Is Our Conference Ready For An Explosion?

[MVCfans]

I see several BCS caliber kids across team rosters and I don't think that was the case for several recent years.

You've got to be kidding - I can't even think of half the MVC teams having at least 1 BCS caliber kid - maybe Weems and McDermott - maybe Murry if he snaps out of his junior funk. I can't think of anyone else in the league that could start on a BCS team - unless maybe bottom-feeder teams. We've got very good MVC-type players, but that's as far as it goes. We have no Tatums, O'Bryants, Korvers in the league.

Rayvonte Rice?

[Khan4Cats]

"Maybe Weems and McDermott"?? You have to be kidding? Weems and McDermott are absolutely BCS caliber players.

And I would say Young, Odum, Echenique, and Ryan would have a shot at starting or significant PT on a lot of BCS caliber teams.

McDermott is NOT a BcS caliber player. His own father even said so, which is why he didn't offer him a scholarship for Iowa State. Plus he was not ready and should have redshirted last year except for the injury situation in Omaha.

[Khan4Cats]

Every team thinks "their team" is getting better with new, shiny and better recruits.

Hell UNI thinks replacing Kujo with a freshman is no big deal. He'll be up to speed by start of Valley play.

No one at UNI is saying we are replacing Kwadzo with a freshman. Kwadzo's spot is being filled by Marc Sonnen, a junior with two years of solid playing time. The freshman and a redshirt sophomore are going to be asked to fill in Sonnen's role.

I'm actually more concerned with finding someone to fill the role of O'Rear. The Valley has always been a guards league and UNI can throw a number of good guards out there, but what will separate the top of the league from the rest will be those teams with effective inside games.

[DoubleJayAlum]

I see several BCS caliber kids across team rosters and I don't think that was the case for several recent years.

You've got to be kidding - I can't even think of half the MVC teams having at least 1 BCS caliber kid - maybe Weems and McDermott - maybe Murry if he snaps out of his junior funk. I can't think of anyone else in the league that could start on a BCS team - unless maybe bottom-feeder teams. We've got very good MVC-type players, but that's as far as it goes. We have no Tatums, O'Bryants, Korvers in the league.

I certainly am not kidding. Just because your Braves look horrible, it doesn't mean the whole league does.

As others have pointed out, there are plenty of BCS caliber players: McDermott, Echenique, Young, Odum, Weems, Rice, Ryan, Murray. I'd also add James of UNI, Seck of SIU and maybe even Simms-Edwards of your Braves. If Taylor Brown is able to play at his pre-redshirt injury level, he'd join the list as well.

However, that isn't even the most amusing part of your post. That distinction belongs to the fact that you included O'Bryant in the last sentence of your post.

[glm38]

McDermott may not have been a BCS caliber player as an incoming freshman? I don't really know the answer to that because I didn't follow him in HS. But after the year he had last year I think he could play for most anyone.

And you could say the same for Weems. Not hotly recruited out of HS but he's just kept getting better every single year to the point where he's one of the better small forwards in the country.

[Haha]

WSU went 6-1 against BCS teams last year. How this equates into individual players I don't know. I do know outside of UConn I didn't see anybody on the floor for the BCS schools that blew my mind.

[Ali]

"BCS caliber"?? I think Jake does better with non BCS caliber guys than a lot of coaches do with "BCS caliber" pain in the butts.

[Wufan]

Also, look at the recruits we are bringing in. Many of the players signing on to play in the MVC are doing so early AND turning down legitimate BCS offers. That doesn't mean they'll all be Patrick O'Brayant's but there will likely be some Antoine Young's and Toure Murry's to go around along with some lesser-known Weems and McDermott's.

All said, the MVC will be a solid mid-major but will need some big non-con wins from the lower half of the league if we are going to get more than 1 or 2 bids.

The Valley should be better in 2012-13, but I doubt WSU will be.

[Heinro]

I do think the Valley is definitely on the upswing. This year is looking to finally be the year we hopefully bust out of the 1 bid drought we've been in, but I still think we are a ways from being like we were in 06'. 06' was something special that I don't see as realistic anytime soon. The year before we had multiple bids, every team in the Valley returned a massive amount of players, and the season itself was just special. The last place team in the league that year went 9-2 in their noncon with bigs wins. The worst record any team had in the noncon was 5-6.