Up Next: Xavier

[skydog0784]

Time to get excited for valley play. We are the best the valley has at this point. No more talking about MoSt's potential, @reporters. They were a huge non-con letdown. We've got the most quality wins, we have competed close in the tougher games save UNC. This is our conference again and let's take it.

That's what I'm talking about!

[Gboom23]

we can lose conference games and still get an at-large. Not a ton of margin, but there's still some. We're still in the 30s for RPI... biggest frustration is these last 2 were winnable and we'd probably be in RPI top ten with a pair of wins.

This is exactly right. In doing some projections on rpiforecast.com, 14-4 in conference play with a Sunday loss in STL projects to an RPI of 31, SOS in the high 50s. I have a hard time believing we wouldn’t be strongly considered for an at-large at that point. Leaving us out at 15-3 seems like it would be highway robbery.

i don’t know the ins and outs of the RPI, but it appears to be important that we protect the home floor. RPI appears to take a bigger hit if those losses happen at home.

It would also help if a 4th team from the Valley could squeeze into the top 100 of the RPI. As of right now MSU and Loyola are projected to be in the top 100, with Bradley and Valpo just outside. Having a couple more top 100 wins will help the resume.

It’s too bad we didn’t win just 1 more game. We would be sitting pretty if we could have pulled out the ISU or Xavier games. The good news is that I think we have the ability to get to the 14-4 mark this year. I’m looking forward to an exciting remainder of the season!

['70 Grad]

Keep in mind that we have played just one true road game. ONE. Don't expect to look as good, get as many calls, etc. in a loud road gym as at home. We will be well scouted and frustrated many times. Some times we will be unrecognizable. Valpo will want to prove something. We will have to take our swing through the other two in Indiana. They have been bad in the past, too, and still hurt us.

Coach Jake likes this team and so do I, but we all know it can be a bumpy two months. However, no one in the Valley has the talent we have seen/competed well against. We can do it, barring key injuries.

[Panthers to the Bone]

Kudos to UNI for keeping the atmosphere hopping all game (for most part). I walked in and the music was louder, the PA was more clear, and the cheap tickets helped to get the 'rowdy crowd' into the game. Fantastic...

[sevelev711]

Keep in mind that we have played just one true road game. ONE. Don't expect to look as good, get as many calls, etc. in a loud road gym as at home. We will be well scouted and frustrated many times. Some times we will be unrecognizable. Valpo will want to prove something. We will have to take our swing through the other two in Indiana.

Luckily, that shouldn't be much of an issue.

Also, Valpo's best player is out indefinitely with Mononucleosis, so I'm going to say they'll fall to middle of the pack/lower end team. You're right about the Indiana road trip, though. We always seem to drop one of the two.

[BCPanther]

Valpo has gotten their asses kicked by every team they've played with a pulse, with or without Walker.

They're a Thursday team.

['70 Grad]

My point was the road in general. There will be tougher tests than Valpo, InSU, and E-ville (who just lost at home to IlSU), but lets not be counting victories when we don't have one on the actual road yet.