Jump to content

Extra Game Next Week?


kshoe

Recommended Posts

I know this has been mentioned in other threads and Ford even acknowledged it to Durando last week, but I really think we should add another game middle of next week against another bubble type team. For all the Lunardi talk and monitoring whether we are the 3rd team out, or 5th team out or whatever, there is likely going to be 3-4 bid stealers out there that win their conference tournament instead of an at-large team. Happens every year. So really we are 6-8 teams away.

Even with wins over UMass and St. Bonaventure, I think it's probably not enough if we lose in the championship game. But if you go out there and get a Quad 1 or Quad 2 win against another bubble team, I think it puts you on the right side of the selection. If you lose, it just means you need to win the conference title game, which is probably the same situation you were already in.

An away game at Drake seems like the right solution to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 281
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

I had mentioned Boise State and Colorado State as possibilities, but the Mountain West tourney is next week, so that wouldn't work. The Valley tourney is this weekend, so Drake would appear to be the only logical possibility - assuming they don't win their conference tourney. And I agree, we would have to go on the road since we don't have any away wins. I just hope we take care of business so it doesn't come to this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can definitely see a benefit to adding another game, but Boise State is something of a cautionary tale. They didn’t “add” another game so to speak, but they did have a final conference game last night which apparently was up in the air if it was going to be played. They ended up losing to a bad Fresno State team and are now pretty firmly off the bubble.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, A10Ref said:

i mean they should, but, logically, would anyone want to play us?

This is a very valid point.  Why would anyone play us, especially Drake? 

Drake somehow is still ahead of SLU by 1 in the NET (41 to 42), is included IN the field by many of the pundits, but played absolutely no one in the non-conference season.  The only pseudo-name Drake played non-conference was a lousy Kansas State team (NET 200, 7-19, 3-14 Big XII, which lost 81-68 to D-2 Fort Hays State).  That Drake non-conference schedule included 4 games vs. Summit League opponents:  2 games vs. South Dakota (NET 178, one on a neutral floor, the other a road game), Nebraska-Omaha (326), North Dakota (293), along with Chicago State (346, 0-9) , Air Force (319), and games vs. NAIA St. Ambrose and D-2 McKendree.

I do not understand the bracketologists' deference to Drake.  We need Drake to lose in that Valley Tournament ASAP, as early as Friday's quarterfinals.  Midwest sentiment, Valley sentiment, little guy sentiment, need to be put aside now.  We have reached dog eat dog (pun ok) time now.  We know all too well how this system works.

http://www.bracketmatrix.com/

This Bracket Matrix compilation has SLU as the 2nd team OUT, behind Michigan State (NET 71). 

The issue with SLU is the lack of road wins.  The bracketologists/Committee always find something when it comes to a Non-Power 5 + 1.  So while I agree another game after the A10 Tournament, preferably a road game, would help SLU, it takes two to tango.  SLU would also have to win that game.

But hey, SLU is the best team in the A10, has the deepest roster, the best group of players, and a battle tested coach.  Let's win the A10 Tournament, which is very doable, and make all the rest of this stuff moot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Other than Drake, there appears to be no one else to play.  I doubt BYU would be interested because BYU is IN.  Playing St. Mary's would not help SLU.

The Mountain West (Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State) Tourney is the Selection Sunday (the second) weekend, as is the American Athletic Conference Tourney (Wichita State, SMU, Memphis).  So those are out as possibilities.

If Drake (and the Valley) agreed to play SLU, that would be a virtual play-in NCAA Tournament game.  I don't see it happening due to the other side.

If Drake loses early in the Valley Tourney, that could change everything.  Then Drake and the Valley may be more interested in playing SLU.

Again, hopefully the whole issue will be moot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Bay Area Billiken said:

 

This Bracket Matrix compilation has SLU as the 2nd team OUT, behind Michigan State (NET 71). 

State plays two games against Michigan.  They wont fall far because Michigan is 3rd, but maybe a spot of two in the final four out. 

 

Also how did Michigan only fall one spot after losing to a team without their best player at home by 23

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If we are looking for a game we are probably outside looking in... Why would a bubble team want to play someone definitely on the outside? No reason for Drake and co to take a risk when they would rather hold their breath and wait. I mean we could probably schedule plus 100 NET teams, but that wouldn't move the needle imo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Bay Area Billiken said:

Other than Drake, there appears to be no one else to play.  I doubt BYU would be interested because BYU is IN.  Playing St. Mary's would not help SLU.

 

Arizona appears to be wanting to play teams since they cannot play in march with the ban. They sit at #49

meerkat likes this
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, wgstl said:

Arizona appears to be wanting to play teams since they cannot play in march with the ban. They sit at #49

THIS. A road game against a Q1 opponent would be huge. I doubt we play if we are in the championship game, but if we lose to Bona, and then beat Arizona, we might still get in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, wgstl said:

Arizona appears to be wanting to play teams since they cannot play in march with the ban. They sit at #49

That's an interesting thought.  A trip to Tucson in March, with Cactus League Spring Training nearby in the Valley of the Sun, would be nice.  The issue there would be SLU needs to win the game, and I think SLU needs it to be a road game (which, on the other hand makes it much harder to win).

