To all Missouri Valley losers

[Schasz]

Choice,

I'll second BRoy's welcome. Heck, with good smack like that defending the honor of our favorite team, don't be bashful about posting.

[TheA_Bomb]

We do have a football team and we are ranked in the top 25 right now and have won 10 national championships.

I have never ever seen a SIU football game on TV or even heard them mentioned on a national sports program. So do you really have a team? Oh wait I think I did see them on the little sports ticker that went across the bottom of the screen once and it wasn't pretty. They were getting jacked by South Eastern Kansas Polytechnic Girls Institute or something? We all know the state of ILL is known for it's quality football schools (excluding the recent success of NIU). Same goes for the state of MO the FB blows high school on up (except for the Rams magical year). Therefore, SLUs team would stink and be a waste of money.

Yes you made it to the tourny and did well once. I cheered for SIU in the tourny. Would I want to switch places with you? No. I am happy that I went to a Jesuit, Private School, with a strong soccer program and upcoming basketball program. I'll stick with a better television contract and better conference, new arena, and quality coach.

[choice]

i've been just sitting back and watching all of these valley fans run their smack. it's a little comical. i even went on valleytalk.net to see what was cooking. by reading all of the post, you would have thought they were from fans of duke, kansas, u. conn and arizona.

creigton and siuc can talk a little because they can back it up with success, valley championships and multiple ncaa bigs.

siu has had a good run, but as I said, we have a winning record against them and have won just as many ncaa tournament teams.

Not to mention, our schedule is twice as rough as their's.

I was really laughing when i saw fans from smsu, illinois state and Bichita state jumping on slu.

for all the smack smsu fans talk, they have been to the NCAA Tournament only ONE time since we took Spoonhour away from them. They haven't won the Valley regular season or tournament since Spoon left them. Since joining the valley in 91, they have won the tournamnet only once and been to the NCAA tournament twice. not quite the same success since they left the mid-continent. they've had Slu's number a little bit in the head to head games, but other than that sweet 16 team in '99, not much has been going on in springfield.

as for Bichita State, they have done anything since Antoine Carr and Cliff Levingston were there more than 20 years ago. They have one two winning seasons in the past 10 years and ONE paltry NIT bid last year.

Illinois state had a little roll under stallings, but that ship sailed when stallings left for music city. They didn't even win 10 games last year.

evansville won the valley in 98. we beat them by 30 that year in hawaii.

*So I invite any Valley fan to come on this board and tell me what has your program accomplished in the past 10 years. Creighton and SIU can get a free pass on this one.

Does it match

*Four NCAA bids

*TWo NIT Bids

*One C-USA Tournament title.

*Multiple nonconference victories over high profile schools

*Crowds of over 21,000 in our good years.

*Crowds of 10,000 and 11,000 in our bad years.

[SalukisIn2003]

Sorry to be confusing, this is the ID I usually use (in place of TexasSaluki)...wow thought I had more posts than 2!...had to have the password changed (thanks Steve).

Choice,

Thank you for that post...that's exactly what I was looking for...a head to head comparison of 2 teams without regards to academics or university mission statements. Great post.

[billiken_roy]

saluki's said, "without regards to academics or university mission statements."

saluki, just so you know though, the academics and university philosophy/mission statement is extremely important to most of us. thus our concern of wanting to end up in a situation with like thinking partners as well as equal basketball.

[SalukisIn2003]

The academics and university mission statements should be important. It's just nice to see a post about the team's abilities without regards to them. The player's points, rebounds, etc., are more important to me than what he got on his quantum physics exam.

By the way, just to make my stance clear, I wish SLU the best in joining the A10 and the continued success of your program...it was the Mo Valley "losers" that irked me...(it's your board, I respect that)...

