MVC Games Week 6 2024-25

[BigMacAttack]

Who advised him it would be a good idea to transfer from one mid-major where you would’ve been the top returning player to anther mid-major where you’d average 9 minutes a game with no role in the offense?

Bailey is a basketball nomad. He played in 3 different HS programs and now in his 2nd college program. He was recruited by Marcus Wilson. Wilson was a former Aces great and an assistant coach for one season prior to Bailey arriving on campus. Wilson was friends with Bailey's father from when they played pro ball in Europe. Apparently Wilson's departure did not sit well with Bailey.

[AcesAces]

Ragland is the nicest, most professional guy you’ll find. I’m rooting for him.

He put together a 17-win team last season with Humrichous hurt, so he has coaching chops. Putting together and sustaining a roster with enough MVC talent seems to be their issue.

Rooting for him doesn't make things magically better for the Aces. The returning players are bad. The newcomers are bad. He isn't proving to be a good recruiter or coach.

[AcesAces]

Evansville is bad. They are very bad.

3-7 with 2 more non-cons. Then it’s 19 straight MVC games. UE will be lucky to win 10 games this year. Ugh.

Clearly, UE failed in the portal and failed in player retention.

The weakening attendance and the moans and groans from the fans leaving early says it all. The program is not in a better place than it was 8 years ago.

Ragland is not delivering.

How much time is left on Ragland's contract? Are fans calling for a change already? Not sure what Evansville's NIL situation is but that's almost as important these days as who is leading the team.

Fans were spoiled by last year's success to the point that they disregard that UE lost all it's starters to graduation or the portal along with talented freshman Chuck Bailey III. As of now the team is very young and is still trying mesh new players with returning players.
The only people calling for Ragland's head are malcontents like AcesAces. As far as I know, he is not a member of the Purple Ace Fan forum and apparently has an axe to grind about the program's change in coaches.

That's completely false. I don't have any axe to grind with Ragland or the change of coaches from Likliter or McCarty or Simmons. Look at the other MVC programs that lost coaches and most of their teams. They seem to be able to recover quickly. Ragland is on year 3. He couldn't keep what little talent they had last year and the returning players, except Haffner, do not seem to be improving enough to lead the team to victories over average mid major teams.

Watch the offense. What they hell are they doing? Running 1 on 1 when they have no 1 on 1 players. The big man is shooting fade away 3s. The PG is shooting step back 3s and not breaking down defenses for the kick out. The Italian Bird will be fine by January and February, but he will be gobbled up next year by a higher mid major of P6.

And the defense. That team last night hit 5 3s in a row with very limited defense on any of them.

They have been outrebounded in about every single game.

Look at the conference stats. There's UE at the bottom in just about every category, again.

Right now, it looks as if Wilson brought in much better players and Ragland, et al, is not going to be able to do it.

Ragland is not doing a good job as head coach at UE right now.

[AcesAces]

Evansville is bad. They are very bad.

3-7 with 2 more non-cons. Then it’s 19 straight MVC games. UE will be lucky to win 10 games this year. Ugh.

Clearly, UE failed in the portal and failed in player retention.

The weakening attendance and the moans and groans from the fans leaving early says it all. The program is not in a better place than it was 8 years ago.

Ragland is not delivering.

How much time is left on Ragland's contract? Are fans calling for a change already? Not sure what Evansville's NIL situation is but that's almost as important these days as who is leading the team.

Fans were spoiled by last year's success to the point that they disregard that UE lost all it's starters to graduation or the portal along with talented freshman Chuck Bailey III. As of now the team is very young and is still trying mesh new players with returning players.
The only people calling for Ragland's head are malcontents like AcesAces. As far as I know, he is not a member of the Purple Ace Fan forum and apparently has an axe to grind about the program's change in coaches.

As for your little forum, that's about 6 fans and is not representative of the rest of us.

The crowd last night was weak. Couldn't even break 4,000. WKU should have been over 7,000 but they barely got 5,000. All of us are rooting for better days with Ragland, but so far it isn't looking good.

[BigMacAttack]

I think AcesAces made my point about being a malcontent fan!

[siudawgs]

Obviously it's been a rocky non-conference for SIU. They've struggled against a tough schedule, lost arguably their top player in Elijah Elliott to an ACL tear and haven't looked good at either end of the floor with any consistency.

That said, I'm not completely out on the team this year. They're in the midst of a stretch of only two games in two weeks (tomorrow at Austin Peay, next weekend at home against High Point) to close out the non-conference, and the hope is the extra practice time will result in some improvement ... I know they are working at some adjustments to their offensive scheme.

It would be great to see SIU play some better ball these last couple non-conference games to go into the main part of the Valley schedule feeling a little better about themselves. If that's going to happen, they're going to need Sheridan Sharp to continue growing into the point guard role (he's shown signs he can hold his own since they pulled the redshirt after Elliott's injury) and Rolyns Aligbe is going to need to build on the flashes he's shown as a rugged freshman big. Drew Steffe heating up from 3 would also be a welcome development.

[AcesAces]

I think AcesAces made my point about being a malcontent fan!

Look at your own forum. I am sure there are several who are not happy with Ragland. And you are welcome to answer my questions regarding the clear coaching issues with the team while it is on the court. Also, let me know why they are last in almost every stat category in the MVC.

At least Simmons' teams played as a team. Ragland's don't. That's why they are so easy to beat even by Chattanooga.

[BCPanther]

UNI didn't play great tonight. Slept through the first half but beat Omaha by 20.

Just kind of a ho hum effort that the metrics were okay with.

[MovingScreenOfDeath]

Despite multiple double digit leads in the first half, the Racers blow it in OT against Western Kentucky.

Not only was it a bad performance by the Racers, it sure doesn't help the Valley gain any ground on CUSA

[IWokeUpLikeThis]

Top-25 Bradley down 16 at half to 5-5 Santa Clara.