Also Arizona being self-imposed OUT opens up another spot in the NCAA At Large field.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, A10Ref said:

If we are looking for a game we are probably outside looking in... Why would a bubble team want to play someone definitely on the outside? No reason for Drake and co to take a risk when they would rather hold their breath and wait. I mean we could probably schedule plus 100 NET teams, but that wouldn't move the needle imo.

Wouldn't a win for Drake over SLU be exactly the type of win that could get them in in the tournament?

The road is littered with many a MVC team that went into their conference tournament thinking they were on the right side of the bubble, only to lose in the first two rounds and then magically find themselves pushed out of the tourney by bid stealers from other conferences. Drake should want this game more than SLU if they lose in the MVC tourney. 

Bizziken likes this
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, kshoe said:

Wouldn't a win for Drake over SLU be exactly the type of win that could get them in in the tournament?

The road is littered with many a MVC team that went into their conference tournament thinking they were on the right side of the bubble, only to lose in the first two rounds and then magically find themselves pushed out of the tourney by bid stealers from other conferences. Drake should want this game more than SLU if they lose in the MVC tourney. 

I think you are correct there if Drake loses in Friday's MVC Quarterfinals (to the UNI-IL State winner TH).  If Drake loses Saturday in the Valley Semifinals, potentially to a Missouri State, I would think Drake and The Valley would still want the extra game vs. SLU.  If Drake loses to Loyola in the Valley Championship on Sunday, then maybe not, that's where it is a closer call.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, BillsBeliever!!! said:

THIS. A road game against a Q1 opponent would be huge. I doubt we play if we are in the championship game, but if we lose to Bona, and then beat Arizona, we might still get in.

Arizona is banned from their conference tournament, so this would make sense too, although I like the Drake idea better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, kshoe said:

Wouldn't a win for Drake over SLU be exactly the type of win that could get them in in the tournament?

The road is littered with many a MVC team that went into their conference tournament thinking they were on the right side of the bubble, only to lose in the first two rounds and then magically find themselves pushed out of the tourney by bid stealers from other conferences. Drake should want this game more than SLU if they lose in the MVC tourney. 

It would get them in, but it's just pure probabilities. They would look at what they believe their odds are getting in without winning MVC. Then they would ask "can we beat slu? What is the probability of a win?" If they think their chances of a win vs us is higher than their chances of getting in not playing, they would take the game. With that logic, I don't think they will take the game lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Belmont loses in the OVC tourney, they should be looking for a game.  Today they are 81, but would fall with any OVC loss.  A game in Nashville would probably be a Q2 game for the Bills with a remote chance it would be Q1.

Wright State is a second possibility.  They are already out of the Horizon and are at NET 68.  A game at their house would be Q1. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Bay Area Billiken said:

I think you are correct there if Drake loses in Friday's MVC Quarterfinals (to the UNI-IL State winner TH).  If Drake loses Saturday in the Valley Semifinals, potentially to a Missouri State, I would think Drake and The Valley would still want the extra game vs. SLU.  If Drake loses to Loyola in the Valley Championship on Sunday, then maybe not, that's where it is a closer call.

This. Drake should be scrambling if it is knocked out before the MVC final. Drake's resume is charmin soft, essentially carried by road victories @ Indiana State (2) and @ Missouri State (2), all four games considered Q2 wins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Cowboy said:

-I like a game just stay sharp, finding the right dance partner is the issue

-Stu said on Frank's show yesterday if we are in the championship game then we won't play an extra game

We've got no real shot at an at large if we aren't in the championship game so playing an extra game would just be for "fun" or NIT seeding at that point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, kshoe said:

Wouldn't a win for Drake over SLU be exactly the type of win that could get them in in the tournament?

The road is littered with many a MVC team that went into their conference tournament thinking they were on the right side of the bubble, only to lose in the first two rounds and then magically find themselves pushed out of the tourney by bid stealers from other conferences. Drake should want this game more than SLU if they lose in the MVC tourney. 

Drake is in the exact same situation as SLU right now. They need 2 wins in the conference tourney to be firmly in. Anything else and Drake is on the wrong side of the bubble, frankly.

Drake played a dogshit non-con schedule and that is going to hurt them. In a year where there were opportunities for strong games all over, they did nothing. They finished with a 300+ non-con SOS. They are also down two of their top guys and just lost to a "only the bottom 6 scholarship players were active and playing" Bradley team in their final game. 

I think if Drake makes it to the championship of Arch Madness, they would be silly to play this hypothetical game. If they don't, they'd be silly to not at least try. 

SLU by 12 if it did happen, though. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...