MVC Games Week 14

[bradley_townie]

Y'all have to make a promise that you'll figure it out before mid-January next year, please?

Historically Wardle is a substitution machine and it's been a big gripe from a lot of Bradley fans over the years. Constantly tinkering with lineups, even if things appear to be working out ok, because he sees something he doesn't like.

I'll give them a pass this year though. They lost Elijah Childs, Danya Kingsby, Antonio Thomas, Terry Nolan Jr., Sean East, and Kevin McAdoo from last year's roster. And lost Ja’Shon Henry to concussions in December who hasn’t seen the floor since. That’s four starters including your entire backcourt.

Next year should be much improved.

[tribecalledquest]

The A10 is a better cultural fit and statistically has been the better conference for decades.

I agree with cultural fit but have to push back on "statistically has been the better conference for decades." The Valley rated higher than the A10 as recently as 2018 and in the 2000s was rated higher than the A10 fairly regularly.

Yeah. The whole A10 is a lot better league narrative needs to stop.

Ranking the departures of teams from the MVC and how it affects the league - it goes Wichita, Creighton and a very distant third Loyola.

As mentioned, from a cultural and maybe university standpoint it's maybe good for Loyola. From a men's basketball standpoint they have reached the pinnacle of where they will go. It won't get better from here.

[hot nuts]

I'm starting to hope for a BU/LU game in St. Louis.

[Majik45]

I'm starting to hope for a BU/LU game in St. Louis.

Well now that you mention it, Bradley has a 77% chance to be the 4 or 5 seed in St. Louis according to Hacksaw. And Loyola has a 67% chance to be the 1 seed, so that's probably at least a 50% chance that the bracket will be set-up right for it to happen. Bradley would just have to win that 4-5 game then at that point.

[pafan]

Indiana St 80
Evansville 77
F/2OT

Aces and Trees had to play 10 extra minutes. Bledsen, Thomas and Henry fouled out for the Trees, but it did not matter.

UE still hasn't swept Indiana State since Jake Odum was playing.

[NuncEstBibendum]

The A10 is a better cultural fit and statistically has been the better conference for decades.

I agree with cultural fit but have to push back on "statistically has been the better conference for decades." The Valley rated higher than the A10 as recently as 2018 and in the 2000s was rated higher than the A10 fairly regularly.

Yeah. The whole A10 is a lot better league narrative needs to stop.

Ranking the departures of teams from the MVC and how it affects the league - it goes Wichita, Creighton and a very distant third Loyola.

As mentioned, from a cultural and maybe university standpoint it's maybe good for Loyola. From a men's basketball standpoint they have reached the pinnacle of where they will go. It won't get better from here.

I do not understand why the MVC fanbase always seems to sound like a bride left at the altar? Loyola left, it happens. So did Wichita St and Creighton, get over it and stop sounding like a slighted lover.

[freddycat68]

Anyway, back to the conference race ... it looks like the top 5 are set. The more interesting question is which team will finish 6th and avoid Thursday. My guess is SIU. Pretty obviously, the team that will have the most to say about that is ISUr.

[Mikovio]

I do not understand why the MVC fanbase always seems to sound like a bride left at the altar? Loyola left, it happens. So did Wichita St and Creighton, get over it and stop sounding like a slighted lover.

I mean, sorry for defending the MVC on an MVC message board against BS claims about the A10 being "consistently better for decades." If you ask me Rambler fans on here get sensitive when the superiority of the A10 gets questioned. I think there's not much disagreement about the institutional fit.

[Mikovio]

Anyway, back to the conference race ... it looks like the top 5 are set. The more interesting question is which team will finish 6th and avoid Thursday. My guess is SIU. Pretty obviously, the team that will have the most to say about that is ISUr.

SIU has the tiebreaker advantage. Another big race to watch is the fight to avoid the 4-5 game amongst the top 5, so you don't have to face a fellow top-5er in the quarterfinal.

[BCPanther]

Anyway, back to the conference race ... it looks like the top 5 are set. The more interesting question is which team will finish 6th and avoid Thursday. My guess is SIU. Pretty obviously, the team that will have the most to say about that is ISUr.

SIU has the tiebreaker advantage. Another big race to watch is the fight to avoid the 4-5 game amongst the top 5, so you don't have to face a fellow top-5er in the quarterfinal.

6 is SIU and there's not a ton of doubt about it either statistically or watching them play.