Drake

Friday Tournament Predictions: Horizon, OVC, MVC, WCC

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:55:14 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

ATLANTIC SUN SEMIFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

Belmont (25-7, 16-2) vs. East Tennessee State (17-13, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – Belmont 82-70; Feb. 18 – Belmont 80-58. RPI: Belmont 63, East Tennessee State 180. Analysis: Belmont beat the Buccaneers by a combined 34 points in two meetings this year. Can’t find a reason why the Bruins won’t blow them out again. Line: Belmont -12. Pick: Belmont 88, East Tennessee State 66.

Mercer (22-10, 13-5) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (14-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Mercer 76-54; Feb. 20 – Mercer 75-66. RPI: Mercer 126, Florida Gulf Coast 238. Analysis: Mercer looked better in its win over Lipscomb, but the Bears probably aren’t playing well enough yet to take them against the spread. Line: Mercer -9.5. Pick: Mercer 71, Florida Gulf Coast 67.

HORIZON LEAGUE QUARETRFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

(3) Detroit (19-13, 11-7) vs. (6) Youngstown State (16-14, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Youngstown 64-61*; Feb. 25 – Detroit 76-74*. RPI: Detroit 158, Youngstown State 166. Analysis: Detroit’s underachieving roller coaster season comes to an end. Line: Detroit -6. Pick: Youngstown State 68, Detroit 65.

(4) Milwaukee (20-12, 11-7) vs. (5) Butler (19-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Butler 54-50; Jan. 26 – Milwaukee 53-42. RPI: Milwaukee 124, Butler 112. Analysis: The Butler magic lives on – for one more day. Line: Butler -1. Pick: Butler 66, Milwaukee 61.

MISSOURI VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

(1) Wichita State (26-4, 16-2) vs. (8) Indiana State (17-13, 8-10)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Wichita State 75-65*; Feb. 4 – Wichita State 71-66. RPI: Wichita State 12, Indiana State 130. Analysis: This isn’t a typical 1/8 matchup with the Sycamores finishing a game behind third place. Indiana State is closer to the team that won last year’s tournament than to the one that struggled during the middle of this season. Line: Wichita St -10. Pick: Wichita State 70, Indiana State 62.

(4) Illinois State (18-12, 9-9) vs. (5) Northern Iowa (19-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 3:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 29 – Illinois State 65-61; Feb. 11 – Northern Iowa 78-63. RPI: Illinois State 125, Northern Iowa 62. Analysis: This game could go either way, so take the team with more post-season experience. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Pick: Northern Iowa 70, Illinois State 67.

(2) Creighton (25-5, 14-4) vs. (7) Drake (16-14, 9-9)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 3 – Creighton 76-59; Jan. 25 – Creighton 77-69. RPI: Creighton 25, Drake 127. Analysis: Except for a late push against Long Beach State, the Blue Jays just aren’t playing as well as they were earlier this season. It would be tough to take them by more than a handful of points. Line: Creighton -8. Pick: Creighton 69, Drake 65.

(3) Evansville (15-14, 9-9) vs. (6) Missouri State (16-15, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 9:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Evansville 87-82 (OT)*; Feb. 25 – Evansville 75-70 (OT). RPI: Evansville 138, Missouri State 108. Analysis: Missouri State senior Kyle Weems will find a way to shine in his final week, and the Bear defense will clamp down on Ace star Colt Ryan. Line: Missouri State -2. Pick: Missouri State 77, Evansville 70.

OHIO VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

(1) Murray State (28-1, 15-1) vs. (4) Tennessee Tech (19-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Murray State 82-74; Feb. 25 – Murray State 69-64*. RPI: Murray State 31, Tennessee Tech 151. Analysis: Tennessee Tech found a way to keep both regular-season meetings close, and Kevin Murphy and the Eagles will push the Racers again. Line: Murray St -8. Pick: Murray State 70, Tennessee Tech 64.

(2) Tennessee State (19-11, 11-5) vs. (3) Morehead State (18-14, 10-6)

Tipoff: Approx. 8 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Tennessee State 77-72. RPI: Tennessee State 131, Morehead State 173. Analysis: With an extra day of rest, Tennessee State will pull away from the Eagles early in the second half. Line: Tennessee St -4. Pick: Tennessee State 81, Morehead State 69.

WCC QUARTERFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(4) Loyola Marymount (19-11, 11-5) vs. (5) San Francisco (19-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Loyola Marymount 77-76 (OT)*; Feb. 4 – Loyola Marymount 90-88. RPI: Loyola Marymount 119, San Francisco 147. Analysis: Vegas is begging you to take LMU, don't fall for it. Line: San Francisco -1.5. Pick: Loyola Marymount 78, San Francisco 75.

(3) BYU (24-7, 12-4) vs. (6) San Diego (12-17, 9-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 11 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – BYU 88-52; Jan. 16 – BYU 82-63*. RPI: BYU 50, San Diego 193. Analysis: BYU will control the boards and its defensive end en route to an easy win. Line: BYU -13. Pick: BYU 78, San Diego 55.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 95-62-2

Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats": Drake's Maury John

Jon Teitel — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:20:29 -0800

In the latest installment in his "Coaching Greats" interview series CHN writer spoke with two players of late Drake head coach Maury John, Dolph Pulliam and Dan Callahan. During his time at Drake, John won 211 games and led the Bulldogs to four conference titles, three NCAA appearances and a Final Four as well.

Jon Teitel: Coach John was known for his "belly-button" defense (man-to-man defense with an emphasis on total ball denial and weak-side help). How did he come up with that?

Dolph Pulliam: Coach John wrote a book about the belly-button defense...and it happened to be about me! He put me in charge of leading the team defensively, so I would show them how to stick with their opponent, frustrate them, etc.

Dan Callahan: Dolph Pulliam and Willie Wise became blood brothers, which made it easier to implement the belly-button defense. My barber Al Stone also cut Coach John's hair, and said that one day Coach just leaped out of his barber chair and came up with the defensive positioning. Dolph and Willie competed with each other to be the best defender on the team. The guards stayed in front of their men and the center denied the entry to the post.

JT: In 1946 he became head coach at Moberly JC, where he won two national and eight state titles in 12 years. How was he able to be so dominant for such a long stretch of time?

DP: He was the John Wooden of junior college basketball. He was known for his run-and-gun style and was a master at designing offenses, which is how he became so famous. Later on he could show up at a JC tourney and just choose any players he wanted to come to Drake.

DC: You have to know Coach John: he was the kind of guy who everyone admired. Willie was a Bible reader and Coach was a devout man himself. I was on the second team at Moberly to win the national title, and several of my teammates ended up going to Drake. At the JC level he was able to bring in kids from St. Louis and create a community atmosphere despite being out in the sticks.

JT: After sharing the 1969 MVC regular-season title with Louisville, his team got a four-point win over the Cardinals in a playoff to get into the NCAA tournament. How was he able to pull out the win to keep his postseason dreams alive?

DP: There was an on-court fight during our regular season game in Louisville, and we ended up losing the game. We beat them by 30+ points in the rematch in Des Moines. The playoff game was at a neutral site in Wichita. I was usually a forward, but Coach told me that he was going to switch me to guard so I could defend Butch Beard (who Louisville had moved to guard). Coach was a great motivator. We could not wait to get out of the locker room and onto the court before our games. He was a genius on the sideline as well, as everyone on the team knew their responsibility (even if you were on the bench, you would act as a cheerleader).

DC: People talk about "peaking at the right time". The team just gelled after a loss to North Texas St. They had a meeting and decided that they would simply not get beat again that season. The fight brought about some greater determination.

1969 NCAA Tournament

JT: Lew Alcindor had 25 points and 21 rebounds in a three-point win by eventual champion UCLA. How close did Drake come to winning that game?

DP: We were down by three with 15 seconds left to a team that was picked to beat us by about 20. Willie McCarter missed a shot and I was able to get the rebound and put it in to cut the lead to one. I thought I was fouled but the official did not call anything. Lynn Shackleford made two free throws at the end to clinch the win. NBC was calling its affiliates in the second half to give them a heads-up about the possible upset!

DC: If you look at the box score John Vallely made 11 of 14 free throws by himself.

JT: McCarter had 28 points and ten assists in a 20-point win over North Carolina in the third place game. How were they able to blow out Dean Smith's team despite Charlie Scott scoring 35 points (16-26 FG)?

DP: We just played hard defense.

DC: It was a combination of a great coach and great players. North Carolina had a very tall team but the game was decided with quickness. Ever since then North Carolina has recruited smaller and quicker frontcourt players.

