Order of finish with Murray & Valpo included

[mule]

1. MSU--maybe this is tipping point where tremendous Recruiting overcomes mediocre coaching

2. Il State--still got a bunch of athletes

3. SIU--SIU will start 6-4 Marcus Bartley, 6-4 Armon Fletcher and 6-5 (215 pound) Sean Lloyd at the three guards and should have one of the better guard rotations with 6-4 Tyler Smithpeters, 6-3 Eric McGill and 6-1 PG Aaron Cook. They will start a front line of 6-8 Thik Bol (76 blocks) and 6-10 Kavion Pippen (52 Blocks)

4. Valpo-- if you look at the talent Valpo has coming on line from set out red shirts, you'd pick them here too

5. UNi---if the Panthers can still use their pack-it-in-the paint man, they still may win quite a few. That gimmick defense needs to be tested by a team that can consistently hit a 15 foot jumper

6. Murray State--they've got some athletes coming in

7. Loyola---could be better with talent coming in but lost some too

8. Bradley---Everyone thinks they will make a great leap, just cause they went with young guys last year--we'll see

9. ISU Blue--good floor coach but talent level?

10. EU--talent level went down and coaching?????

11. Drake --needs to join a low major league

Really Dawg! SIU and UE have played 120 times since 1927. They have played at least once a year since 1962. Surely a TRUE SIU fan would have enough respect for the University of Evansville to know the initials are UE.

[DUBulldog]

11. Drake --needs to join a low major league

Over the last 10 years, SIU is 8-12 against Drake. Doesn't mean anything, but just wanted to point that out.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

I don't think Drake will ever leave. they have been in the Valley since the beginning. One of those schools that doesn't deserve to be in the league but due to seniority not much that can be done.

[MissouriValleyUnite]

With the most wide open year in the history of the Valley, I have a gut feeling Hinson pulls an Arch Madness schocker and lands the Salukis back in March Madness.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

I don't think Drake will ever leave. they have been in the Valley since the beginning. One of those schools that doesn't deserve to be in the league but due to seniority not much that can be done.

I'm pretty high on Southern. They have some good players. I could see a top 3 finish. Arch madness is a crapshoot.

[siudawgs]

With the most wide open year in the history of the Valley, I have a gut feeling Hinson pulls an Arch Madness schocker and lands the Salukis back in March Madness.

That would be quite the shocker considering Hinson is riding an impressive 0 for 28 streak of winning MVC regular season or conference tournament titles in his 14 previous years as a Valley head coach. He hasn't been close most of those years, either, especially since taking his huckster act to Carbondale.

[musiccitybulldog]

In the last decade Drake has both won the conference and went to the NCAA tournament where, SIU, Mo State, Illinois State, Loyola, Bradley, Evansville have not.
Any year most teams are no more than plus/minus 5/10 points apart. That's what makes the league interesting. Teams get on runs both good and bad. Seems like all teams are building.
I hope Valpo and Murray State both get in, I think they would fit right into this.
From what I have seen in the past, Murray State may be able to put something together as quick and often as any current Valley team.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

In the last decade Drake has both won the conference and went to the NCAA tournament where, SIU, Mo State, Illinois State, Loyola, Bradley, Evansville have not.
Any year most teams are no more than plus/minus 5/10 points apart. That's what makes the league interesting. Teams get on runs both good and bad. Seems like all teams are building.
I hope Valpo and Murray State both get in, I think they would fit right into this.
From what I have seen in the past, Murray State may be able to put something together as quick and often as any current Valley team.

Talk about cherry picking. In the last 30 seasons Drake has finished above .500 only four times and won 20 or more games just once. Exactly at .500 twice and below .500 24 times! I don't want to hear about one fluke season ten years ago. Drake is a horrible program.

[musiccitybulldog]

Still a valid point. 10 years is a long time. You probably don't want to hear about Drakes final four season and elite 8 season(s).

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

Still a valid point. 10 years is a long time. You probably don't want to hear about Drakes final four season and elite 8 season(s).

No, because they're not relevant to now. Drake has been a dumpster fire for 30+ seasons. Three decades! I'm 32. Drake has been relevant just once since I've been alive!