Columns in order:
Adjusted RPI's 2015-17 (conference rating at top),
2018 non-conf. average RPI's and SOS's based on 2017,
2018 pre-season poll rankings
The common theme in the Missouri Valley Conference is that the conference's #1 seed doesn't win the conference tournament. That's how it's been since Creighton, now of the Big East, pulled off the feat in 2012. Only Loyola Chicago, in 2016, made the NCAA Tournament in spite of missing out on the MVC auto bid. Weak strength of schedule across the board will probably keep this a one-bid conference in 2018.
Missouri State is snake-bit. The Bears have won three of the last five regular-season championships, only to watch another team celebrate making the NCAA tourney. The Bears received the MVC's kiss of death, as the league's coaches voted the Springfield school as 2018's top pick. It's hard to argue with them as the Bears return 8 starters and 93% of their scoring.
Loyola Chicago took a giant step backward in 2017, but the Ramblers also return eight starters. But Loyola did not score a goal in three exhibition matches against quality competition. The Ramblers sandwich tough non-conference road matches at Western Michigan and Washington around the conference season.
Central Arkansas is the defending MVC tourney champ and the nation's leading scorer, 2017 MVC Player of the Year Niklas Brodacki will try to carry the Bears back to the NCAA Tournament. The junior has 30 career goals. Bradley returns its top five scorers, eight starters and 18 lettermen and should also contend.
The common theme in the Missouri Valley Conference is that the conference's #1 seed doesn't win the conference tournament. That's how it's been since Creighton, now of the Big East, pulled off the feat in 2012. Only Loyola Chicago, in 2016, made the NCAA Tournament in spite of missing out on the MVC auto bid. Weak strength of schedule across the board will probably keep this a one-bid conference in 2018.
Missouri State is snake-bit. The Bears have won three of the last five regular-season championships, only to watch another team celebrate making the NCAA tourney. The Bears received the MVC's kiss of death, as the league's coaches voted the Springfield school as 2018's top pick. It's hard to argue with them as the Bears return 8 starters and 93% of their scoring.
Loyola Chicago took a giant step backward in 2017, but the Ramblers also return eight starters. But Loyola did not score a goal in three exhibition matches against quality competition. The Ramblers sandwich tough non-conference road matches at Western Michigan and Washington around the conference season.
Central Arkansas is the defending MVC tourney champ and the nation's leading scorer, 2017 MVC Player of the Year Niklas Brodacki will try to carry the Bears back to the NCAA Tournament. The junior has 30 career goals. Bradley returns its top five scorers, eight starters and 18 lettermen and should also contend.
More previews to come...follow links to rpiupdate.blogspot.com's daily scoreboards, team schedules, conference standings, NCAA Tournament projection and the most updated, accurately adjusted Division I men's soccer RPI rankings available.
