What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 3/23/2019

The Morning Dish – Thursday, March 21, 2019--Hoopville

Today’s Menu:
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The second set of games begins with Bradley against Michigan State (2:45 p.m., CBS). The Spartans will be heavy favorites, but again, beware-the Braves when playing well as they have of late are more like a 12 seed than a 15, and in fact defeated Penn State of the Big Ten this season.

16 Questions About Thursday’s First Round Games--Rush The Court

2) Michigan State vs. 15) Bradley: Will Michigan State avoid the early exit it took the last time it was a #2 Seed? Bradley managed to beat a Big Ten team (Penn State) earlier this year, but the Braves are going to have their hands full with Michigan State’s Nick Ward in the post.

Best Bets: Bettor’s guide to Thursday’s NCAA tournament games--College Basketball Talk

2:45 p.m.: No. 2 MICHIGAN STATE vs. No. 15 BRADLEY, CBS

LINE: Michigan State (-18.5)
TOTAL: 133.5
IMPLIED SCORE: Michigan State 76, Bradley 57.5
KENPOM: Michigan State 78, Bradley 57

I want no part of betting this game. Michigan State has been banged up all season long. In the Big Ten tournament, Tom Izzo pulled his starters against Ohio State in the quarterfinals with three minutes left, and they promptly gave up a 12-0 run that blew an easy cover. If you guys want to sweat out Tom Izzo trying to steal a few extra minutes of rest for his point guard that has been an absolute workhorse this season, be my guest. I’ll be betting elsewhere.

Bradley coach Brian Wardle contrite after controversy over targeting reporter--USA Today
March Madness: Ranking Thursday's 16 first-round matchups of NCAA tournament--USA Today

16. No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Bradley (2:45 p.m., CBS)

The reason this game offers the least intrigue of the bunch is because the Braves won’t really be in this thing from the get-go. Unlike when Middle Tennessee knocked off the Spartans when they were a No. 2 seed in 2016. Tom Izzo and the MSU's path towards an Elite Eight matchup with Duke will start with a likely blowout of the unlikely Missouri Valley champ.

Everything you need to know about Thursday's games at the NCAA men's basketball tournament--USA Today

No. 2 Michigan State (28-6) vs. No. 15 Bradley (20-14)

East Region, Des Moines

Time, TV: approx. 2:45 p.m. ET, CBS

Why Michigan State will win: The Spartans need only an average day on offense. If they keep with their scoring pace (78.8 per game) against a Bradley side that began 0-5 in Missouri Valley play, a Braves team that hasn’t topped 70 since Feb. 9 can’t keep up.

Why Bradley will win: Slower pace aside (the Braves are 301st in the country in adjusted tempo), there’s a blitz of mojo among a group that won nine of 11 games to take its first conference tournament title since 1988.

The Morning Dish – Friday, March 22, 2019--Hoops HD

Side Dishes:
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For other teams, it was about free throws. Florida State made 31 of 37 in the aforementioned victory over Vermont, while Michigan State hit 25 of 26 from the stripe in finally shaking Bradley 76-65, pulling away after the Braves trailed by just three with three minutes left. The Missouri Valley Conference’s streak of 10 straight wins in first round games ended, but not without a game fight by the No. 15 seed.

March Madness: 10 key takeaways from Thursday's NCAA tournament games--USA Today

3. Was Bradley good or Michigan State bad? The Missouri Valley's Braves had the Big Ten champion Spartans on the ropes for the better part of 35 minutes before collapsing in the closing minutes to make the final score 76-65, covering up for the near-massacre. While Michigan State survived, how much should be read into the team's struggles against the nation's 309th-ranked offense? Coach Tom Izzo has a fiery guard in Cassius Winston who "wouldn't let us lose" and the whole survive-and-advance mantra couldn't be truer in a game that saw MSU shoot poorly. But it still gives pause to this team's ceiling — which before the game was on pace to challenge top-seeded Duke with a Final Four trip on the line.

Bradley coach Brian Wardle put the game into perspective from his lens, noting: "I don't think there were many teams that could have beat us today. We ran into one that could."

