Central Region Talk

[libertybearcat]

Another oddity is that UCO only plays one game this week while most of the conference plays two games this week. Certainly had room to play another game on the schedule. I'm new to all this, my son is a signee for UCO for next year so I'm looking forward to next year and having some skin in the game.

Typically twice during conference season the only game you have is against your Travel Partner...Newman in UCO's case. Every team has it on their schedule. I've seen where you might play a Sat and Monday game (vs the normal Thursday or Wednesday/Saturday conference schedule) and then not play until Saturday.

[Alfred33]

Another oddity is that UCO only plays one game this week while most of the conference plays two games this week. Certainly had room to play another game on the schedule. I'm new to all this, my son is a signee for UCO for next year so I'm looking forward to next year and having some skin in the game.

Welcome to the board. Not a lot of forum chatter from the Cho's on the basketball side, so you're insight and commentary will be nice addition.

[ChoHoopDad]

It's really weird. This year ESU plays UCO, MSSU, UNK, and FHSU just once and last year ESU played UCM, MSSU, UNK and FHSU once. We played in Joplin both years while UNK and FHSU had to come to Emporia both years and we payed at UCO and UCM. These are the scenarios you can end up with when you have to play an unbalanced schedule.

Another oddity is that UCO only plays one game this week while most of the conference plays two games this week. Certainly had room to play another game on the schedule. I'm new to all this, my son is a signee for UCO for next year so I'm looking forward to next year and having some skin in the game.

[Hornetfan]

I had to double check the schedule because NW only played UCO once last year and that was at UCO. Glad to see we have the opportunity to play them at home this year. The one time a year wasn't the problem but if both years were one time AND at UCO both years then that would have been frustrating (especially because of losing both of those).

It's really weird. This year ESU plays UCO, MSSU, UNK, and FHSU just once and last year ESU played UCM, MSSU, UNK and FHSU once. We played in Joplin both years while UNK and FHSU had to come to Emporia both years and we payed at UCO and UCM. These are the scenarios you can end up with when you have to play an unbalanced schedule.

[NWHoops]

Thanks to the unbalanced schedule ESU and UCO only play once this year in the regular season. (Even though Emporia is closer to Edmond than nine of the other MIAA schools?)
Also only play UNK and FHSU once even though again Emporia is closer to both of those schools than ten of the other MIAA cities.

I had to double check the schedule because NW only played UCO once last year and that was at UCO. Glad to see we have the opportunity to play them at home this year. The one time a year wasn't the problem but if both years were one time AND at UCO both years then that would have been frustrating (especially because of losing both of those).

[Hornetfan]

NWMSU/UC0/ESU all play each other once and maybe twice more(depending on MIAA Tourney bracket) before the Regional so current rankings of those 3 could definitely change.

Thanks to the unbalanced schedule ESU and UCO only play once this year in the regular season. (Even though Emporia is closer to Edmond than nine of the other MIAA schools?)
Also only play UNK and FHSU once even though again Emporia is closer to both of those schools than ten of the other MIAA cities.

[Stanger86]

It's [ tweet]19-digit number from the tweet's URL[/tweet] (minus the extra space in the opening tag).

The full URL will get it done too, I believe.

[Stanger86]

The numbers certainly do like NSU this year and 2 through 5 seem to be pretty closely bunched together. The 2 wins over Moorhead are undoubtedly what are keeping the Wolves this high. I would be surprised to see a 5-loss NSU over a 2-loss NWMSU. SMSU also gets a huge boost from beating Northern over the weekend. If I had to guess I would say Duluth and MO Southern would probably round out the regional rankings at this point.

Inkblot is a great follow if you like D2 sports.

Helping Southwest are the win over Northern, but also the sweep over Sioux Falls. Also, to a point someone else made...we haven't played Crookston yet.

[Stanger86]

There was a year too where they let Colorado Christian in whom Winona absolutely annihilated, over Southwest who gave them competitive games. The NSIC was viewed as an undeserving substandard conference at the time.

I think that was the very next year? 2007-08? Senior year for Fletch and Krenske. Mustangs were 17-12, CCU was 18-13. Winona won 78-45.

Two snubs in a row before a Elite Eight run. Again, not bitter.