1970 NCAA Tournament

JT: Al Williams had 24 points and a school tournament-record 17 rebounds in a five-point win over Houston. Did they think they could get back to the Final Four the following year?

DP: Definitely. There were only 16 teams in the tourney back then so we thought we could make it, but did not realize how hard it was to get back to the Final 4.

JT: Sam Lacey had 20 points and 24 rebounds in a nine-point New Mexico State win. Was Lacey just unstoppable on the boards?

DP: I had graduated by then but I remember watching the game and thinking we had a chance to win it.

DC: Lou Henson was their great coach and Lacey was a great player who was huge.

1971 NCAA Tournament

JT: Tom Bush had 19 points and 16 rebounds and Al Sakys made a jumper with four seconds left in regulation in a seven-point overtime win over Notre Dame. How was Bobby Jones able to hold Austin Carr to only 26 points (who had been averaging 38 PPG)?

DP: Jones was a great defender. Once we established the legacy of defense winning games, all the teams that came after us knew that they would have to just play hard-nosed defense.

JT: Dave Robisch had 27 points and ten rebounds in a two-point Kansas win. How close did the Bulldogs come to winning that game?

DP: We were right there with them and just had a few breaks not go our way.

JT: In 1971 he became head coach at Iowa State. Why on earth did he leave Drake after three straight trips to the NCAA tournament?

DP: I stayed good friends with Coach after I graduated. Drake said they would build an on-campus arena if we got to the NCAA tourney, but the school failed to live up to its promise in each of those three years. Iowa State offered Coach John a professorship with tenure and the chance to coach in a brand-new arena. Coach asked me for my opinion and I said he should take the job in Ames. He told me that I had the scoop (I was in TV broadcasting at the time), but I told him that I would not take advantage of him and just wait until everyone else got word of the news. My teammates and I overheard the first promise.

DC: Drake had a basketball/recruiting budget that was not even close to Iowa State. When we were in the Final Four against UCLA, we only had two baskets in our Fieldhouse. I am sure that money was a part of it. For example, Dr. Tom Davis made about $250,000 as coach at Drake, but his son Keno ended up signing a 10-year/$10 million contract at Providence. I still do not know how small private schools can compete with the big public universities around the country.

JT: In his final season with the Cyclones his only loss was by one-point to Drake on the same day that he was told he had an inoperable malignant tumor. What was it like for him to coach against his old team, and how did he cope with the bad news about his health?

DP: It is always hard to coach against your former team but he was such a competitor that he tried his best to win. He called me in my office to tell me about his cancer and told me that he wanted my prayers rather than my tears. We both ended up crying over the phone; it was difficult for all of us.

DC: I was a pall-bearer at Coach's funeral. He had a strong faith, which made him a great coach and a great man. Even at the end he believed that he was going to beat it.

JT: He was a four-time conference Coach of the Year. What did it mean to him to win such outstanding individual honor?

DP: He was prouder of us than he was of the honors. I am sure he would bask in the glory of that after the fact, but he was happiest for our team's success. It was great for us to see our coach get recognized for doing things the right way.

DC: He is in the Missouri Hall of Fame and won a pair of national titles. Some coaches might think they have all the answers but Coach John was able to handle adversity.

JT: When people look back on his career, how do you think he should be remembered the most?

DP: Every day that I run across someone in town we end up talking about Coach John. He was a Renaissance man who was ahead of his time. What I remember the most is that he treated us all like we were his own sons. He was a great speaker and never cursed at us. It was just great to be around him because everyone loved him.

DC: He believed in God and had a consistent attitude about life and family. He lived/breathed basketball and his son Maurice Jr. became one of the best eye surgeons in the country. There are not a lot of people who can maintain greatness throughout their lives. After the UCLA loss Coach Wooden brought Coach John out to work at his clinic and asked him a bunch of questions about the belly-button defense. He was a like a father to me and we gave extra effort for him in return. We had several guys who never got off the bench but we all felt like part of a team.

Maury is also on Jon's list of best coaches in MVC history.

Bradley: Chuck Orsborn (1956-1965) 194-56, 1 conference title, 3 NIT titles, 2-time conference COY
Creighton: Dana Altman (1994-2010) 327-176, 7 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 2-time conference COY
Drake: Maury John (1958-1971) 211-131, 3 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 1-time national COY, 4-time conference COY
Evansville: Jim Crews (1985-2002) 294-209, 4 NCAA tourneys, 5 conference titles, 4-time conference COY
Illinois State: Bob Donewald (1978-1989) 207-122, 3 NCAA tourneys, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY
Indiana State: Glenn Curtis (1938-1946) 122-45
Missouri State: Charlie Spoonhour (1983-1992) 197-81, 5 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 3-time conference COY
Northern Iowa: Ben Jacobson (2006-present) 126-69, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 2-time conference COY
Southern Illinois: Jack Hartman (1962-1970) 142-64, 1 NIT title
Wichita State: Ralph Miller (1951-1964) 220-133, 1 NCAA tourney, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY

Wednesday Recap: Georgetown Wins at Louisville

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:47:25 -0800

A lot of talk surrounding this week of games for the Louisville Cardinals centered on the importance of their game with in-state rival Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. And while that game is extremely important the Cardinals still had to attend to the business of their Big East opener. Thanks to career nights from both Markel Starks and Otto Porter however it was Georgetown that took care of business, handing the Cardinals their first loss of the season by the final score of 71-68. Starks made seven of eight shots from the field in scoring a career-high 20 points while Porter added 14 points and 14 rebounds for his first career double-double.

"Collectively, I don't think you can look at anybody on this team as a measure of points," said Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. "[Starks] made some big plays and his defensive got better in the second half. The same thing I said about the freshmen, these guys are players. Age, class, maturation goes out the window."

Georgetown wasn't great offensively as they turned the basketball over 16 times on the night, but they were still more efficient that a Louisville team that's had trouble scoring consistently in the half court. The Cardinals made two more field goals than the Hoyas but needed 12 more attempts to do so, and they outscored Georgetown by just three points (24-21) from beyond the arc despite attempting 13 more shots (24-11). Kyle Kuric led three Louisville players in double figures with 17 points while Peyton Siva added 15 and Russ Smith 14, but the half-court offensive execution and their struggles from the foul line (10-for-17) doomed the home team.

"I thought we really rushed, jacked up shots when it was still a game," remarked Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. "There were 15 seconds on the clock and we were looking for a three. We haven't done that. But they were a better basketball team. They, at this stage of the season, execute offensively better than we do."

Looking ahead to Saturday at Rupp Arena it's pretty obvious what Louisville's focus will be, and their offensive execution is something that will have to improve if they're to win the Big East as well. When forcing turnovers at a high rate the Cardinals can get away with averaging just over a point per possession, but that won't get it done especially when encountering a team that can execute at a level similar to that of Georgetown. As for the Hoyas, it's still early for a young team that's got talent and the potential to make some waves this season. And they're not going to consistently turn the ball over on a quarter of their possessions either. Winning in a hostile environment despite quiet nights from their three most experienced players (Jason Clark, Henry Sims and Hollis Thompson) is a nice way to start league play for Georgetown.

Other Notable Happenings

1. In a game featuring multiple big runs, Michigan State beats Indiana.
After Keith Appling knocked down a three-pointer with 5:11 remaining in the first half, #17 Michigan State led #15 Indiana 34-16 and looked to be well on their way to an emphatic win in the Big Ten opener for both teams. But Tom Crean's team, much to their credit, refused to give in and went on a 25-2 run to wrestle away control of the contest despite Cody Zeller being in foul trouble. Indiana went from trailing by 18 to eventually leading by nine following a Christian Watford three with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game, and they looked to be a safe bet to wrap up the victory. But the Spartans fought back in front of the home crowd, going on a 20-0 run and winning 80-65 thanks in large part to Appling. Appling, a question mark early in the season when it came to running the point, finished the game with 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds with just two turnovers in his best game of the season.

Also of importance for Michigan State was the play of big man Derrick Nix off the bench, as he scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Tim Izzo's team turned the ball over just nine times and made 17 of 22 from the charity stripe, where they outscored the Hoosiers by 12. Watford led Indiana with 26 points and ten rebounds but the early favorite for Big Ten Rookie of the Year (Zeller) attempted just five shots and scored four points in a tough night at the office. In moving to 12-2 on the season the Spartans also scored 23 points off of 13 Indiana turnovers, and if they can continue to use their defense to spark the offense look out. As for Indiana, they weren't done any favors by the league schedule-makers as next up for them is Ohio State in Bloomington.

