So, How Good Will the MVC be this Year

[Snaggletooth]

Actually the poll should be "will somebody else beides WSU get a NCAA bid this year"

[Jet915]

Two bids, hopefully CU and either Northern Iowa or ISUR with Wichita State as an outside shot.

[PantherSigEp]

If the coaching change doesn't have much of an impact, look for Illinois State to start the season as strong as they ended last season and contend for an NCAA title.

Did you mean MVC title or did you really mean a national championship? That would be great for this conference but let's go one step at a time.

[DoubleJayAlum]

6 of the 10 teams in the Valley return 4 starters and 33 of 50 starters return, most since 06-07.

2 things --

In '06-'07, we only got two teams in. There was some debate that if Creighton didn't beat SIU in the tourney, they would have been squarely on the bubble.

While it is true that we return a lot of starters, most of those starters were on pretty mediocre or downright bad teams. An additional year may result in improvement and it may just mean more of the same.

[shoxrox]

6 of the 10 teams in the Valley return 4 starters and 33 of 50 starters return, most since 06-07.

2 things --

In '06-'07, we only got two teams in. There was some debate that if Creighton didn't beat SIU in the tourney, they would have been squarely on the bubble.

While it is true that we return a lot of starters, most of those starters were on pretty mediocre or downright bad teams. An additional year may result in improvement and it may just mean more of the same.

I tend to agree with this. What does a bunch of returning starters from a muddied up mess of 9-9 teams actually mean this year? There will be some improvement but to the degree of getting multiple at-large bids? I'd say highly doubtful.

[valleychamp]

Veteran teams win in college basketball, and you especially see this within mid-major leagues.

[CBB_Fan]

If the coaching change doesn't have much of an impact, look for Illinois State to start the season as strong as they ended last season and contend for an NCAA title.

Did you mean MVC title or did you really mean a national championship? That would be great for this conference but let's go one step at a time.

Meant to say MVC Title/NCAA berth. My bad. No editing.

[GrandpaBear]

Definitely two. Three might be asking a bit much.

[DoubleJayAlum]

****BUMP****

As we hit finals week, most schools only have a couple of noncon games left. Thoughts?

(I plan to do a more detailed evaluation later today when I have more time...)

[BCPanther]

Creighton is a lock.

WSU is probably 80-20 that they get in.

UNI still has a chance with Iowa, St Marys, UNLV to put themselves in a great spot.

IlSt probably has to win 3 in StL unless they go absolutely crazy (sweep CU, WSU, UNI) to get an at large.

I think in the end we end up with 3 bids. Creighton and UNI at large. WSU finally wins in StL.