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The Valley will be stronger next season - I think the league will return to a 2 to 3 bid league and Top 8 conference as we've seen multiple times from 1999 to about 2013. Losing Loyola is big, but we get 2 top-notch hoops programs that will likely be good for many years to come.
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The Horizon League has banned UIC from their conference championship, not just in basketball, but in all winter and spring sports.
https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/sta...99485389680645
Other conferences have done this to punish them or deter other schools from leaving the conference. But, it seems petty and vindictive, and unfairly hurts the student athletes in all sports.
The American East just did the same- https://www.espn.com/college-sports/...ce-tournaments
As did the CAA- https://www.si.com/college/2021/11/0...ealignment-caa
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Wow, I agree. Very petty and lame! And the best part about that decision is that UIC had about .00000001% chance of winning it anyway!Originally posted by Da Coach View PostLarry Bird
I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.Comment
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Some people are concerned about adding UIC. Thinking they are not competitive enough. They will drag down the conference. I remember hearing the same comments when Northern Iowa joined. Also the MVC now is in 3 major markets: Chicago, Nashville, and St. Louis. I think that exposure will help recruiting for all the teamsComment
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I remember all the derision given to the UNI addition in 1991. Similar things were said about Loyola in 2013. They were a bad team in the Horizon League for years, and finished dead last by a wide margin in their first season in the MVC. And it took them 5 years in the MVC before they had a winning record.Originally posted by bradleyfan124 View Post
And there were some similar concerns about Valparaiso in 2017. Though they had been successful in the Horizon League, 4 of their top scorers (Alec Peters, Shane Hammink, Jubril Adekoya, & Lexus Williams) all departed in 2017, and they weren't ready for the upgrade in competition. As a result, they finished dead last in their first year in the MVC. They haven't had a winning season yet, and have been a yearly Thursday night play-in team every year.Comment
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But they did make the finals in the MVC tourney in 2020!Originally posted by Da Coach View PostLarry Bird
I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.Comment
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Yes. That was quite an accomplishment. They were the first play-in team to ever make it to the championship game. Kudos to them. Let's hope they can build on that, though this year, they are 4-7 and could be headed for a 5th straight Thursday night game.Originally posted by Tommy View PostComment
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Bush league move by the Horizon. Gave themselves a black eye over this.BRADLEY BASKETBALL
-2 NCAA Title Games
-3 NCAA Elite Eights
-4 NCAA Sweet 16s
-4 NIT ChampionshipsComment
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The Valley is at its lowest point in years. Really becoming a low level conference if you ask me. Perhaps Bradley should start thinking bigger and stop clinging to the Valley as well.Comment
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Aren't we currently 11th in NET ranking as a conference? That's not really a low level mid-major conference, it actually implies we're one of the better ones.Originally posted by algotrader View PostLarry Bird
I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.Comment
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5 MVC teams in top 100 in Kenpom. One of them leaving next year and two of the teams we are adding are in top55. Don’t see the conference as weak and I think it is the best place for us.houstonbraveComment
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We've seen this discussion before. What other conference would you realistically suggest a small, private, non-football school like Bradley should move to? The only conferences that would even consider Bradley, and which are not logistically impossible, are a big step down like the Horizon League, Summit League or Ohio Valley Conference.Originally posted by algotrader View Post
The only solution, IMO, is stay in the MVC and make it better. The MVC's RPI this year is not much different than it's been in several past years. They are currently 14th in Conference RPI and 11th in NET. They have rebounded from those off years in the past, and I think they will again.Comment
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Even with losing Loyola I think gaining two good programs in Murray State and Belmont is still a net win for the conference. Things are looking up for the Valley, the top half of the conference is going to be pretty darn good. I expect we will get back to the multi-bid ways of the early 2000s.Originally posted by algotrader View Post
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Ftr, here are the Missouri Valley Conference RPI rankings for the last 29 years-
2022- 14th
2021- 11th
2020- 11th
2019- 14th
2018- 8th
2017- 12th
2016- 13th
2015- 9th
2014- 11th
2013- 8th
2012- 8th
2011- 11th
2010- 7th
2009- 9th
2008- 8th
2007- 6th
2006- 6th
2005- 8th
2004- 11th
2003- 12th
2002- 16th
2001- 12th
2000- 11th
1999- 8th
1998- 12th
1997- 10th
1996- 13th
1995- 10th
1994- 18th
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