Official College Basketball Thread

[Rowand44]

Anywho, I'm going to drop the argument, no need to continue it. The point is, Rex...I'm blaming you if IU doesn't come here next season.

Edited January 29, 2007 by Rowand44

[Brian]

Anywho, I'm going to drop the argument, no need to continue it. The point is, Rex...I'm blaming you if IU doesn't come here next season.

 

Me2

[Rex Hudler]

Anywho, I'm going to drop the argument, no need to continue it. The point is, Rex...I'm blaming you if IU doesn't come here next season.

 

 

The point is, mid-major schools need to get rid of the little guy paranoia that thinks the term is always negative. It has to do with the situation/conference affiliation a team is in rather than how an indivual team compete's on the court. If Evansville were in the same situation, I would not argue any differently.

 

Lastly, if IU bails from the SIU game next season, prepare any sig you want for the whole basketball season for me. It just isn't going to happen.

[He_Gawn]

I'm not sure why they would. I don't think that team would be nearly the same without Tatum.

[Rowand44]

The point is, mid-major schools need to get rid of the little guy paranoia that thinks the term is always negative.

Alright, I guess I'll continue this. It's not about paranoia, it's the fact that none of the top "mid majors" can get anyone to play them on their home court. Why would a major conference team want to play a "mid major" on their homecourt? That's why like greasy said it's looked at as non beneficial for a team like IU to play in Carbondale. Numbers wise, rpi wise, quality win wise there is great benefit to playing that game but nationally is it going to be perceived as a great W if IU came in here and won? Probably not. That's why so many SIU fans have a problem with that label, it has nothing to do with paranoia, it has everything to do with scheduling games and getting national notoriety.

 

I'm not sure why they would. I don't think that team would be nearly the same without Tatum.

JT is great but he is no where near the whole team. We're still returning 3 starters including the most dominant big man in the league, we have 2 real good talents coming in/back from injury, and we return everyone who matters from the bench. 8 of our top 10 are still coming back. We'll also be a bigger team then we've been in a while which should help against teams like IU. The team will be fine next season.

Edited January 29, 2007 by Rowand44

[Rex Hudler]

Alright, I guess I'll continue this. It's not about paranoia, it's the fact that none of the top "mid majors" can get anyone to play them on their home court. Why would a major conference team want to play a "mid major" on their homecourt? That's why like greasy said it's looked at as non beneficial for a team like IU to play in Carbondale. Numbers wise, rpi wise, quality win wise there is great benefit to playing that game but nationally is it going to be perceived as a great W if IU came in here and won? Probably not. That's why so many SIU fans have a problem with that label, it has nothing to do with paranoia, it has everything to do with scheduling games and getting national notoriety.

 

Dude, I have been an Evansville fan since I was a little kid. I know of what you speak. Evansville used to be where SIU is now or very close to it. It was always tough getting home games. The point remains, don't hate on the term mid-major. It's not a bad thing unless YOU perceive it to be.

[IlliniKrush]

Alright, I guess I'll continue this. It's not about paranoia, it's the fact that none of the top "mid majors" can get anyone to play them on their home court. Why would a major conference team want to play a "mid major" on their homecourt? That's why like greasy said it's looked at as non beneficial for a team like IU to play in Carbondale. Numbers wise, rpi wise, quality win wise there is great benefit to playing that game but nationally is it going to be perceived as a great W if IU came in here and won? Probably not. That's why so many SIU fans have a problem with that label, it has nothing to do with paranoia, it has everything to do with scheduling games and getting national notoriety.

JT is great but he is no where near the whole team. We're still returning 3 starters including the most dominant big man in the league, we have 2 real good talents coming in/back from injury, and we return everyone who matters from the bench. 8 of our top 10 are still coming back. We'll also be a bigger team then we've been in a while which should help against teams like IU. The team will be fine next season.

 

Justin you are spot on on this thing. Has nothing to do with fear. It has to do with conceivably nothing to gain, and everything to lose.

 

How the basketball world sees things:

 

Lose at Kentucky = Big deal

Lose at Uconn = Big deal

Win at Kentucky = Big win!

Win at Uconn = Big win!

 

Win at SIU = Ho hum, should beat em

Lose at SIU = We f***ing lost to a mid major??!?!?!?!

[Chisoxfn]

Refs keeping the game at Iowa close.

