With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

[clenz]

to see if The Valley really was down. I got these numbers from http://www.mvc-sports.com/pdf6/89788...00&SPSID=96987


This dating back to 97. We didn't get 2 this year but we should have. Just because Drake and ISU(R) were the top two teams doesn't make the conference down.
97 – ISU(r) 0-1
98 – ISU(r) 1-1
99 – Creighton 1-1, Evansville 0-1, Mo. St. 2-1
00 – Creighton 0-1, ISU(b) 0-1
01 – Creighton 0-1, ISU(b) 1-1
02 – SIU 2-1, Creighton 1-1
03 – Creighton 0-1, SIU 0-1
04 – SIU 0-1, UNI 0-1
05 – SIU 1-1, Creighton 0-1, UNI 0-1
06 – Bradley 2-1, UNI 0-1, SIU 0-1
07 – Creighton 0-1, SIU 2-1
08 – Drake 0-1

Also lets look at conference RPI since 1999 shall we?
99 - 8th
00 - 11th
01 - 12th
02 - 14th
03 - 12th
04 - 11th
05 - 8th
06 - 6th
07 - 6th
08 - 8th

Again to talk about a down year for a conference one needs to have a longer memory than two years, and look beyond the number of bids in the NCAA's. We got screwed out of a bid this year. The conference this year, RPI wise, was just as strong or stronger than 7 of the past 10 years. One hell of a down year for us I guess.

[Back2BackCats]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

I agree Clenz, I think because the Conference graduated a large group of Seniors last year, the slow start by our "premier team" and the dominance by Drake the analysts got
it in their heads that the Conference was down and never let go of it. During the Conference Tournament Spoon said that anyone that says the MVC is down has not been watching any of the games. It did give the Selection committee the ammo to only take one from the MVC this year, but I think they were reacting more to perception than reality.

[jman2004]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

We may have still been better than some of the other mid-majors around, but that doesn't mean we were good. Drake didn't do us any favors either in the tournament.

The Valley has an uphill climb ahead of them. It starts next year.

[clenz]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

We may have still been better than some of the other mid-majors around, but that doesn't mean we were good. Drake didn't do us any favors either in the tournament.

The Valley has an uphill climb ahead of them. It starts next year.

I'm not talking about national comparisons to other mid-majors, or what Drake may or may not have down for the Valley. I'm talking about the perceived downess of the Valley this year.

If anything, looking at the RPI's I'd say the Valley was "up" in 06 and 07

[GonzoCat]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

You are missing Wichita State going 2-1 in 2006.

[Matt Trump]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

The Valley was not as good this year as in years past, hence it was DOWN.

[clenz]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

You are missing Wichita State going 2-1 in 2006.

I thought I was missing them, but didn't really check back. However, that just furthers my thought that the Valley was up those two years instead of being down this year

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

The Valley was not as good this year as in years past, hence it was DOWN.

Yet in years past (going back to the 90's) - even when the Valley was WORSE than it was this year, IT GOT TWO BIDS.

[06panther10]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

To get into the tournament its not really "how good you are", its who did you play and who did you beat. Illinois St. did not have ANY big-time wins in the non-conf, and that is why they did not get in. When we got our at-large bids a few years ago we had some great non-conf. wins against Iowa, Cincy, LSU etc. Illinois St. cannot make that claim at all.

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

I agree that Ill. St. didn't have the "big" wins to get the Committee's attention.

But that said, in 2004-2005, UNI got into the Tourney with virtually ZERO good BCS wins. We lost to Iowa and Cincy...but won against Iowa State. That was it.

[clenz]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

The Valley was not as good this year as in years past, hence it was DOWN.

Maybe the conference was just up in 06 and 07?

[06panther10]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

Maybe the conference was just up in 06 and 07?

For this year to be down, those years would have to up up clenz

[MeOW!]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

I agree that Ill. St. didn't have the "big" wins to get the Committee's attention.

But that said, in 2004-2005, UNI got into the Tourney with virtually ZERO good BCS wins. We lost to Iowa and Cincy...but won against Iowa State. That was it.

We won the MVC Tournament to earn an NCAA berth in 2004-05.

[06panther10]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

We won the MVC Tournament to earn an NCAA berth in 2004-05.

lol Thats right, that is the only big win we needed that year. Unlike ISU who lost by 30 in the championship game.

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: With all the talk of The Valley being down I looked at some numbers

We won the MVC Tournament to earn an NCAA berth in 2004-05.

Wrong. We won the Tourney the year before (played G. Tech). We were at large in 2004-05 (Wisc.) and 2005-2006 (Georgetown).