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Media Day

Actually, the ballots for the announced all league teams and preseason awards have already been turned in,
and one of the Valley basketball beat writers has come out and said how he voted.
Jim Benson of the Bloomington Pantagraph says this..........
http://www.pantagraph.com/blogs/main/?p=2165

He picks SIU at the #1 spot:
"only an idio-t would not pick Southern Illinois as the top dog ...
If not SIU, then what team steps up?


At the #2 spot he picks Bradley:
"what team steps up?...When in doubt, pick the team with the best guards. That team is Bradley. Point guard Daniel Ruffin is a smooth operator and poised to enjoy a huge season, while Jeremy Crouch is the Valley’s best 3-point shooter. The big question mark surrounding the Braves is their inside play. Matt Salley is the top returning player up front, but he will need some help. Bradley has a bunch of junior college players, and usually it takes time for those guys to adjust to life at the Division I level.


Then he goes with his own ISU Redbirds at the #3 spot:
"Illinois State is No. 3 on my ballot. I don’t think that’s a stretch, so don’t call me a homer. The Redbirds, along with Indiana State, return the most players on any team. Of course, those players on ISU went 6-12 last season in the league, but the Redbirds easily could have gone 9-9. ISU has experience in the frontcourt and backcourt. How long it takes the Redbirds to adapt to new coach Tim Jankovich’s up-tempo style is the key. Swingman Osiris Eldridge, last season’s Valley Freshman of the Year, should flourish in this system. If the Redbirds get off to a good start in the league, their confidence could be soaring.


Then he picks:
4-Wichita State
5-Creighton
6-Indiana State
7-Missouri State
8-UNI
9-Drake
10-Evansville

"After that, I took the easy route and picked the bottom of the league. I put Evansville last, with Drake ninth and Northern Iowa eighth. In my mind, I could have picked Nos. 4-7 out of a hat. I went with Wichita State as fourth. Gregg Marshall was an outstanding coach at Winthrop, and the Shockers have some good perimeter players. Creighton was the fifth pick only because Coach Dana Altman knows what it takes to win in this league, while Indiana State was sixth and Missouri State seventh.

"As for the all-league team, Falker was the choice as Player of the Year on my ballot, with Ruffin a close second. I’m almost flabbergasted reading some preseason stories on the Valley which don’t put Eldridge on the all-league team. Are you kidding me? The sleek Eldridge might be the league’s best talent with the ability to score inside and outside. He showed last season he can take over games by himself and isn’t afraid of failure. My other selections for the all-league team are Wichita State guard/forward P.J. Couisnard and Northern Iowa forward Eric Coleman. I almost picked Crouch, but how can you have two Bradley players on the first team and not pick the Braves No. 1?"

He encourages responses.........one asks about Dyer & Sampay and one takes an totally unwarranted swipe at one of ISU's recruits.

I like this coverage....and I hope the people who cover BU basketball tell us how they are thinking going into the Media Day and League play.
 
I can't see Indiana State ahead of Missouri State or even UNI.

I'd be curious to know which three games Mr. Benson thinks could have easily been switched from losses to wins.
 
it's boogie time said:
I can't see Indiana State ahead of Missouri State or even UNI.

I'd be curious to know which three games Mr. Benson thinks could have easily been switched from losses to wins.
Click to expand...

@ Drake
@ UNI
Indiana St.

Perhaps the game @ UNI doesn't fit there, but the 'Birds completely blew wins @ Drake and home to Indy St. (worst loss I've ever seen at RA).

FWIW I think Benson is a pretty good and pretty fair writer. He provides solid coverage and I don't think he shows much bias. He shows objectivity more than most beat writers I've seen.

Personally I agree with his picks for the Top-2 spots. After that............I think it's a crapshoot.
 
I am personally surprised so many people are picking Bradley 2 or 3, with so many new faces.
I think the proven players at UNI (Coleman, Kwadzo, Brown, Koch, Josten, Viet), Creighton (Watts, Dotzler, Bahe), Wichita State (Couisnard, Braeuer, Mekel, Thomasson), and Missouri State (Mitchell, Laurie, Richards) are getting no respect.


In another Missouri Valley bit of news........
MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin is announcing a new guy at the MVC who will help in sales, marketing, advertising, and TV.
Looks like the Valley stole this Illinois native away from the St. Louis Cardinals!
http://www.mvc-sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7600&ATCLID=1258328
 
tornado said:
I am personally surprised so many people are picking Bradley 2 or 3, with so many new faces.
I think the proven players at UNI (Coleman, Kwadzo, Brown, Koch, Josten, Viet), Creighton (Watts, Dotzler, Bahe), Wichita State (Couisnard, Braeuer, Mekel, Thomasson), and Missouri State (Mitchell, Laurie, Richards) are getting no respect.


