1/23 PJ Star

[Da Coach]

Dave Reynolds' article 1/23/08--

Win, milestone would make grand statement
Crouch looking to top 1,000-point mark and lead Braves to sixth consecutive win in storied series

http://pjstar.com/stories/012308/BRA_BFISV5ID.W02.php

Pantagraph articles--

Jankovich, Redbirds seek to end skid against Bradley (skid? they have lost 1 game in a row!)

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/01/23/usports/doc4796cde2e3915257023140.txt

MVC notes--

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/01/23/usports/doc4796a3d451460643321806.txt

[longtimelistener]

The Pantagraph could be referring to the five-game losing streak to Bradley, though it's not very clear.

[Da Coach]

I think you are right, it probably refers to the losing streak against Bradley.

[tornado]

A couple notes from that Pantagraph article..

BU is 1-0 all time against teams Jankovich has coached (he was assistant at KU when Bradley beat Kansas in 2006),

and not one player on ISU's roster has ever played in a game when ISU beat Bradley. Levi Dyer was a freshman on the roster when it last occurred, but he did not play in that game.

[it's boogie time]

I love that Jankovich is saying this:

"But you don't get double points when you beat a rival school. The games all count the same."

[longtimelistener]

This may sound crazy, but ...

Those numbers about ISU kind of back up a point I was making last night with some colleagues.

Drake and ISU are the top teams in the league right now, but I wouldn't be surprised to see SIU and Creighton for the Valley tourney title. My point: Drake is good, but one cold night in St. Louis and they're done. ISU is good, but no one on that team has succeeded in St. Louis.

That spurred a question: If Creighton and SIU play for the Valley title, does the league get more than one in the NCAA? Drake and ISU don't have the rep of Creighton and SIU ... If SIU makes the title game and loses to Drake, maybe we get two because of SIU's national rep.

I thought it was an interesting thought.

[bigdaddystuck]

Some sites are predicting 2 bids for the Valley right now...some are predicting 3! I think the valley is in good shape still overall. If DU and ISU continue the same path and finish 1-2 in the regular season and then you have a SIU or CU win the tourney, I could see 3 getting in still. I think it is more likely for 2 though.

[real fan]

It is way to early to tell how many teams the valley would get in the ncaa tour. as there are a lot of games to play and injuries and other factors like what other teams outside of the conference are doing; the RPI only matters when you are one of the big name schools and if you don"t believe it just ask Missouri State . We need to put a winning streak together if we have any chance of salvaging this season as we cannot expect to have any chance in St.Louis we cannot be playing on thur. night.