Bracketbuster

[vu72]

http://www.ekusports.com/news/2013/2/4/MBBALL_0204132604.aspx

Story on their(EKU)  bracketbuster match-up with Valpo.

Tell me they were kidding when they said they were hosting ":Crowley Ridge"!!

[bbtds]

http://www.ekusports.com/news/2013/2/4/MBBALL_0204132604.aspx

Story on their(EKU)  bracketbuster match-up with Valpo.

Tell me they were kidding when they said they were hosting ":Crowley Ridge"!!

Yes, someone asked about Crowley's Ridge College!

My cousin and aunt live in Paragould, AR home of Crowley's Ridge College. So I've actually heard of it. Crowley's Ridge College is a small Churches of Christ college in northeast Arkansas. It sit's directly on an ancient ridge that was the edge of a once "great lake" that was drained by the Mississippi River as the ice age ended and the giant glaciers melted. This very distinguishable ridge seperates the Ozark Mountains from the flat Mississippi River bottom lands. It's in an area of pine trees and much forestation. Any way, what this small college in Arkansas is doing playing Eastern Kentucky.......I have NO IDEA.

[bbtds]

Story in the Richmond, KY Register on EKU's game with SEMO (Cape Girardeau, MO):

http://richmondregister.com/localsports/x1633471432/OVC-HOOPS-Stutz-records-double-double-as-EKU-tops-SEMO


Story in Richmond Register on loss to Tenn-Martin:

http://richmondregister.com/localsports/x2056601656/OVC-HOOPS-Colonels-come-up-short-at-Martin


Story on loss to Belmont
http://richmondregister.com/localsports/x1303531276/OVC-HOOPS-Hot-shooting-carries-Bruins-to-85-74-win-over-Colonels


Eastern KY has had no games shown on the ESPN 3 website.

[chef]

I understand some of the disappointing sentiment, but judging by their scores over the past month, they appear to be a very good mid-major team. Most importantly, since EKU is 10 games over .500 in D-I contests, and will likely finish higher than that, the game will be an RPI booster for the Crusaders. Remember 50% of your RPI is your opponents record.

[bbtds]

Here's a recap on ESPN's website of their game against Illinois:

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=323510356

The Illini raced to a 17-6 lead but had trouble putting away the Colonels. The Illini were 2 of 13 from the 3-point line with 10 turnovers in the first half. Eastern Kentucky scored 11 points off those turnovers to keep it close.

"At halftime, I really felt we'd win the game," Eastern Kentucky coach Jeff Neubauer said. "Our defense was good enough to win the game."

Had it not been for the poor shooting, Eastern Kentucky might have taken the game to the wire.

"We've been much better defensively," Neubauer said. "We've invested so much time in our defense. I've not done a good enough job with our offense. It showed up tonight."

The Colonels cut the margin to 42-38 on a three-point play by Walden. But moments later Abrams scored seven points during the key surge for the 54-40 lead.

[bbtds]

Here are the archived EKU games from the OVC Digital Network:

http://www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com/showcase/#Archive/216 (at Tenn-Martin)

http://www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com/showcase/#Archive/202 (Belmont-home)

http://www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com/showcase/#Archive/196 (Tenn St.-home)

http://www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com/showcase/#Archive/187 (at Jacksonville St.)

http://www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com/showcase/#Archive/184 (at Belmont)

http://www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com/showcase/#Archive/164 (SIU-E home)

http://www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com/showcase/#Archive/156 (E. Illinois-home)

[VULB#62]

http://www.ekusports.com/news/2013/2/4/MBBALL_0204132604.aspx

Story on their(EKU)  bracketbuster match-up with Valpo.

Tell me they were kidding when they said they were hosting ":Crowley Ridge"!!

Yes, someone asked about Crowley's Ridge College!

