Official MVCfans 2011-12 prediction - 3rd place

[MoValley John]

I'm not going to argue with everyone on this site....it's pointless...regardless of how well Indiana State plays it will always be considered a fluke. It seems like some of the people on this site have a personal vendetta against Indiana State. Granted I understand there have been some bonehead comments made on here by Sycamore fans in the past but I feel that a majority of people on this site have developed a hatred of our entire fan-base because of one or two fans. Indiana State has the talent to be a top 3 team this year in the Valley...if you don't see that I'm sorry but you don't know anything about basketball.



Some of you guys need to lighten up....sheesh...it's just a game folks

Serious question, why should Indiana state be treated any differently than any other team in the Valley that emerges from the pack? Drake was given the same treatment when they won both the league and the tournament, as was UNI the first year they won both the league and the tourney. Neither team was considered anything but a flash in the pan, and for Drake, that is who they were. It wasn't until the second year that people really began giving UNI any props. Until UNI proved they belonged, they were just another flash in the pan. Most of their fans understood this. Fast forward to this year, and we have a fan base of a team that finished not first, but third in the league and got hot winning the MVC tourney. They went on to get beaten easily in the NCAA's. So in reality, ISU Blue has done less in their coming out year than did either Drake or UNI. With that, to say we don't know anything about basketball is more than a little knee-jerk. The fact of the matter is this, respect is earned, and not over one year. Respect is built over sustained success, year after year. The Sycamores have yet to win the valley regular season and didn't win a game in the NCAA's, but Sycamore fans expect everyone else to suddenly bow down to them because they won three games in three days in March.

If Indiana State wins it all this year and wins the tourney, then it is time to begin to think that you've arrived. And if that happens (a huge if), your fans will be the first to deride the Evansville fans pompous behavior when they finally have their flash in the pan season. This is the way it works not only in the Valley, but everywhere. In a couple of years, Sycamore fans will have the perspective to understand. Now, Sycamore fans simply think we are raining on their parade, and as you said, hating.

[SycamorePsycho]

I'm not going to argue with everyone on this site....it's pointless...regardless of how well Indiana State plays it will always be considered a fluke. It seems like some of the people on this site have a personal vendetta against Indiana State. Granted I understand there have been some bonehead comments made on here by Sycamore fans in the past but I feel that a majority of people on this site have developed a hatred of our entire fan-base because of one or two fans. Indiana State has the talent to be a top 3 team this year in the Valley...if you don't see that I'm sorry but you don't know anything about basketball.



Some of you guys need to lighten up....sheesh...it's just a game folks

Serious question, why should Indiana state be treated any differently than any other team in the Valley that emerges from the pack? Drake was given the same treatment when they won both the league and the tournament, as was UNI the first year they won both the league and the tourney. Neither team was considered anything but a flash in the pan, and for Drake, that is who they were. It wasn't until the second year that people really began giving UNI any props. Until UNI proved they belonged, they were just another flash in the pan. Most of their fans understood this. Fast forward to this year, and we have a fan base of a team that finished not first, but third in the league and got hot winning the MVC tourney. They went on to get beaten easily in the NCAA's. So in reality, ISU Blue has done less in their coming out year than did either Drake or UNI. With that, to say we don't know anything about basketball is more than a little knee-jerk. The fact of the matter is this, respect is earned, and not over one year. Respect is built over sustained success, year after year. The Sycamores have yet to win the valley regular season and didn't win a game in the NCAA's, but Sycamore fans expect everyone else to suddenly bow down to them because they won three games in three days in March.

If Indiana State wins it all this year and wins the tourney, then it is time to begin to think that you've arrived. And if that happens (a huge if), your fans will be the first to deride the Evansville fans pompous behavior when they finally have their flash in the pan season. This is the way it works not only in the Valley, but everywhere. In a couple of years, Sycamore fans will have the perspective to understand. Now, Sycamore fans simply think we are raining on their parade, and as you said, hating.

Who said I expect other fans to "bow down" to the Sycamores as you so eloquently put it? I wasn't asking for respect...You clearly missed the point of my post.

[WSUbballer]

Great post MVJ. I don't think most in blue will get it, but it was stated perfectly.

And I agree with Jays26. They're like very annoying gnats. I've seen one Indiana State fan provide intelligent basketball discussion. I think his name was PowderBlue. After that, it reminds me of a bunch of students at an elementary school logging on, feeling "bullied", getting mad, and typing "lol" a lot more than it was intended for.

[panther-state]

I was going to say something sassy but thankfully other sensible fans came to my aid, fellas! No offense Syc fans but they're absolutely right, especially MoValley John, until you prove you weren't a fluke why should we believe otherwise? It's not like Indy St. was knocking on the door of MVC glory before last season. Hell, as far as I saw the MVC apparently had a restraining order to keep you off the property.

[2livewu]

After the "real beatdown" we took in "Whichita" last season, I wouldn't necessarily throw a hell of a lot of stones if I was a Shocker fan. You might as well look for a split at best this season when you start counting your conference "W's". You had your run last season in that other tourney; don't believe it will be that much fun this time around. And "The Dance" for the Shockers...........No Way Jose......

If I was a fan of a program that finished last in the conference 50% of the time in the last decade and honestly had the play in date renamed the Sycamore Invitational, I wouldn't be throwing any stones, yet Tree fans continue to lob them at anyone that moves.

