Messages

Thought I'd start a "recruits" thread on the new site.

We have Edwards http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/150/10256/ and Boggs sometime after fall finals http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/150/10387/

Bielfeldt appears to have narrowed his choices, leaving VU on the outside:

http://blogs.pjstar.com/prepsplus/2011/03/02/michigan-offers-scholarship-to-bielfeldt/

Is there anything else?

personally, i'd prefer the nit over the cbi/cit (but who wouldn't?)

Yeah, I guess that's right.  I have in mind the conversation we had a while back about whether we'd prefer to play in the NCAA tournament vs. another tournament.  One thread is that it would be nice to have a reasonable prospect of winning a game or three!

But, I suspect that we do have a reasonable chance of competing at the NIT level this year.  It'd be even more true if the games were on neutral courts.

I've often thought that the NIT should go to a few regional neutral courts scheduled in advance.  I believe that Dayton usually sells out for the play in game.  If the NIT had a few sites previously arranged, they wouldn't have to worry about which teams could host - just where to put those teams for max attendance.  If you had two games at one site, you could also arrange TV and radio coverage ahead of time.  Some of the NIT games I've seen on TV looked like 1500-3000 fans in a 12,000 seat arena.  As rlh noted in another thread, when VU played at Iowa in the NIT a few years ago, it was only 24 hours after the NIT field was announced, and the crowd - well it really wasn't a crowd, more of a gathering - was sparse at best.  As a potential visiting team, I'd rather play in front of a neutral crowd that picks up rooting for a hard playing underdog team.  I'm sure the team feeds off that kind of environment. 

It is always a pleasure to remember that moment.  I also remember the crowd in St. Louis for the Sweet Sixteen game against Rhode Island.  Several minutes after the game, many of the VU fans were still applauding the team, and the team was returning the appreciation.  The team appeared to be quite moved by the gesture of appreciation, even after a tough loss. 

I think our move to the Horizon will give us and the rest of the HL the competitive level that the NCAA committee desires for a favorable seeding.  I thought a few of VU's other NCAA teams deserved a little higher seeding, but I'm sure the Mid-Con (now Summitt) schedule did not sway the committee in granting a 13 or 14 seed in those years. 

I found it interesting that ml is following Coach Carlson, but it appears that Homer or Bryce do not seem to have a twitter account.  As of this morning, ml only needs two more followers!

I'm not on twitter, but found it interesting that the HL AD's are only looking for 100 followers, and that the train wreck that is Charlie Sheen got 1.2 million followers in a little more than 24 hours.  I guess society likes train wrecks, or the off chance that Charlie will fall off his wagon and tweet picture some good pics!  Maybe that is not an off chance!

Looks easy enough.

I believe we are in the Top 100, so we should get the NIT bid.  Most rankings have us in the Top 100.  Massey has a college basketball rankings comparison, which we are currently at 84.  Hopefully, we'll get in and surprise a team or two!

http://masseyratings.com/cb/compare.htm