Who Wins the MVC in 2017-18?

[musiccitybulldog]

Drake beat the bears last year, should have won twice.. Anyone can win, will be interesting.

[LanceShock]

While ISUr does have some holes left by seniors leaving to fill, I think that they are most likely the team to win the Valley this year. They went 16-0 regular season and 18-0 overall last season against the teams left in the Valley and are the defending regular season champs. Even if they are not quite as good as last year, the rest of the Valley has to improve a lot to catch them.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

While ISUr does have some holes left by seniors leaving to fill, I think that they are most likely the team to win the Valley this year. They went 16-0 regular season and 18-0 overall last season against the teams left in the Valley and are the defending regular season champs. Even if they are not quite as good as last year, the rest of the Valley has to improve a lot to catch them.

ISU paper is reporting McIntosh is also leaving as a graduate transfer.

[Rambler63]

Vidette story on McIntosh

http://www.videtteonline.com/sports/mik ... a43e4.html

[Mikovio]

Why is the Horizon moving down? If you truly want Drake out of the conference you're just stupid. Drake won't always have an AD who screws up everything. It is the best market in the Valley. It's not like we are spending half of what everybody else does. I'm expecting Drake to be competitive in two to three years. I'm expecting more after that, but certainly would understand why nobody else does.

The issue is Drake has been trying, and failing, for 60 years. Yes, there was 07-08 (celebrating their 10 year reunion this year, BTW) but you can't fault fans from other programs looking at Drake and doubting that they will ever get it together.

They have the second smallest enrollment. Sure, they have the second biggest market but they are nothing there. Des Moines is 75% Hawkeye, 20% Cyclone, 3% Huskers, and I'm pretty sure there are actually more UNI alums in Des Moines than Drake. Every single UNI/Drake basketball game has just as many - almost always more - UNI fans than Drake fans. The times UNI has played Drake in football in Des Moines it's been 80% UNI fans. Drake is as relevant in Des Moines as UN-O is in Omaha or UM-KC in Kansas City.

It's much the same reason many feel Evansville will never be anything more than they already are.

It's why many fear Valpo. Valpo has a smaller enrollment than Drake. Would be the second smallest arena (and by only 500 seats) in the conference. Drake was only successful under Maury John and for one year under the Davis reign. Vaplo had success under the Drew Family but that entire family is now gone. They lost their only player that was a difference maker in the Horizon League. Many things about the scream Evansville circa late 80s and early 90s

Butler's enrollment is less than Drake's (4,798) and plays in a 9,000 seat arena. Gonzaga's enrollment is 7,421 and it plays in a 6,000 seat arena (less than Knapp). University of Phoneix's enrollment is 460,000.

Is Drake really all that different from Creighton was circa 1995 (prior to hiring Dana Altman)? CU was playing in front of half filled Omaha Civic Auditorium crowds. Then they hired a Kansas State coach getting chased out of Manhattan and struck gold. Creighton was somewhat better positioned by a lot of metrics but nobody would've guessed they'd be where they are today. Maybe Drake's ceiling is lower but I don't think it is for lack of enrollment or arena size.

I dunno how much they paid to buy out Niko Medved from Furman but he was under contract there until 2022 so it might have been hefty. Their basketball budget is now 5th in the Valley so it's not for lack of trying.

[Haha]

Missouri State - lots of talent, will win despite coach (double edge sword, will extend his MSU career)
Loyola - again despite the the coach
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UNI - because of the coach
ISUr - lots of out going talent, lots of in coming talent, who knows
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SIU
BU - Like how Wardle had them playing at end of season
Evansville
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ISUb - Lansing teams have been less and less impressive last few years
Drake - like the hire a lot, hard to ask or expect much in first season of rebuild

[Aargh]

Vidette story on McIntosh

http://www.videtteonline.com/sports/mik ... a43e4.html

Rut-roh

Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!

That pretty much makes the league race wide open. Considering the other main contenders seemed to be MSU and UNI - gotta go with UNI. The choice was pretty easy - just compare head coaches.

[Play Angry]

That is devastating for ISUr. Wow.

[glm38]

While ISUr does have some holes left by seniors leaving to fill, I think that they are most likely the team to win the Valley this year. They went 16-0 regular season and 18-0 overall last season against the teams left in the Valley and are the defending regular season champs. Even if they are not quite as good as last year, the rest of the Valley has to improve a lot to catch them.

ISU paper is reporting McIntosh is also leaving as a graduate transfer.

Big blow to ISUr chance to repeat.

[LanceShock]

While ISUr does have some holes left by seniors leaving to fill, I think that they are most likely the team to win the Valley this year. They went 16-0 regular season and 18-0 overall last season against the teams left in the Valley and are the defending regular season champs. Even if they are not quite as good as last year, the rest of the Valley has to improve a lot to catch them.

ISU paper is reporting McIntosh is also leaving as a graduate transfer.

Big blow to ISUr chance to repeat.

Hadn't seen that earlier. That opens the race up quite a bit.