ISU Hosting Exempt Tourney Next Season

[tornado]

Details are still thin, but it appears that ISU will host a 4-team tourney with
themselves plus Nicholls State, UC-Santa Barbara, Winston-Salem State.
Here is the link being discussed over on Valleytalk.

http://basketballtravelers.com/pages/m_wvinvitational.htm

Missouri State also appears to be hosting a similar tourney in December of 2008 with Norfolk State, Middle Tennessee, Cal-Irvine

http://basketballtravelers.com/pages/m_btitipoff_northerniowa.htm

These guys (Basketball Travelers) are the same people who run the Top of the World Classic in Alaska and Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.




edit....I resisted the temptation to comment on the quality of opponents,
that is until I went to the Redbird board and saw their thread about this tournament.
In their thread they rip on BU and criticize BU's involvement in the CBI, and use the age-old Bradley-suc*s
line (surprise - they seem to allow unprompted BU-bashing!)

NEWSFLASH--- hey ISU guys....do I need to tell you that the teams in the CBI all had RPI's from around 100 to 80's and 90's (Tulsa, Ohio..)
The best team among the above in this low-rent early season tourney is an 89 RPI while the others are 248, 311.
I can only imagine the criticism had BU hosted those guys or maybe Missouri-St. Louis (DII) and SEMO like last year.

[mportsch]

This gets me thinking - what games do we know about for Bradley's schedule next season? I know I saw some talk a couple months ago, but haven't seen much since.

[ser_solace]

I believe we go to play @ Mich. St. again and Butler is at least coming to Peoria. Not sure about other non-conf opponents. Loyola is coming to Peoria too, I believe.

[Beninator]

NEWSFLASH--- hey ISU guys....do I need to tell you that the teams in the CBI all had RPI's from around 100 to 80's and 90's (Tulsa, Ohio..)
The best team among the above in this low-rent early season tourney is an 89 RPI while the others are 248, 311.

Well...given the fact that ISU's schedule last year was a contributing factor against them being selected to the NCAA tournament, one would think people at ISU would have learned a lesson... Then again maybe not...

[Rusty 54]

This gets me thinking - what games do we know about for Bradley's schedule next season? I know I saw some talk a couple months ago, but haven't seen much since.

I believe we go to play @ Mich. St. again and Butler is at least coming to Peoria. Not sure about other non-conf opponents. Loyola is coming to Peoria too, I believe.

Also I think we get UIC at home, and UW-Milwaukee away

[Bravesfan]

Come on Redbirds! You're dragging the whole Valley rpi down with that schedule! UC Santa Barbara, maybe. But those other two?

And where the heck is Winston-Salem State located???

[Scouter]

And where the heck is Winston-Salem State located???

Is that a serious question?

If so, give a long, hard thought...

[Rusty 54]

Come on Redbirds! You're dragging the whole Valley rpi down with that schedule! UC Santa Barbara, maybe. But those other two?

And where the heck is Winston-Salem State located???

Maybe ISU thought it was the Wake Forest JV team

[it's boogie time]

I would really like to see Bradley play in an exempt in-season tournament, but not like this. It looks like ISU took the Illini Classic concept and one upped it by playing all three teams.

ISU is certainly putting their marketing department to task by trying to get them to get people to come to Redbird Arena over a holiday against poor opponents.

[OrangeandBlack74]

To be fair, a couple of ISU guys posting over on Valley Talk (one of whom also posts on here) are bemoaning the quality of the opponents for this tournament. Not everyone in Redbirdland is happy about this...

[Majik45]

We also play at Iowa State next year in the completion of the 3 game series.

[BradleyBrave]

We also play at Iowa State next year in the completion of the 3 game series.

I had heard that the game next year may be pushed back a year because the two schools can't agree on a date.

[FarmerClone]

I had heard that the game next year may be pushed back a year because the two schools can't agree on a date.

I sure hope not. I anxiously await the return of Dunson to Hilton. He is a class individual and I wish him well in every game but that one!

I am hoping the game takes place next year because I believe that would give ISU a likely schedule of at Iowa, at UNI, at Minnesota, home against Drake, home against Bradley and home against Oregon State.

[cpacmel]

Come on Redbirds! You're dragging the whole Valley rpi down with that schedule! UC Santa Barbara, maybe. But those other two?

And where the heck is Winston-Salem State located???

They are located near Marlyand-Eastern Shore and Florida Gulf Coast.

[houstontxbrave]

They are located near Marlyand-Eastern Shore and Florida Gulf Coast.

And just north of Vanderbilt, Iowa, Iowa State, Butler and Michigan State.

But a little south of Missouri St Louis, UNC Wilmington, Chicago State and Ball State.