MVC

Daily Poll: Will the MVC Get Multiple Bids?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:53:43 -0800

Daily Dribble: Thursday Report Card

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:24:36 -0800

The Report Card

A new series, the Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

A - Kansas State

I didn't see a minute of their win over Kansas. I only read the first line or so of the recap.. barely looked at the box, and will only see some highlights later on SportsCenter. But it's no matter.. you top the unbeaten, 2nd ranked team in the country.. you top the Report Card.

B - Cincinnati

It still amazes me that Cincy is over .500 in Big East play. But what I love more about their win over West Virginia is that not only did Bob Huggins get destroyed by his former team.. and not only did Huggins team shoot 20% from the field.. but Huggins other former team, Kansas State, reached its greatest glory on a day that Huggins was embarrassed.

C - MVC

Though at most schools the average GPA hovers around B, it represents the average in my Daily Report Card. Nothing says average better than a .500 team, which the Valley is full of. After Creighton lost to Drake, 4 teams are .500 in league play including Northern Iowa, Bradley, and Indiana State. Also, both Missouri State and Southern Illinois are within a game of .500. All in all, its been nothing but mediocrity out of the league

D - Alexis Wangmene

I barely had a chance to watch any of the games last night.. basically 2 minutes of Texas A&M's upset win over Texas. And in that two minute span, Wangmene through an elbow at DeAndre Jordan's head and rightfully got thrown out of the game. So simply put, he gets a D.

F - St. John's

Its been ugly at St. John's for a few years now, so the 1-7 conference and 7-12 overall record are nothing surprising. I won't bore you with old history about Mike Jarvis and suspensions and forfeits and strip clubs and probation.. the point is that things got bad, and barely seem to be getting better. Yes, Norm Roberts' roster is full of youth.. so there's some hope. But with Rutgers and Seton Hall doing a better job bringing in recruits, there's little reason to think anything but mediocrity is attainable in the next few years.

Previous Best / Worst

January 29th - Winthrop / Dyson & Wiggins

January 28th - Rutgers / Doris Burke

January 25th - Ron Hunter / Princeton Offense

January 23rd - Kentucky / Archbishop Burke

January 22nd - DJ Augustin / Scott Sutton

January 21st - New York Giants / Marquette

January 20th - Maryland / ESPN.com editors

January 18th - Cleveland State / Marquette

January 17th - Drake / HP Laptops

January 14th - Roy Hibbert / Michigan State

January 10th - Tony Bennett / Saint Louis

January 9th - DJ White / CSTV

January 8th - Robert Morris / Schedule Makers

January 7th - Wayne Ellington / Illinois

January 6th - Herb Sendek / Kentucky

Daily Poll: Who is the Best Team in the MVC?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:32:17 -0800

Daily Poll: Who is the Best Team in the MVC?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:54:03 -0800

Daily Dribble: Top 10 Players in the MVC

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:20:46 -0800

The MVC's hopes of getting multiple teams into the NCAA Tournament are slimmer than they've been in recent years. Yet the talent level isn't too bad, comparable to other 2nd tier leagues like the CAA and WAC. The only real void is the lack of true go-to scoring star like they've had in Jamaal Tatum or Nate Funk. If his first game is any indication however, perhaps Creighton freshman P'Allen Stinnett will be that guy. Another guy off to a great start is Drake's Jonathan Cox, a 6-8 junior averaging 15 and 10 after two games. MVC Top 10 1. Randal Falker, F, SIU 2. Daniel Ruffin, G, Bradley 3. Eric Coleman, F, UNI 4. Matt Shaw, F, SIU 5. Deven Mitchell, F, Missouri State 6. PJ Couisnard, G/F, Wichita State 7. Jeremy Crouch, G, Bradley 8. Bryan Mullins, G, SIU 9. Boo Richardson, G, Illinois State 10. Dane Watts, F, Creighton Next In Line Osiris Eldridge, G, Illinois State Jason Holsinger, G, Evansville P'Allen Stinnett, G, Creighton Jay Tunnell, C, Indiana State Josh Young, G, Drake

MVC Preseason Media/Coaches Poll

Press Release — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:13:19 -0700

The Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll is voted on by the league's head coaches, play-by-play men, beat writers and sports information directors.

Preseason MVC Men's Basketball Poll

Rank Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Southern Illinois (39) 390
2. Bradley 311
3. Missouri State 283
4. Creighton 266
5. Illinois State 235
6. Wichita State 210
7. Northern Iowa 197
8. Indiana State 110
9. Drake 80
10. Evansville 63

2007-08 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team

Name, School, Pos., Ht., Wt., Year, Hometown, High School
Eric Coleman, UNI, C, 6-6, 240, Sr., Maplewood (Minn.) Tartan High
PJ Couisnard, Wichita State, G/F, 6-4, 216, Sr., Houston (Texas) Yates High
Randal Falker, Southern Illinois, F, 6-7, 230, Sr., St. Louis (Mo.) Gateway
Tech
Deven Mitchell, Missouri State, F, 6-5, 210, Sr., Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo
High
Daniel Ruffin, Bradley, G, 5-10, 162, Sr., Peoria (Ill.) Central High
Preseason Player of the Year -- Randal Falker, Southern Illinois

Honorable Mention:
Jeremy Crouch, Bradley;
Levi Dyer & Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State;
Bryan Mullins & Matt Shaw, Southern Illinois

Who Will Win the MVC?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 21:05:14 -0700

MVC Weekly Notebook: Tourney Time

David Merchant — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

After a rugged 18-game conference schedule, the Southern Illinois Salukis are the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Champions. SIU closed out the regular season by winning their fifth conference title in the last 6 years and will
enter the conference tournament as one of the top non-BCS teams in the nation at 25-5. The Salukis appear to be in line for a very favorable NCAA Tournament seed, one that could be in the top 4. The Creighton Bluejays finished second, 2 games behind SIU, and the Bluejays saw their chances at a conference title fade away as they went 0-2 against SIU. Missouri State finished 12-6 in league play for the second consecutive year and will enter the conference tournament as the 3 seed. The Bradley Braves finished fourth at 10-8 followed by Northern Iowa at 9-9. Wichita State, last years MVC regular season champion, finished in a disappointing sixth place at 8-10. Illinois State, Evansville and Drake all finished in a tie for seventh at 6-12, with the Redbirds winning a tiebreaker for the #7 seed at the conference tournament. After starting 4-1, the Indiana State Sycamores ended the season in dead last with a 5-13 league mark.

