Arch Madness 2017-18

VU2014 · August 18, 2017, 04:29:53 PM

Thought I might as well start a new thread for Arch Madness. I can't wait to make the trip down to St. Louis next year!

The Conference picked up the option to host the Tournament at the Scottrade Center for 2 additional years: 2019 & 2020.

http://www.valleyhoopsinsider.com/arch-madness-staying-in-st-louis/

MISSOURI VALLEYArch Madness Staying in St. Louis
By: Harry Schroeder
Date: August 18, 2017
.........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1daACacX2m4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do6JxUMI-P0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts7FrqT_Hh8
https://twitter.com/THefferman/status/898243962200354823
https://twitter.com/THefferman/status/898244303981621249
https://twitter.com/THefferman/status/898246115081961474
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPt82UyftMI

A very interesting in depth radio interview (30min) with Associate Commish Jack Watkins talking about the extension and how crucial it was to get the Scottrade Center renovations done to convince the MVC to stay in St. Louis. Also talks possible expansion to 12 members.

http://www.ktrs.com/the-big-sports-show/

M · August 22, 2017, 01:24:12 PM

I'm also planning a short trip to watch the team play. Can't wait!

FWalum · August 23, 2017, 03:09:23 PM

A little more information on the latest Scottrade Center dispute.

St. Louis dispute gives Valley pause with long-term deal

oklahomamick · August 24, 2017, 08:28:13 AM

maybe just maybe theres a chance of bringing it to Detroit.

vu84v2 · August 24, 2017, 09:53:32 AM

Fort Wayne? Quad Cities? Maybe rotate to Sheboygan and St. Louis as well, and have a theme of former NBA cities.

bbtds · September 16, 2017, 12:24:17 AM

I thought the racial issues were over in St Louis but this new problem with a St Louis City white police officer shooting a black man and being found not guilty of planting a gun on the dead body has brought up all the old issues. This shooting goes back to 2011. It was the summer of 2014 when Michael Brown was shot. I really hope this is over by the beginning of March.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/heated-protests-follow-stockley-acquittal/article_c7ee91ad-e65b-5da6-84cb-0b478078c8cb.html

http://www.stltoday.com/read-the-verdict-in-the-jason-stockley-murder-case/pdf_57b2d12c-83d8-53a0-ba1f-18b659a7e569.html

http://www.stltoday.com/news/multimedia/special/the-jason-stockley-case-a-timeline-of-events/html_c7de8887-421d-5fbc-91d0-d11615ffe480.html

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/st-louis-reacts-to-not-guilty-verdict-in-jason-stockley/collection_398c09a5-41fc-52f1-96b5-f4e77c259a44.html

http://video.foxnews.com/c80b26bd-1c35-47c3-94b8-1e32d16e1117

crusadermoe · September 16, 2017, 11:54:27 AM

Yes, let's hope it will have blown over. Cold weather and time passage probably will probably work in favor of Arch Madness.

That city really seems snake bit on this issue. In reality Stockley looks like an understandable frustration trigger for public outcry. The prosecutor went for First degree murder and allowed Stockley to be found not guilty. That "walk away free" outcome just inflamed the public perceptions and anger. Seems the prosecutor should have pursued manslaughter 1 or murder 2. But that's hindsight.

Unlike the Michael Brown facts, the Stockley case seems to be a very tough call. It' a real shame that the Ferguson case had already ignited the St. Louis violence in 2015 because the "hands up don't shoot" narrative was locked in so quickly by the national media (and by our U.S. President and Atty General) before the whole story was fully known. Once viewed fairly, the Michael Brown fact set was not even a close call.

I truly wonder if the Ferguson fiasco compounded the state population's irritation with Mizzou's campus protests. When the Mizzou administration caved, the public decided that the campus protesters and some loud-mouthed faculty were falsely building on the implausible Ferguson "cause." They probably decided that the leaders were weak and the faculty had no grasp on reality. Hence the massive enrollment drop by 35% over two years. There were other good in-state choices.

VU2014 · September 16, 2017, 12:10:35 PM

This topic warrants discussion but lets not go down a rabbit hole on this basketball thread. Lets hope the unrest blows over by the time Arch Madness roles around in March, but lets keep the discussion about basketball, at least on this specific forum.

