Today In The Valley (Dec. 14)
Bradley (4-4) vs. Southeast Missouri State (2-7)
1:00 p.m.
Carver Arena; Peoria, Illinois
It started off bad, and then got even worse. Butler strolled into Peoria a heavy favorite and walked out still undefeated. Even though they busted out some of Dana Altman’s favorite elaborate player intros, the Braves were unable to keep pace as the Bulldogs shot the lights out on their way to an 87-75 win.
The Braves suffered through a rough couple of games, as they dropped contests against Michigan State and Butler. They will get a bit of a breather as they take on the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State this afternoon. SEMS enter the game fresh off a loss to Western Illinois, 71-66.
Bradley will look to work out a few kinks they have run into in the past few games as they continue to adjust to the injury of big man Will Egolf. With the lack of a consistent and deep inside presence, it looks as though Bradley is trying to run a four guard set. This might work here and there in Valley play, but BU might run into resistance from some of the deeper teams in the MVC.
I look for Bradley to make the adjustments needed today, as they gear up for Wisconsin-Milwaukee next week.
~ Dance Cam Guy
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Illinois State (8-0) vs. Morehead State (3-6)
2:00 p.m.
Redbird Arena; Normal, Illinois
Today marks another whopper of a non-conference game for ISU as they welcome Morehead State to Redbird Arena. Like most of Illinois State’s non-con opponents, the Eagles come into the game with a sub-.500 record. Redbird fans are getting a bit tired of folks talking about their schedule and how it is so soft, but facts are facts. Not that I can see into the future by any means, but it looks as though the Valley will be lucky to get two teams into the dance this year. If that is the case, regardless of their early-season success, if Illinois State is battling with other at-large candidates in might be tough for the Redbirds to stake a claim to a Dance spot considering their schedule.
If you did the blind comparison, similar to those ESPN and other pundits project later in the college hoops season, and showed people the following stats, who would you invite to the dance based on early season production?
Strength of schedule: 331 vs. 83
RPI score: 124 vs. 99
Opponents Avg. RPI: 229.87 vs. 123.50
The team on the left is ISU; on the right, the DePaul Blue Devils. And you would think that because they play in the Big East, the strength numbers should increase or at least stay the same for the DePaul. That’s not to say those numbers would get them in right now; they wouldn’t. But they are significantly better than the Redbirds’ stats. Undefeated may sound nice now, but the Redbirds better hope they take St. Louis.
~ Dance Cam Guy
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Southern Illinois (3-4) at Nevada (4-4)
5:00 p.m.
Lawlor Events Center; Reno, Nevada
SIU looks to get back to their winning ways in the Biggest Little City in the World. The Salukis hold a 3-0 advantage in career meetings with the Wolfpack, including last year's Bracketbuster game in Carbondale that SIU won 74-49. But the Pack are a different breed in Reno, where they have won 39 of their last 45 home games.
Southern Illinois is looking for a spark to get a win. They come into this game losing a close one at home to Charlotte, 66-64. That is their fourth loss in five games. Charlotte scored the last five points in the game to get the win. Chris Lowery is going through some growing pains with so many new faces on the floor.
The Wolfpack return just two starters from the team that lost last year at SIU. One of those starters is preseason WAC player of the year Armon Johnson. He will have his work cut out for him with one of the best on-the-ball defenders guarding him in Bryan Mullins. Freshman McDonald's All-American Luke Babbitt (15 ppg, 8 rpg; tops on the team in both categories) is having a tremendous start to his career and partnering with Johnson to give Nevada a great one-two punch offensively.
SIU may have to look to Wednesday to get that W. They may not find it in Reno.
~ Panon
1:00 p.m.
Carver Arena; Peoria, Illinois
It started off bad, and then got even worse. Butler strolled into Peoria a heavy favorite and walked out still undefeated. Even though they busted out some of Dana Altman’s favorite elaborate player intros, the Braves were unable to keep pace as the Bulldogs shot the lights out on their way to an 87-75 win.
The Braves suffered through a rough couple of games, as they dropped contests against Michigan State and Butler. They will get a bit of a breather as they take on the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State this afternoon. SEMS enter the game fresh off a loss to Western Illinois, 71-66.
Bradley will look to work out a few kinks they have run into in the past few games as they continue to adjust to the injury of big man Will Egolf. With the lack of a consistent and deep inside presence, it looks as though Bradley is trying to run a four guard set. This might work here and there in Valley play, but BU might run into resistance from some of the deeper teams in the MVC.
I look for Bradley to make the adjustments needed today, as they gear up for Wisconsin-Milwaukee next week.
~ Dance Cam Guy
---
Illinois State (8-0) vs. Morehead State (3-6)
2:00 p.m.
Redbird Arena; Normal, Illinois
Today marks another whopper of a non-conference game for ISU as they welcome Morehead State to Redbird Arena. Like most of Illinois State’s non-con opponents, the Eagles come into the game with a sub-.500 record. Redbird fans are getting a bit tired of folks talking about their schedule and how it is so soft, but facts are facts. Not that I can see into the future by any means, but it looks as though the Valley will be lucky to get two teams into the dance this year. If that is the case, regardless of their early-season success, if Illinois State is battling with other at-large candidates in might be tough for the Redbirds to stake a claim to a Dance spot considering their schedule.
If you did the blind comparison, similar to those ESPN and other pundits project later in the college hoops season, and showed people the following stats, who would you invite to the dance based on early season production?
Strength of schedule: 331 vs. 83
RPI score: 124 vs. 99
Opponents Avg. RPI: 229.87 vs. 123.50
The team on the left is ISU; on the right, the DePaul Blue Devils. And you would think that because they play in the Big East, the strength numbers should increase or at least stay the same for the DePaul. That’s not to say those numbers would get them in right now; they wouldn’t. But they are significantly better than the Redbirds’ stats. Undefeated may sound nice now, but the Redbirds better hope they take St. Louis.
~ Dance Cam Guy
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Southern Illinois (3-4) at Nevada (4-4)
5:00 p.m.
Lawlor Events Center; Reno, Nevada
SIU looks to get back to their winning ways in the Biggest Little City in the World. The Salukis hold a 3-0 advantage in career meetings with the Wolfpack, including last year's Bracketbuster game in Carbondale that SIU won 74-49. But the Pack are a different breed in Reno, where they have won 39 of their last 45 home games.
Southern Illinois is looking for a spark to get a win. They come into this game losing a close one at home to Charlotte, 66-64. That is their fourth loss in five games. Charlotte scored the last five points in the game to get the win. Chris Lowery is going through some growing pains with so many new faces on the floor.
The Wolfpack return just two starters from the team that lost last year at SIU. One of those starters is preseason WAC player of the year Armon Johnson. He will have his work cut out for him with one of the best on-the-ball defenders guarding him in Bryan Mullins. Freshman McDonald's All-American Luke Babbitt (15 ppg, 8 rpg; tops on the team in both categories) is having a tremendous start to his career and partnering with Johnson to give Nevada a great one-two punch offensively.
SIU may have to look to Wednesday to get that W. They may not find it in Reno.
~ Panon
posted by Creighton Otter at 11:44 AM
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