2. Pierre Jackson's drive gives Baylor the win over Mississippi State.
With both teams entering the game in Dallas ranked within the Top 15 many were using the game between #7 Baylor and #14 Mississippi State as a litmus test of sorts. And if anything can be gleaned from the Bears' 54-52 win over the Bulldogs it's that both teams, while definitely talented, have a lot of work to do in order to reach their full potential. Pierre Jackson, whose layup with 28 seconds remaining, scored 14 points but also turned the ball over four times and didn't always exhibit the best shot selection. Mississippi State once again experienced the roller coaster that is big man Renardo Sidney as he alternated displays of what he's capable of doing (10 points) with moments of (to be blunt) basketball incompetence, picking up a technical foul after being called for his fifth foul. Luckily for the Bulldogs, Baylor made just two of the resulting four free throws to tie the game at 52 but that would only delay the inevitable.

The Bulldogs' final possession of the game was just as mystifying, with Dee Bost unable to get open which resulted in a near 10-second game of catch at the top of the Baylor zone. Mississippi State never found the look they wanted, with Jackson ultimately knocking the loose ball to the other end of the floor in the final seconds to preserve the victory. Baylor won by outscoring Mississippi State 11-3 from the foul line and finishing with a 40-32 edge on the boards. Without those advantages it's tough to see the Bears being able to make up for their poor shooting (34.5% FG), but the fact remains that they won and are off the the best start in school history (13-0). While they'll enjoy the win, Scott Drew's team is likely aware of the fact that in order to be Big 12 title good they'll need to get better.

3. Missouri State reminds everyone that they're the defending MVC regular season champs.
Greg McDermott's Bluejays had more than earned the praise bestowed upon them for their hot start to the season, and the same goes for the Missouri Valley Conference as a whole. However going into the start of league play some may have forgotten which team win the regular season title last season, but Kyle Weems and company provided the reminder in Omaha. Weems scored 31 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Anthony Downing knocked down a huge three-pointer with 1:11 remaining to push the Missouri State lead to six (71-65). The Bears went on to win 75-65, outscoring Creighton 45-31 and limiting the preseason favorite to win the MVC to 33.3% shooting in the second half.

While Creighton's Doug McDermott made just eight of eighteen shots and didn't touch the ball as often as many would have liked at key junctures in the second half, he did finish with 18 points and 12 rebounds. The issue for the Bluejays offensively is that Missouri State didn't allow the other starters to get going. Antoine Young scored 13 points but made just three of thirteen shots from the field, and none of the other three starters (Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat and Gregory Echenique) made more than one field goal (combined 3-for-12). That's not going to get it done when Weems and Downing combine to score 57 points with Jamar Gulley adding another twelve. Two things to take out of this result: don't forget about Paul Lusk's team in the title race, and Creighton's game at Wichita State on Saturday became that much more important.

Quick Hitters

1. Fab Melo took another step in his development Wednesday night, tallying a school-record 10 blocked shots in addition to 12 points and seven rebounds in Syracuse's 75-49 win over Seton Hall. Syracuse did all of this without leading scorer Kris Joseph scoring a single point.

2. Jay Wright's team hung tough for about 35 minutes in Morgantown, but Villanova didn't have the horses to win as West Virginia handed the Wildcats an 83-69 defeat. Gary Browne and Truck Bryant combined to score WVU's final 22 points, with Bryant finishing with a game-high 34 points.

3. It's one thing for Northwestern to lose at Ohio State; that was to be expected. But for Drew Crawford and John Shurna to shoot a combined 9-for-30 in an 87-54 loss to the Buckeyes? Ohio State out-rebounded the Wildcats 48-28 and William Buford led the way with 28 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

4. Under the radar quality road win: Loyola (MD) beating Patriot League favorite Bucknell 72-67. Erik Etherly led the Greyhounds with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks, and Loyola out-rebounded the Bison by ten (33-23). A lot of the MAAC chat has centered on Iona and Fairfield, but don't ignore Jimmy Patsos' 9-3 team.

5. Speaking of Fairfield, they fell 77-69 at Drexel as Samme Givens went off for the CAA favorites. Givens scored 31 points to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Drexel made 22 of 27 from the charity stripe (Fairfield finished 10-for-13).

6. In a stunning result for "margin of victory" reasons, North Dakota State whipped Oakland 96-69 to move even with the Golden Grizzlies at 2-1 in Summit League play. Reggie Hamilton scored 24 points to lead Oakland but he needed 20 shots to do so (making seven), while Taylor Braun led four Bison starters in double figures with 21.

7. New Mexico exacted a measure of revenge on their in-state rivals, beating New Mexico State 89-69 in Las Cruces. Tony Snell scored 24 points and Drew Gordon added 23 and 19 rebounds for the Lobos, who lost the first meeting this season on their home floor back on November 16th. Steve Alford's team has improved a great deal since then and have won eight straight games.

8. In another MVC score of note Drake knocked off Indiana State 79-64 in Des Moines. Karl Madison scored 24 points and Rayvonte Rice 22 as the Bulldogs won despite not receiving a single point from their bench. Drake shot 71% from the field in the second half to pull away.

9. Maryland received a much-needed boost to their rotation as freshman center Alex Len made his debut. Len, who was suspended by the NCAA for the first ten games of the season, scored 14 points while also grabbing eight rebounds and blocking three shots in the Terrapins' 83-72 win over Albany.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kyle Weems (Missouri State)
Weems gave folks a nice reminder of who the reigning MVC Player of the Year is, scoring 31 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Bears' 77-65 win over #19 Creighton.

2. F Drew Gordon (New Mexico) and F Cameron Moore (UAB)
They played in different games but both did yeoman's work in their respective teams' victories. Gordon scored 23 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the Lobos' 89-69 win over New Mexico State, and Moore scored 19 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in the Blazers' 56-49 win at George Washington. Moore out-rebounded the Colonials 24-22.

3. G Truck Bryant (West Virginia)
34 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Mountaineers' 83-69 win over Villanova.

Jon Teitel's Interview Series: Drake Legend Willie Wise

Jon Teitel — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 21:02:13 -0700

In the latest installment in his "Best Pro Players in School History" interview series, CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Drake legend Willie Wise, who was also a member of the Bulldogs' lone Final Four team back in 1969. "Wonderous Willie" went on to have a successful career in the ABA with the Utah Stars, then moving on to play in Denver and Seattle after the ABA/NBA merger.

Jon Teitel: You attended San Francisco CC (the same JC that your friend OJ Simpson attended), but decided to go to Drake despite OJ's desire for you to follow him to USC. What was OJ like back in the day, and how do you feel about him knowing all that he has gone through in recent decades?

Willie Wise: Back then he was quite a good friend: we were not soulmates, but he came to all of my games and I went to all of his games. Today, I am disappointed and hurt, but people change. Now we are both in our 60s; I have not seen him in person since the late 1970s when he made his final Pro Bowl in Seattle. I was playing against the Sonics in Seattle, and someone was calling my name from the sideline, and when I looked up it was OJ. He probably is not the same person that I knew back in the day.

JT: Drake finished last in the MVC in 1967, but was ranked as high as #3 in the country by 1969. How were you able to turn it around so quickly, and what was the reaction like from the fans?

WW: As I was a JUCO transfer, I was kind of looked down on by others. Me and the 4 other JC transfers just wanted to prove ourselves. We improved by 9 wins in our 1st year, but were snubbed by the NIT, so the following year we wanted to show the voters that they had made a mistake. We had a real camaraderie and genuinely cared for each other; we cared about winning, rather than who was scoring. We really knew our roles, and were happy to play them. We had a players-only meeting where we cleared the air about what we were going to do, and then proceeded to go out and win about 15 games in a row. We had a lot of African-American players on the team, but we were accepted by our Caucasian teammates. When one of the African-American players was refused service in a restaurant in Memphis, our Caucasian teammates walked out.

JT: One of your teammates was future NCAA decathlon champion Rick Wanamaker. What was he like as a basketball player, and could you tell that he was a great all-around athlete?

WW: Wanny was a tremendous teammate; he was quiet, but always smiling. I do not recall him ever getting into trouble or anyone not liking him. We did not recognize his athletic ability until my senior year when he went out for the track team. His 6'9" frame was great for the hurdles, but I did not think he would be good at pole vaulting. He had a good shooting touch for a big man and could run the floor very quickly. I think he had a chance to go to the Olympics, but might have gotten hurt.

