Should the Missouri Valley expand?

[ihsi]

I like their revenue distribution system and hope the Valley does something similar.

[2livewu]

I like their revenue distribution system and hope the Valley does something similar.

I don't understand why we have to be so hopey fairy with this money. The teams that go should get a bump, at a minimum, and the teams that don't AND don't schedule non conference games that can help others not only get in but get seeds that increase the possibility of advancing should be penalized or even written off.

It shouldn't be that hard to come up with a formula.

If you're ISU (for instance) and you want some NCAA money and you know damned good and well you aren't getting to dance unless you get lucky in March, then you know up front you better schedule hard or you won't get paid. The ADs will know it, the coaches will know it and the fans will know it. Seems to me that should set expectations at a reasonable level.

[BirdmanBB]

I like their revenue distribution system and hope the Valley does something similar.

I don't understand why we have to be so hopey fairy with this money. The teams that go should get a bump, at a minimum, and the teams that don't AND don't schedule non conference games that can help others not only get in but get seeds that increase the possibility of advancing should be penalized or even written off.

It shouldn't be that hard to come up with a formula.

If you're ISU (for instance) and you want some NCAA money and you know damned good and well you aren't getting to dance unless you get lucky in March, then you know up front you better schedule hard or you won't get paid. The ADs will know it, the coaches will know it and the fans will know it. Seems to me that should set expectations at a reasonable level.

Actually it's quite the opposite. Elgin wants teams who know they are going to be on an uptick to schedule hard and teams who are on a slide to schedule games they can win. Our problem is that the couple years that we were in contention for an at-large we scheduled like we were on a slide and that is the biggest reason we didn't get in. We didn't challenge ourselves. We clearly weren't good last year, but the schedule was actually appropriate considering we went 4-14 in conference. We were able to win 8 out of 12 non-con games which added to the conferences RPI from outside of the league. If we had scheduled hard all we would have contributed is a strong SOS which does nothing for the teams in our conference who have beat us. That being said, this years schedule is a little better, but the 2012-13 schedule should be assembled in an attempt to get an at-large bid. I still wish they would have scheduled another strong game for this year (supposedly they were still trying for around Dec. 10th), however, we do still have at least 3 stronger games that if we win can resemble a at-large schedule, but we are leaving little room for error.

On our message board I have posted my dissapointed because once this schedule came out, it made it look like we were already waiving the white flag before the season started. It makes it looks like our only chance at the NCAA tourney is to win in St. Louis. And they wonder why our attendance has been falling. The games aren't as meaningful. You might as well spend your money in St. Louis rather than buy season tickets. It will be interesting to see how many season ticket holders drop out after seeing our non-conference schedule this year.

[DUBulldog]

Ok, I'll say it. If the powers that be want to make the Valley a destination for good basketball schools then we need to get rid of our bottom feeders. Lose Evansville, Drake, and Illinois State. Add Butler, Dayton, and someone else.

Imagine this league: Creighton, Missouri St, Wichita St, Butler, Dayton, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Bradley, Southern Illinois.

The problem is this.....2-3 teams from that group will become the bottom feeders of the new league....hey, somebody has got to be at the bottom. Do you then look to dump those members, too?

[SubGod22]

Ok, I'll say it. If the powers that be want to make the Valley a destination for good basketball schools then we need to get rid of our bottom feeders. Lose Evansville, Drake, and Illinois State. Add Butler, Dayton, and someone else.

Imagine this league: Creighton, Missouri St, Wichita St, Butler, Dayton, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Bradley, Southern Illinois.

The problem is this.....2-3 teams from that group will become the bottom feeders of the new league....hey, somebody has got to be at the bottom. Do you then look to dump those members, too?

Our problem lately has been that our bottom feeders have been REALLY bad. They drag the rest down. There has to be somebody at the bottom, but they don't have to be such a drag on the rest.

[sixth ace]

Ok, I'll say it. If the powers that be want to make the Valley a destination for good basketball schools then we need to get rid of our bottom feeders. Lose Evansville, Drake, and Illinois State. Add Butler, Dayton, and someone else.

Imagine this league: Creighton, Missouri St, Wichita St, Butler, Dayton, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Bradley, Southern Illinois.

The problem is this.....2-3 teams from that group will become the bottom feeders of the new league....hey, somebody has got to be at the bottom. Do you then look to dump those members, too?

SIU has the same problem today that the Aces had for the past five/ six years. A coach that doesn't fit the system. Merfeld took the Aces to an alltime low in any division and I believe you see the difference that Marty Simmons has made in the short time he has been there. .

[pafan]

I'd buy Evansville being a bottom feeder for the majority of its MVC membership ... but Illinois State was a top 3 seed 3 of the last 5 years, and Drake's most recent championship was just 3 years ago.

[RoyalShock]

Having "bottom feeders" is not a problem. Having 2-3 programs, especially if they are the same programs, year after year producing poor non-conference results is what drags a conference down. Back in 2005-06 there was a separation between the top 6 and bottom 4 teams in Valley play. Those bottom teams - DU, UE, ISUr and ISUb - were still competitive, winning 5, 5, 4 and 4 conference games, respectively. Of those, only UE had a losing OOC record at 5-6. The worst Pomeroy ranking was ISUb at 181.

That is what will propel the Valley back among the consistent multi-bid leagues. Any programs Elgin looks to add should NOT have a profile of a true bottom-feeder, no matter their national profile. AFA, for example, looks like a potential bottom-feeder with a reasonable upside of maybe finishing in the top half of the MVC every 4-5 years. They caught lightning in a bottle with Byzdelik.