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**BCPanther** · 03-01-2006, 03:58 PM

He has Creighton Listed as both a lock and on the bubble, which is it??

**Newsbreaker** · 03-01-2006, 04:01 PM

These guys are so freakin skitzo...everybody has had us on the bubble, now we're a lock.

**MiloCat** · 03-01-2006, 04:23 PM

Originally posted by Newsbreaker

These guys are so freakin skitzo...everybody has had us on the bubble, now we're a lock.

Maybe he finally figured out we beat LSU.

**DWadle1983** · 03-01-2006, 04:39 PM

http://sports.yahoo.com

No peace in the Valley

By Clark Kellogg, Yahoo! Sports
March 1, 2006

Here we are with less than two weeks until Selection Sunday. That means regular-season titles will be decided in some conferences, while in others, the action will just be getting started.

The appealing aspect of the conference tournaments is that every team has a final chance to play its way into the NCAA tournament. The harsh reality is that the odds are stacked against a "miracle" happening.

In the "automatic bid"-only leagues, the conference tournament is a mini-version of the NCAA tournament. Every game is one and done. The intensity is palpable, while the thrill of victory and agony of defeat are magnified.

GETTING STARTED

I will be in St. Louis on Sunday to call the Missouri Valley Conference championship game, and if the regular season was any sort of prelude, then I'm in for a treat. Having watched this very good but underappreciated league from afar, I've grown to have much respect for its teams and coaches.
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Wichita State won the regular-season title outright, but Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Creighton and Northern Iowa all have looked like tournament teams for most of the season. And Bradley has come on strong lately, winning five straight to elbow its way into the NCAA tournament conversation.

In a year when many teams in the power conferences have been rather pedestrian or even subpar, the MVC is primed for as many as four at-large bids. Granted, there is still work to do, but all four are a real possibility (depending on what happens this weekend in St. Louis and how some other conference tournaments unfold over the next 1½ weeks.)

The tournament resumes of the teams I just mentioned compare favorably to other non-power conference teams such as Air Force, Bucknell and George Mason (to name a few), and to teams from the power conferences such as Florida State, Maryland, Nebraska, Seton Hall and Stanford.

This short list is a sampling of some of the teams I think will be compared to one another as the last at-large bids are decided – teams that present interesting case studies for the selection committee. I actually think a few of these teams have already earned bids, but most are still in need of good conference tournament showings to secure a spot in the field of 65.

The Colonial Athletic Association, like the MVC, is another non-power conference that features very good coaches, players and teams. George Mason, Hofstra and UNC Wilmington finished in the top three spots, and Northeastern, Old Dominion and VCU all were better than .500 in conference play.
With some of the power conferences looking as though they might be "bid-light," keep an eye on the CAA. This tournament should be a lot of fun to watch.

Conference USA is another non-power conference that could warrant multiple bids. Memphis is a given, but UAB and Houston seem to be tournament worthy as well.

The Atlantic 10 tournament should be interesting. With a week left in the regular season, Charlotte, St. Louis and Xavier have a chance to put themselves in position for at-large consideration with strong finishes.

I'm looking forward to a very competitive Mid-American Conference tournament, and in Akron and Kent State, the conference has a pair of 20-game winners with a week left in the regular season. Miami has won seven of eight and could reach 20 wins with a strong finish. While all three schools played good non-conference schedules (especially the Zips and the RedHawks), the lack of any "statement wins" could hurt their at-large chances.

In the power conferences, many teams are playing to enhance their resumes with a win or two, or perhaps for seeding in the NCAA tournament. However, this season it appears that there are more teams in these leagues that need strong conference tournament runs to have a shot at the Big Dance.

In the ACC, Florida State, Maryland and Miami come to mind.

In the Big East, Cincinnati, Seton Hall and Syracuse might still have work to do.

In the Big Ten, Indiana and maybe Michigan are questionable.

The Big 12 has Colorado, Nebraska and Texas A&M.

Looking at the Pac-10, Stanford and USC maybe are on the outs.

In the SEC, Vanderbilt appears to be in need of a good conference tournament run. Some would argue that Kentucky falls into that category, too, but with games remaining against Tennessee and Florida to end the regular season, I think the Wildcats will have a bid secured before next weekend.
While all the pre-tournament speculation is far more art than science, and no one knows exactly how it will shake out between now and March 12, I do know that it will sort itself out soon. As a matter of fact, by early next week I'll be confident enough to highlight a few players to keep an eye on come tourney time.

Clark Kellogg is Yahoo! Sports' NCAA men's basketball analyst. Send him a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

**DWadle1983** · 03-01-2006, 04:43 PM

Is Kellogg kidding with the compares favorably comment? How about "are better".

**ejacobson** · 03-01-2006, 05:23 PM

Did he just compare WSU, CU, SIU, and UNI to NEBRASKA!!!!????!!!! Holy crap. I go to Nebraska and wore my UNI Panthers Golf Polo (from the summer fundraiser tourny) and people were like wow, you know someone from UNI??!!! I wish we had half the team they do. Granted just students but wow Colorado, Nebraska, and FSU are not good teams. Not at all. I cannot even comprehend comparing the top 4-6 Valley teams to them for any reason, other than to avoid the massive onslaught of emails from power conference fans which will ensue if you say the MVC has better teams than your favorite BCS conference. Ohh well.

**blien** · 03-01-2006, 05:26 PM

I agree with Dwadle that the MVC tournament will be a mini NCAA tourney. I am off to st. Louis by noon tomorrow and I cant wait for the action besides UNI. It has been a joy watching the other MVC teams at the Dome(but not beating us).

