The Rise & Fall of the Valley

[DaytonCane]

Dayton fan here. I remember when Rick Majerus was at St Louis he wanted them to dump the A10 & head to the Valley. The MVC as I'm sure you know was the IT non power for league & it seemed like it was on top of the world.

Doug Elgin at one point was a really thought of commissioner but I don't think anyone in the conference has any faith in him anymore from the sounds of it.

What was the downfall of the Valley? I feel like it's more than Creighton leaving & y'all bouncing?

Southern Illinois had a good run to start under Chris Lowery & I remember he was recruiting pretty well. Dayton got Kevin Dillard who was a top 150 guy for Rivals after they imploded off transfer. Did he just inherent good talent & blow it? It seemed like one point Lowery was punching above his weight recruiting wise there. Then they hire Barry Hinson

What's up with Jake at UNI having a good team & then disappearing? They can't string together consistent success it seems like

Did any other schools besides Loyola getting serious consideration to replace Creighton when they left?

Greg Lansing at one time was at one time and up & comer but he seems like he feel off of a cliff

Did Geno Ford just implode Bradley

Is Drake getting a 5 seed in the NCAA tourney the pinnacle human achievement?

[molly jabali]

Dayton fan here. I remember when Rick Majerus was at St Louis he wanted them to dump the A10 & head to the Valley. The MVC as I'm sure you know was the IT non power for league & it seemed like it was on top of the world.

Doug Elgin at one point was a really thought of commissioner but I don't think anyone in the conference has any faith in him anymore from the sounds of it.

What was the downfall of the Valley? I feel like it's more than Creighton leaving & y'all bouncing?

Southern Illinois had a good run to start under Chris Lowery & I remember he was recruiting pretty well. Dayton got Kevin Dillard who was a top 150 guy for Rivals after they imploded off transfer. Did he just inherent good talent & blow it? It seemed like one point Lowery was punching above his weight recruiting wise there. Then they hire Barry Hinson

What's up with Jake at UNI having a good team & then disappearing? They can't string together consistent success it seems like

Did any other schools besides Loyola getting serious consideration to replace Creighton when they left?

Greg Lansing at one time was at one time and up & comer but he seems like he feel off of a cliff

Did Geno Ford just implode Bradley

Is Drake getting a 5 seed in the NCAA tourney the pinnacle human achievement?

Enjoyed reading this, and frankly, not really sure a good answer...maybe the Valley going on the cheap? Maybe Creighton bolting?

[kcshocker11]

The real fall of the Valley is the unwillingness of members schools to commit dollars to keep their programs competitive. They allowed schools like CU and WSU to take the mantle for $ generation. When the other schools got so bad it was dragging the RPI of schools like WSU down to where some are questioning whether they should receive a NCAA bid with 30 wins. WSU was left with little choice but to look elsewhere. That being said lets hope WSU gets the AAC nod today. Go Shocks!

[Steeleshocker]

Southern Illinois was great under Weber and Painter, and even Lowery for a while. They imploded when they began getting higher level recruits that didn't fit the culture there.

UNI has usually been on a cycle where they get two good years followed by two rebuilding years. The rebuilding years used to be masked by a combination of SIU/Creighton/Wichita.

Geno Ford really did implode Bradley. It's taking years to dig that program out.

Greg was solid for ISU, but not an achiever. He seems to be just successful enough to keep his job.

Elgin's downfall was inviting Loyola. They were enticed by big endowments, Chicago, and the promise of investing in athletics. They should have pursued schools that already were invested and had solid fan bases. I don't know who was seriously considered, but Denver, Valpo, the Dakotas we discussed here.

At some point the conference or is member institutions stopped demanding excellence from basketball. That's when it really began.

[Dan]

Don't forget Missouri State's inability to retain a good coach. Cuanzo Martin could have done good things at MSU but he bolted for the first opportunity for a better gig. As long as Valley schools struggle to pay good coaches, they will be stepping stone jobs and fail to retain an semblance of consistency.