After winning the regular season crown, the Southern Illinois Salukis continued their climb in the national polls released Monday. SIU jumped from #13 to #11 in the AP Poll and the Salukis are also ranked #11 by the coaches in the USA Today / ESPN Coaches Poll after coming in at #14 last week. Creighton, the runner-up to SIU, was the only other MVC team to receive votes this week. The Bluejays received 12 votes in the USA Today / ESPN Coaches Poll, good for a #33 ranking.

The Missouri Valley Conference, currently with a #6 ranking in the RPI as a conference, appears to be in good shape this season to get three teams into the Big Dance. The Salukis however, will be the only team to enter the conference tournament as a “lock” to make the NCAA Tourney, as both Creighton and Missouri State need to win their quarterfinal games to enhance their resumes. The Bluejays and Bears, both currently in the top 40 in the RPI, appear to be at-large worthy and a win by both teams in their quarterfinal games will all but assure both teams of a tourney appearance. A loss by either team in the quarterfinals could send them packing to the NIT. The Bears failed to reach the semifinals last season, fell out of at-large status and were left out of the Big Dance despite a lofty RPI. It’s simple, win and get to the semifinals. And, the Bluejays and Bears have to like their chances.

The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament gets under way this Thursday from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO. The tournament dubbed “Arch Madness,” is sure to be a dandy. SIU will look to become repeat champions and the first #1 seed to walk out with the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament berth since 1998. However, don’t just crown SIU the champs. The rest of the league will be vying for the all-important automatic bid and SIU will get the league’s best shot. If exciting college basketball is what gets your blood flowing, tune in this weekend to the always-entertaining MVC Tournament.

Game of the Week – #13 Southern Illinois at Indiana State, Tue Feb. 20, Hulman Center, Terre Haute, Indiana

The Southern Illinois Salukis knew all they had to do was win and the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Championship would be theirs out-right. It was easier said then done Wednesday night in Terre Haute but the Salukis weren’t about to let everything they had worked for slip out of their grasp. SIU battled back from a 2-point halftime deficit and held on to beat Indiana State 58-50 and in doing so won the MVC. The Salukis have now won or shared 5 of the last 6 conference championships. Despite entering the contest having lost 4 straight games and in last place in the conference, the Indiana State Sycamores gave it their all and almost pulled off the biggest upset of the conference season. ISU built a 5-point advantage after a bank shot by Trent Wurtz at the 14-minute mark but SIU responded with a 10-2 run giving SIU a three-point lead with 7 minutes to play. SIU would never relinquish the lead and they would go on to beat ISU, earning the number 1 seed for this weekend’s conference tournament. Jamal Tatum and Tony Young each had 15 points as SIU shot 44 percent from the floor while holding Indiana State to just 35 percent. Marcio Stinson was the only Sycamore in double figures with 17 points. The Salukis will now head to St. Louis with their 25-5 record and the role of team to beat in the MVC Tournament. If SIU can become the first number one seed to win the tourney title since 1998, the Salukis could be heavily rewarded come Selection Sunday. With a tournament championship on their resume, SIU could land a # 2 seed in the Big Dance.

Game of the Upcoming Week – Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship Game, Sun. March. 4, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri at 1 p.m. on CBS

The Missouri Valley Conference will take center stage this Sunday when the league will host its conference tournament championship game on CBS. The Southern Illinois Salukis have to be the favorite this year to be the ones holding up the signs at center court on Sunday that read “Missouri Valley Champs”. The Salukis stormed through the regular season with a 15-3 conference record and enter Arch Madness with an 11 game winning streak. Top challengers would appear to be Creighton, the #2 seed and Missouri State, the #3 seed. The Salukis, during the regular season, however, swept both teams. And don’t rule out Bradley, who made an impressive run last year to the tournament final as the #5 seed, and Wichita State, who was ranked as high as #8 nationally this year. If these two teams can get on a roll, they have the talent and ability to win the tournament. Very rarely do the seeds hold to be true, but this year will be the exception. Southern Illinois, Creighton, Missouri State and Bradley, the top 4 seeds, will all make it to the semifinals Saturday. From here, it’s anybody’s guess, but Southern Illinois is to strong and Nate Funk has always played well in St. Louis and on Sunday the Salukis will battle the Bluejays with the league’s automatic berth on the line. SIU will defeat the Bluejays for the third consecutive time this season and enter the NCAA Tournament on a 14 game winning streak. The Salukis will likely receive a top 4 seed, possibly as high as # 2. SIU will have tons of momentum entering the Big Dance and they have the talent to make it very deep run into March.

Prediction – Southern Illinois over Creighton – 58-50

Player of the Week – Randal Falker, Jr., C – Southern Illinois

The recent emergence of junior center Randal Falker has been a big reason why SIU has climbed into the Top 15 of the national polls and just recently captured their fifth conference title in the last 6 years. Falker was a man among boys Saturday night in the Salukis win over Evansville as he put his team on his back and carried them to victory. Falker hit 13-of-15 shots from the floor while scoring a career-high 30 points while grabbing a game high 7 rebounds. In the Salukis conference championship-clinching win over Indiana State Wednesday, Falker had just 4 points but he took only 3 shots. Falker continued to be a force down low, however, as he grabbed a team high 10 rebounds. The only glitch in Falker’s game, which could prove to be costly in close tournament games, is his free throw shooting as he made just 6-of-15 attempts this past week. Falker is dominating on both ends of the floor and he is currently second on the team in scoring with 13 points per game while leading the team in rebounding, averaging 7 boards a game. When Falker his playing to the best of his ability, the Salukis are almost unstoppable. SIU needs to Falker to continue his solid play if they look to bring the MVC Tournament title to Carbondale.

