Arch Madness 2008
The Spirit of St. Louis
It is time for the annual Dana Altman Invitational.
I mean, it is time for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, affectionately known by the moniker (and great marketing slogan) “Arch Madness.”
If you don’t believe me, maybe this highlight video of last year’s MVC tournament title run will conjure some goose bump-inducing feelings:
Altman’s Jays have won 6 of the last 9 MVC tournament titles, including hoisting last season’s championship trophy in front of a sold-out arena on national broadcast television.
Gone from last year’s run are Nate Funk, Anthony Tolliver, Nick Porter and the majority of offensive firepower (and overall minutes per night) that brought yet another MVC tournament title to the Hilltop.
Does this year’s team have what it takes to win three games in three days, starting with an opponent (Bradley) that has score almost 200 points against the Jays in two games during the past two-plus weeks? More than 1,000 Jays fans are confident enough in their chances that they’ve purchased all-session tickets through the CU ticket office. Myself, my wife, and 8 other friends of ours are part of that grand pack of Jays fans, and we’ll be in the Gateway City for the weekend to see if the Bluejays can go back-to-back.
First, before my annual predictions, let’s recap a week’s worth of awards.
The Player of the Year is Who?
I can see it now. The short little man with white hair, spectacles, a furrowed brow, and a flowing beard is etching the name of this year’s POY on the trophy/plaque. He raises his eyes, shakes his head, and asks, “Are there two ‘M’s in ‘Emmenecker?’”
You, good sir, are not alone. Before this season started, little attention was being paid to Drake’s senior guard Adam Emmenecker, a former walk-on who hadn’t exactly set the MVC on fire with his play (aka the little amount of minutes he logged in the past few seasons) previous to his last season as a Bulldog. But after an improbable season for coach Keno Davis (who, barring any wild outcomes, should win the Coach of the Year award Thursday afternoon) and his Drake squad, the point guard was recognized by the league as the MVP of the conference.
I wonder if Osiris Eldridge will carve “POY” in his hair next to his Mohawk this weekend in protest. I’d give him some illegal benefits if he did. I’m not saying Emmenecker wasn’t great this year, because he was; I just consider Osiris the best player in the league right now.
The full All-Valley Team:
Adam Emmenecker, Drake, Sr. G
Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State, So. G
Jeremy Crouch, Bradley, Sr. G
Randal Falker, Southern Illinois, Sr. F
Josh Young, Drake, So. G 6-1
That’s right, no Bluejays. Not a surprise, I guess. You can’t really argue with any of these selections, although I’m sure some of the dudes in the list below would have a thing or two to say about their seasons.
The full All-Valley Second Team:
Eric Coleman, Northern Iowa, Sr. C
Jonathan Cox, Drake, Jr. F
Leonard Houston, Drake, Sr. G
Deven Mitchell, Missouri State, Sr. F
Bryan Mullins, Southern Illinois, Jr. G
Again, no Jays. But starting with the Honorable-Mention selections, CU becomes well-represented.
Honorable Mention Selections:Shy Ely, Evansville Jr., F/G Gabe Moore, Indiana State, Sr. G Daniel Ruffin, Bradley Sr., G Anthony Slack, Illinois State, Sr. P'Allen Stinnett, Creighton Fr. G
And so it begins. The legacy P’Allen has started in Omaha has officially branched out to the rest of the Valley schools and fans, as it is hard to overlook his status as the only underclassman on the Honorable Mention list and one of only three freshmen or sophomores on any of the All Conference teams (Young and Eldridge being the others).
If the following highlight reel of plays from the Qwest Center this season is any indication, Stinnett and some of his fellow newcomers have a few more exciting seasons in store for Jays fans.
In fact, P’Allen claimed the league’s Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards. He was joined on the All-Newcomer team by Booker Woodfox, while Kenny Lawson joins Stinnett on the All-Freshman team.