JT: Later that season you had a career-high 21 rebounds against St. Cloud St. and finished the season with a then-school record 343 rebounds. What are your memories of that record-setting game, and what was your secret for rebounding?

WW: I do not remember that game at all: we were not a very stat-conscious team. When I got to Drake, I realized that I did not have to be a big scorer because we had a guy named Willie McCarter who was our leading scorer. The key to rebounding is desire and good positioning. When I look at someone like Amare Stoudemire, I think that a guy of his size and ability should average 12-13 rebounds per game. I am much smaller than Stoudemire (I am about 6'6"), but I knew that rebounding would be my role. Sometimes I would play center on offense and forward on defense.

JT: What are your memories of the 1969 MVC playoff game (beating Louisville by four points to make the NCAA tourney for the first time in school history)?

WW: It became a bit of a rivalry during our senior year, as we had a huge fight on the court in Louisville, and I thought to myself that I was done, but I escaped. When we got back to Drake our fans were livid but we decided not to lower ourselves to their level and instead played with a lot of class. We blew them out later that season on our court, so the rubber match at Wichita State was going to be big. I just felt that on a neutral court we were a better team.

1969 NCAA Tournament

JT: You beat Texas A&M in the opening round. Did your team feel confident that they were going to make a run deep into the tourney?

WW: Our coach Maury John (who was very important in our development as young men) told us that if we got him to the Final Four we would beat UCLA. Texas A&M had a huge lineup with several guys who were 6'9" or 6'10" so we played a "belly-button defense" where we just overplayed everyone, as we were not a big shot-blocking team. We just ran them right off the court because we were quicker than them.

JT: You scored 16 points in a seven-point win over Colorado State What was your team's mood like heading into the Final Four to face two-time defending champion UCLA?

WW: Dolph Pulliam took CSU's big man right out of the game, but the Kerr twins (Floyd and Lloyd) were hurting us. After we won Coach John unveiled his innovative plan to press UCLA, who were famous for pressing themselves.

JT: You scored 13 points and had 16 rebounds in a three-point loss to UCLA (three-time national POY Lew Alcindor had 25 points and 18 rebounds). How close did you come to winning the game, and what was it like to face a legend like Alcindor?

WW: The one who really beat us was guard John Vallely: he just killed us. We thought we could win if we could steal one pass at the end but just could not get the steal. Initially it was intimidating to face Alcindor, but once we began to sweat it was fine, although we definitely had to be more selective with our shots. Looking back, our guards McCarter and Don Draper shot a combined 15-for-40, and if they had just made their normal average we would have won going away.

JT: After the game UCLA coach John Wooden said that Drake gave his team as much trouble as any team that UCLA ever faced in the tourney. Are you proud of the fact that your team almost pulled off the historic upset, or were you just disappointed that you lost the game?

WW: Both; we were extremely disappointed that we lost, but extremely thankful to receive such accolades from a coach like Wooden. Sports Illustrated asked Alcindor in the 1990s to rate his three NCAA titles, and he said that the toughest team he faced during his senior year was Drake. The pain is still there 40 years later, as I can recall most of the game. I think that Pulliam and I were a collective 9-for-13 from the floor, so I think that the two of us should have shot more.

JT: You scored 16 points and had a game-high 16 rebounds in a win over North Carolina in the third place game. Did you consider your tourney run a success (due to making it so far) or a failure (due to not winning it all)?

WW: To our fan base/community, it was a success because Drake had never gone that far before or since. For the players, because we did not win it all when it was right in our grasp, it was a real letdown. I recall that none of us took off our uniforms in the locker room after the game. We felt that our defense would carry us and that we should have won. We felt UNC had no chance against us. I tip my hat to the UCLA fans; when we went into the stands after our game to watch the UCLA-Purdue title game, the UCLA fans chanted "We're #1...Drake's #2!"

JT: Coach John was named National Coach of the Year. What was it like to play for him and what made him such a great coach?

WW: It was great to play for him, as he was one of the best coaches I ever played for (along with Bill Sharman). In the North Carolina game I was too pumped up and just made mistake after mistake, so he pulled me out and sat me down next to him to see what was going on. He put me back in a few minutes later, and did not take me out the rest of the game, which was great for my confidence. He never yelled at our shot selection unless it was totally absurd, and he was very passionate about playing defense. He was a defensive guru who wrote a book about the belly-button defense, and a lot of other coaches began to use it. He had a lot of respect for his players, and there was not a racist bone in his entire body, as he had five to six African-American players in conservative Iowa in the 1960s. His wife cooked for us and had us over to her home, which you just did not see a lot of back then.

JT: In the summer of 1969 you were drafted in the fifth round by San Francisco, but spent the summer working for the grounds crew of the Oakland Athletics' minor league baseball affiliate in Des Moines, and then had a successful tryout with the ABA's LA Stars. Were you disappointed that you did not make the SF team, and what was your reaction after LA called you to tryout?

WW: I was very pro-God at the time and would read the Bible. I was talking to a reporter at the Final Four and told him that if I were to get drafted, I would probably not go to the team and just become a Jehovah's Witness minister. I thought we were talking off the record, but he wrote it in his paper, and a lot of teams stayed away from me because of that. Coach John made some calls and said he could get me a tryout with Kentucky/New Orleans/Los Angeles and since I was from California it was a no-brainer for me. I was in summer school to get the final credits I needed, and got a job with the grounds crew. Since I had not been working out that summer, when I finally got to LA for a tryout I played terribly. I was eating dinner in a restaurant later that night, and there was a commotion, when who should walk in the door but my old friend OJ! It was a real pick-me-up, and I went out and played very well in a scrimmage the following day, and Sharman offered me a job.

JT: In 1970 you made it to the Finals before losing to the Pacers (playoff MVP Roger Brown scored 137 points in the final three games, including a playoff-record 53 points in Game 4). Where does Brown's performance in that series rank among the best you have ever seen and did you gain a lot of confidence after making it to the Finals in your rookie season?

WW: Everyone asks me who was the toughest guy I ever guarded, and I always say Roger Brown. He was smooth as silk, could shoot the 3, passed like a guard, etc. I had a bone spur in my ankle so I was only about 60% healthy at the time. It was quite exhilarating to make it to the Finals because we thought there was no way we would beat Denver (led by Spencer Haywood), so we were a little awestruck to be facing Indiana, who was the class of the ABA.

1971 ABA Finals

JT: Your team moved from Los Angeles to Utah at the start of the season. Was it weird to be on a team that changed cities, and how did the fans/city treat you?

WW: The fans were great. There was an adjustment with the daily living, as it was not a very diverse state. It was disappointing for me because I had gone to LA specifically to be in California, rather than in the snow (which I hated).

JT: In Game 1 against Kentucky, your team set a playoff record by scoring 50 points in the second quarter. How on earth did you team score so many points and did you think that the rest of the series would be a cakewalk?

WW: We had a kid named Ron Boone (who is currently the color commentator for the Jazz), and a kid named Glen Combs who could shoot from well behind the three-point line. Dan Issel was 6'9", but we could still hit the boards and get some offensive rebounds. We also got a lot of rebounds from Zelmo Beaty, who had to sit out a year after coming over from the NBA. We thought that we would easily win the series, and did not even think about losing.

JT: You led your team in scoring in Games Three, Four and Six but your team lost all three of those games. Was it frustrating to play so well without winning those games and how did you like your chances going back to Utah for Game 7?

WW: It was frustrating; Zelmo usually led us in scoring but I just tried to step up from my supportive role. It is important to maintain the pecking order for a positive outcome.

JT: You had 22 points and 20 rebounds and won the title at home by beating Kentucky in Game 7, after which your fans mobbed the court for twenty minutes and carried you and playoff MVP Beaty off on their shoulders. What did it mean to you to win the title, and what was it like getting carried off the floor?

WW: It meant everything to us because we came up short the previous year and had learned a lot. We did what we knew we were supposed to do. I had never experienced anything like that when the fans carried us off the court. It was great that they recognized what we had accomplished. Zelmo still has the picture of us being carried off in his house.

JT: In 1972 you scored a career-high 50 points against Kentucky. Was it just one of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were "in the zone"?

WW: I remember that game very well. We played Pittsburgh two days before that and Zelmo had a great first half against them, and ended up scoring a league-record 63 points. We sacrificed our own offense and got him the ball as much as we could. My first shot against Kentucky was an airball but then I made a couple of shots and then Jimmie Jones just kept feeding me and Zelmo kept teling me to shoot, and I made 21-of-29 from the field and 8-of-10 from the line. Issel was guarding me, and was not known for his defense. Once I got hot Coach Joe Mullaney pulled Issel off me, but everyone else he tried was no match for me because my confidence was sky high. I had a pretty consistent year, as I scored over 20 points at least forty times that year.

