United basketball Conference

[valpo84]

According to this story, IPFW, SDST, NDST, NJIIT, TX-Pan Am, and UtahValley have formed the United Basketball Conference.

www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/sports/13670710.htm

Looks like the new board is pretty good.

[jever]

Is it a requirement to have at least three words in your school name to join?

[89rabbit]

jever said:

Is it a requirement to have at least three words in your school name to join?

It is not a requirement, but it helps. ;D

Here is a link to the South Dakota take on the UBC:

www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060119/SPORTS0202/601190338/1002/SPORTS

SDSU forms basketball alliance

Five colleges, including NDSU, will start facing off next year

Chris Solari
[e-mail]

Article Published: 01/19/06, 2:55 am

It's not the Big Sky or the Mid-Continent. It's likely nothing more than a quick fix.

But when South Dakota State's basketball teams enter next season, they will have a pseudo-conference to play in - at least temporarily.

SDSU's men and women joined five other independent schools to form an alliance, which is being called the United Basketball Conference. Each school - SDSU, North Dakota State, Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley State - will play against the other "members" starting in January and February of 2007. . . (read more)

[TD]

One member of the new United Basketball Conference just pulled off a major upset.

N.Dakota St. 62
Wisconsin 55

[valpo95]

I guess UMKC losing to NDSU doesn't look so surprising once we look at the win at Wisconsin. Almost no one wins at Madison, they have one of the best records in all of basketball at home. Surprising to see the strong showing by NDSU.

[indyvalpo]

This makes a lot of sense. Have some guaranteed home games late in the season. Everyone knows if a better opportunity comes along they are gone. Heck in 13 years it is "bowl" eligible.

I don't understand why they didn't add Longwood and Savannah St (2 more home games for all).

Most surprising is that they are not going to have a tourney. I would be surprised if ESPN would not cover it. I know there are no bids but they covered the Mid-Con way back when there was no bid (Valpo/WIU mutli OT game).

[89rabbit]

indyvalpo said:

This makes a lot of sense. Have some guaranteed home games late in the season. Everyone knows if a better opportunity comes along they are gone. Heck in 13 years it is "bowl" eligible.

I don't understand why they didn't add Longwood and Savannah St (2 more home games for all).

Longwood was part of the talks early but decided not to be part of the UBC because they didn't think they could afford the travel. Savannah . . . well they were in the middle of their 0-fer season when all the talks were going on and I am not surprised that they are not in.


P.S. Valpo95, we also beat UMKC this year.

[valpo95]

89rabbit,

I know SDSU beat UMKC and didn't intend to discount the 'rabbits, but the big news was NDSU beating Wisconsin.

There was almost no mention of the loss of UMKC to SDSU on the board (I think it was by 7 points or something, at Brookings). There WAS a mention of NDSU "killing" UMKC, as this was an 87-63 loss.

I have a lot of respect for both NDSU and SDSU: Both are fine programs and good schools. The geography/travel is an issue to consider in conference expansion, but it may actually help recruiting at VU. Look at the number of kids that Valpo has and has historically recruited from Minnesota, and then tell them they will get to play at least two more games that are within a reasonable drive of their home.

Lastly, there is chatter about Ben Woodside from NDSU and how good he would look playing at the University of Minnesota, where he wanted to play but was told he wasn't needed. He scored 24 against Wisconsin. Looks like a great find for the Bison...

[89rabbit]

Valpo95,

I didn't think you were trying to slight us, I just wasn't sure if you kept a close eye on UMKC. No arguing that NDSU has (and probably will have) the biggest win of the year by any of the UBC schools. Earlier last week SDSU knocked off C-USA, a two time in a row NCAA qualifier, Central Florida in Orlando and I thought we had accomplished something, then the Bison went to Madison. What can you say about the Bison win except WOW!