THE WATERCOOLER
QUESTION: Who do you think will win the MVC tournament this weekend AND which darkhorse team wouldn’t surprise you if they jumped up and made some noise in the tourney?
VAHE GREGORIAN
Creighton has the mojo and the been-there-before to win the MVC. As for darkhorses, this is one of those years where I would be very surprised if the title game is anyone but Creighton and Northern Iowa, the top two seeds, and can’t imagine any team winning beyond No. 3 Illinois State or No. 4 Bradley. But it might be good for the Valley if someone else did.
BRYAN BURWELL
No.1 seed Creighton has the one thing none of the other MVC teams have — a 10-deep roster that becomes a huge strength at tournament time. However the team that intrigues me the most is Illinois State. They ought to have a huge chip on their shoulder after last year’s disappointing show in the finals that cost them a trip to the NCAA’s.
BILL COATS
Although Northern Iowa is the No. 1 seed, Creighton is the best team in the field. As for a darkhorse, let’s go with Indiana State. The Sycamores’ victory over Drake on Thursday night marked their seventh win in their last eight games. They’re hot at the right time.
KATHLEEN NELSON
Creighton has won 10 straight and is peaking at the perfect time. The Jays were clicking on all cylinders when they mashed the Salukis in Carbondale a couple weeks ago and looked just as strong holding off Illinois State in the final regular-season game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Illinois State make a run, though. Led by “Mad Men” head-honcho look-alike Tim Jankovich, the Redbirds started the season 14-0 but lost the final three games of the conference season. If they get preseason MVP Osiris Eldridge out of his funk, the Redbirds could surprise the rest of the Valley.
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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME: So you’re rubbing nickels together in a tough economy and wondering when things will break your way. Well, Rick Reilly offers up one bright spot in his column on ESPN.com, letting readers know the many different ways you can get into big games cheap right now while folks are unloading their tickets. Check out his ideas and see if any of them might work for you.
HOMEGROWN HEROES: The New York Daily news has put together a special feature on their website highlighting the greatest sports figures to come out of New York. This is not sports legends that necessarily played for New York pro teams … these are hometown products who went on to achieve great things. Take a look at the list, it’s pretty cool. What St. Louisans would fit on such a list here?
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STAT OF THE DAY
1,848 — With all the talk of Torry Holt and Terrell Owens this week, I thought we’d cap it off with a look at the most yards gained in an NFL season by a wide receiver. The leader, of course, is Jerry Rice with 1,848. Here’s a look at the top three performances:
1. Jerry Rice, 1,848 yards, San Francisco, 1995
2. ISAAC BRUCE, 1,781 yards, St. Louis, 1995
3. Charley Hennigan, 1,746 yards, Houston, 1961
Source: NFL Record and Fact Book
