Best MVC basketball team in the last 10 years was.....

[bigdawg]

You talking Tatum, Falker, and Young? UNI had Koch, Kwadzo, and Eglseder/Ali. I don't think there is a talent discrepancy whatsoever between the two teams.

Well, actually, I was talking about Tatum, Falker and Mullins, but Young might be a legitimate option as well, which would mean that 4 of the 5 starters on that team qualify.

And, sorry, but Egleseder and Faroukmanesh are not making any all decade teams. I know Ali made the greatest shot in the history of UNI basketball, but he isn't an all decade type of performer.

Tatum/Falker
Ahelegbe/Koch

I think you can safely say all 4 of those guys would be on or very near most peoples all


decade lists. I don't think that Young and especially Mullins would be nearly up that high. I
didn't mean that Eglseder/Ali would be on all decade teams, I was just comparing them to guys like Young/Mullins.

I'd have Mullins ahead of Ahelegbe for sure.

[valleychamp]

And I agree it is somewhat difficult to compare the defense of each because of the difference in styles. SIU played that in your face aggressive on-ball D, while UNI played more a team style defensive that relied on help and rotating. Both were good.

[valleychamp]

I'd have Mullins ahead of Ahelegbe for sure.

Eh, maybe. Mullins was really really good. Def a better defender than Kwadzo.

[Haha]

Bradley didn't win the MVC tournament that year, SIU did. And that would be the same tournament that WSU failed to even make the finals.

I read what you wrote, but it is easy to dismiss your comments when the facts you present are just plain wrong. I don't know what "butt hurt" mean, but I know that calling someone out when you can't even get your facts straight makes you look pretty stupid.

Thanks for pointing that out, I had forgotten they lost in the championship game. If anything that makes my argument stronger. Seeing how WSU won a conference where the 5th place team received an at large.

Also ignoring my comments isn't the same as dismissing it. You ignored a large part of my initial comment to tell me Bradley wasn't a great team that year. I agreed that they were not, then again pointed out that WSU WON the league that year and went to a sweet 16. Apparently being wrong on how Bradley squeaked into the NCAA takes away from my argument for WSU.

Instead of addressing my argument head on you seem to try to avoid it using Bradley. Makes me think you are butt hurt over WSU. You chose to draw a comparison with Bradley's sweet 16 season, why not take on what I said about WSU winning the conference and making it to a sweet 16? Not once have I isolated the sweet 16 from the conference championship in my arguments. Yet that is exactly what you took from it.

So the meaning of butt hurt well in this instance it just simply means you.

[glm38]

This has been a really interesting discussion. I'd still take the 09/10 Northern Iowa team though. I would agree that there have been more talented individual players in the Valley than most of the players on that team. Maybe none of those N Iowa players would even make an all decade MVC team? I'm just not sure.

But it's not all about the individual talent. That Northern Iowa team was deep. They had great chemistry. They had an very good inside and outside game. Not the greatest athletes in the world but they played a great team defense. I've heard it said that KU's mistake in the tourney against N Iowa was not turning it into a running game and exposing N Iowa's lack of athleticism. But N Iowa was so good at slowing it down and not letting other teams take advantage of them in that way.

Someone else said they didn't like N Iowa for the team of the decade because they lost a game against a mediocre MVC team that year. But there have been very, very few great college teams that haven't laid an egg at some point over the course of a 30+ game season.

[shockem]

The '06 wsu team overachieved and the '11 wsu team underachieved. Put them head to head and i think the '11 team was better. Problem is, they had a few mental lapses that cost them the season and a birth to the big dance. Last 10 years, i'd have to give it to one of the SIU teams. They were really good for a long stretch, unlike the other teams that had one good year.

[MSUDuo]

'07 SIU v. '10 UNI would be one heck of a game, IMO.

I would have to go

'10 UNI
'07 SIU
'02 SIU
'04 SIU
'06 WSU
'03 CU
'08 DU

for my top 7

Just out of curiosity, for the older posters, has there been a run like what SIU put together from '02 to '07?

[Aargh]

Mullins is everything that Johnny Moran has been for UNI and maybe even tougher.

Mullins "maybe tougher"???? Brick walls trembled in fear if Mullins got too close.

Moran is a good player, but he's not at the same level as Mullins. Moran can hurt you. Mullins could kill you.

I always hated Mullins. He's a perfect example of being hated by opponents fans because of his ability on the court. I respect Moran, but I don't even really dislike him.

[Aargh]

has there been a run like what SIU put together from '02 to '07

I believe that's a unique run in the history of the Valley. Cincinnati may have had something similar in the mid-60's.

It's always easy to say things were harder in "the good old days". To maintain a 5 or 6-year run in the Valley in the mid-60's would have required a run of that length in the top 10 in the polls. I feel that's more difficult than maintaining a superior position in the 7th to 14th ranked conference.

It's very difficult to compare anything current to the history of the Valley. The Valley used to be a very good basketball conference. There weren't conference ratings back then but many commentators mentioned that the Valley was the toughest basketball league in the nation.

Old timers (mostly older BU and WSU fans) have watched the Valley go from the top-rated conference to a slightly above the middle of the pack conference. That's a big factor in some of the old timers resenting the schools added when the likes of Louisville, Memphis, and Cincinnati left the league.

SIU's 6-year run is remarkable and I believe easily the best run of domination of the league.

[Khan4Cats]

Mullins is everything that Johnny Moran has been for UNI and maybe even tougher.

Mullins "maybe tougher"???? Brick walls trembled in fear if Mullins got too close.

Moran is a good player, but he's not at the same level as Mullins. Moran can hurt you. Mullins could kill you.

I always hated Mullins. He's a perfect example of being hated by opponents fans because of his ability on the court. I respect Moran, but I don't even really dislike him.

eh, more trying to make a comparison for the younger fans that may not have watched as much of or remember Mullins.

Mullins was asked to do different things for SIU than Moran. I believe Johnny is a better scorer/shooter, Mullins was easily a better defender and point guard/assist man. Either would/will go through pane glass, electrified fences, piranha infested waters if they think they could get a loose ball. Both play through injuries that would have sat other players out, though Johnny has yet to play on broken legs like Mullins finished his career on (but I would bet Johnny would give it a try). They both came out of the same school (Johnny played for Mullins' dad) and it shows and as I said, I would have taken Mullins on my team any time. I didn't hate him at all, nothing but respect for how hard he played.