Horizon League Can't be Happy

[goramblers2011]

Despite having one of the more wacky setups of all the conference tourneys desperately trying to protect the top 2 seeds, both #1 Valpo and #2 Oakland went down last night. UW-GB and Wright State will be playing for the HL final. Kind of disappointed as I really liked Valpo this year. They were senior-laden and had the potential to upset a team or two in the Dance. But, overall, I'm pretty happy seeing the HL left with an egg on its face yet again.

[swellafelon]

Valpo joins Wichita State as at large bubble teams.

Valpo has a better record and RPI than the Shockers: 26-6, 39 versus 24-8, 48.

[ahunte1]

Monmouth is on the bubble, too. 27-7, 53rd

[natetheskate]

It always seems that the burden of proof for mid-majors is harder than members of power conferences. It seems to me that Valpo,WS and Monmouth should be in based on their RPI which is inclusive of strength of schedule and other factors. So to have a decent strength of schedule, a good record and then also be asked to win your conference tournament to get a bid seems rough.

[Bo Rambler]

Interesting how this happens in the very first year of not giving the top-seeded team hosting privileges.

[lusuperfan]

LolCrone!

As for Monmouth: I definitely think if they're out, it'll show a major bias. How can you beat Notre Dame, USC, UCLA, & Georgetown and say we're giving it to a Power 5 team with a similar/slightly lesser resume because Monmouth is in the MAAC.

An aside, I wouldn't mind Porter scheduling like Monmouth even if they're guarantee games. Just competing against them brings more energy to the program than playing Rockhurst and Eureka. It probably develop our guys better too.

[LU 86]

Porter has to schedule at least 2 guarantee games. Program needs the money. It also helps get kids, everyone wants to say they played against at least a couple of the best programs in the best atmospheres going.

[JCT]

If Valpo had been "protected" with a home game tournament, they'd be-- at best-- a 10 seed. Their best RPI win was against Oregon State (30) and their second-best RPI win was against IPFW (69). By losing to Green Bay, their RPI dropped from 39 to 51. The loss dropped them out completely. Whichever team ends up representing the HL (Wright State or Green Bay) is going to be a 13 or 14 seed.

I agree with LU86 about guarantee games. I used to be against it, but it's nearly impossible as more BCS and A10 teams have put a complete moratorium on playing road games. I really think we should still be looking to get guarantee games we can win, with the knowledge that those teams are looking to schedule teams that might be more of a sure win than we are-- we might be underestimated because of the 240 RPI this year. Instead of Michigan State and Notre Dame, how about Nebraska, Penn State, NC State, Georgia Tech, etc. Only one team out of the PAC 12 has an RPI out of the Top 100 this year, so play some mid-level Pac 12 teams. Play some A10 teams from the middle of the pack to bolster the schedule. They should also be during the winter break, because our building is a mausoleum anyway when the students are gone-- no need to waste potential home dates with students in town when we can do road games from Dec. 12-Dec. 30 or so. I also think next year is going to be a struggle without James and Turk, so I might lower my expectations a bit on which teams we schedule.

[JCT]

After all the sturm und drang at Green Bay over the past 20 years... Joining what is now the HL in 1994, winning the conference the first two years with Jeff Nordgaard et al, having Dick Bennett be hired away by Wisconsin, the decline of the program under Mike Heideman (culminating with their upset of Butler at the 2002 HL Tournament), moving to the Resch Center from the old Brown County Arena, years under Tod Kowalczyk-- who bailed for a better salary at Toledo, years under Brian Wardle-- who left for a better salary at Bradley, NOW the Green Bay Phoenix get to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years under first year coach Linc Darner (had to look up his name). Maybe it has something to do with the tournament being at a neutral site for the first time since 1993.

And by the way, for all the folks who said the HL would be BETTER OFF without Loyola, the HL conference RPI ranking was 12th in Loyola's last season (without Butler). It was 14th in 2013-14, 17th in 2014-15, and 20th this season. The MVC has gone from 8th the year before Loyola joined (with Creighton, and the year before the creation of the American Athletic Conference) to 11th in 2013-14, 9th (just behind the American) in 2014-15, and 13th this year.

[goramblers2011]

Wonder how we would have fared in the Horizon the past two seasons.