"No way Jose" on the dance eh SF? Have to remember that one.

In the last 10 years, WSU is 16-5 (.762 winning %) against the Trees including 7-3 in your craptastic gym, usually frustrating literally dozens of Sycamore fans.

Your team was a bucket from being 100% irrelevant for the entire 2010-2011 season. You were 5-8 outside of the conference and had 4 wins in conference of 1 or 2 points. Just a couple of bounces the other way and the Trees are right back in their comfort zone in the play in round whereas the entire league could improve on WSU by 10 points in every game, and WSU still would have been 12-6. Yes, you have some talent, and nobody I know thinks you're going to be bad this season. But world beaters you are not....not by anyone's imagination.

WSU and Creighton have the chance to get into the dance without winning in St. Louis. Barring a total miracle, your team does not. Smoke on that log for awhile son.

[Aces1982]

ISU fans have the right to beat their chest. Like it or not, you are judged in college basketball in March. And in March, ISU was the only team in the MVC playing in a tournament that anyone gave a rats a$$ about. Somebody tried to bring up games in the non-conference??? Really?? The non-conference??? Does anyone care about games in November?? At the time people do care but looking back almost 12 months later, who gives a crap. Should anyone be saying crap to Butler, yeah you went to the Championship game but you lost to UE in the non-conference???? Sounds kinda stupid, doesn't it. Other posters brought up getting beat in the first rd. Again, is there any team in the MVC that would have rather not made the tournament? Well, if we are going to lose in the 1st rd then we just don't want to go to the Tournament??? Sounds kinda stupid, doesn't it?

People talk about getting hot one weekend. Folks, that one weekend is when the real season starts. I guess we could say the same about Bradley's S16 run...they just got hot for one weekend.

If I were ISU fans I would just say that all these posters that are slamming my team are flat out jealous that their team was not the one playing in the NCAA Tournament.

With all that said, I picked the Trees for a 3rd place finish.

[WSUbballer]

You just described a UNC-Asheville fan to a tee.

And yes, games in November do matter. Tell the selection committee that non-conference games and games played in November don't matter.

Not surprised in the least that a fellow Sycamore Invitational member came to their aide in this one.

[panther-state]

Yeah I wish UNI had been in the tournament in March, but that doesn't take anything away from the fact that I think it's premature for Syc fans to expect anything more than a top-half finish in the MVC for awhile. I still am yet to be swayed on why this team should be looked upon as a power-house program that UNI, CU and SIU had been back during the last decade, hell they could just as easily be playing on a Thursday as they could be repping the MVC in the Dance again. Consistency is the question that needs to be answered

[MoValley John]

ISU fans have the right to beat their chest. Like it or not, you are judged in college basketball in March. And in March, ISU was the only team in the MVC playing in a tournament that anyone gave a rats a$$ about. Somebody tried to bring up games in the non-conference??? Really?? The non-conference??? Does anyone care about games in November?? At the time people do care but looking back almost 12 months later, who gives a crap. Should anyone be saying crap to Butler, yeah you went to the Championship game but you lost to UE in the non-conference???? Sounds kinda stupid, doesn't it. Other posters brought up getting beat in the first rd. Again, is there any team in the MVC that would have rather not made the tournament? Well, if we are going to lose in the 1st rd then we just don't want to go to the Tournament??? Sounds kinda stupid, doesn't it?

People talk about getting hot one weekend. Folks, that one weekend is when the real season starts. I guess we could say the same about Bradley's S16 run...they just got hot for one weekend.

If I were ISU fans I would just say that all these posters that are slamming my team are flat out jealous that their team was not the one playing in the NCAA Tournament.

With all that said, I picked the Trees for a 3rd place finish.

Do you see what you did? Did you see what you wrote? Nobody is taking anything away from Indiana State for getting hot in March. Nobody.

You then went on to remark about games in November not being important. Why not ask Shocker fans how important November games are? A couple more wins in November and Wichita State would have been dancing last year, so yeah, those games are important.

Lastly, you tried to prove your point by bringing up Bradley? Bradley! Everyone on the old Valley Talk was very excited about Bradley getting hot. But just like Drake's run, Bradley did nothing before their S-16 run and less afterwards. If that is the standard, well I don't know. I guess you proved my point on flash in the pan by mentioning Bradley, a team that got hot in March, never to be heard from since. If we are to judge Indiana State this year based on what Bradley did after their S-16, well, we need to pick them 7th or so.

For what it's worth, I do think Indiana State has made great strides, but I don't think they are there yet. I picked them fourth and Evansville third, I think Marty has done a better job and has better players. Does this mean I hate? Hell no! It means I have made an assessment, that's all. It's Indiana State fans that get bent out of shape when others don't pick them to run away with the league. Most Valley fans were all happy for Indiana State last year, but Indiana State fans need to realize that one season does not a dynasty make. History proves otherwise.

[SycamoreFanatic]

Damn MoValley John, I agree with a lot of the things you say..................that's scary........getting a whole new perspective about your point of view. We Sycamore fans have had a rough way to go for several years but got the ship upright year before last and made another stride this past season. Yes, need to show some consistency for a longer period but that what this is about..............our consistency is just beginning......our redshirt frosh PG has the next three years to lead us on that path and we are overjoyed to be along for the ride.