American Athletic Conference

[ShockTalk]

I agree. The best possibility would be for Bradley to improve markedly so that they are a top 25ish team every year. Keep UNI in the 50-125 RPI year after year. Hope that two additional school can go on 1-3 year runs as top 50 teams.

A lot to ask of a school's basketball program who, after 1955, has made 5 NCAA appearances and 1 S16.

UNI and MSU have better histories in a much shorter time frame.

[wufan]

A lot to ask of a school's basketball program who, after 1955, has made 5 NCAA appearances and 1 S16.

UNI and MSU have better histories in a much shorter time frame.

MSU has one appearance in the last 20 years. They went to a sweet 16 in 99. They had 5 appearances and one win from 87-92 (92 being there first year in the Valley). Other MVC teams that have exactly one NCAA appearance in the last 20 years: Drake, Evansville (also in 99).

BU has one appearance in the last ten years and two in the last 20. They went to the sweet 16 in 06. They had three appearances and one win from 86-96 (all in the Valley).

I disagree with your use of MSU as better than Bradley in recent history. Also, there is more money and fan support at Bradley than at MSU.

OTOH, UNI has 5 NCAA appearances and one sweet 16 (2010) in the past 10 years. Also, they appeared in the NCAA in 1990. A good UNI is good for the Valley, but the Panthers do not have the budget to improve from where they are currently at. Maintaining a top 100 RPI with an NCAA appearance every 3 or so years would be great!

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Let's be careful casting too many stones. We, Wichita State, have exactly 3 appearances in the last 25 years. We seemed position to go to our 3rd straight. But still, even we need to do better.

[ShockerFever]

Let's be careful casting too many stones. We, Wichita State, have exactly 3 appearances in the last 25 years. We seemed position to go to our 3rd straight. But still, even we need to do better.

Or I could twist the numbers in my favor and say it's been 4 out of the last 8. And in that stretch, it included a Final Four, a Sweet 16, a #5 seed, a 23-0 start to the regular season, and a Top 4 ranking.

Do any of those schools compare to that?

I think it's kinda obvious where the trend is here..

[ShockTalk]

MSU has one appearance in the last 20 years. They went to a sweet 16 in 99. They had 5 appearances and one win from 87-92 (92 being there first year in the Valley). Other MVC teams that have exactly one NCAA appearance in the last 20 years: Drake, Evansville (also in 99).

BU has one appearance in the last ten years and two in the last 20. They went to the sweet 16 in 06. They had three appearances and one win from 86-96 (all in the Valley).

I disagree with your use of MSU as better than Bradley in recent history. Also, there is more money and fan support at Bradley than at MSU.

OTOH, UNI has 5 NCAA appearances and one sweet 16 (2010) in the past 10 years. Also, they appeared in the NCAA in 1990. A good UNI is good for the Valley, but the Panthers do not have the budget to improve from where they are currently at. Maintaining a top 100 RPI with an NCAA appearance every 3 or so years would be great!

As we know, gaging a team by a 10 year history doesn't make much of a history. In this case, you're using BU's 4 year spurt.

Over the last 17 years: # of times MSU finished higher than BU in conference, 11, tied 2, BU higher 4 (3 of those years in a row). Last 10 years, MSU 6, tied 1, BU 3.

# of .500+ years, MSU 14, BU 10. Over 10 years, MSU 8, BU 6.

# of 20+ wins, MSU 7, BU 4. Over 10 years, MSU 4, BU 4.

Overall record: MSU 319-250, .561. BU 270-269, .501. Over 10 years, MSU 187-142, .568, BU 167-164, .505.

What kind of recent history would you like to discuss? I'm not disagreeing that BU has more money and better fan support. Kinda sad ain't it.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Or I could twist the numbers in my favor and say it's been 4 out of the last 8. And in that stretch, it included a Final Four, a Sweet 16, a #5 seed, a 23-0 start to the regular season, and a Top 4 ranking.

Do any of those schools compare to that?

I think it's kinda obvious where the trend is here..

I would like to see us get past the 6 straight years. SIU went from 2002-2007 and made 2 sweet 16's almost knocking off KU.

[Ta town]

Or I could twist the numbers in my favor and say it's been 4 out of the last 8. And in that stretch, it included a Final Four, a Sweet 16, a #5 seed, a 23-0 start to the regular season, and a Top 4 ranking.

