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Another Day, Another Dollar
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The signs all over the United Center say this four-day basketball extravaganza is about the Big Ten Tournament, but that’s not completely true; at least not for Indiana’s Hoosiers.
Despite what its coach Mike Davis might say or think or how he postures in front of the Midwest’s media, Indiana has to beat Minnesota today to have any chance whatsoever of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. And it’s the NCAA tourney next week – not necessary the Big Ten’s this weekend – that is the primary objective for Indiana.
The Hoosiers bring a modest 15-12 record into their 2:30 p.m. game with the Gophers (20-9), but with it, they wear an aura of confidence that has taken most of this season to construct. After starting the season with two wins, then enduring six straight losses, IU has won 13 of its last 19 games, and is all but sending a lobbyist to the Indianapolis hotel where the NCAA Tournament selection committee will choose the at-large teams.
To hear Davis, one would think IU is already a mortal lock at getting into the tourney. But that is Davis.
“I think we’re done. I think we’re in,” Davis said. “If you look at our season, if you look at how we’re playing now, if you look at our schedule, I think we definitely should be in.”
Still, there is the matter of the Gophers, who enter with a four-game winning streak. And now that Illinois and its 29-game streak went down to Ohio State last Sunday, Minnesota’s four in a row is the longest string in the Big Ten.
On paper, Minnesota and its 20 wins appear to be on the NCAA committee’s radar, but a closer look reveals a schedule as padded as a hockey goaltender. Victories have come against Lipscomb, Furman, Holy Cross, Nebraska, Central Michigan, Chicago State, Saint Francis (Pa.), UNC Greensboro, Coppin State and Loyola Marymount. And only the wins over Furman and Nebraska came on the road.
Political correctness and a shred of appreciation had Davis praising Minnesota coach Dan Monson for the job he’s done. Truth be told, however, Davis would have trouble if the committee picked the Gophers based on 20 wins over IU, especially after the Hoosiers’ non-conference schedule that had them lose to North Carolina, at Connecticut, Kentucky in Louisville, at Missouri and Charlotte. And we won’t even delve further into the Charlotte can of worms with the controversial clock.
Davis still contends Indiana won that game, even through a half-court shot proved otherwise.
So IU isn’t just competing with Minnesota in today’s quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament. Indiana is also competing with the Gophers for what could be perceived as a possible fourth Big Ten team in the NCAA tourney. Champion Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin are three easy picks for the committee.
Even though Indiana and Minnesota tied for fourth place in the conference standings with 10-6 records, and that each held its home court against the other, the Hoosiers were awarded the No. 4 seed for the Big Ten tourney because they had a better combined record against the teams ahead of them in the standings.
If IU is a No. 4 seed, and if the NCAA tourney takes four Big Ten teams, then according to Davis, IU is the logical choice.
“We won 10 games, and we finished fourth in our league,” Davis said. “We finished fourth. If you’re going to take four teams in our league, the only way we don’t get in is you take three because we finished fourth. You got your top four, right? You wouldn’t take the sixth-place team over the fourth-place team in the conference. We finished fourth. I watch TV all the time, and they have us in the fifth slot, but we’re the fourth-place team.”
Monson, however, took the high road when informed of Davis’ own selection process.
“That’s not my job,” Monson said. “I know that we can control only that game, and we need to go in and play well and win, and hopefully the committee rewards us for that. If we don’t win, then hopefully the committee still feels that we’re worthy. I don’t want to pick between Indiana and Minnesota. I think they’re both good basketball teams. I think both of them are deserving, to go10-6 in the Big Ten. I’m not going to get into Indiana versus Minnesota. You can look at both basketball teams and say they’ve accomplished a tremendous amount this year.
“I expect Mike to be biased, because I know I am toward our team.”
“It’s not up to us (on whether IU is invited),” Indiana freshman Robert Vaden said.
“We just need to play hard and try to win every game. We’ll let the NCAA selection committee decide, but we just want to go out and win games, and the Big Ten Tournament is a great chance for us.”
<HR class=infobox-hr-separator color=#cccccc SIZE=1>Indiana vs. Minnesota
Records: Indiana 15-12, Minnesota 20-9
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Site: United Center, Chicago (23,509)
TV: ESPN
Radio: 1190 AM
<HR class=infobox-hr-separator color=#cccccc SIZE=1>Three pointers
•Indiana is 7-7 in the Big Ten Tournament. Minnesota is 2-5. Neither has won the tourney. This will be their first meeting in the Big Ten tourney.
•Minnesota has stayed with the starting five for most of the season. Only three other players – Rico Tucker, J’son Stamper and Spencer Tollackson – have started.
•The only non-conference common opponent was Furman. Minnesota won 84-69 in the Great Alaska Shootout, and Indiana won 68-52 in Assembly Hall.