JT: In 1972 you again led your team in scoring in three games during a playoff series but the Pacers beat you by four points in Game 7 of the Western Division Finals in Utah (as Roger Brown also led his team in scoring in three of the other games). Did Brown just have your team's number in the playoffs, and were you getting sick of playing the Pacers?

WW: We added Jimmie Jones who was a great rebounder and had the greatest basketball mind of any teammate I ever had. We were not sick of the Pacers: it was a great rivalry with mutual respect, and we matched up with them very well. Coach LaDell Andersen took me off of Brown on the defensive end so that I could focus on my offense. Brown, Doug Moe, Larry Brown, and Connie Hawkins were all banned from the NBA in the 1960s due to their role in a point-shaving scandal. If Brown played in the NBA, he would have been great there too.

JT: In the 1973 ABA All-Star Game in Utah you had a game-high 26 points for the victorious Western Conference but your Western teammate Warren Jabali received some boos from the crowd after being named MVP with 16 points and seven assists. How on earth did you not win MVP and how did it feel to play so well in such a game?

WW: Jabali deserved it because he kept penetrating and laying it off to me; I did not have to generate a lot of offense on my own. It was quite an honor to be selected as a starter among all the other great ABA players. It was even more special to be selected to the All-Star team the previous two years because we got to play against the NBA All-Stars.

JT: In 1973 your team set a playoff record in the opening round by making all twenty-two of its free throws in a series-clinching win over San Diego, but you lost to the Pacers in six games in the Western Division Finals. How on earth did your team make all its free throws against San Diego and how dominant was George McGinnis in that series?

WW: That is news to me, as I was only a 75% shooter myself from the free throw line. We called McGinnis "Superman" ("Supe" for short), and he was a bear to guard; he was so strong that we just did not have an answer for him.

JT: In 1974 you finally beat the Pacers in the Western Division Finals but lost to the Nets in the Finals. How dominant was Dr. J in that series and did you realize at the time that it would be your last game in Utah?

WW: There was no way I thought that was my last game in Utah. Zelmo and Jones were my two best friends and were my mentors. Dr. J was on a whole other level, as he was a great leaper who took the game above the rim. He would come after you and just leap right over you, and his long strides made him even faster than Brown.

JT: You are one of six players to ever average 19-plus points and 9-plus rebounds per game during your ABA career (Artis Gilmore/Dan Issel/George McGinnis/Julius Erving/Zelmo Beaty). Do you consider yourself to be one of the best players in ABA history?

WW: No; I was okay but I had a nice jump shot and the will to succeed because the Warriors did not draft me. Zelmo would talk to me night after night and say "You could be as good as Oscar [Robertson]". I think that Jones was the best guard who ever played in the ABA.

JT: You were the only members of the Stars who did not wear the American flag patch on your uniform due to your Jehovah's Witness faith. How controversial was that at the time, and what was it like being a Jehovah's Witness in the state of Utah?

WW: I did not wear the flag patch because of what I had read in my Bible study group, and one of those beliefs is that you should not have any political allegiances because you are not of this world. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that you should not be involved in the political landscape. I was not in the organization, but I went along with some of their practices, including not being involved in the government. I had no problems living with all the Mormons in Utah; the fans just wanted me to produce on the court. Our coach LaDell Andersen was Mormon, and we got along just great.

JT: Sports Illustrated called you "the best two-way performer in pro basketball" and in 1997 you were named one of the thirty best players in ABA history. How much importance did you place on defense?

WW: I thought that the game starts with defense. I took pride in being able to frustrate my opponent, so I would study their tendencies, especially what they did not like to do. I did not want to let someone beat me with their strength. What bothers me about today's players is that most of them do not think about defense. Once your defense is there, the offense will just flow and you will be full of confidence. I worked at it, and loved to play defense. One of the highest compliments I ever got was from Dr. J, who said I gave him the most problems on the court due to my defense. The best compliment that I treasure the most was from my teammate Gerald Govan, who said to me "My boy, I don't care what anyone says about Doc, McGinnis, or anyone else. I'll take you 1st on my team any day".

JT: After the 1976 ABA-NBA merger you played with Denver and Seattle. What were the biggest differences between the ABA and NBA?

WW: The NBA was more compact whereas the ABA was more wide open with teams running up and down the court. I thought the NBA was more of a "we" league than a "me" league, with the referees protecting the stars. When we came into the league, we were one of the inferior teams and would never get a call from the refs. We had a good squad in Denver, and won our division, but Portland beat us and ended up winning the title. The ABA made the NBA a lot stronger with guys like Maurice Lucas, Moses Malone, etc.

JT: You currently work as a cement truck driver in Seattle. How did you get into the business and how do you like it?

WW: All my life the two things I wanted to do were play professional sports and drive a truck. I now drive a concrete mixer for a local company and I love it. I am still doing it at age 63, but will probably retire in the years ahead.

Best Pro Players in MVC History

Bradley: Chet Walker (1963)

Creighton: Paul Silas (1965)

Drake: Willie Wise (1970)

Evansville: Jerry Sloan (1966)

Illinois State: Doug Collins (1974)

Indiana State: Larry Bird (1980)

Missouri State: Curtis Perry (1971)

Northern Iowa: NO ALUMNI IN ABA/NBA

Southern Illinois: Walt Frazier (1968)

Wichita State: Warren Jabali (1969)

MVC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:14:11 -0800

The MVC race is always up for grabs, and perhaps another surprise team like UNI lurks. Perhaps no league has as much parity as the Valley, where even the bottom teams are improved.

Conference Rank: 8th

10 year average: 9th

MVC Conference Page

All-MVC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Osiris Eldridge	Illinois St	Jr
G	Josh Young	Drake	Jr
G	P'Allen Stinnett	Creighton	So
G	Adam Koch	Northern Iowa	Sr
F	Dinma Odiakosa	Illinois St	Sr

Player of the Year - Osiris Eldridge Freshman of the Year - Ben Simons (Drake)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
High-Major All-Americans Osiris Eldridge (1st Team) Adam Koch (3rd) P'Allen Stinnett (3rd) Josh Young (3rd) Kevin Dillard Dinma Odiakosa		Points: Josh Young 15.4 Rebounds: Dinma Odiakosa 7.5 Assists: Clevin Hannah 4.3

MVC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

41	Creighton	MVC	1	NCAA
59	Northern Iowa	MVC	2	NIT
72	Bradley	MVC	3	NIT
76	Illinois State	MVC	4	NIT
94	Wichita State	MVC	5	CBI/CIT
117	Southern Illinois	MVC	6	CBI/CIT
137	Indiana State	MVC	7
154	Drake	MVC	8
203	Evansville	MVC	9
228	Missouri State	MVC	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MVC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

MVC Preseason Poll & Awards

Press Release — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:56:48 -0700

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The Northern Iowa men's basketball team has been picked to finish first in the Missouri Valley Conference, according to the preseason poll announced today during the league's annual Basketball Media Day.

Northern Iowa, which returns all five starters after sharing the regular-season title with Creighton last year, earned 38 of 39 first-place votes in the survey of league coaches, beat writers, sports information directors and play-by-play men.

Pollsters have accurately predicted the league's regular-season champ only 11 times out of 25 since 1985-86. Two teams have been picked for second place but gone on to take the regular-season crown, Southern Illinois in both 2002-03 and 2006-07.

The preseason poll doesn¹t always match the year-end standings. Last year's Northern Iowa was picked sixth and ended up in a tie for first. The year before that, Drake was picked ninth, only to finish 28-5 and win the league title.

2009-10 MVC Preseason Poll
Rk.    School (1st place votes)    Total
1.    Northern Iowa (38)    389
2.    Creighton (1)    336
3.    Illinois State    299
4.    Southern Illinois    272
5.    Wichita State    216
6.    Bradley    208
7.    Indiana State    173
8.    Drake    105
9.    Missouri State    92
10.    Evansville    55
Poll determined by panel of league sports information directors and media.

