Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

[clenz]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

I don't think I'm knocking the conference at all. The play of the Valley isn't that of the BCS conferences, face it. I love the Valley, and I think there are some great teams that should be recognized more. Could Drake beat those teams? Sure they could. Texas Southern could be Texas too if they catch each other on the right days.

All I'm saying is I don't think Drake can beat the big time teams. That isn't a knock on the conference or the teams in the conference.

Apparently it is treason or mutiny to "go against" the Valley

[unigriff]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

Drake had better hope they run the regular/MVC tourney table or they won't get a seed that will give them a chance to win an NCAA game.

They'll be one and done at best in the NCAA tourney. Still a heck of a step up from where things were a few years ago.

i think this is the first we have agreed in awhile Mr. S.

While I think even if they lose one game in the Valley, I do think they need to win the Tourney to get a respectable...oh 6 seed perhaps..maybe 7.

I think the committee, although not looking at what the team is supposedly (3pt shooters, and the argument if they could defend other 'bigs' or the BCS teams) still does, and Even with say a 27 win campaign, like every year, they (committe) would be hesitant to give any Mid-Major Conference team a higher than 5 seed.

If Drake gets a 6 or 7 seed, depending on the Region, they won't survive the first weekend.

[DancerHall Cat]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

Dancer...we're 8th. Not 15th or lower. We're only .064 points out of 7th. I think if the Valley has a good day next Saturday...they could jump the media darling that is the Atlantic 10 and then we'd be right where we were last year (numbers-wise).

Actually we were 6th both last year and the year before, and in both years, we were ahead of 1 of the BCS conferences.

[06panther10]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

You would think enough mid-major runs to the Sweet Sixteen would douse perspectives like yours...obviously not. It's this same, tired old "BCS is God" rhetoric that will relegate the Valley to a one (max two) bid conference.

And the worst part of it is - Drake has had to win 21 STRAIGHT GAMES just to get on the radar. Personally, I don't think the 5 BCS teams you listed could play the same schedule and each end up on the winning end 21 times in a row. Agree to disagree, I suppose.

And the sad part of it is, once Drake loses - which very well may happen this week - doubters like you will be so very quick to point and say, "See I told you. They're not that good." Seriously, what's it going to take for the Valley to get an ounce of respect...

If you dont think those teams could do the same thing Drake has done with the same schedule, you are kidding yourself.

And who cares about the sweet 16. Do you think bragging about a couple of Valley team's runs to the sweet 16 from a few years ago makes the Valley look good? I dont see teams from the BCS schools bragging about their awesome run to the sweet 16.

[06panther10]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

The answer to your question, Mr. Nantz, is yes they could "hang" with those teams.

First, the loss to St. Mary's was the SECOND game of the year.

Second, isn't it funny how there weren't nearly so many questions about the caliber of Southern Illinois, Creighton, or Wichita St. - and their ability to compete withTop 20 teams - when THEY were high in the rankings. But now because it's Drake, we have to hear all this BCS garbage over and over.

Obviously, Drake doesn't have the athletes of these big schools - but these big schools likely don't have 6'8" post-players who are leading their team in three-point percentage. Drake will always compete with these teams because they shoot the ball so well. Just like when they got down against Creighton or Ill. St by double-digits, their ability to shoot the trey will never have them out of a game.

Oh Im sorry, I didn't know that the second game of the year doesn't count.

And there wasn't as many questions about SIU, Creighton, and WSU in the last few years because those teams were BETTER than Drake. Eventually Drake is going to have to play better teams. And we will see how the 15th ranked team in the country does.

And just because Drake has a player that is 6' 8", it does not mean he is a post player. He is a three point shooter. Not a post player.

[06panther10]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

The answer to your question, Mr. Nantz, is yes they could "hang" with those teams.

First, the loss to St. Mary's was the SECOND game of the year.

Second, isn't it funny how there weren't nearly so many questions about the caliber of Southern Illinois, Creighton, or Wichita St. - and their ability to compete withTop 20 teams - when THEY were high in the rankings. But now because it's Drake, we have to hear all this BCS garbage over and over.

Obviously, Drake doesn't have the athletes of these big schools - but these big schools likely don't have 6'8" post-players who are leading their team in three-point percentage. Drake will always compete with these teams because they shoot the ball so well. Just like when they got down against Creighton or Ill. St by double-digits, their ability to shoot the trey will never have them out of a game.

Oh Im sorry, I didn't know that the second game of the year doesn't count.

And there wasn't as many questions about SIU, Creighton, and WSU in the last few years because those teams were BETTER than Drake. Eventually Drake is going to have to play better teams. And we will see how the 15th ranked team in the country does.

And just because Drake has a player that is 6' 8", it does not mean he is a post player. He is a three point shooter. Not a post player.

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

And who cares about the sweet 16. Do you think bragging about a couple of Valley team's runs to the sweet 16 from a few years ago makes the Valley look good? I dont see teams from the BCS schools bragging about their awesome run to the sweet 16.

If by a "few years ago"...you mean last year...and the year before...then yes.

And the Valley's got to pick SOMETHING to brag about when the Selection Committee continually buys into the worthless rhetoric you and the other ignorant BCS apologists are spewing. They perennially underestimate the ability of mid-majors to compete - and stick them with 10 + seeds. Funny how hard it is for mid-majors to go deep in the Tourney when they're playing #1 and #2 seeds right off the bat...

