Lunchtime Look at the Valley
Evansville hung on for the win last night at home against Bradley. Southern Illinois hung on, too, albeit to a scarce road win at Drake. And with those two outcomes in the books, things are shaping up a bit more clearly for fans of the Missouri Valley Conference regarding next week’s Arch Madness event in St. Louis.
Let’s take a look this lunch hour at what is set in stone for next week’s tournament (please note that all of these seed projections are from www.MVC-Sports.com:
Drake is back where they belong. OK, that’s probably not fair. The Bulldogs don’t belong in that spot, per se, but it does suit them based on what MVC fans outside of Des Moines have come to expect from DU.
With Saturday’s MVC games the last of the regular season, Drake will finish with either the #7 or #8 seed in the Valley tournament. After winning last year’s regular season and postseason crowns, the Bulldogs return to the play-in round. It is a familiar spot: DU kicked off the 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, and 1999 Arch Madness tournaments on the first day of action.
Do you think Drake and Indiana State just split hotel rooms? Kevin McKenna has his Sycamores on a hot streak during the second half of conference play. While the Trees are just 6-11 in MVC play, they won 5 straight until Tuesday’s loss at Wichita.
Still, Indiana State hasn’t avoided the play-in games since 2001, the year they upset the Bluejays in the MVC semifinals after winning the #4-#5 game. That’s right; the ISU faithful will need to get to St. Louis sometime Thursday for the 8th straight season if they want to guarantee themselves the chance to watch the Sycs participate in Arch Madness.
However, unlike in some years past, I’m sure neither UNI nor Creighton want to see Indiana State staring them down after a first-round win. That’s how well Coach Mac has his guys playing right now, their last tough road loss notwithstanding.
Missouri State will join Drake and Indiana State Thursday in the Gateway City. It is a situation unfamiliar to many of the MSU fans that support the school, most likely. The last time the Bears balled it up on the first day of the tournament was in 2001, the year after playing for a title against CU in the 2000 tournament finals.
In fact, Cuonzo Martin’s first trip to St. Louis as head coach of the Bears comes with the Bears locked into the 10th seed in the tournament, regardless of what happens this weekend. But look at it in a positive light, Bears fans: nowhere to go from here but upward and onward!
Leaving the play-in parade are the Purple Aces. For the first time since 2003, Evansville fans can take their time making the trek from Indiana to St. Louis. Thanks in large part to inspired play from seniors Shy Ely, Jason Holsinger, and Nate Garner down the stretch, the Aces will stay out of the opening round no matter what happens when they visit Northern Iowa on Saturday night.
With the extra day, I wonder if Pieter van Tongeren will take some time to visit the Arch.
Bradley fans probably have a routine revolving around the 2:35 p.m. quarterfinal game. And they should probably stick to that routine yet again this year, as the Braves are guaranteed a spot as either the #4 or #5 seed in next week’s tournament.
This is familiar territory for BU fans and coach Jim Les; 2009 marks the fourth straight Arch Madness featuring the Bradley Braves in the #4-#5 game. It is the spot from which the 2005-2006 Braves advanced to the Sweet 16. Most recently, it is the spot that featured a rematch from last year’s final regular season game for the Braves (a 111-110 double overtime loss at Creighton) … also a loss for the Braves.
Illinois State fans can take their time leaving Normal for St. Louis. No matter what happens during their trip to Omaha this weekend (for the most important game The Phone Booth has hosted since it opened in 2003), the Redbirds are destined for the last game of the night next Friday.
Osiris will have plenty of time to get the O-Hawk trimmed and looking good for the MVC TV cameras, because the earliest the Redbirds will tip off as the #3 seed in the quarterfinals will be 8:35 p.m. Will ISU fans leave work early on Friday and get down in plenty of time to pregame a bit, or will they flock to St. Louis Thursday night to start the revelry even earlier? Hopefully the students will pace themselves; an 8:35 p.m. start time can play tricks on the (not so sober) mind.
Southern Illinois and Wichita State square off Saturday for all the marbles. OK, that statement might have been true in seasons past, when both the Salukis and Shockers were jockeying for position at the top of the MVC standings. This year, the statement holds some truth, albeit not exactly the kind of position both programs expect to fight for each year.
The Shox travel to Carbondale looking to turn their 0-6 MVC start into a play-in game bye. The Salukis are hoping to pull off a win on Senior Day and somehow squeeze into either the #5 or #6 seed. Either way, it is simple for both teams: the loser of this weekend’s game will play on Thursday night. And no team has ever won the Arch Madness title after starting play on the first day of the tournament.
