The MVC deserves three bids!*
Posted: Fri Mar 7, 2008 3:55 pm
*If someone besides Drake or Illinois State wins the conference tournament.
I'm a Missouri Tigers fan, but I love the Missouri Valley Conference. Good basketball + underdog status = enthusiastic support from me. Every year it seems like the MVC has to prove itself all over again, and more often than not, it does.
I'm looking forward to the MVC tournament, which begins today in earnest. Drake vs. Indiana State, Illinois State vs. Missouri State, Southern Illinois vs. Northern Iowa, Creighton vs. Bradley. It's gonna be fun.
I think Illinois State is looking at a real "trap" game. Missouri State is a better team than its record reflects...they had a bunch of injury problems earlier this year but are healthy now. They're all warmed up after a blow-out win in a play-in game yesterday. And they are fighting for their coach's life, since he is likely to be fired if the Bears don't go on a tear in the MVC tourney. Illinois State better come out ready to play.
I really think that Illinois State would deserve to make the NCAA field even if they lose, but they probably wouldn't. We couldn't possibly live without eight Big East teams or six Big 12 teams in the NCAAs.
I'd rather see Illinois State in the tournament, though, than teams like Villanova or Oklahoma. That's my personal preference, not necessarily an objective argument. Although I do think that Illinois State is every bit as good, if not better, than those sorts of teams, and would acquit itself well in the NCAAs if given a bid.
I'm a Missouri Tigers fan, but I love the Missouri Valley Conference. Good basketball + underdog status = enthusiastic support from me. Every year it seems like the MVC has to prove itself all over again, and more often than not, it does.
I'm looking forward to the MVC tournament, which begins today in earnest. Drake vs. Indiana State, Illinois State vs. Missouri State, Southern Illinois vs. Northern Iowa, Creighton vs. Bradley. It's gonna be fun.
I think Illinois State is looking at a real "trap" game. Missouri State is a better team than its record reflects...they had a bunch of injury problems earlier this year but are healthy now. They're all warmed up after a blow-out win in a play-in game yesterday. And they are fighting for their coach's life, since he is likely to be fired if the Bears don't go on a tear in the MVC tourney. Illinois State better come out ready to play.
I really think that Illinois State would deserve to make the NCAA field even if they lose, but they probably wouldn't. We couldn't possibly live without eight Big East teams or six Big 12 teams in the NCAAs.
I'd rather see Illinois State in the tournament, though, than teams like Villanova or Oklahoma. That's my personal preference, not necessarily an objective argument. Although I do think that Illinois State is every bit as good, if not better, than those sorts of teams, and would acquit itself well in the NCAAs if given a bid.