Go Hilltoppers!

[CMJ]

WKU 23-13

9:41 to go

Courtney Lee with 13!! SD calls timeout

[CMJ]

Hilltoppers 27-19

6:52 1st half

WKU continues to look strong. Lee has 15.

[CMJ]

WKU 33

USD 23

Under 4 minute TO

[CMJ]

39-27 WKU at the half

WKU is undefeated when ahead at the break. Looking good.

Edited March 23, 2008 by CMJ

[CMJ]

WKU 52

SD 37

15:21 left

[CMJ]

WKU 52

USD 42

11:50 to go

[CMJ]

USD on an 11-2 run.

WKU 54-48

[CMJ]

61-58 WKU

3:28 to go

[MeanGreengdub]

70-63 WKU!

14 secs left

[CMJ]

Hilltoppers survive and advance.

[3XNTGRAD]

Hilltoppers survive and advance.

Go SUN BELT!!!!

[CMJ]

I don't really think WKU matches up well with UCLA, but honestly thinking about it - if they can get the Bruins more up tempo they might stay with them. If UCLA grinds - then the Toppers are in trouble.

Whatever though...this is a FANTASTIC run by WKU. I'm so happy for them and the league.

[gksmith]

Great that WKU advances. I caught the hightlight of the first round win in OT and the last second shot.

North Texas wins 20...but I guess 20 wins doesn't mean what it used to.

[stebo]

Great that WKU advances. I caught the hightlight of the first round win in OT and the last second shot.

North Texas wins 20...but I guess 20 wins doesn't mean what it used to.

Yeah, but look at who those wins were over. Our SOS was terrible. We have got to start playing some real teams in OOC play. JJ needed those UT-Permian Basins and SE Okla State when he was building this team but we should really put a true Div I schedule together now that the team has some stability. I didn't even know that Texas A&M-International existed!

Edited March 23, 2008 by stebo

[TheTastyGreek]

Yeah, but look at who those wins were over. Our SOS was terrible. We have got to start playing some real teams in OOC play. JJ needed those UT-Permian Basins and SE Okla State when he was building this team but we should really put a true Div I schedule together now that the team has some stability. I didn't even know that Texas A&M-International existed!

I don't think this was all that bad a year for OOC games.

Good:

Oklahoma State

Indiana State

Texas

New Mexico State

UT-Arlington (local opponent... I like playing one of the other local 3 in OOC each year)

Not so good:

Cameron (home opener... we want an easy win here, right?)

Western New Mexico (part of the Lou Henson package with NMSU)

Hartford

Southern, Centenary, and A&M International (fill a gap between our Dec. 8th game and the start of conference games on Jan. 3rd. Considering attendance is low due to finals/vacation and we're getting ready for conference play... I don't mind easy guarantee games that let us tune up for the Belt schedule. I'd prefer one of these three were against another Indiana State/NMSU style opponent, though.)

5 good OOC games, either for name recognition or local value, 6 nobody schools. Not perfect... But considering that we're still building a student fan base and trying to break through locally... I don't mind having more weak sisters than we do reputable opponents. It's nice to have those 6 wins early when we're breaking in transfers and freshmen.

If we shift one team per year into the Good column for the next 2-3 years, we'll have the sort of schedule everyone seems to want. In the meantime, I think we're heading in the right directon on all fronts- strength of schedule, wins and losses, local attention, and so forth.

We're not there yet, so I'm not arguing with your ultimate point, Stebo. Just trying to point out that it wasn't as bad as we've seen in previous years. And we're getting better in terms of schedule and results each year.

[chrisfisher]

I don't think this was all that bad a year for OOC games.

Good:

Oklahoma State

Indiana State

Texas

New Mexico State

UT-Arlington (local opponent... I like playing one of the other local 3 in OOC each year)

Not so good:

Cameron (home opener... we want an easy win here, right?)

Western New Mexico (part of the Lou Henson package with NMSU)

Hartford

Southern, Centenary, and A&M International (fill a gap between our Dec. 8th game and the start of conference games on Jan. 3rd. Considering attendance is low due to finals/vacation and we're getting ready for conference play... I don't mind easy guarantee games that let us tune up for the Belt schedule. I'd prefer one of these three were against another Indiana State/NMSU style opponent, though.)

