galena rambler wrote:
I hate to be called "MR. Downer," but if Loyola losses to both Drake and SIU they very likely would be facing a dreaded PIG as the seventh seed on Thursday. It is fun to speculate about Friday and Saturday, but first the team must take care of business this Wednesday evening. It is amazing to me how important the final league game with Drake is every year!
Even if we lose the last two games, the odds are still in our favor that we don't fall farther than 6th. Is it possible? Yes, but it would take some very big upsets. Indiana State is already a lock. Evansville plays at WSU Wednesday, and unless they pull out the huge upset they're a definite Thursday. Bradley and Drake play the final game, so we're guaranteed to finish ahead of one of them as well. That leaves one Thursday spot. If Bradley wins vs. Drake, and we end up tied with Bradley, we win the tie-breaker with them. The only scenario I can see where we end up a Thursday team is if we lose out, and Drake wins out. Even in that scenario we'd still have a shot at 6th if MSU loses their last two to Bradley and WSU. So is it possible? Yes. Is it "very likely"? I'm going with no.