MVC League Summer Update - Gregg Marshall

[SB Shock]

SIU site had a good synopsis of the MVC Coaches summer updates on their programs

Gregg Marshall, Wichita State Our league is cyclical and we're one of the few conferences that have had all the teams go to the NCAA Tournament. When I came into the league we were near the bottom looking up at Southern Illinois and Creighton. Getting to the top is one challenge, but maintaining excellence, like Gonzaga has done, is another thing. The Power Six conferences want a bigger piece of the pie and to legislate rules and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. I don't think they'll do anything to cause the NCAA Tournament to go away, but something short of that might be possible. Our schedule will be the most difficult one since I've been here -- a ton of BCS teams. We lost the Mountain West Challenge, Creighton and BracketBuster, and those are quality games lost from your schedule, and that hurts. The league is taking steps to get schools to not only schedule well, but do well. We're not going to go on the road for checks. If we can find teams that want to play home and home or neutral sites -- we're playing Memphis at a neutral site -- you have to be creative. It will be tremendously difficult to replace Cleanthony Early. We'll have a handful of guys see time at that position this season. It wouldn't surprise me if Fred VanVleet (5-11, 194, Jr.) scores more. Assuming he stays healthy, he'll make some progress on his defense. He's working hard on his body. He's at the Deron Williams top 20 point guard camp. He understands our system as well as I do.

http://www.siusalukis.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/062414aaa.html

[ShockTalk]

Dan Muller

We have some freshmen and junior college players with high character.
We have some bigs, we have some guards and I like my team a lot.
The Valley will be better this year.
Last year was a young year and a down year for the MVC.
Losing Creighton affected the league and there were some teams that were young and down.
Northern Iowa is going to be good.
We plan on being very, very good.
I don't want to leave other teams out.
I almost guarantee you we'll have multiple bids this year.
We have teams with very good schedules that will give us opportunities for good wins.
The team that wins the league this year could have a significant number of losses.

I know the write-ups were a synopsis of each coaches remarks, but none of the other coaches remarks read like this. Muller needs a script writer in the worst way.

I think my favorite line is the second one.

[SB Shock]

Dan Muller

We have some freshmen and junior college players with high character.
We have some bigs, we have some guards and I like my team a lot.
The Valley will be better this year.
Last year was a young year and a down year for the MVC.
Losing Creighton affected the league and there were some teams that were young and down.
Northern Iowa is going to be good.
We plan on being very, very good.
I don't want to leave other teams out.
I almost guarantee you we'll have multiple bids this year.
We have teams with very good schedules that will give us opportunities for good wins.
The team that wins the league this year could have a significant number of losses.

I know the write-ups were a synopsis of each coaches remarks, but none of the other coaches remarks read like this. Muller needs a script writer in the worst way.

I think my favorite line is the second one.

I thought it was weird too and wondered if he was trying to send a message... Does anybody expect WSU to win the MVC with a "significant number of losses"? If the winner of the league does have significant number of losses then there won't be multi-bid league (unless significant means 2 or 3 for him).

[Cdizzle]

I thought it was weird too and wondered if he was trying to send a message... Does anybody expect WSU to win the MVC with a "significant number of losses"? If the winner of the league does have significant number of losses then there won't be multi-bid league (unless significant means 2 or 3 for him).

I give a pass on the format of the comments. It's impossible to tell how eloquent the responses are without the questions being posted. It's just a synopsis. As for his claim of the league winner having multiple losses:


For any team planning on challenging WSU for 1st place next year, consider that WSU has averaged less than 3 losses per year in the league over the last 3 years. It goes up to exactly 3 losses per year if you go back another year.

Only one team has won the league with 5 losses (CU in 2013) in the past 13 years (readily available data). Generally, you need to take on 3 or fewer losses to win the league.

Losses of league champion, by occurrence:
0: 1
1: 1
2: 2
3: 6
4: 2
5: 1

Of note: The 5-loss champ was CU in 2013, a year in which CU and WSU both suffered significant injury issues throughout the year. One of the 4-loss champs was WSU in 2006, an historically strong year for the league.

Are there the same number of losses built into the Valley Champs' 2015 schedule than those years? I don't see it. An outright winner will need 15.

