Do we get 4?

[MVCfans]

Not sure if this was posted elsewhere, but Jeff Goodman checks in on the MVC and NCAA:

The Missouri Valley has been a one-bid league for the past four years.

That'll change this season.

League commissioner Doug Elgin isn't quite ready to put his league on par with 2005 and 2006, but he's also not afraid to admit that this year the conference should be in position to receive multiple bids come March.

The top four teams -- Creighton, Wichita State, Indiana State and Northern Iowa -- are 36-7 overall. All rank in the Top 50 of the RPI and the league certainly has the look and feel of a multiple-bid conference this season.

http://eye-on-college-basketball.blogs. ... 6/33979999

[glm38]

I think 3 bids are a very real possibility. Maybe even 4 although that's a long shot. What's not clear yet is who those teams will be? I say there are 5 teams with a shot: CU, WSU, Ind state, Northern Iowa, and MSU. In that order currently. MSU needs to win at least one of the Vegas games to be in the conversation.

But a lot can change come conference time. I'd be willing to bet one of the bottom 2 or 3 teams is going to beat one of those teams at some point. Possibly even Southern will beat one of those 5 teams. It seems like something like that happens several times each year. If/when that happens that will be a killer to that team (or teams).

I'm ready for the conference season to get rolling!! I think it's going to be a great one for the MVC.

[valleychamp]

Northwestern and Nebraska have a combined 0 NCAA tournament wins their history. If those are the wins you are hanging your hat on, you are in trouble.

[Jet915]

Northwestern and Nebraska have a combined 0 NCAA tournament wins their history. If those are the wins you are hanging your hat on, you are in trouble.

Not sure what history has to do with this year's team. Northwestern will likely be a bubble team come March and will be a good win if CU can pull it off.

[LJay]

Creighton's 9-1 record has come with five home wins and 4-1 on the road (Iowa in Des Moines is technically neutral but the 13,000 there was about 9 to 4 Iowa). College basketball is the most difficult sport to win on the road. That scheduling will pay off in spades as I can't imagine many Top 50 teams with 4 true road games in their first 10. Hell, I don't think Syracuse has played outside the state yet.

Of course, most teams get into a decent MTE while the Jays got that crap Iowa thing that threw a couple extra cupcakes on the schedule and a game against a bad Iowa bunch.

[2livewu]

Creighton's 9-1 record has come with five home wins and 4-1 on the road (Iowa in Des Moines is technically neutral but the 13,000 there was about 9 to 4 Iowa). College basketball is the most difficult sport to win on the road. That scheduling will pay off in spades as I can't imagine many Top 50 teams with 4 true road games in their first 10. Hell, I don't think Syracuse has played outside the state yet.

Of course, most teams get into a decent MTE while the Jays got that crap Iowa thing that threw a couple extra cupcakes on the schedule and a game against a bad Iowa bunch.

Bingo. You just can't knock what CU has done so far this year, and the vast majority has been done with bonus style points.

4 road wins. Most BCS teams (if not every last one) won't have 4 out of conference. Barring a total meltdown (and it ain't happening folks) CU is playing for a seed at this point.

[Aargh]

Creighton's 9-1 record has come with five home wins and 4-1 on the road (Iowa in Des Moines is technically neutral but the 13,000 there was about 9 to 4 Iowa). College basketball is the most difficult sport to win on the road. That scheduling will pay off in spades as I can't imagine many Top 50 teams with 4 true road games in their first 10. Hell, I don't think Syracuse has played outside the state yet.

Of course, most teams get into a decent MTE while the Jays got that crap Iowa thing that threw a couple extra cupcakes on the schedule and a game against a bad Iowa bunch.

Bingo. You just can't knock what CU has done so far this year, and the vast majority has been done with bonus style points.

4 road wins. Most BCS teams (if not every last one) won't have 4 out of conference. Barring a total meltdown (and it ain't happening folks) CU is playing for a seed at this point.

I'd like to agree, but there is a problem with CU's schedule. I think CU is playing for a seed. That's more based on DMac's notoriety than on CU's resume.

