Annual Missouri Valley bashing thread

So the fact that people stay four years means it's a lousy conference? Funny, I thought the measure of a good conference was programs that could build good teams and win games in the NCAA Tournament.

 

You're talking about players, I'm talking about the whole league.

NBA interest an indicator of drawing better players, but if they leave early it's of a short-term benefit for the league. Star power weakens the league as a whole in the long view.

It works for some -- Syracuse and Carmelo Anthony -- and doesn't work for more. Ohio State is the acid test this season.

How better off will the Big 12 be when Kevin Durant leaves Texas after this season? Nice for this year, not very helpful for the league over the long haul.

 

Problem with that last statement is that Drake, to its credit, pulls roughly 6,000 for their home games (out of a 7000 seat Knapp Center), and they stink to high hell as usual. Even Dr. Tom can't get these stiffs to play like gangbusters in this league. "Oh, oh, oh, Drake is going to be great this year! They will win the MVC and go the the NCAA tournament this year!! [/bitter Drake fan wishing it was 1969 again].

UNI's problem is simple: they struggle on the road. Of course they lost to Illinois State and Evansville. It was a trap game for them. Porter Moser and Steve Merfeld, respectively, are on the hot seat to win or else. Illinois State is one of those teams that will bite teams in the ass, even if they can't save themselves with critical wins.

Thankfully for the Panthers, they have won at Wichita and Springfield. Creighton is the only team to beat them at home so far in league play. I don't expect UNI to win in Omaha. Altman and those fuckers are tougher than shit in the Qwest Center.

Indiana State is the mild surprise of the league. Waltman's facing the hot seat as well. I'm not worried that much about Creighton, UNI, Missouri State, or Southern Illinois. Wichita is done IMO. Great non-conference start and then they remembered that they are playing in the Missouri Valley, which is never a pic-a-nic.

And Walter is right: for the love of all things in college basketball, Evansville, please bring back the sleeve jerseys!!!!

 

Sadly I'm pretty sure that the NCAA mandates no-sleeve jerseys now.

Evansville had it grandfathered for them, but once they went away from the full shirts, they fucked themselves forever.

 

And that is college basketball's loss. I loved those jerseys.

 

They have a pimpin' mascot at least.

 

Damn right.

 

So when does "We Are Evansville" get made?

 

Fuck Myles Brand.

 

Jesus, is the only acceptable response in a Missouri Valley discussion "ALL HAIL THE MVC, THE GREATEST CONFERENCE IN THE LAND?" It was brought up that one of the MVC's advantages is how it keeps more of its players for four years, and I responded that it's not a fair comparison because the larger conferences are more likely than the MVC to get the top players that leave earlier. Just like it's not fair to say that the Patriot or Ivy leagues have an advantage over the MVC because THEY recruit guys who are less likely to leave.

I doubt seriously that Greg Oden or Tyler Hansborough would be more likely to spend four years at Missouri State or Northern Iowa than they would Ohio State or North Carolina. Is it okay to say that? Or am I being too mean to the MVC again?

 

MM, never claimed the The Valley is the greatest conference in the land. What I did say is that when given berths to the NCAA Tournament, more often than not they win. Because they have good teams.

So Greg Oden and Tyler Hansborough won't ever go to MVC schools. You know, players like that haven't gone to Valley schools for years now, but they continue to win anyway. We've known this for years. No blue-chip players, but the coaches there do know how to assemble good teams that can win in March.

It's not the cards that you're dealt but how you play your cards.

 

But the point of the discussion that I was in was that the idea that the MVC retains players better than the major conferences (or other major conferences, depending on your perspective) is not a fair comparison, because the MVC doesn't get as many players that would be likely to leave early compared to the ACC or SEC. It's not a slam at the MVC, it's a simple point -- sort of like how a ballerina is less likely to break a toilet seat than Rick Majerus.