2016-17 Media Love Thread

[WuShock Reaper]

"College Insider Mid-Major Top 25" - CollegeInsider.com

http://www.collegeinsider.com/mens-mid-major-top-25.php

1 Gonzaga (22)
2 Saint Mary's (8)
3 Wichita State
4 Illinois State
5 Monmouth
6 UT Arlington
7 UNCW
8 Valparaiso (1)
9 Chattanooga
10 Long Beach State
11 Princeton
12 Akron
13 Belmont
14 BYU
15 Fort Wayne
16 Ohio
17 Northern Iowa
18 Stephen F. Austin
19 North Dakota State
20 Florida Gulf Coast
21 ETSU
22 Siena
23 Grand Canyon
24 New Mexico State
25 Yale


* I realize some of you are not very fond of these publications that list WSU and others as mid-majors, i am just providing for informational purposes.

[WSUwatcher]

There are three -- maybe four -- teams on that list, Reaper, that don't match all the others: the obvious two are Gonzaga and WSU, which are high major programs in mid-level leagues. The other two are BYU, which I have a hard time thinking of as on the same level with Chattanooga, Akron, SFA, etc.; and St. Mary's, which is arguably also a high major basketball program although less high profile than the Zags.

[Bluzrover]

There are three -- maybe four -- teams on that list, Reaper, that don't match all the others: the obvious two are Gonzaga and WSU, which are high major programs in mid-level leagues. The other two are BYU, which I have a hard time thinking of as on the same level with Chattanooga, Akron, SFA, etc.; and St. Mary's, which is arguably also a high major basketball program although less high profile than the Zags.

I predict that by the end of this season, Wichita State will be far more prominent in the national spotlight and the "mid-major" label will again be much debated. But there are some good basketball programs on this list, at least as of right now. That will certainly change once the season is in full gear. I think we're a bit under the radar given the graduation of Ron and Fred and other than a select few in the national media and us of course recognize what Gregg Marshall tends to do every year. For Chrissake, we've got three 4 stars and a bevy of 3 stars on the roster. I'm pretty sure this year's squad will make some blue bloods bleed.

[DwShock]

"Valley Insider: Men's teams lining up to challenge Shockers" - Springfield News Leader

Jim Connell, Sports Writer
October 23, 2016, 5 p.m.

http://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/2016/10/23/valley-insider-mens-teams-lining-up-challenge-shockers/92649148/

"Who’s got next?

It’s more than a long-forgotten advertising slogan. It’s a good way to approach the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball season that’s looming large. With the league’s Basketball Tipoff set for Tuesday in St. Louis, where the preseason poll and all-conference teams will be announced, it seems a good time to check in on the haves and have-nots. It’s tempting to write off Wichita State, with Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet gone to the NBA. Those two won 121 games and played in four NCAA Tournaments for the Shockers. There are nine other Valley teams hoping the Shockers come back to the pack, and there will be a chance to make a move up in the league.

But …

While there are no double-digit scorers returning for the Shockers, they have talented players who played significant roles for the team last season – including Markis McDuffie, Conner Frankamp, Shaquille Morris and Zach Brown, and blossoming star Landry Shamet..."

Jim Connell’s men’s preseason ballot

1. Wichita State
2. Illinois State
3. Northern Iowa
4. Missouri State
5. Loyola
6. Southern Illinois
7. Indiana State
8. Evansville
9. Bradley
10. Drake


Preseason All-Valley team

Paris Lee, Illinois State
Dequon Miller, Missouri State
Jeremy Morgan, Northern Iowa (Preseason Player of the Year)
Markis McDuffie, Wichita State
Brenton Scott, Indiana Stat

Lansing the best coach in the valley. Now that's funny.

[Dave Stalwart]

Lansing the best coach in the valley. Now that's funny.

In my opinion, based on years of consistent data, the only candidates for a statement like that are going to be Jacobsen and Marshall. Whenever another name is mentioned, almost regardless of who it is, I can already tell that it is just an attempt at distributing the award to anyone other than those two guys.

I'd be quick to agree with anyone's name being tossed in there if they would ever accomplish anything, but it just isn't happening. And I really like Lansing and Hinson. I'd love to give them accolades but they really need to start doing something before guys go around saying one of them is "the best coach in the MVC"

I think what they mean is "he's a coach who is good enough that he can take one of the struggling mvc programs and lead it to a non 300 RPI season which is becoming all too frequent in this conference.. That's a very different set of goals than what Marshall and Jacobsen are consistently achieving. Now, most of the mvc keeps shooting for a top 80-150 finish and calling an NIT invite a "great season" but when you've got two other coaches living there or better every year, you don't go find the nearest third place candidate and crown them if you are being serious.

