Bradley plays Loyola in BracketBusters

[TheGuy]

The MVC is still the #8 conference in RPI, but they have closed the gap between them and the #7 conference, the Atlantic 10, which is not participating in BracketBusters.

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html

The MVC is too far ahead of the #9 conference, the Pac 12, to fall to 9th, and too far behind the #6 conference, the ACC, to get that high. But with a very good BracketBusters weekend, I'd estimate 8, 9, or possibly 10 wins, the MVC could move into the 7th slot in RPI. It will be difficult because 8 of the 10 MVC teams are playing down in RPI matchups, and the only 2 that are playing up, it is a small difference (see 3 posts above).
BTW, once the BracketBusters games are over, the conference RPIs will not change significantly, since they will only play each other.

That is the same A-10 conference that Lunardi projects will get 5 bids to the NCAA tourney and only 2 for the valley. If the valley is to pull off a clean sweep in this event and move into the 7th overall conference RPI wise, then we really need a 3rd place team to identify itself in this last stretch of games and in the MVC tourney. With some luck and a weak bubble, we may be able to get a team to sneak in one of the play in matchups.

[LittleBrave]

That is the same A-10 conference that Lunardi projects will get 5 bids to the NCAA tourney and only 2 for the valley. If the valley is to pull off a clean sweep in this event and move into the 7th overall conference RPI wise, then we really need a 3rd place team to identify itself in this last stretch of games and in the MVC tourney. With some luck and a weak bubble, we may be able to get a team to sneak in one of the play in matchups.

Don't see this happening (3 At-Large) unless possibly the #3 Valley team finishes 11-7 (that's a 5-2 finish) and ends up in the championship game in St. Louis, losing by a slim margin.
At this point, it looks like whoever gets to 10 wins will be the #3 seed. Hopefully we can do something to prevent ISU-Red from being that #3 seed!

[Old Coach]

Somebody other than Creighton or Wichita will have to win the tournament to get a third team in.

[Toyota12]

Isu

ISU should not complain about Oakland at all!! This team could come into Redbird arena and put a spanking on them real quick...They beat Tennessee and probably have one of the best guards in the country..I do not know if they can match up at guard with Oaklands guards or pressure...

[tornado]

But again, Bradley's opponent is 104 slots lower in RPI, more than twice the disparity of any other MVC school. I cannot find any team that is assigned to play another team over 100 RPI slots lower. ...

Just more fallout as we continue to see historically bad things happening and some people just keep whistling by the graveyard and don't realize all this WAS predicted and could have been averted.

I talked to a couple BU fans yesterday and they said they are really bummed out and not going to renew their season tickets - especially if we win only 1 or 2 games in the Valley...and have largely the same prospects next year as well....so it got me thinking that there's probably going to be a big dropoff in season tix renewed..

[Beninator]

IMHO, I really don't see where we have any right to complain about being screwed over by the Bracketbuster. On the other hand, the MVC does have a legitimate complaint. On paper, Geno has a chance for a win! I wonder how much input we had with the selection? If we have to draw a crap opponent, we might as well get a school that offers us some advantage with an alumni base for the return game next year.

[Bravesfan]

I have really enjoyed B'Busters weekend in the past, but the last 2-3 seasons has NOT been a good thing for the Valley. Too many teams involved, and the return game especially has not been good for our SOS.
And you have to look at how the B'Buster has benefited the Valley since 2007, as no team's win has propelled them into the NCAA tournament. (Granted a win last yr. for the Shox vs. VCU may have done it for them).
And I don't see it happening this year - it may actually hurt WSU - they'd better win or they may be on the NCAA bubble (coupled with 2 more Valley losses and early exit in St. Louis)

So now we have to play Loyola (IL) AND TN-Martin over the next 2 years??

The nice things is that it's just a 20 min. drive for me to watch the Braves @ Loyola when they meet again!!

