Order of finish with Murray & Valpo included

[IllinoisState]

Still don't see where it says he committed. Not saying it didn't happen but it's not at your link.

I'm actually not sure if he signed either.

[Brocks]

[quote]Why? They had the third least overall wins and fourth least conference wins. They haven't done well consistently in years.[quote]

Uhm, trajectory? Returning talent? Good recruiting? Solid coach? Other than that, nothing.

[MissouriValleyUnite]

Missouri St has best talent but worst coach. Valpo will be common contender in future but seems in for a oneoff rough rebuilding year. Murray will be annual contender starting with next coach. I love Niko Medved. Lusk & McMahon canned following Arch Madness.

1 Illinois St 14-6
2-3 Loyola 12-8
2-3 N Iowa 12-8
4 Missouri St 11-9
5-7 Murray St 10-10
5-7 Bradley 10-10
5-7 S Illinois 10-10
8 Valparaiso 9-11
9 Drake 8-12
10-11 Evansville 7-13
10-11 Indiana St 7-13

[IllinoisState]

Why? They had the third least overall wins and fourth least conference wins. They haven't done well consistently in years.

Uhm, trajectory? Returning talent? Good recruiting? Solid coach? Other than that, nothing.

If they don't play at the same level I'm more inclined to see a downward trajectory. If the coach and recruiting was so great they wouldn't have been under .500.

[Mikovio]

Why? They had the third least overall wins and fourth least conference wins. They haven't done well consistently in years.

Uhm, trajectory? Returning talent? Good recruiting? Solid coach? Other than that, nothing.

If they don't play at the same level I'm more inclined to see a downward trajectory. If the coach and recruiting was so great they wouldn't have been under .500.

Bradley was the 5th youngest team in the nation last year, after being the youngest the year before. Wardle came in and cleaned house, and recruited freshmen when it would have been easy to load up on JUCOs. His first freshman class gets a pass from me because it was a late spring start. He took a bunch of overseas players and commits from his UWGB class. Any good Valley players he got out of that was gravy.

Anyway BU had 2 of the 5 players on the All Freshman team last year. Won 4 of their last 5. Wardle is a proven DI head coach. I'm optimistic.

[Redhawk]

Anyway BU had 2 of the 5 players on the All Freshman team last year. Won 4 of their last 5. Wardle is a proven DI head coach. I'm optimistic.

You should be optimistic! I think they are poised for an above.500 record and should be in the 4-6 range
in the MVC standings.

[BCPanther]

I'm really puzzled by the Illinois State love here. They had their best year in two decades playing against the youngest and worst Valley in forever, lost every key contributor except Fayne and are still coached by Dan Muller. I have no doubt that they'll be a top 4 team but they aren't an unquestioned favorite.

I don't trust Paul Lusk at all regardless of the talent he's got. Alize Johnson would have be a lottery pick playing for Marshall or Jacobson.

UNI is UNI. Continue to look at the roster and make light of it because we know its a program that takes elite talent to win. I mean look at Jake's best teams. Farokhmanesh, O'Rear, Moran, Ahelegbe, Dunham, MItchell, Bohannon, Jesperson, Buss, Tuttle. I mean just elite athletes all over the floor.

Loylola's got talent and Porter is so disorganized defensively that they're hard to play against. He doesn't seem to know what he's doing on that end other than overplaying passing lanes and that causes just enough of an issue with the talent he's got to be effective.

Bradley will be better again. Year 3 is usually where you see a program take that next step and I don't question the talent that Wardle has brought in. I think he's trending the right way.

Valpo and Murray State are going to figure out the grind of the Valley, even in a bad year, is a significant step up from the leagues they were in, especially Murray. Valpo lost Peters and Murray is iffy in the coaching department.

SIU lost a lot from a .500 team. I think Barry has taken them about as far as he can but did save the program after the smoldering crater that Lowery left behind.

Indiana State and Evansville weren't good and don't appear to be any better. Indiana State has no resources so it's impossible to tell if Lansing caught lightning in a bottle with Odum and got lucky or if he's just not very good. I've soured on him the last couple of years. Marty is still at Evansville, we'll leave it there.

Drake made the right hire, I think, he's just got so much to deal with and so much to dig out of that you can't even start evaluating him until year 3.

1-UNI
2-Missouri State
3-Illinois State
4-Loyola
5-Bradley
6-Valparaiso
7-Southern Illinois
8-Murray State
9-Evansville
10-Indiana State
11-Drake

The top 3 are darn near interchangeable but I always give the edge to coaching in this league.

[Redhawk]

I'm really puzzled by the Illinois State love here.

I have no doubt that they'll be a top 4 team.

1-UNI
2-Missouri State
3-Illinois State

The top 3 are darn near interchangeable.

Sounds like you are more conflicted than puzzled.

[ISUSOX13]

I wonder how ISUr does with all their defections. Are they still the favorites? Assuming Alize Johnson returns to Springfield I would think they are the favorites.

Illinois State and Missouri State are still the favorites. ISU is loaded!
Will be the typical Muller team of long athletic players but Fayne will be surrounded
by legitimate dead eye shooters.

Who's left?

Gone are:
Teddy Hawkins
Paris Lee
Tony Wills
Mikyle McIntosh
DJ Clayton

Between that group you are losing
52 of the 69 PPG scored (75%) (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th leading scorers)
83 of the 171 blocks (49%)
375 of the 425 assists (89%)
23 of the 36 rebounds per game (64%)
294 of the 394 FT made (75%)
408 of the 593 FT shot (69%)
238 of the 294 3PM (81%)
628 of the 797 3PA (79%)
620 of the 865 FGM (72%)
1,450 OF THE 1,972 FGA (74%)
4,642 of the 7,025 minutes played (67%)
136 out of the 175 starts (78%)
That equates out to 68% of the production from last year gone.


Of the top 8 players from last season just 3 return - and one has had labrum surgery - and just 1 starter
Keyshawn Evans
Phil Fayne
David Ndiaye


What sharp shooters? Those that are left

Phil Fayne - 0-0
Keyshawn Evans 70-176 for 38%
David Ndiaye 0-0
Madison Williams 1-19 for 5.3%
Andrew Washington 0-0
Javaka Thompson 1-7 1.4%
Matt Hein 1-4 25%

Did Muller sign the Golden Stat Warriors that they all of a sudden have a roster full of sharp shooters? Muller has a significantly less talented roster, and he still isn't a good X and O coach. To pick them as a favorite is lazy voting based on homerism or last season.

Yet you picked your Panthers second. Based on what exactly, other than being a homer?

[mvfcfan]

1) Missouri. St.
2) UNI
3) Loyola
4) Valparaiso
5) Southern Illinois
6) Illinois St
7) Indiana St
8) Bradley
9) Murray St
10) Evansville
11) Drake

It's going to be up for grabs though. There really isn't one team that just sticks out as the team to beat.