BU 48 ISU 78 - Final

[cpacmel]

They are still not a good team. I don't see ISU getting an NIT bid ahead of Northern Iowa (RPI 51 with a win over Creighton and 3 wins over Top 50 teams) or even Missouri State (RPI 81 with a road win over Creighton). Do you?

I don't. Their resumes are better than ours. But that doesn't mean they are better than us. We are 3-0 against UNI & Mo State. It just means that they schedule better than we do.

Illinois State's RPI is still 116- that is mediocre- bash the RPI all you want, but when the season ends and the NCAA and NIT committees get together, they will look at RPI, they will look at SOS, they will look at who you beat. They will not look at what position you finished in your conference

.
116th out of 344 puts us in the top 34% (33.7% to be exact)

ISU's SOS is 133- that is the worst SOS in the entire MVC. Their non conference SOS is atrocious.

I don't think anyone will argue the non-conf schedule stinks.

[Da Coach]

I am not sure why everyone else here is entitled to their opinion, but whenever I state an opinion, we have Redbird fans flocking here to dispute it and attack me. Why is it so important for Redbird fans to get the endorsement of one lowly Bradley fan?

If it makes you feel better, maybe ISU can become a good team if they win 5 of their last 6 games. That would put them at 20 wins, which considering their terrible schedule, would be on the verge of respectability. It would probably secure 3rd place, which is otherwise unlikely. And it might just be enough to lift them into the top 33% of RPI, which apparently some ISU fans feel is the measure of a good team.

But do you think there are any teams that beat ISU this year or look ahead at them on their schedule and consider them a "quality win". I don't think so.

[tornado]

Da Coach - you don't need to feel alone in your opinion - I occasionally go and read the attacks that MANY, MANY redbird fans post on their own board and it appears to me at least half their entire fan base agrees with YOU that they are NOT a very good team.
If you guys want a laugh at how hypocritical some ISU fans are - look at how they ripped into their team after they lost by 30 last week, then those same fans are revelling in a win over the last place team - now claiming how good they are right up there with the leaders in the Valley! Hey - they just lost by 30 to one of those leaders!
Most ISU fans quite obviously know they are NOT a good team ** - some even talking about buying out Jankovich

[45otseoj]

I am not sure why everyone else here is entitled to their opinion, but whenever I state an opinion, we have Redbird fans flocking here to dispute it and attack me.

Ah, the old red herring fallacy; distract from the discussion at hand. No one is attacking you DC. We flock here for good discussion (considering there is more ISU talk here than anywhere else on the WWW.)

[cpacmel]

Da Coach, I really hope you don't think I have attacked you in this thread. That was not my intention. It was simply to debate.

I do wonder if you guys would be singing a different tune if roles and teams were reversed.

I have a feeling if Bradley was sitting in 3rd with 5 games to play and had an rpi the same as yours, you guys would be touting Geno Ford for Coach of the Year. You guys would be championing the turn around. Everyone seems to forget that ISU was preseason 8th in the conference.

And yes Tornado, I ripped our team for getting destroyed at Creighton. There is a reason we aren't ready to play on the road against good teams. It's because we don't schedule good teams.

[Da Coach]

OK you have all mde your points, as have I. So we'll see who is right. No need to keep coming back at me as if you expect me to change my mind and acceded to you.

[tornado]

Even if ISU rallies and finishes a strong 3rd place in the Valley - the post-season prospects are dim...

-first - their final 5 Valley games are definitely not an easy road...
only two are at home (one of those vs. a team that clobbered you in Des Moines) and one's Wichita ...and then 3 on the road...

-it would take a surprise for ISU to finish with an RPI better than 100 or a SOS better than 130 (and non-conference SOS better than 200)

-This makes the prospects for an NCAA at-large bid 100% IMPOSSIBLE, and even a prospect for an NIT bid quite unlikely.
Even some very strong teams like Creighton (19 wins, 10-8 in MVC), Weber State (11-5 in Big Sky), Hofstra (14-4 in Colonial), Akron (2010) (24-10 and 12-4 in the MAC) were denied NIT bids and all were in the Top 100 RPI..

