Post-Dispatch Valley Predictions

[KillerB]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/illini/article_fb1c1e0b-e4d1-55d6-8555-a898b2db4724.html

[Double D]

Thank goodness the league games begin today, and the PREDICTIONS don't matter any more!

[tornado]

Hmm...another Valley preview piling on about how the Valley is down this year --
Kathleen Nelson of the Post-Dispatch obviously has read all the individual team press releases for tonight's games...
since she knows lots of tidbits about the Valley teams..
and she picks the Valley finish this way....

WSU
MSU
UNI
CU
BU
ISU
InSU
DU
SIU
UE


She has picked the Valley apparently the same as the release from the Missouri Valley Media Day did on 10/26/10..

So even with the advantage over all the other previews we've seen, of coming out with hers after everyone's played 11 or 12 games already... she still picks the Valley the same I guess...

I won't dispute much except to say Drake hasn't looked even as good as 8th, Missouri State, although solid, seems unable to beat anyone who doesn't have
a triple digit RPI, and Indiana State and SIU at times looks better than where they're picked...

...and she does have a fair number of simple factual errors such as "Nafis Ricks averaging more than 10 points per game", and the scoring numbers for all the Drake guys, and saying the Sycamores' best rebounder is "Richard Carl" - and stretches like saying "Creighton is in a rebuilding year" when SIX of their 9 key players are well seasoned returning veterans - they lost only 3 of their best 11 players but one of the losses was a TRUE "addition by subtraction" when Stinnett left -- and they return 70% of their scoring and 75% of their rebounding from last year!


BTW -- Did anyone else note how many times she says "...lead a balanaced attack"

[it's boogie time]

She has picked the Valley precisely the same as the release from the Missouri Valley Media Day on 10/26/10.

Hence the reason it says preseason predictions. The season has started. There's no predictions in this article. They just lined them up based on their current record and gave tidbits about each. This looks like the same thing the Valley does except that they do it in alphabetical order.

[BradleyBrave]

See you at 2:30 on Friday in St. Louis!

[tornado]

so you think there's 6 or 7 Valley teams better than BU??

[real fan]

See you at 2:30 on Friday in St. Louis!

That would be a good thing considering what this team has lost in personnel, I look for an up and down season.

[LittleBrave]

That would be a good thing considering what this team has lost in personnel, I look for an up and down season.

Wouldn't mind a 2:30 Friday game. I'll take a 4th or 5th seed this season.
That's equivalent to 2nd or 3rd with a healthy SM & TB.
Gotta' protect home court and get a few W's on the road...including tonight.

[dogsrus]

so you think there's 6 or 7 Valley teams better than BU??

Wouldn't 2:30 mean only 4 or 5 teams were better....?

[srw]

ISU aint finishin that high boys...

I know I am the bad guy but..

I really think BU may finish 5th with this team and 4th if they were healthy.

Yuck to the bottom half of this league.

And Tornado...this league should be dumped on...

JL and crew seem to be the only ones with any clue how to schedule.

[Da Coach]

Just for fun- how would all the other teams in the MVC do if we removed their top 2 players for the season, or 2 of the top 3?
I actually think Wichita State might still be top 2 or 3, but every other team would drop significantly. What other team would finish in the top half if they lost 2 of their to 3 scorers, starting point guard, and best inside player?

[LittleBrave]

Wouldn't 2:30 mean only 4 or 5 teams were better....?

Actually, 3 or 4, according to the seedings.

And I do believe there are 6 teams that COULD finish better than us by the end of the Valley season. (CU, ISU-blue, ISU-red are all asking the same question - do you think Bradley is better than us???) We ARE, after all, missing a couple of our best guys. But on the flip-side, we could continue to play well - get better steadily, and find ourselves with the #4 or #5 seed by season's end.
I can't determine at this point how many teams are better than us. Maybe 3? Maybe 6?
We'll find out!

[LittleBrave]

Just for fun- how would all the other teams in the MVC do if we removed their top 2 players for the season, or 2 of the top 3?
I actually think Wichita State might still be top 2 or 3, but every other team would drop significantly. What other team would finish in the top half if they lost 2 of their to 3 scorers, starting point guard, and best inside player?

Interesting to think on THAT!
I would think only WSU.

Here are my thoughts:
MSU already isn't very deep - losing Weems & Ricks would put them in the bottom half for sure.
UNI would lose Kwadzo & Little Koch - bottom half
CU would lose Young & Lawson Jr. - finish 7th at best (I believe as Young goes, so goes the team)

I don't think I need to mention any other teams, as they would likely finish between 8-10.

[SFP]

Let the games begin! Everyone is 0-0 right now and if our guys show up for every game, every 1/2 and every minute then we can compete. If they decide to take a few minutes off defensively every now and then, then we will be very average. This team has the makeup to be tough between DSE, DD and WL. I hope they can drive this team to never ever take a play off.

[Grassman]

See you at 2:30 on Friday in St. Louis!

This year, I would be ecstatic to "meet you in St. Louis", even if your name isn't Louie, at 2:30 on Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!