The battling mid-majors vs. the middling majors on Selection Sunday

Who should be in and who should be in the NIT? Selection Sunday is Today for the Big Dance!

Watching the discussion on ESPN this morning with discussion of Creighton vs. Penn State and/or the University of Arizona.

First, don't reward 9-9 in the Big Ten or Pac Ten folks over a solid mid-major co-champion. Yes, we are talking a comparison with the Creighton Bluejays, which has been discussed on ESPN today. Look at the Conference Standings folks.

Creighton's 14-4 and a co-championship in the MVC is a worthy discussion boys. Doesn't the #9 ranked conference deserve two? Throw St. Mary's-CA off then folks. Winning in the conference means something, when we are talking a Top 10 conference and bubble teams.

Creighton is 11-1 in the past 12 games. Clearly, playing the worse game in their final game, has Creighton on the bubble. Which is too bad, because the 11 game win streak was an outstanding display of basketball. Wins on the road, including a solid win at the University of Northern Iowa, the MVC's automatic bid.

By the way, when we listen to Digger Phelps speak on ESPN, how much does he hold a grudge against mid-majors that beat him, while at Notre Dame or after, for that matter? Creighton beat UNI in Cedar Falls and beat Dayton, ending their 8 game winning streak with a 18 point win. The Auburn Tigers were 0-2 vs. UNI and Dayton.

The Big Ten is looking at a pretty full cup of teams entering the Big Dance. The MVC deserves two bids in 2009 folks. UNI and Creighton, both would look good in a match up with some of those worthy Big Ten bubble teams. Maybe the NCAA will do just that in their effort to keep teams closer to home, due to the economic times we all face today.

peace

Selection Weekend for the Big Dance: Will the MVC get 2 bids in 2009?

The University of Northern Iowa won the automatic bid last weekend as winners of the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Now, a waiting game for the Creighton Bluejays this weekend, as the Jays hope to be among the 34 teams selected as an at-large selection to the 2009 NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

Here's to ESPN bracketology expert Joe Lunardi keeping the Jays in throughout the weekend and scoring it right for the Creighton Bluejays, who had some ups and downs earlier in the year, but finished with 11 wins in their final 12 games of the season.

The Creighton Bluejays won a share of the MVC regular season title with UNI. The Jays picked a bad time to have their worse game of the season, but the 2008-09 Bluejays finished the season with a 26-7 record, 14-4 in the MVC.

peace

Creighton, UNI both finish tied for first place in the final MVC men's BB standings

The Creighton Bluejays (14-4, 25-6) and the Northern Iowa Panthers (14-4, 20-10) closed out the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball regular season winning the co-championship on Saturday. The Bluejays are hot, winning ten straight games, nine in the Valley to finish with UNI at 14-4. Creighton beat #3 Illinois State (11-7, 22-8) 74-70 at the Qwest Center Omaha to avenge a disappointing loss at home last season.

Arch Madness, the State Farm MVC basketball tournament, will take place this week in St. Louis, beginning on Thursday with the play-in games, with the finals airing on CBS Sports next Sunday afternoon. The top four seeds are: UNI, Creighton, Illinois State and Bradley (10-6, 17-13).

With the major conferences getting most of the at-large seeds in the NCAA Tournament, neither Creighton nor UNI have earned a lock for the Big Dance, with a co-championship in the Valley.

Creighton is certainly a team that would be fun to see make the Big Dance in 2009. Senior Booker Woodfox is certainly one of the many unsung heroes in mid-major basketball, as Creighton's win over George Mason in the Bracket Buster game on Feb. 21 showed.

Arch Madness is always a joy to follow. Today, as we celebrate March arriving and the coming of Spring. Who will make the 2009 Big Dance is in full drive?

peace

Hey Big Ten: "Let us play at home a little more"

The Gazette highlighted today a schedule quirk in the Big Ten conference schedule for Iowa basketball for the 2008-09 season.

Before last Saturday's game with Northwestern, Iowa had played four straight weekends all on the road in the Big Ten. The result was four losses for Iowa. The Gazette reported that Iowa coach Todd Lickliter spoke to Big Ten officials about the schedule, but according to Lickliter he is still waiting for a reply.

“I question how that happens,” Lickliter said. “I just think that to let
your building sit empty for four straight weekends seems like a lot to ask of a
team and of a fan base. Although, they (Iowa fans) were kind of hungry to see us
play on a weekend and they showed up. “But I don’t want to try that
again.”

The Hawkeyes have two more weekend games at home this month. Iowa faces Purdue this Saturday and on February 22 Iowa hosts Michigan, then rap up February with one more road weekend game at Northwestern on February 28.

