Tues 1/8 games

[Ricardo del Rio]

It is what it is. MSU should try to win every game with everything its got as should ISU and anyone that plays them. If it negatively impacts the RPI, well then so be it. Arguing about it now is pointless.

However, the reason we are in this mess is the same reason I am praying every night that we get into the C7. Schools like Drake and MSU (and others) are not investing in their basketball programs. The effects of that are being seen now. MSU would not invest in a good coach, he leaves, players leave, and you are left with a young team and unproven coach that tanks in the noncon then figures it out. That is not the players or the coaches or the fans fault. It is the ADs. Drake last night was the same way. I got a text halfway through the first half asking if Central HS was available for the second half. We might have gotten a better game. Again, not the players fault. There is some talent there, but the AD is not doing what it needs for long-term success.

People in recent days have lamented that CU will drop once McD leaves. We haven't finished below 4th since I don't know when. People are saying we will be the Evansville of the new conference, but forget that with an additional 3 mil a year, we can upgrade our recruiting, pay our assistants more, etc. Hard to imagine we would drop in competitiveness.

Like it or not, some MVC schools are mid-major because they do not invest in their programs at the same level as major or high-major schools. Not the fans fault, or the coaches, or the players, but definitely a reason we have 270+ rpis we have to play against.

Two thumbs up. Way up.

[TylerDurden]

It is what it is. MSU should try to win every game with everything its got as should ISU and anyone that plays them. If it negatively impacts the RPI, well then so be it. Arguing about it now is pointless.

However, the reason we are in this mess is the same reason I am praying every night that we get into the C7. Schools like Drake and MSU (and others) are not investing in their basketball programs. The effects of that are being seen now. MSU would not invest in a good coach, he leaves, players leave, and you are left with a young team and unproven coach that tanks in the noncon then figures it out. That is not the players or the coaches or the fans fault. It is the ADs. Drake last night was the same way. I got a text halfway through the first half asking if Central HS was available for the second half. We might have gotten a better game. Again, not the players fault. There is some talent there, but the AD is not doing what it needs for long-term success.

People in recent days have lamented that CU will drop once McD leaves. We haven't finished below 4th since I don't know when. People are saying we will be the Evansville of the new conference, but forget that with an additional 3 mil a year, we can upgrade our recruiting, pay our assistants more, etc. Hard to imagine we would drop in competitiveness.

Like it or not, some MVC schools are mid-major because they do not invest in their programs at the same level as major or high-major schools. Not the fans fault, or the coaches, or the players, but definitely a reason we have 270+ rpis we have to play against.

It's not like MSU built a brand new on-campus arena that's better than most in the country or anything...

You have a lot of misinformation in this post. There are certainly a couple of schools that have lesser financial support for their programs than typical league programs, but most in the MVC invest significantly in their program and are at the high end of non-big six schools. This sanctimonious crap is getting out of hand.

Creighton and its fans would be well served to remember that it wouldn't be the type of program it is today without the MVC. Stop pissing on the league and everything about it on the way out the door.

[glm38]

Your are what your record says you are.

And MSU's past record shows it is one of the better MVC teams since joining the conference. Any program can have a down year.

[valleychamp]

It is what it is. MSU should try to win every game with everything its got as should ISU and anyone that plays them. If it negatively impacts the RPI, well then so be it. Arguing about it now is pointless.

However, the reason we are in this mess is the same reason I am praying every night that we get into the C7. Schools like Drake and MSU (and others) are not investing in their basketball programs. The effects of that are being seen now. MSU would not invest in a good coach, he leaves, players leave, and you are left with a young team and unproven coach that tanks in the noncon then figures it out. That is not the players or the coaches or the fans fault. It is the ADs. Drake last night was the same way. I got a text halfway through the first half asking if Central HS was available for the second half. We might have gotten a better game. Again, not the players fault. There is some talent there, but the AD is not doing what it needs for long-term success.

People in recent days have lamented that CU will drop once McD leaves. We haven't finished below 4th since I don't know when. People are saying we will be the Evansville of the new conference, but forget that with an additional 3 mil a year, we can upgrade our recruiting, pay our assistants more, etc. Hard to imagine we would drop in competitiveness.

Like it or not, some MVC schools are mid-major because they do not invest in their programs at the same level as major or high-major schools. Not the fans fault, or the coaches, or the players, but definitely a reason we have 270+ rpis we have to play against.

It's not like MSU built a brand new on-campus arena that's better than most in the country or anything...

You have a lot of misinformation in this post. There are certainly a couple of schools that have lesser financial support for their programs than typical league programs, but most in the MVC invest significantly in their program and are at the high end of non-big six schools. This sanctimonious crap is getting out of hand.

Creighton and its fans would be well served to remember that it wouldn't be the type of program it is today without the MVC. Stop pissing on the league and everything about it on the way out the door.