My cousin and aunt live in Paragould, AR home of Crowley's Ridge College. So I've actually heard of it. Crowley's Ridge College is a small Churches of Christ college in northeast Arkansas. It sit's directly on an ancient ridge that was the edge of a once "great lake" that was drained by the Mississippi River as the ice age ended and the giant glaciers melted. This very distinguishable ridge seperates the Ozark Mountains from the flat Mississippi River bottom lands. It's in an area of pine trees and much forestation. Any way, what this small college in Arkansas is doing playing Eastern Kentucky.......I have NO IDEA.

Crowley's Ridge College has 221 students.  They play in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA - Division I).  The coaches must be buddies and this a favor game.

[valpotx]

Link to EKU's fan page:

http://www.maroon-nation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=999

[Pathfinder]

Not sure why ESPN would do this to Valpo, but not much you can do other than beat them handily and prove a point.

Valpo got the best opponent available. Valpo - #8 home team RPI; EKU #6 Road team RPI. Not gonna get Creighton, can't get Detroit, NDSU assigned to Akron (more deserving than Valpo). I suppose they could have sent SDSU to Valpo, but at that point you have to consider that Belmont and Indiana State have a bigger gripe than Valpo. Ohio U is probably a bit more attractive opponent (though not as good for the RPI as Eastern Kentucky), but even if that's your criteria rather than RPI, Belmont and Indiana State deserve them more just as they would deserve SDSU more. I'm glad its EKU and not Stephen F. Austin or Northwestern State.

[justducky]

Just took a quick look at e-tix to get some idea of ticket sales for both Detroit and EKU. Maybe 1200 to 1300 seats available for Detroit

and better than double that left for the bracketbuster! Not good, and only one big crowd so far this season.

So talk with, call, e-mail your kids, parents, cousins, ex-wives, work partners, lodge brothers, fishing partners, etc. and tell them that we have a lot of empty room in the ARC for a couple of very important games on espn stations. Its going to be embarrassing if we can only bring in 4200 for Detroit and 3200 for EKU, so get busy!

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Just got back from overseas trip and was really enjoying following this thread, knowing the opponent had been picked and that I was getting to follow everything in "real time", as it were. 

It would have been interesting to compare the BPIs of the various teams involved in BB (EKU is 123, we 74 at the moment) instead of just RPI and Sagarin, because ESPN who runs the BB (duh) also invented this stat and has been trying to push it.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bpi

discussion of BPI on here: http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1182.msg23999#msg23999

[bbtds]

Just got back from overseas trip and was really enjoying following this thread, knowing the opponent had been picked and that I was getting to follow everything in "real time", as it were. 

It would have been interesting to compare the BPIs of the various teams involved in BB (EKU is 123, we 74 at the moment) instead of just RPI and Sagarin, because ESPN who runs the BB (duh) also invented this stat and has been trying to push it.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bpi


discussion of BPI on here: http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1182.msg23999#msg23999

That explains the slowness of the board. 

[bbtds]

The Eastern Kentucky at Morehead State game is currently at this feed for free on the OVC Digital Network:

http://www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com/showcase/#close

If you didn't notice EKU is wearing white uniforms and MSU is wearing blue.

Stutz doesn't look nearly as bulky as Van Wijk and I think Kevin can muscle his way to the basket against this Colonel team. "Well, I say, I say.....well, I say.......my! whata big boy ya got thar."

Our dutchman can beat up your Castle Knight any day of the week. Those southwestern Indiana guys aren't so tough.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Our dutchman can beat up your Castle Knight any day of the week. Those southwestern Indiana guys aren't so tough.

Although they do know something about playing "in a high school gym"...

[bbtds]

Our dutchman can beat up your Castle Knight any day of the week. Those southwestern Indiana guys aren't so tough.

Although they do know something about playing "in a high school gym"...