Preseason All-MVC Team
Osiris Eldridge*, Sr., G, Illinois State
Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Jr., G, Northern Iowa
Tony Freeman, Sr., G, Southern Illinois
Adam Koch, Sr., F, Northern Iowa
P¹Allen Stinnett, Jr., G, Creighton
Josh Young, Sr., G, Drake
*Preseason Player of the Year

Honorable Mention:
Kevin Dillard, Southern Illinois
Clevin Hannah, Wichita State
Jake Kelly, Indiana State
Sam Maniscalco, Bradley
Harry Marshall, Indiana State
Toure¹ Murry, Wichita State

MVC Preseason Poll & Awards

Press Release — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:10:43 -0700

ST. LOUIS - UNI, which returns all five starters and nine of 10 players from last year’s regular-season co-champ and State Farm MVC Tournament winner, has been picked to earn the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball title in 2009-10.

The Panthers are hoping the pollsters are correct, although recent history could suggest otherwise, as only once in the past four years has the pre-season poll correctly picked the regular-season champ (last year Creighton was picked to win and shared the regular-season title with UNI, which was picked to finish sixth.)

The Panthers - also picked to win by The Sporting News College Basketball Preview, Lindy’s College Basketball Preview, and Athlon Sports College Basketball Preview - join a small group of defending Missouri Valley men’s basketball champs to return all five starters.

It marks the second time in league history the Panthers have been pegged as the preseason favorites. UNI was also picked to win the league in 2005-06. UNI finished fifth in the conference race in 2005-06, but earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.

MVC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
School (First-Place Votes) Total
1. UNI (38)......................389
2. Creighton (1).................336
3. Illinois State................299
4. Southern Illinois.............272
5. Wichita State.................216
6. Bradley.......................208
7. Indiana State.................173
8. Drake.........................105
9. Missouri State.................92
10. Evansville....................55
Poll determined by panel of league sports information directors, media, and coaches.

2009-10 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team
Name, School, Pos., Ht., Wt., Year, Hometown, High School
Kwadzo Ahelegbe, UNI, G, 6-2, 200, Jr., Oakdale (Minn.) Tartan High
Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State, G, 6-3, 215, Sr., Chicago (Ill.) Phillips Academy
Tony Freeman, Southern Illinois, G, 6-1, 195, Sr., Maywood (Ill.) St. Joseph’s/Iowa
Adam Koch, UNI, F, 6-8, 255, Sr., Ashwaubenon (Wis.) High
P’Allen Stinnett, Creighton, G, 6-3, 180, Jr., Las Vegas (Nev.) Brewster Academy [N.H.]
Josh Young, Drake, G, 6-1, 174, Sr., Lawton (Okla.) Lawton Christian High

Honorable Mention: Kevin Dillard, Southern Illinois; Clevin Hannah, Wichita State; Jake Kelly, Indiana State; Sam Maniscalco, Bradley; Harry Marshall, Indiana State; Toure’ Murry, Wichita State

Preseason Player of the Year - Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State

Poll: Who Will Win the MVC?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:34:17 -0700

Arch Madness: MVC Tourney Preview & Predictions

Evan Dorey — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:26:03 -0800

This is one in a series of conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, give a brief statistical review and present the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

Missouri Valley Conference

Arch Madness is always a fun tournament, and with a tumultuous season in the Valley, the 10 teams that start play in St. Louis over the next two days should contest an interesting tournament.

Tournament Odds

#	Team	QF	SF	F	W
1	Northern Iowa	100.00%	85.62%	66.54%	38.32%
2	Creighton	100.00%	85.61%	49.52%	27.45%
3	Illinois St.	100.00%	82.32%	43.51%	23.21%
4	Bradley	100.00%	67.10%	21.45%	7.10%
5	Southern Illinois	100.00%	32.90%	6.53%	1.31%
6	Evansville	100.00%	17.68%	3.82%	0.84%
7	Wichita St.	65.34%	11.02%	2.64%	0.60%
8	Drake	56.54%	8.91%	3.60%	0.77%
9	Indiana St.	43.46%	5.47%	1.88%	0.33%
10	Missouri St.	34.66%	3.37%	0.50%	0.07%

There’s not much surprise that the three teams that were at the head of the conference all season look to have the best chances at taking the auto-bid.

#1 – Northern Iowa Panthers (20-10, 14-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.112

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (1^st Round)

After finishing 2008 7-6, it seemed unlikely that Northern Iowa would end up claiming the regular season title and the #1 seed in the tournament, but an 11-game winning streak put it into the top spot, and it held on through a mid-February lull to finish atop the standings. The Panthers play a fairly slow, deliberate style, struggling on the offensive glass, but committing few turnovers and making a lot of shots. While its offense has focused more on three-point shots, NIU has defended the interior well, and is one of the nation’s best teams in defensive rebounding.

Players to watch:

7-1 JR Jordan Eglseder, 10.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 59.3 eFG% - If Eglseder could manage 25 minutes a game, he might very well be the league’s best player, but even at his current 19 minute average, he’s pretty impressive. When he’s on the floor, he’s the focal point of the Panthers’ offense, and as a 62% shooter, he should be. He leads the team in rebounding and blocks, and puts up spectacular rates in both areas. One area you’d like to see him improve in is getting to the free throw line, but if this guy can improve in his senior season, UNI will be a major danger again.

6-8 JR Adam Koch, 11.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 51.4 eFG% - Eglseder may have trouble getting to the line, but that’s not a problem for Koch, his interior partner. Koch is in the top 5 nationally in getting to the stripe, and his 78% once he gets there helps him to be the team’s leading scorer.

#2 – Creighton Bluejays (25-6, 14-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.098

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2007 (1^st Round)

Creighton is the only realistic hope for the Valley to pick up an at-large bid, which would presumably need it to win at least a game or two in the tournament. It has a number of solid wins over Dayton, New Mexico and Oral Roberts, no really bad losses, and has won 10 consecutive games as the tourney starts. The Bluejays are excellent shooters, best in the conference at the line and from behind the arc, and turn the ball over only rarely. They have struggled on the glass at both ends of the floor, but have made up for that to some extent by holding opponents to a fairly low percentage inside and forcing a lot of turnovers.

Players to watch:

6-1 SR Booker Woodfox, 15.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 63.5 eFG% - The Valley player of the year, Woodfox is second in the conference in scoring, but perhaps more importantly, leads the MVC in both free throw and three-point shooting. He’s a deadly scorer from all over the floor, and has committed just 29 turnovers all season.

6-2 SR P’Allen Stinnett, 12.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 50.9 eFG% - Stinnett’s percentages look pretty shabby next to Woodfox’s, but he’s a quality second scoring option who is best when his game focuses on the inside shot.

#3 – Illinois St. Redbirds (22-8, 11-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.086

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1998 (2^nd Round)

One of the only teams to survive December undefeated, Illinois St.’s weak non-conference schedule eventually caught up with it, and a tough final three games saw them slump to a seven loss season. The Redbirds have the Valley’s best defense, causing opponents a lot of problems with the long-distance shot, and dominating the defensive glass as well as any team in the country. On the offensive end, Illinois St. shoots a lot of threes, and does a pretty good job on them .

Players to watch:

6-3 JR Osriris Eldridge, 13.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 49.1 eFG% - Eldridge has been a good shooter and an effective rebounder for the Redbirds all season, but has gone just 7-34 in his last three games, something that needs to change for Illinois St. to pick up some wins.

6-6 SR Chamberlain Oguchi, 14.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 52.1 eFG% - ‘Champ’, as he’s known, does a lot of good things for his team, a solid three point shooter who’s a strong rebounder and free throw shooter, and shows excellent ball control.

#4 –Bradley Braves (17-13, 10-8) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.020

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (Sweet Sixteen)

Bradley ‘s season was briefly derailed by an early February four-game losing streak, but it rallied to finish above .500, and is the last of the teams in the Valley to finish with an EM above zero. The key has been the Braves’ offense, which, despite shooting poorly from three and committing a lot of turnovers, has been a fairly efficient unit; especially at the free throw line. Also, Bradley has managed to force a lot of turnovers, which has hurt opponents enough to keep the Braves in the conference’s upper tier.

Players to watch:

6-5 SR Theron Wilson, 13.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 48.0 eFG% - Wilson leads the team in scoring rebounding and steals, but his best talent is getting to the free throw line: he’s been to the stripe 218 times this season, and his 72% from there makes up for his poor long-distance shooting.

6-0 SO Sam Maniscalco, 12.1 PPG,1.9 RPG, 51.5 eFG% - Maniscalco is an effective guard who doesn’t really shine in any area, but plays a fairly large role and is a good percentage player.

