MVC Hoops: 2017-18

[oklahomamick]

I teach at a high school in Tulsa that has a student who signed a letter of intent to play basketball with Boise St next year.  I asked him about his official visit and how he liked the team.  He said his favorite player was Lexus Williams. 

[valpolaw]

I still have a hard time thinking of Loyola as good due to them being pretty bad for so long.  Interested to see how we do against them this year. 

[oklahomamick]

5 Missouri Valley Conference
12 Western Athletic Conference
14 Summit League
15 Mid-American Conference
17 Ohio Valley Conference
29 HORIZON LEAGUE

Individual HL Team RPI's

90 Milwaukee
107 NKU
151 Oakland
229 Detroit Mercy
235 Wright State
290 IUPUI
314 UIC
317 Green Bay
334 Cleveland State
348 Youngstown State

Have to be happy with the move based on the above numbers.  However, If we were in the HL I think it would be ours for the taking.  Even though this is a rebuilding year for us and Oakland has a lot of guys back, I think we would win our 6th out 7th conference title back in the HL. 

[VU2014]

29 HORIZON LEAGUE

Individual HL Team RPI's

90 Milwaukee
107 NKU
151 Oakland
229 Detroit Mercy
235 Wright State
290 IUPUI
314 UIC
317 Green Bay
334 Cleveland State
348 Youngstown State

Have to be happy with the move based on the above numbers.  If we were in the HL I think it would be our if the taking.  Even though this is a rebuilding year for us and Oakland has a lot of guys back, I think we would win our 6th out 7th conference title back in the HL. 

[a3uge]

I think the Horizon's RPI will go up over what it's at right now.... But man, an expected RPI of 26 is dreadful, especially after LeCrones comments about trying to get a team below the 9 seed line.

[VU2014]

Drake laid an egg against a Omaha (1-7) team. MVC teams shouldn't lose to terrible teams like that.

[UNIFTW]

Drake is MVCINO


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[valpotx]

UNI with a solid win over UNLV.  That is going to be an exciting 2 games for us/them each year.

[underdawg]

SIU may be back to full strength with 6-5 starting PG Marcus Bartley and starter 6-8 PF Thik Bol who was second in blocks in MVC last year coming back by the last week in December. As it is Bol's replacement 6-7 Jonathan Wiley is averaging 7.4 rebounds per game--so I don't know how you take him out and new starting Center 6-10 240 Kavion Pippen is averaging 12.2 ppg/7.8 rpg and 2.2 blocks per game.

You guys looked good in the games I have been able to watch-- if you can rebound with Purdue, you'll give them a game--they are not a tremendous Offensive team. By the way, didn't know if you guys realized Purdue's head coach Matt Painter was SIU's about 13 years ago

[justducky]

SIU may be back to full strength with 6-5 starting PG Marcus Bartley and starter 6-8 PF Thik Bol who was second in blocks in MVC last year coming back by the last week in December. As it is Bol's replacement 6-7 Jonathan Wiley is averaging 7.4 rebounds per game--so I don't know how you take him out and new starting Center 6-10 240 Kavion Pippen is averaging 12.2 ppg/7.8 rpg and 2.2 blocks per game.

Way too early for me to worry about our games on Jan 6 and Feb 3. Shorter term it looks like it might be up to SIU to earn a draw in the MVC/MWC challenge. Are you healthy enough to get that done?

[VU2014]

4,546 is a disappointment?
https://twitter.com/Brett_Crawford/status/936092813216878592

I'd like to point out that their ticket prices were only $5 for a UNI vs UNLV game is a great deal. When is the last time Valpo's ticket prices were that low? And how much would reducing prices increase Valpo's attendance? I believe Valpo charged $12 for a bleacher ticket to a non-D1 opponent.

https://twitter.com/benbrustkern/status/936098499392876544

[UNIFTW]

4500 is a massive disappointment.

Wednesday night home games are the worst.


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[agibson]

I'd like to point out that their ticket prices were only $5 for a UNI vs UNLV game is a great deal. When is the last time Valpo's ticket prices were that low? And how much would reducing prices increase Valpo's attendance? I believe Valpo charged $12 for a bleacher ticket ticket to a non-D1 opponent.

