No Home Cookin'

[Purple Reign]

What a strange first day of conference play. When is the last time all home teams lost? UNI wins at Bradley, Illinois St wins at Creighton, Drake wins at Wichita State and Ind State wins at Evansville. Plus, although not a conference game, Butler wins at SIU Friday night. Tomorrow, it's MSU at SIU. Can da bears pull it off? Gonna be a toss-up year in the Valley.

PR

[BCPanther]

Re: No Home Cookin'

This league is so wide open. I knew Illinois State was much improved, but I don't think anybody expected them to walk out of Omaha with a win...

[Newsbreaker]

Re: No Home Cookin'

I really thought that Drake was going to be the best story of non-conference play that everyone forgot about once league play began, but winning at the Shockers was, well, a shocker. I really think right now the dogs are the team to beat.

This is going to be an 'any given night' sort of year...which is going to make the Bracket Buster HUGE for our conference.

[MarshallTucker]

Re: No Home Cookin'

Good point. I thought about the Bracket Buster too and how that can really make an impact with no clear front runner and a down non-conference loop. It was weird being so disappointed last night when Southern Illinois lost on a buzzer beater to #16 Butler...

[Back2BackCats]

Re: No Home Cookin'

This is going to be an 'any given night' sort of year...which is going to make the Bracket Buster HUGE for our conference.[/QUOTE]

Which means it could also provide a lot of opportunity for 'fans' to continue and bash the young Panthers.

[BCPanther]

Re: No Home Cookin'

Well done Back2Back!!

[SteinPizza]

Re: No Home Cookin'

I really thought that Drake was going to be the best story of non-conference play that everyone forgot about once league play began, but winning at the Shockers was, well, a shocker. I really think right now the dogs are the team to beat.

I just read the DM Register's article on Drake's win. Sounds like WSU had it's chances in the second half, and ultimately couldn't execute an inbounds play with under a minute down three with a chance to tie. Drake also got Cousinard into early foul trouble and forced him to sit.

Drake plays SIU at home on January 2nd. I'll be real curious to see how that comes out.

[GonzoCat]

Re: No Home Cookin'

All of which means there is a good chance the MVC gets only one NCAA bid this year.

Parity in the BCS conferences = many bids
Parity in the MVC = one bid

[DWadle1983]

Re: No Home Cookin'

I still like the fact that the Valley is the #8 rated conference in the RPI. That's where the Valley was last season. We just need multiple teams above 20 wins. Best chances right now are Drake, Illinois State, Creighton and UNI can get halfway there on Wednesday night if they can defend their home court vs. Evansville. Hope to see a ton of people in the McLeod Wednesday night.

The MVC was 6th last season finshing ahead of the Big 12 and finishing behind the Big East by .0006.

http://www.kenpom.com/confrank.php?y=2007

If the MVC can finish ahead of the MWC and A-10, I would think they almost have to receive two bids. The MVC is 7th on Pomeroy's today, but the MWC is 11th with a much better non-conference winning percentage .664 versus .620 but much weaker non-conference strength of schedule, and may overtake the MVC because of the winning percentage difference.

If the MVC can do well in the Bracketbuster Weekend, at least 7-3, the MVC should finish at least ahead of the A-10, currently in 8th. Otherwise, the MVC may be looking at only a 1 bid season.

[GonzoCat]

Re: No Home Cookin'

At the end of the non-con schedule last year the MVC was 2 or 3 in the RPI. in recent years when the Valley has done so well in non-con we have dropped 3-4 spots in the RPI from the start of conference play to the end of year.

I don't think we will see that kind of drop since we are at 7th to start the confernce season this year, but even 7th would be the worst finish in a few years for the Valley.

The NCAA hasn't exactly shown a propensity to give the MVC any credit for their conference RPI. Or individual RPI in many cases.

[Newsbreaker]

Re: No Home Cookin'

The NCAA, the selection committee and the media are all looking for an excuse to take away that "almost a major conference" crown, and barring a very good (7-3 isn't going to cut it, I mean 8-2 or better) bracket buster performance, the MVC has gift wrapped that opportunity. We will get at MOST two bids, and everyone will nationally declare our "golden age" over.

[SteinPizza]

Re: No Home Cookin'

The NCAA, the selection committee and the media are all looking for an excuse to take away that "almost a major conference" crown, and barring a very good (7-3 isn't going to cut it, I mean 8-2 or better) bracket buster performance, the MVC has gift wrapped that opportunity. We will get at MOST two bids, and everyone will nationally declare our "golden age" over.

That sounds a bit extreme. If you look at this year realistically, the MVC doesn't deserve 4 or 5 bids...there haven't been the marquee victories like in years past in non-con play. The talent level in the league is down due to graduating so many quality players.

[UNIChippewa]

Re: No Home Cookin'

I agree SteinPizza. With all due respect to members who feel otherwise, I sometimes get tired of this "lack of national respect" and conspiracy theories about keeping us and the other "mid-majors" down. If anything, I think that guys like Andy Katz and others do a good job of giving UNI and teams like us good props. I don't think that having a guy like Kyle Whelliston on ESPN.com with his own section on mid-major teams would have happened a few years ago. When Billy Packer and Jim Nance made fools of themselves a couple of years ago with their criticism of the MVC on Selection Sunday, I think a few of their media peers called them out on it (and they were proven wrong by all the teams who did well).

On the court, Southern Illinois was supposed to be our standard-bearer this year, and so far they have failed miserably. If they took care of business against teams like Indiana and Butler at home, the MVC would be better off reputation wise nationally.

[jman2004]

Re: No Home Cookin'

But Andy Katz isn't on the selection committee is he?

Take a look at the final bracket from last year's tournament. In a very good season for PLENTY of "mid-major" teams, it doesn't take a genius to notice how the committee was out to screw mid-majors over. Every mid-major that was selected to the tournament was set up to fail in one way or another (by playing each other off or facing top opponents close to their home base).

News is right. As fun as March Madness is for us, the rest of the nation WANTS Duke and NC in there. NCAA knows that as well so they do too.

However, I still think the Valley could easily get TWO teams in this year, suppose a regular season conference champion is different than a conference tournament champion whether we're down or not.

[SteinPizza]

Re: No Home Cookin'

Take a look at the final bracket from last year's tournament. In a very good season for PLENTY of "mid-major" teams, it doesn't take a genius to notice how the committee was out to screw mid-majors over. Every mid-major that was selected to the tournament was set up to fail in one way or another (by playing each other off or facing top opponents close to their home base).

News is right. As fun as March Madness is for us, the rest of the nation WANTS Duke and NC in there. NCAA knows that as well so they do too.

Where's your evidence of this? The top seeds, power teams, whatever, are always going to be seeded #1 and play close to home. It's been that way forever. It's up to a mid-major to defeat them. Like the saying goes, it's tough to beat the champ by decision, you have to knock him out.

Like it or not, Duke and North Carolina are always going to be highly seeded after good years, due to schedule strength if nothing else. The ACC plays a very good, if not dominant, brand of ball...so it's pretty tough to argue against it. Your arguement is better if you say that the Big Ten, Big 12, etc. don't deserve 7 or 8 bids vs. 2 for the MVC.