What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 2/11/2021

The Other Top 25: Belmont climbs into the top 5--Mid-Major Madness

The Other Top 25: Week 12

Rank School Record Change Our reasoning

2 Loyola University Chicago 17-3 3 Loyola continues to break KenPom, bolstered in part by the 10-game win streak it's riding. Should everything go according to plan, we're set for a highly anticipated series between them and erstwhile undefeated Drake this weekend.
12 Drake 18-1 -2 Drake looked as if it was going to lose both games to Valparaiso last weekend, but saved its undefeated season on Saturday. Sunday? Not quite. The Bulldogs looked pitiful in the second matchup of the series, taking some of the air out of this weekend's clash with Loyola.

Rank	School	Record	Change	Our reasoning
2	Loyola University Chicago	17-3	3	Loyola continues to break KenPom, bolstered in part by the 10-game win streak it's riding. Should everything go according to plan, we're set for a highly anticipated series between them and erstwhile undefeated Drake this weekend.
12	Drake	18-1	-2	Drake looked as if it was going to lose both games to Valparaiso last weekend, but saved its undefeated season on Saturday. Sunday? Not quite. The Bulldogs looked pitiful in the second matchup of the series, taking some of the air out of this weekend's clash with Loyola.

Bracketology 2021: The Top 16 might as well be called the Big 16 right now--Blogging The Bracket

Much like the Big Ten and Big 12 dominate the protected seed group at the moment, the Atlantic 10, Mountain West, and Missouri Valley have crowded out the competition near the cut line. Eight of the 14 teams on seed lines 10 through 12 (including the First Four places) come from these conferences. This past weekend’s results shook up the three league races.

Loyola Chicago (12-1) is now tied with Drake (9-1) in the loss column in the Missouri Valley race. The Ramblers have won 10 in a row heading into their weekend series in Des Moines. On the other hand, the Bulldogs’ tendency to start slowly finally caught up to them this weekend, as they followed a narrow 80-77 win at Valparaiso with a 74-57 loss to the same opponent on Sunday. Plus, Niko Medved’s [sic] squad has to play a midweek game, at home against Northern Iowa, before meeting Loyola for two starting on Saturday.

Under the Radar Game of the Day – Sunday, February 7--Hoops HD
News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Sunday, Feb 7th--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES
-Drake trailed for much of the game, but ended up pulling out an 80-77 win over a rather weak Valpo team to remain unbeaten and in the rankings.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-DRAKE AT VALPARAISO (Missouri Valley). Drake pulled it out yesterday, but barely. They look to stay unbeaten and remain in the rankings today.
-EVANSVILLE AT LOYOLA CHICAGO (Missouri Valley). Evansville is much improved this season and appears to be moving in the right direction as a program, but Loyola Chicago is very close to cracking the rankings and could play their way inside the bubble if they keep winning like they have been.

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Monday, Feb 8th--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES
-After struggling against a rather weak Valpo team on Saturday but pulling out the win, Drake was basically run off the court yesterday. Valpo won 74-57 in what was a really unimpressive showing for the Bulldogs. I still think they are inside the bubble, but due to playing a weak overall schedule (through no real fault of their own) their margin for error is somewhat small.
-Loyola Chicago is right behind them. They managed to hold off Evansville and remain in the hunt for an at-large bid.

Toledo’s reinvention, No. 15 (!) Colgate, buzzer-beaters galore: This Week in Mid-Major--The Athletic

Games of the week

(All times ET. AP rankings as of Monday morning. And because this is 2020-21, all games are tentative).
Loyola Chicago at No. 25 Drake, Noon Saturday, ESPN2 and 6 p.m. Sunday, ESPNU. Oh, how we were looking forward to seeing a 20-0 Drake host Loyola Chicago in a matchup of top-15 teams in the NET. Alas, the Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday, falling by 17 points at Valparaiso. This still rates as possibly the biggest mid-major series of the year so far, but some of the helium has been let out of the balloon. It’s also going to be a little more difficult to explain to your sweetie that you’re spending Valentine’s Day weekend with Roman Penn and Cameron Krutwig. But we have confidence you can pull it off.
The Mid-Major Top 10

