2013-2014 Bracketology thread

[Wufan]

I had the same question as above. Why won't Gia ever leave?

[2livewu]

Drake has what appears to be a great coach who wants to coach here forever. Drake has the potential to be the BEST program in the Valley. Horrible hires and a bad administration stopped that from happening for a long time. The hiring and retention of a clown like Mark Phelps could have been the death knoll, but Giacoletti appears to know how to build a program and how to coach. It will take time, but I think you will see steady improvement and growth in the Drake program over the next five years. I'm guessing Drake's recruiting class next year will be among the top 3 in the Valley, and we have a coach who knows how to get the most out of his players.

Drake is definitely on the way up. I don't actually see nay programs in the Valley who are in a long term declining cycle. The Valley will definitely get stronger over the next 5 years.

I think Drake has made giant strides in 1AP but let's not get too carried away (and I'm a Drake fan). Their best win is......Nebraska-Omaha. They have looked really good putting away bad opponents, no doubt, and they've been mostly competitive against better teams.

As to your recruiting comment, you like the guys you have coming in.....newsflash, so does everyone else that's a fan of college sports. Everyone thinks their recruits are the best thing since sliced bread. I would bet you don't have the slightest clue as to whom the other 9 Valley teams have signed, so a comparison is fairly moot, but I will say you're going to need a good class considering who you're losing.

I have no idea what Coach G's long term plans are, but it seems a bit presumptuous at this point to say he wants to coach in Des Moines forever. If he continues his early success, he's going to have to share Ben's hatred for money to stay at Drake.

Drake has the potential to be the best program in the Valley based upon what? Lack of support? That's a silly comment.

Lastly, you might want to learn the difference between a knoll and a knell, or you might not recognize the next one ringing while you're just sitting there looking at a little mound.

[rlh04d]

Drake is definitely on the way up. I don't actually see nay programs in the Valley who are in a long term declining cycle. The Valley will definitely get stronger over the next 5 years.

SIU? Bradley? Drake until four months ago?

More importantly, I don't see any teams other than WSU in a long term upward pattern. As in more than one improving year in a row. Indiana State, maybe, thanks to Odum and a senior heavy lineup that will probably fall apart next year.

[ptownbraves]

Drake is definitely on the way up. I don't actually see nay programs in the Valley who are in a long term declining cycle. The Valley will definitely get stronger over the next 5 years.

SIU? Bradley? Drake until four months ago?

More importantly, I don't see any teams other than WSU in a long term upward pattern. As in more than one improving year in a row. Indiana State, maybe, thanks to Odum and a senior heavy lineup that will probably fall apart next year.

I disagree that Bradley is in a long-term decline. Long-term declines take years to happen and are brought about by apathetic administrations who don't see men's basketball as a high priority. If you were to have taken a poll 2 months ago, I'd be willing to bet that most posters here would have said Bradley would be near the top of the Valley over the next few years. What changed in those 2 months? Some pretty awful basketball. I would say there are a few contributing factors for their current awfulness that can be fixed in the next 1-2 years. To me, that is a short-term problem. I don't think you can say a program is declining long-term when your administration has shown it is willing to support the men's basketball program by compensating your coach near the top of the league and spend the resources on a new practice facility to try and attract future recruits.

[TheAsianSensation]

The first step a up-and-coming team needs to take is to beat all the bad teams, to beat average teams, and to avoid upsets. Say what you will about Drake, but they've made that first step. And you can't get to the top without that first step.

[jturner38]

Drake is definitely on the way up. I don't actually see nay programs in the Valley who are in a long term declining cycle. The Valley will definitely get stronger over the next 5 years.

SIU? Bradley? Drake until four months ago?

More importantly, I don't see any teams other than WSU in a long term upward pattern. As in more than one improving year in a row. Indiana State, maybe, thanks to Odum and a senior heavy lineup that will probably fall apart next year.

