16-17 Games of Interest

[WuDrWu]

Realtime RPI (not anywhere near the best yardstick but still) has 8 of 10 Valley teams 170 or better. Only Bradley and Drake are killers right now.

They project WSU to win every remaining game. Some of the predictions are ridiculous. 85-61 over OSU for instance.

But the back to back beatings of Bradley & Drake (both projected in excess of 50 points) made me laugh. If Matrix was here, he'd laugh too.

[Aargh]

Aundre Jackson of LUC has played exceptionally well so far this year.

My new hope (after WSU winning the league, of course) is for Moser to finish ahead of ISUr, and Hinson to finish ahead of MSU. Cause I think that's funny.

Those thoughts warm my heart. With a recruiting budget that seemed to be a tank of gas, Hinson got an rpi of 24 with mostly players he could recruit without airfare. He got fired for not getting an NCAA invite. MSU did not improve their status with any of the coaches they've hired since then.

There just seems to be something about IlSU. Moser needed to be booted there, but he's looking like an incredible recruiter at Loyola. I'm less optimistic that Muller would do better at another school. Muller seems inclined to recruit apparently great basketball players who are undisciplined and lack respect for rules and authority. Those players tend to bring those attributes to the basketball court, resulting in things like a 6'8" post player taking a contested 3 to try to win a game when down by 2 points.

[Heinro]

Realtime RPI (not anywhere near the best yardstick but still) has 8 of 10 Valley teams 170 or better. Only Bradley and Drake are killers right now.

They project WSU to win every remaining game. Some of the predictions are ridiculous. 85-61 over OSU for instance.

But the back to back beatings of Bradley & Drake (both projected in excess of 50 points) made me laugh. If Matrix was here, he'd laugh too.

Yes, the Valley seems to be trending in the right direction at least for this season. We need to continue to win games. Majority of teams 150+ would be a big deal. Even Bradley, though certainly not good, isn't 320ish territory this year like they have been.

[Shocker-maniac]

Interestingly (to no one else but me), when I was a kid around 19 years of age, I was T'd up in a similar situation following an even more egregious traveling call where the opposing team's player was allowed to run the baseline following a deflection out of bounds, up 2 points and less than 10 seconds to play..

My team trailed by 2 and after a foul and subsequent technical foul (where I absolutely should have been thrown out of the game, if not the league for my tirade) my team ended up losing by 6.

Now, this was 7th grade parochial league basketball, and I was coaching for free, not D1. Perhaps the similarities are beginning to come into focus.

A big difference is that you are man enough to admit your mistake. Over on the Redbird fanboy forum, several sources stated that Muller only mildly accepted responsibility for getting T'd up, but then proceeded to throw a couple of his players under the bus for their performance in the loss. That Muller is a real class act.

[Cdizzle]

I liked the post saying that Muller should be suspended for a game. I wondered aloud how many dead bodies would have to be found for that level of punishment to take place at ISUr.

[ShockingButTrue]

Colorado defeats Xavier by 4, 68-64.

Good win for the Buffs because it helps us a lot. That win at Colorado State carries a little weight now.

[Stickboy46]

Sycamores are going to be a tough win at their gym. Maybe here too.

I'm not looking forward to starting the Valley season on the road in Terre Haute. ISUb may be 5-4 but their 4 losses have been by a combined 10 points so far to some decent teams.

[Heinro]

I'm not looking forward to starting the Valley season on the road in Terre Haute. ISUb may be 5-4 but their 4 losses have been by a combined 10 points so far to some decent teams.

Absolutely agree. Conceivably if the Scott missed 3 pointer against Iowa State goes in, potentially they don't collapse the remainder of the tourney, and would be squarely in the at large discussion.

[SHOXAAC]

...or get them now before they get even more dangerous. If and when they get better, we get them at the Chuck. Bring em on!!!

[ShockingButTrue]

Absolutely agree. Conceivably if the Scott missed 3 pointer against Iowa State goes in, potentially they don't collapse the remainder of the tourney, and would be squarely in the at large discussion.

Yep. If Scott gets hot, which is often, he can carry the team by himself. Conner will have to be up to the task.

[wu_shizzle]

Yep. If Scott gets hot, which is often, he can carry the team by himself. Conner will have to be up to the task.

Conner won't be guarding Scott, look for ZB or LS to D him up.

[1972Shocker]

After 9 consecutive D-1 losses (8 road games and 1 neutral site game) Long Beach State got to play at home and picked up their first win of the season a 75-66 win over Pepperdine. Won't do much for our RPI considering Pepperdine does not appear to be very good. But hey, baby steps.

[1972Shocker]

All 10 Valley teams in action this weekend. 9 games on Saturday with Indiana State playing on Sunday. There is actually a chance the Valley could go 10-0 this weekend.

The Shocks appear to have the toughtest challenge by far at Oklahoma. Furthermore all 9 of the other Valley teams are playing at home.

The other Valley games (records are D-1 game only) are:
Sam Houston State (3-3) at Southern Illinois (4-4)
Tennessee-Martin (6-2) at Illinois State (3-3)
Jackson State (1-6) at Drake (0-6)
Murray State (4-4) at Evansville
Milwaukee (3-5) at Loyola (6-2)
North Dakota (2-2) at Northern Iowa (3-4)
Valparaiso (6-2) at Missouri State (4-2)
Chicago State (1-4) at Bradley (3-5)
Western Kentucky (3-5) at Indiana State (4-4)

[LuskingforGuttin]

All 10 Valley teams in action this weekend. 9 games on Saturday with Indiana State playing on Sunday. There is actually a chance the Valley could go 10-0 this weekend.

The Shocks appear to have the toughtest challenge by far at Oklahoma. Furthermore all 9 of the other Valley teams are playing at home.

The other Valley games (records are D-1 game only) are:
Sam Houston State (3-3) at Southern Illinois (4-4)
Tennessee-Martin (6-2) at Illinois State (3-3)
Jackson State (1-6) at Drake (0-6)
Murray State (4-4) at Evansville
Milwaukee (3-5) at Loyola (6-2)
North Dakota (2-2) at Northern Iowa (3-4)
Valparaiso (6-2) at Missouri State (4-2)
Chicago State (1-4) at Bradley (3-5)
Western Kentucky (3-5) at Indiana State (4-4)

Valpo will be a pretty big challenge for MSU. They have that Alec something or other, I forget his last name but he is supposed to be a possible NBA draft pick. But yeah it looks pretty good overall. I will be pulling with all my might for the Shocks to beat the Punchin' Joe Mixons on Saturday!

[wusphlash]

Iowa over #25 Iowa State 78-64. That was a 4-5 Iowa team.