Arch Madness

[VUGrad1314]

We should be rooting for Drake.  This will guarantee a multi-bid conference this season.  Who would have thought such a thing would come up in the MVC again?  I remember several posters talking about how the days of getting multiple bids in the MVC were long gone, and we should have stayed in the HL...almost every sport will have multiple bids in the MVC

I'm one of those that have kept the faith but I'm not celebrating a darn thing until I see it with my own eyes and hear it with my own ears on the bracket on Selection Sunday. The first step to securing the future of the MVC is getting there and finally pushing the multibid dream over the goal line. Once that happens it is easier to envision the future. I will say this though: If everyone comes back and uses the extra year this conference is going to be INSANE next year if everyone stays healthy.

[vuny98]

Two teams in this year would be great. Could really use the extra revenue, especially if one or both make a deeper run. I'd say could use some funds for ARC upgrade, but now we need money for a new mascot rebranding...

[justducky]

Just for conversation I'll compare the Drake bubble positions for both their men's and women's programs.

Guys      Loyola should be in at NET 16.       Drake's bubble sits at NET 40 and the MVC is NET 11.

Girl's     MSU should be in at NET 21.          Drake is just off the bubble sitting at NET 47 and the MVC is NET 7.  .

Keep your eyes on this. It is obviously much better to be the 7'th best conference than the 11'th but both might end up in the 1 bid category.

[usc4valpo]

Congrats to Loyola and Drake for their great seasons and committing to successful basketball. It's time for Valpo to do the same and not be a leach in the MVC.

[vu84v2]

Drake, in my opinion, should be in. NET in the low 40s and consistently strong throughout the season. Yet, my guess is that it may come down to the optics from this Loyola game. If they get crushed (lose by 20+), they may have a problem. Otherwise, I see them likely getting one of the play-in games.

One other argument that is sometimes made is that a team's value in a selection process should be reduced if they have key players that will not play going forward. The argument usually is "we are selecting the best teams", and this argument (I believe) is used in BCS selections. Totally wrong! Selection to something like the NCAA D1 tournament should be based solely on performance prior to the selection. On the same note, I also do not like the 'recent performance' argument - though I do think a team winning its conference regular season should carry some additional weight.

[oklahomamick]

Loyola -7

[NativeCheesehead]

Drake should get in with a loss today, but I'm guessing they'll get screwed. Ironically their loss to us may have doomed them.

[VUGrad1314]

Drake should get in with a loss today, but I'm guessing they'll get screwed. Ironically their loss to us may have doomed them.

That's what I was trying to say... That was a very conflicting day because I want the multibid Valley as much as I want Valpo to succeed. I want us to succeed in a multibid league. The sting of 2016 was one of the main reasons I supported this move. It wasn't the only reason but it was a big one maybe even the biggest one for me.

[vu84v2]

So far, the Drake - Loyola game is close. Good news for the rest of the conference.

[tjjvalpo]

Drake should get in with a loss today, but I'm guessing they'll get screwed. Ironically their loss to us may have doomed them.

Well, if the selection committee is looking at the quad system at all, Drake should be in. Even with a loss today they will be 6-2 in quad 1 and quad 2 games. Also, they have no quad 4 losses. What else can a mid-major do, especially this year?

[VUGrad1314]

Drake should get in with a loss today, but I'm guessing they'll get screwed. Ironically their loss to us may have doomed them.

Well, if the selection committee is looking at the quad system at all, Drake should be in. Even with a loss today they will be 6-2 in quad 1 and quad 2 games. Also, they have no quad 4 losses. What else can a mid-major do, especially this year?

Not get absolutely obliterated by us? Finish the Bradley sweep?

[justducky]

Great effort by both, but when Loyola hits their 3's they can advance against anybody.

Drake??  Still maybe?

Loyola? A seven, six, or five?

[wh]

It's 1 vs. 2 when St. Bonaventure and VCU play for the A-10 Tournament championship. Both were pretty well positioned to get an at-large, even if they got upset. Fortunately for the MVC, that didn't happen.

Had it come down to 2 teams from the MVC and A-10 with nearly identical NET's for 1 at-large, I think the selection committee would favor the A-10 99 times out of a hundred. The A-10 is 9th in conference NET; the MVC is 11th. The A-10 has had more at-larges in recent years. And don't discount the fact that A-10 universities are located in major media markets in a "superior" region of the country. The very name "Drake" would have a very inferior feel to those people.

Bottom line - I'm feeling pretty optimistic at this point about 2 MVC bids, which would be huge for many reasons, not the least of which is more tournament revenue shares.

[usc4valpo]

Drake will make it in IMO. The bad news is that their coach will be at DePaul next year.

