3rd best team in the MVC is...

[Aces1982]

This.

I was thinking it was MSU without a doubt. Patterson seems to have a high ankle sprain. That's an injury that could keep him out or limit his effectiveness through all of February.

The contenders all seem to have reasonably similar schedules left. If Patterson is out for a few weeks, MSU has Weems, IllSt has Carmichael, UNI has "team". UNI has dug themselves a hole, so I've got to go with MSU without Patterson.

Probably IlSU in at least a tie for 4th with UNI making a run for the upper half of the league - and UE making a run for Thursday night.

We beat UNI at UNI.

We beat MSU at MSU.

Give me some logic for UE and Thursday, other than the name on the front of our jerseys.

http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2012/predictedstandings
Scroll down and look at Nolan's projection for UE.

I am glad we played out the season and didn't just end it based on some projection.

[sixth ace]

As for UE, I don't think many fans not of UE would be impressed with beating a 1-10 in the league. But for UE, this is their 3rd road win and could have been 4 had it not been for a fluke of a play. So UE fans aren't getting excited about beating Bradley, it's how they beat them and how they have played on the road compared to years past.

I think the best answer for this question is, it depends on what night. I think 6 teams on any given night can be the 3rd best team. You can't ask, well who is it when everone is playing their best because none of the 6 teams do that on a regular basis and that is why they are all 6-6 or 5-7.

The Aces are the only team of the 6 that can claim that fifteen points kept them from a 20-9 season

And those same 15 points cause part of the problem.

[2livewu]

The Aces are the only team of the 6 that can claim that fifteen points kept them from a 20-9 season

And those same 15 points cause part of the problem.

Probably the only team that can say that 8 points kept them from a 10-19 season too.

[2livewu]

The Aces are the only team of the 6 that can claim that fifteen points kept them from a 20-9 season.

This got me thinking, and by no means is this meant to belittle any team at all, I was just thinking about margins and if WSU benefited from close wins (certainly they had some) but on the other end, you could take 1 game from each Valley opponent against WSU and spread 192 points, and WSU could still be 16-2 in conference.

Of course, take the other 7 games (not counting the 2 losses) and it would take only 118 points to make them 9-9.

[Wufan]

WSU had a dominanat point spread this year. WSU was 9 points away from being 18-0 in conference and 21 points away from being 30-0. From 20-10? 32 points. WSU won 13 conference games by double digits and 23 total by that margin. WSU beat all 9 MVC opponents by double digits at least once this year.

Average Margin of Victory in the MVC:

UE: 6.5
*Creighton: 7
Indianat St: 7.5
*Drake: 8
Ill. St: 8
MSU: 11
UNI: 14
SIU: 26.5
Bradley: 38
*Includes a loss

On the road: 8-1, Avg. Margin of Victory: 9.8, Avg. Margin of Victory in wins: 13
At Home: 8-1, Avg. Margin of Victory: 17.3, Avg. Margin of Victory in wins: 20.4

[TNMSUFAN]

The Aces are the only team of the 6 that can claim that fifteen points kept them from a 20-9 season

And those same 15 points cause part of the problem.

Bears are 16pts away from 8 more wins...BUT doesn't mean much at this point

[shocktheheart]

The Aces are the only team of the 6 that can claim that fifteen points kept them from a 20-9 season

And those same 15 points cause part of the problem.

Bears are 16pts away from 8 more wins...BUT doesn't mean much at this point

And WSU is 21 points from being undefeated. Any team can do this, good teams win close games.

[Ace Dad]

Good teams win close games is "Fanspeak."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketb ... s-all-bull

[shocktheheart]

Good teams win close games is "Fanspeak."

So bad teams win close games? What are you trying to say here?

[havoc]

Good teams win close games is "Fanspeak."

So bad teams win close games? What are you trying to say here?

AD believe close games are determined by magical fairies.