BracketBusters

[Victory_For_UNI]

Re: BracketBusters

The fact we play more close games has EVERYTHING to do with quality of our conference. There are NO patsies in the Missouri Valley Conference. Do some games end in a blow-out, yes. But far more are played at a very competitive level and truly any team can win on any given day. You CANNOT say that about the MAAC.

Siena put itself in position for a marquee BB game? You got one. Of course, you seem to think that playing and losing to a number of high RPI schools must qualify you for some sort of pedestal. Who between us has actually beaten a BcS conference school this year? Your best non-conf win is a 1-point win at St. Joe's. That same St. Joe's team lost by 11 at home to a Creighton team that we have split with (and our loss came in a game we shot 19% from 3).

You guys are puffing your chest out but your resume is little more than the resume that got Missouri State a trip to the NIT a few years ago. You keep thinking you were going to get a better BB game. Why you think that is purely delusional. Maybe you should have gotten Northeastern, their 90+ RPI would look REAL good right now.

Outside of us getting a shot at getting some confidence back after a rough 4-game patch, I don't think either team has much to gain from this. We win, we beat a good team but are still out of the at-large talk, and Sienna will drop out of the minds of the Dick Vitales of the world who follow the big conference, but look at SOS & RPI with regard to the little(r) guys. We lose, it puts us at what, 1-4 over the last 5, we don't let one of our best players get the rest he needs to get completely healed, and our guys possibly lose the last bit of big-game confidence that they had in Omaha and Carbondale. I say we forfeit.

On a side-note, are the tents up in McAffreyville?

[4N6]

Re: BracketBusters

[QUOTE=SaintsFan;160922]first... its SIENA not SiennaQUOTE]

My bad. I should have proof read better. BTW ... you pointing this out to me reminds me how much I hate it when people call us "NIU."

Again ... my apologies.

Hey Sky ... we old guys think alike sometimes. I'll bet we could talk long and hard about great UNI and Siena games of the past. But ... it's just the past. Tomorrow is what counts, but then again ... I'm more concerned about our conference games next week. Later.

[SienaTony]

Re: BracketBusters

Just wanted to stop by one last time before the game and say good luck guys! I hope both teams put on a good show for ESPN and a national audience.

[SaintsFan]

Re: BracketBusters

Niagara 70 Illinois State 56 - rumor is Illinois State is the most athletic team in the MVC. Is this true?

"The fact we play more close games has EVERYTHING to do with quality of our conference."

I meant the fact that i brought the tight game subject up was not intended to indicate you had a strong conference or not ... it was intended to show you that teams that get in a ton of close games are BOUND to lose some of them. Tough to make that point clear on the internet i guess. Pretty much anything we as Siena fans say if it isnt how happy we are to get a chance to play UNI its going to be taken negatively.

[SaintsFan]

Re: BracketBusters

The fact we play more close games has EVERYTHING to do with quality of our conference. There are NO patsies in the Missouri Valley Conference. Do some games end in a blow-out, yes. But far more are played at a very competitive level and truly any team can win on any given day. You CANNOT say that about the MAAC.

Siena put itself in position for a marquee BB game? You got one. Of course, you seem to think that playing and losing to a number of high RPI schools must qualify you for some sort of pedestal. Who between us has actually beaten a BcS conference school this year? Your best non-conf win is a 1-point win at St. Joe's. That same St. Joe's team lost by 11 at home to a Creighton team that we have split with (and our loss came in a game we shot 19% from 3).

You guys are puffing your chest out but your resume is little more than the resume that got Missouri State a trip to the NIT a few years ago. You keep thinking you were going to get a better BB game. Why you think that is purely delusional. Maybe you should have gotten Northeastern, their 90+ RPI would look REAL good right now.

your paragraph 1 - noone claimed the maac was as good as the MVC. I did say the top 5 or so teams would hold their own VERY well with ANYONE in your conference

your paragraph 2 - This is not a marquee game for siena. it is one for UNI however. Siena started to turn their season around right around the St Joes game (early in the season) siena let St Joes get a big lead and came back from 18 down to win that game. EXTREMELY Slow start... and they still pulled it out. If youre going to hang your hat on beating the 88th ranked Auburn team and claim the big bad BCS victory... that says all i need to know about discussing this with you.

your paragraph 3 - Siena had a better resume than probably all but 3 or 4 teams in the BB. You thinking otherwise is purely delusional.

let me remind you the influence your commish has on the BB games and matchups. He walked Illinois State and UNI into a win win scenario for the BB. Either of you lose and it still helps your RPI... and its considered a tough loss on the road to a good team. Either of you win and it makes a big difference in your RPI with a road victory over a solidly ranked opponent. If youre blind to that ... so be it ... but it is what it is. One MAAC vs MVC game is in the record books.

[SaintsFan]

Re: BracketBusters

when you play against a faster, more athletic team it certainly can look that way

[jman2004]

Re: BracketBusters

The MAAC has had St Peters and Canisius dragging down the conference RPI for some time... nothing we can do about that so yes... conference as a whole the MVC is a better conference... but make no mistake... the top half of both conferences would be a hell of a matchup.

