Evansville loses to Lipscomb 67-64

[Da Coach]

Evansville opening their season by playing a road game at Lipscomb. What is the deal with that? UE lead most of the game, but lost the lead and the game in the final minutes.

The Aces provide the first RPI killer for the MVC in 2006-2007.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/boxscore?gid=200611131281

[Bravesfan]

Re: Evansville at Lipscomb

Evansville opening their season by playing a road game at Lipscomb. What is the deal with that? UE lead most of the game, but with a few minutes left, the game has gotten tight. GO UE!

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/boxscore?gid=200611131281

Evansville down by 3 with 3 seconds left. The bottom two or three teams in Valley are beginning to worry me a bit.

[Fetz86]

Aces lose it by 3.

[Bravesfan]

Aces lose it by 3.

Hmmm. Maybe three teams in the NCAA tourney might be good this year.

I'm not too sold on ILSt, InSt or Evansville this year. While the top four teams in the conference are arguably stronger, I think the bottom three may have digressed a bit, especially the ISU's. That will balance out, but their maybe a wider hole between the haves and have nots this year. Let's hope the middle teams (Bradley, UNI and Drake play strong this year).

So would this considered an upset in the same vein as Cornell beating Northwestern?

[Da Coach]

These are the kind of RPI killers that simply don't make sense for the MVC teams to play. While other MVC schools are upgrading their schedule (Bradley plays Michigan State & Iowa State on the road, and other teams do the same like Wichita at Syracuse, etc), why is UE bothering to play a road game at lowly Lipscomb?! Then to lose it! They would have been better off playing a guarantee game at a BCS-type school. It would probably help the MVC a lot more than a win at Lipscomb would.

[MacabreMob]

Will Squirrel PLEASE tell me how great Lipscomb is.

(and DON'T tell me it is early in the year so some losses like this can happen... 1 - I thought EVille returned a TON and 2 - it is early for Lipscomb as well)

[Bravesfan]

These are the kind of RPI killers that simply don't make sense for the MVC teams to play. While other MVC schools are upgrading their schedule (Bradley plays Michigan State & Iowa State on the road, and other teams do the same like Wichita at Syracuse, etc), why is UE bothering to play a road game at lowly Lipscomb?! Then to lose it! They would have been better off playing a guarantee game at a BCS-type school. It would probably help the MVC a lot more than a win at Lipscomb would.

You're sounding a lot like Gary Williams of Maryland. "Why should we play that lowly Lipscomb on the road?"

[flipper]

Re: Evansville at Lipscomb

Evansville opening their season by playing a road game at Lipscomb. What is the deal with that? UE lead most of the game, but with a few minutes left, the game has gotten tight. GO UE!

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/boxscore?gid=200611131281

The bottom two or three teams in Valley are beginning to worry me a bit.

as long as we are not one them, i am not worried.

[BTID]

Lipscomb and Belmont are expected to battle it out for Atlantic Sun honors this season. They both return veteran teams. I guess this game says if you have returning players from a halfway decent team in a lesser conference as opposed to a veteran team that's tasted relatively little success over the past five years--go with the more recent success. Had the game been played in Evansville rather than Nashville, the outcome might have been different. Still, the league could get a better boost in beating high profile teams rather than taking a bigger hit in losing to lesser regarded foes. Of course, time will tell on that.

[Da Coach]

These are the kind of RPI killers that simply don't make sense for the MVC teams to play. While other MVC schools are upgrading their schedule (Bradley plays Michigan State & Iowa State on the road, and other teams do the same like Wichita at Syracuse, etc), why is UE bothering to play a road game at lowly Lipscomb?! Then to lose it! They would have been better off playing a guarantee game at a BCS-type school. It would probably help the MVC a lot more than a win at Lipscomb would.

You're sounding a lot like Gary Williams of Maryland. "Why should we play that lowly Lipscomb on the road?"

But the MVC needs to schedule UP, not DOWN. That's part of the "code" the MVC has "cracked". Lipscomb is definitely not part of that "code".

