What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The MIssouri Valley 2/7/2020

S. Illinois looks for home win vs Missouri St.--Associated Press
HappeningHoops.com CBI/CIT Bracketology Number 7 February 7th 2020--Happening Hoops

CBI (16 Teams)
SIU Region (Midwest)

SIU (14-10 MVC)

South Dakota (17-8 Summit)

Texas State (15-9 Sun Belt)

Ball State (13-9 MAC)

CIT (26 teams last season)
Midwest

Indiana State (14-8 MVC)

Valpo (12-12 MVC)

Omaha (12-12 Summit)

Kansas City (12-12 WAC)

Northern Illinois (14-9 MAC)

Eastern Michigan (12-10 MAC)

With the Braves: The Athletic offers an inside look at Indiana State basketball--Peoria Journal Star
The smaller the arena, the better?--Bradley Scout
One-on-One: Which men’s basketball newcomer provides more value to the program?--Bradley Scout
Braves Host Evansville Sunday Afternoon--bradleybraves.com

Defense not on par, offense in funk and no luck for Braves--Bradley Scout
Leti Lerma lets her work ethic tell the story--Bradley Scout

Men’s Basketball To Meet UNI In Cedar Falls--godrakebulldogs.com

Women’s Basketball Continues Homestand Friday Night against SIU--godrakebulldogs.com

How to watch Evansville Aces vs. Bradley Braves basketball on TV, live stream--Evansville Courier & Press
What Will This Team Look Like In March?--Eville-Ways
Men’s basketball ready for Sunday game at Bradley--gopurpleaces.com

Aces lead majority of the way in loss at Valpo--gopurpleaces.com
Windy City matchup on the docket for Aces on Saturday--gopurpleaces.com

DJ Horne, Redbirds try to bounce back with surging Indiana State coming to Redbird Arena--The Pantagraph
Illinois State to Host Retro Night on February 15--goredbirds.com
Illinois State Hosts Sycamores, Taste of Redbirds, on Saturday--goredbirds.com

Illinois State women's basketball entertains rival Bradley on Friday at Redbird Arena--The Pantagraph
Preview: Redbirds and Braves women's basketball clash for the second time this season--Vidette Online
Illinois State Hosts Bradley for Annual “Pack the Arena” Game Friday--goredbirds.com

Historic Win & Building Momentum--Valley Hoops Insider

ISU basketball legend Atha dies at 88--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Sycamores Looking For Fifth Consecutive MVC Win At Illinois State Saturday Night--gosycamores.com

ISU women shoot well to start, but fall 65-55 at Loyola--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Sycamores Fall Just Short in Physical Battle at Loyola--gosycamores.com
Women’s Hoops Continues Road Swing at Valpo on Saturday--gosycamores.com

Gentile Arena Set for 3rd Men’s Basketball Sellout This Season--Loyola Phoenix
Loyola Hosts Valpo In Sunday Matinee--loyolaramblers.com
Loyola Men’s Basketball Game Versus Valparaiso Is Sold Out--loyolaramblers.com

Loyola Women’s Basketball Defeats Indiana State to Snap Losing Streak--Loyola Phoenix

Loyola Shakes Off Slow Start, Battles Past Indiana State, 65-55--loyolaramblers.com

Bears Set Take on Rival Salukis in Carbondale--missouristatebears.com

It might've been controversial, but Coach Mox thinks the MSU Lady Bears needed to lose to SIU--Springfield News-Leader

Root's (Power) Rankings: 2020 Week 5--Three Man Weave

Mid-Major Five

2. Northern Iowa
A.J. Green has gotten a lot of the attention for Northern Iowa’s torrid offense, both in this space and others, but it’s probably about time to acknowledge how incredible big man Austin Phyfe has been, too. The skilled big man has given the Panthers another clear route to efficient offense rather than just hoping Green can create in a one-on-one setting. Phyfe is scoring 1.1 points per possession on post ups, ranking him in the 97th percentile, and it’s easy to see why given how he uses patience as a weapon and navigates his body in advantageous positions:

That extra half step looks awkward, but it’s precisely that step that makes this move so deadly: the opponent’s timing is thrown off, and he gets caught swiping at the ball as Phyfe lays it in.

Bubble Watch: Is it automatic bid or bust for Northern Iowa?--Mid-Major Madness
Bubble Watch: Kentucky, close losses and what might have been--The Athletic

Others
Every year, we forget the unique pleasures of having all of this stuff pretty much written and ready to go … except for, like, Saint Mary’s, which tipped off at 11 p.m. ET and, it turns out, found itself in a dogfight with San Diego. And we say to ourselves: This is the business we’ve chosen.

Locks: San Diego State, Gonzaga
Should be in: Dayton
Work to do: BYU, Saint Mary’s, VCU, Northern Iowa, Rhode Island, East Tennessee State, Yale, Utah State, Richmond

Northern Iowa (18-3, 9-2; NET: 39, SOS: 105): Another league win for UNI this week, on Wednesday at Valpo, which adds to the Panthers’ gargantuan collection of Quadrant 3 contests. They’re 10-2 in that space. Does this matter? Only in so far as Ben Jacobsen’s group doesn’t lose too many more between now and the Missouri Valley tournament. That Dec. 10 win over Colorado continues to look great — but it will only go so far.