And as for whether those BCS teams could win the same 21 games in a row that Drake has...well, we know Mich. St. couldn't have done it (Iowa)...and Texas sure had an awfully tough time against the team Drake beat by 35...just to name a couple. So, no - I'd bet one (MAYBE) of the five teams listed could do what Drake's done...

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

Eventually Drake is going to have to play better teams. And we will see how the 15th ranked team in the country does.

Yeah...well, unfortunately it's hard to know just how good the Valley teams are since so many of the BCS schools aren't willing to play them during their non-conference schedule...

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

Oh Im sorry, I didn't know that the second game of the year doesn't count.

Yes - the second game DOES count...and Drake should have known better than to schedule a difficult opponent early.

Next year they will have to use the approach followed by most BCS schools early in the year, and put more teams like Northeast Southern Westerly Maine St. on the schedule.

[SteinPizza]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

So now that we're not ahead of one of the BCS conferences...we're down? Look, I've seen the games and I know that we're not down in the Valley. We're a lot younger and tons more inexperienced, but I don't think "we're down".

Being "down" isn't a knock on The Valley. It was bound to happen with lots of new coaches and players. Look at the stability the MVC has enjoyed with star players the last few years. When many of those guys leave en' masse in one year, being "down" is bound to happen. The league isn't as tough as it's been the last few seasons, but that doesn't mean it will stay "down". That's not to take anything away from Drake or whoever wins the league either.

It's the ultimate hypothetical to wonder how Drake would do against any of the SIU, Creighton, Bradley or UNI teams from two or three years ago.

[06panther10]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

If by a "few years ago"...you mean last year...and the year before...then yes.

And the Valley's got to pick SOMETHING to brag about when the Selection Committee continually buys into the worthless rhetoric you and the other ignorant BCS apologists are spewing. They perennially underestimate the ability of mid-majors to compete - and stick them with 10 + seeds. Funny how hard it is for mid-majors to go deep in the Tourney when they're playing #1 and #2 seeds right off the bat...

And as for whether those BCS teams could win the same 21 games in a row that Drake has...well, we know Mich. St. couldn't have done it (Iowa)...and Texas sure had an awfully tough time against the team Drake beat by 35...just to name a couple. So, no - I'd bet one (MAYBE) of the five teams listed could do what Drake's done...

OK what are you trying to say?? We all know on any given day that any basketball team can beat anyone, that is the nature of the game. Are you saying that Drake is the best team in the country? We ARE mid-majors. Why is that so hard for people to deal with. We do not play as tough of schedules as the BCS schools (for the most part), and we do not go as deep into the tourny as the BCS schools. That is an absolute fact. It doesn't mean that schools like us cannot beat bigger schools. It just would happen most of the time.

[06panther10]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

Yeah...well, unfortunately it's hard to know just how good the Valley teams are since so many of the BCS schools aren't willing to play them during their non-conference schedule...

You mean when Mich. State played bradley, Drake/UNI vs. Iowa/ISU, creighton vs. nebraska, USC vs. SIU. That is just from the top of my head. I don think that these teams are terrified of the valley.

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

You mean when Mich. State played bradley, Drake/UNI vs. Iowa/ISU, creighton vs. nebraska, USC vs. SIU. That is just from the top of my head. I don think that these teams are terrified of the valley.

Of course, of the games you listed, the Valley teams beat the BCS teams 4 out of 7 times.

[DancerHall Cat]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

So now that we're not ahead of one of the BCS conferences...we're down? Look, I've seen the games and I know that we're not down in the Valley. We're a lot younger and tons more inexperienced, but I don't think "we're down".

Also, I'm not sure the Valley was 6th last year. I'm sure we were on a site or two, like kenpom, but he's not the end all as far as the RPI goes. I was thinking that the NCAA RPI formula had the Valley 7th.

As your last few posts suggest, your thinking doesnt carry that much weight. (See the Joe Lunardi only excludes D-II wins from mid-majors point).

I guess we will just take your word for it then. I apoligize for providing evidence to support my argument that the MVC, while solid, is not as good as it has been in years past.

If you find an RPI that suggests that the MVC was the 7th best conference last year, and that the MVC is 7th or better this year, then you have provided some evidence to support your point. I won't hold my breath. Somehow I doubt that when Kenpom had the MVC as the 6th best conference last year, you were on here directing us to this RPI ranking which you know claim had the MVC 7th

Also, wasn't last year the season where the Valley lost something like 37 starters coming into the season. Despite that, we are a lot younger and tons more inexperienced this year according to you.

[FuturePanther09]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

There are not many tickets left for this Saturday's game against Drake, depending on how the student distribution goes it could be a sell out. Students have until Friday evening to reserve their tickets online, then what is left goes on sale to the public on Saturday.

Discounted Tickets Available for Last Two UNI Home Men's Basketball Games
A limited number of $8 seats for Illinois-Chicago and Indiana State are on sale.

The University of Northern Iowa athletics department is offering discounted tickets for the final two home men's basketball games of this season.

For both the Panthers BracketBusters clash with Illinois-Chicago (Feb. 23 - 7:05 p.m.), as well as the senior night game against Indiana State (Feb. 27 - 7:05 p.m.), a limited number of tickets will be available for $8 apiece.

These specially-priced tickets will be available only at the College Square Mall Hy-Vee, as well as at University Book and Supply.

i read about that on UNI's website also and it kind of made me mad. We bought tickets for the bracket buster game the week that individual game tickets went on sale and they cost us $15 a peice. I wish I would have known that if I waited I could have saved 7 bucks. oh well it goes to the university I guess....