Game 2: Richmond

[BCPanther]

Not picking a side here because I think both are right, in a way. You can't build a stable program on a bunch of transfers every year but I doubt that building strictly with Freshmen and expecting guys to stick around and develop for 4-5 years is as realistic as it was just a few yrs ago. The truth is we'll have to do both, and do them well, to remain relevant in the new NCAA. Ppl are just frustrated that we weren't able to find a transfer big for this season, and that's justifiable.

Here's a question for everyone arguing on this topic: Would you rather the team have a mediocre regular season, such as 2020, but get hot at then end and win the Valley tournament, only to get blasted in NCAAs, or a season like 2019 where we were wire to wire the best team in conference, but lose in the Valley tournament and likely on the outside of the NCAA bubble?

2019-20 every time for me. The season is 4 months long and I'd like to be able to enjoy it. Sure the ending sucks but that's sports when you determine a champion in a single elimination tournament.

We've only won 4 regular season titles ever. It's hard for me to not think those seasons are incredibly special.

[UNIChippewa]

2019-20 every time for me. The season is 4 months long and I'd like to be able to enjoy it. Sure the ending sucks but that's sports when you determine a champion in a single elimination tournament.

We've only won 4 regular season titles ever. It's hard for me to not think those seasons are incredibly special.

On a related tangent; It's all subjective, but for me I see last season as being a good season, but not a great season. IMO, and again subjectively, great seasons are those which end up in the NCAA tournament and get a win or two, which we are fortunate to have a couple of those under our belt, although maybe not as recently as we would like.

That being written, the game to clinch the regular season MVC title against Loyola-Chicago last season is one of the most thrilling sports experiences I've ever seen that wasn't experienced in person. That. Was. Awesome.

[06panther10]

2019-20 every time for me. The season is 4 months long and I'd like to be able to enjoy it. Sure the ending sucks but that's sports when you determine a champion in a single elimination tournament.

We've only won 4 regular season titles ever. It's hard for me to not think those seasons are incredibly special.

Being mediocre and winning Arch Madness is not an indicator of a great program. Stacking Valley Championships and winning 25 games per year is, and the more times you are able to put together seasons like that, the NCAA bids will come, despite some bad luck which we have had more than our share of. Our goal should be to put together as many of those seasons as we can.

[Alum 99']

I don't feel at this point of our program and with a tenured coach we should be thus young as a team....my point with Drake is that it seems they are using the new NCAA rules to their fullest...therfore benefiting their team in the now...I get concerned there is a stubbornness that we have always done it this way and I'm not changing....im not sure in this day and age we can continue with this mindset...Is it not a concern with how young this team is with how this program is built? Should we really have 4 CF kids on the roster? I have a hard time seeing other mid majors get to tourney and make runs...

[BCPanther]

I don't feel at this point of our program and with a tenured coach we should be thus young as a team....my point with Drake is that it seems they are using the new NCAA rules to their fullest...therfore benefiting their team in the now...I get concerned there is a stubbornness that we have always done it this way and I'm not changing....im not sure in this day and age we can continue with this mindset...Is it not a concern with how young this team is with how this program is built? Should we really have 4 CF kids on the roster? I have a hard time seeing other mid majors get to tourney and make runs...

Drake has lived off the same recruiting class (partly done by Nico) plus Darian's kid since he got there. He's got all of 2 guys he recruited outside that first class (Connor Enright and Sardaar Calhoun) that are going to contribute anything significant this year and they are one 'Roman Penn steps on a pebble' away from being lumped in with the next 6 teams in the Valley. They've in no way passed us by, they're not a better program and I don't think anybody would be surprised if Darian took his kid and found another job after this year.

Agreed, we're young. No doubt about it but we've been battling uneven recruiting classes for 20 years at this point and it is what it is. As for the 4 CF kids argument, one is going to be a 4 year starter that will make a run at Freshman of the Year, eventually be All Valley and have his name all over our record books by the time he's done, one is a dynamite shooter and will probably average double figures this year and only get better, one is a big guy project that every team in our league has on their roster plus he's a chip to get his younger brother who blew up on the AAU circuit this summer and the last one is Jake's kid that will never take a scholarship and is here to be an extra quality body in practice (if he's able to continue playing after this injury).

I just think you're making a whole lot of doom and gloom generalizations after one game. We could certainly schedule like the rest of the league and have a better non-con record while having zero shot at getting an at large before the season even starts. We at least give ourselves a path that others don't.

[BrockLesnar]

So, we play Virginia sometime in the next two seasons? This season replace the Virgina game with a D3?

[BCPanther]

So, we play Virginia sometime in the next two seasons? This season replace the Virgina game with a D3?

We aren't replacing that game with anybody this year and I would imagine we may reschedule for the '24-25 season. Next year we've got Battle 4 Atlantis which comes with a big guarantee and our schedule certainly doesn't need another road game or good opponent.

[UNIpanther99]

We aren't replacing that game with anybody this year and I would imagine we may reschedule for the '24-25 season. Next year we've got Battle 4 Atlantis which comes with a big guarantee and our schedule certainly doesn't need another road game or good opponent.

I would think they would want to try to work it out in conjunction with another mid-major home and home in the region like Richmond that year (ODU, George Mason, JMU would be possibilities).

[BCPanther]

I would think they would want to try to work it out in conjunction with another mid-major home and home in the region like Richmond that year (ODU, George Mason, JMU would be possibilities).

I wouldn't be at all shocked if the Richmond series gets extended for another 2 or 4 years either.

[Wxcpanther]

I wouldn't be at all shocked if the Richmond series gets extended for another 2 or 4 years either.

Frankly at this point I'd be shocked if it wasn't continued. Their coach and Jake are friends, and they obviously both understand how difficult it is to schedule quality opponents. Plus, from their perspective, they've controlled the series so why wouldn't they want to keep playing?

[UNIpanther99]

Frankly at this point I'd be shocked if it wasn't continued. Their coach and Jake are friends, and they obviously both understand how difficult it is to schedule quality opponents. Plus, from their perspective, they've controlled the series so why wouldn't they want to keep playing?

Wait, friends? Did somebody have to put on a friend hat?

I still don't understand why we can't get Creighton on the schedule every once in a while.

[BCPanther]

Wait, friends? Did somebody have to put on a friend hat?

I still don't understand why we can't get Creighton on the schedule every once in a while.

Neither coach wants to play that game.

[06panther10]

Pretty crazy that over the last 20 years, our biggest rivals have been Creighton, SIU, Iowa, Iowa State, & Wichita State and SIU is the only school we still play. And they haven’t had a relevant team in 15 years essentially. I guess you can throw Drake in as a current rivalry now.

Great system we have in this sport…

[UNIpanther99]

Neither coach wants to play that game.

There have been plenty of coach friends who would prefer not to play, but do so for the good of their programs. I absolutely love both coaches and understand where they are coming from, but they need to set this aside for a couple of nights every five years or so.

[sivert]

The last few posts about Creighton and the friend hat and neither coach wanting a Creighton-UNI series are reminding me of the intensity that was in the McLeod 10 years ago. Doug McD played, I believe, 3 games in the McLeod and won zero. All, I expect, were absolutely miserable experiences. Intense, yelling, hissing crown every time he touched the ball. I'm guessing that most of whatever resistance there is to a Creighton-UNI series comes out of that.