Could be worth an experiment to charge $5 for e.g. the top half of BB, CC, and DD. Obviously if it didn't fill in below that, they could move down.

We're getting 2,000 or 2,500 fans for these non-D1's. So, there's some chance of lost revenue if you gamble with low prices. But, it could well be worth the experiment.

I'd love to see free tickets (maybe one free adult with child), or buy-one-get-one-free, or similar handed out at places like Hilltop, Boys and Girls, maybe even at public schools for certain games. Maybe they already do some of this.

[underdawg]

to justducky: SIU will probably be favorites even with out Bol or Bartley---although San Jose State is pretty big--couple of 6-11 guys, but we've got home court

[VUGrad1314]

Good to see Valley teams getting some love in the national press:

www.midmajormadness.com/2017/11/30/16718524/northern-iowa-is-making-the-valleys-grandest-statement-carlson-koch-basketball-mvc-pickford-mccloud

[oklahomamick]

I didn't realize UNI was able to get UT-Arlington and Xavier to play them at their house.  UNI did a really good job on their they're schedule

[wh]

I didn't realize UNI was able to get UT-Arlington and Xavier to play them at their house.  UNI did a really good job on their schedule

Let's be honest.  They're (or Their ) schedule puts ours to shame.

[VUGrad1314]

I didn't realize UNI was able to get UT-Arlington and Xavier to play them at their house.  UNI did a really good job on their schedule

Let's be honest.  They're schedule puts ours to shame.

And Indiana State got Butler to come to the Hulman Center. That was one of the things that excited me most about MVC membership: the prospect of getting home dates with Big East schools. I hope Valpo gets some of these starting someday soon.

[VU2014]

I didn't realize UNI was able to get UT-Arlington and Xavier to play them at their house.  UNI did a really good job on their schedule

Let's be honest.  They're schedule puts ours to shame.

It does, especially from a fan entertainment value perspective. Those are great opponents. How the heck do we get a team like Xavier to come to the ARC? I'm assuming those games that UNI have landed were built through coaching relationships and the "bigger" teams were trying to help out Coach Jacobson who is very well respected in the coaching community.

As annoying as some of the bad opponents have been early on it makes sense for our team because of roster turnover. This team needed tune up games and that probably has helped. Probably wouldn't have been a good idea to throw them to the wolves in November. The schedule greatly picks up in December with a lot of road good games.

I'd love to see some home-&-homes with some strong fellow mid-major program next season.

[oklahomamick]

When we played SLU was it 2 away 1 home?  And Rhode Island? 

[VU2014]

When we played SLU was it 2 away 1 home?  And Rhode Island? 

Both SLU and Rhode Island were 1-for-1 series.

[valpo64]

Remember  UNI and IN ST have been on the "bigger stage"(MVC) much longer than us.  I think it taskes time to get a good reputation at a higher level.  Let's face it, the MVC is well ahead of the Horizen or Summit Leagues.

[underdawg]

 :lol:Urk! the Dawgs may lose a fourth starter in that Jonathan Wiley (7.4 rpg) hurt his non-shooting hand in the win over SIU-E--at least it's his non-shooting hand, I guess

[VUGrad1314]

Three MVC teams would be in the NIT according to this projection but the seeding is just depressing:

UNI a 3? Missouri State a 7? Loyola an 8? Come on.

http://www.nycbuckets.com/2017/12/nit-bracketology-dec-1-edition/

[bbtds]

I miss Lexus.  He was always my favorite player.   I am glad he is in a good situation at Boise.   I wonder how he would fit into our lineup had he stayed?

It is too bad for the MVC that they didn't pick Valpo over Loyola several years back.   Both Valpo and Illinois State were the "last team out" each of the last 2 years for an at large bid.   If Valpo was in instead of Loyola both probably would have had just enough of an RPI boost to get that very last spot.  That said, Loyola has really stepped up their game since coming over, so that is good.     

I believe the committee was set on shafting all the better mid-majors last year. It wouldn't have mattered if Valpo and Illinois St would have been in the same conference.