First place up for grabs....

[SubGod22]

With each passing game I feel more and more confident about winning at SWOMO. Until the O'Rear injury, I didn't feel confident about winning at UNI. If we lose to SIU, Illinois State, Evansville, or Creighton, then we don't deserve the league or an at-large bid.

[TylerDurden]

With each passing game I feel more and more confident about winning at SWOMO. Until the O'Rear injury, I didn't feel confident about winning at UNI. If we lose to SIU, Illinois State, Evansville, or Creighton, then we don't deserve the league or an at-large bid.

Do you think WSU deserves one now?

[Aces0976]

If you just purely look at the schedule, it's hard to argue that MSU doesn't have the easiest schedule. However, if you factor in how each team is playing right now (and O'Rear's injury) it's hard for me to argue for anybody other than WSU winning the conference. I haven't had the luxury of watching too many other valley games this year, but I've watched most of the Aces games (in person or online) and absolutely, in my opinion, WSU is the most impressive team we've played this year (including UNC). I can only go by what I see and my eyes tell me WSU is the team to beat. Of course, I'm usually wrong, so who knows.

[AndShock]

With each passing game I feel more and more confident about winning at SWOMO. Until the O'Rear injury, I didn't feel confident about winning at UNI. If we lose to SIU, Illinois State, Evansville, or Creighton, then we don't deserve the league or an at-large bid.

Do you think WSU deserves one now?

No.

[Aargh]

WSU has deserved the UnderAchiever Award to this point in the season. right now WSU looks like they've got the game and themselves figured out and WSU is looking like they were expected to look earlier in the season.

Right now, Stutz and Durley might be the best two post plauers in the league. Gabe Blair is having some good games, but he's got a nagging back injury that took a shot in the last game. Ben Smith is starting to figure out how to plau D1 ball.

WSU and MSU look like two teams going in opposite directions. The most telling part of that is the fact that WSU is averaging 12+ points better than their opponents in the second half. MSU is struggling to finish games right now.

MSU's opponents are going to feel more confident right now than WSU's opponents. that can be critical.

I don't know what to think about UNI. They were looking like a solid title contender until O'Rear got hurt. The team is certainly going to rally around O'Rear and try to win it for him. That's a huge plus for UNI. The minus is that UNI is really hurting for front court presence.

In games right now, WSU is looking like a mile runner who hangs toward the front of the pack until the last 1/4 mile and then turns in the best 1/4 split of the race and sprints the last 200 yards of the race. WSU is very dangerous at the ends of games right now. There's no way to know how long they can sustain that, but as long as they have it, it's going to take a Valley opponent's A+ game to beat them - home or road.

[Ricardo del Rio]

WSU has three difficult road games and game against CU at home that will not be a walk in the park. They could lose 3 or 4 more.

Probability of WSU losing 3 games in final 6 league games is 13.8%
Probability of WSU losing 4 games is 1.8%

I think MSU is in the best position to win the league.

So you think that the inability of MSU to close out games, UNI loss of O'Rear and another double-digit WSU road win means MSU is more than likely to win the conference?

Interesting thought process.

If you had predicted this before this weeks game I would have agreed. But with WSU win on the road against ISU(b) and MSU loss have changed the whole complexion of the race. Add in the loss of O'Rear for UNI.

UNI has a 53% probability of winning 4 games.
MSU has a 89% probability of winning 4 games.
WSU has a 87% probability of winning 4 games.

The tougher road for WSU means they have only a 15% chance of winning all their games while MSU is 21%. UNI is 4%.

When I made the original post, The O'Rear post was not up and I knew nothing about him being lost for the season.

I am trying to figure out what has changed with MSU losing? I don't believe anything has changed. Both teams controlled their own destiny before the loss and both control it now. Bottom line is, if both win out then the last game will be the Championship. Before the MSU loss, the same was true.

Yes, MSU is more likely to win the conference with the remaining schedule. I don't think that is too hard to figure out and I would think most people, beside the Shocker faithfull, would agree.

You probably should get some help.

[DieHardMSUFan]

This string is so all over the place it is hard to read. If MSU puts a thumping on Ind St this weekend and WSU takes a bad loss at home vs Ill St (which I don't see happening) and UNI loses at Drake....then this whole conversation will turn to MSU is the favorite bouncing out of slump, WSU is falling apart and UNI can't do it without O'Rear.

Teams rarely go undefeated over a conference season, and there is a reason. MSU is simply in a little funk slump that they can bounce out of quickly. I think the remaining schedule with MSU having the easiest schedule on paper and WSU, UNI and MSU bunched at the top, it is going to be a crazy finish with any little slip up from here being very costly.

Of course, that is if the officials will let us win any more games!!

[Aces1982]

Why do I need help? Cause you think my opinion was wrong?

[Bluejay09Bear06]

Wichita fans never cease to amaze me with their own self-assessments. A week ago, the Shockers were falling apart, no one was doing anything right, and ShockerNet was setting itself up for a "Fire Marshall" thread. Now, following a homecourt win over then-winless Bradley and a mediocre road win against a fading Indiana State, Wichita State is suddenly a lock for the league championship. The rest of the season is just a seeding exercise. And I don't know who posted that garbage track analogy that read like some early 1980s made-for-TV movie montage, but GIVE ME A FREAKING BREAK.

Yes, Wichita State is playing extremely well right now, better than MSU. A couple weeks ago, Missouri State was playing much better. You know how I know that? Because we BEAT YOU ON YOUR HOME COURT. So did UNI. I'm not even saying WSU won't win the Valley regular season championship, come back to earth! Wichita is a big fat 0-2 against the other two top-3 teams in the league. Take a breath. Oh, and I really love how when another team (read: MSU) is in first place, they are playing with a target on their backs and everyone is going to give them their best shot. When it's Wichita's turn at the merry-go-round, playing as the league leader is so easy because other teams will be so terrified and shook up when playing the Shockers.

The Valley is a rollercoaster this year. When the Bears were at the top, I'm glad I didn't make any stupid, logic-defying posts like I see Shocker fans making now.

Just had to get that off my chest.

[oneNEIGHBOR]

Wichita fans never cease to amaze me with their own self-assessments. A week ago, the Shockers were falling apart, no one was doing anything right, and ShockerNet was setting itself up for a "Fire Marshall" thread. Now, following a homecourt win over then-winless Bradley and a mediocre road win against a fading Indiana State, Wichita State is suddenly a lock for the league championship. The rest of the season is just a seeding exercise. And I don't know who posted that garbage track analogy that read like some early 1980s made-for-TV movie montage, but GIVE ME A FREAKING BREAK.

Yes, Wichita State is playing extremely well right now, better than MSU. A couple weeks ago, Missouri State was playing much better. You know how I know that? Because we BEAT YOU ON YOUR HOME COURT. So did UNI. I'm not even saying WSU won't win the Valley regular season championship, come back to earth! Wichita is a big fat 0-2 against the other two top-3 teams in the league. Take a breath. Oh, and I really love how when another team (read: MSU) is in first place, they are playing with a target on their backs and everyone is going to give them their best shot. When it's Wichita's turn at the merry-go-round, playing as the league leader is so easy because other teams will be so terrified and shook up when playing the Shockers.

The Valley is a rollercoaster this year. When the Bears were at the top, I'm glad I didn't make any stupid, logic-defying posts like I see Shocker fans making now.

Just had to get that off my chest.

im guessing that came straight from the heart.