Castle High School is on a 92-acre (370,000 m2) site. The High School has a 6,000 seat football/track stadium. There is also a baseball and softball field, a soccer field, and 5 tennis courts. the building contains 2 gymnasiums, the North gym with a capacity of 3500, and the South gym with a capacity of 600. There is also a newly completed Olympic size swimming pool.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_H._Castle_High_School

John H Castle High School in Newburgh, IN next to Evansville doesn't have your typical Indiana HS gym. Okay maybe the original one but not the second one.

[agibson]

Funny that Warren Nolan and Real Time RPI both have Eastern Kentucky's schedule very messed up.  But in slightly different ways.

Way too many road games listed.

I wonder how it'll affect their RPI when it gets fixed.

Hmm.. it may be that only games in the future are incorrect.  So maybe their current RPI is OK.

[bbtds]

2/14/2013       Tennessee Tech University*   Richmond, Ky.   7 p.m.
2/16/2013       Jacksonville State University*   Richmond, Ky.   7 p.m.
2/20/2013       Austin Peay State University*   Richmond, Ky.   7 p.m.
2/23/2013       Valparaiso University               Valparaiso, In.   1 p.m.
2/28/2013       Tennessee Tech University*   Cookville, Tenn.  8:30 p.m.
3/2/2013         Tennessee State University*   Nashville, Tenn.  8:30 p.m.

Here's what I got from their athletics website.

[agibson]

Yeah, exactly.  I emailed Warren Nolan about it, and he already fixed his site.  Since it only affected future games, it affected predicted RPI etc. but not the current value.

We'll see if sites like realtimerpi get fixed as the games go final, or if they start to calculate divergent RPI numbers.

[talksalot]

so... now that we can look at this game...without being criticized... this is a huge post-season placement game.  Just what the Bbuster had in mind.

EKY is probably an NIT team, looking up at Belmont.  OVC I'm sure is a one and done conference.

their last 8 games:
L Home Belmont RPI 25 by 9   crowd 5500
L Away Tenn-Martin RPI 305 by 7  crowd  1341
W Away SEMO RPI 232 by 9    crowd  2922
W Home Little Sisters of the Poor D3 by 68   crowd  1050
W Away Morehead State RPI 161 by 21     crowd 4308
W Home Tennessee Tech RPI 247 by 11    crowd 2350
W Home Jacksonville St RPI 165 by 13      crowd 3100
and probably will beat #309 Austin Peee (5-20) at home tomorrow... their last home game, so it's senior night in Richmond, KY.

so they come in with a 6-game winning streak.... 15-1 at home and 7-5 on the road.

00 Cosey 15.6 ppg 35 minutes per game  .400 three point shooter, 78% FT
03 DiNunno 15.5 ppg 35 minutes per game .400 three point shooter 85% FT, 1.4:1 Assist/TO ratio
02 Walden 12.1 ppg  27 minutes per game, 88% FTs, has fouled out 5 times.
42 Stutz 20 blocks and 20 steals, started every game, 4.7 Rpg

and for those of us looking for a reason to go to the Alumni Coliseum - McBrayer Arena next year for the return matchup... Upper Chair seats are $10, General Admission are $8 (Kids 6).... straight shot down I65/75 then a mile to campus.

[KL31NY]

Hope Detroit likes snow... 14 inches and counting in Wichita from Winter Storm "Q" (seriously, Q?)

[vuweathernerd]

Hope Detroit likes snow... 14 inches and counting in Wichita from Winter Storm "Q" (seriously, Q?)

very jamesh bond (my attempt at typing with a scottish accent. now let's see who gets the quote...)

[valpo04]

Hope Detroit likes snow... 14 inches and counting in Wichita from Winter Storm "Q" (seriously, Q?)

No, not seriously.  The Weather Channel is a joke.  This is from "Nemo":

What you shouldn't do is call the storm "Nemo." Please. It's not the storm's name; it's a marketing scheme: an irritating, inane attempt by the Weather Channel to hijack weather reporting and the communication of emergency information. It's stupid, flawed, and possibly even dangerous. And it's already working incredibly well.