Do any of those schools compare to that?

I think it's kinda obvious where the trend is here..

Yep, 4 NCAA's, 3 NIT's with a S16, F4, and NIT championship in last 10 years (counting this year), also this will be 5th straight year with 25+ wins.

[ShockerFever]

I would like to see us get past the 6 straight years. SIU went from 2002-2007 and made 2 sweet 16's almost knocking off KU.

So are you saying SIU's run trumps ours?

[wufan]

As we know, gaging a team by a 10 year history doesn't make much of a history. In this case, you're using BU's 4 year spurt.

Over the last 17 years: # of times MSU finished higher than BU in conference, 11, tied 2, BU higher 4 (3 of those years in a row). Last 10 years, MSU 6, tied 1, BU 3.

# of .500+ years, MSU 14, BU 10. Over 10 years, MSU 8, BU 6.

# of 20+ wins, MSU 7, BU 4. Over 10 years, MSU 4, BU 4.

Overall record: MSU 319-250, .561. BU 270-269, .501. Over 10 years, MSU 187-142, .568, BU 167-164, .505.

What kind of recent history would you like to discuss? I'm not disagreeing that BU has more money and better fan support. Kinda sad ain't it.

Bradley has tradition and finances to be a very good team for a sustained period of time just like WSU and Creighton. You were the one that said MSU had a much better recent history and used NCAA appearances as the measuring stick.and cut off everything before 1955. So when I went with recent history and gave you the 10 year and 20 year history of NCAA and then I threw in both teams best period in the last 30 years. Now it's wins and losses and 20 win seasons? Give me a break! Neither team has lit the world on fire, recently, but at least Bradley has been to the tournament this century.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

So are you saying SIU's run trumps ours?

I thought we were talking conference success. I'll take a 6+ year run by us, another 4 outta 6 years from UNI (Don't see Jacobsen leaving), and a strong resurgence by Bradley and Missouri State. As unpopular as it may be, I think Muller has Illinois State on the right path, and I also have hopes for Giacolleti will bring Drake up. Hinson has shown he knows what to takes to win in the Valley, so I expect them to get better.

That leaves Indiana State, Evansville (Love Simmons, but can he build around Balentine better than he did Ryan) and Loyola. Can they raise their game.

[pogo]

Face it, I think that a high number of programs can be successful in the mo valley if:
1. They find a coach that can succeed
2. Retain said coach and this means pay the guy
3. Make a commitment to the program as in funding the thing at a level they are not now at.

[ShockTalk]

Bradley has tradition and finances to be a very good team for a sustained period of time just like WSU and Creighton. You were the one that said MSU had a much better recent history and used NCAA appearances as the measuring stick.and cut off everything before 1955. So when I went with recent history and gave you the 10 year and 20 year history of NCAA and then I threw in both teams best period in the last 30 years. Now it's wins and losses and 20 win seasons? Give me a break! Neither team has lit the world on fire, recently, but at least Bradley has been to the tournament this century.

Fair enough. I just didn't believe that a recent 4 year spurt, which included a S16, made them any better candidate. They seem to be going backwards again.

I also didn't realize that MSU missing by 1 year of having an NCAA appearance gave BU the edge.....given all the other performance gauges.

Hey, I'm just frustrated with the Valley right now.

[wufan]

Face it, I think that a high number of programs can be successful in the mo valley if:
1. They find a coach that can succeed
2. Retain said coach and this means pay the guy
3. Make a commitment to the program as in funding the thing at a level they are not now at.

Agreed. I think there have been some good recent hires, but I havent yet seen results from Hinson, Ford, Giacotelli, or the dude at MSU. I also agree with an above post that Mueller surprisingly seems to be taking his team in the right direction.

[Rlh04d]

Face it, I think that a high number of programs can be successful in the mo valley if:
1. They find a coach that can succeed
2. Retain said coach and this means pay the guy
3. Make a commitment to the program as in funding the thing at a level they are not now at.

Sure. If MVC teams could do that, that'd be awesome. Not going to happen, though.

[Blackmag]

well if valley teams don't raise their game then Wichita State could go on a two to three year run at the top. If so I say im happy because were going to the dance and being relevent. The otheir teams will get better or drown.