The road to 2 NCAA bids

[stable genius]

The bubble games for the last few days have been BRUTAL for UNI and today is not looking much better..

[VUGrad1314]

Screw it... Go UNI! Win Arch Madness! This conference should send its best teams. It's our only hope to change the perception of this conference in the eyes of those who do not follow it.

[Bulldog2323]

Long term, I do think that Northern Iowa & Loyola could both be consistent NCAA Tournament contenders the way Creighton & Wichita State were before their exit. It will however depend on if they can get strong non-conference schedules which will be extremely challenging.

[jackwagon]

Long term, I do think that Northern Iowa & Loyola could both be consistent NCAA Tournament contenders the way Creighton & Wichita State were before their exit. It will however depend on if they can get strong non-conference schedules which will be extremely challenging.

I think so too. Bowen born is another AJ green level player that UNi is getting and Loyola has proven to be able to recruit at a high level. Next year will be a war. Those two along with Valpo, Drake, and Indiana State bringing back tons of their talent. If Southern and Bradley get another piece add them to the group. Should be fun!

[Milanmiracle]

Long term, I do think that Northern Iowa & Loyola could both be consistent NCAA Tournament contenders the way Creighton & Wichita State were before their exit. It will however depend on if they can get strong non-conference schedules which will be extremely challenging.

I agree with this too, and those particular schools have the best shot to carry the torch of Creighton and Wichita St.

As mentioned, what will be challenging is the scheduling. The Big Ten showed what going to a 20 game conference schedule can do for your NET rating and getting teams into the tournament, expect others to follow suit.

[VUGrad1314]

They aren't even the first to do it. The ACC is doing it and the Big East is going to start next year with the addition of UConn. I think the AAC might be going that way too now that they are at 11 but that might be a stopgap measure until they find a team (or teams). I hate to do this again but with the way things are going and the decreasing opportunities if we want to increase our chances of multiple bids we might have to follow suit and embrace 20 games and also accept uneven terms (2 or 3 for 1s) and get bought when we need to to get the needed P5 opportunities while also working with our peer conferences to get ourselves better games.

[mvfcfan]

No buy games. We need to be the ones buying teams to come in. We need to schedule crap teams at home we can beat by 10+. Boost up our NET's and then when we get to conference play we will all have good NET's. Tell me how that is any different than what the Big Ten is doing.

If we all do that then every conference game will be a Q1 or Q2 game. We don't even have to worry about the non-conf SOS.

[BuBrave2006]

If Southern and Bradley get another piece add them to the group. Should be fun!

Bradley is going to be fine. We've got plenty coming in.

[VUGrad1314]

No buy games. We need to be the ones buying teams to come in. We need to schedule crap teams at home we can beat by 10+. Boost up our NET's and then when we get to conference play we will all have good NET's. Tell me how that is any different than what the Big Ten is doing.

If we all do that then every conference game will be a Q1 or Q2 game. We don't even have to worry about the non-conf SOS.

Yes we do. That is such a transparent strategy the committee will see right through it and deny us any hope of an at large. (Frankly I think the MVC is still being punished for cracking the RPI Code in the mid 2000's and that's why our teams have trouble getting in and are underseeded now.) I guess the good part of the strategy you propose would be that we could file an anti-trust suit against the NCAA for being the A5's lackeys because it would force the selection committee to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that they are just that (even though we as fans know it ourselves and have known for years).

[Bulldog2323]

General consensus I'm seeing across the predicting websites is if UNI wins Arch Madness, the MVC won't even get a team into the NIT. If UNI loses Arch Madness, they have an auto bid into the NIT if they don't get the at-large selection.