In fact, if you didn't know better, you'd assume that Nemo was the winter storm's official government name, not the unimaginative appellation of a cable channel with overeager social media managers. It's being used by media outlets across the northeast—the Post, the Daily News, even this website—and by local government officials, including Mayor Bloomberg here in New York.

But winter storms and storm system don't get official names, for a variety of good reasons: they're unwieldy, uneven, often composed of more than one actual storm. It's hard to say where one ends and another begins; a single storm can be one of a number of different types, or a combination of types.

" that," we might imagine the Weather Channel's marketing bros yelling from their offices. Hurricanes, with their anthropomorphizing names, get so much traction. Why can't they do the same thing with winter storms?

"Well," someone small and boring pipes up, "cyclones, which are the kind of storm that gives rise to hurricanes, are meteorologically-specific events that are easily identifiable; last for a long time; and arise simultaneously with other, similar storms, necessitating individual identification. The names taken from lists compiled by the Regional Association IV Hurricane Committee of the World Meteorological Association, and used by news organizations and government agencies to spread awareness and streamline commun—"

http://gawker.com/5982748

[LaPorteAveApostle]

The 1st Annual Exhaustingly Comprehensive HL BracketBuster Preview

all times eastern

FIRST) Eastern Kentucky (22-6, 11-3 OVC—2nd in E Div) @ Valpo (21-7, 11-3 HL)
WHEN) 1 PM
WHERE) ESPNU
BPI RANKS)  #103 @ #73
RPI FORECAST)  Valpo by 8, 77% chance
WHY TO WATCH) Seriously?  Get outta my site.
THIS GAME IS LIKE), a must-win.  Not like, YSU, see, but still, like, as much as a non-con game could be like, this game is it.  Like, the difference between a 14 and a 13 seed.



SECOND)  Detroit (18-9, 10-4 HL) @ Wichita St (23-5, 12-4 MVC—1st)
WHEN)  4 PM
WHERE) ESPN2
BPI RANKS) #75 @ #23
RPI FORECAST) Shockers by 7, 73% chance of Shocking result
WHY TO WATCH)  Maybe Detroit can catch WSU, one of the nation's best-rebounding teams, looking ahead to their crucially important rematch with second-place Creighton, who will be looking for revenge as well as a shot at the league crown.
THIS GAME IS LIKE)  The Oscars.   

WHY) Nothing of any lasting importance is going happen, but it will be glitzy and fun and loud, plus too many people will be talking/griping about it the next day, and you'll want to be in on that.


THIRD)  Evansville (15-13, 8-8 MVC—5th) @ Wright St (18-9, 9-5 HL)
WHEN) 2 PM
WHERE)  um...the HLN?
BPI RANKS) #105 @ #140
RPI FORECAST)  WSU by 2, 56% chance
WHY TO WATCH)  Cackle with glee as all the unkind things BigDWSU had to say about the Purple Aces' program come back to bite him in his Billy D.
THIS GAME IS LIKE)  Avatar

WHY)  You'll be surprised who you end up rooting against. 
(Or maybe not, if you already hated America and freedom.)


FOURTH)  Green Bay (15-12, 9-5 HL) @ Drake (12-15, 6-10 MVC—8th)
WHEN)  8:05 PM
WHERE)  what are you, an advance scout?
BPI RANKS) #119 @ #135
RPI FORECAST) GB by a fraction, 52% chance (note to those in ESPN Sec 140: it is impossible to win by a non-integer, so don't bother hedging)
WHY TO WATCH)  You are an advance scout.
THIS GAME IS LIKE) Herman Cain.

WHY)  Seems worth checking out, until you actually tune in and pay attention.