1. Loyola Chicago (17-3, 12-1 Missouri Valley): The Ramblers’ run of domination has our full attention. That’s 10 straight wins, all but one by double digits. Porter Moser’s team entered Sunday afternoon at No. 13 on KenPom.com. Drake’s loss might have damaged the dream of a two-bid Valley, but Loyola Chicago remains at-large worthy. And now it’s No. 1 in our rankings after the top four teams from last week’s list all lost. Last week: 7
7. Drake (18-1, 9-1 Missouri Valley): Truth is, the Bulldogs had been living dangerously for the past couple of weeks. They fell into big holes against Missouri State, Illinois State and on Saturday at Valparaiso before mounting rallies. That finally caught up to them on Sunday in a humbling 17-point loss to Valpo, which entered the game ranked 205th in KenPom. Drake went an uncharacteristic 2-of-15 from 3 in the game. Road losses in conference play happen, and expecting this team to go undefeated was unrealistic. Celebrate the 18-0 start. But the Bulldogs’ at-large hopes took a major hit, as unfair as that is. LW: 4

Is Iowa in the midst of another February swoon? College basketball mailbag--The Athletic

With a little over a month left before the NCAA Tournament, what are some teams that stand out to you as heating up at the right time, or conversely, going cold down the stretch? — Jordan A.
I’m adding St. John’s to this list, winners of six in a row in the Big East. Julian Champagnie has been sensational in that run, averaging 17.8 points and 7.5 boards, and while everyone is talking about the end of Drake’s run of perfection, Loyola Chicago has quietly won 10 in a row. Nobody will want to see the Ramblers next month.
After Drake’s loss, which would be more beneficial for the Valley to get 2 teams in: a sweep next weekend with the loser winning Arch Madness or a split (both assuming and barring a late-season slide by either Loyola or Drake)? — Stephen S.

I would love to say it doesn’t matter, that the Valley deserves two bids no matter what. That’s what I believe. This year, with mid-major teams having an especially hard time loading up on their nonconference slates, there needs to be some wiggle room for two very good teams out of a good league.

But … I’m also a realist. If Drake loses both of these, the argument becomes a whole lot harder to make, presuming Loyola Chicago wins Arch Madness. Valparaiso is a Quad 3 loss. Ouch. A split would do the league good here.

Bubble Watch: Illinois and Ohio State are the newest locks--The Athletic

Look up and down the top 50. Compare the NET to KenPom or BPI or even the AP Top 25, if you’re interested in a wisdom-of-the-crowd take. There’s really not a whole lot to complain about. Drake was 13th last week, before it lost at Valpo, which was notably high, but the Bulldogs were also 15-0. Having dropped that game, they have corrected into the high 30s, which feels much more reasonable. What’s the next super-outlier example? UC Santa Barbara being No. 52? Oh, well. Maybe you have a few quibbles here and there — the Gauchos are pretty good — but nothing truly significant.
Others
Work to do: Loyola Chicago, San Diego State, BYU, Drake, Boise State, St. Bonaventure, VCU, Saint Louis, Colorado State, Utah State, Richmond, Toledo, Winthrop
Loyola Chicago (15-3, 12-1; NET: 14, SOS: 227): Needless to say, this is a big week for the Ramblers, and thus of course a big week for purveyors of Ramblers Fever™, among whom the Watch reigns supreme. (OK, maybe Sister Jean has us by a smidge.) Why? It’s Drake week. On Saturday, Loyola will play the first of a back-to-back, Saturday-Sunday doubleheader with a one-loss Drake team that already desperately needed a win over the other quality outfit in its league before it lost to Valpo last weekend. Loyola needs at least one of those games too, but two would be ideal; it would be extremely hard to keep a team with this high a NET rating and two quality true road wins out of the at-large spots.
Drake (16-1, 9-1; NET: 32, SOS: 286): The Bulldogs’ No. 13 NET number this time a week ago always felt considerably too high, if not quite Colgate-too-high. Still, fact was Drake was 16-0 and playing some really good, efficient basketball, albeit frequently against bad teams, pretty much every time it stepped on the floor. Credit where it’s due, and all that. Unfortunately, that unblemished record has since been blemished. After narrowly escaping Valparaiso in their first game last Saturday, the Bulldogs fell hard to the Crusaders, 74-57, in their second true road game in two days, which, considering the circumstances, it’s probably a surprise neither Drake nor Loyola had lost before last weekend. Beating the same team two days in a row, on the road, is really freakin’ hard. As for what the loss means for Drake’s situation, well, it’s obviously not good, but the chance to play two against Loyola could totally change the at-large outlook here — a split would be handy, but Drake will be hunting for a sweep.

