Arch Madness

A few weeks back when I revisited the 2006 tournament, I made note of the fact we had two Valley teams make the Sweet 16. They were Wichita State and Bradley. Southern Illinois was always making noise in March. Even with the Shockers Final 4 run in 2013, it seems like the Valley hasn't been as strong as it once was.

They lost Creighton and that was an obvious blow but the BlueJays, while often making appearances in the dance as a member of the Valley, they haven't made a Sweet 16 since 1974. Other than Wichita State, the last Valley team to make the Sweet 16 was Northern Iowa in 2010. Doubtful that changes this year but Arch Madness can still be fun.

Brian mentioned Evansville as a team likely to thieve a bid. This is a good choice. Evansville finished tied for 2nd with Illinois State. The Purple Aces have two guys that could shine in SR. G DJ Balentine and SR. big man Egidijus Mockevicius. 

We shouldn't overlook the enigmatic Panthers of UNI either. Though they finished 11-7 and in a tie for 4th, they've won 9 of their last 10. Wes Washpun is their best player but has a very good supporting cast. UNI has a tough opener on Friday against a vastly improved Southern Illinois team. Get through that one and they can grind with the favorites.

Finally, Wichita State is all the way up to 8 on KenPom. Most brackets have them pegged on the 8-9 line. That'll be criminally low and give heartburn to any 1-seeds.