Mid-Major Top 25

[talksalot]

and in the "Regular" Mid-Major Top 25 poll
1.   Gonzaga (31)   18-1      775   1   West Coast
2.   Wichita State   16-2      741   2   Missouri Valley
3.   Northern Iowa   16-2           705   3   Missouri Valley
4.   Stephen F. Austin   14-3     648   5   Southland
5.   Green Bay   15-4           626   4   Horizon
6.   Valparaiso   17-3           622   6   Horizon
7.   Saint Mary's   15-3    606   7   West Coast
8.   Murray State   15-4        520   15   Ohio Valley

Cleveland State got enough points (5) to make it in  at #51. tied with the Catamounts of Vermont.

Murray State and Eastern Kentucky are our only opponents in the poll...

[agibson]

Definitely got votes from multiple coaches. FYI, there's a former Valpo assistant coach on there, that is not highlighted.

Huh- the name's not jumping out at me.  When did he coach?

[valpopal]

Definitely got votes from multiple coaches. FYI, there's a former Valpo assistant coach on there, that is not highlighted.

Huh- the name's not jumping out at me.  When did he coach?

Matt Driscoll was an assistant at Valpo and then went to Baylor with Scott Drew.

[FWalum]

Matt Driscoll

I truly wish bracket busters was still around, it is a shame.

I live in Des Moines and would love to make a trip to the Uni Dome or Valpo to see that matchup. UNI has a great team this year.

More importantly, my wife went to "Stone Cold" SFA, which is an extemely well coached, fundamentally sound team.  That would be a wonderful matchup and an awesome roadtrip to Valpo or Nacodoches.

Since it was always televised, the bracketbuster game was always very well attended. Also provided a way to boost RPI a bit without much penalty and provided a good return trip in following years.

Also awesome getting 4 votes. Guess the voters, bolded are my guesses.

List of Voters
The USA TODAY Sports Board of Coaches is made up of 32 head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The board for the 2014-15 season: Tommy Amaker, Harvard; Randy Bennett, Saint Mary?s; Jim Boeheim, Syracuse; Todd Bozeman, Morgan State; Glenn Braica, St. Francis Brooklyn; Rick Byrd, Belmont; Scott Cherry, High Point; Tim Cluess, Iona; Ed Conroy, Tulane; Keith Dambrot, Akron; Scott Drew, Baylor; Matt Driscoll, North Florida Steve Fisher, San Diego State; Bruiser Flint, Drexel; Mark Fox, Georgia; John Gallagher, Hartford; Ray Harper, Western Kentucky; Dick Hunsaker, Utah Valley; George Ivory, Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa; Rob Jeter, Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Danny Kaspar, Texas State; Mike McConathy, Northwestern State; Greg McDermott, Creighton; Matt Painter, Purdue; Dave Paulsen, Bucknell; Randy Rahe, Weber State; Joe Scott, Denver; Herb Sendek, Arizona State; Shaka Smart, Virginia Commonwealth; Bob Williams, UC-Santa Barbara; Mike Young, Wofford.

Matt Driscoll was on Scott's staff for a short period of time at VU and then I think he went with him to Baylor.

[78crusader]

This getting votes in the Top 25 stuff is nice but it means nothing if we don't beat YSU tonight.  No easy road games in any league.  If we want to have a chance to win this league we can't afford a stumble tonight.

Paul

[agibson]

Matt Driscoll was an assistant at Valpo and then went to Baylor with Scott Drew.

Cool.  For seven weeks, according to wikipedia. So, presumably much more a Scott Drew guy than a Valpo guy - but still good fun.

(Part of my trouble was I was looking at the wrong list!  Of Midmajor Top 25 voters.  But, I don't remember his name anyhow.)

[classof2014]

If we are able to win these next 2 game we have a shot at being ranked sometime before the end of the season.

