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There are 6 games involving MVC teams Saturday, Dec. 15-
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Somehow today's Missouri Valley Conference needs to return to the "Valley of Death". Here is a sample of what the MVC once were - "Tulsa Basketball Once Lived in the Valley of Death" - http://www.gtrnews.com/greater-tulsa...eValleyofDeath - I recall a similar Sports Illustrated article written during the Versace era when Nolan Richardson was the coach at Tulsa - no other power conference team wanted to play any MVC team then. This weekend the remaining 4 MVC teams are playing on Sunday December 16th - - some day the MVC teams need to return to domination - this weekend the MVC teams will be fortunate to win half the games against the other conference teams. I am hoping that "at least" Bradley sweeps their 3 remaining games before their conference games begins January 2nd at home against Northern Iowa. I am hoping that Bradley's game this Saturday evening shows very little "rust" since their last game 11 days ago. The Braves and each MVC team can only get better and need a great showing before each MVC team's MVC game opener in January 2019. GO BRAVES.....
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I agree Go_Braves..
this is a puzzling season - the talent is there on most of the teams and we have heralded coaches whose names pop up as
candidates for bigger jobs or who have even won national coaching awards...
So why isn't the Valley doing better?
btw - despite the bad losses, the MVC has gradually risen back up to #10 in Conference ranking - but not on our strength, but instead
because the other strong midmajor conferences like MWC, A-10 and CUSA are also doing very poorly - even worse than the MVC.
Are we seeing the ultimate result of the big conferences paying players?Comment
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Despite the Power 5 conferences having virtually everything handed to them - budget advantages, tv revenue advantages, choice of one and done freshmen, choosing who they play during their non-conference season, somehow there is a Cinderella that still cracks the system and technically shouldn't be there with the power conference teams once the sweet 16 is determined. And yet last year there was Loyola of Chicago. It can be done. But another factor is that the NCAA governing administration is turning a blind eye to the mid-major programs. A March 2018 article " Coaches: New quadrant system hurts mid-majors' tourney chances" http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22727059/mid-major-coaches-say-new-quadrant-system-hurts-teams-ncaa-tournament-chances To "begin" to be fair to the mid-major teams the NCAA governing administration needs to enforce a rule that all power 5 conferences "must" play 4 mid-major teams, play on 2 mid-major team courts during their non-conference season and no longer be allowed the 2 for 1 deals. Currently the power conference special interests would never allow this to occur. Until the NCAA governing administration demonstrates and actually institutes fair competition - the very foundation of college athletics will continue to crumble. It is no longer sports it is a business - which is so obvious today in college sports and with the money power conferences are controlling the NCAA - as demonstrated by the current FBI investigations are only leading to just "slap on the hands" of major teams. It amazes me that the mid-majors can even compete in today's world. A key reason I love the Cinderellas and no longer watch the NCAA tournament once it is nothing but power conference teams remaining. GO BRAVES ….Comment
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NCAA treats the big schools with kid gloves and lets them make their own rules - they are deathly afraid the big boys will just leave and all go form their own associationComment
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That is so so true and so so sad which only continues to corrode any type of integrity.Comment
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We'll get a taste as to where the Valley is really at Nationally with # 22 Iowa playing at Northern Iowa later today as well as Southern Illinois playing at # 14 Buffalo. Go MO VALLEY !!!!
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Anyone else watching this game, SIU at Buffalo? It's on ESPN+
SIU on the verge of getting blown out again...down 20 with under 10 min to go...
they hung within single digits against Buffalo in their 1st half but now SIU playing a lot of one-on-one...
Buffalo is a great midmajor team - no superstars but solid play from everyone and very few mistakes - just 5 turnovers, 17 assists
Evansville losing late to Jacksonville State - hideous baggy orange uniformsComment
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A bad start for the day by MVC teams.
SIU loses at Buffalo 73-65. SIU drops to 7-5-
Evansville shoots poorly (30.8%) and loses at home to Jacksonville State 55-50. Evansville is now 5-5.
Jacksonville State is now 6-4. They have gone 6-1 since they started 0-3 after losing to Bradley. Their only loss in their last 7 games was a 69-65 loss at Wichita State.
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The MVC is now 0-3. Drake played well, but lost to Iowa State 77-68.
Drake lead much of the game, and had a lead of 63-58 with about 7 minutes left. But then Drake stalled out, and they went through almost 7 minutes from 7:12 left to 0:15 in which they were outscored 19-2 by Iowa State. Drake's record drops to 6-2.
There are 3 more game tonight-
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The MVC goes an embarrassing 0-6 today-
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