Valpo in the Rankings 2017-18

[VUGrad1314]

Those games were incredible! FSU and SMC were the two best ARC atmospheres I've ever been a part of. Only the past Butler games compare. And the second half against SMC was the best team defense I've ever seen live. Such an efficient offensive team reduced to nothing. And of course it's never a bad time to mention that we are 2-0 all time vs FSU. I just hope that the atmosphere will be that electric for MVC games. Go Valpo!

[valpotx]

Greatest atmosphere that I experienced was that Butler HL conference tourney game at Valpo 6 years ago.  We had some fantastic atmospheres for Oral Roberts while I was in school, but that beat down of Butler was an awesome atmosphere!

[VU2014]

Greatest atmosphere that I experienced was that Butler HL conference tourney game at Valpo 6 years ago.

It was a great game! I really miss those Valpo vs Butler games. It's too bad we don't play each other every year anymore. As much as Butler fans hate to admit it those Valpo vs Butler in-state rivalry games meant a little more then other games. They got the best of us for a while but they couldn't beat us on their way out of the HL. 4-0 the last 4 games.

I remember that game valpotx is talking about. The Student section was getting under Brad Stevens skin that game lol. I remember someone stole the male butler cheerleaders megahorn and people were passing it around the student section while they were search for it. (don't worry they got it back) Great memories.

[bbtds]

at-large birth

FYI, it's "at large berth."

[bbtds]

the Committee

they have a track record of screwing worthy mid-majors.

No doubt about it. It's about the money and creating match ups that attract TV audiences. BTW, the committee has not done a good job of picking match ups for TV lately.

[VUGrad1314]

That's a great way to put it. After all, nobody's interested in seeing a mid major make a run and absolutely no one ever tunes in to watch them when they do.

[wh]

at-large birth

FYI, it's "at large berth."

It depends on the context. For Valpo, it would be our at-large "birth."  Long past full-term, I might add.

[agibson]

they have a track record of screwing worthy mid-majors.

No doubt about it. It's about the money and creating match ups that attract TV audiences. BTW, the committee has not done a good job of picking match ups for TV lately.

I suspect that it's not just sour grapes, and that reasonable people might be able to agree that there are some factors that make selection go badly for mid-majors.

I'm not convinced it's a conspiracy in the selection room, or has to do with creating TV games (CBS and the NCAA bank account has every reason to want at least one or two cinderella stories in the tournament).

I think it _may_ have to do with an unreasonable emphasis on RPI and quality wins and losses. Near as I can tell, everything is set up to help the "major" teams get high RPI's by scheduling middling to poor teams as home games, and then benefiting from conference-mates' gaudy non-conference W-L records. Similarly, they have many more chances for "quality" wins on their home courts. And relatively few chances for "bad" losses (they don't tend to play "bad" teams on the road).

If it really is as simple as that, I'm not sure why the mid-majority hasn't/can't do something about it, by changing committee guidelines or introducing scheduling rules.

[VU2014]

That's a great way to put it. After all, nobody's interested in seeing a mid major make a run and absolutely no one ever tunes in to watch them when they do.

I'm sensing a bit of sarcasm here. TV execs love the cinderella runs because it draws the casual viewers in which is where you get the big ratings. The cinderella's and upsets get the media attention from the 'Good Morning America' & 'Today Show' type of programs which brings a nice boost to TV ratings.

the Committee

they have a track record of screwing worthy mid-majors.

No doubt about it. It's about the money and creating match ups that attract TV audiences. BTW, the committee has not done a good job of picking match ups for TV lately.

It is definitely about the $ and picking certain matchups. The Vanderbilt vs Northwestern game last year made absolutely no sense from a seeding perspective. Vandy was realistically a fringe bubble team but they some how got paired with Northwestern. It was 2 great academic schools playing each other.

