(02-14-2013 11:47 AM)OUVan Wrote:  

(02-14-2013 08:52 AM)axeme Wrote:  Really, I don't think the West made much progress at all, if any. Four teams in the East got worse is all I see. It's the wrong way to approach parity.

Agreed. Remove Akron and Ohio who are 11-0 against the West and it's 12-12. Things have evened up but not in the direction we need. But most of the West teams are at least showing signs of moving in the right direction even if the results aren't there yet.

Once again, how do you think this is demonstrated? And why did your 2nd and 3rd sentences contradict each other?

(02-14-2013 12:13 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  Once again, how do you think this is demonstrated? And why did your 2nd and 3rd sentences contradict each other?

Pretty simple. Which of these teams do you think has gotten better this year: Kent State, Miami, BG or Buffalo? The answer is none of the above. They all have slid back this year. The West still isn't good but NIU, EMU, and Toledo all look like a foundation has been laid to make them competitive again. They are all in much better shape than they were two years ago. Too early to tell on CMU but they aren't in any worse shape than they were last year with Ernie Ziegler. Western is still solid. The only team in the West that doesn't appear to be headed in the right direction is Ball State. So it is possible for the East to slide back towards the West, which is bad, and for the West to be better.

(02-15-2013 11:11 AM)OUVan Wrote:  

(02-14-2013 12:13 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  Once again, how do you think this is demonstrated? And why did your 2nd and 3rd sentences contradict each other?

Pretty simple. Which of these teams do you think has gotten better this year: Kent State, Miami, BG or Buffalo? The answer is none of the above. They all have slid back this year. The West still isn't good but NIU, EMU, and Toledo all look like a foundation has been laid to make them competitive again. They are all in much better shape than they were two years ago. Too early to tell on CMU but they aren't in any worse shape than they were last year with Ernie Ziegler. Western is still solid. The only team in the West that doesn't appear to be headed in the right direction is Ball State. So it is possible for the East to slide back towards the West, which is bad, and for the West to be better.

When you start at the bottom you have nowhere to go but up..

Buffalo is terrible this year in a special sort of way. It's doubtful that UB manages to climb up to .500 ball, that has not happened to UN since 2006! And the Bulls still went 4-2 against the West.

IOW this is a very low water mark for UB basketball and we would still be the third best team in the West.