[jaybydna]

It is what it is. MSU should try to win every game with everything its got as should ISU and anyone that plays them. If it negatively impacts the RPI, well then so be it. Arguing about it now is pointless.

However, the reason we are in this mess is the same reason I am praying every night that we get into the C7. Schools like Drake and MSU (and others) are not investing in their basketball programs. The effects of that are being seen now. MSU would not invest in a good coach, he leaves, players leave, and you are left with a young team and unproven coach that tanks in the noncon then figures it out. That is not the players or the coaches or the fans fault. It is the ADs. Drake last night was the same way. I got a text halfway through the first half asking if Central HS was available for the second half. We might have gotten a better game. Again, not the players fault. There is some talent there, but the AD is not doing what it needs for long-term success.

People in recent days have lamented that CU will drop once McD leaves. We haven't finished below 4th since I don't know when. People are saying we will be the Evansville of the new conference, but forget that with an additional 3 mil a year, we can upgrade our recruiting, pay our assistants more, etc. Hard to imagine we would drop in competitiveness.

Like it or not, some MVC schools are mid-major because they do not invest in their programs at the same level as major or high-major schools. Not the fans fault, or the coaches, or the players, but definitely a reason we have 270+ rpis we have to play against.

It's not like MSU built a brand new on-campus arena that's better than most in the country or anything...

You have a lot of misinformation in this post. There are certainly a couple of schools that have lesser financial support for their programs than typical league programs, but most in the MVC invest significantly in their program and are at the high end of non-big six schools. This sanctimonious crap is getting out of hand.

Creighton and its fans would be well served to remember that it wouldn't be the type of program it is today without the MVC. Stop pissing on the league and everything about it on the way out the door.

I meant no offense, but do you disagree with the impact of not paying paying your coaches to stick around? Not paying your assistants? The new arena is great, but where are the results?

[jaybydna]

And I don't think anyone is pissing on the league. Most of us like the MVC, and speaking for me personally, if I thought the MVC would get better, I would prefer to stick around. However, I just don't see it getting better. Do you think it is going to get better over the next 10 years?

[MoValley John]

Define "One of the best in the country."

JQH is a nice arena. Not great and not one of the best. It doesn't have locker rooms and a big plexiglass facade where an upper deck should be. Without a huge donation from JQH, MSU wouldn't even have the arena.

As far as operating budget, MSU may exceed only Evansville. The sanctimonious talk will continue.

[glm38]

Define "One of the best in the country."

JQH is a nice arena. Not great and not one of the best. It doesn't have locker rooms and a big plexiglass facade where an upper deck should be. Without a huge donation from JQH, MSU wouldn't even have the arena.

As far as operating budget, MSU may exceed only Evansville. The sanctimonious talk will continue.

He didn't say "one of the best in the country". He said "one better than most in the country". Fairly big difference and I agree with the latter/OP's statement.

[DoubleJayAlum]

And I don't think anyone is pissing on the league. Most of us like the MVC, and speaking for me personally, if I thought the MVC would get better, I would prefer to stick around. However, I just don't see it getting better. Do you think it is going to get better over the next 10 years?

This is exactly the feeling of many Creighton and WSU fans. Financial difficulties at so many of our members are killing the upside of this league. Those problems permeate everything - scheduling, recruiting, hiring and retaining head coaches, hiring and retaining assistant coaches, marketing, expansion just to name a few.

Personally, we have the direct opposite of BCS leagues: instead of football expanding our league, football at the MVFC level is destroying the MVC. If more of our teams sacked football, the A10 would be looking up at us and asking why they couldn't be more like the MVC. We would be the the number one non-football conference in America. Every school has the right to decide what sports it feels are appropriate and the importance level to be placed thereon. Those that have selected football have not done anything wrong, but those decisions have caused this league to plateau. In an environment of continually increasing college athletic expenditures, many of our member schools have placed a moratorium on additional spending while others have even cut back their budgets.

I like the league and most of the schools here. I love going to St Louis and I like being able to go to roadies at Drake. I think the league is a quality league and being a member has truly benefited Creighton. Unfortunately, as stated above, I just feel that it has plateaued and is losing ground to other conferences.

[MoValley John]

Define "One of the best in the country."

JQH is a nice arena. Not great and not one of the best. It doesn't have locker rooms and a big plexiglass facade where an upper deck should be. Without a huge donation from JQH, MSU wouldn't even have the arena.

As far as operating budget, MSU may exceed only Evansville. The sanctimonious talk will continue.

He didn't say "one of the best in the country". He said "one better than most in the country". Fairly big difference and I agree with the latter/OP's statement.

Better or best, semantics...
I will add this, the arena "factor" is so overrated. Duke hardly plays in one of the nicer arenas, nor does Kansas. Gonzaga plays in a nice but small barn. Rented, owned, large, small, new, old, the arena is about the last place to look to see if a school is investing in their basketball program.