MVC results 3/18- SIU and Creighton win

[Da Coach]

SIU just finished pounding Oklahoma State 69-53.
The home teams have won all 4 games that are completed. However, Maryland is leading at Minnesota 49-41 with 11:30 to go.
And Rhode Island leads Creighton big 45-30 at halftime.

Here are all the NIT scores from Tuesday, on an updating scoreboard--

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/scoreboard?changed_via_selector=1&d=2008-03-18&refresh=60&c=nit

Here are the 4 CBI games played Tuesday--

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/scoreboard?changed_via_selector=1&d=2008-03-18&refresh=60&c=cbi

[JBinPeoria]

By the way OSU played Texas about a week and a half ago (close game until the end), I thought they would destroy SIU. This is a perfect example of how good Mid Major teams are definitely worth more of a look in the NCAA.

[ser_solace]

wow. i'm impressed Creighton came back to win that game. Looking forward to the Creighton v. Florida game. I hope it's on tv.

[tornado]

By the way OSU played Texas about a week and a half ago (close game until the end), I thought they would destroy SIU. This is a perfect example of how good Mid Major teams are definitely worth more of a look in the NCAA.

I watched the game, and I thought Oklahoma State lost the game on BOTH ends of the court.

I come away from that game wondering just how good of a coach Sean Sutton really is?
They talked a lot about how him being on the hot seat, and there has been talk of firing him,
but he has a very young team with almost everyone back next year.
I think if he fails next year to get in the NCAA, he will really be on the hot seat....and should be!

Anyway, Oklahoma State just totally forgot or weren't prepared to play defense in the lane!!
You gotta realize that's where SIU kills you.
Bone and Shaw are their ONLY outside shooting threats....nobody else even took more than one.
And yet, SIU dribbled into the lane or passed the ball to Falker and Shaw near the bucket time and again,
and it appeared that totally surprised Oklahoma State....and they left Shaw and Bone open repeatedly to nail 3's!!

On offense, there wasn't anything that actually seemed to resemble a plan!
Oklahoma State just passes the ball repeatedly to the corner then tried to drive the baseline, or pop a terrible outside shot.
They were 18-51 from the floor and only 4-25 from 3-pt.
I checked their season stats, and OSU is only a 33% shooting team from beyond the arc....so I ask
WHY THE HEY DID THEY TAKE ONE HALF OF ALL THE SHOTS IN THE ENTIRE GAME from 3-pt land
when they are NOT a good 3-pt shooting team? (25 of their total 51 shots were 3-pt attempts)
NOT ONE single player on their team who even takes a 3-pt shot per game has a 3-pt shooting pct. better than 36%!
Their best guy would place 6th on BU's stats....
so what's with the game plan to take 1/2 their shots from where they can't score??
And their bigger, stronger guys were outrebounded by the Salukis 39-21.

Sorry....but I can see easily why Sean Sutton is and SHOULD be on the hot seat.
They clearly came into this game very poorly prepared and sought an ill-advised game plan and got beat even though they have "superior athletes".

[OrangeandBlack74]

I saw Okie State play a couple of times during the regular season, and wondered the same thing about Sutton. I suspect the OSU administration is giving him a pass this year because he has a very young team and he's a legacy. I doubt they will be quite so patient next year.

[tornado]

So much for the age-old and oft-stated but more oft-disproven
adage that the BCS-guys' 2nd tier teams are better than the mid-major conferences' top tier teams.
Although I suspect SIU, Bradley, and WSU have done plenty to blow that theory away with their recent Sweet Sixteen runs.

[OrangeandBlack74]

SIU gets to play Arizona State in Tempe in the 2nd round, which will be a much tougher test for the Salukis than OSU.

On a favorable note, our roving Arizona reporter (Chico) should be able to give us a first hand report on the game!

[tornado]

If Harden isn't allowed to freely drive right through a horrible porous defense as Alabama State allowed last night,
I think ASU can easily be stopped. Harden isn't a 3-pt threat, so how does a 6-4 guard get inside for 25 points and 13 rebounds?
It just ain'ta gonna happen against SIU.
Take away Harden's easy shots and the wide open 3-pointers they handed to Abbott, then the rest of the ASU players combined were 7-20, and only 24 pts.

[Majik45]

What's more impressive was that SIU was playing without Mullins. I watched most of the 2nd half, and was very impressed with SIU. They are a ton at home which makes the win by ISU in the last regular season game even more impressive.

[Dallas Brave]

If last night was any indication, SIU might have had a better year playing in the B12 than in the MVC.

Great, gritty win by Creighton. Based on the number of free throws attempted (23 for Rhode Island, 15 for the Bluejays), it doesn't look like there any home cookin' going on by the refs.

[Da Coach]

Creightons great come-from-behind win last night was not seen by as many people as usual.
Their home attendance this year has been around 15,000 per game.
But the attendance for last night's 1st round NIT game at the Qwest Center was just 7,948 . That's about 7,000 under their average!

http://www.gocreighton.com/fls/1000/stats/m-basketball/0708/mbb32.htm?SPSID=89381&SPID=69&DB_OEM_ID=1000

I'd like to see Bradley outdo Creighton, but I have a feeling the attendance tonight will be a little disappointing. Many people I know who usually wouldn't miss a game, are out of town, or don't plan on going. There is just too much time between the end of the season, and the first postseason game, and not enough time to promote it.

There are plenty of great tickets available in the lower bowl and along the sidecourt.

By the way, the attendance at Southern Illinois for their NIT game against Oklahoma State was a paltry 5,353. I expect ISU to do much better than that.

http://siusalukis.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2007-2008/siu32.html

[thefish7]

I purchased my regular season ticket seats, but if it does turn out to be a graveyard up there tonight, I will try to sneak on down. I hope it's packed and I can't.

[Double D]

If last night was any indication, SIU might have had a better year playing in the B12 than in the MVC.

Great, gritty win by Creighton. Based on the number of free throws attempted (23 for Rhode Island, 15 for the Bluejays), it doesn't look like there any home cookin' going on by the refs.

The officiating in the NIT games is typically inconsistent. You have a variety of the second tier (non NCAA tournament) officials working in games with teams from different conferences.

How many charges does Tony Boyle have to take to get a call? The officiating in the SIU/OSU game was terrible as well. Luckily SIU simply whipped OSU in the second half, bad officiating or not.

[VeveJones007]

If Harden isn't allowed to freely drive right through a horrible porous defense as Alabama State allowed last night,
I think ASU can easily be stopped. Harden isn't a 3-pt threat, so how does a 6-4 guard get inside for 25 points and 13 rebounds?
It just ain'ta gonna happen against SIU.
Take away Harden's easy shots and the wide open 3-pointers they handed to Abbott, then the rest of the ASU players combined were 7-20, and only 24 pts.

I agree that SIU has a real shot to win that game, but they have been pretty poor on the road this season. If they can get similar shooting efforts from the outside as they did last night, I think SIU pulls it off. I think Creighton's going to lose by 20 though...