Team Capsules

1. Southern Illinois (25-5, 15-3) Last Week: 1st

The Southern Illinois Salukis wrapped up the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship Wednesday night when they defeated Indiana State 58-50 in Terre Haute. The Salukis have won or shared 5 of the last 6 regular season Valley Championships and in doing so have made a name for themselves on the national scene as one of the top mid-majors in the country. Despite trailing by 2 at the half to the Sycamores, the Salukis, who only had 6 buckets in the first half, played like champions in the second half as they held on to beat ISU behind 15 points from Tony Young and Jamal Tatum. The Saluki defense was once again outstanding as they held ISU to just 35 percent shooting. SIU then extended its winning streak to 11 games Saturday night when they knocked off Evansville, the same Ace team that beat them earlier this season, 76-69. Junior Randal Falker wasn’t going to let this years SIU seniors, who have accomplished so much, go out with a loss. Falker scored a career-high 30 points while grabbing a team high 7 rebounds as SIU avenged their earlier loss to Evansville. Young added 17 and Tatum had 15 in their final home game of their career. The Salukis will open up MVC Tournament action as the #1 seed Friday at noon when they face the winner of Thursday’s Evansville / Drake game. SIU will have no trouble moving on to the semis and even though no top seed has won the conference tournament since 1998, you’ve got to like the Salukis chances as they enter tournament action on an 11 game winning streak. A tournament championship will greatly enhance the Salukis chance at a top 4 seed in the Big Dance.

2. Creighton (19-10, 13-5) Last Week: 2nd

The Bluejays surprising home loss to Drexel in last Saturdays BracketBuster Event hung around a little longer than the Bluejays would have liked as they lost for the second consecutive time Tuesday, falling to Illinois State 65-55 in Normal, Illinois. The loss ended the Bluejays slim conference championship hopes and may have even put a damper on the Jays at-large hopes. If the Jays can get hot in St. Louis they’ll stay in the Big Dance mix. Creighton jumped out to a 10-point halftime lead and appeared to be coasting before the Redbirds made a stunning second half comeback. The Redbirds outscored CU 40-20 in the second half and went on to hand the Jays their fifth conference loss. Nate Funk led the Bluejays with 16 points and Anthony Tolliver added 12 points and 9 rebounds. Creighton however, bounced back and picked up a solid win Saturday to avoid entering the conference tournament on a three game skid. CU beat Wichita State, avenging an earlier loss to the Shockers, 71-54 at the Quest Center on Senior Night. The Bluejays were deadly from beyond the arc as they hit 56 percent of their three point attempts as they jumped all over the Shockers and coasted to a 15 point win. Nick Porter had 17 points and Funk added 16 as the Bluejays finished conference action 13-5. The Bluejays will enter the MVC Tournament as the 2 seed despite losing 3 out of their last 5 games to close out the regular season. Creighton will get the winner of the 7-10 match up between Illinois State and Indiana State. The Bluejays should have no trouble beating the winner of that game Friday and moving on to the semifinals where they’ll face either Missouri State or Wichita State. Creighton has the ability to make the championship game so don’t be surprised if they are playing for the league’s automatic bid Sunday afternoon on CBS.

3. Missouri State (21-9, 12-6) Last Week: 3rd

After losing 2 home games last week, the Missouri State Bears found themselves on the “bubble” for the NCAA Tournament. When faced with adversity, good teams respond and that’s just what the Bears did, picking up 2 wins this past week and putting themselves right back in the NCAA Tournament mix. Tuesday night, the Missouri State Bears did something they hadn’t done since 1996 when they beat Wichita State in Wichita. The Bears got 18 points from Nathan Bilyeu and 17 from Blake Ahearn as the Bears beat the Shockers 71-65 and in doing so completed the season sweep of Wichita State. Despite shooting just 42 percent from the field, the Bears were on fire from the three-point arc hitting 11-of-27 attempts, which proved to be the difference in the game as MSU was out rebounded 40-28. The Bears then picked up their second win of the week, a 92-74 win over Drake Saturday night and will now enter the MVC Tournament with some momentum. Blake Ahearn scored 24 points in his final home game in a Bear’s uniform and he also hit 4 threes giving him the school record for threes in a career. Ahearn hit 267 three points shots during his tenure as a Bear. The Bears were once again on fire all night long as they hit 55 percent of their shots and 42 percent of their three point attempts. The Bears have made the conference tournament final in 2 of the last 3 years, but have come up just short in both instances. It’s never easy to beat the same team 3 times in a season but the Bears will get that chance when they play Wichita State Friday night. The Bears should get past the Shockers and in doing so almost lock up an NCAA at-large berth. Missouri State could make a run at the tourney title but they are 0-4 against SIU and CU. The Bears will likely fall in the semifinals.

4. Bradley (20-11, 10-8) Last Week: 4th

Entering this week’s action the Bradley Braves were on everybody’s radar as a possible NCAA Tournament at-large team. The Braves didn’t help out their cause Tuesday night when they fell to UNI, but don’t count out the Braves just yet. If they can get hot in St. Louis, just like they did last year, and reach the tournament final, they may find themselves right back in the at-large picture come Selection Sunday. Bradley opened up last week with a very damaging loss, a 79-70 setback to Northern Iowa. The Braves jumped out to a 7-point halftime lead but then they allowed UNI to shoot a remarkable 78 percent from the floor in the second half as the Panthers came back and handed the Braves a 9-point loss. Daniel Ruffin had a game-high 20 points and 9 assists and Zach Andrews had 14 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort. The Braves however, bounced back Saturday as they closed out the regular season with a 74-58 win over Indiana State and in doing so locked up a fourth place finish in the MVC. Jeremy Crouch led 5 Bradley players in double figures with 13 points. After only leading by 4 at the half, the Braves caught fire in the second half, outscoring ISU 40-28 as they coasted to their tenth conference win of the year. The Braves won’t have to wait long to get revenge on the Panthers for their loss last week. Bradley opens up tournament action Friday with a game against UNI. Bradley gets past the Panthers before losing to SIU in the semifinals.

