MVC opening night

[Cdizzle]

Or maybe uni is a lot worse than anyone expected. CSU was picked 7th in the MWC and just cruised to a win in Cedar Falls. Hmmm.

It's going to be interesting to see what Jacobson can do with this UNI team this year, for me personally.

I devalued Jacobson's accomplishments last year because he had loaded his team with upper-classmen ... my argument was that it wasn't a great coaching job because he created an unsustainable team that was designed to win last year at the expense of other years.

I'll be interested to see if I was right or not watching them this year. If Jacobson can keep winning at a high level I'll eat my crow. But that's not a good start.

Don't point this out to UNI fans. Apparently they are a little testy about the #4yearplan

[unifight789]

As a UNI fan I think this year will definitely have its rough spots. Just not much for post play at the moment. There's only three young guys with minimal experience that will play this year (one of them is suspended currently). It's just a shame because the argument could certainly be made that this may be the second best backcourt in the valley. That said I think the future is extremely bright in that area as no one is older than a sophomore and and there are two more guys redshirting. This year is going to depend on how serviceable the guys that are playing this year can become throughout the year.

[BCPanther]

Or maybe uni is a lot worse than anyone expected. CSU was picked 7th in the MWC and just cruised to a win in Cedar Falls. Hmmm.

It's going to be interesting to see what Jacobson can do with this UNI team this year, for me personally.

I devalued Jacobson's accomplishments last year because he had loaded his team with upper-classmen ... my argument was that it wasn't a great coaching job because he created an unsustainable team that was designed to win last year at the expense of other years.

I'll be interested to see if I was right or not watching them this year. If Jacobson can keep winning at a high level I'll eat my crow. But that's not a good start.

Don't point this out to UNI fans. Apparently they are a little testy about the #4yearplan

Nope.

Better than the #10year, #15year, or #20year plan most of the rest of the league is working on.

Lets not bury UNI until we've played a few games and, you know, have our whole team.

[Cdizzle]

It's going to be interesting to see what Jacobson can do with this UNI team this year, for me personally.

I devalued Jacobson's accomplishments last year because he had loaded his team with upper-classmen ... my argument was that it wasn't a great coaching job because he created an unsustainable team that was designed to win last year at the expense of other years.

I'll be interested to see if I was right or not watching them this year. If Jacobson can keep winning at a high level I'll eat my crow. But that's not a good start.

Don't point this out to UNI fans. Apparently they are a little testy about the #4yearplan

Better than the #10year, #15year, or #20year plan most of the rest of the league is working on.

You keep going to this, but has anyone ever said otherwise?

No.

[Wufan]

I still go back to UNI being on 2 of 4 plan, which is pretty damn good! McDermott would have gotten them there one or two years if not four. Oliver or Olivier (whatever it is) is playing well at OSU. He would have probably pushed them over the bubble this year. That would have given them appearances in 5 or 6 of 8 years. Currently, they have 3 in the last 7. UNI is right there every year and will be for the foreseeable future. Even Creighton, who seemingly went every year, only went for two of Altman's last seven years. The Bluejays hit the McDermott sweepstakes, effectively stealing UNIs bids for four years.

WSU's recent run has not only made it much more difficult for Jacobson (or any Valley coach for that matter) to grab an at-large, it's also made Shocker fans forget how difficult it is in general. The Valley should be a three bid league every year. WSU is carrying the torch for the foreseeable future, but UNI is right there. Beyond the Panthers, the Sycamores and the Redbirds are just one difference maker away from being that elite level team. Good things are happening at several other schools as well, and with a little luck, the MVC will return to its status as the premier non-BCS.

[Championz]

What's your definition of "elite"?

[Wufan]

What's your definition of "elite"?

Top 25ish.

[Cdizzle]

I still go back to UNI being on 2 of 4 plan, which is pretty damn good! McDermott would have gotten them there one or two years if not four. Oliver or Olivier (whatever it is) is playing well at OSU. He would have probably pushed them over the bubble this year. That would have given them appearances in 5 or 6 of 8 years. Currently, they have 3 in the last 7. UNI is right there every year and will be for the foreseeable future. Even Creighton, who seemingly went every year, only went for two of Altman's last seven years. The Bluejays hit the McDermott sweepstakes, effectively stealing UNIs bids for four years.

WSU's recent run has not only made it much more difficult for Jacobson (or any Valley coach for that matter) to grab an at-large, it's also made Shocker fans forget how difficult it is in general. The Valley should be a three bid league every year. WSU is carrying the torch for the foreseeable future, but UNI is right there. Beyond the Panthers, the Sycamores and the Redbirds are just one difference maker away from being that elite level team. Good things are happening at several other schools as well, and with a little luck, the MVC will return to its status as the premier non-BCS.

Lots of woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Kind of the Valley rally cry these days.

[Wufan]

I still go back to UNI being on 2 of 4 plan, which is pretty damn good! McDermott would have gotten them there one or two years if not four. Oliver or Olivier (whatever it is) is playing well at OSU. He would have probably pushed them over the bubble this year. That would have given them appearances in 5 or 6 of 8 years. Currently, they have 3 in the last 7. UNI is right there every year and will be for the foreseeable future. Even Creighton, who seemingly went every year, only went for two of Altman's last seven years. The Bluejays hit the McDermott sweepstakes, effectively stealing UNIs bids for four years.

WSU's recent run has not only made it much more difficult for Jacobson (or any Valley coach for that matter) to grab an at-large, it's also made Shocker fans forget how difficult it is in general. The Valley should be a three bid league every year. WSU is carrying the torch for the foreseeable future, but UNI is right there. Beyond the Panthers, the Sycamores and the Redbirds are just one difference maker away from being that elite level team. Good things are happening at several other schools as well, and with a little luck, the MVC will return to its status as the premier non-BCS.

Lots of woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Kind of the Valley rally cry these days.

Oh, I know. I just think Jacobson brings in enough consistent talent that if things break right, then he's in the conversation every year. Break wrong and it's two out four or five years. The "four year plan" is accurate in that he relies on seniors. It's not accurate to believe that he only grabs enough talent every three years to be at-large worthy.

[Ricardo del Rio]

I believe attendance was around 4,000.
My guess is that you didn't really care about what The ACES drew, on a Sunday afternoon game and were just taking a jab at UE.

You have to admit that it is a pathetic crowd for the conference champion favorite.

Just sayin'.