Are you kidding me. You guys got away with a ton of hacks on the bigs down low for Iowa. That said good god is Tucker ridiculous. f***, I'm pissed though, Iowa missed about 10 layups in the game and a few more easy shots.

 

Geeze, we could have beat you guys (albeit you were in control the whole game, despite a few real nice Hawkeye runs) but good god talk about Haluska and Smith having off nights.

 

Oh and Mike Henderson, what a piece of s***. A veteran, a senior, boy you wouldn't know it by the stupid mistakes he makes out on the court.

 

Hard to foul when you dont play any defense...

It was the best thing he could do because Smith was giddy the entire first half pissing away shots he makes all season.

[Soxbadger]

I posted that at half time.

 

At that point Wisconsin had shot 2 ft's to Iowa's 8.

 

It seemed like the refs were playing the score imo. When the Badgers would get over 10 they would start to call fouls against them. When Iowa would start to get it close to 4 then all of a sudden the whistle went the other way (atleast in the second).

 

In the first it appeared like Iowa was hacking the badgers and it was getting no calls. And on the other end every single touch was a whistle.

 

It just was a wierd game and I thought it might be one that the Badgers let slip away. If they didnt shoot well they probably would have lost. And if Tucker didnt have one of his best games ever.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Stanford over UCLA

[Rowand44]

Stanford over UCLA

That was one of the stranger games I've seen in a while.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

KU back to top 5 now.....only to lose to nebraska tomorrow.

[MarlinFan84]

Win at SIU = Ho hum, should beat em

Lose at SIU = We f***ing lost to a mid major??!?!?!?!

 

The only problem with this line of thinking is, it is stupid.

 

Most national media, including ESPN suprisingly, considers the MVC on par with the BCS leagues in basketball. Add to that that SIU Arena is one of the toughest places in the country to grab a W, and it could quite possibly be the best game on IU's OOC schedule. Espicially since it would be one of only two or 3 OOC road games(at most).

 

Losing to tSIU at SIU Arena wouldnt be frowned upon at all...by anyone, anywhere. In fact, IU was like a 3 point favorite in their house this year, AT Assembly Hall, and in betting lines the home team always gets a 2 or 3 point favor. So, in theory, this year, according to bookies, IU and SIU were evenly matched, on a neutral court who knows who would of been the favorite.

 

Some people are going to have to just realize that the MVC is a damn good league(still ahead of the mighty Big East and Big 12 in the RPI), who...btw...have a winning record against the BCS conferences this year, with only a handful(if that) of those games coming at MVC home arenas.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

actually most of the media says a win against the MVC is a blah

a loss to them is an upset.

 

Is that wrong, you make your own decision.

[MarlinFan84]

Except no one says that. Hell, this year, IU's win over SIU is their signature victory on their resume.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Both Seth Davis and Jay Bilas have said this...followed up with i dont understand why this is said.

who pissed in your cheerios this morning?

[Rowand44]

Except no one says that. Hell, this year, IU's win over SIU is their signature victory on their resume.

No one says it but are Valley games shown at the beginning of sportscenter? If we're lucky we get the last 30 seconds of college gameday. Look, me, you and others believe that the Valley teams can play with anyone and we've proven that we can, problem is from a national point of view, we're still a "mid major." That's why the conference needs to keep winning and winning and maybe eventually we'll shred that label and get some major programs to start playing our teams in 1-1's. Right now, this league has the hardest time in the world scheduling opponents because major conference teams will just not play us at home for a variety of reasons.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

No one says it but are Valley games shown at the beginning of sportscenter? If we're lucky we get the last 30 seconds of college gameday. Look, me, you and others believe that the Valley teams can play with anyone and we've proven that we can, problem is from a national point of view, we're still a "mid major." That's why the conference needs to keep winning and winning and maybe eventually we'll shred that label and get some major programs to start playing our teams in 1-1's. Right now, this league has the hardest time in the world scheduling opponents because major conference teams will just not play us at home for a variety of reasons.

 

 

The valley needs a final four team, without that its just a nice story every year.

[Rowand44]

The valley needs a final four team, without that its just a nice story every year.

Not exactly the easiest thing to when the best seed you get is a 7. It'll happen eventually but it's going to be harder for the Valley because of the seeding issues.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Not exactly the easiest thing to when the best seed you get is a 7. It'll happen eventually but it's going to be harder for the Valley because of the seeding issues.