[Bravesfan]

Re: Evansville at Lipscomb

as long as we are not one them, i am not worried.

Agreed!

[Bravesfan]

These are the kind of RPI killers that simply don't make sense for the MVC teams to play. While other MVC schools are upgrading their schedule (Bradley plays Michigan State & Iowa State on the road, and other teams do the same like Wichita at Syracuse, etc), why is UE bothering to play a road game at lowly Lipscomb?! Then to lose it! They would have been better off playing a guarantee game at a BCS-type school. It would probably help the MVC a lot more than a win at Lipscomb would.

You're sounding a lot like Gary Williams of Maryland. "Why should we play that lowly Lipscomb on the road?"

But the MVC needs to schedule UP, not DOWN. That's part of the "code" the MVC has "cracked". Lipscomb is definitely not part of that "code".

I know, I was just mocking Gary Williams. You can't do enough of that!

Agreed that the Valley should have nothing to do with teams like Lipscomb on the road. My point is that Maryland losing to an upper echelon Valley team on the road is not a bad loss, while Evansville losing to a lower rung D1 team on the road can be devastating. Let's hope the Valley does not experience too many more of these RPI busting games.

Evansville and Illinois St may not be Valley title contenders, but they still need to do their part to help boost the Valley RPI.

[Da Coach]

Lipscomb and Belmont are expected to battle it out for Atlantic Sun honors this season. They both return veteran teams. I guess this game says if you have returning players from a halfway decent team in a lesser conference as opposed to a veteran team that's tasted relatively little success over the past five years--go with the more recent success. Had the game been played in Evansville rather than Nashville, the outcome might have been different. Still, the league could get a better boost in beating high profile teams rather than taking a bigger hit in losing to lesser regarded foes. Of course, time will tell on that.

I'll believe it if I see it. Lipscomb in their 1st game this season barely beat Division II Tusculum at home 70-67.

They finished with a 143 RPI last year, but because their conference is so low rated (they were 29th out of 31 conferences last year) it makes it nearly impossible for them to have any better RPI this year.
Incidentally, they play at Evansville on Dec. 16, a home-and home in the same season!

http://kenpom.com/confrank.php?y=2006

[BTID]

Lipscomb and Belmont are expected to battle it out for Atlantic Sun honors this season. They both return veteran teams. I guess this game says if you have returning players from a halfway decent team in a lesser conference as opposed to a veteran team that's tasted relatively little success over the past five years--go with the more recent success. Had the game been played in Evansville rather than Nashville, the outcome might have been different. Still, the league could get a better boost in beating high profile teams rather than taking a bigger hit in losing to lesser regarded foes. Of course, time will tell on that.

I'll believe it if I see it. Lipscomb in their 1st game this season barely beat Division II Tusculum at home 70-67.

They finished with a 143 RPI last year, but because their conference is so low rated (they were 29th out of 31 conferences last year) it makes it nearly impossible for them to have any better RPI this year.
Incidentally, they play at Evansville on Dec. 16, a home-and home in the same season!

http://kenpom.com/confrank.php?y=2006

Hopefully, the Aces will rebound and win big at home against the Bison next month. It may not help UE or the MVC RPI ratings, but another loss could be devestating! I don't know much about D-2 schools, but Franklin Pierce won at New Hampshire by 1 in OT this evening. Winona State beat Drake and Minnesota, but Bradley handled them fairly well. So far, BU could be looking at 6th or better in the Valley this year--could be another banner season for the upper echelon teams.

[tornado]

I hate to be hard on Evansville, so I will instead get hard on those who claimed Evansville's young point guard, sophomore Jason Holzinger was one of the top PGs, maybe THE top point guard in the Valley.

Well, tonight, here is his line:
37 minutes, 15 points, but one assist and 4 turnovers.
Not a bad line for a SG, but if this kid is going to play PG he has to help his teammates get in the game.
This is a game that any MVC team has got to win.