VU2014 · September 20, 2017, 04:02:09 PM

A new jumbotron at the Scottrade Center.

https://twitter.com/ValleyHoops/status/910168892261191680
https://twitter.com/StLouisBlues/status/910168604850753537

bbtds · September 20, 2017, 08:27:19 PM

Quote from: VU2014 on September 20, 2017, 04:02:09 PM
A new jumbotron at the Scottrade Center.

https://twitter.com/ValleyHoops/status/910168892261191680
https://twitter.com/StLouisBlues/status/910168604850753537

They may have a bigger jumbotron but the Blues are the major sport team with more playoff appearances (83%) in their 49 years of existence and yet have never won a championship (Stanley Cup). A truly awful playoff streak. A record setting 41 futile playoff appearances. Nobody in any major sport has anywhere near that record in the playoffs (0-41).

https://champsorchumps.us/team/nhl/st-louis-blues

valpotx · September 22, 2017, 01:27:09 AM

Wow, that is an interesting fact that I never thought about. They have always been successful, so you would think they would have a Stanley Cup.

VU2014 · December 07, 2017, 10:14:59 AM

https://twitter.com/ValleyHoops/status/938802196556271616
https://twitter.com/ValleyHoops/status/938802833742278656

http://www.mvc-sports.com/news/2017/12/7/arch-madness-tickets-on-sale-dec-8.aspx

ARCH MADNESS TICKETS ON SALE DEC. 8

The 2017-18 season has been an historic one for Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball as the league is in the midst of one of its best starts in the past half century. Six teams enter the second week of December in the Top 100 of the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), and Loyola's win at No. 5 Florida on Dec. 6 marked the first Top-5 road win by a league member since 1967.

Arch Madness Tickets on Sale (PDF): http://www.mvc-sports.com/documents/2017/12/7//Tickets_On_Sale.pdf?id=1182

The Missouri Valley Conference will conduct its 28th St. Louis-based postseason men's basketball championship when the State Farm MVC Tournament takes the hardwood at Scottrade Center, on March 1-4, 2018. The State Farm MVC Tournament, also known uniquely as "Arch Madness" to Valley fans, will be played at Scottrade Center for the 24th time. With 28-straight years at the same neutral site, Arch Madness is the second-longest neutral site tenured collegiate tourney in the nation.

2018 State Farm MVC Basketball all-session tournament tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 8. There is a new seating configuration in the lower bowl at Scottrade Center, so please act fast in securing your tickets.

• 10 a.m. CT at the Scottrade Center box office
• 12 noon CT on TicketMaster (www.ticketmaster.com) or (800-745-3000)
• All-session tickets (9 games) start at $155.

MVC fans can also contact their institutional ticket offices to purchase discounted tickets prior to Jan. 15.

Tournament Game Times (All times CST):
Session I --- Thursday, March 1 --- 6 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Session II --- Friday, March 2 --- 12 p.m. & 24 minutes after Game 3 ends.
Session III --- Friday, March 2 --- 6 p.m. & 24 minutes after Game 5 ends.
Session IV --- Saturday, March 3 --- 2:30 p.m. & 24 minutes after Game 7 ends.
Session V --- Sunday, March 4 --- 1 p.m.

Qualifying-round pairings to be announced February 25. Times subject to change.
The MVC Fan Hangout will be at Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis (open before and after games)

Additional details and fan information can be found at ArchMadness.com

talksalot · December 07, 2017, 10:41:09 AM

Hope we don't play on Thursday... and play in the first game on Friday.

agibson · December 07, 2017, 12:34:39 PM

Have there been any details from VU?

I assume there will be single day tickets available at some point.

Not sure I can manage going for the whole tournament, without the family.

VUBBFan · December 07, 2017, 01:22:27 PM

Quote from: agibson on December 07, 2017, 12:34:39 PMHave there been any details from VU?I assume there will be single day tickets available at some point.

According to Arch Madness. The best way to guarantee seating within your school's section at Scottrade Center is one of three ways:

1. Complete ticket application and return it with payment to your institution's ticket office by January 15, 2018

2. Buy tickets in person at your school's box office on campus.

3. Place a credit card order by calling your institution's ticket office.

Of course this is for the discount ticket price for all sessions, but is cheaper than buying single sessions if you go to more than 2.
Price $155 before Jan 15, after that date $175. Single game prices for last 2 sessions are $60 each.

bbtds · December 09, 2017, 02:04:13 AM

Quote from: talksalot on December 07, 2017, 10:41:09 AM
Hope we don't play on Thursday... and play in the first game on Friday.

If we don't play Thursday that will be good but I'm beginning to have reality sink in and see our team as 5th or even lower in the conference standings by the end of the year. The talent must come out every game and can't disappear en mass during the conference season. The top of the conference is simply too tough and the bottom of the conference won't be easy.

