Report: Loyola-Chicago to join MVC

[blackandgold]

I live in the Chicago area. Rockford is nowhere close to Chicago. College sports in Chicago really don't matter to the masses. It's all about professional sports here. Believe me, no one talks about Loyola here. I for one want WSU to leave the Valley ASAP.

[KC Shox]

We can give the benefit of the doubt to Loyola, right? They got the money, perhaps they are a sleeping giant. Perhaps they convinced the voters that elevating their status would result in more of a emphasis in their athletic programs. Perhaps the voters, like the professional drafts, accepted Loyola based on their potential. I'm very underwhelmed at the moment and still would love to see WSU invited somewhere else, but a small portion of me sees their financial resources, academic reputation and tv/recruiting market and thinks they may have a chance to blossom.

[SubGod22]

With the lack of excitement for Loyola joining the Valley. I wanted to do some quick research and type something up to give everybody a reason to finally get encouraged of the new MVC member. Hope this helps:

Records and Postseason Play
They last made the NCAA Tournament in 1985 going to the Sweet 16. (Five total trips: 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, and 1985)
Last made the NIT in 1980 (Four total trips: 1939, 1949, 1962)

They've only had one winning season (conference record) in the Horizon League in the past 10 years. Their overall record in those past 10 years, 140-166, which includes 3 winning seasons in that span.

Basketball Attendance (out of the 4,486 seat Joseph J. Gentile Arena built in 1996, renovated in 2011)
2012: 2,277
2011: 2,428
2010: 2,208
2009: 2,270
2008: 1,776
2007: 2,850
2006: 2,420
2005: 2,451
2004: 2,511
2003: 3,010
Avg Attendance over 10 Years: 2,420

Coaching
Porter Moser is their head coach. He's in his third year there, but knows the Valley well. He was the head coach for Illinois St from 2003-2007 where he compiled a 51-67 record (.432). Once Porter Moser was fired, Illinois St then excelled in the Valley with three straight 20+ win seasons including a Sweet 16 performance.

RPI
2012-13: 264
2011-12: 257
2010-11: 209
2009-10: 200
2008-09: 199
2007-08: 162
2006-07: 132
2005-06: 208
2004-05: 200
2003-04: 112
Avg RPI over 10 Years: 194

What in this post is supposed to excite us?

[Rlh04d]

What in this post is supposed to excite us?

Sarcasm.

[KC Shox]

Should we worry about the HL now trying to go out and get a Denver, Belmont, Murray State for example? If say Denver accepts a bid to the HL, how many of us would be pissed over that? I say the MVC needs to expand to 12 and get some other quality programs while it's not too late. Maybe, maybe not.

[SubGod22]

Apparently, the DU AD came out early in the process and said the school wasn't interested in moving into the MVC for whatever reason. Who knows, he might have been blowing smoke and playing the game, but since I live in Denver I would have been pumped had they got in. However, DU would not have been an excellent choice for the Valley either. Hockey will always be the number one sport for DU and that obviously doesn't fit with MVC-basketball priorities and their basketball draw is a mixed bag. I went to a bball game a few years ago (free tix) against Arkansas State and there were literally less than 300 people at the game. Plus, I seriously doubt DU would really have a noticeable representation in St. Louis during Arch Madness.

Let's face it, the MVC was put in a no win situation. None of the schools available make up for Creighton's departure (who has a 17,000 avg. attendance??). I can see the viewpoint where Loyola might have strong growth potential, but if the impossible were to happen in the next 10 years and they take over DePaul in that town, well then see ya later Loyola...they are joining the Big East.

Everyone knew we wouldn't "replace" Creighton. But Denver would have finished ahead of five other Valley teams in attendance this year and had one of the largest jumps in average attendance in the nation. Hockey may be the first priority, but that's not holding back basketball anymore. You cannot say the same for certain Valley schools that are pumping money into football at the expense of basketball. And again, Denver averaged about 1000 more fans than Loyola could hold if they could ever sell out. I'd also say that ORU, Valpo and Belmont all have more upside than Loyola even though Loyola may have more money.

[pogo]

Basically, this is my thought process:

1. Adding Loyola slightly hurts the Valley as a whole, and makes it harder to get an at-large bid.
2. Losing Creighton significantly hurts our chances to get an at-large bid, as every team needs high quality wins.
3. We would be in a better place if we scheduled 2 OOC games than if we played Loyola twice. We buy team like Loyola.

Combine all those, and you definitely make it harder to get an at-large bid. Next:

4. Marshall has stated he moved to the MVC specifically TO AVOID being in a one-bid conference
5. For all extents and purposes, the MVC is a one-bid conference now

That means that it makes a lot more sense for Marshall to leave now. Not "he has to leave quickly," but "if the MVC continues to decline, it may put him in a situation similar to Winthrop." He may stay here until he retires, but the odds of losing him are a lot higher now. Next:

6. Marshall is one of the best coaches in the game
7. We have had almost unprecedented success over the last few years
8. Marshall is largely responsible for building the program to this extent
9. If we want to switch conferences, we will need to do so at a program peak

Basically, we are doing well now because we have a great coach. We want to leave now, while we are peaking. "Now" meaning sometime in the next few year. If we don't leave the MVC, and Marshall leaves, then the game is effectively over.

