Bracketbuster

[Smj]

That was a very fun read.........

[valpotx]

Let's go HL!  I am not sure of the consequences for the conference's RPI over these 9 games, but the WAC is not too far behind us in that area.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

the WAC is not too far behind us in that area.

Then it's time for us to deploy "MISSION: CHICAGO STATE"

evillaugh.gif

[talksalot]

Oh Man... and I was going to put big bucks on IUPUI tonight... thank you for saving me from the embarrassment!  Guess I'll just watch a replay of last night's Saint Louis Game at the venerable place down state...

[LaPorteAveApostle]

That was a very fun read.........

thanks, smj & 72.  it's fun putting these together, but you never know who gets it.

[KL31NY]

Here's a "who to root for" page: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology/jerry-palm-reader Especially fun for today with all these Bracketbuster matchups

[vuweathernerd]

Here's a "who to root for" page: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology/jerry-palm-reader Especially fun for today with all these Bracketbuster matchups

great find. gonna have to save this one for the next couple weeks.

[vuweathernerd]

i can't do it. just can't root for detroit. go shockers! love their arena too. looks and sounds like one hell of a place to play.

[talksalot]

As of 8:20, the HL is 3W (Valpo, UWM and YSt) and 4L (WSU, UDM, UIC and LUC)....

with two in-progress... Cleveland State up 6 on Western Ill with 10:00 to play, and UWGB down 13 to Drake with 14:00 to play

[LaPorteAveApostle]

well, wish i weren't right, but called it on the 4-5.  and swap Loyola for CSU and I'd have gotten them all right too.  (ok, maybe i've been spending too much time in the purgatory that is ESPN Sec 140)

shocked that the Summit contender went down at home.  Look at the box, too--nothing leaps out that "yeah no wonder they lost to The Cleve"--other than the fact that midgame they went from being up 11 to down 8 pretty much.

also wish Loyola had pulled it off, but since KSU is an opponent, doesn't hurt too much.  balances out IUPUI losing

what say those that watched live, say WSU-Det, etc?

[vu72]

I watched the WSU-Det game and Detroit was really

well, wish i weren't right, but called it on the 4-5.  and swap Loyola for CSU and I'd have gotten them all right too.  (ok, maybe i've been spending too much time in the purgatory that is ESPN Sec 140)

shocked that the Summit contender went down at home.  Look at the box, too--nothing leaps out that "yeah no wonder they lost to The Cleve"--other than the fact that midgame they went from being up 11 to down 8 pretty much.

also wish Loyola had pulled it off, but since KSU is an opponent, doesn't hurt too much.  balances out IUPUI losing

what say those that watched live, say WSU-Det, etc?

I watched the game and Detroit was really sloppy.  Did mount a comeback and got to within 1 or 2 then let it slip away.  Juwan Howard Jr didn't play so their very shallow bench was all the more such.  McCallum and Minnerath played very good games but WSU just had better, deeper talent.  They will make some noise come March and xould win the alley come their tourney. Creighton took it on the chin at St. Mary's.

[chef]

Detroit spent most of the first half bickering with each other, and all of both halves playing no defense. Their offense was impressive as always.

[valpotx]

Sweet, hopefully they keep bickering with each other.  They are the Lakers of the HL.  If they are in sync, they can blow you out, but otherwise, they are screwed.

[valpotx]

Also, the WAC went 6-1 in BB play, to close to within 0.0037 of us.  That is the closest it has been for awhile, but should keep them from catching the HL in RPI

[wh]

Also, the WAC went 6-1 in BB play, to close to within 0.0037 of us.  That is the closest it has been for awhile, but should keep them from catching the HL in RPI

Detroit still has to play Temple.  I wonder if a Detroit loss would cause us to fall below the WAC?

[KL31NY]

Juwan Howard Jr didn't play so their very shallow bench was all the more such.

Based off reports from examiner.com and the Wichita Eagle, Howard injured one his hips in practice this week. I could not find out which hip. I would like to hear that, though, because I found some stories from mlive.com about Howard's 2010-11 freshman year at WMU. In mid-January of that season, he injured his right hip and groin in a game against Ball State on a fall after a drive to the basket which resulted in a charge. Despite the injury and lack of practice time, he played through some pain in the team's next game four days later against Eastern Michigan. According to his UDM bio, he did not miss a game that season.

