Rick Majerus Named As SLU Head Coach

[MrCrowesGarden]

Mizzou has nothing to gain from playing SLU, or Mo State for that matter. Why should they play them?

Spoken like true cowards.

Mizzou sucks anyways.

This is exactly the point. Mizzou is always going to be the bigger, power conference school, so if they win they were supposed to, and if they lose then they get the humiliation of losing to their small, in-state brethren. Unless SLU or Mo State find themselves at a Gonzaga level of sustained performance and perception, then it's not worth it for Mizzou to play them. It can't help, it can only hurt.

I don't think many people would call MO State beating Mizzou an upset anymore. SLU perhaps, but I don't think MO State. The Bears are a good team and the Valley has shown itself to be on par with the best conferences. The figures bear it out, and I think the perception is changing too.

Here in Nebraska, the Huskers play the Bluejays in bball every year, and Creighton more times than not is the favorite. While Creighton has a sustained bball program, I also don't think that they're given the same perception as Gonzaga as a national powerhouse. Hmm....that's a rant for another time....

[StL Dan]

it would be viewed as an upset, though, and the team that gets upset never benefits from that.

I don't even know how to respond to that.

Are you saying MU should only play teams that are perceived to be "better" than them?

Matchups with SLU and MO State is good for the fans and good for the game no matter who wins or loses.

not what I'm saying, but when you're a big program in a state and you want to attract the best players your state produces you don't schedule a competing smaller school in your state who could beat you while a recruit watches.

Every game they schedule is a potential loss. That's the way basketball is these days. Factoring in the effect losing to an instate competing school is the key here.

Same thing happens back home with Auburn and Alabama playing schools like UAB. It's happened a few times, but they avoid it as much as possible.

That is even more of a reason to play SLU and MO State.

There is no better way to demonstrate perceived dominace than to go out and beat those programs on a regular basis.

[clevername]

it would be viewed as an upset, though, and the team that gets upset never benefits from that.

I don't even know how to respond to that.

Are you saying MU should only play teams that are perceived to be "better" than them?

Matchups with SLU and MO State is good for the fans and good for the game no matter who wins or loses.

not what I'm saying, but when you're a big program in a state and you want to attract the best players your state produces you don't schedule a competing smaller school in your state who could beat you while a recruit watches.

Every game they schedule is a potential loss. That's the way basketball is these days. Factoring in the effect losing to an instate competing school is the key here.

Same thing happens back home with Auburn and Alabama playing schools like UAB. It's happened a few times, but they avoid it as much as possible.

That is even more of a reason to play SLU and MO State.

There is no better way to demonstrate perceived dominace than to go out and beat those programs on a regular basis.

that's the whole point. Any perceived dominance they have (which they probably don't actually have in reality, given the parity in college basketball these days) would be washed away by a loss or even a near upset. Why risk that at all? Just keep that perceived "big brother" reputation out there.

[TimeForGuinness]

Mizzou has nothing to gain from playing SLU, or Mo State for that matter. Why should they play them?

Spoken like true cowards.

Mizzou sucks anyways.

Mizzou is always going to be the bigger, power conference school...

...in what?

[stretch]

it would be viewed as an upset, though, and the team that gets upset never benefits from that.

I don't even know how to respond to that.

Are you saying MU should only play teams that are perceived to be "better" than them?

Matchups with SLU and MO State is good for the fans and good for the game no matter who wins or loses.

not what I'm saying, but when you're a big program in a state and you want to attract the best players your state produces you don't schedule a competing smaller school in your state who could beat you while a recruit watches.

Every game they schedule is a potential loss. That's the way basketball is these days. Factoring in the effect losing to an instate competing school is the key here.

Same thing happens back home with Auburn and Alabama playing schools like UAB. It's happened a few times, but they avoid it as much as possible.

That is even more of a reason to play SLU and MO State.

There is no better way to demonstrate perceived dominace than to go out and beat those programs on a regular basis.

I agree with this take. You aren't going to beat them every time, but if you've got a good coach that can get good players, I'd wager that MU wins at least 70% of games against SLU and MO State.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Mizzou has nothing to gain from playing SLU, or Mo State for that matter. Why should they play them?

Spoken like true cowards.

Mizzou sucks anyways.

Mizzou is always going to be the bigger, power conference school...

...in what?

Everything.

[TimeForGuinness]

Mizzou has nothing to gain from playing SLU, or Mo State for that matter. Why should they play them?

Spoken like true cowards.

Mizzou sucks anyways.

Mizzou is always going to be the bigger, power conference school...

...in what?

Everything.

Basketball, sure...but I don't remember Missouri going to the finals of the tourney? Missouri goes deep in the conference about as often as SLU makes it to the tourney.

Soccer? Nope. SLU has you beat there. (Does Missouri even have a soccer team?)

Well at least Missouri has a football team...if that's what they call it.

I guess the campus is physically bigger, but the conference they play in isn't that good. (neither is SLU's) The PAC, ACC, and SEC are tops.

Sorry if I don't agree with you but I think playing in-state rivals is worth doing. And if Missouri is so "powerful" in everything, then why are they playing SLU and MS...they should win, right? Or maybe Missouri is trying to hold on to the big powerful school mentality...even though they're not.

TFG

[GatewaySnayke]

TFG, the Big XII is year in and year out one of the Top 5 basketball conferences and always one of the Top 3 football conferences.

TT is right that Missouri has nothing to gain from playing SLU. For local ratings, it would be a boost, but Missouri has to worry about improving their image nationally, and a potential loss to SLU or MO State would hurt them in the eyes of state recruits, as has been pointed out. If Missouri is hot after Player X from St. Louis, and the Billikens are wanting him, too, Missouri cannot lose that game. A recruit would be turned off by a program that can't even defeat a second-tier school.

Plus, Missouri has to re-establish themselves as the premier basketball school in the state. They schedule cupcakes early on the schedule as sort of a "preseason" then they have to worry about beating bigger schools on their NC and conference schedules. SLU and MO State are not cupcakes.

[MrCrowesGarden]

TFG, the Big XII is year in and year out one of the Top 5 basketball conferences and always one of the Top 3 football conferences.

The Big 12 was 7th in conference RPI in basketball last year, and it's quite reasonable to argue that the only thing that saved the Big 12 from being a dying football conference was Texas' win in the Rose Bowl in 2006.

[TimeForGuinness]

TFG, the Big XII is year in and year out one of the Top 5 basketball conferences and always one of the Top 3 football conferences.

The Big 12 was 7th in conference RPI in basketball last year, and it's quite reasonable to argue that the only thing that saved the Big 12 from being a dying football conference was Texas' win in the Rose Bowl in 2006.

++ on that

Plus, I found the SLU and MS game this year to be highly entertaining. SLU also has played North Carolina, Gonzaga, and SIUC and usually plays them well. Almost upset Gonzaga last year.

Both Missouri State and SLU have a higher RPI than Missouri in 2006:
http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/weeklyrpi/rpi1.html
Missouri State 22
SLU 103
Missouri 147

Both Missouri State and SLU have a higher RPI than Missouri in 2007:
http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/weeklyrpi ... Brpi1.html
Missouri State 48
SLU 74
Missouri 92

Missouri State and SLU may be second tier, but they aren't as second tier as you think. They are both up and coming.