Drake going down is good for UNI

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

What's your point? They shot good and won. OK? Are you trying to make the argument that if they didn't make so many shots they wouldn't have won? I thought that was the point of the game. Heck, I'll try to reason like you, IF we didn't lose all those games this year we'd be undefeated!! Drake was getting whipped that whole game, quit making excuses.

My point is that Drake was getting whipped by a very talented team that shot uncharacteristically well. Based on that, I disagree with you and Trump that that game was clear evidence how the Valley was down.

And FWIW, jman, Hubert Davis seems to agree about W. Kentucky. He picked them to beat UCLA tonight (not that I'm a Hubert Davis fan)...

[06panther10]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

If Western Kentucky from the sun belt conf. is that much better than our conference champion, then yes, the MVC is down this year. I mean seriously, the Sun Belt?

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

If Western Kentucky from the sun belt conf. is that much better than our conference champion, then yes, the MVC is down this year. I mean seriously, the Sun Belt?

By your logic...

If Davidson from the Southern Conference is that much better than the Big East conference champion, then yes, the Big East must be down this year. I mean seriously, the Southern Conference?

[06panther10]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

Good point. But you're still making excuses. At the same time though, you are playing connect that dots as well, trying to tell me who San Diego had beaten this year.

[SteinPizza]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

All the Valley needs to hit the headlines again next year is have Southern Ill. or Creighton be strong. There was no credit in the Valley this year because the perenials weren't strong this year. Fair or not...

While I somewhat agree, what the Valley needs are "name" wins. If Illinois St or Bradley plays a team like Michigan St., they need to beat them. We need a strong record against good competition (and I'm NOT counting Iowa or Iowa State as good). Think back a couple of years...that's what gave the Valley cache', not doing well against each other. As a mid-major conference, that's what you need in order to create buzz about your league nationally.

[06panther10]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

Well in most years you could call wins over Iowa and ISU good. Its not our fault that they both suck now. But I agree, not one Valley team had a great non-conf. win this year. Our best team (Drake), lost its only oppotunity to beat a ranked non-conf. team (St. Mary's). And even if they were to win that game, that would not do much for us considering they too are a mid-major. We have to get those marquee wins.

[clenz]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

Well in most years you could call wins over Iowa and ISU good. Its not our fault that they both suck now. But I agree, not one Valley team had a great non-conf. win this year. Our best team (Drake), lost its only oppotunity to beat a ranked non-conf. team (St. Mary's). And even if they were to win that game, that would not do much for us considering they too are a mid-major. We have to get those marquee wins.

The Butler win didn't impress anyone outside the Valley?

Wow, tough national crowd.

[jman2004]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

This discussion has gotten way off topic. Point is, Drake was a 5 seed and couldn't handle a 12 seed. They were the ONLY team from our conference to make the tournament. Does this make our conference look bad, YES. I don't care who else, played who else. What does Butler and Tennessee have to do with anything? Drake played poorly against a weaker opponent for nearly 80% of the game. Quite frankly, they were lucky to even catch back up. Should be end of discussion.

[Khan4Cats]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

Perhaps Western Kentucky should not have been seeded as low as a 12? Nah, couldn't be the committee ALWAYS gets the seeding right and NEVER undervalues a mid-major school.

[Panther789]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

Perhaps Western Kentucky should not have been seeded as low as a 12? Nah, couldn't be the committee ALWAYS gets the seeding right and NEVER undervalues a mid-major school.

If that's the case, perhaps Drake, South Alabama, and St. Marys should have had lower seeds.

Anyone can look at the results and say the seeding was incorrect. WKU had a chance to play it out on the court, and they took advantage of it. Drake did as well, and they came up short.

Honestly people. The MVC got 1 team in, and it lost in the 1st round. The MVC got 3 teams into the NIT, and they are all done. If you want to hang your hat on Bradley in the CIB, go for it, but if that's our bright spot, it doesnt say much.

[jman2004]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

Perhaps Western Kentucky should not have been seeded as low as a 12? Nah, couldn't be the committee ALWAYS gets the seeding right and NEVER undervalues a mid-major school.

Again, off topic. Drake lost. They should've been able to handle WKU but didn't.

WKU was 39th in RPI, had a decent record, but was 0-4 against teams in the top 50 RPI. They didn't beat a single decent opponent all season long (unless you count Nebraska). Sure they hung with Gonzaga, Tennessee, and Southern Illinois for a while, but they lost to them all, their only strong opponents for most of the season.

[06panther10]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

Why is eveyone making all these crappy excuses? We had ONE team in the tourny and they were handled by a 12 seed.

[9YRPLAN]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

drake was playing as well as anyone in america and the early MVC conference tournament came back to bite them. no one wants a long layoff like that going into a lose-and-go-home situation

[Khan4Cats]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

drake was playing as well as anyone in america and the early MVC conference tournament came back to bite them. no one wants a long layoff like that going into a lose-and-go-home situation

I agree too, I wonder how much the layoff did to throw off their timing/touch etc.

As for making excuses, not here. They lost. They got a seed they deserved (an argument could have been made for a 4, but a 5 was in the right range for their season) and they lost. I think WKU was slotted a couple slots low as they should have been in the 10-11 range. I think Davidson caught a break getting the 10 seed and not moving up into a 8 or 9 and having to play a 1 seed in the second round.

The Valley will survive as long as we continue to play .500 ball against the BcS conferences like we did again this year and have above .500 records against everyone else, also like we did this year. We will never be accepted into the ranks of the BcS but we don't have to allow ourselves to be lumped down either, just ask the A-10.

[Panther789]

Re: Drake going down is good for UNI

drake was playing as well as anyone in america and the early MVC conference tournament came back to bite them. no one wants a long layoff like that going into a lose-and-go-home situation

I agree. The 2 days longer than WKU that Drake had to wait were a killer.