If we get in the Tourney in the near future. I wouldn't be surprised to see us pair with Vandy or Baylor in the 1st round (or Bryce vs Scott matchup) or even with one of the bigger Indiana schools. What I absolutely despise is when the committee purposely matchups up to cinderella caliber mid-majors together in the 1st - 2nd round. They do that on purpose. The committee is so blatantly flawed and they don't even follow the criteria they lay out for themselves.

As for the MVC I think we can become a semi-frequent 2 bid league again during the strong years but to become a consistent multi-bid league again we'll need a few programs to step up their game and get more of a commitment from administrations with setting non-conference scheduling standards (less cupcake sub-250-275 D1s games). We'd need the mediocre programs to step up their games and consistently become a Top 125-175 programs, which is a tall ask but is realistic if schools make the right hires and retain good coaches.

[bbtds]

at-large birth

FYI, it's "at large berth."

It depends on the context. For Valpo, it would be our at-large "birth."  Long past full-term, I might add.

My thinking of an "at large birth" would be a woman with a......................oh, never mind............that one almost got away from me.

[a3uge]

I agree with bbtds - the committee has NOT done a good job of picking watchable TV matchups in the first round. Kansas State vs Wake Forest in the First Four... how is that intruiging at all? The best mid majors always get the 7v10 game against each other and then have to play a powerhouse 2 seed in the next round. Twice Wichita State and Kentucky played each other in the round of 32, both of which seemed like they should have been played much later in the tournament.

agibson is right - the problem is, the committee is fixated on a flawed metric: quantity of "top" wins. The committee knows that RPI itself is a poor metric, but instead of addressing the shortcomings of RPI, they DOUBLE DOWN on it and use even stupider metrics like quantity of top 25 RPI wins. The methodology is irrational, and it isn't indicative of past performance or season success. Having a 12 seed be favorited over a 5 seed by Vegas is flat-out unacceptable. I do think they'll eventually fix the situation. Look at the old BCS system: NOBODY was happy with it, and they were throwing away money by keeping the old system going. They eventually fixed it and a bunch of positive consequences have arisen from the new system, like the increase of good early neutral field matchups, a big 10 championship game, and a more interesting championship week between teams with more than 0 losses.

[valpopal]

[tweet]937053802997284864[/tweet]


[tweet]937048766527315968[/tweet]

[VUGrad1314]

https://twitter.com/kenpomeroy/status/937084014145323008

https://twitter.com/kenpomeroy/status/937126869962338304

[valpopal]

Only 13 teams remain undefeated. Valpo is in good company. I would love to see the athletics budgets for each of these schools.


Enjoy while it lasts!



Arizona State
Duke
Florida State
Georgetown
Kansas
Miami
Mississippi State
Nevada
TCU
Texas A&M
Virginia
Valparaiso
Villanova

[VULB#62]

The \\//s have it!  And we should be listed first in alphabetical order, too.

[bbtds]

I agree with bbtds

I'm going to show this to my wife and say I was right at least one time this week. 

[VUGrad1314]

Only 13 teams remain undefeated. Valpo is in good company. I would love to see the athletics budgets for each of these schools. Enjoy while it lasts! Arizona State Duke Florida State Georgetown Kansas Miami Mississippi State Nevada TCU Texas A&M Virginia Valparaiso Villanova

Valpo's budget is easily the smallest and is the only school outside of what Mark Adams  calls the "elite 8" conferences (conferences that have received an at-large bid within the last four years if my memory is correct ).

[agibson]

get more of a commitment from administrations with setting non-conference scheduling standards (less cupcake sub-250-275 D1s games). We'd need the mediocre programs to step up their games and consistently become a Top 125-175 programs,

I think there probably are rational scheduling guidelines, but I'm not sure this is it. Winning a home game against RPI 300 may hurt -your- RPI but your strong W/L record will help the league. Avoid scheduling unwinnable games, and find a reasonable balance that gives the right teams a shot at an at-large resumeee and everybody a shot at a strong non-conference W/L record. If your team is strong enough that you're sure you can do that while avoiding teams below RPI 200, fine. I'm sure putting this balance together is tricky, but it may be that the league can help, and that a lot of teams can do better.

