Drake @ Valpo: 2/6 & 2/7

[valpopal]

Edwards Dunk on ESPN:


http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=30855235

[valpotx]

In the all-important NET rankings, Drake moves from 13 to 32, and Valpo moves from 260 to 235.  If Drake wins out against everyone else, outside of Loyola (need a split), I still think that both Drake and Loyola have a shot at getting us bids. 

[VUGrad1314]

0 Q1 wins and a Q4 loss is no bueno against a very uninspiring Non-conference Strength of Schedule. Drake I think has used up much of its margin for error and could really use a split at least with Loyola. Maybe it's not dead but this certainly didn't help their resume at all.

[bbtds]

I believe that the most important key to Valpo beating Drake yesterday besides playing great defense, making many free throws at the end of the game, not rushing in situations where it ran down the clock SOMETIMES and rebounding well was that nobody started a new game thread.

[wh]

Just watched the postgame interviews. Im putting Eron right at the top of my dream future coaching staff wish list. He understands the game at a high level, leads by example, is team focused, has excellent communication skills, central Indiana connections, etc. Of course, I have no idea where his future interests lie.

[Pgmado]

Just watched the postgame interviews. Im putting Eron right at the top of my dream future coaching staff wish list. He understands the game at a high level, leads by example, is team focused, has excellent communication skills, central Indiana connections, etc. Of course, I have no idea where his future interests lie.

Here's a great Eron Gordon anecdote from my other life. Valparaiso's career center brought a Chicago television reporter to campus to speak to a few classes. The reporter was then made available in the Career Center and students from all over were invited to come and listen. Eron was one of two students to show up. He filled several pages with notes during the meeting.

[wh]

Just watched the postgame interviews. Im putting Eron right at the top of my dream future coaching staff wish list. He understands the game at a high level, leads by example, is team focused, has excellent communication skills, central Indiana connections, etc. Of course, I have no idea where his future interests lie.

Here's a great Eron Gordon anecdote from my other life. Valparaiso's career center brought a Chicago television reporter to campus to speak to a few classes. The reporter was then made available in the Career Center and students from all over were invited to come and listen. Eron was one of two students to show up. He filled several pages with notes during the meeting.

I LOVE this story. How many of his fellow students knew this could be personally beneficial, yet passed with a good excuse, bad excuse, no excuse. Then there's Eron, who not only took it in but soaked it up.

[wh]

0 Q1 wins and a Q4 loss is no bueno against a very uninspiring Non-conference Strength of Schedule. Drake I think has used up much of its margin for error and could really use a split at least with Loyola. Maybe it's not dead but this certainly didn't help their resume at all.

First, let me offer my congratulations to Drake on an incredible run of W's. Unfortunately, and to your point, I agree that yesterday's loss was pretty damaging. Obviously, our young team is finally coming into its own. I don't think we're going to be anyone's easy touch from here on out. That said, all the college basketball world, at large knows is that Drake not only lost but got blown out by a team in the bottom quartile. And, they were lucky they didn't get swept. Butler back in the day was one of the few mids that could get away with a loss like that, and that was only because they played a blistering OOC schedule and won their fair share of those games, as well. The other factor, and this is just a personal opinion, the NCAA and the power 5+1 are conspiring (and have been) to limit mid major at-larges. They have a tendency to look at mid majors as a single block of teams that already receive a gift by including low major conference winners that aren't worthy of even an NIT invite. The recent across the board financial woes among college athletic departments makes tournament bids an even more important commodity. All of this to say that I agree that yesterday's blowout loss is a major hit on their at-large chances. It's a shame, but that's life in the big city right now until something changes.

[valpotx]

Just watched the postgame interviews. Im putting Eron right at the top of my dream future coaching staff wish list. He understands the game at a high level, leads by example, is team focused, has excellent communication skills, central Indiana connections, etc. Of course, I have no idea where his future interests lie.

Here's a great Eron Gordon anecdote from my other life. Valparaiso's career center brought a Chicago television reporter to campus to speak to a few classes. The reporter was then made available in the Career Center and students from all over were invited to come and listen. Eron was one of two students to show up. He filled several pages with notes during the meeting.

Great story, and more career-focused than I was in college.  As you are aware, me/my friends were more focused on trying to sneak into (and succeeding) the VUCA to meet with the Miss USA candidates, versus attending afterhours events with professionals in our expected field lol.  I really need to find that picture of the 5-6 of us with all Miss USA candidates. 

[valpo95]

0 Q1 wins and a Q4 loss is no bueno against a very uninspiring Non-conference Strength of Schedule. Drake I think has used up much of its margin for error and could really use a split at least with Loyola. Maybe it's not dead but this certainly didn't help their resume at all.

It is true the margin of error has diminished for Drake, yet they still are in pretty good shape and control their own destiny.

One could easily imagine a second MVC bid should either Drake or Loyola lose the MVC title game. Assuming that Drake and Loyola win out otherwise and split their two remaining regular season games, Drake would be 27-2 and Loyola would be 23-4 heading into the title game. Either would have a strong resume with just one more loss in the conference title or semi-finals, wherever it happens. That might change a bit if there is a sweep of the Loyola v. Drake regular season series.

I know it is unlikely, yet it would not be out of the question for BOTH Drake and Loyola to be considered for at-large bids if another MVC team wins the conference tournament. How great would it be for the MVC to have three teams playing in March?

[bbtds]

I know it is unlikely, yet it would not be out of the question for BOTH Drake and Loyola to be considered for at-large bids if another MVC team wins the conference tournament. How great would it be for the MVC to have three teams playing in March?

I just don't see this happening in today's NCAA. The Big Ten will get 10 teams in the Big Dance before the MVC would get 3 teams there. It's more likely the Big Ten will get 9 teams than the MVC gets 2 teams.

[wh]

0 Q1 wins and a Q4 loss is no bueno against a very uninspiring Non-conference Strength of Schedule. Drake I think has used up much of its margin for error and could really use a split at least with Loyola. Maybe it's not dead but this certainly didn't help their resume at all.

It is true the margin of error has diminished for Drake, yet they still are in pretty good shape and control their own destiny.

One could easily imagine a second MVC bid should either Drake or Loyola lose the MVC title game. Assuming that Drake and Loyola win out otherwise and split their two remaining regular season games, Drake would be 27-2 and Loyola would be 23-4 heading into the title game. Either would have a strong resume with just one more loss in the conference title or semi-finals, wherever it happens. That might change a bit if there is a sweep of the Loyola v. Drake regular season series.

I know it is unlikely, yet it would not be out of the question for BOTH Drake and Loyola to be considered for at-large bids if another MVC team wins the conference tournament. How great would it be for the MVC to have three teams playing in March?

I agree with your 2 bid scenario - if both win out. To be fair, I would add conditionally that if either fails to win their remaining games against inferior opponents, the 2-bid scenario rightfully goes out the window.  No crying, no whining, no feeling sorry for the conference, no victimhood of any kind.

[Bollis9]

what a crushing win! that really dented their rankings 

solid effort to see them up there with loyola and illinois in the run in

[may know]

Great story on Eron. It would not be an exaggeration to say 99% of students wouldn't be interested enough to attend, and 99.9% wouldn't take several pages of notes.