Opponent Games and Scores

[talksalot]

Wichita State, RPI 39 coming in; Loyola 240 coming in...

and the Nolan updated figures have Wichita moving up to 37 and Loyola closing out at 239... so the neutral site game against a lesser opponent did not hurt the Shockers....

[a3uge]

Another 200+ RPI season - that Chicago potential paying off for the MVC!

[agibson]

Another 200+ RPI season - that Chicago potential paying off for the MVC!

Not sure how much it's worth, but it got the Arch Madness quarterfinals onto CSN Chicago... (And blacked out on ESPN3 in Valpo/Chicago.)

[a3uge]

Another 200+ RPI season - that Chicago potential paying off for the MVC!

Not sure how much it's worth, but it got the Arch Madness quarterfinals onto CSN Chicago... (And blacked out on ESPN3 in Valpo/Chicago.)

Maybe that's the reason it was blacked out in Indy!

[usc4valpo]

it is a shame Valpo did not get into the Valley and Loyola did.

[bbtds]

Another 200+ RPI season - that Chicago potential paying off for the MVC!

Not sure how much it's worth, but it got the Arch Madness quarterfinals onto CSN Chicago... (And blacked out on ESPN3 in Valpo/Chicago.)

Maybe that's the reason it was blacked out in Indy!

You got the wrong service then. I saw the WSU/Loyola game on ESPN3.

[mvandersee]

Another 200+ RPI season - that Chicago potential paying off for the MVC!

Not sure how much it's worth, but it got the Arch Madness quarterfinals onto CSN Chicago... (And blacked out on ESPN3 in Valpo/Chicago.)

Well they've had that for years with the MVC TV network that broadcasts games on FSN Midwest, CSN Chicago, and a few other RSN's. In fairness to Loyola they did go 24-13 last year and win the CBI despite having their leading scorer out over 10 games with injuries. I think they can get a competitive program going in the MVC in the next few years. I like Moser's scheduling strategy of playing MAC, HL, and nearby big schools like ND a lot more than some of the other HL and MVC coaches who are either all in on scheduling tons of unwinnable power 5 teams or paying terrible teams to come give them wins. This is also an area where Bryce has excelled during his time at Valpo with getting games against UNM, SLU, RI, and others. It really helps to have meaningful and also winnable games during the non-conf season to help with recruiting, building a winning culture, and building/maintaining a fan base.

In response to your earlier "don't they have to prove they can beat somebody?" question about WSU, they did beat the #8 RPI team by 17 points, which is a far better win than any that Valpo has. When you look at all of the other analytics besides RPI (KenPom 10 vs 31, Non-Con SOS 23 vs 57, Total SOS 120 vs 160) there are typically large gaps between WSU and Valpo, which is why the projected seeds are where they are currently at. It's a lot more than an eye test difference in my opinion.

[a3uge]

Another 200+ RPI season - that Chicago potential paying off for the MVC!

Not sure how much it's worth, but it got the Arch Madness quarterfinals onto CSN Chicago... (And blacked out on ESPN3 in Valpo/Chicago.)

Well they've had that for years with the MVC TV network that broadcasts games on FSN Midwest, CSN Chicago, and a few other RSN's. In fairness to Loyola they did go 24-13 last year and win the CBI despite having their leading scorer out over 10 games with injuries. I think they can get a competitive program going in the MVC in the next few years. I like Moser's scheduling strategy of playing MAC, HL, and nearby big schools like ND a lot more than some of the other HL and MVC coaches who are either all in on scheduling tons of unwinnable power 5 teams or paying terrible teams to come give them wins. This is also an area where Bryce has excelled during his time at Valpo with getting games against UNM, SLU, RI, and others. It really helps to have meaningful and also winnable games during the non-conf season to help with recruiting, building a winning culture, and building/maintaining a fan base.

In response to your earlier "don't they have to prove they can beat somebody?" question about WSU, they did beat the #8 RPI team by 17 points, which is a far better win than any that Valpo has. When you look at all of the other analytics besides RPI (KenPom 10 vs 31, Non-Con SOS 23 vs 57, Total SOS 120 vs 160) there are typically large gaps between WSU and Valpo, which is why the projected seeds are where they are currently at. It's a lot more than an eye test difference in my opinion.

It shouldn't be all that surprising. When you can charter your players to literally every road game and take in $4-5 million a year in athletic donations, you're probably going to recruit better and afford better neutral court tournaments.

I'm not denying that Wichita State is better this year, but they had 5 opportunities against top 50 teams, 2 on neutral courts. And they won 1 of those games. Valpo's OOC RPI was 17 vs WSU's 80 OOC RPI. Valpo isn't rating out well in various rankings because their conference metrics are so  . UIC alone is responsible for at least 14 RPI positions. Wichita State was well outside the bubble and worked their way in with two losses. Valpo was in the bubble and probably worked their way out with two losses in conference.

[VULB#62]

Don't quite know where to put this as it concerns one of the mid majors we are doing rpibattle with.

Caught a flight from Oakland to Las Vegas on Southwest Airlines  this morning with the St. Mary's College Gaels. Amusing observations:

If you are familiar with SWA, you know that there is no assigned seating and they board by groups and boarding numbers. I boarded with group A16 - A30. But in between A15 and A16 was "special boarding."  That was for 6 SMC forwards (all 6-8 or taller). They took all the front bulkhead seats and the emergency row.   

The rest of the team (the short guys) boarded in the last group, group "C" (which stands for 'center' as in center seats). 

The team has only two black players, both of whom boarded with the short guys. 

Overall they impressed me as a nice group of young men.

They were on their way to the WCC Tournament, which starts today with a play-in game and ends with the final game on Tuesday (they have a day break between the semi and the final).  It is a traditional bracket after the single game play in. 

