Here are some key dates coming up for our fellow MVC Members this week:
Illinois State vs South Carolina (Field also includes Boise State UTEP Iowa State Western Michigan Appalachian State Tulsa)
Indiana State vs Auburn (field also includes Clemson Dayton Ohio Temple Old Dominion Hofstra)
Drake vs Wake Forest (Would likely play Colorado next with a win Field also includes Liberty Houston Mercer Quinnipiac Drexel)
UNI vs SMU (Field also includes #20Purdue Tennessee Western Kentucky #6Villanova NC State #3Arizona)
Bradley vs Vermont (Field also includes Coastal Carolina UTSA NKU James Madison Iona Weber State)
I have a feeling that the 4-5 day stretch beginning this Thursday is going to tell us a lot about the strength of our new conference I hope every MVC team makes a strong showing in their respective tournaments.
I'm mostly intrigued by the Bradley game with the Catamounts (I had enough relatives attend UVM to fill their arena); and they just played Kentucky TOUGH! at Rupp.
It's not a huge game but I'll be checking out Bradley against Delaware tonight I want to get as familiar with our new competition as I possibly can
this is the third game in a series...this year is back at Peoria. The "W" is on the DELAWARE site...
2016: Sun, Nov 13 Bradley at Peoria, Ill. W, 63-49
2015: Tue, Dec 01 Bradley Bob Carpenter Center W, 70-47
I'm aware that Bradley has struggled recently with Delaware and as a whole but I wouldn't read too much into those games. Those were years one and two of the Wardle era where he tore down and rebuilt the program in an attempt to change the culture. This is year three and this is the year many (myself included) feel that his changes are going to begin to bear fruit. I'm not yet bold enough to call a Bradley win tonight but I expect them to be much improved and I expect this game to be much more competitive than the previous two against Delaware
Braves up 31-27 at the half...
Solid win by the Braves They beat Delaware 61-53.
My takeaways:
They look like a really strong defensive team that can rebound block shots and create runouts for their offense They look like they prefer to run and push tempo a bit but aren't a total run and gun team
They have some shooters that can hit from outside world regularity but don't appear to be an elite shooting team
Their offense leaves a lot to be desired but will probably improve as the season progress
They will be pesky and tough to play against and will present an interesting challenge in conference play
I'm looking forward to watching Valpo play them Should be a fun matchup
Illinois State tips off at 10:30AM on ESPN 2 vs South Carolina
Indiana State tips off at 11AM on ESPN U vs Auburn
HUGE day for the Valley ! Go ISUs!
Early second half Illinois State leads South Carolina 34-25 Indiana State is getting run by Auburn 54-31
Nice win by Illinois State 69-65. No idea if South Carolina is any good but still a win over a power 5. Bruninga 19 minutes, 5 points, 5 fouls. A real slugfest as 3 guys from SC fouled out.
I get that they lost a lot of firepower in Thornwell and others but this is still a huge win that the conference can really hang it's hat on The fact that the game was played in Myrtle Beach making it a de facto home game for South Carolina cannot and should not be lost on anyone Now the Redbirds get another shot at a quality win as Boise State takes on UTEP They await the winner of that game
Bradley leads Vermont 32-26 at the half Keep it going Braves!
Quote from: vu72 on November 16, 2017, 12:44:57 PMNo idea if South Carolina is any good but still a win over a power 5.
Pomeroy puts them at #42 even after the loss. Big win for IL State and the Valley!
Even if they're getting killed by Boise State. Were apparently down 74-42. Have climbed back to 77-56.
Mo State choked at home vs. North Dakota State.
Bad home loss although NDSU might be good. I don't follow the Summit.
Ironically, the Summit League (formerly the Mid=Continent) has since the re-naming moved itself rapidly toward the center of North America. The MIDDLE OF THE CONTINENT is Rugby, North Dakota.
MVC 22-7
HL 14-11
Summit 12-13
Not a thorough snap shot, but liking the trending.
Did anyone notice that after beating Iowa State the Milwaukee Panthers lose a game at Panther Arena in downtown Milwaukee to none other than Concordia-St Paul. Yes, that Concordia in St Paul, MN, 69-55. What is it with Milwaukee?