This team is very, very, very good. We beat the 2 best defensive teams in the league basically without a PG, and one of the best PGs in the league, our defense hasn't suffered as well. Both WSU and CSU had good starting PGs and both were rather ineffective, Arcenaux didn't do much and other than some incredibly deep 3s by Lee he was pretty quiet. I'm hoping KC will be back for the GB game, I am doubtful though, cause Sykes will be the true test to how good our defense is minus KC.

[agibson]

I'm hoping KC will be back for the GB game, I am doubtful though, cause Sykes will be the true test to how good our defense is minus KC.

Trying to read the tea leaves, from the post-game with Luke Gore, and the preview with Bryce, sounds like about a 0% chance we'll see KC in the game on Friday. 

[crusadermoe]

The Mizzou game haunts us.    Fifteen point loss to a team that is horrible.    Lost by 49 points to Kentucky and may even be in the bottom half of RPI.

[valporun]

chef, is the answer to your trivia question about the non-highlighted former Valpo assistant coach, North Florida's Matt Driscoll, whom I believe was an assistant under Scott Drew in the 2002-2003 season?

[vu72]

Just a guess, but I think we'll move up.  Couple our 18th win win Dayton getting drilled by Davidson--by 17, should result in a move to the top 10!

[oklahomamick]

Matt Driscoll was an assistant at Valpo and then went to Baylor with Scott Drew.

Cool.  For seven weeks, according to wikipedia. So, presumably much more a Scott Drew guy than a Valpo guy - but still good fun.

(Part of my trouble was I was looking at the wrong list!  Of Midmajor Top 25 voters.  But, I don't remember his name anyhow.)

I was in the ATL airport over Thanksgiving break and saw the N. Florida team at my gate.  I decided to look at their roster, schedule and coaches via internet.  I noticed their coach had a short stint in Valpo.  I decided to introduce myself and talk to him.  Coach Driscoll was very nice and welcoming.  He mentioned he was only there for 7 weeks.  He's still really good friends with Scott Drew.  What he remembered about Valpo was he would eat at Duffy's restaurant every day.  I think it was Duffy's.  It was the restaurant that the Drew's owned. 

[HC]

I think that was a wing place on the north side of town.  In that location now is Shoe's Pizza.  Someone will correct me if (when) I'm wrong.

[a3uge]

How long has the bar Duffy's been Duffy's? Maybe that was called Jackson's at the time?

[agibson]

I think that was a wing place on the north side of town.  In that location now is Shoe's Pizza.  Someone will correct me if (when) I'm wrong.

Buffalouies?  I've always wondered where it was.  Not sure if it and I were ever in Valpo at the same time.  I know it from the basketball broadcasts primarily.

And, yes , I think Duffy's is the old Jackson's.  I always have trouble remembering that name.  Used to featur in Brockopp's Sunday evening sermons, as did Passtimes.

Neat that Driscoll was open to some random reminiscing with a stranger!

[wh]

You guys have the right names, except I can't picture him eating breakfast "every day" at either place.  For one thing I don't think Buffalouie's served breakfast. They were strictly a wings place.  Duffy's is a tavern, not a bar and grill.  They may serve breakfast, but I would be surprised if he would want to mix with the breakfast crowd over there every morning. 

Could he have said Jimmy's?  Jimmy's Cafe is all about breakfast and is quite popular with the college crowd.

[a3uge]

You guys have the right names, except I can't picture him eating breakfast "every day" at either place.  For one thing I don't think Buffalouie's served breakfast. They were strictly a wings place.  Duffy's is a tavern, not a bar and grill.  They may serve breakfast, but I would be surprised if he would want to mix with the breakfast crowd over there every morning. 

Could he have said Jimmy's?  Jimmy's Cafe is all about breakfast and is quite popular with the college crowd.

This is probably it, and he might be blending names together. I would always see KVW and Johnson and other players in there.

[oklahomamick]

You guys have the right names, except I can't picture him eating breakfast "every day" at either place.  For one thing I don't think Buffalouie's served breakfast. They were strictly a wings place.  Duffy's is a tavern, not a bar and grill.  They may serve breakfast, but I would be surprised if he would want to mix with the breakfast crowd over there every morning. Could he have said Jimmy's?  Jimmy's Cafe is all about breakfast and is quite popular with the college crowd.

