Annual Missouri Valley bashing thread

Won't disagree with that, but I entered the discussion to say that it doesn't matter what kind of players decide to attend Valley schools so long as it's a quality product that can win in March.

The Valley's lone recruits in the Rivals 150 list for 2006 are Creighton's Isacc Miles (No. 132) and Illinois State's Osiris Eldridge (No. 137). Doesn't mean it's a weak conference. All it means is that Valley teams have simply found a different formula for success than other conferences.

 

I don't think anyone thinks the MVC is a "weak" conference, at least what I'd consider weak (regularly in the bottom third of the RPIs, like the Southland and the MEAC and the America Sun). The debate most rational people here are having is whether the MVC is a bonafide major yet or not.

There's got to be an irony that you, with the Kansas mascot in your sidesig, are one of the MVC's biggest supporters while I, with the ODU logo in my sidesig, am more likely to defend the larger conferences.

 

You know, that had never even crossed my mind, but a great point. It is kind of funny because more Wichita State fans to me come across as intolerable. All they do is talk about how KU is "afraid" to play the Shockers, how the Shockers shouldn't settle for anything less than a home-and-home series because they're on the level.

And maybe the lack of a series could be used as a strike against The Valley, but to me that has more to do with KU being that rare program in position to schedule whoever they want, whenever they want, on its own terms.

All I know is, Bradley bounced KU -- Big 12 regular season and tournament champs -- and Pittsburgh last year on its way to the Sweet 16. And then the Shockers were the only Division I program from Kansas to reach the Sweet 16.

This year, the Shockers win at both LSU and Syracuse. Missouri State is the only team to have beaten Wisconson to date. Both Drake and Northern Iowa swept Iowa and Iowa State (which also lost to Bradley). Southern Illinois beat Virginia Tech. Indiana State won at Indiana. Even Illinois State won at both Florida State and St. John's.

I mean, The Valley has done a damn good job against outside competition, which is why I don't get why someone started an MVC bashing thread. Seems like we should be past that. The Valley should be seen as a major conference.

 

If it makes you feel any better, the diehard Bradley backers say the same thing about Illinois as WSU people say about KU. Would I like to see Bradley-Illinois every year? Of course. Do I understand the risk out weighs the reward for Illinois? Absolutely.

I would like to see Illinois agree to this though: Illinois would play every D-I school in the state but it'll be on a rotating basis. First year Illinois will play Illinois State. Second year Southern Illinois, third Bradley, fourth Western Illinois, etc. Do this instead of scheduleing Jackson State or Savanah State. Obviously there's more details to work out, but ...
And before you think a road game in state would be a true road game, I can attest that Bradley country is surrounded by Illini fans. Same could be said for ISU, Western Illinois, and much of the Chicago area.

Just a thought.

 

To those of you who claim star recruits wouldn't spend four years at an MVC school, an example:

Spencer Laurie was pretty highly recruited if I remember correctly coming out of Kickapoo High School after taking his team to more than one state final four. He settled on Mizzou probably due to family ties (guess what family he's from ), but told the athletic office to give his scholarship to someone who needed the money more, as he could afford to pay for school.

He played for at least a year at Mizzou, maybe two (I had moved out of state so I don't remember). During the Quin crap, and probably because of the Quin crap, Laurie chose to transfer. He's now playing at Missouri State with his younger brother.

Granted, I don't know how many bigger schools wanted him after his time at Mizzou, but he still chose a solid MVC program that was close to home. That's what I like about the MVC. For students in the midwest who may not be recruited heavily or only recruited by mid-majors, the schools are nearly all close to home. It's nothing for groups of students to go to games at other schools because nearly all the schools are within six hours of each other.

EDIT: The Missouri State people say the same thing about Mizzou not willing to play them as all the other schools.

 

Yeah, but Mizzou probably is afraid to play Missouri State, that's one guaranteed in-state loss every season!

 

I think it's a tradition of the mid-major and low-major schools' fans to claim they're being overlooked or avoided. I actually went to two CAA schools (VCU and Old Dominion -- call me King Shit of I-64 Commuter School Mountain), and both places our fans were convinced Virginia and Va. Tech were avoiding us (VCU and VT were in the Metro together for like three years, so it didn't come up as much then). I knew people who went to various UNC-_____ schools that insisted the Big Four was too chickenshit to play them (and didn't ECU need an act of government to get the in-state ACC schools to schedule it in football?)

As for the MVC: My own skewed and oddball opinion is this -- get at least two at-large bids in five consecutive seasons, and you earn the major designation. Right now they're in a spot somewhat similar to the A-10 back in the early to mid-90's, albeit without a No. 1 team (UMass) or a then-legendary program (Temple). But now the A-10 is only major to people who think Marcus Camby and Lamar Odom are about to come back. The MVC is a good story now; let's see where they're sitting come 2010.

 

The Valley's had multiple NCAA Tournament teams every year since 1999 (three) and topped out last year (four), which probably should have been five, but Missouri State and its No. 21 RPI wasn't enough. To get two at-large berths for five straight seasons, that's going to be tough. All it takes is one down NCAA Tournament for the selection committee to go back to its old ways of handing out berths to primarily BCS conferences.

And good call on the A-10, which nearly got St. Joe's in the Final Four three years ago.

 

Indiana State lost at Indiana. The Sycamores did beat both Butler and Purdue at home. And Illinois State lost to Florida State, but they did pummel St. John's on the road.

 

I don't think the MVC is in any way a weak league, and I know recruiting is somewhat of a crapshoot.

Yet, you give me a team of kids from 20 through 70 on that list, you take a team of kids from 120 to 150 on that list, and I like my chances, regardless.

 

Yikes. Guess I better look a little closer at the scores when I'm scrolling through schedules, huh? My bad.

 

Purdue has done that in the state of Indiana for years. I once saw Butler beat Purdue at Hinkle Fieldhouse, with the help of a Purdue transfer. Indiana has started doing that as well.

I think both programs recognize that playing at other in-state schools represents a great marketing opportunity. Not everyone is going to trek to West Lafayette or Bloomington on an icy February night to see their school play. But more than likely, wherever you go in Indiana, you will attract alums and fans as part of your road crowd, so it's a way for them to connect with your program firsthand.