In another Missouri Valley bit of news........
MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin is announcing a new guy at the MVC who will help in sales, marketing, advertising, and TV.
Looks like the Valley stole this Illinois native away from the St. Louis Cardinals!
http://www.mvc-sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7600&ATCLID=1258328
Click to expand...


I see what you mean and BU's success will largely depend on the impact of several new players, but they do have 2 of the top 10 players in the league in Ruffin and Crouch. That's a good place to start. Plus, it's always nice to have experience in the back court.

I also would be concerned about mixing in all of the new players that's why I wouldn't be surprised to see BU finish anywhere from 1st to 5th depending on how fast the new players get acclimated. Les did a good job with this last year so we'll see. There are several new players (and a new system) for ISU. That's why I am tempering my enthusiasm. 3rd is a possibility, but so is 6th.

The other returnees you mentioned will suffer from graduation of the players around them that made them better than maybe they were in my opinion. How good will Coleman be without Stout? How good will Watts and Dotzler be without Tolliver and Funk? How good are Mitchell, Laurie and Richards minus Ahearn and Bilyeu? I think those guys, while proven players, are also going to have an adjustment period without the guys that have graduated who were the big guns.

It's a lot different being The Man. It's not a given that they will be the same or have big years.

I would pick SIU for the reason's benson mentioned, but if they do fall, it will be because they are not nearly as strong (on paper anyway) in the backcourt as they have been. Outside of Mullins, the rest of their guards are unproven role players who have never been asked to play the roles they will be asked to play this season. In my mind Clemmons, Green, Bone, Wood, Cornelius are all question marks. If Mullins goes down, they have no true PG behind him.
 
Also, for SIU this year, without Tatum and Young, their jump shooting is suspect. The guards as well as the forwards are relatively low percentage shooters if outside the paint.--
http://www.siuc.edu/media/MBBStats/TEAMCUME.HTM

Believe it or not, Tatum (43.5% overall, and 40.8% from 3) and Young (39.5% overall, and 37.9% from 3) were their 2 best outside shooters last year, and those stats are not that great.

Here were the percentages of the guys expected to replace Tatum and Young--
Tyrone Green-39% overall, 16.7% from 3
Bryan Mullins- 40.2% overall, 36.8% from 3
Wesley Clemmons- 36.6% overall, 29.2% from 3
Josh Bone- 32.6% overall, 26.7% from 3
Brandon Wood- freshman

These guys will get stronger defensive coverage, too, now that their 2 stars from last year are gone. I think this will be SIU's weak area. We can only hope the good defensive teams like the MVC has, including Bradley, can exploit this.
 
SIU will be vulnerable to injury as they are not deep either at PG or in the paint.
If Falker and Mullins have injuries, they will be going with inexperience.
If anything, Bradley will have the benefit of depth.
I am not expecting all the new guys to be All-Stars and capable of contributing right away,
but even if they are, then you have the issue of trying to keep them all happy with playing time.
 
I am not sure about the talk about BU having so many new guys to jell......thye could start:

Ruffin
Crouch
Warren
Salley
Singh

all returning guys or just take out one of the big guys and put in Austin or Collins.....

So I am not sure jelling will be a real big issue....


Thats not my pick at the starters ;)
 
In case anyone is interested...one more conference had their media day today,
as the MEAC had their poll of conference coaches and sports information directors.

Here's how the preseason league picks went:

1-Hampton
2-Delaware State
3-North Carolina A&T
4-Morgan State
5-Florida A&M
6-Bethune-Cookman
7-South Carolina State
8-Coppin State
9-Norfolk State
10-Howard
11-Maryland-Eastern Shore

Delaware State forward Roy Bright, who averaged 15.3 points last season, was selected the men's preseason Player of the Year.
 
DannyCooksey said:
@ Drake
@ UNI
Indiana St.

Perhaps the game @ UNI doesn't fit there, but the 'Birds completely blew wins @ Drake and home to Indy St. (worst loss I've ever seen at RA).

FWIW I think Benson is a pretty good and pretty fair writer. He provides solid coverage and I don't think he shows much bias. He shows objectivity more than most beat writers I've seen.

Personally I agree with his picks for the Top-2 spots. After that............I think it's a crapshoot.
Click to expand...

Definately the games @DU and @UNI. We had those won and pissed them away in the final minute or two. Same with Indy St at home. GAAWWDD that was awful. You could also maybe throw the game @WSU on there as another one we couldve won. That was a neck and neck game down the stretch but we just couldnt get 1 shot to fall in the final minute. But oh well...coulda, woulda, shoulda.

