7 MVC games Saturday. 12/17

[cpacmel]

The top 4 are good but we stayed right with the Colonial favorite on their home floor so I would like to think that Bradley believes in themselves more now and that they will not lose at home to any Valley teams this season.

Colonial favorite? Who? Drexel? They were actually chosen as 6th best in the conference preseason poll, just ahead of Northeastern.

I do believe Drexel was the Favorite in the Colonial

http://www.caasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=43048&SPID=3455&DB_OEM_ID=8500&ATCLID=205318205

2011-12 CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1. Drexel
2. George Mason
3. VCU
4. Old Dominion
5. James Madison
6. William & Mary
7. Delaware
8. Hofstra
9. Northeastern
10. UNCW
11. Georgia State
12. Towson

[Braves4Life]

I think you're right cpacmel and real fan. I'm not sure where I saw them picked 6th. Maybe last year? I have seen a publication that had them second behind George Mason. My apologies real fan.

[Braves4Life]

It looks like Drake will lose at Iowa. With 1 minute left Iowa leads 82-66.

[Bravesfan]

The top 4 are good but we stayed right with the Colonial favorite on their home floor so I would like to think that Bradley believes in themselves more now and that they will not lose at home to any Valley teams this season.

That would be nice, but I can't see Bradley going any better than 6-3 at home this year against the Valley. Probably more likely 5-4. I think we can get at least 2 road wins though. One from SIU and at least a split, if not a sweep of Evansville and Drake. Maybe ISU red if we're lucky too.

I'm hoping I'm wrong and we are capable of upsetting one or two of the top 4, but they all REALLY look strong and are all capable of the NCAA Tournament. But we'll see how the Valley season unfolds as that usually seperates the men from the boys.

[Bravesfan]

Colonial favorite? Who? Drexel? They were actually chosen as 6th best in the conference preseason poll, just ahead of Northeastern.

According to Ford and the Drexel announcers they were picked first in one of the preseason polls.

[Bravesfan]

I think you're right cpacmel and real fan. I'm not sure where I saw them picked 6th. Maybe last year? I have seen a publication that had them second behind George Mason. My apologies real fan.

Irregardless, that conference really slipped this year. Not many great non-conference records, and the CAA is collectively 11 games under .500, at least as of last night. I don't know if they league as a whole lost a bunch of seniors or what, but that league has one bid written all over it. Very few if any quality wins by anyone this year, though there still will probably be at least three teams with NIT or better resumes at the end of the season that I would not want to play in March. Look for Drexel, VCU, George Mason and ODU competing for 1 NCAA and 2 NIT spots. The 4th team will have to settle for a CBI/CIT birth against Bradley.

[LittleBrave]

Looks like we now have four teams with NCAA Tournament worthy resumes, at least based on non-conference performance! The top half of this league is becoming scary good, though not good for us. We better "feast" on the lower half of the league at least for this year.

Kind of funny your choice of words - "feast" on the lower half. I'm sure the lower half teams wil be thinking the same about us.
I still feel we have a realistic shot of staying out of the Thurs. Game.

[Braves4Life]

According to Ford and the Drexel announcers they were picked first in one of the preseason polls.

Of course the Drexel announcers also said we were a big, physical, and bruising team.

[Da Coach]

Dave Snell also reported Drexel was picked 1st in the CAA.

[TheAsianSensation]

I've got one eyebrow raised at Vandy because they're starting to get a bit loose with their losses, but there's a reasonable chance that stands up as a signature win that will have value in March for ISU.

The CAA is baaaaaaaaaaad this year. They spent some time hanging around CRPI #29, and I'm not even sure they've climbed into the top 20 yet. That entire conference is one big tire fire this year. VCU can't beat bad BCS conference teams (0-3), Drexel completely torpedoed their entire resume by losing to Norfolk St in a quarterfinal of a tournament otherwise loaded up with signature win chances, ODU's lost all their signature chances, Mason's new coach scheduled really ugly...Georgia St is the one pleasant surprise, but they've done it with a schedule that makes Illinois St's schedule look like it was designed by John Chaney. Only 6 teams have gotten over .500 in the non-con so far. William & Mary and Towson are mutilating themselves at a combined 1-18. Hofstra has completely gone into the tank, I have no idea why Wilmington can't pull themselves from the tank, and 3 teams have SoSs over 300. Only 1 RPI Top 100 team.