With that note, where is the entertainment between games in st. louis?
B

**Panthers to the Bone** · 03-01-2006, 09:48 PM

I checked the Savvis Center website for tickets (or ticketmaster) and the best tickets available are upper deck seating for Saturday's session!!! This is going to be a great crowd this weekend!

**PantherHawk** · 03-01-2006, 10:09 PM

doesn't help our chances of an at large bid with FSU and Texas A&M winning tonight, that gives both programs HUGE Wins towards the end of the season.

**merkpanthers** · 03-02-2006, 12:39 AM

Originally posted by ejacobson

Did he just compare WSU, CU, SIU, and UNI to NEBRASKA!!!!????!!!! Holy crap. I go to Nebraska and wore my UNI Panthers Golf Polo (from the summer fundraiser tourny) and people were like wow, you know someone from UNI??!!! I wish we had half the team they do. Granted just students but wow Colorado, Nebraska, and FSU are not good teams. Not at all. I cannot even comprehend comparing the top 4-6 Valley teams to them for any reason, other than to avoid the massive onslaught of emails from power conference fans which will ensue if you say the MVC has better teams than your favorite BCS conference. Ohh well.

The same FSU team that just beat Duke tonight isn't good huh. I agree Texas A&M and FSU had huge wins tonight. Our at-large spots are slimming. The only way to be sure that were in the NCAA's is to go win 3 games in St. Louis. Go Panthers!!

**NJ Panther** · 03-02-2006, 11:32 AM

Originally posted by merkpanthers

The same FSU team that just beat Duke tonight isn't good huh. I agree Texas A&M and FSU had huge wins tonight. Our at-large spots are slimming. The only way to be sure that were in the NCAA's is to go win 3 games in St. Louis. Go Panthers!!

Do you work for ESPN (and your name is not Lunardi), because you sound just like them.
1. FSU (RPI 71) matches up well with Duke and plays their butts of against them, especially at home where they have defeated them I believe 3 out of the last 4 or so. But that does'nt excuse the rest of the season. This is a team that, afterall, just lost to Virgina Tech. And their non-con schedule? Put it this way, In December the best team they played was Nebraska (RPI 115), and the next best was Bowling Green (244). Want to know the scary part? They played four other games that month! Thats being a bunch of panzies if you ask me. Other then Duke they have 1 sub RPI 70 win. One, and we have 7. Their RPI is more then double ours.

2. We need to win 3 in St. Louis: First, go to your calender and see what year it is. 2006? Ok, then look at the Valley this year, our RPI, our wins, etc. Ok, did that? The look at the patheticness that is the middle of the major conferences. Done? Then look at last year how, in a worse position, we LOST our 1st MVC game and still got in, with a weaker profile and conference. Then just attempt to make that claim, because it won't hold. I think we need to win one to feel good about being in (10-11 seed), 2 for a solid seed (9-10 seed), and 3 (that would give us likely 10 top 70 wins) we will play someone seeded below us or basically equal (7-9 seed). After re-reading the post I'll assume you meant that winning a conference tourny is the only auto bid, and thats obviously the case.

3. RPI: Regardless what ESPN says the RPI does matter. Thats why it exists and has been tweaked. Remember, the RPI is not some outside creation, but was made by the NCAA. It matters, and as long as we beat MSU it is our salvation again this season.

4. Our RPI is going up (25) because of our quality non-con wins (Iowa and LSU specifically)

This is'nt just a tirad against this post, but the ESPN machine that actually believes FSU, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, etc. are better. One game at the end of the year against a coasting top team (Texas, UCONN, Duke) does'nt mean much. Nothing personal, unless your name is Digger

**ceaser150** · 03-02-2006, 12:08 PM

Originally posted by merkpanthers

The same FSU team that just beat Duke tonight isn't good huh. I agree Texas A&M and FSU had huge wins tonight. Our at-large spots are slimming. The only way to be sure that were in the NCAA's is to go win 3 games in St. Louis. Go Panthers!!

I agree that we are not a lock. However, when you compare FSU, Texas A&M, and UNI, I don't see a choice. They all have similiar records, but UNI has 7 top 50 wins and the other 2 have 1 each, the 1 they got last night. The only downside to the Panthers is that they are finishing the season on a skid.

**BCPanther** · 03-02-2006, 03:39 PM

Both of those teams only have 18 wins. UNI is clearly ahead of both of those teams. No Question!!

**wonkadog** · 03-02-2006, 03:48 PM

Originally posted by ejacobson

Did he just compare WSU, CU, SIU, and UNI to NEBRASKA!!!!????!!!! Holy crap. I go to Nebraska and wore my UNI Panthers Golf Polo (from the summer fundraiser tourny) and people were like wow, you know someone from UNI??!!! I wish we had half the team they do. Granted just students but wow Colorado, Nebraska, and FSU are not good teams. Not at all. I cannot even comprehend comparing the top 4-6 Valley teams to them for any reason, other than to avoid the massive onslaught of emails from power conference fans which will ensue if you say the MVC has better teams than your favorite BCS conference. Ohh well.

Geez dude, chill out. Nebraska is pretty mediocre but the whole top half of your conference has looked that way for a majority of this last month. If this year's MVC was the Big 10 or Big 12 you would be calling it a medicore conference because of all the parody. The Nebraska fans are all sick of Collier and that's why you got the "bow down to UNI response." I know, I know, the Clones suck this year, but I have to have something to talk about

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