Don't get me wrong; there will be life after Marshall. But whoever takes up the mantle after him (whether that be because he left or because he retired) will have very big shoes to fill. It is unlikely that we will be in the same position if we wait that long. And if we aren't great in a sub-par Valley like MVC, we probably won't get an invitation to a better conference.

Basically:

1. The Valley is not going to improve in the near term
2. We probably want to go to a stronger conference to continue to build our program
3. Our chances of leaving the MVC go down the longer we wait

It seems like the solution is obvious to me. Leave the MVC if we get an offer from an acceptable conference.

Marshall did have a problem with Winthrop being in a one bid league but what really irritated him was the fact they had to win the tournament and were still a 14 seed. If you take care of ooc games and still win the valley you will not be a 14 or 16 seed.

[SubGod22]

Marshall did have a problem with Winthrop being in a one bid league but what really irritated him was the fact they had to win the tournament and were still a 14 seed. If you take care of ooc games and still win the valley you will not be a 14 or 16 seed.

That's what so many fail to realize. We can and will position ourselves to get an at-large even if we don't win in STL. And we'll get a much better seed than Winthrop could have ever dreamed of. We're only a one bid league if we win in STL. Otherwise, it'll be at least two. And I still think Bradley could rise up and be in contention for an at-large on any given year. The others will depend. Loyola.....never.

[The Mad Hatter]

Marshall did have a problem with Winthrop being in a one bid league but what really irritated him was the fact they had to win the tournament and were still a 14 seed. If you take care of ooc games and still win the valley you will not be a 14 or 16 seed.

Yes, while it is true that a weaker conference hurts our at-large bid chances somewhat, I really don't think Marshall cares whether or not the Valley is a 1 bid league, if what is meant by that is that WSU is the only team with an at-large shot and would be the only team to get in if we win the Valley tournament. What really matters is for WSU to be able to A) get at-large bids and B) get good seeds. A strong conference helps with this, but the Gonzaga model still applies for WSU in a way that it never did for Winthrop.

Marshall didn't come to WSU because he was excited about the Missouri Valley Conference. He came to WSU because he was excited about WSU. The Valley may be weaker, but WSU is even stronger. It would take more than adding Loyola to make Marshall think that WSU is not a place where he can achieve all that he wants to achieve.

[jocoshock]

Yes, while it is true that a weaker conference hurts our at-large bid chances somewhat, I really don't think Marshall cares whether or not the Valley is a 1 bid league, if what is meant by that is that WSU is the only team with an at-large shot and would be the only team to get in if we win the Valley tournament. What really matters is for WSU to be able to A) get at-large bids and B) get good seeds. A strong conference helps with this, but the Gonzaga model still applies for WSU in a way that it never did for Winthrop.

Marshall didn't come to WSU because he was excited about the Missouri Valley Conference. He came to WSU because he was excited about WSU. The Valley may be weaker, but WSU is even stronger. It would take more than adding Loyola to make Marshall think that WSU is not a place where he can achieve all that he wants to achieve.

HCGM had several criteria when he came to WSU. Playing in a multii-bid league was one of them. The Valley CANNOT fall into perennial one bid league status. In the short run, it won't be an issue. In the long run, it could definitely become one.

[The Mad Hatter]

HCGM had several criteria when he came to WSU. Playing in a multii-bid league was one of them. The Valley CANNOT fall into perennial one bid league status. In the short run, it won't be an issue. In the long run, it could definitely become one.

But why did multi-bid matter to him? Because he did not want to have to win the conference tournament every year to be in the NCAAs. So long as WSU can still continue to get at-large bids, even in a weak conference, ala Gonzaga, whether or not the other members of the conference are getting at-large bids regularly makes no impact on why Marshall wanted to come to WSU.

[proshox]

HCGM had several criteria when he came to WSU. Playing in a multii-bid league was one of them. The Valley CANNOT fall into perennial one bid league status. In the short run, it won't be an issue. In the long run, it could definitely become one.

Wrong. He only cares that he gets in the tournament with a seed that gives him chance to advance. He never had that at Winthrop. He will always have that at WSU as long as he is the coach.

All CU leaving means is that he has to replace two buy games with two quality opponents. It's disn't matter who replaced CU - the impact couldn't be changed.

This was the best overall choice. It was by farthe best road trip possibility. I can't wait to watch my first college basketball in Chicago.

[Kung Wu]

In regards to media markets, Loyola is the Friends University of Chicago.

Come on man, it's not even a close comparison.

[GoShockers89]

Loyola is the Friends University of Chicago

Your subtle acronym went underappreciated. Just wanted to note this.

[Kung Wu]

No one in Chicago is going to look at Fred Van Vleet and go "he's from Chicago!"

Respectfully disagree. When we win that National Championship two years from now, and FVV is the MVP, FVV will be touted as a Chicago area native and peeps in Chicago will be all over it.