Rod's Wednesday Take N Things

Pierre junior center Sam Willard of the Pacific basketball team began day 1 of the off season today after last night's loss to Missouri State in the CTI post season basketball tournament. The CTI tournament just finished it's second year. It is a tournament Mid Major teams that were not invited to the NCAA or NIT tournament. And it shared the post season basketball stage with a 4th post season tournament called the CBI or College Basketball Invitational. I have to say, with 4 post season tournaments a team had to be a pretty bad team to not make the field of a tournament. So while not one of the premier tournament's the face that Sam still played in a national tournament and played for that national tournament's championship is still pretty good for a Pierre kid playing at the Division 1 level of college basketball. I think last night's game showed however that the Missouri Valley Conference is probably still considered the premier Mid Major conference in the country. Pacific is in the Big West Conference which would probably have to be more closer to the level of the Summit League. Maybe just slightly above the Summit. It was a good brand of basketball from the games I got to watch during the season and Sam is one of the top players in that conference which says alot of great things for young Mr. Willard. He will have one more chance to appear in the big dance and that will be next year. But I think it is widely evident in the Big West Conference that if a team is going to make the NCAA, they will have to win their conference post season tournament. There won't be any at-large berths.