Travel Data:
Another great preview Nate! Thanks!!
Speaking of Indiana State, it is one of the great road trips to take.
Next season I will be looking to gather data on past road trips that people have taken to the various MVC cities to provide insights into the experience and share my experience as well.
As for Indiana State (and I will get in more depth next year on Indiana State) I want to point out the following;

1. the team usually stays at the Hilton Garden Inn right near the arena; It is less than a 50-75 yard walk to the main entrance of the arena. So, you do not have to worry about parking as you just leave your car at the hotel.
2. accessing will call is easy as it is at the main entrance so this is not one of situations where you need to walk around and around the arena to figure it out
as it is right by the Larry Bird statue entrance (you can't miss the statue).
3. The hotel is outstanding. It has a nice restaurant for food and is reasonably priced. Last year for the Larry Bird homecoming game, we saw Larry Bird in the restaurant. Quite a large contingent of Sycamore fans at the breakfast buffet. (well done). It has a nice small bar in the evening with a sports tv as well.
There is a nice indoor pool and workout area as well.
4. There are two nice breakfast restaurants as well. One right across the street and the other a cafe in a museum (names allude me now) two blocks away.
5. There is a nice parking garage right across the street from the arena as well.
6. About 25 miles north of Terre Haute on Route 41 on the west side is a great restaurant called "The Beef House". It has a nice western cabin type motiff and outstanding food. You can pick your own steak. Had dinner there two years ago and it was reasonably priced. But the best feature is the fried chicken. The best ever and most people take an extra order home.
7. Every other year the Indiana State road game is on a Saturday. Always starts at 1pm Eastern time so if you see the game you can make it home by 5-6pm central time. We usually go down on Friday afternoon and we always run into the coaching staff and the players at the hotel which makes Friday night very special.
8. Coming from the northern suburbs we usually take 41 south to Terre Haute. There is some stop and go traffic in northern Indiana but after that it is clear sailing.
We usually stop and pick up a great friend in Chicago so it usually take us about 3 to 4 hours to get down there not counting the time as we usually stop for Friday early dinner at the Beef House.

I have been to MVC road games in Evansville (also a nice experience), Bradley (great place especially if you stay at the Pierre Marquette (Marriott) or the attached Courtyard Marriott where the team stays. If you stay there you can use the covered walkway which connects to the arena and thus leave your coat at the hotel).
Illinois State and Valparaiso and Drake.
Have not been to Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Northern Iowa but hoping to get those in next year.
Just my two cents worth.
Thanks to JCT and Nate for their insights. JCT for his great every game preview and Nate for his post season/preseason forecast.
Nate hope you know you have created high expectations.
With the season over and Illinois on lockdown and all other sports cancelled as well as the post season banquet, it is nice to keep in contact with all Rambler fans.
Stay safe.

So up today is the Ramblers.....I am going to leave this to fellow Ramblermaniacs to do.......Give it your best shot...and then forcast where the Ramblers will finish.....as of know with the previews I have done....I have it like this Evansville, Drake, Illinois State, Indiana St, Bradley......As of now with out the other previews I gotta think LU is near the top.......Lets see what you got to say on the Ramblers....and where they will finish.

To Streak.I agree get to some road games......going to a road game is a blast.....I am setting aside some more time next year to hit the road..I am hoping that I can get to at least 4 valley games. Really hope we schedule someone close where we can have a bus from campus and a pre-game fan gathering...The one at UWM a couple of years ago was really well done and a lot of fun....the game not so much.....maybe someone should start an overall What needs to be improved post as I think the lock down is on for at least another month.

Streak and Nate: this info is so helpful it should probably be in its own thread. And I think that's still slumming it. Maybe you all are interested in publishing a book or prospectus?

I think Streak doing a travel book to all the Valley Cities and venues would be awesome..myabe it could lead to a Ramblermaniac road game trip next year...I am just slumming it here..trying to get some discussion going during this period of peculiarity ......but I am still waiting on someone(s) to do a Loyola preview....so I can go ahead and finish the Conference.