5. Northern Iowa (18-12, 9-9) Last Week: 6th

After losing eight of their last nine games entering this past week, the Northern Iowa Panthers season looked to be slipping away. However, the Panthers bounced back last week picking up 2 very important conference wins and will now enter the MVC Tournament with a little momentum. If this team can get hot, they could be very dangerous in St. Louis, but they must be able to make their outside shots because when they can’t, they are in trouble. UNI opened the week with a solid 79-70 win over Bradley, led by Brooks McKowen and Travis Brown who each had 15 points. UNI trailed by 7 at the break but shot 78 percent from the floor in the second half as they picked up the win. The Panthers also hit 8-of-10 three-point shots in the game and showed they can be deadly from beyond the arc. Grant Stout and Eric Coleman each recorded a double double in the Panthers victory over the Braves. UNI then closed out the regular season Saturday with a 71-66 win over Illinois State. Stout, the Missouri Valley Player of the Week, had 19 points and 9 rebounds and Coleman added 15 points and 7 rebounds as they reasserted themselves as they top frontcourt duo in the conference heading into the MVC Tournament. UNI once again was solid from outside hitting 40 percent of their threes and they ended MVC action at 9-9. The Panthers will open tournament play Friday with an afternoon contest against Bradley. The Braves are the better team and will likely send UNI packing, but the Panthers played solid last week and could give the Braves fits. The Panthers however, had a solid year, despite their recent skid, and they will most likely be headed to the NIT after a loss to the Braves.

6. Wichita State (17-13, 8-10) Last Week: 5th

It’s been a strange year for the Wichita State Shockers, but with a solid showing at the MVC Tournament, the Shockers could resurrect what has been a very disappointing second half of the season. The Shockers rose all the way to #8 in the polls after a solid non-conference portion of the season but they then went 8-10 in MVC action and will now likely be playing in the NIT instead of the Big Dance for the second consecutive year. The Shockers picked the wrong time to fade as they have now lost 4 consecutive games as they head into St. Louis this weekend. The Shockers opened up play last week looking to end their two game skid but the Missouri State Bears come into Koch Arena and beat the Shockers on their own floor 71-65 for the first time since 1996. The Shockers out shot and out rebounded the Bears but they were just 9-of-20 from the free throw stripe and the Bears hit 11 three point baskets which proved to be the difference. Kyle Wilson and Karon Bradley each had 17 points in the loss. The Shockers then closed out the season Saturday with their fourth loss in a row, a 71-54 setback at the hands of Creighton. PJ Couisnard led the Shockers with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Shockers will take the court at the Scottrade Center Friday night when they take on the Missouri State Bears. The Shockers have fallen to MSU twice this season, but they are good enough to win this game. However, Wichita State’s recent struggles will continue and their season will end with a quarterfinal loss in the MVC Tournament. The Shockers will likely be headed to the NIT.

7. Illinois State (15-15, 6-12) Last Week: 8th

The Illinois Sate Redbirds will enter the Valley Tournament this weekend having won 3 of their last 4 games. ISU picked up a very solid win Tuesday night when they beat the second place Creighton Bluejays 65-55 at Redbird Arena. After trailing by 10 at the break, the Redbirds went on numerous runs in the second half, led by the MVC Newcomer of the Week Osiris Eldridge who scored all 18 of his points in the second frame and ISU outscored CU 40-20 in the second half. The Redbirds used a 14-4 run to start the second half to tie the game and later went on a 15-5 run to distance themselves from the Jays. Levi Dyer added 12 points as the Redbirds won their sixth conference game of the year. The Redbirds however, saw their three game winning streak come to an end Saturday as they fell in their final game to Northern Iowa 71-66. Dyer had 17 points and Greg Dilligard had 12 points and 9 rebounds. The Redbirds will play the second opening round game Thursday night in St. Louis when they’ll battle the 10th seeded Indiana State Sycamores. Illinois State should have no trouble with the Sycamores and they’ll advance to the quarterfinals to take on Creighton. The Redbirds beat the Jays last week, but that won’t happen again. ISU’s season will end when they fall to Creighton on Friday at the MVC Tournament.

8. Evansville (14-16, 6-12) Last Week: 7th

The Evansville Purple Aces picked the wrong time to lose two games and the Aces, after falling in their final two games of the season last week, will now enter the MVC Tournament this weekend reeling. Evansville opened up last week with a hard fought 82-79 loss to Drake in Des Moines. After trailing 61-44 with just over 12 minutes top play the Aces went on a 16-1 run to get within 2 points but they couldn’t get over the hump. Jason Holsinger hit 8-of-12 three pointers on his way to a career high 29 points. Matt Webster added 15 points and 7 rebounds as the Aces split the regular season series with Drake. The Aces then had a very tough challenge Saturday night as they closed out the year with a visit to SIU for the Salukis Senior Night. The Aces hung around all night but the Salukis showed why they are ranked #11in the country as they avenged an earlier loss to the Aces by the score of 76-69. Webster led the Aces with 21 points as the Aces lost despite shooting over 50 percent from the floor and from three-point land. Of the four teams playing opening round games on Thursday at the MVC Tournament, the Evansville Purple Aces, despite entering the tournament as the 8 seed, are the most dangerous team of the four. The Aces own wins over Missouri State and Southern Illinois in conference play and if they can get hot from three-point land they could surprise some people in St. Louis. The Aces kick off the tournament Thursday with a game against Drake, a game they should have no trouble winning. The Aces will then give SIU all they can handle again Friday before falling in a very close game to the #1 seeded Salukis.

