FSN (Fox Sports - Midwest) Missouri Valley Preview

[tornado]

Their MVC Preview - one hour TV special is being shown now...
it's on Fox Sports Network - (FSN-Midwest) which is channel 57 on the Comcast system...

This is the 2nd time I have seen it so I suspect it'll be on again...

lots of individual team previews and interviews with coaches, history, tournament info and talk with Doug Elgin...

but the one thing that DOUG ELGIN said which I found most interesting was this...

He believes the MVC has returned to a multi-bid league and he said...
"we are at the point where I expect we will get 3 or 4 or even more NCAA bids"...

3 or 4 or more?? as in maybe five NCAA bids?

seriously -- I like that thinking -or dreaming - but let's also be a bit realistic....what five teams can he be thinking about?
I'm sure he is including CU, WSU, and probably ISU...
but is he counting UNI and Evansville?

Currently only ONE MVC team has an RPI better than 50.

Sure - things could change but once conference play starts - I don't think things will change much - and if some unexpected team sneaks into the TOP 2 or 3 it'll be at the expense of someone else in the Valley...so it's this current non-conference stretch that will determine...

It's looking like it would take a big upset in the tournament to even get 3.

[tsguthrie]

Yea I watched it a few weeks ago and saw it was on every few days.

I don't know how long tho since it is called a Preview. It was interesting to watch tho!

[tornado]

it would be nice if they could also get it on in the Chicago market - because the St. Louis market really doesn't have an MVC team!!

[AFrey]

it would be nice if they could also get it on in the Chicago market - because the St. Louis market really doesn't have an MVC team!!

Neither does Chicago, for that matter. SIU and MSU have large alumni bases in St. Louis. BU has quite a few alums in that area, and I'm sure ISU does as well.

[tornado]

I know but for the sake of name recognition I'd rather the Chicago area kids know the Valley and be familiar with the schools - than St. Louis..

[Bravesfan]

Their MVC Preview - one hour TV special is being shown now...
it's on Fox Sports Network - (FSN-Midwest) which is channel 57 on the Comcast system...

This is the 2nd time I have seen it so I suspect it'll be on again...

lots of individual team previews and interviews with coaches, history, tournament info and talk with Doug Elgin...

but the one thing that DOUG ELGIN said which I found most interesting was this...

He believes the MVC has returned to a multi-bid league and he said...
"we are at the point where I expect we will get 3 or 4 or even more NCAA bids"...

3 or 4 or more?? as in maybe five NCAA bids?

seriously -- I like that thinking -or dreaming - but let's also be a bit realistic....what five teams can he be thinking about?
I'm sure he is including CU, WSU, and probably ISU...
but is he counting UNI and Evansville?

Currently only ONE MVC team has an RPI better than 50.

Sure - things could change but once conference play starts - I don't think things will change much - and if some unexpected team sneaks into the TOP 2 or 3 it'll be at the expense of someone else in the Valley...so it's this current non-conference stretch that will determine...

It's looking like it would take a big upset in the tournament to even get 3.

I think 3 is possible if UNI can beat the likes of UNLV and Wichita St. in the coming weeks. But based on what I have seen so far, I don't think any of the other seven teams can even touch CU, WSU and UNI, except possibly ISU red though they haven't shown me much yet. This bodes well for Bradley's chances of playing their way out of Thursday night, but does not bode well for 4 or 5 bids!

I'm glad Elgin is playing the Valley up, but realistically 4 or more bids won't be happening this year, and 3 will take a bit of luck, though still very possible.