 

7 seed means a victory over a 3 seeded Kansas team in the 2nd round not too hard. though 2nd round and kansas haha

Edited January 29, 2007 by Jimbo's Drinker

[Rowand44]

7 seed means a victory over a 3 seeded Kansas team in the 2nd round not too hard.

That'd be the third round but fair enough.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

That'd be the third round but fair enough.

 

we are not good at figuring out anything higher than 13 or 14 seeds...dammit self haha

[Kyyle23]

The valley needs a final four team, without that its just a nice story every year.

 

The Valley is making small pushes every year at Elite 8 and Final 4 status. Last year having two teams in the Sweet 16 and 4 teams in the tournament overall was pretty big for the Valley as a whole. When Bruce Weber started his plan with SIU he really had to go out and find recruits that were overlooked by other programs and could contribute. He brought in Rolen Roberts and he already had Kent Williams, but he ended up starting a Freshman (Stetson Hairston) and having the eventual 2 time offensive and defensive player of the year(Darren Brooks) as his 6th man on that Sweet 16 team, and those two carried the momentum to 5 consecutive tournament appearances. Creighton was on the way to similar success, but they stumbled hard when Korver left because their point guard ended up getting this crazy eye parasite(it literally ate away his cornea, dont ever wash your contacts with the water in Cedar falls, Iowa) and they ended up settling for NIT bids the last couple of years. Bradley could have been the one carrying the torch to the Elite 8 this year had Patrick O'Bryant stayed one more year, and from what i hear he is now rotting in the NBDL and Bradley has no consistency. Wichita St became the "darling"(I use that word sparingly, their fans think they invented the game of basketball) of the tournament last year, but they didnt count on the loss of Paul Miller hurting the team as much as it did, but they still have only made the tournament once in the last 19 years, which really isnt good. UNI always sneaks in the tournament and they are extremely solid, I think they have been in 3 straight tournaments now, and their recruiting really has taken a step up since they got their own arena to play in instead of the dome. Right now the parity in the league is what is percieved to be dragging the league down, but it really isnt the case. Evansville, Indiana St, Illinois St, and Drake have all had quality wins against OOC and against the upper tier of the MVC, and right now Evansville is making a really nice push for respect and possibly an NIT bid, even NCAA if they can somehow stun the world and win Arch Madness.

 

I think you will see an Elite 8 team out of the MVC in the next 5 years, and possibly a final 4 team in the next 10 years. The arrow is pointing up for the MVC as a whole, and now the scheduling is starting to catch up as well. Nobody is "afraid" to play anywhere, that is plain ridiculous. But there are always disadvantages to playing an away game for any team. If Duke plays Coastal Carolina and ekes out a win at Cameron, and you can tell that CC has a good team that will be better next year, Duke may try to buy out of that away game so that they wont have to deal with the possible slide in RPI from losing to CC. They can then schedule another up and comer to play at Cameron because everyone wants "PLAYED AT DUKE" on their seasons end resume', whether they lose or win. Its just the way the business part of the college game is played now, part popularity contest(ie. RPI, SOS, rankings) and part on-the-court performance. No team can break this pattern(god knows Gonzaga has tried), they just need to play up and keep pushing the envelope until they break through and advance in the tournament.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

on the flipside if you were to have 4 teams make it this year and all lose first round, all argument for respect is thrown out the door. you need Dukey V's endormsment

[Kyyle23]

on the flipside if you were to have 4 teams make it this year and all lose first round, all argument for respect is thrown out the door. you need Dukey V's endormsment

 

So goes the story. They need to win, this is for sure. But the league is just getting out of baby-steps and starting to stride, sometimes you take a step back and you just cannot help it.

 

Ill tell you what though, the battle for the top of the MVC has been a heavyweight cruncher. UNI had it in hand, and came to Carbondale and lost by two, and now they are sputtering. SIU had it by themselves, and ran into a brick wall in Evansville, Creighton had a chance to grab it and lost to SIU in Omaha, Missouri State seems to have gotten caught up in their great RPI and hasnt really caught stride since they got spanked by SIU in Carbondale by 20. Its really fun (and stressful) watching this league battle it out. Im really looking forward to the Bracket Buster this year because it was predicted to be a down year for the MVC in the BB, and it is traditionally dominated by the MVC. BTW, has the Bracket Buster been announced yet?