CU's record against top-50 is 0-1. CU's record against top 100 is 1-1.

Here is the list of CU's best wins and those teams' RPI's:
San Diego State - 63
Nebraska - 115
Alabama-Birmingham - 152
Campbell - 160
Iowa - 186
Tulsa - 193

I think CU is going to pass the "eye test" with DMac on the team, but their resume isn't what typically gets a Valley tem an at-large bid.

[Ace Dad]

Creighton's 9-1 record has come with five home wins and 4-1 on the road (Iowa in Des Moines is technically neutral but the 13,000 there was about 9 to 4 Iowa). College basketball is the most difficult sport to win on the road. That scheduling will pay off in spades as I can't imagine many Top 50 teams with 4 true road games in their first 10. Hell, I don't think Syracuse has played outside the state yet.

Of course, most teams get into a decent MTE while the Jays got that crap Iowa thing that threw a couple extra cupcakes on the schedule and a game against a bad Iowa bunch.

Last week one of my coworkers, a Syracuse grad, came to my cubicle and complained that Syracuse was not ranked #1. I immediately said: "Hell, Syracuse typically does not play many games outside the state of New York." I then went to the computer and saw where Syracuse was scheduled to play North Carolina (first true road game), at North Carolina, in 3 days or so. My friend ducked his tail and went back to his office. The rankings came out an hour or two later and Syracuse was #1. The Orange then went on the road and beat the Tar Heels. My coworker is talking a lot of trash now.

[valleychamp]

Creighton's 9-1 record has come with five home wins and 4-1 on the road (Iowa in Des Moines is technically neutral but the 13,000 there was about 9 to 4 Iowa). College basketball is the most difficult sport to win on the road. That scheduling will pay off in spades as I can't imagine many Top 50 teams with 4 true road games in their first 10. Hell, I don't think Syracuse has played outside the state yet.

Of course, most teams get into a decent MTE while the Jays got that crap Iowa thing that threw a couple extra cupcakes on the schedule and a game against a bad Iowa bunch.

Last week one of my coworkers, a Syracuse grad, came to my cubicle and complained that Syracuse was not ranked #1. I immediately said: "Hell, Syracuse typically does not play many games outside the state of New York." I then went to the computer and saw where Syracuse was scheduled to play North Carolina (first true road game), at North Carolina, in 3 days or so. My friend ducked his tail and went back to his office. The rankings came out an hour or two later and Syracuse was #1. The Orange then went on the road and beat the Tar Heels. My coworker is talking a lot of trash now.

It was actually NC State, fwiw...

I had actually heard a stat the day of that game last week that it was Syracuse's first true non-conf road game in something like 1,500 days.

[Ace Dad]

Creighton's 9-1 record has come with five home wins and 4-1 on the road (Iowa in Des Moines is technically neutral but the 13,000 there was about 9 to 4 Iowa). College basketball is the most difficult sport to win on the road. That scheduling will pay off in spades as I can't imagine many Top 50 teams with 4 true road games in their first 10. Hell, I don't think Syracuse has played outside the state yet.

Of course, most teams get into a decent MTE while the Jays got that crap Iowa thing that threw a couple extra cupcakes on the schedule and a game against a bad Iowa bunch.

Last week one of my coworkers, a Syracuse grad, came to my cubicle and complained that Syracuse was not ranked #1. I immediately said: "Hell, Syracuse typically does not play many games outside the state of New York." I then went to the computer and saw where Syracuse was scheduled to play North Carolina (first true road game), at North Carolina, in 3 days or so. My friend ducked his tail and went back to his office. The rankings came out an hour or two later and Syracuse was #1. The Orange then went on the road and beat the Tar Heels. My coworker is talking a lot of trash now.

It was actually NC State, fwiw...

I had actually heard a stat the day of that game last week that it was Syracuse's first true non-conf road game in something like 1,500 days.

Thanks for the correction. Now I am less impressed with Syracuse (like it matters). We have to go on the road and prove we can win in hostile arenas. The Orange simply go to New York City and claim it as a road game. Right.....................