The tourney is in Las Vegas -- a truly neutral location, as there are no conference schools in the state of Nevada (conference schools are in CA, OR, WA, AND UT) and all teams are forced to fly in because of the distances involved -- no 30 minute bus trips from local schools here. 

Just thought I'd share this for grins.

Back to Valpo and the HL. GO CRUSADERS!

[talksalot]

Friday 3/4
Northern Illinois 80 Ball State (19-12) 69 

Evansville 66 Missouri State (13-19) 56  bye bye bears


# 8 seed, RPI 207 Austin Peay 97 Belmont 96... Belmont to the NIT... APSU taken out seeds 5,4 and 1 to advance to the title game

Indiana State vs Illinois State... the end of the 14-16 Sycamores, last game tonight at the Arch
Canisius vs Iona - quarterfinal MAAC @ Albany, about to tip in Albany for the MAAC Quarters

Other Friday Games for consideration....

Northern Iowa (20-12)  66 SIU (22-10) 60  RPI 86 over RPI 133

Yale (20-6) 88 Cornell 64.... Eli now 21-6 and 12-1 in the Ivy, at Columbia tomorrow night, ELI RPI up to 51
Harvard 73 Princeton (20-6, 10-2) 71... Loss dropped the Tigers to RPI 39 @ Dartmouth and Home to Penn next week.
Akron (24-7) 74 Kent State 60

[jloose128]

Well Belmont just lost 97-96 in OT, the game-winning tip-in came after the buzzer...

[talksalot]

and with that... plus the way the MAC games have gone... Valpo's RPI is back down to 43

Iona up 15 at the half over Canisius in the MAAC Quarters
Indiana State up 7 on Illinois State at the half under the Arch

[a3uge]

We're 3 days into conference tournament season and there's been 3 regular season champions that lost already (UNF technically still alive). The NIT is going to be already filled up by Selection Sunday.

[talksalot]

Iona (20-10)  73 Canisius 55 onto the semi's for the Gaels on Sunday


AND VALPO PICKS UP A T-100 WIN... the Gaels have climbs from 104 to 98 on the win!   



Indiana State (15-16) 65 Illinois State 57

[talksalot]

                        before    the ISU final   after

South Dakota State  0.5873  40         0.5870  40
Tulsa                         0.5864  41         0.5867  41
Providence                 0.5860  42         0.5860  43
Valparaiso               0.5857  43         0.5860  42
Virginia Common     0.5850  44         0.5850  44

Thank you Sycamores

[usc4valpo]

A huge game for USC today against Oregon. A win over Duckzilla puts them in the tournament as a lock.

[valpocleveland]

                        before    the ISU final   after

South Dakota State  0.5873  40         0.5870  40
Tulsa                         0.5864  41         0.5867  41
Providence                 0.5860  42         0.5860  43
Valparaiso               0.5857  43         0.5860  42
Virginia Common     0.5850  44         0.5850  44

Thank you Sycamores

But we also lose a top 100 win as Belmont falls to 101.

[valpocleveland]

Down go the Shockers! Doesn't help the bubble but if we get in it helps our seed!

[HailVU2014]

Had no clue where to put this but Wichita State loses in Arch Madness Semifinal to Northern Iowa. Just shocking!!

Already 3 regular season conference champions losing in their conference tourneys!!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[a3uge]

Had no clue where to put this but Wichita State loses in Arch Madness Semifinal to Northern Iowa. Just shocking!!

Already 3 regular season conference champions losing in their conference tourneys!!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Technically 4, but North Florida is still alive.

[HailVU2014]

Had no clue where to put this but Wichita State loses in Arch Madness Semifinal to Northern Iowa. Just shocking!!

Already 3 regular season conference champions losing in their conference tourneys!!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Technically 4, but North Florida is still alive.

Ah. Just saw that High Point lost today. Was only counting North Florida, Belmont, and Wichita State. The NIT is just going to be swamped with mid-majors this year. Hope that we aren't one of them!

[a3uge]

Had no clue where to put this but Wichita State loses in Arch Madness Semifinal to Northern Iowa. Just shocking!!

Already 3 regular season conference champions losing in their conference tourneys!!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Technically 4, but North Florida is still alive.

Ah. Just saw that High Point lost today. Was only counting North Florida, Belmont, and Wichita State. The NIT is just going to be swamped with mid-majors this year. Hope that we aren't one of them!

Bucknell

[HailVU2014]

Had no clue where to put this but Wichita State loses in Arch Madness Semifinal to Northern Iowa. Just shocking!!

Already 3 regular season conference champions losing in their conference tourneys!!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Technically 4, but North Florida is still alive.

Ah. Just saw that High Point lost today. Was only counting North Florida, Belmont, and Wichita State. The NIT is just going to be swamped with mid-majors this year. Hope that we aren't one of them!

Bucknell

Yup. Bucknell, too...
Well, unless Stetson upsets FGCU and/or the NCAA Committee looks kindly onto the Shockers, 5 of the 32 NIT bids are already set, while no NCAA bids have been claimed by tournament winners as of 5:15pm CT today.

[ValpoHoops]

while no NCAA bids have been claimed by tournament winners as of 5:15pm CT today.

First bids to be handed out:

Ohio Valley (currently airing on ESPN2) Champion - UT-Martin or Austin Peay
Ivy League Champion - a Yale win (at 10-3 Columbia) OR a Princeton loss (at 4-9 Dartmouth) clinches it for Yale - both games tip at 6:00 Central

[agibson]

Had no clue where to put this but Wichita State loses in Arch Madness Semifinal to Northern Iowa. Just shocking!!

Don't worry, it's not a bad loss. But, it's not going to help their seeding....