Illinois State won the 2005 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Womens Basketball Tournament from the No. 8and lowestseed. While that may not necessarily have been the inspiration for the league to expand the 2006 tournament to include all 10 teams, Redbird coach Robin Pingeton knows it makes a statement.
Maybe it hasnt always been this way, but, right now, there is so much parity and strength in our conference that all 10 teams should have a chance to at least experience the tournament, said Pingeton. The Valley had four teams earn post-season bids, including Womens National Invitation Tournament Champion Southwest Missouri State, in 2005.
She thinks it opens up greater possibilities of the same kind of thing that Illinois State made happen in 2005earning an NCAA bid despite a 10-17 regular-season record by beating three 20-win teams in 45 hours to win the league tournament.
You cant say it cant happen, said Pingeton. Storybook teams, fairytale endings those are part of the excitement of conference tournaments.
Pingeton, whose 2005 team was eliminated in the NCAA Tournament by eventual champion Baylor, admits that the 10-team formatwhich will include byes for the top six seedsmakes finishing in the upper tier of the conference more of an incentive.
The four teams that will have to play an extra game really have a challenge, said Pingeton. It will give the fans and the media another reason to pay attention to the standings. But the most important thing (for teams) will still be to go into the tournament on a roll and play your best basketball.
Pingetons Redbirds know that, first hand. Their shocking run through the Valley tournament made them not only the first No. 8 seed in Valley history to win a womens basketball tournament game, but also the lowest conference tournament seed to earn an NCAA Tournament bid in 2005.
The 2006 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Womens Basketball Tournament will be played March 9-12 at Hammons Student Center in Springfield, Mo.