9. Drake (16-14, 6-12) Last Week: 10th

The Drake Bulldogs will enter this week’s Valley Tournament having won 4 of their last 6 games. Drake opened up last week with a solid 3-point win over Evansville Wednesday night. Drake jumped out to an 11-point halftime advantage and survived a late 16-1 run by Evansville to hold on for the 82-79 victory, their sixth conference win of the year. Nick Grant led the Bulldogs with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting and Ajay Calvin added 16 points as the Bulldogs forced the Aces into committing 13 turnovers while only committing 6 themselves. The Bulldogs then closed out their regular season with a trip to Missouri State to take on the Bears who had not lost in 17 consecutive games on Senior Night. That streak ran to 18 as the Bulldogs fell to the Bears for the second time this season 92-74. Drake is 0-8 against the Bears in the last four years under coach Tom Davis. Calvin led the Bulldogs with 19 points and 9 rebounds as the Bulldogs got run off the floor by the Bears in the second half. The Bulldogs will open tournament action Thursday when they take on the Evansville Purple Aces. The two teams split their regular season series, with Drake beating Evansville just this past week. This time though the Drake Bulldogs will be on the short end of the stick as their season will come to a close as they’ll fall to the Aces in St. Louis. Despite their opening round loss to Evansville, it was still a very solid year for the Bulldogs as they finished the season with their first winning record in 20 years

10. Indiana State (12-17, 5-13) Last Week: 8th

The Indiana State Sycamores, after starting MVC play 4-1, and being one of the early surprises in the Valley, proceeded to go 1-12 in their final 13 conference games and wound up finishing in dead last in the conference standings. Indiana State had an opportunity Tuesday night to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the conference season when they hosted Southern Illinois as the Salukis looked to win the conference title outright. The Sycamores hung close for most of the game but SIU pulled away and beat ISU 58-50. The Sycamores had a 2-point halftime lead but SIU outscored ISU by 10 in the second half and held on for the 8 point win. Marcio Stinson was the only ISU player in double figures as he had 17 points. The Sycamores shot just 35 percent from the floor in the loss. ISU then closed out the regular season with a 74-58 loss to Bradley, their sixth consecutive loss. ISU was within 4 at the half but they allowed Bradley to shoot 49 percent from the floor in the second half and the Braves pulled away handing the Sycamores their 13th conference loss. Jay Tunnell had 14 points and Gabe Moore added 10. The Sycamores will likely be one and done at the MVC Tournament in St. Louis this weekend. The Sycamores open play with Illinois State Thursday night and the Redbirds should be able to dispatch the Sycamores rather easily. Indiana State’s season will end in St. Louis and they’ll return home with a 12-18 overall record and a bitter taste in their mouth after a very disappointing season that started so promising.

Poll: How Many Bids Will MVC Get?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 10:18:17 -0800

MVC Weekly Notebook: Week 14

David Merchant — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

As we enter the final week of the Valley regular season, Southern Illinois controls their own destiny. The Salukis currently sit one game ahead of second place Creighton and if they can beat Indiana State and Evansville this week, which they likely will, SIU will be this year’s Missouri Valley Conference Champions. The Bluejays still have a shot at the title but need SIU to lose twice while they win their final two games. The Jays will likely have to settle for second place but they’ll join the Salukis in the NCAA Tournament as both look to be “locks” at this point. Missouri State sits in third place one game ahead of Bradley and if the MVC is going to get a third bid to the Big Dance it will likely come from either the Bears or Braves. Wichita State is currently 8-8 in league play and will look to finish strong and build some momentum heading into the conference tournament. The UNI Panthers have fallen as of late and need to avoid falling even further if they hope to make the NIT. Evansville, Illinois State, Drake and Indiana State round out the Valley standings and all four will be playing the final week for conference tournament seeding purposes.

Although the Valley entered this past weekend’s BracketBuster event with the third best non-conference record in league history, the MVC took a step in the wrong direction as they went 5-5 as a league. What makes that even more amazing is the Valley was 53-1 at home in non-conference games and in just one weekend’s time, four Valley teams dropped home games to non-league foes. The weekend wasn’t a complete loss, however, as SIU went on the road and knocked off nationally ranked Butler, a win that proved the Salukis are one of the top non-BCS teams in the country. Bradley also went on the road and picked up a tournament resume-boosting win over Virginia Commonwealth. Despite their .500 record in this year’s BracketBuster event, the MVC is still the best non-BCS league in the country. The Valley posted the sixth best non-league record in conference history going 87-32 and was a remarkable 6-3 against teams ranked in the Top 25.

After defeating Butler on the road last Saturday the Southern Illinois Salukis have continued their climb up the national rankings. SIU jumped three spots this week in the AP Poll and will enter the final week of the regular season ranked #13. The Salukis also jumped one spot in the USA Today / ESPN Coaches Poll from #15 to #14. Creighton was the only other MVC team to receive votes this week as they received 16 votes in the AP Poll and 3 in the USA Today / ESPN Coaches Poll. After receiving one vote last week, the Missouri State Bears fell from the polls with their two losses last week.

It’s hard to believe that ‘Arch’ Madness is right around the corner and Valley teams will enter this week looking to improve their seeding for next weekend’s conference tournament while bubble teams will look to add to their resume. This week’s action is bound to be intense, as teams will be looking to build momentum as the post season arrives. A few questions still remain to be answered as MVC teams hit the home stretch. Can SIU hold on and win the regular season title? Will the Valley get a third or even fourth team in the Big Dance? Will the Missouri State Bears once again be left out of the tournament despite having another solid campaign? Which team at the bottom of the standings is going to pull off the upset and put a wrench in another team’s postseason plans? These questions and more will be answered in the upcoming weeks so sit back and relax and enjoy the final week of regular season play, before the madness ensues.