[Inkblot]

If I could remember how to embed a tweet I would

It's [ tweet]19-digit number from the tweet's URL[/tweet] (minus the extra space in the opening tag).

[Inkblot]

To be honest, sorting out 2–5 was tricky this week. All four are clustered together in PI, but there's a huge difference in RPI between NSU/MSUM and NW/ESU. NW does have the head-to-head win over NSU, but also a head-to-head loss to ESU.

Last year it was clear that, at least in this region, a single head-to-head wasn't viewed as decisive – NW being one spot ahead of UCO in the first and third rankings and then Washburn being selected over ESU. But if I recall correctly, two-game sweeps were given more weight, so it feels like I have to have NSU over MSUM as long as the numbers are close.

In the end, I felt it was best to keep them in the order the RPI had them – but I'm not extremely confident the committee would do the same.

[Alfred33]

For comparison's sake and yes I know it factors in non-D2 games here is how the Regional Rankings would look using Massey's Ratings:

1. NW Missouri (overall #2)
2. Central OK (#3)
3. MSU Moorhead (#9)
4. Emporia (#11)
5. Northern (#15)
6. Southern Nazarene (#21)
7. UMD (#26)
8. MoSo (#28)
9. Ft Hays (#30)
10. USF (#32)

Wow... that's absurd. lol I can't even come up with a fictional scenario wearing my greenest Bearcatiest glasses that would put us ahead of UCO at this point.

[Augieholic]

For comparison's sake and yes I know it factors in non-D2 games here is how the Regional Rankings would look using Massey's Ratings:

1. NW Missouri (overall #2)
2. Central OK (#3)
3. MSU Moorhead (#9)
4. Emporia (#11)
5. Northern (#15)
6. Southern Nazarene (#21)
7. UMD (#26)
8. MoSo (#28)
9. Ft Hays (#30)
10. USF (#32)

[NWHoops]

That is kind of surprising when looking at records, but our strength of schedule is hurting us. Some of the "good" teams we beat in the preseason have turned out to not be so good. Flagler is 8-9, Truman is 7-10, West Tx A&M is doing alright at 11-5, but we've played some dogs too. Crookston is 1-17, and a couple of MIAA bottom feeders UNK and PSU are a combined 8-25. Northern is the best team we've beaten. The 2 ranked teams other than WTxA&M that we have played have both beaten us, so it's a little hard to make the argument that we're as strong as ever. I think we're still pretty good, but there's a lot of basketball left to play to determine that. Even though the score was mostly within reach the entire UCO game, it didn't feel like the game was ever really in doubt. Hopefully, the rematch in Maryville in late February has a lot riding on it.

I'm still not sure what the people running the Hillyard were thinking inviting Crookston to that event. The only thing I can guess is that it would be a guarantee win for Western and it still took them OT to get that win.

[Alfred33]

If I could remember how to embed a tweet I would, but our good friend Inkblot has updated his bracketology for this week and I've gotta say I'm quite surprised.

1. Central Oklahoma
2. Northern St
3. Moorhead
4. Emporia St
5. NW Missouri St
6. USF
7. Southern Nazarene
8. SMSU

The numbers certainly do like NSU this year and 2 through 5 seem to be pretty closely bunched together. The 2 wins over Moorhead are undoubtedly what are keeping the Wolves this high. I would be surprised to see a 5-loss NSU over a 2-loss NWMSU. SMSU also gets a huge boost from beating Northern over the weekend. If I had to guess I would say Duluth and MO Southern would probably round out the regional rankings at this point.

Inkblot is a great follow if you like D2 sports.

That is kind of surprising when looking at records, but our strength of schedule is hurting us. Some of the "good" teams we beat in the preseason have turned out to not be so good. Flagler is 8-9, Truman is 7-10, West Tx A&M is doing alright at 11-5, but we've played some dogs too. Crookston is 1-17, and a couple of MIAA bottom feeders UNK and PSU are a combined 8-25. Northern is the best team we've beaten. The 2 ranked teams other than WTxA&M that we have played have both beaten us, so it's a little hard to make the argument that we're as strong as ever. I think we're still pretty good, but there's a lot of basketball left to play to determine that. Even though the score was mostly within reach the entire UCO game, it didn't feel like the game was ever really in doubt. Hopefully, the rematch in Maryville in late February has a lot riding on it.