Standings after 4 games

by **Aces1982** » January 7th, 2012, 9:56 pm

Creighton......3-1
Wichita St.....3-1
Illinois St.......3-1
Missouri St.....3-1
Evansville......2-2
SIU..............2-2
UNI..............2-2
Indiana St......1-3
Drake...........1-3
Bradley..........0-4

Jan 10

UE @ Ind St
SIU @ Missouri St
Illinois St @ Wichita St
Bradley @ Drake
UNI @ Creighton

**Sponsor**

by **Wufan** » January 7th, 2012, 10:00 pm

All teams showing weakness as well as reasons to hope! entertaining Valley season for sur :Cheers:

e!

by **PantherSigEp** » January 7th, 2012, 11:57 pm

My only question is will this surprising competitiveness hurt the conference or will the "experts" finally wise up and recognize the quality of teams the MVC has and understand that we aren't like the Summit or the Horizon where it's a 1 or 2 trick pony

by **2livewu** » January 8th, 2012, 7:30 am

I don't completely understand your point.

Some here should prepare for some harsh realities come March. Outside of Creighton, who is going to dance barring season ending injuries to Doug and a couple of other Jays, everyone else is out or perilously on the fence.

I'm as big a fan of the toughness of the Valley as anyone, but only 2 teams are built to win in March.

But aside from that, just look at the other non-BCS teams that have built impressive resumes to date. Outside of Harvard who will win the Ivy and then not have to sweat a conference tourney, there are a bunch of at large type teams that either are going to get in (if they don't win their conference tourney) or at least are going to be seriously considered for a birth.

And that's without considering the Big6 at larges which will number in the high 20s, at least. 7 from the ACC, 5 from the Big12, 9 from the BigEast, 9 from the Big10, maybe 1 from the PAC12 and 7 from the SEC. Assuming no team blows up one of those conference's tournaments, as many as 33 at large considerations (I think that number will diminish as the season goes on but...) out of, by my count, 37 bids.

But what's going to happen if Murray State, Long Beach, Cleveland State, Iona, Davidson or Charleston, St. Mary's or Gonzaga run through their respective conferences but don't win their conference tourneys?

There's easily a chance for 5 at larges out of that group alone....and that's ignoring the A10 and MWC where there's going to be a handful of (very worthy) at large teams.

The bubble could be HUGE come March and if so, you don't want to be arguing conference strength, at least I don't think you want to.

by **glm38** » January 8th, 2012, 7:59 am

I'm not sure even CU is a lock for an at large berth? I think they are just a couple of bad losses from being a bubble team too. And the way it's been going so far this year anything is possible.

I do think we'll get at least a couple of bids if things fall right. But this is a crazy season so far....

by **Ferd Berfel** » January 8th, 2012, 9:34 am

CU is in like flint, take it to the bank.

Quality rises to the top just like cream and CU is there again this year.

Of course sCUmm rises to the top of a pond also.

And you cannot spell sCUmm without a little BJ reference.

by **ictjay** » January 8th, 2012, 11:08 am

Ferd Berfel wrote:CU is in like flint, take it to the bank.

Quality rises to the top just like cream and CU is there again this year.

Of course sCUmm rises to the top of a pond also.

And you cannot spell sCUmm without a little BJ reference.

Original!

by **Bearvision** » January 8th, 2012, 3:07 pm

OP's numbers are off on several conferences, the ACC is not getting 7 teams for instance, and overrates several of the teams' resumes. Cleveland State just lost their conference opener and is falling as well.

The Valley likely gets two bids, and that's just the way the world works when you don't win games as a mid-major. ISUb has no one to blame but themselves for falling off the bubble. Many other teams as well.

If MSU just fouls against WVU, and hits a wide open shot up 1 against OSU, they're more of a lock than Creighton right now. They didn't, and now have no one to blame but themselves for not being much of an at-large consideration right now.

Win games and the rest takes care of itself.

by **FeartheQ** » January 8th, 2012, 6:06 pm

Things have certainly been interesting. It'll be a fun race this year.

by **pafan** » January 8th, 2012, 6:41 pm

At the moment, if the committee were able to choose the top 68 teams objectively, the Valley would have four bids. (This is based on the computer ratings: MVC has 4 teams in the top 68 in RPI, KenPom, and Sagarin)

If you assume that all of the auto-bids are consumed by teams outside the top 68 and the top 37 teams should get bids the Valley is probably a two bid league.

The potential bugabo is the relatively mediocre scheduling.