I will do the travel book and will ask Murph (who heads the Bo Rambler group) to work with me as he has been to the other three venues. Being semi retired I have the time to do that. We could add JCT preseason preview and then add a piece at the end with game summaries from the Sports Information Director. Bill Behrens is a great resource.
I had an opportunity to have lunch with Steve Watson, Tom Sorboro and Holly Straus Obrien and presented a series of ideas to promote greater fan and alumni involvement. With the departure of Sean McDonough they have a need for resources and support. Perhaps we can put together a working group to meet again with Holly as she is filling in for Sean on an interim basis. Steve and Tom have been very supportive and have attended on occasion the Bo Rambler Group "gabfest" as Murph calls them (Steve has even picked up the tab). Sean Mcd had set up several viewing parties and Nate The Skate did a great job of organizing viewing parties for three of the road games out in Barrington (we lost all three road games badly except for Bradley).
Nonetheless, my point is there are things that we can all do to support the program.
If you have an interest in participating in a working group, let me know so we can then contact Holly.

I didn't know McDonogh left, that was short lived.

I thought Sean being dismissed, and I liked Sean, was an indication that they have a time table and goals for that time table, centered around maximizing the possibilities of the Final Four run....I really have no details on the particulars of Sean leaving but that is what I made of it.
Streak...why dont you start and organize that working group here on a new thread....Maybe you can share some of your ideas...RMs can respond add and throw around..and then you can summarize and present to Steve.?

So back with MSU Bears….who were for the most part stripped bare this year after being the top choice for a lot a people to take the cake. In my opinion this was a team that under achieved for legitimate reasons and then some not so legitimate reasons…
- Two rather important injuries hurt……the most significant I thought was Tyrik Dixon who was lost after 17 games to a torn shoulder labrum. There was also a season long injury to the same injury to Jared Ridder..a 3* transfer from Xavier who had seen significant minutes the year before. Although to be fair MSU was 4-5 in the Valley at the time of the Dixon injury. But frankly( I can call you Frank?) I do not think Ford is a very good coach and they had some star issues……This team showed the ability to turn it on and turn it off which I think is a sign of motivational, ego , team issues.
All that being said the Bears are going to lose over half of their minutes and half of their points next year. The Bears will lose Kandre Cook, Tulia Da Silvia, Kabir Mohammed, Lamont West and if you throw in Josh Hall transferring the Bears are losing 110 minutes out of 200.
However they will have Gaige Prim back and he will move to the head of the class. He averaged 14 ppg in just 22 minutes a game. I thought he was a major match up problem for Krut. And it Tyron Dixon makes a full recovery you could make a team around those two if they can get some solid players around them..Returning will be 3 players who got significant time as freshman last year.
Isaiah Mosley who saw action in all 32 games and averaged 8 ppg. JaMonta Black also saw 19 mpg in all 32 games Ford Cooper a 3 * a freshman point guard saw action in 27 games. Although there are rumors that he may hit the transfer trail as MSU as brought in two new point guards..
So who is new? As of now the gem seems to be Demarcus Sharp a 6’4 guard from Colby Comm. 44% from 3..6 assists a game….also an incoming freshman a 6”6 pg from Florida with offers from Depaul and TCU. An unkown could be 6”11 Darien Scott who did not see much time last year in a crowded field.
So here is a team hit by injuries, that is losing a lot of production returning a star in Prim with 3 experienced freshman, a solid juco and two returning injured players. ? There are still 4 spots open with a lot of JUCO offers out there. My gut tells me this team will be middle of the pack…there are just too many unkowns…will the injured players come back healthy, will the freshman continue to develop, will the new players gel, .MSU will be middle of the pack
Evansville, Drake, Missouri St. Illinois State, Indiana St, Bradley. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk ... r-BB11nbuj

Things have changed quickly at MSU Dixon and Cooper (a 3 star recruit) have decided to transfer with the signing of Demarcus Sharp..the JC guard out of Colby Community College...
They have also signed a 6"10 center out of Australia...filling what looked like a potential weakness which was any depth for Prim at the center position.

In my mind this is a good example of the two extreme models of filling your roster....LU while they have had transfers and JUCOS....have largely relied on high school recruits...and while we lose some occasionally it seems that this model helps us create better depth....
while MSU seems to almost rely completely on transfers and JUCOS.....and then they leave when their position is challenged.....with sooo much transition on a yearly basis you have to wonder how you create a team with depth and synergy.