Game of the Week – #16 Southern Illinois at #13 Butler, Sat. Feb. 17, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

In what was being billed as the highlight game on this year’s BracketBuster schedule, Southern Illinois traveled to Butler Saturday for a match up of two of the top mid-majors in the country as both entered the game ranked in the Top 25. The two teams did not disappoint and the game turned out to be a classic contest with both teams leaving everything they had on the floor. The game also featured the match up of two of the top guards in the country, SIU’s Jamal Tatum and Butler’s A.J. Graves, both who have an excellent chance at winning Player of the Year honors in their respective conferences. Tatum won the head to head battle as he scored 20 points as his Salukis picked up a huge 68-64 road victory. The win will likely increase the Salukis chances of becoming a top 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Salukis, known for their excellent defense, shut down the Bulldog’s leading scorer Graves, who was battling a stomach ailment, holding him to just 5 points on 1-of-8 shooting. The Salukis jumped out to 5-point halftime advantage but Butler made a run in the second half. SIU extended their lead to 10 points, 45-35, but the Bulldogs answered and clawed back within 2 at 50-48 with just over 6 minutes to play. Trailing by 3 with just over a minute to play Butler’s Brandon Crone missed a lay up that could have cut the deficit to 1 and SIU closed out the game at the free throw stripe. The win extended the Salukis winning streak to 9 games and it was their first road win over a ranked opponent since 1975. The loss was the first for Butler in 22 games at home. Mike Green led the Bulldogs with 18 points and Pete Campbell had 17 points in 14 minutes off the bench. The Salukis out rebounded Butler 33-24 and outscored the Bulldogs at the free throw line by 8. Both of these teams are going to be a force to be reckon with come March and teams from BCS conferences will not want to face either of these two in the tournament as both are capable of duplicating what George Mason accomplished last year.

Game of the Upcoming Week – Missouri State at Wichita State, Tues. Feb. 20, Koch Arena, Wichita, Kansas

With Southern Illinois and Creighton, at this point, considered to be locks for the NCAA Tournament, the Missouri State Bears are trying to become the third team to make the Big Dance from the Valley. The Bears will travel to Wichita State Tuesday night for an ESPNU telecast when they meet the Shockers. A week ago, the Bears looked to be in a prime spot to make the Big Dance. But after two home losses last week the Bears tournament chances took a major hit. The Bears still are not out of tourney discussions, they just now find themselves were they didn’t want to be, on the bubble. The Shockers on the other hand are likely headed for the NIT but if they can get hot and go on a run they are more than capable of winning the MVC Tournament and receiving the league’s automatic bid. The Bears will enter this game in a must win mode and if they can win this game and beat Drake at home Saturday, they would greatly increase their tourney chances. It all starts with this game for the Bears and they must do everything possible to avoid losing three straight games, as a loss against to the Shockers would likely end the Bears tourney hopes. Earlier this year the Bears ended an 8-game losing streak to the Shockers when they beat WSU in Springfield 95-87, so they should have the confidence they need. The Shockers however, are always tough at home. The Bears know the feeling of what it’s like to get left out of the Big Dance and they don’t want to experience that again. Missouri State bounces back by beating the Shockers on the road and keeping their NCAA tourney dreams alive.

Prediction – Missouri State – 68-67

Player of the Week – Jeremy Crouch, Jr., G – Bradley

Bradley is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation and junior guard Jeremy Crouch is a big reason why. This past week, Crouch and his deadly three-point shooting led the Braves to two more wins, giving them 19 on the season. In the Braves win over Evansville Tuesday Crouch had 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting but he hit 4-of-7 three point tries. Crouch was at it again Saturday as the Braves picked up a huge road win over Virginia Commonwealth. Crouch led the Braves in scoring with 22 points as he hit 8-of-11 shots from the field, including 6-of-9 three-point shots. For the week, Crouch hit a remarkable 63 percent of his three point attempts while hitting 57 percent of his overall shots from the floor. Crouch, who is second on the team in scoring with 14.4 points per game, has been huge all season for the Braves from beyond the arc as he is hitting over 50 percent of his three point shots. Crouch’s ability to shoot from downtown will make the Braves a very dangerous team in St. Louis for the MVC Tournament.

Team Capsules

1. Southern Illinois (23-5, 13-3) Last Week: 1st

The Southern Illinois Salukis showed the nation they are the Valley’s best team and they’ll be a force come March. SIU stayed atop the Valley standings with a hard fought 51-47 win Tuesday night over Missouri State in Springfield. Leading by 5 at the break, SIU saw Missouri State tie the game with 9 minutes to play and eventual take a 1-point lead with just over a minute to play. With 1:09 to go, Jamal Tatum hit a deep three in front of the SIU bench, giving SIU a 2-point lead and one they would never relinquish. Randal Falker led SIU with 20 points and 12 rebounds and Tatum, the Missouri Valley Player of the Week, chipped in 16 points, including the game winner. SIU then took to the road Saturday for a match up with nationally ranked Butler in the highlight game of this year’s ESPNU BracketBuster event. The two top mid-major teams in the nation went head-to-head and it was Tatum and the Salukis who game out on top. Tatum led SIU with 20 points and Matt Shaw added 15 points as SIU greatly improved their NCAA Tournament Seeding with a very solid road win over a nationally ranked Butler squad. SIU shut down Butler’s leading scored A.J. Graves, holding him to just 5 points while SIU was deadly from long distance, hitting 7-of-15 three point attempts. The win over Butler was SIU’s 9th consecutive win. The Salukis will wrap up the MVC regular season championship this week and clinch the number one seed for the conference tournament the first weekend in March. SIU will beat Indiana State on the road Wednesday and finish Valley play 15-3 after beating Evansville at home Saturday.