[WuShock Reaper]

"College basketball preview: Amid talent shift, Missouri Valley still Wichita State’s to lose" - NCAA.com

by Ryan Cooper
Oct 30, 2016 12:40 EDT

http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-10-30/college-basketball-preview-amid-talent-shift-missouri-valley

"...Best team

There’s a good chance you can only recognize one or two names on the Wichita State roster, if that. For a team that has been a mainstay of the tournament for years, that’s a little surprising. But with the core of the team now gone, this is a completely new-look Shockers team. See if coach Gregg Marshall cares.

Despite losing VanVleet, a two-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year recipient, and Baker, the glue of the team, the Shockers were picked by 37 of 42 voters to win the conference...."

[WuShock Reaper]

"The top six mid-major contenders this season" - Sports Illustrated

by DAVID GARDNER
Monday October 31st, 2016

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/10/31/midmajor-contenders-gonzaga-byu-saint-marys-wichita-state

"...We have already projected player statistics and standings for the ACC, A-10, American, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC. Now we turn to the six teams outside of those conferences our projections believe are most likely to be contenders....


1. Gonzaga (First in WCC, NCAA tournament No. 3 seed)

2. St. Mary’s (Second in WCC, No. 6 seed)

3. Wichita State (First in MVC, No. 7 seed) - What will Wichita State look like without Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker? Well, according to our projections, the Shockers will still be the best team in the Missouri Valley and an NCAA tournament threat. Markis McDuffie, who was named to the preseason All-MVC first team and the Julius Ervin Award watchlist (given to the best small forward in the country), should be the X-factor in an offense that will revolve around sharpshooting guard Conner Frankam

4. San Diego State (First in MWC, No. 9 seed)

5. BYU (Third in WCC, First Four)

6. Princeton (First in Ivy League, First Four)"

[WSUwatcher]

Sports Illustrated

by DAVID GARDNER
Monday October 31st, 2016

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/10/31/midmajor-contenders-gonzaga-byu-saint-marys-wichita-state

"...We have already projected player statistics and standings for the ACC, A-10, American, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC. Now we turn to the six teams outside of those conferences our projections believe are most likely to be contenders....

Wait a second -- no Big East? And no Creighton? Actually, I'm willing to accept that the omission of the Big Priest and Villanova was probably an oversight, but maybe not so much for the Jayboys. (I know, the AP has them at #22 pre-season, but how long before P'Allen Foster does for their team chemistry what he did for K-State's?)

[_kai_]

http://shockerhoops.net/index.php/2016/11/02/conference-realignment-wichita-state-2/

New article up on ShockerHoops.net by our new contributor Kyle Amos. His take on conference realignment and discusses options as we sit now.

[SHOCKvalue]

http://shockerhoops.net/index.php/20...chita-state-2/

New article up on ShockerHoops.net by our new contributor Kyle Amos. His take on conference realignment and discusses options as we sit now.

Sorry, I stopped reading the article when in the second paragraph the author stated that Saint Louis, Tulsa, and Creighton have "gone on to better things".

Wut...

Honest question: What is the most significant athletic accomplishment collectively for that set of three since leaving the MVC?

[The Mad Hatter]

Sorry, I stopped reading the article when in the second paragraph the author stated that Saint Louis, Tulsa, and Creighton have "gone on to better things".

Wut...

Honest question: What is the most significant athletic accomplishment collectively for that set of three since leaving the MVC?

Seemed pretty clear from the context that he meant they have gone on to better things in terms of conference affiliation, which I don't think any of us would disagree with.

[Shocker-maniac]

Sorry, I stopped reading the article when in the second paragraph the author stated that Saint Louis, Tulsa, and Creighton have "gone on to better things".

Wut...

Honest question: What is the most significant athletic accomplishment collectively for that set of three since leaving the MVC?

Ummm, that would be LEAVING THE MVC. Something that we have not yet accomplished.

[SHOCKvalue]

Ummm, that would be LEAVING THE MVC. Something that we have not yet accomplished.

And in those cases the benefits and rewards for the move are... ?

[Cdizzle]

And in those cases the benefits and rewards for the move are... ?

They are able to schedule great teams like WSU to home/home non-conference games. Can you say that about more than 1 other team currently in the league?

[SHOCKvalue]

They are able to schedule great teams like WSU to home/home non-conference games. Can you say that about more than 1 other team currently in the league?

Well I'm glad that one of SN's most whitty and intellectually creative posters was able to come up with something in response, I guess.

Lol!