I saw uwm lose to d2 school. Currently I'm between embarrassed and disappointed that i think the mvc should look at uwm and that would be my vote
MVC expansion pecking order:
1. Murray State+ Belmont or SLU
2. Murray State+NKU
3.NDSU+SDSU (the Dakotas)
4. Murray State by itself
5. Murray State+ Oral Roberts (please no)
6. Any other realistic option Milwaukee's D2 loss and bad attendance for the game against Elon that I watched today have knocked them off my radar.
Quote from: FieldGoodie05 on November 18, 2017, 01:30:14 PM
MVC 22-7
HL 14-11
Summit 12-13
Not a thorough snap shot, but liking the trending.
The SWAC is the only conference with a perfect record - 0-37! :o
Drake Bradley and Illinois State combine for a 6-3 mark in their tournaments.
Wins: South Carolina Wake Forest Tulsa UTSA Drexel James Madison
Losses: Colorado Boise State Vermont (CU and Vermont were tough hard-fought close losses.) Well done! It should be noted that Illinois State is still without one of their better players and Bradley was missing their starting center.
Now the attention turns to Missouri State (Gulf Coast Showcase) VU and Loyola (Savannah Invitational) Evansville (Cancun Challenge) and UNI (Battle 4 Atlantis). Big week coming up!Go get'em MVC!
Why so high on Murray St? It has been a long time since the program was consistently went to the NCAA's
Simple: More historical success, ability to sustain that success despite coaching changes, strong commitment to athletics, more recent success, fan base that travels really well and packs their arena, already within the MVC footprint, program is down to be sure but not the dumpster fire Milwaukee has been. I trust Murray State to come in and compete in the MVC right away more than I trust Milwaukee even if the upside exists for them in theory. They feel like a project like Loyola that will take years to get going if they ever do. They add nothing right now and anything they may add is unrealized potential they may never reach. What have they done since dirty Pearl left them that makes everybody want them so badly? All I hear from the pro Milwaukee to MVC crowd is selfish reasons "market great/fun city Alumni base close to us might move the tournament closer one day (no way) etc." Not a single valid basketball reason. MVC expansion needs to be about basketball and basketball ONLY The only reason Loyola looks like it's working out is because the MVC still had the Shockers to keep the conference afloat in the national conversation while the Ramblers got acclimated. Right now we don't have a flagship program and while the conference is certainly trending up right now we need more programs that will come in and compete right away to help keep the conference strong in these critical years. We don't have time to look at what a program might be we need to focus on what a program is right now. There is plenty to suggest that Murray State can help accomplish what the MVC needs right away. Milwaukee? Not so much. Play them in nonconference instead of the non D1s but don't invite them to the MVC. Not yet.
Nice MVC win today. UNI 76 NCState 72
Disagree. ;) Not nice. VERY nice. Any win over any team in the glamor ACC is to be savored :thumbsup:
On a related note: I can't remember a string or series of posts when we were were so locked into what fellow HL teams were doing in the OOC games like we are doing now. It is another reflection of how things have changed with the move to the MVC. It feels real good.
I can't remember a set of games scheduled across the conference that were so consistently interesting as to warrant this kind of comment and treatment when we were in the HL. But you're right it does feel good. Wins over SMU and an NCST team that beat Arizona the day before? Way to represent UNI! Now let's keep stacking the quality wins! Go Valpo! Go Ramblers! Go Panthers! Beat Kent State! Beat UNCW! Beat Villanova!
While it is great to see all of the MVC teams playing well in the non-conference, Northern Iowa's success in the Atlantis tournament is the most impressive. UNI has setup a great no lose opportunity against Villanova...if UNI wins, they're probably ranked...if not, no one expected them to win. Anything can happen on that bizarre court at the Atlantis resort, especially if a team keeps playing as hard as UNI is playing. Go Valpo...but go Panthers!
Quote from: VUGrad1314 on November 20, 2017, 12:32:56 PMI trust Murray State to come in and compete in the MVC right away more than I trust Milwaukee even if the upside exists for them in theory. They feel like a project like Loyola that will take years to get going if they ever do. They add nothing right now and anything they may add is unrealized potential they may never reach.
