryland is just sitting in the cut. 👀

 

[triaddukefan]

Does this mean you’ve finally put away the bag, for this season?

I was thinking....... I donned the bag late last February, and we won 9 straight games. So maybe history can repeat itself.

 

[Bjbod]

This is a homer post, but kinda surprised at the lack of mention of Iowa's victory over Michigan.
Rated #6, touted by many as a potential #1 seed, averaging 86.6 ppg this year.
Iowa holds them to 44 points?
It was an ugly game but how do you hold anyone to 44 points?
We're proud of the grit of this team that lost one of its leaders recently.

 

[ABCDFE]

If you could, possibly, do you think you, perhaps, might be able to post your betting choices before game time?

I've been saving up for a trip to Aruba, but this would be faster.

23 bets in a row and counting…I’d strive for something nicer: Maldives, The Seychelles, or if you must stay Atlantic side, St. Barts.

 

[cancontent]

This is a homer post, but kinda surprised at the lack of mention of Iowa's victory over Michigan.
Rated #6, touted by many as a potential #1 seed, averaging 86.6 ppg this year.
Iowa holds them to 44 points?
It was an ugly game but how do you hold anyone to 44 points?
We're proud of the grit of this team that lost one of its leaders recently.

Lack of mention? There were several posts earlier today about the game, including NWHoopfan admitting they need to reevaluate their assessment of Iowa based on their performance today. Heiden was mentioned a few times in posts as well.

 

[Bjbod]

Lack of mention? There were several posts earlier today about the game, including NWHoopfan admitting they need to reevaluate their assessment of Iowa based on their performance today. Heiden was mentioned a few times in posts as well.

My bad, I did see those. I got Boneyard mixed up with another website I thought I saw them on. Derp!

 

[cancontent]

My bad, I did see those. I got Boneyard mixed up with another website I thought I saw them on. Derp!

Phew! For a moment, I thought my playful teasing of NWHoopfan and their jinxing got overlooked. 😉

And kindly point me in the direction of this forum that has overlooked the Iowa-Michigan game. If they need a talking to, I'd be glad to bring some of my BIG10 chaos attitude to it. 😀

 

[Stagnant]

Not to take anything away from Iowa. But Michigan is a weird team imo. I think their offense occasionally goes missing. And they have looked really bad in some games (Oregon, Washington, and Iowa). They also to me seem to be a team that peaked in December. They have a good record in the big 10; but their level of play has dropped off slightly.

Syla hasn’t really taken the sophomore jump I would have been hoping for. More steals and less turnovers I guess? But I would like to see her shoot a higher percentage from the floor.

 

[cancontent]

Not to take anything away from Iowa. But Michigan is a weird team imo. I think their offense occasionally goes missing. And they have looked really bad in some games (Oregon, Washington, and Iowa). They also to me seem to be a team that peaked in December. They have a good record in the big 10; but their level of play has dropped off slightly.

Syla hasn’t really taken the sophomore jump I would have been hoping for. More steals and less turnovers I guess? But I would like to see her shoot a higher percentage from the floor.

Your post doesn't come across as it's taking anything away from Iowa. The statement about peaking in December caused me to raise an eyebrow however. The reason why I say this is looking at their schedule since January and prior to yesterday, their only losses were to Vanderbilt (ranked 5 at the time) and UCLA. Those losses were by 3 points as well. Not to mention, the toughest portion of their conference schedule has been the latter part of February with Ohio State and Maryland up next.

No argument about their offensive struggles as it can be hit and miss outside of Holloway, Swords and Olson. Their forward/post depth's ability to score in double digits consistently has been a challenge, as demonstrated yesterday. Their three players scored 13 points, while Iowa scored 39, with the bulk being Heiden's 24 points. They rely heavily on their big three which can be problematic.

With respect to a sophomore jump for Swords, it depends on what one was expecting to see this season. Last year I chafed at some posters thinking she was the next Caitlin Clark as I didn't see her game being the same as Clark's. Her stats compared to last season are around the same. Scoring has gone down minimally (less than two points), but her turnovers to date have dropped significantly (56 in 26 games compared to 93 in 33 games).

Could it be a matter that her playing commitments for Canada Basketball between 2024 and 2025 are catching up with her? Who knows? The wrap around her calf seems to get larger which is a tad concerning to me.