I also think Benson's predictions are fair, except I'm not sure I see Indiana State 6th, although it's possible. They return alot and that will help them, but their depth will be an issue again I think. Picking the MVC is very tough to do this year outside of the #1 spot, where the vast majority of MVC fans place SIU. But 2-7 is anyone's guess. As I've said before on several boards, the 3 teams from IL could very well be in the top-3, or at least top-5 in the league this year, and I hope that is the case. A little "state of Illinois domination" in the Valley this year would be pretty cool.
 
tornado said:
ISU's Tim Jankovich met the press today and here is the coverage
http://goredbirds.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101107aaa.html
Click to expand...

Here is more coverage from media day at ISU--
Court time up for grabs as Redbird men prepare for season
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/10/12/sports/doc470effe8c4b70850549338.txt

And Coach Jankovich addressed the disciplinary actions against players Levi Dyer and Brandon Sampay for DUI violations--
Dyer's DUI, Sampay's charges may not cost them a game
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/10/12/sports/doc470f19882e27d874328693.txt
 
Da Coach said:
Here is more coverage from media day at ISU--
Court time up for grabs as Redbird men prepare for season
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/10/12/sports/doc470effe8c4b70850549338.txt

And Coach Jankovich addressed the disciplinary actions against players Levi Dyer and Brandon Sampay for DUI violations--
Dyer's DUI, Sampay's charges may not cost them a game
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/10/12/sports/doc470f19882e27d874328693.txt
Click to expand...


Here's more on the Redbirds' progress in practices....
http://www.pantagraph.com/blogs/main/?p=2202


I guess I don't see anything about Brandon Sampay's "immediate suspension" that was declared by head coach Tim Jankovich.
http://pantagraph.com/articles/2007/09/15/sports/doc46eabfb3cada1211758650.txt
 
Phantom said:
Definately the games @DU and @UNI. We had those won and pissed them away in the final minute or two. Same with Indy St at home. GAAWWDD that was awful. You could also maybe throw the game @WSU on there as another one we couldve won. That was a neck and neck game down the stretch but we just couldnt get 1 shot to fall in the final minute. But oh well...coulda, woulda, shoulda.

I also think Benson's predictions are fair, except I'm not sure I see Indiana State 6th, although it's possible. They return alot and that will help them, but their depth will be an issue again I think. Picking the MVC is very tough to do this year outside of the #1 spot, where the vast majority of MVC fans place SIU. But 2-7 is anyone's guess. As I've said before on several boards, the 3 teams from IL could very well be in the top-3, or at least top-5 in the league this year, and I hope that is the case. A little "state of Illinois domination" in the Valley this year would be pretty cool.
Click to expand...


It seems like every year most teams fans say "yeah we were 18-9 but EASILY could have been 21-6 cept for those 3 close games we gave away."

What you almost NEVER hear from those same fans (and this includes BU fans) is those 3 games they could have EASILY lost also. So instead of 18-9 they could have been 15-12.

I understand it....its just thinking positive but MORE often then not a teams record is a darn good indicator of just who they are. As Bill Parcells says...."we are what our record SAYS we are".

So if we only go with the positives I would guess quite a FEW teams lost close games they coulda, shoulda won. So in the end your team can move up but then the rest of the conference gets the same push.....so your right back where you started.
 
dogsrus said:
It seems like every year most teams fans say "yeah we were 18-9 but EASILY could have been 21-6 cept for those 3 close games we gave away."

What you almost NEVER hear from those same fans (and this includes BU fans) is those 3 games they could have EASILY lost also. So instead of 18-9 they could have been 15-12.

I understand it....its just thinking positive but MORE often then not a teams record is a darn good indicator of just who they are. As Bill Parcells says...."we are what our record SAYS we are".

So if we only go with the positives I would guess quite a FEW teams lost close games they coulda, shoulda won. So in the end your team can move up but then the rest of the conference gets the same push.....so your right back where you started.
Click to expand...

I agree with you DRU.

And to add to that... I no longer hang my head on close losses or games 'given' away. I started thinking this way when BU lost to Lubbock then beat Miami. I decided I wouldn't trade the outcomes - I just wouldn't - period. So I felt the same with the loss to Drake in the 05-06 season... and didn't know what game I wouldn't trade it for at the time... but many lined up after it (SIU at home, at UNI, vs CU and WSU in the Conf Trny). And then losing to SIU in the Championship... I wouldn't trade it for the win over Kansas or Pitt. Then the 06-07 season... losing at Tenn Tech... wouldn't trade it for the win over VCU.

I wonder which game is gonna leave me a little sour at first this year... and then, I wonder which game won will be the one I wouldn't trade away.

(lose at UIC but beat Mich St?)
(lose at ISU but win at SIU?)

Who knows. I hope the Braves win 'em all!
callsm.gif
 
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