#5 – Southern Illinois Salukis (13-17, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.042

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2007 (Sweet Sixteen)

After making the NCAA tournament for six consecutive seasons, the program that has been the face of the Missouri Valley for the last half-decade will be hard-pressed to avoid back-to-back years out of the Big Dance. The Salukis have been well known for their defense over recent years, but they’ve been rooted to the bottom of the Valley in defensive efficiency this season. Their biggest problem has been fouls, allowing opponents far too many shots from the stripe. They’ve also struggled on the defensive glass, and have been vulnerable to inside shots. The one good thing they’ve done is shoot, 38% from behind the arc, but their offense hasn’t been strong enough to make up for their defensive woes.

Players to watch:

5-11 FR Kevin Dillard, 12.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 4.1 APG, 54.7 eFG% - Dillard looks to have a bright future, but still has some of the weaknesses we’d expect from a freshman. He’s a very good three-point shooter, 47% from the field, but his percentage of two-pointers is awfully low, and while he puts up a lot of assists, he has a lot of trouble with turnovers.

6-8 SR Tony Boyle, 10.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 47.7 eFG% - Boyle is the Salukis’ best rebounder, but that’s not saying a lot on a team that hasn’t been very good on the boards. He’s had some big offensive games, but his consistency still leaves something to be desired.

#6 – Evansville Aces (17-12, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.045

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1999 (1^st Round)

Evansville has one of the conference’s worst offenses, but is more notable for taking a higher percentage of its shots from inside the arc than any team in the country. There’s good reason for that, as its 30% three-point shooting should definitely be minimized. However, the Aces’ two-point percentage is not good enough to overcome their problems inside, leaving them struggling for points. They force a lot of turnovers on the defensive end, but have the two-part problem of giving up a high percentage inside while also committing a lot of fouls.

Players to watch:

6-4 SR Shy Ely, 18.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 47.4 eFG% - Ely is the conference’s leading scorer, and earns a lot of points both inside and at the free throw line. He has a good rebounding average as well, but his rates aren’t particularly impressive.

5-11 SR Jason Holsinger, 12.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 49.8 eFG% - The only serious three-point threat on the Aces, Holsinger heated up late in the season, averaging 17 points over his last seven games, including putting up 30 against Creighton.

#7 – Wichita St. Shockers (15-15, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.043

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (Sweet Sixteen)

Wichita St. recovered from an 0-6 start in Valley play to get nearly all the way back to .500, a reasonable finish from a team that put on an impressive show in finishing 6^th at the Old Spice Classic. The Shockers are a very good team in the interior, shooting more than 50% from inside the arc and putting up solid rates on the boards at each end of the floor. Their perimeter play is much more of a problem, as they turn the ball over a lot and are weak shooters. A similar problem with the outside shot plagues Wichita St.’s defensive play as well, with opponents making 37% of attempted threes.

Players to watch:

5-11 JR Clevin Hannah, 11.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 58.1 eFG% - The team’s leader in points, assists and steals, Hannah is an excellent three-point shooter who produces a lot of positive things for the Shockers. His assist total doesn’t look that impressive, but his rate is one of the country’s best.

6-6, SR Ramon Clemente, 7.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 58.7 eFG% - Clemente is only 4^th on the team in scoring, but that’s mostly due to a lack of attempts, rather than his ability to finish the chances he does get. He’s a 59% shooter from the field who hits less than 53% of his free throws.

#8 – Drake Bulldogs (17-14, 7-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.034

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

A year removed from their magical conference championship season, the Bulldogs have not had a great campaign, though from an efficiency margin standard they were 5^th, rather than 8^th, in the league. Their basic style of offense hasn’t changed too much from last season, but they’ve regressed in every area, most notably their ability to hold onto the ball and get offensive rebounds. Drake’s biggest defensive strength has been the one thing you don’t tend to notice much, avoiding fouls. This helps it to have the best defense outside the top three teams, but it just hasn’t been consistent enough to string together a sequence of more than a couple of wins since early January.

Players to watch:

6-8 SR Jonathan Cox, 11.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 53.2 eFG% - One of the most interesting players in the Valley, Cox is the conference’s top rebounder but also a 40% three-point shooter. His scoring average has actually regressed from last season, mostly due to the fact that his percentage inside the arc plummeted.

6-1 JR Josh Young, 15.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 47.4 eFG% - Young leads the Bulldogs in scoring; he’s a solid shooter who thrives at the free-throw line, where he shoots nearly 85%.

#9 – Indiana St. Sycamores (10-20, 7-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.058

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2001 (2^nd Round)

Indiana St. looked on course for a last placed finish when it was 2-10 in the conference in early February, but a strong finish moved it up to 9^th, and gives it a serious chance in its opening round game. The difference in the later games has been improved shooting, especially from behind the arc. This has helped the Sycamores overcome their inability to stop opponents from making shots.

Players to watch:

6-8 SR Jay Tunnell, 12.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 57.6 eFG% - Tunnell put together what may be the most impressive performance I’ve seen all season when he went 8-9 from three to put up 28 points and drive the Sycamores to a huge, come-from-behind overtime win over Illinois St. Since that game, he seems to have found a new confidence, averaging more than 20 points in his last seven outings. Besides his ability to hit threes, he’s also the team’s leading rebounder, and can cause a lot of problems for any opponent.

6-1 JR Rashad Reed, 10.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 47.8 eFG% - Reed is another player who takes a lot of threes and has seen his play improve of late. He’s not as high a percentage a player as Tunnell, but he’s still a solid scoring threat.

#10 – Missouri St. Bears (11-19, 3-15) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.098

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1999 (Sweet Sixteen)

The league’s worst team has both the worst defense and offense, and will face a serious challenge in St. Louis. They allow opponents to score easily, and don’t make many shots themselves, so their decent performance on the boards and ability to force turnovers don’t really help much.

Players to watch:

6-4 SR Chris Cooks, 12.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.6 APG, 44.8 eFG% - Cooks leads the team in scoring and rebounding, but shoots under 40% on two-pointers, meaning he ends up wasting a lot of possessions. He’s an OK long-distance shooter, but not good enough to cover his problems inside the arc.

6-6 FR Kyle Weems,9.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 44.3 eFG% - Weems has actually been the most efficient Bears regular, which really surprised me, given his sub-30% three-point shooting. He’s a good free throw shooter, and decent inside, but his biggest strength is avoiding turnovers, having committed only 33 all year. When that’s the main thing to highlight about you, it’s typically not a very good sign.

My statistical all-Missouri Valley team:

Illinois St. JR G Osriris Eldridge, 13.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 49.1 eFG%

Creighton SR G Booker Woodfox, 15.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 63.5 eFG%

Evansville SR G/F Shy Ely, 18.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 47.4 eFG%

Drake SR F Jonathan Cox, 11.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 53.2 eFG%

Northern Iowa JR C Jordan Eglseder, 10.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 59.3 eFG%

Missouri Valley Tournament: News & Notes

Press Release — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:57:46 -0800

Wide Open?
The 2009 State Farm MVC Tournament could be one of the most unpredictable in league history. Only twice has a seed worse than No. 3 won the event in 32 previous championships. However, three of the four teams playing Thursday in the opening round have a combined eight wins against this year's top three seeds. No. 7 seed Wichita State has home victories against Creighton, UNI, and Illinois State; while No. 8 seed Drake was the only team in the MVC to beat co-league champs UNI and Creighton on their homecourts. No. 9 seed Indiana State also won at UNI, and swept third-seeded Illinois State.

State Farm Missouri Valley Player of the Week
Jordan Eglseder, UNI, Jr., 7-1, Ctr., Bellevue (Iowa) Marquette High
? Eglseder averaged 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots last week, helping lead UNI to a share of its first-ever MVC regular-season title. Eglseder had 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks in the Panthers’ 69-67 double-overtime win at Illinois State on Feb. 24, and then had 20 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks – all team highs – in UNI’s win over Evansville in the regular-season finale.

Newcomer of the Week
Kevin Dillard, SIU, Fr., 5-11, Gd., Homewood (Ill.)Flossmoor High
? Dillard averaged 18.0 ppg and 4.5 apg in wins over Drake and Wichita State, lifting SIU into the No. 5 tournament seed. He was 6-of-12 (.500) from 3-point range in the two games. Against the Bulldogs, his 3-pointer with 3:05 remaining gave SIU a 51-49 lead, which it never relinquished. He made a pair of free throws with 12 seconds to go to seal the win. Against the Shockers, he had 15 of his 21 points in the second half.

Well-Attended Tournament
?A total of 64,551 fans attended the 2008 State Farm MVC Tournament at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. That total is the second-highest total tournament turnstile figure in MVC history. The league has had 50,000 or more in each of the past six tournaments.