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The signs all over the United Center say this four-day basketball extravaganza is about the Big Ten Tournament, but that’s not completely true; at least not for Indiana’s Hoosiers.
Despite what its coach Mike Davis might say or think or how he postures in front of the Midwest’s media, Indiana has to beat Minnesota today to have any chance whatsoever of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. And it’s the NCAA tourney next week – not necessary the Big Ten’s this weekend – that is the primary objective for Indiana.
The Hoosiers bring a modest 15-12 record into their 2:30 p.m. game with the Gophers (20-9), but with it, they wear an aura of confidence that has taken most of this season to construct. After starting the season with two wins, then enduring six straight losses, IU has won 13 of its last 19 games, and is all but sending a lobbyist to the Indianapolis hotel where the NCAA Tournament selection committee will choose the at-large teams.
To hear Davis, one would think IU is already a mortal lock at getting into the tourney. But that is Davis.
“I think we’re done. I think we’re in,” Davis said. “If you look at our season, if you look at how we’re playing now, if you look at our schedule, I think we definitely should be in.”
Still, there is the matter of the Gophers, who enter with a four-game winning streak. And now that Illinois and its 29-game streak went down to Ohio State last Sunday, Minnesota’s four in a row is the longest string in the Big Ten.
On paper, Minnesota and its 20 wins appear to be on the NCAA committee’s radar, but a closer look reveals a schedule as padded as a hockey goaltender. Victories have come against Lipscomb, Furman, Holy Cross, Nebraska, Central Michigan, Chicago State, Saint Francis (Pa.), UNC Greensboro, Coppin State and Loyola Marymount. And only the wins over Furman and Nebraska came on the road.
Political correctness and a shred of appreciation had Davis praising Minnesota coach Dan Monson for the job he’s done. Truth be told, however, Davis would have trouble if the committee picked the Gophers based on 20 wins over IU, especially after the Hoosiers’ non-conference schedule that had them lose to North Carolina, at Connecticut, Kentucky in Louisville, at Missouri and Charlotte. And we won’t even delve further into the Charlotte can of worms with the controversial clock.
Davis still contends Indiana won that game, even through a half-court shot proved otherwise.
So IU isn’t just competing with Minnesota in today’s quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament. Indiana is also competing with the Gophers for what could be perceived as a possible fourth Big Ten team in the NCAA tourney. Champion Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin are three easy picks for the committee.
Even though Indiana and Minnesota tied for fourth place in the conference standings with 10-6 records, and that each held its home court against the other, the Hoosiers were awarded the No. 4 seed for the Big Ten tourney because they had a better combined record against the teams ahead of them in the standings.
If IU is a No. 4 seed, and if the NCAA tourney takes four Big Ten teams, then according to Davis, IU is the logical choice.
“We won 10 games, and we finished fourth in our league,” Davis said. “We finished fourth. If you’re going to take four teams in our league, the only way we don’t get in is you take three because we finished fourth. You got your top four, right? You wouldn’t take the sixth-place team over the fourth-place team in the conference. We finished fourth. I watch TV all the time, and they have us in the fifth slot, but we’re the fourth-place team.”
Monson, however, took the high road when informed of Davis’ own selection process.
“That’s not my job,” Monson said. “I know that we can control only that game, and we need to go in and play well and win, and hopefully the committee rewards us for that. If we don’t win, then hopefully the committee still feels that we’re worthy. I don’t want to pick between Indiana and Minnesota. I think they’re both good basketball teams. I think both of them are deserving, to go10-6 in the Big Ten. I’m not going to get into Indiana versus Minnesota. You can look at both basketball teams and say they’ve accomplished a tremendous amount this year.
“I expect Mike to be biased, because I know I am toward our team.”
“It’s not up to us (on whether IU is invited),” Indiana freshman Robert Vaden said.
“We just need to play hard and try to win every game. We’ll let the NCAA selection committee decide, but we just want to go out and win games, and the Big Ten Tournament is a great chance for us.”
<HR class=infobox-hr-separator color=#cccccc SIZE=1>Indiana vs. Minnesota
Records: Indiana 15-12, Minnesota 20-9
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Site: United Center, Chicago (23,509)
TV: ESPN
Radio: 1190 AM
<HR class=infobox-hr-separator color=#cccccc SIZE=1>Three pointers
•Indiana is 7-7 in the Big Ten Tournament. Minnesota is 2-5. Neither has won the tourney. This will be their first meeting in the Big Ten tourney.
•Minnesota has stayed with the starting five for most of the season. Only three other players – Rico Tucker, J’son Stamper and Spencer Tollackson – have started.
•The only non-conference common opponent was Furman. Minnesota won 84-69 in the Great Alaska Shootout, and Indiana won 68-52 in Assembly Hall.
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