[Smj]

HL did okay in the bracket buster....   4-3...   I NEVER thought UDM had much of a chance against Wichita.   I saw them play a couple games this year and they looked good at home.

I really wanted Wright State to beat the Purple Asses (damn autocorrect - meant Aces).  I hoped for a Valpo win but definitely was NOT thinking we would beat them that badly.

[agibson]

Detroit still has to play Temple.  I wonder if a Detroit loss would cause us to fall below the WAC?

Probably not.  Detroit's just one team, and their loss at Wichita State left their RPI rank basically unchanged - probably a loss at Temple wouldn't do too much worse.

If the Bracketbuster disparity is repeated in the post-season, that might be enough to push us below the WAC.

[agibson]

HL did okay in the bracket buster....   4-3... 

Except that we have nine teams in the conference, and went 4-5.  Good to see UWM get a win on the road in non-conference play.

[Smj]

HL did okay in the bracket buster....   4-3... 

Except that we have nine teams in the conference, and went 4-5.  Good to see UWM get a win on the road in non-conference play.

Interesting my CBS sports phone app does not show any other games?  (Good thing I am not a reporter)

[LaPorteAveApostle]

SMJ, i'm guessing one of those was the CSU-Western Ill game?  It wasn't on RPIForecast, meaning it wasn't on KenPom either...

Actually...real-time thinking happening--no it couldn't be because you missed two losses.

Do tell:  who doesn't rate?

You know, like people do with their crazy uncles--hide them in a spare room when company comes over--maybe that's what the HL was trying to do for BB yesterday...

[wh]

HL did okay in the bracket buster....   4-3...   I NEVER thought UDM had much of a chance against Wichita.   I saw them play a couple games this year and they looked good at home.

I really wanted Wright State to beat the Purple Asses (damn autocorrect - meant Aces).  I hoped for a Valpo win but definitely was NOT thinking we would beat them that badly.

I think we need to give WSU a pass.  The fact that Arceneaux and Darling (their 2 leading scorers) didn't play changed the entire dynamic of the game.  The fact that WSU stayed within 12 without them is a pretty good accomplishment.   

[LaPorteAveApostle]

True, but Evansville's second leading scorer, Ned Cox, managed just 9 minutes before injuring his foot.

His replacement, the freshman DJ B., scored 18 in the second half to make up for it.  Guess it was Balentine's Day.

To paraphrase "The Rock"'s Sean Connery, "Losers talk about their best (players).  Winners go (to their bench) and (find) a prom queen to play guard."

This'll be the last time you hear me quote Billy D in support of him:

"D.J. Balentine's a guy we really recruited very, very hard," said Wright State coach Billy Donlon. "JT Yoho said yes first. That was the last (scholarship) we had. I'm not saying we would have beaten Evansville for him, but we went all the way to the wire with D.J. Balentine. He's a terrific player."
...
"We have good enough players who played tonight to win that game," Donlon said. "It had nothing to do with Cole and Reggie not playing. I mean it. I also will not disrespect the effort with which the Evansville kids played with, and I also will remind you that their second-best player (Cox) played nine minutes."

(in the interest of fairness perhaps it should be noted that Yoho was no slouch either in 32 bench minutes, with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 bottle of rum)

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2013/feb/23/balentine-scores-11-first-half-maintain-ues-lead-o/

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Detroit still has to play Temple.  I wonder if a Detroit loss would cause us to fall below the WAC?

Probably not.  Detroit's just one team, and their loss at Wichita State left their RPI rank basically unchanged - probably a loss at Temple wouldn't do too much worse.

well @#% i schadened my freude

WAC .5015
HL .5014

http://www.rpiforecast.com/confrpi.html

http://realtimerpi.com/ncaab/conf_Men.html

[agibson]

Ouch. 

We've climbed back above them later on this evening, at least.  We're at 0.5010, they're down to 0.5004.

Could come down to a coin toss.  Or post-season play.