All-Newcomer Team:
Ramon Clemente, Wichita State, Jr. F
Sam Maniscalco, Bradley, Fr. G
P'Allen Stinnett, Creighton, Fr. G
Theron Wilson, Bradley, Jr. G
Booker Woodfox, Creighton, Jr. G
All-Freshman Team:
J.T. Durley, Wichita State, Fr. F
Kenny Lawson Jr., Creighton, Fr. C
Sam Maniscalco, Bradley, Fr. G
Isiah Martin, Indiana State, Fr. F
P'Allen Stinnett, Creighton, Fr. G
Pieter van Tongeren, Evansville, Fr. C
No Jays were named to the All-Defensive team, but Woodfox was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year (and captain of the All-Bench team). He was joined on the Super Subs Squad by Cavel Witter.
All-Bench Team:
Chris Cooks, Missouri State, Jr. F
Emmanuel Holloway, Illinois St. Jr. G
Isiah Martin, Indiana State, Fr. F
Cavel Witter, Creighton, So. G
Booker Woodfox, Creighton, Jr. G
While it disappointing senior leader and four-year starter Dane Watts didn’t garner so much as honorable mention honors, it is equally as exciting that the future of Jays hoops looks so bright.
Arch Madness Predictions
Instead of boring you with only my prognostications for how things will go down in St. Louis this weekend, I asked friends Panon and Sign Guy to share their projections for each game of the tournament.
Game 1: #8 Indiana State vs. #9 Wichita State
Regular Season Results:
WSU beat ISU 65-60 in Wichita; ISU beat WSU 83-73 (OT) in Terre Haute.
Picks:
Panon — WSU
Sign Guy — ISU
Me — ISU
Game 2: #7 Missouri State vs. #10 Evansville
Regular Season Results:
UE beat MSU 84-65 in Evansville; MSU beat UE 76-38 in Springfield.
Picks:
Panon — MSU
Sign Guy — MSU
Me — MSU
Game 3: #8/#9 vs. #1 Drake
Regular Season Results:
Drake didn’t lose any games against either Wichita State or Indiana State.
Picks:
Panon — DU
Sign Guy — DU
Me — DU
Game 4: #4 Creighton vs. #5 Bradley
Regular Season Results:
Bradley smoked the Jays in Peoria; Creighton beat the Braves in Omaha last weekend.
Picks:
Panon — CU
Sign Guy — BU
Me — CU
Game 5: #2 Illinois State vs. #7/#10
Regular Season Results:
The Redbirds swept Missouri State and Evansville this season.
Picks:
Panon — ILS
Sign Guy — ILS
Me — ILS
Game 6: #3 Southern Illinois vs. #6 Northern Iowa
Regular Season Results:
SIU lost to UNI by 5 in Cedar Falls; they beat the Panthers by 20 in Carbondale.
Picks:
Panon — UNI
Sign Guy — SIU
Me — SIU
Game 7: CU/BU vs. Drake
Since we each picked Drake to advance out of the quarterfinals, we’ll consider them a “lock” in this spot. However, Panon and I both think the Jays will not only beat Bradley on Friday but will also enact revenge against the Bulldogs for two close losses during the regular season. Sign Guy predicts a Drake loss, too, but he feels the Bradley Braves will be the ones knocking off the top seed.
Game 8: SIU/UNI vs. Illinois State
Again, the Redbirds were a unanimous pick among the three of us. And while Sign Guy and I both chose SIU to defeat Northern Iowa, Panon is reaching back to his Iowa roots and predicting a UNI-ILS semifinal.
That being said, everyone agrees: Illinois State has a date with the conference championship game.
Championship Game: CU/BU vs. Illinois State
This time, I’m in the minority. I think the Jays go down at win the whole damn thing. I’m probably crazy, but at least I acknowledge it. Panon thinks it will be a CU-ILS final, while Sign Guy thinks Bradley will meet their match and drop the title game to the Redbirds.
Panon added one caveat to his predictions, however. He said that if SIU beats UNI in the last quarterfinal Friday night (as Sign Guy and I both feel will happen), then he predicts SIU will beat Illinois State in the semifinal and then the Jays will upend the Salukis for the league title.
Hopefully the talented folks who made the following video will have some footage to add after this weekend, footage that includes trophies being held, fans flooding the court, and the Jays claiming another Arch Madness championship.
----
Regardless of the outcomes, it is sure to be a great time as always.
Go Jays!
