Southern Illinois Preview and Game Thread -- 2-21-2018

[goramblers2011]

CHAMPIONS.

And Saturday will be the coronation. Man, I love this team. So much fun.

[brot4britu]

Part of the job is done--NIT for sure now LET US DANCE !!!

Are you doubters convinced YET ?? Tou know who you are !! Believe it !! WE ARE A DARNED GOOD TEAM= !! As I have said We have so many guns !!

Congrats to our RAMBLERS !!

[JCT]

Did not anticipate an easy, efficient, stress-free win, but I'll take it.

2017-18 MVC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS!

What a road it's been to get here.... So proud of the players, especially the seniors who took a leap of faith back in 2014 to cast their basketball lot with Loyola.

[01grad]

If we get the win here, I estimate the RPI goes to 35.

35!!

You’re way off. It’s currently at 33.

[ToledoRambler]

There are 32 Division I conferences, correct? I would think that means there’s 32 automatic bids, which would leave 36 at large spots. Are you telling me that if we don’t win the arch we aren’t one of those 36 teams even though we have 24+ wins, 6 losses, 50 percent shooting percentage, top 15 3 point percentage, regular season conference championship, win over a then ranked top 5 team team on the road, and regular season conference championship.... with x-factors of 3 of those losses coming without the teams starting point guard who will most likely be conference player of the year? This is NOT the same scenario that Illinois State was in a year ago.

[ahunte1]

Way to go Ramblers! Congrats to Porter and the boys. What a performance tonight. I can't wait for the party Saturday.

[JCT]

Five years ago today, we were in the post-Butler Horizon League.

Today we're on top of the MVC.



Note that our RPI is three notches higher than the team we were asked to replace in the MVC.

[01grad]

SIU’s RPI only dropped to 85. If they can reel off a few wins and meet us in the conference title game, there’s a chance we could get another win in the tier 1 column. Florida clearly isn’t helping with that lately.

[JCT]

There are 32 Division I conferences, correct? I would think that means there’s 32 automatic bids, which would leave 36 at large spots. Are you telling me that if we don’t win the arch we aren’t one of those 36 teams even though we have 24+ wins, 6 losses, 50 percent shooting percentage, top 15 3 point percentage, regular season conference championship, win over a then ranked top 5 team team on the road, and regular season conference championship.... with x-factors of 3 of those losses coming without the teams starting point guard who will most likely be conference player of the year? This is NOT the same scenario that Illinois State was in a year ago.

Yes. Now that larger conferences have swallowed up all the viable mid majors into mega-conferences with 14 or 16 teams, the NCAA is now giving at large bids to P5 teams that are under .500 in conference over teams that run away with their mid-major but don't win the conference tournament. Illinois State last year was an example.... their only Top 50 win was at home over WSU, and their second best win was a home game against New Mexico (RPI 87). Their best road win was at #147 Southern Illinois.

We would have a better resume than them, I think, if we lost in the conference tournament final. But the ISU precedent is recent, the factors that move the committee toward mediocre power conference teams has likely only accelerated, and you can't depend on the committee to factor in the Custer injury to explain away the losses at UW-Milwaukee, at Missouri State, and against Indiana State at home.

[brot4britu]

This team and its coach deserve a dance bid--We win in St Louis it of course is automatic--Otherwise it is a crap shoot--Our history with the NCAA selection committee has been negative. Now, if our Chgo Media would push us that is get away from its Notre Dame bias for the next two weeks it might help !!!

GOSH , this is one fine team with a great COACH !! He recruits well and those recruits deliver--WOW do they ever !!!

BTW both ACES and Salukis are a credit to the MVC--Nice teams both !!