Panthers, Bluejays Tie
?For the fourth-straight year, the State Farm MVC Tournament has a different top seed. UNI, which shared the regular-season title with Creighton, earned the No. 1 seed for the first time in school history. The Panthers, picked sixth in the league's pre-season poll, finished with a regular-season record of 20-10 and 14-4 in league play, and held the tiebreaker over co-champion Creighton (25-6, 14-4).

First For UNI
?This year's crown is the first ever MVC regular-season title for the Panthers and 14th for Creighton. The Panthers’ previous best finish was a second-place tie in 2004, a year in which UNI won the State Farm MVC Tournament. Creighton, meanwhile, last earned a league regular-season crown in 2002, when the Bluejays were co-champs with Southern Illinois.

Title Town
?Counting this year, the league has had five different regular-season champs in the past four seasons (Wichita State-2006, Southern Illinois-2007, Drake-2008, and UNI/Creighton-2009).

How Many Will it Take?
?In each of the last nine seasons, the Missouri Valley regular-season champ recorded a 14-4 conference record or better. Since The Valley began playing an 18-game league schedule (1991-92) only two 13-5 champs have emerged: Illinois State (1993) and Evansville (1999).

No. 1 Seed "Success"
?Before Drake swept the regular-season and tournament titles last year, the last No. 1 seed to win the league tourney was Illinois State in 1998. The top-seeded team has won the tournament 11 times (of 32), but only four times in the 18-year history in St. Louis.

Seeds Important?
?In the 32 previous seasons of the MVC Tournament, only twice has a seed worse than a No. 3 won the title (No. 4 Creighton won in 2000 and No. 5 Indiana State won in 2001).

Best Pole Position?
?Thirty of 32 previous tournament champions were seeded 1, 2, or 3. No. 2 seeds have had the most success, winning 13 times, including seven of 18 tries in St. Louis. Creighton (1999, 2002, 2003, 2007), UNI (2004), and Southern Illinois (1993, 2006) were No. 2 seeds and won the tournament those seasons. The only non-No. 2 seeds to win the tournament in the past seven years are Creighton (No. 3 in 2005) and Drake (No. 1 in 2008)

Worst Pole Position?
?Since the league expanded to its current 10-team format in 1997, only one team that has played in the opening round has reached the semifinals (won two games). Bradley, seeded a No. 7 in 1998, beat 10th-seeded Drake and then upset No. 2 seed Creighton, before falling in the semifinals to Missouri State. The sixth-seeded teams have gone a combined 2-18 in tournament games in St. Louis.

Back-To-Back Titles?
?In league history, only Southern Illinois (1993-94-95) has won three-straight conference tourneys. Only four teams have won back-to-back conference tournament titles. Drake is the defending MVC Tournament champion, while Creighton is the last to repeat as tournament champions (2002, 2003).

Post-Season Streaks
?Creighton has reached post-season play a league-record 11-consecutive years. Southern Illinois' streak of league-record six-straight NCAA Tournaments ended in 2008, but the Salukis were in post-season play for their seventh-straight year as they made the NIT. Creighton and SIU were joined by Bradley (3 in a row), Drake (1), and Illinois State (1).

Four or More Bids, Again
?Last season, for the fifth-straight year, eighth time in the past 10 years, and the 14th time in the league's history, The Valley had at least four postseason bids. Five teams represented the Missouri Valley Conference in post-season play.

NCAA Multi-Bid Streak
?Until last year, The Valley had two or more teams reach the NCAA Tournament in nine-straight years. Only the six BCS-football leagues and The Valley had shared that streak of consecutive multi-bid years.

Making The Most of Bids
?In 2008, for the fifth-straight year, eighth time in the past 10 years, and the 14th time in the league’s history, The Valley had at least four teams in post-season play. In 2007, the Salukis were the seventh MVC team to reach the Sweet 16 since 1994, although the MVC has received just 31 total bids from 1994-2008. [nearly one of every four Valley NCAA berths since 1994 have resulted in a Sweet 16 trip].

The Back Nine ...
?Since 1991-92, all 26 MVC teams in the lead (or co-lead) at the break have reached post-season play. The last Valley mid-season leader to not reach the post-season was Tulsa, in 1992. Since then, mid-year leaders Bradley (1994 & 1999), Illinois State (1996), Wichita State (2005) and Creighton (2006) played in the NIT, while the other 21 mid-way leaders reached the NCAAs. UNI led the league with its 8-1 record at the midway point this season.

Quick Starts Important
?Before this season, the last Valley men's basketball team to lose its league opener but still win at least a share of the regular-season title was the 1992-93 Illinois State team. In fact, each of the past 13 seasons, the eventual regular-season champ started league play 2-0 or better. In 1993, Illinois State's regular-season championship team started 0-2 (and 1-3) before winning the league at 13-5. Co-champ UNI lost its league opener, Creighton started league play 2-0.

MVC Champs = NCAA
?Including Drake last year, 15-straight Missouri Valley regular-season champions have reached the NCAA tournament. Illinois State (1992-93) was the last to win the league’s regular-season crown and not make it. Drake is the first Valley team since 1998 (Illinois State that year) to sweep the regular-season and tournament titles.

WSU Makes History
?In the league's 102 seasons, a total of 49 teams, including WSU this year, started a conference season with 0-6 records or worse. All but two of the previous 48 finished last, second to last (or tied for second-to-last) in the MVC standings. WSU started the 2008-09 league campaign at 0-6 and finished tied for fifth place. Here are the only two schools, plus WSU, to finish ahead of two others in the standings after starting 0-6 in league play:

Year -- Team (Started) -- finished
1921 -- Oklahoma (0-6) -- ended up 5-9 (7th of 9)
1959 -- Drake (0-6) -- ended up 4-10 (6th of 8)
2009 -- Wichita State (0-6) -- ended up 8-10 (t5th of 10)

MVC 20-Game Winners
?Including this year, the Valley has had a minimum of two 20-game winners in each of the past 11 seasons. The league has had four or most 20-win teams for five-straight seasons, setting an all-time record with 6 in 2005-06. The previous mark (4) has been reached five times (1994-95, 1999-00, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08).

20 Wins Important?
?Since the NCAA Tournament field was expanded to 64 teams (1985), 62 Valley teams, including three last year, have posted 20 wins prior to "Selection Sunday." Forty-three have reached the NCAAs, and another 18 were in the NIT (Creighton was 20-12 in 1985 and did not reach the post-season -- the only MVC team with 20 wins not to reach post-season play since '85).

Active 20-Win Streaks
?Creighton has reached the 20-win plateau for a league-record 11th-straight season. In the 102-year history of The Valley, only five schools have won 20 games six-straight years, including Cincinnati (1957-58 to 1962-63), Bradley (1956-57 to 1961-62) Oklahoma State (1943-44 to 1948-49), and Southern Illinois (2001-02 to 2006-07), plus the current streak by Creighton. The MVC has had at least four 20-win teams for five-straight years.

Active 20-Win Streaks in The Valley
11 - Creighton (1998-99 - 2008-09)
3 - Bradley (2005-06 - 2007-08)
2 - Illinois State (2007-08 - 2008-09)
1 - Drake (2007-08)
1 - Northern Iowa (2008-09)

Double-Digit Dandies
?All 10 Valley members have reached double-digit wins. The league has had all of its members reach 10 wins only nine times previously in the 101-year history of the league (1954, 1955, 1956, 1963, 1971, 1985, 2000, 2005, and 2007).

Young Guns
?Only 23 of 50 starters returned for the MVC from last year. Here's the makeup of the league's most commonly used starting lineups in recent weeks. Of the league's current 50 starters - 19 of them are freshmen (10) or sophomores (9). Only 15 of them are seniors, 16 are juniors.

Jays Riding the Wave
?Creighton has won 10 straight games entering the MVC Tournament for the second time this decade. The 2000-01 team won 10 straight games entering the Valley Tournament as well. Creighton's 25 wins this year are second-most in school history, trailing only CU's 2002-03 team that entered the Valley Tournament 26-4 and finished the year 29-5 overall. That team smothered Southern Illinois, 80-56, in the championship game.

Drawing Big Crowds
?Last year, the league set an all-time record with 1,323,352 fans attending home games in league cities and the State Farm MVC Tournament. This year, the league has three teams averaging more than 10,000 per game for the first time in conference history: Creighton (16,242), Wichita State (10,391) and Bradley (10,019). Creighton and Wichita State have both averaged better than 10,000 in each of the past five seasons.