[ShockCrazy]

Southern Illinois was great under Weber and Painter, and even Lowery for a while. They imploded when they began getting higher level recruits that didn't fit the culture there.

UNI has usually been on a cycle where they get two good years followed by two rebuilding years. The rebuilding years used to be masked by a combination of SIU/Creighton/Wichita.

Geno Ford really did implode Bradley. It's taking years to dig that program out.

Greg was solid for ISU, but not an achiever. He seems to be just successful enough to keep his job.

Elgin's downfall was inviting Loyola. They were enticed by big endowments, Chicago, and the promise of investing in athletics. They should have pursued schools that already were invested and had solid fan bases. I don't know who was seriously considered, but Denver, Valpo, the Dakotas we discussed here.

At some point the conference or is member institutions stopped demanding excellence from basketball. That's when it really began.

I agree with this. Except that I think Greg Lansing is a good coach, it's gotta be hard to succeed when your recruiting budget consists of a tank of gas and a box of granola bars.

[another shocker]

As long as Valley schools struggle to pay good coaches, they will be stepping stone jobs and fail to retain an semblance of consistency.

there you go.

[DwShock]

This won't be popular but if the valley schools with football would drop the program and focus on basketball and the other sports I feel it would be a much better conference. I'm not anti football and would love for wsu to have it but not having it has allowed our athletic department to focus time, money and attention on hoops.

[GreatWhiteBuffalo]

Southern Illinois was great under Weber and Painter, and even Lowery for a while. They imploded when they began getting higher level recruits that didn't fit the culture there.

UNI has usually been on a cycle where they get two good years followed by two rebuilding years. The rebuilding years used to be masked by a combination of SIU/Creighton/Wichita.

Geno Ford really did implode Bradley. It's taking years to dig that program out.

Greg was solid for ISU, but not an achiever. He seems to be just successful enough to keep his job.

Elgin's downfall was inviting Loyola. They were enticed by big endowments, Chicago, and the promise of investing in athletics. They should have pursued schools that already were invested and had solid fan bases. I don't know who was seriously considered, but Denver, Valpo, the Dakotas we discussed here.

At some point the conference or is member institutions stopped demanding excellence from basketball. That's when it really began.

This is good stuff. I still shake my head at the addition of Loyola. There were/are so many better options. Now they think they will replace WSU with the University of Nebraska-Omaha? Yikes. Belmont (thought I heard them mentioned with Valpo and UNO) would be a much better add, if possible...and would have been instead of Loyola.

[Dan]

This won't be popular but if the valley schools with football would drop the program and focus on basketball and the other sports I feel it would be a much better conference. I'm not anti football and would love for wsu to have it but not having it has allowed our athletic department to focus time, money and attention on hoops.

Couldn't agree more. As long as they aren't in the P5, football is just a financial drain.

[WUpigsooie]

I agree with this. Except that I think Greg Lansing is a good coach, it's gotta be hard to succeed when your recruiting budget consists of a tank of gas and a box of granola bars.

*half a box of granola bars max.
Place had to crowd source uniforms, no way he gets a new box every year.

[pinstripers]

Seems to me the Valley, Horizon, and Summit ought to all reorganize into 3 new ones, clean up some geography and some football.

[ShockerEngr]

Budget issues at the member schools is a primary reason. Most of the valley schools athletic departments are propped up by the school and have been needing to cut budgets at a time when P5 athletic spending has been exploding.

[kochHead]

1) The relaxation of the scheduling mandate
2) Inability to pay and keep good coaches
3) Conference Realignment - Creighton/Loyola swap
4) Wichita State Leaving
5) The poor decision made this coming Sunday

[Metalkatz]

Elgin tired to replace Creighton with a better program than Loyola but no one wanted the MVC. I heard Belmont turned him down as well as a few others mentioned. So its not like he didnt try, this just shows you even before WSU left how far the Valley fell.