|
Post by Super King on Aug 8, 2011 16:24:50 GMT -6
Yeah well, we thought Loyola was going to be way better after their season two years ago and look where they ended up. UIC is too young to make waves.
The Horizon League has several distinct tiers among its teams. As I see it, these tiers are fairly well set, but generally one or two teams make a move up or down between them every year. Tier one: Butler, Milwaukee, Cleveland State; tier two: Wright State, Detroit, Valparaiso, Green Bay; tier three: UIC, Loyola, Youngstown.
Historically, Wright State is up at the top, but they and Milwaukee have switched places back and forth the past five years. So I'd say they more than any other team straddle the line between the tier above them and the tier they're in. And in each individual tier, the included teams could finish in any order in any given year, but generally won't push too hard to move up.
It's just going to be really, really hard for UIC to move out of that bottom tier, especially now that we all seem to agree that Youngstown isn't going to be as terrible as they've always been (although losing a role player hurts them). And even if they do, there are way too many teams above them. Unless Howard Moore is an amazing coach, of course, but it's too early in the process to bear that out.
|
|
|
Post by BBFran on Aug 8, 2011 16:35:06 GMT -6
It's probably completely foolish of me, but I find it very difficult not to include Detroit in tier 1 this year. Yeah, yeah, I know. But geez, the talent they have! That team will have to find ways to lose. Of course, they have shown they are very good at doing just that.
I like Valpo, too, even without Wood.
|
|
|
Post by ghostofdylan on Aug 8, 2011 21:23:57 GMT -6
Yeah well, we thought Loyola was going to be way better after their season two years ago and look where they ended up. UIC is too young to make waves. I seem to recall picking Loyola to win five league games last season. There were others who did the same (JG? BP? Fran?). I'll try to clarify my point. UIC won only three league games last year but defeated Illinois and Rhode Island on a "neutral" court. Youngstown finished with just two conference victories last year, but defeated big dog Butler and threw a scare into several more. There will always be league members that win only two or three or five conference games because, well, someone has to lose. But the league's level of play has improved exponentially over the last five years and continues its certain and steady climb. Ask yourself this: how many league members might have won first-round NCAA tournament games a year ago? Four? Could the same thing have been said five or six years ago?
|
|
|
Post by ghostofdylan on Aug 20, 2011 7:06:15 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Sept 9, 2011 11:37:19 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by PantherU on Sept 9, 2011 14:47:49 GMT -6
Oof. One "high-major," two mid-majors, and a slew of low-majors and non-DI opponents. Howard Moore seems to be scheduling wins a little early, don'tcha think? I don't think his job would be in jeopardy if they won 4 games this year.
|
|
|
Post by Super King on Sept 9, 2011 16:03:57 GMT -6
I think Moore for now is more concerned with getting momentum heading into the conference season. If you have a program inundated with a culture of losing, winning games -- any games -- can help change the psychology of your team.
|
|
|
Post by zvillehaze on Sept 9, 2011 16:11:37 GMT -6
Oof. One "high-major," two mid-majors, and a slew of low-majors and non-DI opponents. Howard Moore seems to be scheduling wins a little early, don'tcha think? I don't think his job would be in jeopardy if they won 4 games this year. That's a fairly harsh critique. Not sure how an A-10 team, a MWC teams and 4 MAC teams equates to a "slew of low-majors". At the end of the day, UIC isn't scheduling for an at-large bid, so this schedule seems to make some sense for where their program is currently.
|
|
|
Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Sept 9, 2011 17:18:48 GMT -6
Moore did say he does have a very young team.
|
|
|
Post by ghostofdylan on Sept 16, 2011 8:53:27 GMT -6
I've got the Flames -- without Robo Kreps and Paul Carter -- going 2-16 in league play and 7-21 overall, pending the outcome of their BracketBusters pool play game.
|
|
|
Post by ghostofdylan on Aug 24, 2012 14:22:42 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Sept 5, 2012 16:25:41 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Nov 16, 2012 19:11:32 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Spirit of Bruce on Nov 27, 2012 22:39:55 GMT -6
UIC wins rather easily again at NIU tonight. We'll see how they do against Northwestern saturday. Moore has his crew pretty fired up. We could use some of that..
|
|
|
Post by Super King on Dec 14, 2012 19:16:34 GMT -6
Here's a 9gag.com page from a few months ago that gives Robo Kreps some love for his ridiculous name 9gag.com/gag/4902346
|
|