[Whatsasaluki]

Thank you for responding to my question regarding SLU's accomplishments. Since the same question was asked of SIU:

Winning the NIT (anyone remember Walt Frazier)

2 trips to the Sweet Sixteen

Over last 10 years, 5 trips to the NCAA tournament, one trip to NIT, where we beat Colorado

Last 2 years, victories over Big 12, (Texas Tech and Iowa State), Big Ten (Indiana who ended up runner-up in Natl. Championship

that year), SEC (Georgia), and Creighton (rated as high as #7 last year).

Went 16-2 in conference last year

Currently have 3rd longest home winning streak in country

Last but not least- SIGNING MATT SHAW!!!!

Judging by the relative success, if teams like SIU & Creighton are mid-major, then SLU is certainly a mid-major program, in search of a high-major conference, like it or not.

PS- We have never lost a home game to a bottom feeder (TN-Martin) from Ohio Valley Conf. See ya!

[CentFLBilliken]

I'm sure that you wouldnt jump at the chance of being in the Atlantic 10.

And, by the way, great non-conference schedule you got there. I think it is hilarious that your coach is thrilled that the diamond in you sorry schedule is Charlotte, a middle team in our conference.

What a slate....not only do you get home and homes with the usually MVC dogs (Drake, Evansville, UNI, Ill. St, Ind St) but you get the likes of Jax St, Wyoming, SEMO, UWM, and Montana. Good luck getting your RPI over 150 this year.

If you dont get 20 wins this year, you ought to fire your coach.

[choice]

Whatsasaluki,

in 1991, a loaded southern illinois team lost to a bottom feeder team in turmoil with a bunch of freshmen that finished 5-23 and fired their coach at the end of the season.

that team that beat siu: SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY

The following year, which was spoon's first, a starting over year in which the bills won 12 games. One of those wins was a victory over the MVC champion Salukis in overtime.

last year, slu came off its most embarrassing loss of the year at butler. Slu was a bad team at the time. what happened in the next game. the missouri valley conference regular season champions came to town and were held to 13 points in the first half. beating SIU at the time should have been a big deal, but it became a little ho-hum when you go on to beat No. 2 Louisville, Cincinnati on the road, Dayton and Memphis.

Even in the darkest hours of billiken basketball, we could always count on opening at least one can of whip-A** on the egyptian dogs.

as a mid major (as you call slu), the billikens have been able to reach a respectable amount of success in a power conference (top 9 every year).

It just goes to show that if the billikens were in the valley the past 10 years, they would no doubt enjoy the same type of success that the salukis and Creigton have enjoyed in that same span.

Now, if SIU were in Conference USA and had to play the likes of Cincinnati, Louisville, Charlotte, Marquette, DePaul (TWICE) plus Memphis or UAB from the other side.

Oh yeah and add Arizona (No. 1 in nation), Butler, SMSU, SIU (three top mid major schools) on a yearly basis, you might have a problem.

BTW, Congrats on getting Matt Shaw, but remember this. Anthony Bonner was headed to Southern Illinois before he changed his mind at the last minute and decided to come to SLU.

So, we'll call it even if shaw can score about 2,000 points, lead the nation in rebounding, become a No. 1 draft choice and spend five years in the NBA. rashad tucker committed to slu and changed his mind and went to southern instead out of junior college. I'd say that move cost him two trips to the NCAA Tournament and a possible NBA career.

Great job on the home court winning streak. That leads to my next question. How about a few significant road victories, they're haven't been many mind you.

I'll give you a few of ours.

1997: SLU beats No. 5 Louisville in Freedom Hall. Cards go to the Final Eight.

2003: SLU wins at Cincinnati. The same Cincy team that blew out Louisville and Oklahoma State at home.

Okay, now, you can counter with your thrilling victories and the unidome and roundhouse. my bad.

bottom line, we salute the success of the salukis. we've enjoyed the regional rivalry and we've enjoyed our winning record against you guys.

I don't think slu fans have to apologize for Getting to the NCAA Tournament 4 times, NIT twice, and winning the C-USA Tournament title in a conference that is superior to yours. Even if we are a mid major.