Hello again Racing Fans !! TRACKMAN here once again with your Late Summer early early really early Morning LINE on the 2016 VALLEY CLASSIC !! The tote Board has received some "bet with your heart" funds-good money but ODDS mean little for now. Here is how the horses stack-up at the moment--- Only one thing is solid--Numero Uno , the...
-- 3 to 2 -- SHOCKERS -- Still the Class but will have some big completion from
-- 5 to 2 -- RAMBLERS -- Bigger and still as fast--could mount late charge to hold off
-- 5 to 2 -- SYCAMORES -- Big battle for PLACE
-- 4 to 1 -- RED BIRDS -- TRACKMAN sees as dark horse and could sneak in for SHOW or better
-- 6 to 1 -- PURPLE ACES-- Solid for top of the rest--one trick pony
-- 8 to 1 -- PANTHERS-- Little chance to return to 2015 heroics
-- 12 to 1 -- BULLDOGS-- Some improvement could nab sixth at the wire
-- 15 to 1 -- SALUKIS-- Early giddy-up but not now
-- 30 to 1 -- BRAVES-- Not yet - soon maybe
-- 45 to 1 -- BEARS -- Nothing here--overlook this time
TRACKMAN sees a six horse stampede out of the gate with five horses going after the once again tough SHOCKERS. Will not be an easy frolic for the KANSANS this go round !!
Will be back just before the start of the preps for the GREAT VALLEY CLASSIC of 2016 !! BYE BYE !!

$100 on the Panthers to show is a solid value bet with these odds.

Great to hear from the Trackman!

My $2 would be on the field being a little too bunched up. I do like the Ramblers better than the Aces, but I'm not sure vs Redbirds and Panthers.

At 3:2 I'd put every last penny to my name on the Shox.

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MBB Scholarship Chart

I haven't thought about this much yet. I do like the Ramblers and think they will finish anywhere from 2 to 4.

UNI is hard to gauge. They lost a lot but still have some good pieces.

I'm not quite feeling the Trees right now like you are. But again, I haven't plunged into my research yet.

The Pimps could be good if Marty gets out of his own way. I think he holds them back and they finish in the 4 to 6 range.

ISU all depends on how much Mueller improves as a coach. Lots of talent. But losing Lynch hurts them a lot.

Drake should be much improved but have a lot of hurdles to finish out of Thursday.

SIU, MSU and BU are just bad. SIU is probably the best of the three. BU probably the worst considering the major overhaul going on.

I do like the way my Shox look on paper. Just read reports from the strength and conditioning coach and am very excited.

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The Roundhouse

On paper the Shockers are too low. They have to be the overwhelming favorites with Shockers versus the field being somewhere around even odds. WSU has three conference championships in 4 years. Over the last six years Gregg Marshall has the following record:

17-1 (1st, Sweet 16)
18-0 (1st, third round)
12-6 (2nd, Final Four)
16-2 (1st, NCAA birth)
14-4 (2nd, NIT Championship)
12-6 (2nd, NIT)

I don't see a team like UNI last year or Doug McDermott lead Creighton to challenge the Shockers. That said, I really like Illinois State, Evansville, UNI, Loyola, and Indiana State. All of those teams sans UE are very similar with deep guards but a little thin on bigs. Wins are going to be hard to come by on the road. I expect one of those above to emerge as an at-large.