Ditto for me. It's nice whenever they can get a Chicago game. Bradley may want to think about playing someone in Chicago every year, though when was the last time any DI team in Chicago has been great? Only Northwestern is even close to being respectable.

[Bravesfan]

That is the same A-10 conference that Lunardi projects will get 5 bids to the NCAA tourney and only 2 for the valley. If the valley is to pull off a clean sweep in this event and move into the 7th overall conference RPI wise, then we really need a 3rd place team to identify itself in this last stretch of games and in the MVC tourney. With some luck and a weak bubble, we may be able to get a team to sneak in one of the play in matchups.

Drake might be that team, but they still don't win much on the road. I still can't figure out who that third place team might be. But I highly doubt any third place team gets even a sniff at an at-large bid. The difference between the Valley and the A-10 is that the Valley has two teams way above the rest, while the A-10 has 6 or 7 teams within 2 games of first place. If they can separate themselves from the pack, then they can get four or five bids just like the Valley did in 2006. It all depends on how the teams are distributed during the conference season.

[Bravesfan]

ISU should not complain about Oakland at all!! This team could come into Redbird arena and put a spanking on them real quick...They beat Tennessee and probably have one of the best guards in the country..I do not know if they can match up at guard with Oaklands guards or pressure...

Correct. And this is in a down year for Oakland as they are just above .500 in their conference and overall.

[Bravesfan]

Just more fallout as we continue to see historically bad things happening and some people just keep whistling by the graveyard and don't realize all this WAS predicted and could have been averted.

I talked to a couple BU fans yesterday and they said they are really bummed out and not going to renew their season tickets - especially if we win only 1 or 2 games in the Valley...and have largely the same prospects next year as well....so it got me thinking that there's probably going to be a big dropoff in season tix renewed..

Well, the only good thing about BU playing Loyola is that this should be a win for Bradley as Loyola is horrendous this year! Plus us Chicago area alumni get another game up here in the next year or two, even if it is an RPI killer.

I do still think we can win 2 or 3 more Valley games as Evansville, Drake, Indiana St. and ISU red still have to come to town, and they can be just as erratic from one game to the next as we are. I will also hold out for some hope that Geno can bring in a couple of "stud" freshmen and/or JUCO's next year that can fit into his system right away to at least make us more competitive. I would say we have a 30% of being considerably better next year (at or just below .500), though the smart money still says we will have another rocky year to go through.

[Da Coach]

Loyola has a good recruiting class for next year, though they will all be freshmen, but they should be better-

http://blogs.suntimes.com/hoopsreport/2011/08/big_changes_recruiting_have_lo.html

However, Keith Carter of Proviso East, perhaps the best of the 4 early commits for Loyola, de-committed and then committed to St. Louis U..

[Bravesfan]

Loyola has a good recruiting class for next year, though they will all be freshmen, but they should be better-

http://blogs.suntimes.com/hoopsreport/2011/08/big_changes_recruiting_have_lo.html

However, Keith Carter of Proviso East, perhaps the best of the 4 early commits for Loyola, de-committed and then committed to St. Louis U..

Good. Maybe we can schedule the return game for the 2013-14 season as hopefully we'll be better by then too.

[Chico]

Just more fallout as we continue to see historically bad things happening and some people just keep whistling by the graveyard and don't realize all this WAS predicted and could have been averted.

I talked to a couple BU fans yesterday and they said they are really bummed out and not going to renew their season tickets - especially if we win only 1 or 2 games in the Valley...and have largely the same prospects next year as well....so it got me thinking that there's probably going to be a big dropoff in season tix renewed..

Don't want fans like that anyway.

[Da Coach]

There are a lot of them. I don't think Bradley is happy to see them cancel their support.

[TheAsianSensation]

How did this thread go from BB discussion to what we're discussing now?

Back to the main concern at hand, yeah, Loyola is going to dent what was a pretty good non-con SoS, but it's not like Elgin or anyone else is a doofus and think BU is underachieving on the schedule because of it.