Opening Week Games

[mvfcfan]

Congrats to Drake on a Big 12 scalp.

Jailbirds also showed really well for the Valley on ESPN for everyone to see. Looking forward to the ILST / UE pillow fight of the century if the season lasts that long.

[VUGrad1314]

Terrific win by Drake! I just wish they had challenged themselves a bit more in the non-conference to give themselves more opportunities. They're a good team and I feel like they underscheduled for where they are (Not that I should throw any stones as a Valpo fan since our schedule isn't much better.) Still LOVE to see the Valley well represented and showing well in the non-conference! This was a HUGE win today! Also great work by Bradley getting by Toledo and setting up a big opportunity tomorrow against Xavier! Now if UNI can get by WKU we'll have had ourselves a really good day. I think the story of the day for the Valley will be Drake's win in Manhattan moreso than the Illinois State blowout by Ohio State. Do you think anybody honestly expected anything else to happen in that game?

[Mikovio]

Braves started 0-13 from the arc. Won't get away with that vs Xavier tomorrow.

[VUGrad1314]

Braves started 0-13 from the arc. Won't get away with that vs Xavier tomorrow.

Optimist's take: That just means they'll shoot much better tomorrow now that they're familiar with the floor and the rims!

[VUGrad1314]

Not looking good for Northern Iowa at the half but hopefully they have a comeback in them. The MVC really needs them to rise to the occasion and do well in this tournament!

[9628]

What an awful showing by UNI. Today, I would vote them in the bottom half of the valley.

[spoon]

1) Loyola
2) Drake
3) Bradley

[VUGrad1314]

It absolutely pains me to say this because I look to Northern Iowa as a program worthy of emulation in a lot of ways with a scheduling philosophy we all should be following every year but is there a more overrated so-called team leader than AJ Green? Seriously. We keep hearing about how this kid is the be all end all and just this great player but where are the results? He'll have a great individual game but who cares if the team eats an L? All I see every time UNI is in a big moment is a team that folds and comes up short. Why is he never able to deliver? I shouldn't lay it all at Green's feet though because Stansbury outcoached Jacobson today. Why is Jacobson never able to deliver a supporting cast around Green that works? What happened to the defense first grind it out Northern Iowa we all know and love? That sort of team would have found a way to win this game. You have a team that had a defense first identity before Green got there get lit up for 93 points. You have a team that prides itself on discipline and not fouling yield 31 free throw attempts while only shooting 11. By and large jumpshooting teams don't win and Northern Iowa is nothing but a jumpshooting team. I feel like I'm watching Green's third freshman year. There's no creativity to this offense and if they don't somehow outgun their opponent they'll never win. It's just stand around and wait for A.J. Green to save the day and that will work fine against most of the MVC but that's not going to win you anything against the nation's best. That's not going to get you to the tournament. Northern Iowa needs to get back to basics and back to the formula that wins for them. I daresay they'll actually be better off if and when Green declares for the draft.

[spoon]

Grammar and punctuation bro. I read nothing because it was painful.

[VUGrad1314]

Grammar and punctuation bro. I read nothing because it was painful.

Nevermind... It's just me ranting and venting... Ever since Valpo joined (and I know Valpo has done NOTHING to contribute to this in any way since joining so there's no need to bring that up) I have wanted nothing more than to see this league become a multibid league. I firmly believed that after the departure of Wichita State the rest of the league would be reinvigorated to reinvest in their programs and schedule better to make this dream a reality, but outside of UNI most years, nobody seems to be answering that call. Again, I understand that Valpo is very much a part of that problem and it hurts me as a fan of both Valpo and the MVC that this is the case. It feels like I didn't even get to sit with the dream of a multibid MVC for even one day this year and that just sucks. That's all. Maybe a lot of what I said was unfair especially about Green but I'm just sad that the multibid dream feels like it's over before it could really even begin. I worry if we'll ever achieve that goal.I know as long as Valpo and other schools keep scheduling like they have been we won't. I just wish more people cared as much about that goal as I do.