[AndShock]

Ok seriously. SWOMO is playing a guarantee game at Texas ****ing Tech? I think I saw that posted on their board but I thought it was some false rumor or a sick joke. I was a bit annoyed at Bradley for taking a guarantee at K-State but Texas Tech is unforgivable. This finally confirms that 1) SWOMO is officially out of cattle to sell 2) they're out of money 3) their basketball program is a joke 4) they belong in the Sun Belt.

When Bradley-K-State got brought up on MVCFans, some fans were like "it's not easy getting games with top 25 teams, we're not the caliber of Wichita State, we have to take guarantee games to beef up the schedule, etc., etc., etc." No, just no. None of these donk MVC teams will ever compare to Wichita State. Ever. Even when Wichita State is horrible the rest of the MVC can't hold a candle to us. Wichita State was coming off an 11-20 season (213 RPI) and got a freaking home-and-home with Texas ***ing Tech (16-15, 92 RPI.) Missouri State is 19-12 (85 RPI) gets a guarantee from Texas Tech (14-18, 121 RPI.) Jesus Christ.

Wichita State 11-20 > SWOMO 19-12

This conference is a freaking joke. Kill me now. /end rant

[1972Shocker]

The MVC Basketball Coaches Summer Teleconference is available here for those who are interested in more than a message board synopsis.

[Snapshot9]

We might experience 1 or 2 losses due to our new bigs getting settled into their roles for the team.

[60Shock]

We might experience 1 or 2 losses due to our new bigs getting settled into their roles for the team.

Although I don't believe we will lose more than one conference game this year, perhaps coach Muller rightfully considers that 2 conference loses for WSU would be a 'significant' number of loses for us.

[ShockTalk]

Although I don't believe we will lose more than one conference game this year, perhaps coach Muller rightfully considers that 2 conference loses for WSU would be a 'significant' number of loses for us.

He said 4.

[ShockerPrez]

Well, the Valley better get a lot f'ing better if the Shox are going to lose 4…. Like 3 teams in the top 25 better.

Because, even losing Early…..

Baker, FVV and Cotton.

[LandStander]

Well, the Valley better get a lot f'ing better if the Shox are going to lose 4…. Like 3 teams in the top 25 better.

Because, even losing Early…..

Baker, FVV and Cotton.

Don't forget Carter. Just re watched the Tennessee game last night and Carter CAME ALIVE! I think we'll see much more of that this year, ala Carl Hall!

[WuDrWu]

I'm not going to predict a 21-0 conference record again this year, but it seems damned presumptuous to think several Valley teams are going to close a LARGE gap vs WSU. You know, it's not like Valley teams were really close to beating WSU last year. In 36 games last season, how many were decided by single digits?


Answer....7, with only 3 of those being Valley teams...@ MSU (3 in OT) @Indiana State (7) and @UNI (9 could have been 20). My point is simply the other 9 Valley teams have to close a pretty big gap just to be competitive, much less win, and I don't exactly see WSU backing up much this year.

[Bluzrover]

Answer....7, with only 3 of those being Valley teams...@ MSU (3 in OT) @Indiana State (7) and @UNI (9 could have been 20). My point is simply the other 9 Valley teams have to close a pretty big gap just to be competitive, much less win, and I don't exactly see WSU backing up much this year.

I think the other thing about this stat is that many of us recognized HCGM called off the dogs when the games were clearly in control. I mean, not to take anything away from UNI or MSU, but it just appeared our guys got complacent when it was clear they were the best team on the court. If Marshall were an ass, I don't think any of the Valley games would have been close.

[shocksrbest]

I'm not going to predict a 21-0 conference record again this year, but it seems damned presumptuous to think several Valley teams are going to close a LARGE gap vs WSU. You know, it's not like Valley teams were really close to beating WSU last year. In 36 games last season, how many were decided by single digits?


Answer....7, with only 3 of those being Valley teams...@ MSU (3 in OT) @Indiana State (7) and @UNI (9 could have been 20). My point is simply the other 9 Valley teams have to close a pretty big gap just to be competitive, much less win, and I don't exactly see WSU backing up much this year.

With essentially 4 starters coming back, there are not many Valley teams that can match that stat, and definitely not the degree of talent those starters possess. So not only will our starters be better, but our recruiting class is top notch.

Don't think the gap will close this year. May not win the league by 6 games, but 4-5 wouldn't surprise me.