[VUGrad1314]

I wish this game was closer... I don't know. I'm very nervous that they won't get in unless it's a nod or favor to Elgin for his retirement. They're the second to last team in according to Lunardi and the other teams behind them on the bubble all have opportunities to improve their standing except for SLU who still might be able to schedule a game or two in the meantime to try to boost their metrics a little bit. Some chaos in the MWC tournament that clears away some of the bubble teams but chalk holding in the end would really help out. But really Drake's resume has one glaring serious hole that might be their undoing. Their non-con SUCKS worse than anything I've ever seen. Even in a COVID year their non-con is really bad. They beat NOBODY of substance or note. The only thing that could really help them is if Kansas State somehow makes the Finals of the Big XII tournament. This should put to bed MLB's thesis that all you have to do is just play bad teams and drub them. Nope as I've been saying who you play still matters. You have to schedule well and when the Power Leagues won't give you opportunities you need to try other means and band together with other mids. I don't know why the mids haven't caught on to this yet? The only way we can truly take the fight to the Power Conferences now that they've more or less walled themselves off is by working together either through expansion and promoting the best of the one bid conferences to stronger leagues and scheduling alliances among non power leagues. It's our only shot at survival. They colluded against us We need to collude right back. Also though we must look inward: We NEED to deliver the top 50-75 program the MVC thought they were getting when they selected us and do it consistently. One of the reasons we're struggling to get multiple bids is because we quite frankly haven't pulled our weight in this conference and that needs to change. That and we could use some outside help. Hopefully this year is a wake up call for Belmont and they'll get tired of bum slaying and step up to get the quality games in conference that they need in order to secure their tournament hopes whenever they are good as well as the hopes of other teams in this conference. Working with other leagues (not just one league but several leagues) is a must. Expansion is a must. Or we should just be content to take our one bid and shut up and stop complaining whenever we're left out of the tournament. The time has come for the mids to look inward get real and start doing some real work. The system isn't going to change so we must work within the system to the best of our abilities to achieve our goals.

[justducky]

Bottom line - I'm feeling pretty optimistic at this point about 2 MVC bids, which would be huge for many reasons, not the least of which is more tournament revenue shares.

What portion of NCAA tournament revenues are media contract generated vs ticket sales? If those total revenues and future distributions are greatly impacted by the covid restrictions might it be a good year for the selection committee to throw mid-majors an extra bone or two?

[wh]

What portion of NCAA tournament revenues are media contract generated vs ticket sales?

Hmm, interesting question. I found this on the NCAA's own website:

"Television and marketing rights fees, primarily from the Division I men's basketball championship, generate the majority of our revenue. Championship ticket sales provide most of the remaining dollars."

https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/finances

[justducky]

"Television and marketing rights fees, primarily from the Division I men's basketball championship, generate the majority of our revenue. Championship ticket sales provide most of the remaining dollars."

https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/finances

OK. From there I found 867.5 million from marketing rights which shouldn't substantially change and 177.9 million (about 1/5 of the former) from championship ticket sales which will fall off a cliff. Will share payouts be reduced for this and the next 3 years? If so then my premiss "a good chance to throw mid-majors a bone", might be accurate?

[bbtds]

you're all just full of crap and need to just admit that you're in the bag for the elite conferences and abandon any pretense of fairness.

I believe you are coming to a realization. Some people have been lying for a long time.

[JD24]

FWIW...Lunardi has Drake as a last four in. I think the listing prior to yesterday had them as last four bye. So Drake is teetering if an upset or two happen behind them.

[vu72]

Congrats to Loyola and Drake for their great seasons and committing to successful basketball. It's time for Valpo to do the same and not be a leach in the MVC.

Sure thing. A leech that beat Illinois State (twice), beat Bradley, Drake, UNI, Southern Illinois, Indiana State and lost to the league champ by 2 at their place. Finished in the 5th seed with freshman and sophomores leading the way.  Thanks for your continued support.

[Just Sayin]

Yeah, embrace mediocrity.

[valpo95]

Yeah, embrace mediocrity.

Mediocre, perhaps like Loyola in their first five years in the much tougher MVC?

Tied for fifth in the MVC is not where anyone wants to stay, yet it is a respectable year all things considered. With the loss of JFL, did anyone expect that Valpo would win the MVC this year? Doubt it.

[vu72]

Yeah, embrace mediocrity.

Mediocre, perhaps like Loyola in their first five years in the much tougher MVC?

Tied for fifth in the MVC is not where anyone wants to stay, yet it is a respectable year all things considered. With the loss of JFL, did anyone expect that Valpo would win the MVC this year? Doubt it.

It wasn't just JFL. We graduated the best three point shooter in Valpo history as well as the ultimate glue guy, John Kiser.  That's three starters and the vast majority of points and rebounds. Oh, then there's the Mileek situation.  A very steep hill to climb yet we advanced out of Thursday.  All in all, not bad nor acceptable going forward.

[AlaskaCrusader19]

For Drake to get that second bid for the Valley, we better hope for as few upsets as possible in conference tournaments. Can't afford any bid stealers. A second tourney team would be a great pay day for all the schools!