RPI Buster

[tornado]

Tough luck for Creighton.........

after Creighton beat New Mexico....the Lobos go back home to their "Pit" where they have a tremendous home court advantage, and in front of 13,000 they lose at home to Central Florida...ending a 33 game HOME non-conference winng streak.

this hurts Creighton's and the Valley's RPI a little.

And note this-
The guy who writes the releases for the official New Mexico Basketball web site is Richard Stevens, who is the current Lobo beat writer for the Albuquerque Tribune, and he has not been known in the past as always being firendly to the "home team".
This would be parallel to Bradley hiring Kirk Wessler to do their writing on the BU website...

http://golobos.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/112308aaj.html

http://golobos.cstv.com/ot/stevens-blog-index.html

http://blogs.scripps.com/albq/stevens/

this probably ends the speculative talk of Steve Alford going to Arizonato coach-

http://forum.goazcats.com/showthread.php?t=84133

[BUFAN]

Hey UCF is not bad, they are CUSA. They lost at Valpo but they are not bad.
That loss may not hurt as bad as you think.

[tornado]

Hopefully, but a home loss to a team whose RPI is over 200 is not good for either UNM's resume nor Creighton's

[SaintLouBrave22]

True, but it couldn't be worse than ISU...they could go undefeated in the non-con and not help anyone...

Their entire schedule is a RPI buster.

[Rusty 54]

the Lobos go back home to their "Pit" where they have a tremendous home court advantage, and in front of 13,000 they lose at home to Central Florida...ending a 33 game HOME non-conference winng streak.

Who is the lucky Valley team that gets to go to the Pit for the MVC/MTN West Challenge?

[BUBraves06]

Who is the lucky Valley team that gets to go to the Pit for the MVC/MTN West Challenge?

There really are some tough places to play in this challenge. BYU has the longest home-court win streak in the country currently and the Pit traditionally provides a big home-court advantage, as well as the Valley arenas. All-around I think it's a great thing for both conferences.

[DoubleJayAlum]

Who is the lucky Valley team that gets to go to the Pit for the MVC/MTN West Challenge?

Unfortunately, it's us.

Even though scheduled before the MVC-MWC challenge was announced, our return game to UNM next year will be our game in the challenge.

[MacabreMob]

Unfortunately, it's us.

Even though scheduled before the MVC-MWC challenge was announced, our return game to UNM next year will be our game in the challenge.

Makes sense.

[tornado]

Who is the lucky Valley team that gets to go to the Pit for the MVC/MTN West Challenge?

Xavier Crawford's Cal State Northridge plays at the Pit in Albuquerque

so far already this year, the Pit is experiencing record LOW attendance...
The peak attendances were in 1997-98 when they averaged 17,625, and it's been downhill ever since with scandals, coaches getting fired,
lousy non-conference opponents, etc....

2006-2007's average of 12,853 was the lowest since the year the Pit opened...
then it was UP a bit in Alford's first season, mostly buoyed by HUGE free ticket giveaways to students and community..
but now this season they are back down with their horrible non-conference slate...averaging this season 12,601

[MacabreMob]

Xavier Crawford's Cal State Northridge plays at the Pit in Albuquerque

so far already this year, the Pit is experiencing record LOW attendance...
The peak attendances were in 1997-98 when they averaged 17,625, and it's been downhill ever since with scandals, coaches getting fired,
lousy non-conference opponents, etc....

2006-2007's average of 12,853 was the lowest since the year the Pit opened...
then it was UP a bit in Alford's first season, mostly buoyed by HUGE free ticket giveaways to students and community..
but now this season they are back down with their horrible non-conference slate...averaging this season 12,601

As one who actually lived in the fine city of Albq (maybe also known as Alby-crackie... just kidding, a joke amongst friends) and made it to a couple games in the Pit. The Pit is great! Fans are very good fans and hard core for their team. But there isn't much going on in the Land of Entrapment (oops, sorry - that's Land of Enchantment)... so of their 10,000 plus fans... most just don't have many teams to rally behind to get them into a frenzy. Illinois has many (top) pro teams plus many great college teams.

UNM fans are good fans... and they draw state-wide... but the draw for the out of city fans to come in for a game lessens when the expectations for the team are not so great.

I think Alford can and is increasing excitement - maybe a year or two away from (hopefully for him) of getting that 16,000-plus jet-screaming loud crowds I witnessed a few times.

Great atmosphere and great to have post-games at Billy's LongBar and/or at Spectator's.

Ahhh..... miss that town.

[shaunguth]

FYI.......Bradley is now sitting at #198 in the RPI.

[BUBraves06]

FYI.......Bradley is now sitting at #198 in the RPI.

Looks like we're an RPI Buster, for right now at least ...

[squirrel]

RPI buster is what will happen if/when UIC loses @ Howard tonight.

[tornado]

I guess nothing will surprise me now...