throwback

Crazy turnaround - Wisconsin scores 1.83 pts per minute for the first 30 minutes ... then scores 0.8 ppm the last 10 - less than half the first 30 min NU scores 1.47 ppm for the first 30 minutes ... then scores 3.0 ppm the last 10 - more than double the first 30 min You just never see those kinds of turnarounds over such long time spans. NU has had some crazy finishes under Miles - the huge comeback from down 13 in the final 7 minutes at Maryland last year, the comeback from 16 down at half vs Iowa his first year when he didn't sub in the 2nd half, and blowing open the NW game in the final 7 minutes this season. Also the comeback at PSU this season to get to OT. But I don't remember flipping a double-digit deficit to a double-digit win in the final 10 minutes before and on the road, no less. NU has probably done it at some point, but certainly not with so much on the line ... and playing a 4th game in 8 days on 4 different courts. Amazing effort that shows how special this team is.

I thought I saw him playing pick-up ball on the 8-foot rims at the Y last week - had many beautiful lay-ups.

With what Brando makes, I think he could spring for the upper cable tier package. Plus with our FS1 record dating back to football season, I'll take BTN broadcasts.

NU 62 Wisky 59 3

ESPN is prepping a report on sexual assaults and violence against women throughout Mich St athletic program, including football and men's hoops. Nothing new, but being revisited in wake of Nasser crimes. Athletic Director resigned today at MSU. This story could end up being big trouble for a couple of long-time coaches there. http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/22214566/pattern-denial-inaction-information-suppression-michigan-state-goes-larry-nassar-case-espn

NU 73 UI 66

Road to 20 regular season wins - UPDATED 5 Must Wins Wisconsin - WIN Illinois - WIN Iowa Rutgers Indiana Split These 6 at Rutgers - WIN at Wisconsin at Minnesota at Illinois Penn St Maryland Just Get 1 at Penn St at Ohio St Michigan - WIN Still right on track - time to cause a few Fran-con-5 level meltdowns Saturday

Think about this: Rutgers misses a dunk in the first half - ends up getting a 3-pt play on the possession Rutgers misses a dunk in the second half - ends up throwing in a long 2 at the shot clock buzzer on the possession We get a huge break when officials overturn a call at the last media time out to allow us to maintain possession - then we proceed to throw the ball away on the in-bounds pass and give up a layup That's 7 utterly fluky pts by Rutgers where it looked like we had received 3 big breaks. In past years we lose that game 100 times out of 100 with fluky breaks like that going against us, especially 7 pts worth. Our defensive play right now is unreal, especially the complete reversal we've had in our 3-pt defense vs last season. And it's only gotten better in league play. Nothing is coming easy against us. Keep playing that kind of D down the stretch, and we will be very happy with how this season ends.

It doesn't hurt to have Andy Katz telling everyone that we are an NCAA team. Good to have that idea placed out there regularly and in the heads of the committee.

NU 57 RU 46

Actually, as much as they hate Michigan, they may just chant "Wag-ner" during every game left on their schedule.

It's good to have a little fear - that means we're playing for something big.

NU 77 Bucknuts 76

This is spot on - NCAA isn't leaving out a 12-6 Big Ten team, although we probably couldn't afford a loss to a #12 or #13 seed in Big Ten tournament. 11-7 will be tough without a win over a higher seed in the Big Ten tourney. 20 total wins in the regular season gives us a shot going into the Big Ten Tourney, but 21 in the regular season would make me feel a lot more comfortable.

Road to 20 regular season wins - UPDATED 5 Must Wins Wisconsin - WIN Illinois - WIN Iowa Rutgers Indiana Split These 6 at Rutgers at Wisconsin at Minnesota at Illinois Penn St Maryland Just Get 1 at Penn St at Ohio St Michigan - WIN Still right on track - a win Monday would be huge obviously -- would almost be like a 'bonus' win -- but then 3 big road games (Rutg, Minn, Wis) that could set things up for a fun finish. Really nasty part of the schedule coming up with so many games in a short time frame. (Oh and don't lose to Iowa in the middle of that stretch. For the love of God, don't lose to Iowa.)

Watching the replay on the final shot, one official near the NU bench signaled a 3 on the attempt, but the ref closest to it signaled a 2 on the attempt, so that's where the confusion came in. No one overturned anything, they just disagreed. Ref closest to it probably was screened, there were a lot of bodies in there. I think the guy who signaled the 3 saw it so clearly, he was surprised there was any question, as he started to run off the floor after the final IU shot before coming back. I'm a little surprised they didn't stop the game to check the clock, determine if it was a 3/2, etc, before Illinois inbounded it. That certainly helped us, as Illinois had no timeouts left to draw something up. Not that they would've had a great chance to score, but looking at the replay, they probably could've put .5 or .6 on the clock had they reviewed it, enough time for a catch and shot. That game represented everything maddening and exhilarating about the game of college basketball from start to finish. Huge game Thursday. If we want to be an NCAA type team, this is a game we have to win at home. Biggest conference home game since 2014 Wisconsin. Time for everyone involved to bring their A game. I'm going to start yelling "Power" now so I'm ready for Thursday's pre-game. (Hopefully the students can bring the "Husker".)

NU 65 Mich 61

Absolutely someone is giving him terrible advice. If he was that unhappy, he should've known it by the end of 1st semester, requested his release then, and had 3 weeks to find a new school. Then he is eligible again 2018-19 2nd semester. Instead, he waits till starting classes and playing a game in 2nd semester before realizing he's so unhappy he needs to transfer. So now he's not eligible until 2019-20 1st semester. It makes no sense. Whoever is helping advise him thru this should've told him to stick it out once he started classes, or he should've pulled the trigger before 2nd semester started. Obviously, the person advising him gave him terrible advice here on the timing of it. So you have to question the advice he's getting on transferring in the first place as well. Now some school is going to have to commit to 7 semesters of scholarship money for him to get 4 semesters of playing time. That will turn some schools off and limit his options. He may end up having to finish out the semester at NU academically or going somewhere else for classes on his own dime for 1 semester. The timing of this not only is bad for NU, but it's especially bad for him. Jordy isn't blameless in this, but the 'adult' helping him work thru his options really screwed the pooch here. Beyond academics, Jordy is a young man who needs minutes to develop. He's now giving up 14+ games that he could've played in (and probably started all of them) for basically no reason. In a career that maybe spans 130-140 games, he's throwing 10% + of them in the garbage. Exactly what a young man at his level of basketball development doesn't need.

NU 78 Illin' 68 15

Sorry - it'll never happen. Nebraskans are too honest. We couldn't live with ourselves talking like that.

Oh man - don't like hearing that.

I say we just replace laughing at Rutgers with laughing at Iowa and Temper Fran-trums. MSU hangs on 76-72.

headed to OT, 59-59 - I was more interested in watching Minn-NW, but I'm glad I turned it on early. This one has been something else.

Every team in the B1G should copy Rutgers' defensive game plan vs Sparty. MSU has 101 points in 70+ minutes vs RU this season. 39-39 tie with less than 10 minutes to play in E Lansing, if you can believe that. Bridges has ZERO points tonight, if you can believe that too.

NU vs the B1G since joining the B1G (thru Tuesday) .800 Rutgers (4-1) .500 Penn St (6-6) .500 Minnesota (5-5) .500 Northwestern (5-5) .500 Indiana (4-4) .400 Illinois (4-6) .300 Michigan St (3-7) .300 Iowa (3-7) .273 Purdue (3-8) .273 Wisconsin (3-8) .200 Maryland (1-4) .167 Ohio St (2-10) .000 Michigan (0-8)