Topic: SHR: What could have been, and possibly can still be . . .

[coalherd]

Just saw the last half of the basketball game down in Bowling Green between two of our old CUSA "mates", FAU and WKU, which the OWLS won fairly handily, 76-62 (was on ESPNU).  FAU has won 16 in a row, now 7-0 in CUSA play, and along with the College of Charleston is ranked and the two have the current two longest winning streaks in D1 basketball.  Per announcers, Joe Lunardi would seed the OWLS 10th today if the NCAA tourney was upon us.

It is FAU's first ranking in the polls in school history.  As for WKU, one of HERD FANS' "coaching favorites", Rick Stansbury, wasn't on the bench tonight, and hasn't been for a while.  Not sure if it is illness or health related or not.  Still have some of our "lovable" players in Red, like McKnight, Sharpe, the 7'5" center with very little O game, and the Frampton kid from the nearby Kanawha Valley area.  Frampton couldn't hit the side of a barn tonight, which I'm sure makes many on here happy!  Believe the HERD when playing our game proficiently could defeat both, but FAU is very athletic, quick, and seem to play well together.  They like a 3-guard offense a lot and aren't very tall.  Again, athletic, quick, and play well together.

Oh, and the Owls have entered the AP poll for the first time in school history.  They and the College of Charleston show that other "mid-majors" like MU could, playing well and consistently, can get national recognition!!  However, can't put yourself in a deep hole at the get go by losing your first game to the likes of Queens!  But I believe absent that loss, and perhaps one more win, say either of our games versus JMU or the College of Charleston, both winnable, the HERD would be 17-2 and probably receiving some votes in the polls.

I really have NO interest on who wins in CUSA this season.  But as a HERD fan, I think having schools like Charleston and FAU doing very well, getting into the polls, and some national recognition, bodes well for ALL of the better teams in what are some of the top "mid major" conferences, which I think includes the SBC.  So I hope these two schools just keep winning, along with the HERD!!  :)

[herdorbust2]

I've said this all along. If we were 17-2 we would be getting close to cracking the top 25. 18-1 and we would be in. A couple points here and there and we would be there. People blew the schedule way out of hand. A shame because all 4 games were winnable and we should at worst be 17-2 right now. But you have to come and play every night. We need the next 2 on the road and then come back home and get 2. 19-4 and go from there.

[coalherd]

Hard to argue though, bust, that schedule, particularly the OOC portion isn't a hindrance to the HERD in any possible post season seating.   See the just out analysis by CBS's Jerry Palm, in his "Bracketology" recently released.  He DOES have the HERD in the Big Dance as a 13th Seed in the South Region.  Palm has us playing in Orlando, First Round games, with #6 seed Saint Mary's playing #11 seed FAU and #4 seed Miami playing #13 Marshall. In arriving at their brackets, the CBS analysts/pundits used factors such as NET, SOS, and NC (non-conference) SOS.  MU's NET was given as 70; its overall SOS was 193, but its out-of-conference (OOC) SOS was a PUTRID 340.  With a better OOC SOS, we could probably end up similar to FAU's current predicted seeding, an 11th seed, maybe a little higher.  All this, of course, is based on the CURRENT situation in D1 ball.  But if the HERD gets on a roll, not hard to see it ending the regular season with 25 or more Ws heading into the SBC tourney.