FIFTH)  Central Michigan (9-16, 2-10 MAC—last in W Div) @ YSU (15-12, 7-7 HL)
WHEN)  7:05 PM
WHERE)  the Dr. Oz show, where he'll talk about Kendrick Perry's knee (he's the guest right after Marcus Lattimore)
BPI RANKS)  269 @ #173
RPI FORECAST)  YSU by 9; 80% chance
RPI FORECAST)  (in a stage whisper) clearly does not know about the whole, you know, endrickKay erryPay eeKnay ebacleDay.
WHY TO WATCH)  You are directly related to a player or coach involved.
THIS GAME IS LIKE)  The Office without Steve Carell.

WHY)  Once upon a time, you had hopes.  High hopes for a promising season, but time, injury, and presence of Gabe DJ Cole just kind of sucked all the life out of you.  Now you are "like David Spade without Chris Farley—alone and useless."
HEY NO SIMILES IN YOUR ANALOGIES) Sorry.


SIXTH)  Bradley (15-13, 7-9 MVC—7th) @ UIC (15-12, 6-8 HL)
WHEN) 4 PM
WHERE)  on the south side of Chicago / in the baddest part of town.  Er.  Sorry.  Something called "ESFC".  Seriously!  This is actually the only part of this preview I am not making up.
BPI RANKS)  130 @ #170
RPI FORECAST)  UIC by 2; 56% chance
WHY TO WATCH)  You are consumed by desire that Bradley might join the HL one day.  Or you just want to watch their opponent, the most inconsistent team in D1 basketball this year, out of 347 teams, according to the BPI.
WHO IS SECOND)  Northwestern. O come on, Rahm Emmanuel!
THIS GAME IS LIKE)  holiday dinner with the in-laws

WHY)  Is made 86.7% better by pounding downing a bottle of wine in the parking lot beforehand.


SEVENTH)  CSU (13-16, 5-10 HL) @ Western Illinois (19-6, 11-3 Summit—2nd)
WHEN)  8 PM
WHERE)  the armpit of illinois
BPI RANKS) 244 @ 127
RPI FORECAST)  does not know this game exists.  Seriously.  Lucky bastards.  Check me if you doubt it.  You'll learn...
WHY TO WATCH) You lead a drab, wretched life to the extent that this is your Saturday night highlight.  I'm so, so sorry.
THIS GAME IS LIKE)  Skip Bayless

WHY)  It is a travesty, a sham, and a mockery—a traveshamockery—perpetrated upon the American people by ESPN.


EIGHTH)  Kent State (14-12, 5-7 MAC) @ Loyola (14-13, 4-10 HL)
WHEN) 3 PM
WHERE) in front of dozens of terrified Chicagoans huddled together to escape the volleying gunfire outside devoted fans gathered to watch a thrilling match of sport
BPI RANKS) #144 @ #174
RPI FORECAST) KSU, fractionally; 51% chance
WHY TO WATCH)  you are currently being tortured by terrorists with no regard for the Geneva Convention and the alternative was waterboarding, or possibly the next game
THIS GAME IS LIKE)  The Kardashian sisters.

WHY)  So blindingly unattractive, why are we still even talking about them?  That reminds me:


NINTH)  Milwaukee (7-22, 3-12 HL) @ IUPUI (6-22, 1-13 Summit—nadir)
WHEN) 3 PM
WHERE)  undisclosed Federal safe place (probably where they're keeping Cheney)
BPI RANKS) #300 @ #318
RPI FORECAST) Milwaukee by 1; 54% chance
NO SERIOUSLY WISE GUY) That was actually not one of my jokes.  Fitting that it was the only one you laughed at, eh?
WHY TO WATCH)  You're the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral.  Can't understand what I mean?  You soon will.
THIS GAME IS LIKE)  this.

Absolutely unwatchable by anyone under 17.

PREDICTION:  HL goes 4-5
WINNERS:  Valpo, YSU, Loyola, and MILWAUKEE ON THE ROAD THE APOCALYPSE IS UPON US

[HC]

I think you need a hobby 

[vu72]

He has one!  Very entertaining and nicely done!!