Rusty Hardin and Mercury Morris are really getting on my nerves. Hardin is Roger Clemens’ attorney who is easily a ghost from the 1930’s American South. He uses terms like “bunk” and “riff-raff” and I assume his grandchildren call him “grandpappy.” I hate him.
Because of the lack of internet I’m at Panera, albeit a different one, in a mall in Arlington, VA. People are walking by right now, as I am sitting outside of the Panera, and wondering what exactly I”m doing. Or perhaps why the man two tables over from me is not wearing any shoes and why his feet are so purple.
I don’t have a lot of sports to write about. I don’t feel comfortable doing long-winded posts about sports in this setting. However, I promised Matthew M. Minton my Missouri Valley analysis, so here it goes.
A few years back the MVC could have legitmately had 6 teams in the tournament (SIU, Creighton, N. Iowa, Bradley, Missouri State, and Wichita State) and it seemed as though the MVC had moved well past the Atlantic 10 into the number 7 position of most relevant conferences. Then those six teams didn’t get in to the tournament. Only Bradley, Wichita State, Missouri State, and SIU got in, despite the fact that Missouri State had a top 25 RPI. Bradley and Wichita State advanced to the Sweet 16 (losing to Memphis and George Mason, respectively).
The argument (flawed as it was) was that the MVC teams didn’t play a tough non-conference schedule. So the teams tried to fix that, which leads us to this point.
Southern Illinois should be the cream of the crop in the Missouri Valley. However, this is the list of their non conference games, against big conference opponents, thus far (they have a BracketBuster game against Nevada in a few weeks): Miss St. (Win), USC (Loss), Indiana (Loss), Charlotte (Loss), St. Mary’s (Win), St. Louis (Loss), Butler (Loss). And thus, the best team in the MVC, is barely above .500 at 12-11 and not going to even sniff the NCAA tournament this year, because they did what the NCAA Tournament Committee wanted and scheduled tough.
The team with the best record in the MVC, is the Drake Bulldogs, who I’ve mentioned in a post before. They are currently the #15 team in the country and have a monumentally important BracketBuster game against Butler this month. Drake’s toughest non-conference opponent was St. Mary’s, who they lost to (their only loss). While you can argue that Drake has gotten through the Missouri Valley unscathed to this point, the MVC is down this year…way down. SIU’s confidence was shot after losing all of those non-conference games, which is apparent when you see a sandwich loss to Western Michigan.
As it stands, only Drake, Illinois State, and Creighton will make the tournament. Drake is on a 20 game winning streak currently, and if they beat Butler, will be a favorite to advance to the Sweet 16, barring them matching up with an athletic team, like Oregon, who will play fast and loose and could out shoot the Bulldogs. Illinois State hasn’t been here (the tournament) very much lately and I look at them as an easy out for a 7 or an 8 seed. Creighton is the veteran of this process, and despite the fact that they lost Nate Funk, a God in his own right, their leading scorer from last year, to graduation, they’ve done well to contend in the MVC. The Blue Jays will be a tough out for some 6 seed, which will likely be one of the bajillion mediocre Big East teams that will make the tournament. However, they won’t get much further.
Because of the NBA Draft eligibility requirements, college basketball isn’t a mid-major game anymore. The talent pool is so deep at the top currently. There’s really no chance of a mid-major making it to a final four, unless, and only if, they have a superstar caliber player who can take over a game, and another, and another, and another, etc.
As it stands, I’m still very confident in Memphis, Tennessee, Kansas, and UCLA as my final four teams. Though, Duke can beat anyone, if they’re shooting well (and it starts with Greg Paulus). Speaking of Duke…
Game O’ The Weekend: Okay, so again, I’m playing favorites. Tomorrow, 1 P.M.- Boston College @ Duke. I will be there. A life goal will be achieved. And Duke will win by 20. If you’re looking for a big game this weekend, watch the Spurs/Celtics matchup on Sunday. Huge test if Garnett is still out of the lineup.
I should be back on Monday. Have a good weekend. You’re now much smarter for having read this.
Mid-Atlantic Bias 
Boy, you’re so lucky to be at that Duke Game.Duke will win by 50, though. Boston College is the worst team in college basketball.Southern Illinois will win the MVC. Book it. They’ll win the tournament. I think Drake may get in, but I expect Creighton and SIU will play in the MVC finals, unless they play earlier.I’m glad to see that you didn’t kill yourself after WVU lost to Pitt in tantalizing fashion.Well done, also!