The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

[BCPanther]

Here's why...

1) Drake is a lock, they don't have to win a game in StL to get in, they are playing for a seed.

2) Illinois State is in. 21-8 with a 34 RPI and 7-3 in their last 10. Signiture win in Carbondale puts them over the top. The only thing they can't afford is a loss on Friday.

3) Whoever wins the tournament. I don't think either team wins the tournament, that is just how its gone in the Valley for the past decade. I think Bradley or the winner of our game against SIU have the inside track to get it done. Somebody has to win the tournament, why not us??

[UnderParPanther]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

if the selection commitee truly goes by teams and not conferences, then if someone other than ISU/Drake wins, we should be a 3 bid league. I have a feeling that ISU wont go if someone other than the 1 or 2 seed win the tourney.

[Panthers to the Bone]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

Brett, I actually thought about that last night too.

Perfect scenario is that UNI is the automatic winner (based on being a UNI fan!)

MVC's perfect scenario is that Drake gets to the semis and loses to Creighton or Bradley.
Illinois State makes it to the MVC finals and either Creighton or Bradley get in with the automatic. That would get three teams in.

A softer likelihood would be Drake and Illinois State lose in the semis and then someone else wins the tourney. I thought that Illinois State may have put themselves on the right side of the bubble after last night's win at Southern, but I think one more win may solidify it, based on the weak bubble this year.

[BCPanther]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

I think that Illinois State should be cheering hard for MSU on Thursday night. A win over the Bears is much much better for them than a win over UE...

[jman2004]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

Brett, a month ago, I was convinced we were looking like a 1-bid conference. But now I'm not so sure. I too think Drake and Illinois State are locks. The problem is, I think there's a very good chance one of them will win the tournament.

If they don't, I agree, we very easily should be a 3 bid league. Kinda nice for a "down" year.

[UNI MadCat]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

I think Bradley or the winner of our game against SIU have the inside track to get it done.

I don't see that at all.

Bradley replays their classic against Creighton in a game that could go either way. And then the winner gets Drake... inside track? Are you kidding me?

Same on the bottom half... all due respect to UNI but IF we pull off the shocker on Friday, why do we have the inside track when we have to play IlSU the next game? They HANDED it to SIU in Carbondale and would play us a day after we play our most physical game of the season... again, inside track... are you kidding me?

I've heard many times on this board that its best to play a team right after they have played SIU b/c they'll be so beat up. Why wouldn't that apply to us?

I think any one of the top 6 can win this thing, but lets not sugarcoat it... we have a tough, tough, battle ahead.

Should be fun.

I think the debate on 3 teams truly can't start until after this weekend.

[Khan4Cats]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

It's an interesting thought, about playing someone after SIU, and I have thought that it has affected us in the past.

I've been tossing it around though, would I rather play SIU as the first game or the last, after we are tired from 2. I guess it's a matter of preference, we have never beaten SIU in St. Louis, time to change that now, might as well be first game when we are fully rested and then just move on to the next game. A healthy Jordan and Reed back with the team will be nice.

[UNI MadCat]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

I've been tossing it around though, would I rather play SIU as the first game or the last, after we are tired from 2.

True. Bradley's run to the finals two years ago kind of illustrates what you are saying.

[MarshallTucker]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

For what it's worth Sports Illustrated agrees with you Brett. They have Drake (6), Illinois St (10), and Southern Illinois (11). 11 seeds are usually last ones in as we well know so its interesting they put Southern there as this bracket was done assuming Drake wins the conference tournament.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/stewart_mandel/03/03/bubble.watch/index.html?eref=sixtra_newsletter030508

[Marc Wigim]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

Everyone seems to be forgetting that the NCAA has done as much as they can in the past few years of the MVC's Second Renaissance to keep us in our place. We'll get two bids. No more, but I'll be the first to say no less.

[UNI MadCat]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

Everyone seems to be forgetting that the NCAA has done as much as they can in the past few years of the MVC's Second Renaissance to keep us in our place.

"Everyone"? I'd amend that.

"few years" - how about confine it to last season? Two years ago we had four teams.

[ceaser150]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

For what it's worth Sports Illustrated agrees with you Brett. They have Drake (6), Illinois St (10), and Southern Illinois (11). 11 seeds are usually last ones in as we well know so its interesting they put Southern there as this bracket was done assuming Drake wins the conference tournament.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...wsletter030508

SIU likely would lose that spot with another loss, their 14th of the season. I can't remember another team, let alone a non-BCS team, getting an at-large with 14 losses. If the MVC wants 3 bids, they need ISU to get to the finals (probably with a win over SIU in the 2nd round for RPI purposes), and then lose to a team other than Drake, such as Bradley or Creighton. That is the only scenario that could get 3 bids.

[Marc Wigim]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

"Everyone"? I'd amend that.

"few years" - how about confine it to last season? Two years ago we had four teams.

... and despite being the 6th-rated conference in the nation, our league champion only got a 7-seed. BTW, they ended up cruising to the Sweet 16. Outliers do not a point make.

[UNI MadCat]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

... and despite being the 6th-rated conference in the nation, our league champion only got a 7-seed.

Great, you can quote rankings...

The conference champion had an RPI of 27... that's 7 seed territory.

Point is?

Outliers do not a point make.

[clenz]

Re: The Valley is a 3 Bid League...

As much as I would love to believe this I don't know if I can believe it until it happens. I think we will get 2, but I'm not sold on three yet.