But if it could happen any year, something tells me it would be this one. And that, my friends, is sheer madness indeed.
Let’s take a look this lunch hour at what is set in stone for next week’s tournament (please note that all of these seed projections are from www.MVC-Sports.com:
Drake is back where they belong. OK, that’s probably not fair. The Bulldogs don’t belong in that spot, per se, but it does suit them based on what MVC fans outside of Des Moines have come to expect from DU.
With Saturday’s MVC games the last of the regular season, Drake will finish with either the #7 or #8 seed in the Valley tournament. After winning last year’s regular season and postseason crowns, the Bulldogs return to the play-in round. It is a familiar spot: DU kicked off the 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, and 1999 Arch Madness tournaments on the first day of action.
Do you think Drake and Indiana State just split hotel rooms? Kevin McKenna has his Sycamores on a hot streak during the second half of conference play. While the Trees are just 6-11 in MVC play, they won 5 straight until Tuesday’s loss at Wichita.
Still, Indiana State hasn’t avoided the play-in games since 2001, the year they upset the Bluejays in the MVC semifinals after winning the #4-#5 game. That’s right; the ISU faithful will need to get to St. Louis sometime Thursday for the 8th straight season if they want to guarantee themselves the chance to watch the Sycs participate in Arch Madness.
However, unlike in some years past, I’m sure neither UNI nor Creighton want to see Indiana State staring them down after a first-round win. That’s how well Coach Mac has his guys playing right now, their last tough road loss notwithstanding.
Missouri State will join Drake and Indiana State Thursday in the Gateway City. It is a situation unfamiliar to many of the MSU fans that support the school, most likely. The last time the Bears balled it up on the first day of the tournament was in 2001, the year after playing for a title against CU in the 2000 tournament finals.
In fact, Cuonzo Martin’s first trip to St. Louis as head coach of the Bears comes with the Bears locked into the 10th seed in the tournament, regardless of what happens this weekend. But look at it in a positive light, Bears fans: nowhere to go from here but upward and onward!
Leaving the play-in parade are the Purple Aces. For the first time since 2003, Evansville fans can take their time making the trek from Indiana to St. Louis. Thanks in large part to inspired play from seniors Shy Ely, Jason Holsinger, and Nate Garner down the stretch, the Aces will stay out of the opening round no matter what happens when they visit Northern Iowa on Saturday night.
With the extra day, I wonder if Pieter van Tongeren will take some time to visit the Arch.
Bradley fans probably have a routine revolving around the 2:35 p.m. quarterfinal game. And they should probably stick to that routine yet again this year, as the Braves are guaranteed a spot as either the #4 or #5 seed in next week’s tournament.
This is familiar territory for BU fans and coach Jim Les; 2009 marks the fourth straight Arch Madness featuring the Bradley Braves in the #4-#5 game. It is the spot from which the 2005-2006 Braves advanced to the Sweet 16. Most recently, it is the spot that featured a rematch from last year’s final regular season game for the Braves (a 111-110 double overtime loss at Creighton) … also a loss for the Braves.
Illinois State fans can take their time leaving Normal for St. Louis. No matter what happens during their trip to Omaha this weekend (for the most important game The Phone Booth has hosted since it opened in 2003), the Redbirds are destined for the last game of the night next Friday.
Osiris will have plenty of time to get the O-Hawk trimmed and looking good for the MVC TV cameras, because the earliest the Redbirds will tip off as the #3 seed in the quarterfinals will be 8:35 p.m. Will ISU fans leave work early on Friday and get down in plenty of time to pregame a bit, or will they flock to St. Louis Thursday night to start the revelry even earlier? Hopefully the students will pace themselves; an 8:35 p.m. start time can play tricks on the (not so sober) mind.
Southern Illinois and Wichita State square off Saturday for all the marbles. OK, that statement might have been true in seasons past, when both the Salukis and Shockers were jockeying for position at the top of the MVC standings. This year, the statement holds some truth, albeit not exactly the kind of position both programs expect to fight for each year.
The Shox travel to Carbondale looking to turn their 0-6 MVC start into a play-in game bye. The Salukis are hoping to pull off a win on Senior Day and somehow squeeze into either the #5 or #6 seed. Either way, it is simple for both teams: the loser of this weekend’s game will play on Thursday night. And no team has ever won the Arch Madness title after starting play on the first day of the tournament.
But if it could happen any year, something tells me it would be this one. And that, my friends, is sheer madness indeed.
posted by Creighton Otter at 11:53 AM
1 Comments:
Pieter van Tongeren wouldn't be able to fit in one of the pods at the Arch.
Coach Marty Simmons
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