2. Creighton (18-9, 12-4) Last Week: 2nd

Entering the final week of regular season action, if Creighton hopes to win this year’s Valley Championship they are going to need a lot of help. Just one game back of SIU, the Bluejays need to win both their games this week and hope SIU drops their last two games if they want to wear this year’s Valley crown. That scenario is unlikely but CU will enter the Valley tournament as the two seed. The Bluejays got last week off on the right foot after losing to SIU last Saturday when they knocked off UNI 66-55 in Omaha. Nick Porter had 21 points to lead the Bluejays and Dane Watts added 16 points and 9 rebounds as CU held UNI to just 34 percent shooting. The Bluejays then welcomed Drexel to the Quest Center Saturday night in a nationally televised BracketBuster match up. The Bluejays jumped out to a 6-point lead at the break but the Dragons shot 64 percent in the second half to pull away from Creighton and knock off the Bluejays 64-58. The win was Drexel’s 12th win away from home and the Bluejays struggled with their shooting all night long on their home floor. CU shot just 35 percent from the floor and Nate Funk had just 13 points while shooting 3-of-11. Anthony Tolliver had 15 points and 7 rebounds to lead Creighton. The Bluejays still appear to be in good shape for an NCAA Tournament berth despite this latest setback. CU will go on the road Tuesday to take on the Illinois State Redbirds. The Bluejays will close out their regular season Saturday when they welcome Wichita State. Look for Creighton to bounce back from their loss to Drexel and finish with back-to-back wins over the Redbirds and the Shockers.

3. Missouri State (19-9, 10-6) Last Week: 3rd

The Missouri State Bears had a huge opportunity this past week to show the selection committee that they are worthy of an NCAA Tournament bid, but what they showed the committee may end up costing them a tourney spot. The Bears welcomed league-leading SIU to Springfield Tuesday night giving, MSU a great chance to pick up a win over a highly ranked team. The Bears, however, fell apart down the stretch and lost to SIU for the second time this season 51-47. Leading by 1, the Bears saw their shot at the upset slip away when Jamal Tatum hit a deep three with just over a minute to play. Tyler Chaney had 13 points for MSU while Dale Lamberth added 11 points off the bench as the Bears saw their 5 game winning streak come to an end. Missouri State then had another chance to pick up a solid win on their home floor when they welcomed Winthrop on Friday. However, the Bears forgot to play defense and they had no answer for Winthrop’s hot three point shooting as they fell 77-66. The Golden Eagles hit 14 threes and the Bears were unable to contain Michael Jenkins who hit 7 threes for a game-high 25 points. Deven Mitchell led the Bears with 21 points off the bench. Two losses on their home floor to two tournament worthy squads could end up being what keeps the Bears out of the Big Dance. The Bears travel to Wichita State Tuesday in a “must-win” game if they hope to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Missouri State will then welcome Drake Saturday for their final home game of the season. The Bears bounce back and keep themselves alive for an at-large berth as they win both games.

4. Bradley (19-10, 9-7) Last Week: 4th

After two more wins this past week, the Bradley Braves have now entered the discussion of teams currently on the bubble. The Braves opened this past week with a trip to Evansville and the Braves walked out of Roberts Stadium with a 72-71 victory. The Braves looked to be coasting to their ninth conference win of the season but the Aces weren’t about to go away on their home floor. Matt Webster tied the game with a three with just 7 seconds to play but Bradley’s Will Franklin hit a free throw with 1 second to play giving the Braves the 1-point win. Jeremy Crouch led BU with 15 points as the Braves hit 13-of-25 three-point attempts. The Braves then went on the road Saturday as part of ESPN’s BracketBuster Saturday and picked up a huge non-conference win as they beat a very good Virginia Commonwealth team 73-64. The Braves were once again deadly beyond the arc as they hit 11-of-23 three-point shots. Crouch led the Bears with 22 points and Daniel Ruffin added 19 as the Braves picked up a huge win over a VCU team that was 22-5 and sitting atop the Colonial Conference standings. This win for the Braves may prove to be very beneficial and if they can make a run in the MVC tourney like they did last year, they may just put themselves in a good position for an at-large berth. The Braves will have a great chance this week to add to their tournament resume, as they should have no trouble picking up wins number 20 and 21. The Braves host Northern Iowa Tuesday before playing host to Indiana State Saturday.

5. Wichita State (17-11, 8-8) Last Week: 5th

Entering last week’s action, the Shockers still had a slim shot at making the NCAA Tournament but after two losses this past week; the Shockers bubble has officially burst. The Shockers went on the road Wednesday night and probably wish they would have stayed at home in Wichita with their Valentines. The Shockers returned home to Wichita with a 62-58 loss to the last place Drake Bulldogs, a loss that will likely send the Shockers to the NIT. Karon Bradley led WSU with 17 points and despite out shooting the Bulldogs, the Shockers lost the free throw battle, being outscored by Drake at the line 14-3. The Shockers then played host to Appalachian State Saturday and once again they were dealt a very damaging loss. WSU took a two-point lead with just under 2 minutes to play but then the Mountaineers tied it with 1:42 to play. Following a Shocker shot clock violation Appalachian State completed a three-point play with 28 seconds to go. Kyle Wilson then tied the game for Wichita State with 17 seconds to go but Appalachian State scored on a turn around jumper by D.J. Thompson with 5 seconds left and then held on, knocking off the Shockers on their home floor 60-58. Sean Ogirri led WSU with 12 points and Wilson added 7 points and 9 rebounds. The Shockers likely are headed to the NIT which is surprising after they had such a hot start when the rose to #8 in the rankings. It won’t be an easy week for the Shockers this week as they host Missouri State on Tuesday before traveling to Creighton on Saturday. Don’t be surprised if the Shockers win both games but then again don’t be surprised if they drop both contests.

