Looking ahead to next November

valpotx · April 18, 2014, 12:52:32 AM

It will depend on if any Milwaukee players leave the program because of the ban. If they stay whole, I can still see them in the top 3. Just because they can't play in the postseason, doesn't mean that they will tank in the regular season.

Also, where does that article get the information that our 2013 recruits weren't highly rated? Didn't we have the top class in the HL?

a3uge · April 18, 2014, 08:26:09 AM

Quote from: valpotx on April 18, 2014, 12:52:32 AM
It will depend on if any Milwaukee players leave the program because of the ban. If they stay whole, I can still see them in the top 3. Just because they can't play in the postseason, doesn't mean that they will tank in the regular season.

Also, where does that article get the information that our 2013 recruits weren't highly rated? Didn't we have the top class in the HL?

I just don't see how UWM will be better than last year without their leading scorer and without any motivation to succeed. They're still a team that finished 5th and lost to UIC. They didn't have any depth and showed that by losing 4 straight when Aaron got suspended.

When these preseason lists get thrown together, people tend to overreact to conference tournament runs. Wright State was virtually tied with GB in the official poll last year and they lost to North Carolina A&T.

But then again, the Horizon looks to be weak again next year, outside of CSU and maybe UWGB with Sykes still there. The entire league might be a collective 8-8ish like last year outside of the top and bottom schools.

valpotx · April 18, 2014, 09:52:17 AM

I just don't see GB as being a top 3 team next season without Brown. Sykes and Fouse are good, but I just see Brown as being too hard to replace to stay at the top.

wh · April 18, 2014, 10:46:33 AM

Quote from: a3uge on April 18, 2014, 08:26:09 AM
Quote from: valpotx on April 18, 2014, 12:52:32 AM
It will depend on if any Milwaukee players leave the program because of the ban. If they stay whole, I can still see them in the top 3. Just because they can't play in the postseason, doesn't mean that they will tank in the regular season.

Also, where does that article get the information that our 2013 recruits weren't highly rated? Didn't we have the top class in the HL?

I just don't see how UWM will be better than last year without their leading scorer and without any motivation to succeed. They're still a team that finished 5th and lost to UIC. They didn't have any depth and showed that by losing 4 straight when Aaron got suspended.

When these preseason lists get thrown together, people tend to overreact to conference tournament runs. Wright State was virtually tied with GB in the official poll last year and they lost to North Carolina A&T.

But then again, the Horizon looks to be weak again next year, outside of CSU and maybe UWGB with Sykes still there. The entire league might be a collective 8-8ish like last year outside of the top and bottom schools.

Personally, I could care less what Milwaukee is ranked. In fact, they shouldn't even be ranked at all. They can't participate in post season play thanks to their systemic APR failure, so what good are they? Every win they get in conference play takes away from someone else's record, RPI and chance for postseason play. Their will add no value to the league whatsoever.

If that sounds harsh, it's meant to be. They have done the league and all the rest of us a great disservice. Wouldn't the right thing have been to issue a public apology to the league and the other member institutions for detracting from the image of a league that purports to highly value academic achievement. But of course that would take real leadership, wisdom and contriteness, which are obviously in limited supply up there.

ARCInsider · April 18, 2014, 12:33:20 PM

Quote from: wh on April 18, 2014, 10:46:33 AM

Personally, I could care less what Milwaukee is ranked. In fact, they shouldn't even be ranked at all. They can't participate in post season play thanks to their systemic APR failure, so what good are they? Every win they get in conference play takes away from someone else's record, RPI and chance for postseason play. Their will add no value to the league whatsoever.

If Milwaukee ends up being really good and plays a good schedule, couldn't a loss to them actually improve a team's RPI? Additionally, if they end up being good (let's 50-100 RPI), any win against them could be help to the resume, especially since they are coming off a tourney appearance.

a3uge · April 18, 2014, 01:34:14 PM

Quote from: ARCInsider on April 18, 2014, 12:33:20 PM
Quote from: wh on April 18, 2014, 10:46:33 AM

Personally, I could care less what Milwaukee is ranked. In fact, they shouldn't even be ranked at all. They can't participate in post season play thanks to their systemic APR failure, so what good are they? Every win they get in conference play takes away from someone else's record, RPI and chance for postseason play. Their will add no value to the league whatsoever.

If Milwaukee ends up being really good and plays a good schedule, couldn't a loss to them actually improve a team's RPI? Additionally, if they end up being good (let's 50-100 RPI), any win against them could be help to the resume, especially since they are coming off a tourney appearance.

Did a win against Valpo help THEIR resume, since we were coming off an NCAA appearance? Their RPI will impact Valpo the same way it has every year, whether they are really bad, really good, or somewhere in between.

ARCInsider · April 18, 2014, 02:52:21 PM

Valpo's RPI was 192, so no the win didn't help. If Valpo was a top 50-60 team coming off a tourney berth, then I think it would have been perceived as a pretty good win.

a3uge · April 18, 2014, 03:42:13 PM

Quote from: ARCInsider on April 18, 2014, 02:52:21 PM
Valpo's RPI was 192, so no the win didn't help. If Valpo was a top 50-60 team coming off a tourney berth, then I think it would have been perceived as a pretty good win.

Milwaukee isn't a top 50 team coming off a tourney berth...

Making the tourney as a 15 seed is virtually irrelevant the next year. The selection committee doesn't take "ability to beat 15 seeds in previous years tourney" into account.

ARCInsider · April 18, 2014, 04:31:02 PM

Let me try this again...if NEXT YEAR, Milwaukee is good (i.e. a top 50 team), a win over them would carry some weight. Even a loss to them would be considered a good loss.

ARCInsider · April 18, 2014, 05:15:16 PM

Moving on, any publication that has us at 6th in the preseason poll has lost all credibility.

wh · June 11, 2014, 06:29:02 AM

Valparaiso up for challenge in Music City

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/27919461-556/college-basketball-valparaiso-up-for-challenge-in-music-city.html

Looks like all 4 teams are returning a ton of talent.

Also, updates on open scholarship and injured players.

wh · July 31, 2014, 03:16:00 PM

General info for our out-of-towners:

Received a letter and brochure in today's mail announcing Crusader Club packages for the upcoming season. The form letter was signed by Homer, who added a nice hand-written personal note, as well. What a classy guy! Then again, I guess we already knew that.