16-17 Games of Interest

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

I think the OU fans are going to sweat out any 2ND half lead they might have this year.

What fans? I watched part of that game. It looked like the WSU student section, 2nd half, vs St Louis, only it was the first half, vs a good Memphis team, and it was ALL SECTIONS.

Couldn't have been more than half full. Sad.

[ShockerFever]

Just checking in on South Dakota State and Drake to see what SDSU is all about. Jackrabbits up 15 with about 15 minutes left.

I must say that everything about Drake, from the team to the attendance to the gym they play in all looks D-2. Seriously.

[WuDrWu]

83-75 Jackrabbits final. Drake fouled more, Timmer was 4-13 from 3. Neither team shot it great.

[shocks02]

Colorado State lost at home last night to Loyola-Marymount (RPI of 261).

[ShockTalk]

Colorado State lost at home last night to Loyola-Marymount (RPI of 261).

Given what we have seen so far by what our opponents have done in other games, a pattern is emerging that not just the LBSU, St Louis, and LSU types are doing worse than we'd hoped, so are most of the better teams we've beaten or lost to (CSU, MSU, OU).

It's looking like not only the good we've done is of lesser value, but some of the bad may be worse.

None of this means that I think this team doesn't have a high ceiling or can't improve greatly the rest of the season.

[1972Shocker]

Given what we have seen so far by what our opponents have done in other games, a pattern is emerging that not just the LBSU, St Louis, and LSU types are doing worse than we'd hoped, so are most of the better teams we've beaten or lost to (CSU, MSU, OU).

It's looking like not only the good we've done is of lesser value, but some of the bad may be worse.

None of this means that I think this team doesn't have a high ceiling or can't improve greatly the rest of the season.

I agree that this team has a high celing and can improve significantly the rest of the season. However, what this means is that even with such improvement it may very well be St. Louis or bust as far as our chances of making the big dance this year.

[MoValley John]

Iowa beats North Dakota, refuses handshakes.

[MoValley John]

Huskers sneak by highly ranked Southern, 81-76.

[1972Shocker]

Loyola lost on the road to a 0.500 Toledo team tonight 70-74. The Ramblers dug a pretty deep hole trailing by as many as 16 in the first half before closing to within 30-41 at halftime. The Ramblers got within 5 with about 15 minutes to go but Toledo built the lead back to 11 again 2 minutes later. Loyola closed the gap to 4 points with 5:45 left in the game but Toledo quickly move it back to 9. Loyola made on final run to come with in 2 with 2:30 remaining but could never get closer than that. Loyola hit a 3 pointer at the buzzer to provide the final margin Seems like Toledo had an answer ready every time they needed it.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

A Loyola win last night would have truly capped off a really good non-con for them by their standards. With the loss, Loyola finishes the non-con with 8 D1 wins for the 6th time in the last 11 years. Given the scare vs Illinois Chicago the game prior, they aren't exactly playing their best ball right now, and I'm not holding my breath that this team will be anything more than a repeat of the 2011/2013/2015 Ramblers. They seem to have this weird pattern of rising to mediocrity every other year. I guess this is their year to not suck. Hopefully I'm wrong and they will do even more than that. The Shox really need 3-4 MVC teams to break away from the pack. Teams like Loyola, Evansville, Northern Iowa, and Illinois State need to sweep the Drakes and Bradleys.

[1972Shocker]

Indiana State is not playing their best either. After knocking of a ranked Butler team after playing Iowa State and Stanford very close games in Florida earlier they have now lost 59-77 to Western Kentucky (4-7, 287 RPI) at home and lost 71-89 at Valparaiso (8-2, 35 RPI).

Northern Iowa has been up and down as well and the joined the Shocks in laying an egg last Satruday losing by 46-69 to Iowa in Des Moines.

Evansville has won 5 consecutive D-1 games starting with a home win over Boise State in the MWC-MVC Challenge. However, the past 4 opponents have a combined D-1 record of 10-31 and an average RPI of 267 and all but one of those games was at home.

The Valley really is taking on the look of a one-bid league. Illinois State has the best RPI at this point at 59. The Shocks are at 73 and UNI is at 100.

Drake is 346 in the RPI out of a total of 351 teams. However, they have a shot at their 1st D-1 win on Thursday night hosting 0-12 Mississippi Valley State. BTW Mississippi Valley State, who will finish it's non-conference schedule against Drake, will have played 12 road games and 1 neutral court game. They start conference play on the road at Arkansas-Pine Bluff before getting their first home game of the season on January 7th. They need to get T-Shirts that say "Syracuse We Ain't".

Not sure how much weight the RPI carries with NCAA Selection Committee these days but at this point it's not a good look for the Valley.

[Stickboy46]

Indiana State is not playing their best either. After knocking of a ranked Butler team after playing Iowa State and Stanford very close games in Florida earlier they have now lost 59-77 to Western Kentucky (4-7, 287 RPI) at home and lost 71-89 at Valparaiso (8-2, 35 RPI).

Northern Iowa has been up and down as well and the joined the Shocks in laying an egg last Satruday losing by 46-69 to Iowa in Des Moines.

Evansville has won 5 consecutive D-1 games starting with a home win over Boise State in the MWC-MVC Challenge. However, the past 4 opponents have a combined D-1 record of 10-31 and an average RPI of 267 and all but one of those games was at home.

The Valley really is taking on the look of a one-bid league. Illinois State has the best RPI at this point at 59. The Shocks are at 73 and UNI is at 100.

Drake is 346 in the RPI out of a total of 351 teams. However, they have a shot at their 1st D-1 win on Thursday night hosting 0-12 Mississippi Valley State. BTW Mississippi Valley State, who will finish it's non-conference schedule against Drake, will have played 12 road games and 1 neutral court game. They start conference play on the road at Arkansas-Pine Bluff before getting their first home game of the season on January 7th. They need to get T-Shirts that say "Syracuse We Ain't".

Not sure how much weight the RPI carries with NCAA Selection Committee these days but at this point it's not a good look for the Valley.

ISUr is the only team with a realistic chance of getting an at-large or being a quality win for us. They could lose 4-5 more games and still be in the Top 50 RPI (depending on who the losses are to).

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

ISUr is the only team with a realistic chance of getting an at-large or being a quality win for us. They could lose 4-5 more games and still be in the Top 50 RPI (depending on who the losses are to).

14-4 in the MVC would give Illinois State an RPI of approx. 47 heading into St. Louis. To the RPI, it makes no difference which 14 they win and which 4 they lose.

Also, for what it's worth, KenPom predicts ISUr to go 11-7. 14-4 would be quite the surprise for them.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

It seems likely that WSU will once again be the only at-large contender in the MVC. 2013 Creighton was the last at-large worthy team, although they won the auto bid and didn't need an at-large.

Believe it or not, 2007 SIU is the last MVC team (not named WSU) to actually receive an at-large bid. Uggghh...

[1972Shocker]

Halftime: Eastern Illinois 39 - Indiana State 31