6. Northern Iowa (16-12, 7-9) Last Week: 6th

The Northern Iowa Panthers are playing the worst basketball out of any team in the conference and they are doing so at the absolute worst time of the season. After starting the conference season at 6-2, the Panthers looked to be headed to yet another NCAA Tournament but then they decided to drop 8 of their last 9 games and now they sit just 4 games over .500 and are clinging to their post-season life and hoping for an NIT berth. UNI looked to be in good shape Wednesday night to pick up a quality win on the road over Creighton but then the game slipped right out of their hands in the final 8 minutes. The Panthers lead CU for nearly the entire first 30 minutes of the game but then they were held to without a field goal for an 8-minute stretch and fell to the Jays 66-55. Brooks McKowen had 15 points and Grant Stout just missed a double double with 13 points and 9 rebounds. UNI then got a tough BracketBuster assignment as they were forced to go on the road to take on nationally ranked Nevada. After playing a very solid first half in which they had a 1-point halftime advantage the Panthers once gain fell apart in the second half, getting outscored 47-31 in the second frame and losing to the Wolfpack 79-64. Eric Coleman led the Panthers with 16 points and 9 rebounds and Stout added 10 points. UNI was out shot once again and Nevada hit over 50 percent of their shots from the floor and the three-point line. UNI must start to play better defense if they hope to make some noise in the MVC Tournament. The Panthers will likely see their losing streak hit 6 games as they travel to Bradley Tuesday night for a game they will likely lose. UNI should close out the regular season with a win as they welcome Illinois State Saturday.

7. Evansville (14-14, 6-10) Last Week: 7th

The Evansville Purple Aces enter the last week of action looking to do just enough to avoid having to play on the first day of the MVC Tournament. Last week the Aces went 1-1 as they fell to Bradley at home before beating Samford on the road Saturday. Evansville had a good opportunity Wednesday to pick up another solid win at home but the Aces fell just short as they lost to Bradley 72-71. Trailing by 3, Matt Webster hit a 3 pointer with 7 seconds to play but Shy Ely fouled Will Franklin with 1 second to go setting up Franklin’s game winning free throw. Webster led the Aces with 19 points and Bradley Strickland and Kyle Anslinger added 15 points apiece. Evansville however didn’t let that heartbreaking loss hang around too long as they bounced back and won on the road at Samford Saturday, beating the Bulldogs 69-65. The Aces shot 67 percent from the field in the first half in building a 3-point halftime lead. The Bulldogs would make a run late, getting as close as 2 points, but the Aces hit their shots down the stretch and pulled out the victory. Jason Holsinger had 16 points and Webster added 15 as the Aces shot 70 percent from the floor for the game including over 50 percent from downtown. The Aces will finish the regular season away from home, as they’ll travel to Drake Wednesday before heading to Carbondale to take on the Salukis of SIU. A split is likely and the Aces will enter the conference tournament as the number seven seed.

8. Illinois State (14-14, 5-11) Last Week: 9th

Entering last week’s action on a three game losing streak the Illinois State Redbirds were not playing good basketball. But what a difference a week can make as the Redbirds won both their games this past week and did so convincingly. The Redbirds opened the week defeating Indiana State 68-53 behind 18 points from Levi Dyer. The Redbirds shot 55 percent from the floor and dominated the Sycamores down low, out rebounding them by 11 boards and out scoring them in the paint 34-18. Greg Dilligard added a double double with 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Redbirds won their fifth conference game of the season. The Redbirds then won their second game of the week, a 70-57 decision over Ball State as part of ESPNU’s BracketBuster Saturday. Dyer was almost unstoppable Saturday night as he had 29 points on 11-of-13 shooting and Anthony Slack, the MVC Newcomer of the Week, added 10 points while grabbing 9 rebounds. After trailing by 8 at the half, Ball State closed to within 1 with 7 minutes to play but the Redbirds responded with a 9-0 run to put the game out of reach. The Redbirds shot well again for the second time last week hitting over 50 percent of their shots from the floor against Ball State. The Redbirds will finish the season with 2 more conference losses bringing their MVC record to 5-13. ISU will fall to Creighton Tuesday and to Northern Iowa on the road Saturday.

9. Drake (15-13, 5-11) Last Week: 10th

Despite being at the bottom of the Valley standings, the Drake Bulldogs had a very successful week going 2-0. The Bulldogs opened the week with a hard fought home win over Wichita State. Trailing by 2 with just over a minute to play, Drake’s Klayton Korver hit a three-point bucket while being fouled. Korver then hit the free throw giving Drake a 2-point lead, a lead they would not surrender. The Bulldogs held the Shockers scoreless for the rest of the game, holding on for the 62-58 win. Ajay Calvin led Drake with 16 points and the Bulldogs dominated the glass, out rebounding the Shockers 37-26. Drake then hosted UW-Milwaukee Saturday night and the Bulldogs won for the third time in four games beating the Panthers 84-76. The win gave Drake 15 wins on the season for the first time since 1987. Five Bulldogs reached double figures led by Nick Grant’s 22 points. Drake trailed early by as many as 16 points but they used a 20-6 run to get within 2. Josh Young then hit a three-point basket with just over 7 minutes to play giving Drake the lead for good. Drake’s full court pressure was the difference as they forced UW-Milwaukee into committing 24 turnovers. The Bulldogs welcome Evansville on Wednesday before heading to Evansville on Saturday. The Bulldogs will drop these two games and enter the MVC Tournament with an opening round game on Thursday.

10. Indiana State (12-15, 5-11) Last Week: 8th

It wasn’t a very good week to be associated with the Indiana Sate men’s basketball team as they lost both their games by double figures at home at the Hulman Center. The Sycamores hosted Illinois State Wednesday night and they fell behind early and were unable to overcome the Redbirds hot second half shooting as they fell to Illinois State 68-53. Adam Arnold and Cole Holmstrom each had 11 points as the Sycamores were dominated on the glass, getting out rebounded 33-22. ISU then welcomed Miami (OH) Saturday for an ESPNU BracketBuster match up and once again the Sycamores fell by double digits, despite leading the Redhawks by 7 at the break. ISU was outscored 39-20 in the second half in dropping their 11th game in their last 12 contests. Gabe Moore led ISU with 15 points and 8 assists as terrible shooting once again did in the Sycamores as they hit just 6-of-24 shots in the second half.
The Sycamores will lose both their games this week, falling at home to Southern Illinois Wednesday and to Bradley on the road Saturday. ISU will end up in last place in the Valley after starting the Valley season 4-1.