Siena 31 --- Creighton 52
Niagara at 69 --- Illinois State 60
Fairfield 92 --- Northern Iowa 83
Manhattan 138 --- Evansville 94
Rider 139 --- Bradley 106
Iona 181 --- Drake 136

First of all, I've already addressed the conference RPI thing in another thread. If you want to come onto OUR board and whine about a lack of respect for your conference, go away. I showed you the numbers already and how each team in each conference boils down to RPI. And blaming your RPI on two teams is a little absurd. You actually have THREE teams with RPIs higher than 225.

And secondly, about your pairings . . . what are you trying to show us, that the MAAC is CLOSE to the Valley. Well congratulations, but do you notice that when speaking in terms of RPI, you're teams are BEHIND us in every one of those pairings but the Siena/Creighton matchup? Not to mention you didn't show the remaining five, which would be much of the same.

And about getting owned, Sheik put you in your place. You came on OUR board and whined about the matchup from the very beginning. Fact is, you are TROLLING OUR board, claiming to be wanting to simply "discuss" the matchup but instead, turn nearly every single one of your 33 posts on here, into a "poor me" or "this is why we didn't want to play you guys".

Get off it. You were NOT going to draw Butler or Utah State. If you realize that, your only other reasoning for disliking our matchup is "recruiting". I can see your point in a way, but at the same time, beating the team tied for the lead in the Valley (a better conference than the MAAC) regardless of our RPI, on ESPN2 in front of a national audience is NOT going to hurt your recruiting.

Besides, at the time, this game was the next best potential matchup. End of story. It's easy to come back now and whine whine whine. But the fact is, NO ONE, not even you, saw this team losing to Wichita State and Drake. When the pairings were announced, this game had the potential to rank right up there with the likes of Butler/Davidson and St. Mary's/Utah State. Sorry it didn't turn out that way for you guys, but guess what . . . all you can do now is show up and play!

Stop whining and complaining to US. You will get NO sympathy here so you might as well save your typing fingers!

[jman2004]

Re: BracketBusters

when you play against a faster, more athletic team it certainly can look that way

Illinois State is athletic. They are also playing without their starting point guard Lloyd Phillips. Some of their "athletes" are being forced into roles they haven't had to play this season.

Plus they shot poorly in the first half while Niagra shot lights out. Hitting wide open shots vs. missing wide open shots has nothing to do with athleticism. It's shooting.

[BracketBusters]

Re: BracketBusters

Hey guys, I'm hosting a marathon chat, so please stop by if you get a chance... www.thebracketbusters.com

[Panther-Sheik]

Re: BracketBusters

First of all, I've already addressed the conference RPI thing in another thread. If you want to come onto OUR board and whine about a lack of respect for your conference, go away. I showed you the numbers already and how each team in each conference boils down to RPI. And blaming your RPI on two teams is a little absurd. You actually have THREE teams with RPIs higher than 225.

And secondly, about your pairings . . . what are you trying to show us, that the MAAC is CLOSE to the Valley. Well congratulations, but do you notice that when speaking in terms of RPI, you're teams are BEHIND us in every one of those pairings but the Siena/Creighton matchup? Not to mention you didn't show the remaining five, which would be much of the same.

And about getting owned, Sheik put you in your place. You came on OUR board and whined about the matchup from the very beginning. Fact is, you are TROLLING OUR board, claiming to be wanting to simply "discuss" the matchup but instead, turn nearly every single one of your 33 posts on here, into a "poor me" or "this is why we didn't want to play you guys".

Get off it. You were NOT going to draw Butler or Utah State. If you realize that, your only other reasoning for disliking our matchup is "recruiting". I can see your point in a way, but at the same time, beating the team tied for the lead in the Valley (a better conference than the MAAC) regardless of our RPI, on ESPN2 in front of a national audience is NOT going to hurt your recruiting.

Besides, at the time, this game was the next best potential matchup. End of story. It's easy to come back now and whine whine whine. But the fact is, NO ONE, not even you, saw this team losing to Wichita State and Drake. When the pairings were announced, this game had the potential to rank right up there with the likes of Butler/Davidson and St. Mary's/Utah State. Sorry it didn't turn out that way for you guys, but guess what . . . all you can do now is show up and play!

Stop whining and complaining to US. You will get NO sympathy here so you might as well save your typing fingers!

Owned...Part Deux!

[soup]

Re: BracketBusters

Illinois State is athletic. They are also playing without their starting point guard Lloyd Phillips. Some of their "athletes" are being forced into roles they haven't had to play this season.

Plus they shot poorly in the first half while Niagra shot lights out. Hitting wide open shots vs. missing wide open shots has nothing to do with athleticism. It's shooting.

Unimpressive display by The Valley last night. Niagara plays absolutely no defense, so Illinois State putting up less than 60 is a joke.

[clenz]

Re: BracketBusters

Unimpressive display by The Valley last night. Niagara plays absolutely no defense, so Illinois State putting up less than 60 is a joke.

Athletic doesn't translate into talent, especially when a team is missing their starting PG, who is top 3 or 4 on the team in almost every category.

[Newt99]

Re: BracketBusters

Come on Panthers! We need some good news today. Let's put aside everything else that is going on, put the last couple of games behind us, and go out there and win this game today! If we can get back to playing the way we were a couple weeks ago, there's no reason we shouldn't dominate Siena and come out with a win.

Forget about rankings, RPI, SOS, bubble watches, etc. We just need a win to get our confidence back and get this team back on track before the conference tournament. Go get 'em, Cats!