NIU pulls off the upset:

NIU 61
EMU 56

For these teams, that's an awful high score to predict.

we lose by 15+.....sorry, just cant see anything to get excited about here....

(03-03-2012 09:56 PM)houstonhuskie Wrote:  we lose by 15+.....sorry, just cant see anything to get excited about here....

I dont know houston, EMU might be playing their worst basketball of the year and NIU maybe its best. It should be a close one.

EMU 48
NIU 42

EMU has won 3 of their last 4 to win the MAC West....how are they struggling? They aren't great, but they aren't free falling.

and we havent won an away game in over a year....

(03-03-2012 10:03 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  EMU has won 3 of their last 4 to win the MAC West....how are they struggling? They aren't great, but they aren't free falling.

One of those was a gift wrapped game from NIU and another was a Ball State we should have beaten which was played at EMU. In the last 10 EMU is 4-6 and taking NIU out of there, 3-6. EMU also got drubbed by Toledo today which NIU handled a few days ago

Line should be EMU as an 8 or 9 point favorite. I'm anticipating our best game of the year...

(03-03-2012 10:17 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(03-03-2012 10:03 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  EMU has won 3 of their last 4 to win the MAC West....how are they struggling? They aren't great, but they aren't free falling.

One of those was a gift wrapped game from NIU and another was a Ball State we should have beaten which was played at EMU. In the last 10 EMU is 4-6 and taking NIU out of there, 3-6. EMU also got drubbed by Toledo today which NIU handled a few days ago

Wish we had a 4-6 stretch at any point this year...or, you know, had ever won a game away from home. Or 2 consecutive games.

(03-03-2012 10:02 PM)7 Wrote:  EMU 48
NIU 42

Sadly, this seems about right.

EMU doesn't do anything on offense that is all that impressive. They play a slow, defensive oriented game. They have only one scorer above 7.2 points per game.

Frankly, I'm not sure how they've won as many games as they have. Actually, I do. They know how they want to win, stick to the plan, and don't panic. EMU usually plays in tight games (whether they win them or lose them) and grinds 'til the end. They are a team in the truest sense. Nobody on the team gets too much glory (I suppose Lampley is their "star").

This is not the type of team you want to face, ever. They suck you into their low-tempo style. It's not horribly entertaining, and you can't put them away easily.

For NIU, our formula remains the same. Avoid long stretches of awful offense (including turnovers/bad shots), rebound, and defend without fouling too much and we should compete. Lately, we've started out well on the road and faded...any win away from our Convocation Center would be a nice step.

I honestly have no feel for this game, other than the fact that there is no way you should bet the over.

When I don't know/have a feel, I go with my prefered result.

NIU 6, EMU 4.

(03-03-2012 11:10 PM)holybovine Wrote:  Line should be EMU as an 8 or 9 point favorite. I'm anticipating our best game of the year...

holybovine is a sweet name. Well chosen, sir.

The more I look at the new tournament format, the less I like it. To win the tournament, the bottom eight seeds have to win FIVE games and the top two seeds have to win only two. That's just too big of a difference in games played. I like the idea of rewarding the top teams, but in a twelve team conference, you should have to win at least three games to be the champ.

(03-03-2012 11:10 PM)holybovine Wrote:  Line should be EMU as an 8 or 9 point favorite. I'm anticipating our best game of the year...

Wow good call EMU -8.5 as of 1am. While EMU should win, I really think the smart move would be to take NIU to come out on top of that 8.5

(03-04-2012 10:52 AM)huskiebob Wrote:  The more I look at the new tournament format, the less I like it. To win the tournament, the bottom eight seeds have to win FIVE games and the top two seeds have to win only two. That's just too big of a difference in games played. I like the idea of rewarding the top teams, but in a twelve team conference, you should have to win at least three games to be the champ.

There is no reason the bottom 2-4 teams should make this tournament. Do the "better" conferences have all their teams qualify for theirs?

(03-05-2012 09:56 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-04-2012 10:52 AM)huskiebob Wrote:  The more I look at the new tournament format, the less I like it. To win the tournament, the bottom eight seeds have to win FIVE games and the top two seeds have to win only two. That's just too big of a difference in games played. I like the idea of rewarding the top teams, but in a twelve team conference, you should have to win at least three games to be the champ.

There is no reason the bottom 2-4 teams should make this tournament. Do the "better" conferences have all their teams qualify for theirs?

Yes

I'm not sure why the MAC would want to take the chance, being a one-bid league, that any team other than one of it's best would end up in the tourney. Maybe tourney games are worth more money than I thought.

(03-04-2012 10:52 AM)huskiebob Wrote:  The more I look at the new tournament format, the less I like it. To win the tournament, the bottom eight seeds have to win FIVE games and the top two seeds have to win only two. That's just too big of a difference in games played. I like the idea of rewarding the top teams, but in a twelve team conference, you should have to win at least three games to be the champ.

I don't mind the bottom 8 playing to get to Cleveland. My thought is that after those 4 games, re-seed the remaining 8 teams. Now you have the 4 round 1 winners and the 4 bye teams in a bracketed tournament where the winner wins 3 games in Cleveland.

(03-03-2012 10:17 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(03-03-2012 10:03 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  EMU has won 3 of their last 4 to win the MAC West....how are they struggling? They aren't great, but they aren't free falling.

One of those was a gift wrapped game from NIU and another was a Ball State we should have beaten which was played at EMU. In the last 10 EMU is 4-6 and taking NIU out of there, 3-6. EMU also got drubbed by Toledo today which NIU handled a few days ago

Winning on the road is never easy. UT destroyed NIU and EMU at home, but lost on the road to both by narrow margins. UT on the road has had some very close games. NIU and EMU on the road has had some big losses. That is the biggest comparison with the three schools. I have a funny feeling that N gives them a game........too close to call.