Next season will determine Indiana State as a program. Lansing Is a good coach (suspect with substitions at times) and a good recruiter. So we will really see how his coaching will be without Odum. Main concern will be who replaces Odum and Arop? We have Brenton Scott, who is the twin brother of Bryson Scott who is playing at Purdue, and maybe D. Brown runs some point (cant be turnover prone though) and I see Khristian Smith (he has to be consistent) replacing arop. But you never know. Will Indiana state continue to be successful and try to be that other team besides Wichita st to help carry the MVC? To be continued...

[Wufan]

Drake is definitely on the way up. I don't actually see nay programs in the Valley who are in a long term declining cycle. The Valley will definitely get stronger over the next 5 years.

SIU? Bradley? Drake until four months ago?

More importantly, I don't see any teams other than WSU in a long term upward pattern. As in more than one improving year in a row. Indiana State, maybe, thanks to Odum and a senior heavy lineup that will probably fall apart next year.

Next season will determine Indiana State as a program. Lansing Is a good coach (suspect with substitions at times) and a good recruiter. So we will really see how his coaching will be without Odum. Main concern will be who replaces Odum and Arop? We have Brenton Scott, who is the twin brother of Bryson Scott who is playing at Purdue, and maybe D. Brown runs some point (cant be turnover prone though) and I see Khristian Smith (he has to be consistent) replacing arop. But you never know. Will Indiana state continue to be successful and try to be that other team besides Wichita st to help carry the MVC? To be continued...

I see Indiana State as a mid-pack team next year. WSU should still be good. UNI and Illinois State look to be improved, and I see no reason that MSU and Drake won't be as good or better. There's still a big cluster in the middle and at the bottom of the league and I see Indiana State in the mid-range cluster with Smith, Scott, and Gant.

[rlh04d]

I disagree that Bradley is in a long-term decline. Long-term declines take years to happen and are brought about by apathetic administrations who don't see men's basketball as a high priority. If you were to have taken a poll 2 months ago, I'd be willing to bet that most posters here would have said Bradley would be near the top of the Valley over the next few years. What changed in those 2 months? Some pretty awful basketball. I would say there are a few contributing factors for their current awfulness that can be fixed in the next 1-2 years. To me, that is a short-term problem. I don't think you can say a program is declining long-term when your administration has shown it is willing to support the men's basketball program by compensating your coach near the top of the league and spend the resources on a new practice facility to try and attract future recruits.

Bradley has only had one single season since 2005-06 where their win total increased over the previous year -- last season. This will be the seventh season in the last eight that Bradley had either the same win total or less wins over the previous year. Granted, some of those were 22/21 win seasons, but this will also be the fifth straight season of mediocrity or worse. Sorry, but that's a long-term downward trend.

What changed in the last two months is that we've realized last season appears, at this point, to be a significant aberration rather than the sign of an upward turn that many of us were predicting. Either your coach doesn't have the ability to put together a winner, or your roster has quit on him and won't give him the opportunity to put together a winner -- either way, the future is not bright anymore.

[rlh04d]

Next season will determine Indiana State as a program. Lansing Is a good coach (suspect with substitions at times) and a good recruiter. So we will really see how his coaching will be without Odum. Main concern will be who replaces Odum and Arop? We have Brenton Scott, who is the twin brother of Bryson Scott who is playing at Purdue, and maybe D. Brown runs some point (cant be turnover prone though) and I see Khristian Smith (he has to be consistent) replacing arop. But you never know. Will Indiana state continue to be successful and try to be that other team besides Wichita st to help carry the MVC? To be continued...

It's possible. But Lansing is also developing an identity based on late-season collapses, and if he can't put together a solid season this year, with the talent and experience they have, I'm not sure if he will. I'm guessing 5th/6th next year.

[TheAsianSensation]

I have nowhere else to post this, and this is in response to a topic that's several months old, but warrants mentioning:

When I was talking about the MVC's TV deal this year, I was wondering why we gave up a national weekly spot on ESPNU on Sunday, that hurt our exposure.

Now I finally have an answer.

We didn't turn it down, the ACC and Pac-12 hijacked it from us. I just checked, both conferences own the Sunday night slots now.

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer as to who our next TV contract should be signed with.