Oh! That darn Big Ten computer for scheduling does it again.

peace

January 7, 2009 - The Day After

The Northern Iowa Panthers ended an 11 game losing streak in Omaha and a eight game losing steak to the Creighton Jays last night, after the 69-66 win at the Qwest Center Omaha.

Congratulations to the Panthers in getting the monkey off their back.

Hopefully, the Jays will get the return game in Cedar Falls on February 8, 2009, when the two teams meet again.

peace

Iowa basketball ends OOC play at 10-3, with 58-43 win over Western Illinois

The University of Iowa on a icy and tough traveling night in Iowa City beat Western Illinois 58-43 to finish out pre-Big Ten campaign at 10-3. The Hawkeyes will hit the road and begin Big Ten conference play at Ohio State on New Year's Eve.

Jermain Davis and Jake Kelly lead Iowa with 13 points tonight at Carver Hawkeye Arena, while Matt Gatens finishes with a double-double, with 11 points and 10 rebounds. David Dubois and Josh Rivers lead Western Illinois with 18 points and 11 points, respectively.

Western Illinois falls to 4-8 on the season. Iowa will face a 9-1 Buckeyes team on Wednesday night. The Buckeyes lost their first game of the season today falling at home to West Virginia, 48-76.

peace

Support for your team... exhibition attendence outstanding at Creighton

College Basketball is kicking off things this week.

Andy Katz at ESPN had some very nice things to say about Creighton Monday:

• Creighton proves once again that it is one of the most-followed
programs with its loyal fan base. The Bluejays beat Central Missouri in an
exhibition game Sunday in front of 15,038 fans in Omaha. Just think about that
for a minute. There are plenty of high-major programs that would beg for numbers like that in the regular season, let alone for a Sunday exhibition in early
November. - Andy Katz

Creighton plays basketball at the Qwest Center Omaha. Clearly, the Bluejays play in the Mecca of the Missouri Valley for arenas.

The Jays open the 2008-09 season at home on Sunday, November 16, when Steve Alford brings his New Mexico Lobos to the Qwest Center. Alford is in his 2nd year of coaching at the University of New Mexico, after stints at Missouri State (formerly Southwest Missouri during Alford's days in Springfield) and the University of Iowa.

peace

College Basketball for 2008-2009 tips off

Creighton picked to take Valley Men's Basketball Title in 2008-09, with Southern Illinois and Illinois State winding out Top 3 in the conference.

Duke tips off the 2008-09 basketball season on Monday, November 10th. More games tip off tonight in college basketball for Veterans Day.

Is Creighton a Top 25 team entering 2008-09? Joel Welser for collegehoopnet.com has the Bluejays at #24 in the country. Conference picks.

News Channel 8 Picks the Valley out in Arlington, VA. This looks very familiar to The Sports Network...

Valley seeks to regain multiple NCAA tourney bids by Jim Benson in Normal, Illinois with the Pantagraph.com... his breakdown of the Valley race.

Creighton and Southern Illinois make the mid-Major Top 25 poll from collegeinsider.com.

For the 2009-10 season, the Missouri Valley Conference and the Mountain West Conference will field a basketball challenge. Article.

It will be interesting year in College Basketball. How will the smaller conferences do vs. the super conferences, when it comes to head to head and NCAA selection?

In the Valley, the Drake Bulldogs had a special season last year. The won both the regular season title and conference tournament in Keno Davis' only season in Des Moines. Now, will Creighton and Southern Illinois win back their Mojo? Will the Valley get back to sending more than one team to the Dance? Stay tuned!

peace

AP releases Pre-Season College Basketball Poll

Creighton Bluejays receive 7 votes on the first AP Preseason College Basketball Poll.

North Carolina is the consensus #1 team according the AP Poll.

The Big Ten Conference has Michigan State at #6, Purdue #11, and Wisconsin #25. Ohio State received 64 votes, clearly behind the 196 votes received the #25 team.

The Big 12 Conference has Texas at #7, Oklahoma #12, and Kansas #24. Baylor and Texas A&M were among the schools also receiving votes.

Creighton's final opponent from last season, Florida, is rated #19. Florida defeated Creighton in the NIT to end the Jays season.

Three Creighton opponents are among the teams receiving votes: New Mexico (Nov. 16 home opener), St. Joseph's (Dec. 6 on road), and fellow Missouri Valley Conference team, Drake.

It should be an exciting year in college basketball. Iowa and Iowa State are both continuing the rebuilding process.

peace

With another marriage approaching: Is Lute Olson stepping down at U of A?

Lute Olson may be stepping down as head coach of the University of Arizona basketball team, per reports today. Mike Dunlap, associate head coach, would likely succeed Olson for this season.

Lute Olson left the University of Iowa in the early 1980s to become the head coach at the University of Arizona. A bitter divorce prior to the 2007-08 season kept Olson from the sidelines.

Now, it appears Olson may be absent for good.

peace