5 good OOC games, either for name recognition or local value, 6 nobody schools. Not perfect... But considering that we're still building a student fan base and trying to break through locally... I don't mind having more weak sisters than we do reputable opponents. It's nice to have those 6 wins early when we're breaking in transfers and freshmen.

If we shift one team per year into the Good column for the next 2-3 years, we'll have the sort of schedule everyone seems to want. In the meantime, I think we're heading in the right directon on all fronts- strength of schedule, wins and losses, local attention, and so forth.

We're not there yet, so I'm not arguing with your ultimate point, Stebo. Just trying to point out that it wasn't as bad as we've seen in previous years. And we're getting better in terms of schedule and results each year.

Hartford, Southern, and Centenary are legitimate D1 opponents I thought. Certainly not name opponents, but legit.

[CMJ]

Didn't Centenary defeat Texas Tech? Certainly no one can complain we played them.

[TheTastyGreek]

I'm not trying to be insulting towards the other schools, just being honest about how most people perceive them as opponents.

If everyone sees them as respectable OOC opponents... Even better.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Great that WKU advances. I caught the hightlight of the first round win in OT and the last second shot.

North Texas wins 20...but I guess 20 wins doesn't mean what it used to.

It doesn't.... unless you don't count post season conference tournaments. Lots of teams win 20 now... once their tournament is over. ...which is when we won our 20th.

I don't have much problem with our schedule... but we could have a couple of better teams or maybe two more teams that are of greater interest [sMU, TCU, reasonable Big-12 or CUSA teams] instead of a couple of those ... should create more interest.

---We need to get our attendence [and student interest] up... Howard Payne with only 1300 students averaged 2000+ for their girls games (went undefeated). We have 34,000... anything under 5000 is awful. We did as well on attendence in the 60's with about one-third the students... but of course then Louisville, Cinncinatti, Drake, Wichita, Bradley, and Tulsa were in our conference.

Go Hill-toppers... anything good for the Belt teams is good for us.

Edited March 24, 2008 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[filmerj]

---We need to get our attendence [and student interest] up... Howard Payne with only 1300 students averaged 2000+ for their girls games (went undefeated). We have 34,000... anything under 5000 is awful. We did as well on attendence in the 60's with about one-third the students... but of course then Louisville, Cinncinatti, Drake, Wichita, Bradley, and Tulsa were in our conference.

Go Hill-toppers... anything good for the Belt teams is good for us.

Edited March 24, 2008 by filmerj

[chrisfisher]

I'm not trying to be insulting towards the other schools, just being honest about how most people perceive them as opponents.

If everyone sees them as respectable OOC opponents... Even better.

I hear ya.... they may be from legitimate D1 conferences, like ourselves, but the every day joe-schmo has no idea unless our opponent comes from a so-called power conference...

Edited March 24, 2008 by chrisfisher

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

I know it's good for the belt school but I don't know if I want to hear how WKY is the pride of the belt, and their Fans heads are getting bigger as we speak. Oh Well... Congrats to them.

---It is more fun to beat people who have big egos... and big heads. Besides it will make us look that much better when we do defeat them. Western New Mexico has no reputation and we are complaining about playing them... Go WKU ... We want to schedule and defeat teams that are well known.

Good luck to them........... BEAT UCLA

[GoMeanGreen1999]

Well a big congrats to WKy this past weekend - they played some awesome bball. I thought for sure the refs would end up making a Drake win in the first game, but that WKy team is hot and they just wouldn't lie down.

There is probably no one that really thinks they have a shot at UCLA, in terms of the national media, but I think after watching UCLA move on thanks to the officials saturday night versus the Aggs, they have a decent shot at it. I don't think all of the number 1 seeds will go, so it might as well be them to upset UCLA.

[CMJ]

, but I think after watching UCLA move on thanks to the officials saturday night versus the Aggs,

http://telemachus.smugmug.com/gallery/4562...0224_ZYsdz-A-LB

Officials had some questionable decisions both ways.

[KRAM1]

Great for the Hilltoppers...Great for the 'Belt and in a way...great for the Mean green. This makes the conference look stronger and as a result adds a bit of credibility to all its members....BEAT UCLA!!!! Now, how "interesting" would that be? Can you see the headlines now....

"UCLA BEATEN BY WHO??????" Ha! Could be a super "wake-up" call for a little Sunbelt respect!!!

GO WKU!!!! In this case.... I like you!