Tweet
After learning of another disgusting loss today (SIU losing at home to a previously one win Charlotte team!), now would be the time to discuss how the Valley can salvage this season.
I seem to remember a couple of relatively mediocre years for the Valley in the early 2000's (RPI in the 10 to 12 range), where SIU and Creighton dominated the league. While the Valley had no other teams that would even rightfully be considered for the Big Dance, SIU and Creighton each had 15 or more wins for two seasons. Both had decent to excellent RPI's to the point where the loser in the Valley championship game earned an at-large bid. This again despite a sub top 10 RPI for the Valley.
This is what will need to take place this year. Instead of having one team running away with the league as Drake did last year and hoping someone would beat them in the Valley tournament, we need two teams to just thoroughly beat up on the rest of the conference, and let them duke it out in the Valley tourney. Possibly a third team wins the tourney, and we get three teams in, albeit in a longshot. But this again does confirm the belief that teams do indeed earn bids, not conferences. And while the BCS conferences will get the benefit of the doubt most of the time, two dominating teams in the Valley would work to our advantage.
We complain when the pundits trot that adage out when the Valley and others get hosed out of multiple bids, but we also should hold some truth to this when it works to our advantage. As an example, I seem to remember a situation in the Horizon Conference about ten years ago when UIC and Detroit dominated that conference (both went 13-3 in the conference I believe), and both had top 40 RPI's and 20+ win seasons. Then of course Butler wins the Horizon tournament, an all three teams make the Big Dance. I believe the Horizon had a #10 RPI that year, which of course is two spots lower than the one bid Valley last year.
So I believe now is not the time to give up on the Valley this year. But it sure would help more if teams like SIU and Creighton get their acts together and start winning the games they are supposed to.
I seem to remember a couple of relatively mediocre years for the Valley in the early 2000's (RPI in the 10 to 12 range), where SIU and Creighton dominated the league. While the Valley had no other teams that would even rightfully be considered for the Big Dance, SIU and Creighton each had 15 or more wins for two seasons. Both had decent to excellent RPI's to the point where the loser in the Valley championship game earned an at-large bid. This again despite a sub top 10 RPI for the Valley.
This is what will need to take place this year. Instead of having one team running away with the league as Drake did last year and hoping someone would beat them in the Valley tournament, we need two teams to just thoroughly beat up on the rest of the conference, and let them duke it out in the Valley tourney. Possibly a third team wins the tourney, and we get three teams in, albeit in a longshot. But this again does confirm the belief that teams do indeed earn bids, not conferences. And while the BCS conferences will get the benefit of the doubt most of the time, two dominating teams in the Valley would work to our advantage.
We complain when the pundits trot that adage out when the Valley and others get hosed out of multiple bids, but we also should hold some truth to this when it works to our advantage. As an example, I seem to remember a situation in the Horizon Conference about ten years ago when UIC and Detroit dominated that conference (both went 13-3 in the conference I believe), and both had top 40 RPI's and 20+ win seasons. Then of course Butler wins the Horizon tournament, an all three teams make the Big Dance. I believe the Horizon had a #10 RPI that year, which of course is two spots lower than the one bid Valley last year.
So I believe now is not the time to give up on the Valley this year. But it sure would help more if teams like SIU and Creighton get their acts together and start winning the games they are supposed to.
) and Creighton. But, I don't see that happening either. 
Comment