2024-25 Around College Hoops

[BrokerZ]

I am also someone who hasn’t really heard of St. Thomas, but the more I look into them the more I think they could be a sleeping giant. They apparently have a ton of money, a decent recruiting base where basketball is becoming insanely popular, and they would be decent travel distance partners for Drake and UNI. Continuing to expand East or South will further alienate both schools. St. Thomas is also apparently breaking ground on a brand new arena. Lastly, St. Thomas is nearly a top-100 KenPom and NET team, so they’d be a good add from a competition standpoint.

In saying that, as a state school that continues to fund football, I’m not a proponent of adding another private school with a war chest to outspend us with. Taking a state school in MSU and replacing them with another private is probably not best for ISU. I’d be much more comfortable adding a school that spends somewhere around our level, or at least within arms reach.

 

[Dymotic]

If I had to choose, the finalists would be St Thomas, Wright State, NKU, or Omaha. All have baseball as a secondary sport and would fit in the void of 'success' that Mo St has had recently.. some would honestly be an improvement

 

[Bluethunder]

I would want to add a state school to replace a state school

So Northern Kentucky or Wright State would get my vote

But some of this will depend on geography and which way the league wants to go with footprint in mind.

It’s not just about adding one school, it’s about expanding your footprint and then when the next team leaves (Illinois State?) you can look at colleges in your new, expanded geography

That’s why I think it could make sense to add a Northern Kentucky and look at adding Wright State of another opening pops up later.

 

[Jason Svoboda]

This is a hill I will continue to die on.

Until we no longer pay for football, any school that is offered must have football.

It's no shocker which schools have dominated the Valley for two decades are pretty much those that do not have scholarship football.

 

[treeman]

Just watching some college basketball. Ex Villanova Jay Wright just said something interesting that i've never thought of. They were talking about Creighton. He said something to affect of "during my days at Nova, when you traveled to Omaha you new you were going to be in for a high scoring game, they wanted to pressure you and get up and down. Now if they came to your place the game was going to be more in the 60s as they wanted to slow it down and make it more possession by possession."

Just something interesting as it's SO hard to win on the road that is makes sense that you would want to make it as low possession as possible to give yourself the best chance to make a few plays the last 5 minutes.

 

[MovingScreenOfDeath]

In saying that, as a state school that continues to fund football, I’m not a proponent of adding another private school with a war chest to outspend us with. Taking a state school in MSU and replacing them with another private is probably not best for ISU. I’d be much more comfortable adding a school that spends somewhere around our level, or at least within arms reach

I understand what you're saying, but I woikd vote based on what's best for the Valley. St Thomas is a potential top 100 NET team with cash to burn, and have the chance to be close to Drake/Bradley/UNI level within a season or 2. NKU or UT-Arlington add a sub 200 NET team as a potential Q4 loss for everyone

 

[bluestreak]

I drive 6 hours to watch this crap?

 

[Jason Svoboda]

I understand what you're saying, but I woikd vote based on what's best for the Valley. St Thomas is a potential top 100 NET team with cash to burn, and have the chance to be close to Drake/Bradley/UNI level within a season or 2. NKU or UT-Arlington add a sub 200 NET team as a potential Q4 loss for everyone

Then we need to move. If it's all private schools and we have an administration that wants to continue to fund football, we're not a fit for the Missouri Valley.

 

[Sycamorefan96]

I don't really care what the MVC does at this point, but if I had a vote I'd just stay at 11. I don't feel like there's any program out there that actually improves the conference, and staying at 11 would get rid of the unbalanced conference schedules.

 

[RunSyc]

Then we need to move. If it's all private schools and we have an administration that wants to continue to fund football, we're not a fit for the Missouri Valley.

What would moving on look like? OVC?

I'd rather admin doubles down on & .

Believe can become a consistent winner, but u make good point about competing with other better funded programs.

 

[Jason Svoboda]

What would moving on look like? OVC?

I'd rather admin doubles down on & .

Believe can become a consistent winner, but u make good point about competing with other better funded programs.

I would as well but no AD is going to take this job and cut the program if they have career aspirations.

But yeah, moving downward is limited to essentially the OVC or Horizon. The move would need to keep geographical tightness for logistics costs.

 

[4Q_iu]

I understand what you're saying, but I woikd vote based on what's best for the Valley. St Thomas is a potential top 100 NET team with cash to burn, and have the chance to be close to Drake/Bradley/UNI level within a season or 2. NKU or UT-Arlington add a sub 200 NET team as a potential Q4 loss for everyone

Why are they a potential 100 NET team? b/c of this one season?