MVC Games 11/13-11/16

[Majik45]

I was really surprised that Luuk van Bree did not start for Bradley. Do Braves fans see him as the 6th man this year?

Not sure what Wardle is doing with the starting line-up. I would think you want Kennel and Van Bree in there, but obviously he sees something else. Van Bree also tweaked an ankle in the first game, so I think they are trying to keep his minutes down a little right now.

[Majik45]

Bradley is 2-0.

It's not very pretty to watch, but this is definitely a game they would have lost in past years. Delaware tied the game at least twice in the guts of the 2nd half (between 8 and 4 minutes left), and in the past I would think Bradley would have folded under this pressure. Nate Kennel and Luuk Van Bree hit huge 3's during this stretch to regain the lead.

At some point our free throw shooting will cost us a game (15-26 last night) if it doesn't improve. Offense was not pretty, but we got 19 offensive rebounds. This team beat us bad the last 2 years (20+ point beatings). A good win for Bradley.

We head off to the Bahamas to take on a very good Vermont team on Friday.

[uniftw]

For the first time in a long time I've actually finding myself innately pulling for MVC teams in the OOC schedule so far.

I think with WSU gone (and sCUm too) it is easier to pull for the conference as we know we need to "band together". It's a nice change.

[Drakey]

Really? I always pull for Valley teams, and I think most everybody else does also.

[hot nuts]

Agreed, I always root Valley...even Bradley!

[Rambler63]

For the first time in a long time I've actually finding myself innately pulling for MVC teams in the OOC schedule so far.

I think with WSU gone (and sCUm too) it is easier to pull for the conference as we know we need to "band together". It's a nice change.

I guess I feel some of the same. The majority of Shocker fans behind the anonymity of usernames certainly went far, far out of their way and spent quite a chunk of their days inventing ways to make the rest of the league feel crappy about themselves. I've taken a look at their site lately (Loyola plays UMKC tomorrow, and the Shockers had them to open the season), and they have an entirely new set of peeves and complaints. They have completely jettisoned use of the RPI, and now focus entirely on KenPom. They''re angry about someone somewhere who suggested that they're still a Mid-Major. And they're now very complementary about schools that have a lot of football money boosting their athletic departments.

Given the grief they gave other MVC teams over the RPI and scheduling, I was surprised they didn't have three or four threads going after their new conference mate South Florida for losing at home to Morgan State, or Tulsa losing to Lamar. They apparently don't care anymore-- they're out of the middle-class neighborhood with the tidy homes and the people who save for vacations, and now they're in a McMansion with some well-off but trashy neighbors that they're trying to ignore for the time being. The houses are farther apart than in the old neighborhood, which makes it easier to avoid eye contact. Just wait until East Carolina loses to Radford tonight, or Tulane loses at Georgia State on Nov. 26, or some ref makes a call that doesn't look quite right in Houston in late January. McMansions get cracks in their foundations all the time, and they're usually a worse commute, and it costs a lot more than you think to heat The Great Room. /metaphor

[Redbirdgrad]

Man oh man, it's tough for me to root for Bradley. Went to ISU from 2000-2003, before the whole Wichita thing blew up, and the Bradley rivalry was in full swing...

Then Wichita happened, and Bradley kinda went on the backburner because they were... bad.

Glad that trash program Wichita and their annoying coach are gone though..

So now, do we as ISU fans reinstate the BU rivalry or actually pull for you guys over in Peoria. We're supposed to hate someone, right? College athletics and all?

But in times like these I guess we pull for the Valley... so... congrats on being 2-0! Man that hurt to say...

[BCPanther]

For the first time in a long time I've actually finding myself innately pulling for MVC teams in the OOC schedule so far.

I think with WSU gone (and sCUm too) it is easier to pull for the conference as we know we need to "band together". It's a nice change.

I guess I feel some of the same. The majority of Shocker fans behind the anonymity of usernames certainly went far, far out of their way and spent quite a chunk of their days inventing ways to make the rest of the league feel crappy about themselves. I've taken a look at their site lately (Loyola plays UMKC tomorrow, and the Shockers had them to open the season), and they have an entirely new set of peeves and complaints. They have completely jettisoned use of the RPI, and now focus entirely on KenPom. They''re angry about someone somewhere who suggested that they're still a Mid-Major. And they're now very complementary about schools that have a lot of football money boosting their athletic departments.

Given the grief they gave other MVC teams over the RPI and scheduling, I was surprised they didn't have three or four threads going after their new conference mate South Florida for losing at home to Morgan State, or Tulsa losing to Lamar. They apparently don't care anymore-- they're out of the middle-class neighborhood with the tidy homes and the people who save for vacations, and now they're in a McMansion with some well-off but trashy neighbors that they're trying to ignore for the time being. The houses are farther apart than in the old neighborhood, which makes it easier to avoid eye contact. Just wait until East Carolina loses to Radford tonight, or Tulane loses at Georgia State on Nov. 26, or some ref makes a call that doesn't look quite right in Houston in late January. McMansions get cracks in their foundations all the time, and they're usually a worse commute, and it costs a lot more than you think to heat The Great Room. /metaphor

Dude. This is perfect. Just perfect.

I have the same feelings. I'd gotten to the point where I kind of hoped Wichita would slip up and it had nothing to do with their players and everything to do with how Gregggg carried himself and acted like he was just too damn good to associate with anybody else in the league, hell he's still taking shots at Valley communities while standing across the street. He's the classic guy that was born on 3rd base and thought he hit a triple.

[Redbirdgrad]

Did he threaten or shove any more Canadian refs yet?

Mexican?

U.S.?


Because that's the type of coach you get when you roll with triple G!!!

[Cdizzle]

He's the classic guy that was born on 3rd base and thought he hit a triple.

Not sure you can more perfectly demonstrate how little you know.