I hope if Milwaukee gets invited to the MVC that they are just like Loyola. What motivation that would be for Valpo! It would hurt for a while but Valpo can make a lot of strides off the jealousy of former conference mates and near-by programs (Butler, Indiana State, IPFW, Loyola (once former now current), Detroit, Oakland, even NKU).
Sorry, couldn't help but bring the Loyola rub in.
Quote from: historyman on July 16, 2018, 11:27:49 PM
Quote from: VUGrad1314 on November 20, 2017, 12:32:56 PMI trust Murray State to come in and compete in the MVC right away more than I trust Milwaukee even if the upside exists for them in theory. They feel like a project like Loyola that will take years to get going if they ever do. They add nothing right now and anything they may add is unrealized potential they may never reach.
I hope if Milwaukee gets invited to the MVC that they are just like Loyola. What motivation that would be for Valpo! It would hurt for a while but Valpo can make a lot of strides off the jealousy of former conference mates and near-by programs (Butler, Indiana State, IPFW, Loyola (once former now current), Detroit, Oakland, even NKU).
Sorry, couldn't help but bring the Loyola rub in.
That post is from last November when the season wasn't even two weeks old. Tell me, at the time of that post, what did I say that was factually inaccurate?
Loyola WAS a project when they were admitted into the MVC
Loyola DID take years to get going This year (year 5 for them in MVC play) marked their first above .500 finish in conference play.
Loyola was just starting to show how special their team was at the time of that post. They were finally "getting going"
If anything that post illustrates skepticism about Milwaukee, not doubt of Loyola and what they could accomplish this past year.
I'm not entirely sure what you mean by this post. In fact it raises several questions:
Why would Valpo reap jealousy from nearby schools for a conference mate's accomplishments while fellow MVC member Indiana State wouldn't?
Why would Butler who reaps more money from their lofty perch in the Big East be jealous at all?
Why would Loyola who has done what we want to do one day be jealous of any MVC member doing the same? It helps them too. Their success is our success and vice versa.
Why would Milwaukee be added to the MVC before NKU?
I get the notion that a rising tide lifts all boats, so Valpo sees more money, more visibility, better recruiting, and perhaps better scheduling, so I can see the jealousy of nearby non-MVC schools, except Butler and the P5s in the region; but this feels like a strange post at a strange time.
It also doesn't mean we should roll the dice again on another downtrodden big city school. Let's compare Loyola and Milwaukee:
Loyola is in a far more attractive market than Milwaukee.
Loyola is a large private school. That makes their potential far greater than that of any public school because they are not beholden to another university system and not subject to state funding which leaves them somewhat insulated from economic troubles.
Loyola's endowment far outstrips that of Milwaukee
Loyola's basketball history was arguably better than Milwaukee's at the time they joined the MVC in 2013 even with a long stretch of being terrible. With this most recent final 4 berth, that fact is beyond dispute.
Literally everything was already in place for Loyola to be a great program again before the MVC even came calling. All that was needed was something to get the fanbase and the donor base to care enough to give the program the push they needed. I'm not convinced the same potential exists for Milwaukee though I could certainly be mistaken.
Don't discount these points. The first three on the Loyola vs Milwaukee list are probably the main reasons why we edged out Murray State for membership when Wichita State left, except we're not as large as Loyola, and we're on the very edge of that big, attractive media market.
Again, I'm not sure what your post was driving at. Would you care to explain?
I don't think Milwaukee is gonna pull it together anytime soon and become attractive to the MVC, however, from a purely selfish perspective, I wish Valpo would schedule a long series of H&H games with them, so that every other year Valpo could play in MKE where we have a very strong alumni base and I can get to the game in 90 minutes ;D) Oh, on alternate years, maybe a Marquette H&H? We used to play them when Al McGuire was their coach and it was a great series.
I would be all for a Marquette home and home, but to get that we'd need to go on a UNI-type run and gain the kind of respect they have won for themselves. I hope they get strong again so that they can keep that respect. It's good for the MVC. I would even take the occasional one-off game with Milwaukee which could progress to a series if they ever got good again.