It is time for the annual Dana Altman Invitational.
I mean, it is time for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, affectionately known by the moniker (and great marketing slogan) “Arch Madness.”
If you don’t believe me, maybe this highlight video of last year’s MVC tournament title run will conjure some goose bump-inducing feelings:
Altman’s Jays have won 6 of the last 9 MVC tournament titles, including hoisting last season’s championship trophy in front of a sold-out arena on national broadcast television.
Gone from last year’s run are Nate Funk, Anthony Tolliver, Nick Porter and the majority of offensive firepower (and overall minutes per night) that brought yet another MVC tournament title to the Hilltop.
Does this year’s team have what it takes to win three games in three days, starting with an opponent (Bradley) that has score almost 200 points against the Jays in two games during the past two-plus weeks? More than 1,000 Jays fans are confident enough in their chances that they’ve purchased all-session tickets through the CU ticket office. Myself, my wife, and 8 other friends of ours are part of that grand pack of Jays fans, and we’ll be in the Gateway City for the weekend to see if the Bluejays can go back-to-back.
First, before my annual predictions, let’s recap a week’s worth of awards.
The Player of the Year is Who?
I can see it now. The short little man with white hair, spectacles, a furrowed brow, and a flowing beard is etching the name of this year’s POY on the trophy/plaque. He raises his eyes, shakes his head, and asks, “Are there two ‘M’s in ‘Emmenecker?’”
You, good sir, are not alone. Before this season started, little attention was being paid to Drake’s senior guard Adam Emmenecker, a former walk-on who hadn’t exactly set the MVC on fire with his play (aka the little amount of minutes he logged in the past few seasons) previous to his last season as a Bulldog. But after an improbable season for coach Keno Davis (who, barring any wild outcomes, should win the Coach of the Year award Thursday afternoon) and his Drake squad, the point guard was recognized by the league as the MVP of the conference.
I wonder if Osiris Eldridge will carve “POY” in his hair next to his Mohawk this weekend in protest. I’d give him some illegal benefits if he did. I’m not saying Emmenecker wasn’t great this year, because he was; I just consider Osiris the best player in the league right now.
The full All-Valley Team:
Adam Emmenecker, Drake, Sr. G
Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State, So. G
Jeremy Crouch, Bradley, Sr. G
Randal Falker, Southern Illinois, Sr. F
Josh Young, Drake, So. G 6-1
That’s right, no Bluejays. Not a surprise, I guess. You can’t really argue with any of these selections, although I’m sure some of the dudes in the list below would have a thing or two to say about their seasons.
The full All-Valley Second Team:
Eric Coleman, Northern Iowa, Sr. C
Jonathan Cox, Drake, Jr. F
Leonard Houston, Drake, Sr. G
Deven Mitchell, Missouri State, Sr. F
Bryan Mullins, Southern Illinois, Jr. G
Again, no Jays. But starting with the Honorable-Mention selections, CU becomes well-represented.
Honorable Mention Selections:Shy Ely, Evansville Jr., F/G Gabe Moore, Indiana State, Sr. G Daniel Ruffin, Bradley Sr., G Anthony Slack, Illinois State, Sr. P'Allen Stinnett, Creighton Fr. G
And so it begins. The legacy P’Allen has started in Omaha has officially branched out to the rest of the Valley schools and fans, as it is hard to overlook his status as the only underclassman on the Honorable Mention list and one of only three freshmen or sophomores on any of the All Conference teams (Young and Eldridge being the others).
If the following highlight reel of plays from the Qwest Center this season is any indication, Stinnett and some of his fellow newcomers have a few more exciting seasons in store for Jays fans.
In fact, P’Allen claimed the league’s Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards. He was joined on the All-Newcomer team by Booker Woodfox, while Kenny Lawson joins Stinnett on the All-Freshman team.
