Who you rooting for, Top 2 or the field?

[Ace Dad]

With the brackets the way they are right now (Lunardi on ESPN) WSU has a good chance at going to the Sweet Sixteen, and CU has a good shot at one win for sure. The only way CU or WSU get really hurt is if one loses in the first round of the tourney to the play in team. They probably won't get helped too much either by winning the whole thing. I think they move up or down 1 each depending.

I am clearly biased and want UNI to win. I think 3 is better than 2 even if it means one worse seed for either WSU or CU. Tough call though. Better seeds technically give you a better chance, but if you look Drake had a 5 and lost in the first round we had a 9 and wend to the Sweet Sixteen so you just never really know.

Sometimes getting a worse seed means the team may overlook you somewhat. The Shockers and the Jays have all the parts and pieces to match up with most Top 50 teams. We can beat them later or we can beat them earlier. Our middling teams are better than their records and they have been tested against two Top 25 teams. Hell, if Evansville can beat CU and put up a good fight against WSU, with a good shooting night, we can upset someone. Just sayin......................................................

[shockern8ion]

Look at how the midlings have given both WSU and CU a run for their money.

WSU and CU? I think not.

Creighton's last five:
Wichita St L 89-68
Southern Illinois W 88-69
Long Beach St W 81-79
Evansville W 93-92 OT
Indiana St W 61-60

They squeaked out their last three, one against a fearless LBSU team and one point victories over teams with 9-9 and 8-10 records in Valley play. All three of those teams were leading or in the game the whole time. They hung with CU, I'll give you that.

Wichita State's last five:
Creighton W 89-68
Missouri St W 73-58
Davidson W 91-74
Illinois St W 68-55
Drake W 81-58

Only one game not won by 15+, and that one still by double digits. These come against Creighton, a decent (and probable NCAA) team and 3 9-9 middling Valley teams. A run for Wichita State's money? Not even close.

[jaybydna]

A CU/WSU final is a nationally televised game on CBS between two ranked teams from the Missouri Valley - and each of them will have a nice winning streak going if they make the finals. That's going to get a national audience. A finals game between - say Illinois State and Creighton or Evansville and WSU would probably get less than half the viewers as a CU/WSU final.

I know fans of any school not named WSU or CU think an upset is best for the league. I can't buy that at all. If either CU or WSU loses before the finals, it could drop them by as much as 2 seeding spots. A win in the finals over a ranked team could easily bump either CU or wWSU up a spot from where they might be seeded today. Better seeds equls a better chance of winning.

The Valley's reputation would be best improved with 2 top-25 tems in the finals and two teams each winning at least a game in the NCAA's. The chances of that happening in the NCAA's is improved with a WSU/CU final.

Ditto

Nope. Nope. Nope.

Conferences are judged by how many teams they get in and how those teams fare, especially in the first round.

WSU and CU are going to have to play the better teams sooner or later. I do not buy the theory of "give me an easier team first." Beat the team you see in the first round and you never know.

A 3rd Valley team, this year, is better than the record shows. Look at how the midlings have given both WSU and CU a run for their money.

Conferences are judged by success not number of teams. Pop quiz, who did ISU lose to last year? Who did Drake? No looking.

Now, what two teams made the sweet 16 in 2006? Who did uni beat? No looking needed.

If cu loses, they are a 7 or 8 seed facing Kansas, cuse, or duke. If the make the final, they are a 5 or 6 facing Indiana or unlv, and looking at a full week of press about how good the mvc is. Which is better for mvc?

Success brings recruits which brings continued success. Two mvc schools rocking march helps all mvc schools. If I was you, I would root for my school running the table and getting a 13 seed. However, that would not be what's best for the conference.

[Ace Dad]

What about the first 13 MVC games?

[shockern8ion]

What about the first 13 MVC games?

Counting all 18, Wichita State and Creighton lost 7 and 5 less, respectively, than your middling teams.

Creighton ends up looking a lot better statistically if we count those, too. Their scoring margin goes up to 6.6 points per game.

http://blogs.kansas.com/shockwaves/2012 ... ita-state/

[Ace Dad]

College coaches lobby for their conferences to get the "right number" of bids. The BCS schools try to defend their middle tier finishers getting bids because their conference is so tough. The so-called mid majors (spit, spit) lobby to get more bids for so-called one bid conferences by pointing to our efforts to go on the road during out of conference to beat higher profile teams.

Not sure if college coaches or conference officials lobby for seeding.

Recruiting? A kid who is borderling BCS good and MVC worthy will be impressed with a deep run by a WSU or a CU. However, I beg to differ: A conference that can get 2-3 teams into the Big Dance is just as impressive, as the recruit tries to determine the value of the conference.

None of these comments are science. It is all art and drinking of the MVC Kool Aid as the tournament starts.

[UNIFanSince1983]

Conferences are judged by success not number of teams. Pop quiz, who did ISU lose to last year? Who did Drake? No looking.

Now, what two teams made the sweet 16 in 2006? Who did uni beat? No looking needed.

If cu loses, they are a 7 or 8 seed facing Kansas, cuse, or duke. If the make the final, they are a 5 or 6 facing Indiana or unlv, and looking at a full week of press about how good the mvc is. Which is better for mvc?

Success brings recruits which brings continued success. Two mvc schools rocking march helps all mvc schools. If I was you, I would root for my school running the table and getting a 13 seed. However, that would not be what's best for the conference.

I don't need to look any of them up. ISU lost to Syracuse and Drake to Western Kentucky. In 2006 it was WSU and Bradley. Bradley beat Pitt and Kansas. WSU beat Tennessee and unfortunately I can't remember the first team they beat.

I am not trying to prove a point I just wanted to answer your questions!

[Ace Dad]

What about the first 13 MVC games?

Counting all 18, Wichita State and Creighton lost 7 and 5 less, respectively, than your middling teams.

Creighton ends up looking a lot better statistically if we count those, too. Their scoring margin goes up to 6.6 points per game.

http://blogs.kansas.com/shockwaves/2012 ... ita-state/

OK, no selective sports results:

Run for your money..............................

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... hita-State

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/jan/05/aces/

[iSASO]

Would you choose 3 teams from the MVC in the Tournament or 2 MVC teams in the Elite Eight?

To answer the question: The Valley has never, since 1977, had two ranked teams in the NCAA Tournament in the same year. That streak should end this year, but both probably need to meet in the conference tournament finals to guarantee that.

[sixth ace]

A CU/WSU final is a nationally televised game on CBS between two ranked teams from the Missouri Valley - and each of them will have a nice winning streak going if they make the finals. That's going to get a national audience. A finals game between - say Illinois State and Creighton or Evansville and WSU would probably get less than half the viewers as a CU/WSU final.

I know fans of any school not named WSU or CU think an upset is best for the league. I can't buy that at all. If either CU or WSU loses before the finals, it could drop them by as much as 2 seeding spots. A win in the finals over a ranked team could easily bump either CU or wWSU up a spot from where they might be seeded today. Better seeds equls a better chance of winning.

The Valley's reputation would be best improved with 2 top-25 tems in the finals and two teams each winning at least a game in the NCAA's. The chances of that happening in the NCAA's is improved with a WSU/CU final.

Ditto

Sorry to disagree but any1 who will watch any MVC championship game will watch it no matter who the teams are on Sunday. Creightonand WSU may threaten not to show up at the Scott Trade Center for the game if they're not in it, but that us typical of CU and WSU fans. The national TV audience is looking to watch Basketball and that is the game that is available to watch at that time slot. Scott Center maybe empty if the 'leading' teams are going to get the early start homebut the TV audience for CBS will still show up