Up Next: Xavier

[unipanther2154]

Yes, classless and pathetic are exactly the correct words for that bush league move. I'd be embarrassed if i I were a Xavier fan.

Watched the game with my uncle who is a XU grad. Right as he saw what he was about to do he just goes, "oh no.....sorry, that's classless" at the end of the day it's w/e. No doubt it's classless but when you're on the road in a heated environment you get hot and sometimes act stupid. We lost and played them tough. I'm ok with our performance and looking forward to MVC play. GO PANTHERS!!

[UNIGrainer]

As much as it sucks, any chance at an at-large is gone. Such a small margin for error. Being a mid-major sucks sometimes. The deck is stacked against us.

[UNIChippewa]

A win certainly would have been nice, but I can't find too much to complain about with tonight's effort. Sometimes the better team just does the things that make them a better team and they get the win, even on the road.

If and when we get clicking on all of our cylinders, we're going to be a very tough team to beat in the MVC (granted, with our history, that's a big if). But we still have a lot to look forward to this season.

[achrist70]

This was a game where the swings all seemed to go there way, and your not going to beat a team that good when they shoot as well as they did and we missed some open looks.

[sevelev711]

As much as it sucks, any chance at an at-large is gone. Such a small margin for error. Being a mid-major sucks sometimes. The deck is stacked against us.

If we run the table, it's there. Problem is, I can guarantee we won't run the table.

[sevelev711]

I like how on the Xavier board, they're response to us calling a garbage time dunk classless is saying, "If UNI isn’t happy with our “classless” behavior, we can just never agree to play there again. Chicago State is full of class and would love to go back for a home and home!"

Well, one, that's not really your decision, random poster on the message board, unless you're the AD, two, Chicago State wasn't a home-and-home, it was a buy game, why does no one research their trash talk anymore, third... Okay? Personally, I'd like another go around, but I'm not gonna lose any sleep if we don't get it. UNI is used to teams avoiding us, we'll get by.

Congrats on your win, can you not be A-holes about it? You won against a team you don't think is worthy of scheduling, cool it down a bit.

[skydog0784]

Seriously, we don't have to run the table. UNI has played a tough non-conference w/ wins against UNLV, UT-A, and SMU. Tough losses against UNC, Villanova, ISU, and Xavier - all very respectable programs.

If UNI wins the MVC with a 1-2 game margin and makes the MVC tourney championship, wouldn't they be given very serious consideration?

Sincere question, I'm too lazy too look up the RPI, Kenpom, or whatever the heck is the barometer anymore.

[sevelev711]

Seriously, we don't have to run the table. UNI has played a tough non-conference w/ wins against UNLV, UT-A, and SMU. Tough losses against UNC, Villanova, ISU, and Xavier - all very respectable programs.

If UNI wins the MVC with a 1-2 game margin and makes the MVC tourney championship, wouldn't they be given very serious consideration?

Sincere question, I'm too lazy too look up the RPI, Kenpom, or whatever the heck is the barometer anymore.

You've got to remember, this is the NCAA selection committee, they'll come up with whatever moving goalposts they need to in order to get bigger teams in. I guarantee there are no less than 5 teams from the Pac-12, despite three teams in each league at most being deserving of it. We very well could have the resume of an at-large team, but that doesn't mean we will be an at-large team. Hell, I'm still not confident that running the table gets an at-large. I legitimately think that we could be left out at 28-5, with the only loss between December and March being the Arch Madness championship game.

But again, this is moot, we're not running the table. After tonight, the RPI is around 30-35, and it's not gonna get much better. And teams with RPI's as high as 21 have been left out (hello, Mizz St). Teams with as few as four losses have been left out. And Kenpom doesn't much care for us, at a crisp cool, 88.

The only way a team gets an at-large from the MVC now is if they have the schedule we have, but only lose two games. And then don't lose anymore than two games in conference. That's it. That's life in the new MVC. I have zero confidence in us making the tourney unless we win Arch Madness.

[unifan]

For anyone that was new to the McLeod (or for anyone that wasn’t), that atmosphere is the potential that the McLeod Center has. Man oh man, that would be fun to have that be a consistent thing.

[ubuntuCAT]

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.

[run&blade]

For anyone that was new to the McLeod (or for anyone that wasn’t), that atmosphere is the potential that the McLeod Center has. Man oh man, that would be fun to have that be a consistent thing.

It will always be tough on weeknights. Friday/Saturday games need to call be at night. The beer patio was excellent. I would do that on the North side as well.

Weeknights I would do. $2 hotdogs sodas and $3_beers. Hopefully at some point they just allow beer everywhere.

[MNpanthers]

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.

[orangetennis]

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.

KABOOM

No conference let down this season. We need to dominate this conference. Anything less than 15-3 would be a let down.

[skydog0784]

You've got to remember, this is the NCAA selection committee, they'll come up with whatever moving goalposts they need to in order to get bigger teams in. I guarantee there are no less than 5 teams from the Pac-12, despite three teams in each league at most being deserving of it. We very well could have the resume of an at-large team, but that doesn't mean we will be an at-large team. Hell, I'm still not confident that running the table gets an at-large. I legitimately think that we could be left out at 28-5, with the only loss between December and March being the Arch Madness championship game.

But again, this is moot, we're not running the table. After tonight, the RPI is around 30-35, and it's not gonna get much better. And teams with RPI's as high as 21 have been left out (hello, Mizz St). Teams with as few as four losses have been left out. And Kenpom doesn't much care for us, at a crisp cool, 88.

The only way a team gets an at-large from the MVC now is if they have the schedule we have, but only lose two games. And then don't lose anymore than two games in conference. That's it. That's life in the new MVC. I have zero confidence in us making the tourney unless we win Arch Madness.

Thanks for the thoughtful response sevelev

[PantherAlum 2008]

KABOOM

No conference let down this season. We need to dominate this conference. Anything less than 15-3 would be a let down.

Yea, I am not even sure what conference losses I would be "okay" with. Maybe @Loyola since we seem to always have trouble with them.

We need to and should roll through the conference.