[talksalot]

Undefeated team next games...Valpo will not be the only undefeated team in the country after Thursday's game.

Arizona State  does not play until Friday vs. St. Johns in tournament in LA

Sunday-Today
Georgetown RPI 125, SOS 347, plays winless Coppin State
Mississippi State hosts Dayton

Monday:
Florida State plays @ Florida

Tuesday:
Duke hosts St. Francis-PA
Nevada plays at Texas Tech
TCU hosts SMA
Texas A&M plays Arizona in tournament in Phoenix
Virginia plays at West Virginia
Villanova plays Gonzaga in tournament in NYC

Wednesday
Florida State hosts Loyola Md

Thursday
Georgetown plays winless Howard, yes an action packed week for the Hoyas.... the 6 teams they have beaten have a combined 8 wins.

[VUGrad1314]

That's disgraceful. Whoever put that schedule together for the Hoyas (and decided to  pull them out of the PK80 should be ashamed of themselves.

[VUGrad1314]

Valpo up to #83 in KenPom 2nd highest in the MVC to Missouri State at #80.

[VULB#62]

That's disgraceful. Whoever put that schedule together for the Hoyas (and decided to  pull them out of the PK80 should be ashamed of themselves.

Isn't this Patrick Ewing's first season as HBBC?  I think they are easing him into the job.

[VUGrad1314]

That's disgraceful. Whoever put that schedule together for the Hoyas (and decided to  pull them out of the PK80 should be ashamed of themselves.

Isn't this Patrick Ewing's first season as HBBC?  I think they are easing him into the job.

I get that but come on. There's easing somebody into a new job and then there's whatever that schedule is. Anyone literally anyone could coach Georgetown to an undefeated record against that level of opposition.

[VU2014]

That's disgraceful. Whoever put that schedule together for the Hoyas (and decided to  pull them out of the PK80 should be ashamed of themselves.

Isn't this Patrick Ewing's first season as HBBC?  I think they are easing him into the job.

I get that but come on. There's easing somebody into a new job and then there's whatever that schedule is. Anyone literally anyone could coach Georgetown to an undefeated record against that level of opposition.

Has nothing to doing with easing into the job. It has everything to do with that they know they have a bad roster and will get demolished in Conference play in the big east. This has more to do with not wanting to get embarrassed with a losing record and trying to have to recruit with an atrocious record.

That schedule is embarrassing beyond belief. If you want to call yourself a "blue-blood" program then you should never schedule like this. There is no excuse. They deserved to be called out and mocked for it.

[VUGrad1314]

Let's have a sing-along (To the tune of the Georgetown fight song)

It's been so long since last they won
They're down, my goodness, they're down
Their schedule is a terrible one.
They're down, my goodness, they're down

There goes old Georgetown
Making their fans frown
Soon they will lose ground
They're down, my goodness, they're down
They're down, my goodness, they're down

Oh bah bah bah great shame on Georgetown
Playing nobody today
With great coaching they were blessed
Had the team among the best
But tough times they now befall the blue and gray.

We've heard their loyal fans around DC
Brag and boast about their grand tradition
"We're a blue blood," they yell
But they don't schedule well
The Little Sisters of the Poor is not a  good opponent

Themselves from a tournament they tossed
It's clear that this program is afraid to take a loss
But the ill of all the ills of the program today
Is the Hoya! Hoya! Lax-a schedule
That the program made.

It's been so long since last they won
They're down, my goodness, they're down
Their schedule is a terrible one.
They're down, my goodness, they're down

There goes old Georgetown
Tough games they turn down
See how they lose ground
They're down, my goodness, they're down
They're down, my goodness, they're down
They're down, my goodness, they're down