No, it wasn't Jimmy's.  That is a Greek family restaurant.  I had a couple classes with the two siblings at VU.  Coach Driscoll said he always had dinner at the restaurant that the Drew's owned.  Did they ever own a restaurant in town? 

[Valpo89]

Bryce was a part owner at BuffaLouie's. Yes, it was on the north side of town where Shoe's Pizzeria is now located.
And yes, Duffy's used to be Jacksons. It has been Duffy's probably for at least 15 years.
I would not go there for breakfast. Jimmy's is a popular small restaurant on Michigan St., half a block south of Lincolnway.

[covufan]

What he remembered about Valpo was he would eat at Duffy's restaurant every day.  I think it was Duffy's.  It was the restaurant that the Drew's owned. 

You guys have the right names, except I can't picture him eating breakfast "every day" at either place.  For one thing I don't think Buffalouie's served breakfast. They were strictly a wings place.  Duffy's is a tavern, not a bar and grill.  They may serve breakfast, but I would be surprised if he would want to mix with the breakfast crowd over there every morning.  Could he have said Jimmy's?  Jimmy's Cafe is all about breakfast and is quite popular with the college crowd.

How did we get to breakfast?  All that was stated is that Driscoll would eat at the restaurant owned by the Drew's everyday.  I don't think it was mentioned that he would eat every meal everyday at the restaurant.

Good memories of Jackson's and Passtimes!

[historyman]

Matt Driscoll was an assistant at Valpo and then went to Baylor with Scott Drew.

Cool.  For seven weeks, according to wikipedia. So, presumably much more a Scott Drew guy than a Valpo guy - but still good fun. (Part of my trouble was I was looking at the wrong list!  Of Midmajor Top 25 voters.  But, I don't remember his name anyhow.)

I was in the ATL airport over Thanksgiving break and saw the N. Florida team at my gate.  I decided to look at their roster, schedule and coaches via internet.  I noticed their coach had a short stint in Valpo.  I decided to introduce myself and talk to him.  Coach Driscoll was very nice and welcoming.  He mentioned he was only there for 7 weeks.  He's still really good friends with Scott Drew.  What he remembered about Valpo was he would eat at Duffy's restaurant every day.  I think it was Duffy's.  It was the restaurant that the Drew's owned.

I believe that would have been Buffalouie's on N. Calumet Ave. And one chef, that sometimes posts here, was running that establishment.   

[valpopal]

[tweet]559736192091303938[/tweet]

[usc4valpo]

We took a step back after losing to Woogie Boogie.

I have been watching stone cold SFA and they are an extremely well coached team.  I would love to see that matchup.

[agibson]

"Stays" at 13.  Too many similarly named polls!  This is the bloggers poll, more or less.  Seems to come out monday mornings.  I suppose it's our equivalent of the AP poll?

The longer-standing Mid-Major Top 25, by College Insider (of CIT fame), the coaches' poll, comes out later today.  Maybe early evening?  I suspect we probably don't move too much there either.  But, it's sometimes hard to predict (looks like basically chalk in the MVC and WCC, so maybe not much motion?).  We're 6th their at the moment.

Maybe it costs us our votes in the overall, ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll.  Maybe depends on who was paying attention.  But, for at least those 1-4 coaches, we were at least a notch ahead of GB.  And, we've confirmed that, on the night, we weren't two notches (or whatever it takes to overcome road/home differences) better than them.

Speaking of confusion with the Mid-Major Top 25.  I completely missed that Whelliston took down the archive a midmajority.com.  Did we have a memorial service?

[agibson]

Yeah, we lost the ESPN votes.  And UWGB picked up an AP vote, for the second time this season.  This time good for T40.

Any sleuths want to do the detective work?  Is there one AP writer who's been supporting the Horizon League on and off this season?