How did Bradley compile an NCAA Tournament team? 'Worldwide' recruiting with players from 6 foreign countries--Chicago Tribune
Feisty Bradley shows fight but runs out of luck in a 1st-round loss to Michigan State--Chicago Tribune
NCAA Tournament Review and Preview – Friday, March 22--Hoops HD

Des Moines
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Michigan State had far more trouble with Bradley than anyone expected – they found themselves in an early 10-2 hole, but they ended up trading leads with the Braves on multiple occasions until they finally took control of the game with a 9-0 run with 3 minutes remaining in the game before winning 76-65.

Winston, Michigan State hold off Bradley 76-65--CBS Sports
Bradley vs. Michigan State final score: Braves put a scare into 2 seed Spartans--Mid-Major Madness
Underdogs With Overlapping Games--Valley Hoops Insider
Rewind: Bradley’s single-game NCAA tournament leaders--Peoria Journal Star
Rewind: A look at Bradley’s history with Michigan State--Peoria Journal Star
Reynolds: The night the Spartans came to Peoria--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley has Michigan State’s attention for NCAA opener--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley seniors relish ‘incredible ride’ to NCAA tournament--Peoria Journal Star
Reynolds: Valley’s NCAA win streak ends, but Braves walk away proudly--Peoria Journal Star
Braves prepared for NCAA tournament--Bradley Scout
Bradley’s season ends with loss to Michigan State--Bradley Scout
Braves Drop Tight NCAA Tournament Game to No. 5 Michigan State--bradleybraves.com

UTR Postseason News, Notes and Highlighted Games – Friday, March 21--Hoops HD

CIT

DRAKE AT SOUTHERN UTAH (8:30 PM, WatchCIT.com) – Southern Utah gets rewarded with a home game in the CIT after a much improved season that saw them finish 16-16 overall and 9-11 in the Big Sky. Drake was also in the hunt for the Missouri Valley Conference title for much of the season before bowing out in the semifinal round of the MVC Tournament.

Butler, Southern Utah beat Drake in CIT, 80-73 in OT--CBS Sports
College basketball: Southern Utah beats Drake in CIT's opening round--Des Moines Register
Men’s Basketball Season Ends In OT Loss At Southern Utah--godrakebulldogs.com

NCAAW Tournament Preview: Top teams should coast in the NCAAW Tournament’s Greensboro region — but can Drake pull off an upset?--Swish Appeal
NCAAW Tournament Preview (Round 1, Day 1): Mid-majors can shine in a schedule full of upset potential--Swish Appeal
New year, different attitude for Drake women entering the NCAA Tournament--Des Moines Register
'This one really hurts': Drake falls just short against Missouri in NCAA Tournament opener--Des Moines Register
Women’s Basketball Falls to Missouri in Overtime in First Round of NCAA Tournament--godrakebulldogs.com

College report 3/22/19: Fayne, Yarbrough on NABC district team--The Pantagraph
Barlas: Is declining attendance a factor in ISU basketball's fault?--Vidette Online
Fayne, Yarbrough named All-District--goredbirds.com

Gillespie Announces Women’s Basketball Summer Camps--goredbirds.com

METRO/PREP ROUNDUP: ISU's Key named NABC All-District--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Tyreke Key Named NABC All-District--gosycamores.com

Loyola assistant Bryan Mullins reportedly set to take over at Southern Illinois--Chicago Tribune
A year ago, they were March Madness darlings. Now, some of Loyola's Final Four stars are scattered around the world.--Chicago Tribune
Loyola's Porter Moser gets to NCAA Tournament after all — as TV studio analyst--Chicago Tribune
Bryan Mullins Named Head Coach At Southern Illinois--loyolaramblers.com
Krutwig, Townes Collect NABC All-District 16 Recognition--loyolaramblers.com
Porter Moser To Join NCAA Tournament Coverage As A Guest Studio Analyst--loyolaramblers.com

Da Silva Named Earns NABC All-District Laurels--missouristatebears.com

9 mid-majors to know about in the 2019 NCAAW Tournament--Swish Appeal

No. 11 Missouri State Lady Bears

How they got in: Won the Missouri Valley Conference

What to know: Not since 2014 has an MVC team beaten both in-conference Iowa schools in one road trip, and not since 2016 has one team taken down the Drake Bulldogs twice in one season. But this season, the Lady Bears can say they’ve done both. This team is on a roll, winning 22 of its last 24 games en route to collecting the MVC crown. And although Missouri State has never beaten DePaul, its first-round opponent, this team stands a good chance of being the one to get it done.