VU2014 · February 12, 2018, 01:55:33 PM

https://twitter.com/ValpoAlumni/status/963089327499685888

VU2014 · February 16, 2018, 10:32:53 AM

Some interesting conversation here about tiebreakers scenarios. StlVUFan use to be a frequent contributor on this board.

https://twitter.com/KirkWessler/status/964317799966564353
https://twitter.com/KirkWessler/status/964528067011121154
https://twitter.com/KirkWessler/status/964535952080285696
https://twitter.com/KirkWessler/status/964537628556132352
https://twitter.com/KirkWessler/status/964544989320613889

VU2014 · February 16, 2018, 11:28:33 AM

Arch Madness ticket sales are way down this season. Not to surprising considering the conference lost a huge fan-base in Wichita State that would always show up big because they were a dominate program.

https://twitter.com/bradleyhoops/status/964550213443641344

MVC tournament ticket sales down significantly
By Dave Reynolds
Journal Star sports reporter
Posted at 11:06 AM

All-session ticket sales for individual schools to the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament are down by 31 percent from last year's total.

.......

Each university is obligated to buy 225 all-session tickets. If they sell this minimum allotment, more can be ordered from the MVC office.

......

Bradley: 275 (225)
Drake: 225 (225)
Evansville: 225 (225)
Illinois State: 475 (580)
Indiana State: 225 (225)
Loyola: 225 (225)
Missouri State: 225 (225)
UNI: 300 (320)
Southern Illinois: 250 (358) 　
Valparaiso: 225 (N/A)
Total: 2,642
2017 -- 3,847 (Wichita State sold 1,354 last year)

The Valley is hopeful that several ticket promotions

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/20180216/mvc-tournament-ticket-sales-down-significantly?rssfeed=true&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

bigmosmithfan1 · February 16, 2018, 11:41:17 AM

The departure of Wichita State is the main factor, but I think the wide-open nature of the conference this season is probably also having an effect. Who, besides maybe Loyola, is confident enough in their team's chances to make it through to Sunday to buy an all-session pass?

VU2014 · February 16, 2018, 01:09:15 PM

Loyola likely isn't going to draw well at Arch Madness even with their success this season. They barely drew over 2,000 fans to Gentile when we played them on Wednesday. I saw Valpo fans in the crowd that night.

I think the Arch Madness ticket sales decline puts more pressure on the Conference to expand to 12 to boost ticket sales at the event. It sounds like Murray State travels well and sounds like a obvious add. Belmont is another favorite among fans because of their basketball success but they aren't drawing very many fans to their own games in Nashville, so it seems unlikely they'd be willing to travel to St. Louis.

I think most MVC schools largest alumni base (outside of their schools towns) would probably be Chicago.

bigmosmithfan1 · February 16, 2018, 03:02:01 PM

With all due respect, adding teams just to sell a few more tickets for a three-day event is NOT a reason to expand, at all.

Unless expansion practically guarantees a multiple bid league or a significantly larger TV contract, it makes zero economic sense to split the meager pie into smaller segments.

VU2014 · February 16, 2018, 03:30:43 PM

Obviously you don't just add teams to sell more tickets but they've openly admitted its a consideration.

I'm not sure how the TV rights contracts are structure. If they add 2 more teams does that mean the conference gets paid for that additional content or does the conference only receive a flat rate regardless of how many teams are in the conference and we'd have to divvy up the revenue to 2 more teams.

I doubt MVC teams are making a killing off of TV rights. I'd imagine most, if not all MVC athletics departments are running into the red.

VU2014 · February 19, 2018, 01:16:54 PM

I was running the numbers and looking at the matchups and it might actually be better for Valpo to be a #10 seed instead of #8 or #9 so we wouldn't have to face Loyola on Friday in the 2nd round. I'd much rather us play the likely #2 seed in SIU. I just think we're a better matchup against SIU. We could have won that SIU game on the road if the Free Throw differential wasn't so extreme.

Two teams that I think we're a bad matchup against is Loyola and Missouri State. We are just too inconsistent at the 4 and the Alize Johnson matchup is a problem with this current roster.

SanityLost17 · February 19, 2018, 01:51:08 PM

Quote from: VU2014 on February 19, 2018, 01:16:54 PM
I was running the numbers and looking at the matchups and it might actually be better for Valpo to be a #10 seed instead of #8 or #9 so we wouldn't have to face Loyola on Friday in the 2nd round. I'd much rather us play the likely #2 seed in SIU. I just think we're a better matchup against SIU. We could have won that SIU game on the road if the Free Throw differential wasn't so extreme.

Two teams that I think we're a bad matchup against is Loyola and Missouri State. We are just too inconsistent at the 4 and the Alize Johnson matchup is a problem with this current roster.

Would be nice to have that Evansville home game back.