All-Newcomer Team:
Ramon Clemente, Wichita State, Jr. F
Sam Maniscalco, Bradley, Fr. G
P'Allen Stinnett, Creighton, Fr. G
Theron Wilson, Bradley, Jr. G
Booker Woodfox, Creighton, Jr. G
All-Freshman Team:
J.T. Durley, Wichita State, Fr. F
Kenny Lawson Jr., Creighton, Fr. C
Sam Maniscalco, Bradley, Fr. G
Isiah Martin, Indiana State, Fr. F
P'Allen Stinnett, Creighton, Fr. G
Pieter van Tongeren, Evansville, Fr. C
No Jays were named to the All-Defensive team, but Woodfox was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year (and captain of the All-Bench team). He was joined on the Super Subs Squad by Cavel Witter.
All-Bench Team:
Chris Cooks, Missouri State, Jr. F
Emmanuel Holloway, Illinois St. Jr. G
Isiah Martin, Indiana State, Fr. F
Cavel Witter, Creighton, So. G
Booker Woodfox, Creighton, Jr. G
While it disappointing senior leader and four-year starter Dane Watts didn’t garner so much as honorable mention honors, it is equally as exciting that the future of Jays hoops looks so bright.
Arch Madness Predictions
Instead of boring you with only my prognostications for how things will go down in St. Louis this weekend, I asked friends Panon and Sign Guy to share their projections for each game of the tournament.
Game 1: #8 Indiana State vs. #9 Wichita State
Regular Season Results:
WSU beat ISU 65-60 in Wichita; ISU beat WSU 83-73 (OT) in Terre Haute.
Picks:
Panon — WSU
Sign Guy — ISU
Me — ISU
Game 2: #7 Missouri State vs. #10 Evansville
Regular Season Results:
UE beat MSU 84-65 in Evansville; MSU beat UE 76-38 in Springfield.
Picks:
Panon — MSU
Sign Guy — MSU
Me — MSU
Game 3: #8/#9 vs. #1 Drake
Regular Season Results:
Drake didn’t lose any games against either Wichita State or Indiana State.
Picks:
Panon — DU
Sign Guy — DU
Me — DU
Game 4: #4 Creighton vs. #5 Bradley
Regular Season Results:
Bradley smoked the Jays in Peoria; Creighton beat the Braves in Omaha last weekend.
Picks:
Panon — CU
Sign Guy — BU
Me — CU
Game 5: #2 Illinois State vs. #7/#10
Regular Season Results:
The Redbirds swept Missouri State and Evansville this season.
Picks:
Panon — ILS
Sign Guy — ILS
Me — ILS
Game 6: #3 Southern Illinois vs. #6 Northern Iowa
Regular Season Results:
SIU lost to UNI by 5 in Cedar Falls; they beat the Panthers by 20 in Carbondale.
Picks:
Panon — UNI
Sign Guy — SIU
Me — SIU
Game 7: CU/BU vs. Drake
Since we each picked Drake to advance out of the quarterfinals, we’ll consider them a “lock” in this spot. However, Panon and I both think the Jays will not only beat Bradley on Friday but will also enact revenge against the Bulldogs for two close losses during the regular season. Sign Guy predicts a Drake loss, too, but he feels the Bradley Braves will be the ones knocking off the top seed.
Game 8: SIU/UNI vs. Illinois State
Again, the Redbirds were a unanimous pick among the three of us. And while Sign Guy and I both chose SIU to defeat Northern Iowa, Panon is reaching back to his Iowa roots and predicting a UNI-ILS semifinal.
That being said, everyone agrees: Illinois State has a date with the conference championship game.
Championship Game: CU/BU vs. Illinois State
This time, I’m in the minority. I think the Jays go down at win the whole damn thing. I’m probably crazy, but at least I acknowledge it. Panon thinks it will be a CU-ILS final, while Sign Guy thinks Bradley will meet their match and drop the title game to the Redbirds.
Panon added one caveat to his predictions, however. He said that if SIU beats UNI in the last quarterfinal Friday night (as Sign Guy and I both feel will happen), then he predicts SIU will beat Illinois State in the semifinal and then the Jays will upend the Salukis for the league title.
Hopefully the talented folks who made the following video will have some footage to add after this weekend, footage that includes trophies being held, fans flooding the court, and the Jays claiming another Arch Madness championship.
----
Regardless of the outcomes, it is sure to be a great time as always.
Go Jays!
posted by Creighton Otter at 11:56 PM
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