2017-18 Games of Interest

[Walker]

That was pretty clutch.

[Slykryck]

Barely 100 total points score in that game though. Wow.

[DJShocker10]

Haven’t watched Cincy much this season, but fouling the three ball with 18 seconds left screams undisciplined. Of course I only got to last the last couple minutes. Still held on for the win though.

[Aargh]

Tulane is going to win.

I'm thinking I'm lucky to have only dropped 2 points this week in Pick-Em. Tough to pick games in this league. Although I'd be doing a lot worse trying to pick winners in the Valley this year.

Missouri State and Drake are now tied for the league lead at 3-0. UNI, who had the only decent OOC results, is tied for last at 0-3 after losing to MSU tonight.

[1972Shocker]

UNI falls to 0-3 in the Valley with a 55-62 loss at Missouri State. Alize Johnson had 24 points and 20 rebounds for the Bears.

Good thing UNI has an at-large bid locked up. They are probably going to need it.

[WuDrWu]

Seriously, a couple of their fans were STILL talking about at large during the pregame discussion. "Probably can't lose to the 9th or 10th Big12 team and get an at large" etc. As if they were EVER going to go 16-2 or better (which they weren't and even then it wasn't going to be enough) or as if beating a NCState team that might go 2-16 in the ACC or a shorthanded SMU team or a BAD UTA team that was way overrated coming into the season (and all 3 they could have, if not should have lost) weren't the outliers. Parts of their tiny fan base are among the most delusional in all of sports.

They never had a snowman's chance in heck of being an at large, because they aren't any good, except at mucking a game up. But their fans can't even see that they are about a thousand times closer (and about 4 reversed 50/50 calls or buckets) to being 2-11 against D1 competition with those 2 wins coming against Alcorn and Chicago State. They're lousy.

[WuDrWu]

To be fair, that NC State win is looking quite a bit better tonight.

[ShockerFever]

UNI falls to 0-3 in the Valley with a 55-62 loss at Missouri State. Alize Johnson had 24 points and 20 rebounds for the Bears.

Good thing UNI has a at-large bid locked up. They are probably going to need it.

Love it.

[SHOCKvalue]

MVC is 8th in conference RPI, yet doesn’t have a single freaking at-large worthy team. Decent-ish non-cons, then everybody loses their minds and tries their hardest for across-the-board .500 in-conference, except for the non-Koch WSU game when everyone runs at 110% and packs the house.

In a microcosm, that was why it sucked so hard being in the Valley. Good riddance you fools with your multiple personality disorders.

[WuDrWu]

The reason they've moved up is simply because the bad teams got older and not crappy. Look at all the 3-5th year players that are "stars". Drake has 5 contributing seniors. Those guys are tired of losing. Missouri State too plus Johnson is by far the best player in the league. Loyola would probably be atop the standings if Richardson and Custer weren't hurt. Those 2, Jackson, Ingram all 4th or 5th year guys. Just no awful teams, like there have been for most of the last decade.

[RoyalShock]

Exactly. Right now, the worst RPI ranked team is Valpo at 162. Last year over half the league (6 teams) finished worse than that: 184, 192, 211, 219, 234, 316. And two others weren't far off at 147 and 158. That means everyone in the league last year except WSU and ISU, was about the same or worse than the worst team so far this year.

They are now the definition of a mediocre league, top to bottom.

[WuDrWu]

RoyalShock the Valley got just what they wanted...the Valley of Even.

[Play Angry]

Arizona State's descent in the polls is about to hit light speed after they drop another deuce at Utah on Sunday.

[Cdizzle]

Yeah. They aren't going to be helped much because voters don't want ASU in the top 10 anyway.

[Slykryck]

Arizona State's descent in the polls is about to hit light speed after they drop another deuce at Utah on Sunday.

I just love how the BIG12 is considered this year as the best conference top to bottom and their “flagship” program which shall remain nameless is 0-2 at home (if there is a picture of a chicken on the court, it’s a friggin home game) vs PAC12.

[1972Shocker]

Cal getting drubbed at home by USC trailing 43-66 with 7 minutes remaining.

I still can't believe Arkansas State hung with the Shockers in Koch Arena. They are now 6-10 after getting demolished at Georgia Southern 49-80 tonight.

[ShockerFever]

Did ASU already shoot their load too early? Colorado isn't that good.

[Cdizzle]

Did ASU already shoot their load too early? Colorado isn't that good.

Road games hard. People don't appreciate what WSU does enough, IMO. Losing NONE of your games to teams that "aren't that good," with half on the road, is REALLY FREAKING IMPRESSIVE.

[Shockm]

Cal getting drubbed at home by USC trailing 43-66 with 7 minutes remaining.

I still can't believe Arkansas State hung with the Shockers in Koch Arena. They are now 6-10 after getting demolished at Georgia Southern 49-80 tonight.

Have you looked st other low majors who upset power 6 schools and their records? Woffird had a couple of upsets but have been up and down too. You make statements like the Shox should blow through their schedule but fail to recognize the up and down nature of virtually all major programs. Take a look at all upsets.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Arkansas State is significantly worse than Wofford, Washington, Colorado, or any of the "weak" teams that have pulled off wins over top 15 schools so far this year.

For the Shox to have trailed by 9, in the 2nd half, at home, to that team, is still shocking. We love to focus on Ws & Ls (as we should), but that game was a massive outlier regardless of the fact WSU pulled it out.

[OregonShocker]

Yes, but the difference is Wofford, Washington, and Colorado won. Ark State didn't. I think that says it all.

[1972Shocker]

I was focused more on the fact that Arkansas State has an RPI of around 297 and is 4-10 against an SOS ranked 301. Wofford has an RPI of 137. Not exactly apples to apples is it? Arkansas State's 4 wins are agains RPI's 242, 252, 295 and 346. They couldn't quite pull out wins agaisnt 298, 314 and 333. Furthermore, the Shocks are not just some Power 6 team. They are a top 10 team. Clearly the Shocks were somewhat out of sorts that night although I understand the Super Bowl effect we have on some teams. But at least it was a win. Bottom line: Nice try, but no sale in this case.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

With the lone exception of the Notre Dame fiasco, WSU might be the best team in the country at finishing games.

Up 6 vs Marquette with 8:00 to play. Won by 14.
Up 2 vs Ark St with 9:30 to play. Won by 9.
Tied with OSU with 8:15 to play. Won by 12.
Tied with UConn with 9:30 to play. Won by 10.
Tied with FGC with 4:30 to play. Won by 10.
Tied with Baylor with 3:00 to play. Won by 7.
Down 8 vs Cal with 6:15 to play. Won by 10.
Down 9 to SDSU with 8:45 to play. Won by 10.

Lost the last 6:30 of last night by 14. lol

[Cdizzle]

I'll take it!

[Aargh]

Lost the last 6:30 of last night by 14. lol

That's called an "in-game coaching adjustment". Could have won by 40. Chose not to do that.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

I do not believe coach Marshall could have coached them to a 22 point improvement over that 6:30 span. He let up off the gas, for sure, but there was also just some poor play by veteran players during that span.

[im4wsu]

There is the old saying that it is difficult a team or players just to flip a switch and turn it on again after they've essentially retired for the remainder of the game. Had the normal rotation guys remained in the game from 6:38 or whatever through to 2:00, I don't doubt, whatsoever, that this would have been a 30+ point win.

[Shockm]

Houston is also a good team. We caught fire on offense. We executed, got open shots, and knocked them down. This was our night. Houston does a lot of things well. They rebound and play hard the entire game. At Houston, we will very likely be in for a dog fight.