Nothing gets me going for some basketball like some good old fashioned Ramones.

You know how this goes: Win and your are for sure in the NCAA, lose and well, you get another crack at the Badgers on Friday, I just would rather not be in that position.

It has been far too busy of a day/week for me. So no preview  today. Sorry, here is an appropriately sad song by the Mountain Goats.

This is your openthread, or whatever.

Varmints!

Yeah its been done before, but I don't really care

THIS IS YOUR OPENTHREAD INTO WHICH YOU CAN EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS ON TODAY'S GAME!!!!!!

I for one am a huge fan of old hippies doing songs about basic math. But aside from being a crazy trip back to elementary school, this School House Rock video also reminds us that if the Illini win 3 out of the next five games, not only will they be sitting pretty inside the tournament, but it will have yet another win over a ranked team. So lets make that math a little easier today, by you know winning. Maybe we can hit some of those "3's" along the way.

I know that was lame. Nonetheless THIS IS YOUR OPENTHREAD ARGGHHHH!

Basketball? I don't know anything about it. All I know is that today is February 14th, the day where you do something special for your lady, buy her an ass load of chocolate and forsake all distractions tht may come between you and your loved one. Do sports count? Oh you damn well better believe it.

So crack open a bottle of wine, get yourself a heart shaped box of gamble chocolates, and and enjoy yourselves.

and of course...

For those of you brave enough and/or unattached THIS IS YOUR OPENTHREAD.

Even if we win this game, there is no way it will be pretty. It is going to be slow and plodding and physical and cold. Just like the entire state of Wisconsin.

This is the equivalent to basketball in the Kohl Center

Please gods of basketball, make it quick. This your openthread, such as it is.

I don't really need to say anything for this game do I?

No I didn't think so.

When we play a team from Michigan, you get the White Stripes, that's just how it works.

Yeah, so, like THIS IS YOUR OPENTHREAD and shit.

Its tough to get excited sometimes. When your team plays absolutely every team good or bad, down to the wire, games against that should be slam dunk wins turn into lose lose situations, or at least low yield ones.

So at best we get a win over a team we should be up on anyway, and at worst we suffer another embarrassment. so you can't get excited for that? Amirite? Anyway, lets just get out of this without looking foolish shall we?

You know the drill, Ya'r This Be Yer Openthread!

Today we pay tribute to one of the great angry and irrational people in sports, and his keen sense of style. I am sure that I was not the only one who was disappointed when it was announced that Bobby Knight would not be in the Assembly Hall next week when the ESPN gameday crew comes to town.

In the spirit of the fun we could have had at his expense, I am dedicating today's openthread to Bobby Knight's many colorful sweaters he so enjoys wearing. For instance:

A vision in argyle. Or this:

Feel the love.
I'll see if I can't find some more by the time the game gets going, oh by the way...

THIS IS YOUR OPENTHREAD!!!

Al Goldis - AP

Bill Cole: The man, the effort, the more effort. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

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Yes tonight goes out to you, Bill Cole, anchor of the defense and newly voted team captain (alongside Demetri McCamey, natch)
There is no doubt that tonight we will see Bill once again in the starting line up, ready to flail his arms around like a mad man, run headlong into several larger players after a rebound courageously stand there and take the charge like a man when a very fast moving heap of muscle tries to go through him.

"Coach said I lead through example, but now I want to work on leading on my voice and being loud and helping my teammates on the floor," Cole said Monday.

Well said.

This is your openthread