MAC v. MVC so far:
NIU v. Missouri St: L 51-87
WMU v. Northern Iowa: L 63-69
WMU v. Illinois St: L 47-64
BGSU v. Bradley: L 64-93
upcoming: KSU v. SIU, BSU v. Indiana St
so 0-4 so far, if the MAC keeps this up, they're likely to keep taking at-larges at our expense. Normally we do well against the Valley, but not so much this year. GO MAC!
Phillystile Wrote:MAC v. MVC so far:
Normally we do well against the Valley
That is correct. Although many have perceived the MVC as stronger, the MAC has a winning record against the MVC over something like the previous five years. Hopefully, KSU and BSU can get it done. Miami also is playing WSU.
The Missouri Valley is exceptionally strong this year. They just might receive four or five NCAA bids, a la the Atlantic 10 conference several years ago.
Sagarin ratings currently has them at #6! (MAC is #12, but yesterday was #10... plenty of time to move back up... CUSA, despite highly rated Memphis, is #17).
Check out some of the MVC's victories:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/teams/ial
We would do better if our stronger teams were playing the MVC. NIU, Western, and BGSU are all expected to finish at the bottom of the MAC. If you bit our best vs. their best, you have very good games.
Now that UNI AD is off the commitee and Laing Kennedy is on it, the ridicolous difference in MVC vs. MAC at large bids will end, not that the MAC is doing anything to justify so far.
I like the Valley, they have some pretty good teams. I don't know about all of the teams, but Illinois State isn't bad, and SIU is still going strong, even without B. Weber.
SIU is strong, but not as much as in prior years. We will try to get it done, although it's very, very tough to get a W at Carbondale tomorrow.
C-USA is #17? Hard to believe, considering the kind of year Memphis is having so far.....how could that be? Is it due to the season being so early, or the high quantity of "bottom feeders" (i.e. Marshall, etc.) now in that league?
Before reading this info here, I saw a post over at C-USA that one publication had forecasted 3 C-USA teams in the NCAA....that might be pretty difficult if the league doesn't get back into the top 10 in Sagarins.
The MVC had done a number on the MAC this year. MAC has been completely blown out in 3 of 4 and the 4th was on the MAC home court. Now the selections to tournament are based on individual team and not conference performance that was the bs that we were told last year.
MAC has 5 teams that are setting the ground work for tournament selections.
1. Ohio 3-0 and have URI, UC, Ky and a home bracket buster
2. Buffalo 7-1 beat Fresno State plus Rutgers and bracketbuster
3. Miami 4-1 beat Dayton has UC, Xavier, Michigan and bracketbuster
4. NIU 2-1 beat Depaul and has a top 10 rpi right now and bracketbuster
5. Kent St 5-2 play Boston College, Southern Ill plus bracketbuster
The bracketbuster might be more exciting this year as some top midmajors are high in the polls or rpi. Missouri State and Bucknell are two teams that will play a road bracketbuster game. With the Missouri Valley doing well, it may help the MAC teams get a better matchup in the bracketbuster and take away bids from the Big east bubble teams like Georgetown, Notre Dame or ACC team like Maryland.
Beating the A-10 will help balance out the MVC losses for the MAC.
Miami has beaten Dayton. Ohio plays URI and Miami plays Xavier. A-10 is 8th in rpi right now. The wins of BG, EMU over VA Tech and CAL help keep the MAC bottom from becoming bad losses for our top teams come March. Getting everyone 200 rpi or better would be nice.
Correction: we don't play BC this year though we have played them the last 3 years. Our main OOC games left are SIU, St. Mary's, and Syracuse, all on the road.
Even better. Syracuse isn't that great a shooting team and Kent I think has a shot if they play a good game. Rebounding inside is gonna be the key. If Gerwig can stay out of foul trouble, Kent should be about to compete. St.Mary's isn't as good as last year. Win two of three and Kent will be in good shape.
Some of those big OOC games start today. Win 'em and you help your resume. Lose 'em and it gives the Selection Committee one more reason to not pick you as an at-large and/or give the MACC champ a lower seed.
Come on MAC, let's get at least two important victories this weekend!
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/scoreboard...60&c=midam
Quote:Some of those big OOC games start today. Win 'em and you help your resume. Lose 'em and it gives the Selection Committee one more reason to not pick you as an at-large and/or give the MACC champ a lower seed.
Or, as Josh Cribbs would say,
Quote:Shut Up and Show Up