3 CHERRIES ACROSS * and * The 2020 Missouri Valley Tournament Champion

[Go_Braves]

Let’s see if you can follow along with my shared thoughts…

Just like every year – any MVC team to win the MVC Basketball
Tournament – that team needs “ 3 Cherries Across “ …
Yes – like a Vegas one armed slot machine

When each game (like for Bradley last year – 2019) is decided in the
last minute / the last 30 seconds – skill and luck and keeping one’s head
(mental toughness) all play into the final outcome. Each opposing team
last year were virtually equal. And after last Saturday's game against
Loyal - also true this year..

SO I WISH I WAS A MATHEMATICIAN – because I would love to be
able to calculate – when 2 teams of equal parity – having battled an
entire game – and the game comes down to the final minute – what
are the odds of a team to win that game ? I attempted a rough idea
below…

And then what are the odds of that team to do it 3 times in a row as
Bradley did 3 times last year – 2019 …

Northern Iowa and Loyola Chicago are always in the mix because
“fewer mistakes” and “shooting percentage” – improves their odds..

For slot machines the odds of getting 3 Cherries – ( I googled this )

To calculate the odds of getting three cherries, you multiple
1/10 X 1/10 X 1/10 and get 1/1000, or 0.1%. If the odds of hitting that
symbol are the same as all the others, then you have 10 possible
jackpots you can win, which means that your chances of winning
SOMETHING are 10/1000, which is 1%.

So for the MVC Championship – the odds of 3 wins ½ x ½ x ½ = 1/8
or roughly 12.5 % …. And what improves any team’s chances (or odds)
are “fewer mistakes” and “shooting percentage” and “mental toughness”.

The screen below is “one” 2020 MVC Tournament prediction.

And such predictions do not mean a darn thing. It just gives a sports writer
something to write about. Bradley was predicted 5^th last year – 2019 before
the MVC tournament began.. The pre-tournament predictions for 2019
are also shown below.

The final minute of each close game is about “heart” and “character”
and who can play the smartest while each player is sucking air and
laying it all on the court.

Saturday we watched 2 Juggernauts (Bradley and Loyola) go at it – neither
conceding anything to the other.. This game ended one way – everyone
realizes it could have ended with an entirely different outcome.

I waited since March 21^st, 2019 after Bradley lost to Michigan State
for this coming weekend.. I’m pulling for “3 Cherry’s” for Bradley.

GO BRAVES !!!

https://www.teamrankings.com/ncb/con...alley-bracket/
2020 2019 MVC Tournament predictions.JPG

[Dub]

I like it. Bradley has an advantage in that we have a core of players that know what it takes to grind out 3 wins and take home the trophy in STL. Loyola certainly has some players with tournament success as well. UNI has a tough team this year that knows how to win big contests, and performs to a high level when it matters. I’ll be really surprised if our tournament champ isn’t one of those three teams.

[Tommy]

Go_Braves - Your entire post was awesome. I love it!

With BW at the helm, I like our chances. He reminds me of Izzo. You see moments early in the season that make you think the team isn’t that great, and by tourney time, the are playing their best ball.

Regardless of how things turn out, this team showed tremendous heart this year, and I believe they are the best in the Valley.

[Da Coach]

As I have mentioned before, the farther a team goes in the tournament, the more their team depth, conditioning, and injuries become a factor.
UNI is the best team, but they have less depth than any other team. From one calculation I did a couple weeks ago, they get less production from their bench than any team in the MVC. Nobody off their bench averages more than 4.3 ppg.
Loyola isn't too far behind. They have one reserve who averages 5.6 ppg (Uguak), but then nobody else averages more than 2.1 ppg in MVC play!
Bradley's depth isn't great, but it might be as good as any MVC team. The Braves' only 2 real scoring threats off the bench are Henry and Tahvanainen, but the production from those two is better than virtually every other MVC team off the bench. Between Ja'Shon Henry and Ville Tahvanainen, they average 18.2 ppg off the bench in MVC games. That is more than Loyola's or UNI's entire bench production. And significantly more than the top 2 bench players from every other team.
So it's possible that the 3 games in 3 days format might help Bradley a slight bit, but everything could change if Bradley or any team has foul trouble or an injury.

[Tommy]

Between Ja'Shon Henry and Ville Tahvanainen, they average 18.2 ppg off the bench in MVC games.

Great point, Coach! And let's not forget we can bring a 7' block machine off the bench, too. I think Ari's game has improved all year and most specifically on the defensive end.