What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/18/2019

Podcast: Observations from Delaware, assessing Liberty’s undefeated start, and the State of the Valley--Mid-Major Madness
10 Freshmen Who Have Shined in Opening Semester--CBB Central

DeAndre Williams (Evansville)
Stats: 16.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.7 apg, .724/.476/.786
It’s still somewhat unclear what Williams’ eligibility looks like thanks to a spotty high school transcript, but Walter McCarty would love to have Williams suiting up for the Aces as long as the NCAA will let him. After being forced to sit out last season, Williams has made his presence felt so far at UE and in the process has become a legitimate candidate for Missouri Valley Player of the Year. The headliner performance was a 37 point, 10 rebound outburst against Miami (OH) in which Williams shot 17-18 from the field, but Williams has shown the ability to impact the game in so many ways since beginning his career in November. With Williams’ athleticism, versatile offensive game, and defensive upside, Williams may start getting pro looks sooner rather than later.

Marcus Domask (Southern Illinois)
Stats: 13.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.6 apg, .490/.420/.842
Domask was originally committed to John Brannen at Northern Kentucky, but the coaching carousel left him looking for a new home. Bryan Mullins is probably thanking the basketball gods for that, as Domask looks the part of a major long-term piece for the Salukis. The 6-6 wing/forward has excelled in nearly every statistical category– shooting the ball extremely well from downtown, showing some creation ability off the bounce. He also can defend multiple positions, a major weapon in modern basketball. I’m excited to track Domask’s growth under Mullins given how strong the new head coach’s track record is with player development dating back to his time on staff at Loyola.

Moving the 3-Point Line – The Results?--Valley Hoops Insider

Women’s Basketball Closes Non-Conference Slate In Kansas City--bradleybraves.com
Tatum Koenig Named COUNTRY Financial Scholar-Athlete Of The Week--bradleybraves.com

Drake's Liam Robbins scores 25 to carry Bulldogs past Mount Marty 92-74--Des Moines Register
Men's Basketball Wins 11th-Straight Home Game--godrakebulldogs.com

Drake women fall to Oklahoma on the road--Des Moines Register
Women’s Basketball Unable to Erase Second-Quarter Deficit in Road Loss at Oklahoma--godrakebulldogs.com

Evansville basketball picks up another 2020 commitment from Trey Hall--Evansville Courier & Press
Arch Madness Simulator: Week 7--Eville Ways
Eville Ways’ Christmas Wish List--Eville Ways

Evansville closes out 2019 home slate Wednesday--gopurpleaces.com

Ricky Torres eager to do more for Illinois State to gain confidence before MVC season--The Pantagraph
ISU Returns to Redbird Arena to Battle Flames--goredbirds.com

Illinois State Takes on Jackson State in Non-Conference Home Finale--goredbirds.com

Well-rested Sycamores welcome TSU to Hulman Center--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Sycamores Host Tennessee State Wednesday Night Inside Hulman Center--gosycamores.com

Former ISU Standout Amy Walker to be Inducted into Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame--gosycamores.com

Game 10: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Loyola Ramblers — Open Game Thread--Anchor of Gold

The Morning Dish – Wednesday, December 18, 2019--Hoopville

Tonight’s Menu A lot of good games are on tap, including a tripleheader.

Phoenix plays host to a doubleheader in the Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase, starting with Vanderbilt taking on Loyola-Chicago (6:30 p.m.) and concluding with Saint Mary’s taking on Arizona State (9 p.m.)

Road Test at ORU Wraps Non-Conference Slate for Bears--missouristatebears.com
Lady Bears Travel to Gonzaga Friday for Top-20 Matchup--missouristatebears.com

Root's (Power) Rankings, Week 5--Three Man Weave

The Mid-Major Five

2. Northern Iowa
Honestly, the Purple Panthers probably deserved a spot in these rankings before this week; after all, they had beaten South Carolina on a neutral court and barely lost to West Virginia following a late collapse (and were undefeated besides that stumble). But after winning at Colorado and (an admittedly depleted) Grand Canyon in the span of three nights last week, I could no longer shove my head in the sand and ignore the feisty bunch from Cedar Falls.

Under Ben Jacobson, UNI has once again found success the way it always has: a physical, mistake-free defense that forces opponents to take tough shots, while launching a barrage of three-pointers with a four-out offense around a single interior presence. Austin Phyfe is that big man, a dominant offensive rebounder who finishes everything he touches in the paint (67.3% from the field), while Trae Berhow, Isaiah Brown, and Spencer Haldeman space the floor around offensive engine A.J. Green.

I’d love to be able to bequeath one more dynamic athlete to the Panthers; UNI ranks 343rd nationally in block rate and 344th in steal rate, demonstrating just how reliant they are on the scheme to get stops. To put it in terms Panther fans will understand: there’s no Jeremy Morgan-level defender here, and someone that could be that disruptive defensively could really juice the offensive efficiency with a couple of easy baskets per game.

Bracket Bits: Trouble brewing for North Carolina?--Bracketville

Who is the best mid-major at-large candidate?
Right now, it appears to be Northern Iowa. The Panthers own a victory at Colorado and a neutral-court win over South Carolina. UNC-Greensboro would be right there, too, had the Spartans finished off NC State. As it is, they have a win at Georgetown, coupled with a loss to Montana State. Both have a long way to go – including a dominant run through league play. Liberty’s name might get tossed around, but with a 300-plus NC SOS and a weak Atlantic Sun league, it’s an extremely unlikely scenario.

Armstrong Takes Leave of Absence--unipanthers.com