-even if ISU makes a post-season tourney - one of the strongest criteria for inclusion and seeding is...
"...selection process is similar to the NCAA’s, with committee members
evaluating data such as the RPI and Sagarin Ratings, how teams fared
against the top 100 and top 50 of the RPI.."

Thus - ISU would at best get a very low seed and likely play a tough road game in an EIEOU tourney..
If your strongest bragging point is that you are simply among the best 33.7% of 344 teams, and if ISU has fared very poorly against the VERY few Top 100 or Top 50 teams they've played...then get ready to go to Asheville, Norfolk, or Montana.

[Chico]

Never thought I'd say this, but right now I wish the Braves were in ISU's shoes. Admit it guys they are having a season that would make us happy. They beat us by 30 at their place, but I'm sure the Braves will put on a better show at Carver.

[TheAsianSensation]

Thus - ISU would at best get a very low seed and likely play a tough road game in an EIEOU tourney..
If your strongest bragging point is that you are simply among the best 33.7% of 344 teams, and if ISU has fared very poorly against the VERY few Top 100 or Top 50 teams they've played...then get ready to go to Asheville, Norfolk, or Montana.

The only part I'd disagree with is this part. The EIEIOs house teams from 97 to 128 in the postseason pecking order. And revenue is part of the conversation with the EIEIOs, and ISU has a better chance of drawing than a low-major.

So if ISU is borderline top 100 they'll get a reasonable EIEIO game.

Now of course, all of these posts in this thread just sound like a discussion on what should count as "good". Then again, the two years Les went to an EIEIO it wasn't quite good enough for the most part, so I don't see why it would be for Jank.

[real fan]

The only part I'd disagree with is this part. The EIEIOs house teams from 97 to 128 in the postseason pecking order. And revenue is part of the conversation with the EIEIOs, and ISU has a better chance of drawing than a low-major.

So if ISU is borderline top 100 they'll get a reasonable EIEIO game.

Now of course, all of these posts in this thread just sound like a discussion on what should count as "good". Then again, the two years Les went to an EIEIO it wasn't quite good enough for the most part, so I don't see why it would be for Jank.

The EIEIO"S postseason tournaments are good for teams as far as building next years future , a lot of the teams that play in these tour. end up playing in the big tour. the following season, Oakland,Old Dominion to name a few so I have no problem with these tour. because your players get to play against good competition.

[tornado]

Never thought I'd say this, but right now I wish the Braves were in ISU's shoes. Admit it guys they are having a season that would make us happy..

that's something I simply cannot believe -- if things simply play out as they are projected by the gurus, they finish 9-9 or 10-8 and 4th place - exactly what fans were NOT happy with!!!

[Air Petey]

......And yes Tornado, I ripped our team for getting destroyed at Creighton. There is a reason we aren't ready to play on the road against good teams. It's because we don't schedule good teams.

From what I understand around Pub II - scheduling is more the AD's fault than your head coach. Why is the AD doing your cupcake scheduling? I always thought it was your head coach trying to pad wins for his "Move Up."

[45otseoj]

From what I understand around Pub II - scheduling is more the AD's fault than your head coach. Why is the AD doing your cupcake scheduling? I always thought it was your head coach trying to pad wins for his "Move Up."

That AD is now at Kansas.

And BTW, it was nice meeting you on Saturday!

[Air Petey]

.....it was nice meeting you on Saturday!

Nice meeting you..... LOVED the robe!!

[Chico]

that's something I simply cannot believe -- if things simply play out as they are projected by the gurus, they finish 9-9 or 10-8 and 4th place - exactly what fans were NOT happy with!!!

Isn't 4th place better than last place. This season I would be happy with 4th place is what I guess I should have said.