Preview: Drake and Loyola are getting set for the series of the year in the Missouri Valley--Mid-Major Madness
Brown scores 14 to lift S. Illinois past Bradley 69-68--Associated Press
Carter scores 25 to lead N. Iowa over Indiana St. 70-67--Associated Press
Yesufu, Murphy lift Drake over Northern Iowa 80-59--Associated Press
Tahvanainen carries Bradley past Valparaiso 76-52--Associated Press
Hervey lifts Missouri State over Southern Illinois 65-53--Associated Press
Special Weekly Accomplishments--Valley Hoops Insider

Missouri Valley Conference

Isiaih Mosley leads the Valley in scoring and is growing the rest of his game at the same time. The 6’5 sophomore averaged 21.5 points, seven rebounds and 6.5 assists last week. During MSU’s Sunday win at Illinois State he scored the team’s final nine points to secure the win. This week’s ‘Player of the Week‘ award is his third this season.

When you defeat a nationally ranked team, you will get noticed. Valparaiso ended twenty-fifth ranked Drake’s 18-game winning streak and freshman Sheldon Edwards did get noticed! Sports Center noticed.

Sheldon Edwards of @ValpoBasketball checks in at No. 7️⃣ on SportsCenter's Top 🔟! 🔥#GoValpo @ValleyHoops pic.twitter.com/XwJdENoSAh
— Valpo Athletics (@valpoathletics) February 8, 2021

Edwards averaged 15.5 points for the weekend and is this week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week‘.

NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch 2021: What will it take to dance?--Heat Check CBB

Bubble Watch Categories:

Lead pipe lock: Sure-fire NCAA Tournament teams. These teams are projected to land Top 4 seeds to the Big Dance and it would take a massive collapse in order to fall out of the field.

Firmly in the field: These teams only need to avoid bad losses over the final month of the season. They are currently slotted as a No. 5-7 seed in most bracketology projections and are >90% likely to reach the NCAA Tournament.

Some perspiration: These squads are on the right side of the bubble right now but cannot afford to suffer many losses down the stretch. Adding a signature win or two wouldn’t hurt either.

Double the deodorant: These are the teams that would be sweating out Selection Sunday most if it were this weekend. They are either just above the cutline or have work to do in order to join the projected field. Better double-up on the antiperspirant.

Now, let’s dive into the 2021 NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch!
Missouri Valley
Lead pipe lock: None
Firmly in the field: None
Some perspiration: None
Double the deodorant: Loyola Chicago, Drake

Loyola Chicago Ramblers
NET: 13, Resume: 51.0, Quality: 25.7
Q1: 0-1 | Q2: 3-2 | Q3: 4-0 | Q4: 8-0

Few teams in the country are as hot as Loyola Chicago right now. Not only have the Ramblers won 10 consecutive games but they are absolutely murdering their opposition in the MVC. They have seemingly put their three early losses out of their brain and are playing at an exceptionally high level, as is noted by their superb quality metrics and NET ranking. Loyola is clearly one of the best teams in the country right now but its resume leaves a bit to be desired.

After all, while the Ramblers have pushed past those three losses, the committee hasn’t forgotten. Loyola doesn’t have a Q1 win this season and that is definitely holding it back. A two-game road trip to Drake (NET 31) will give it a chance to potentially move itself from “double the deodorant” to “firmly in the field” very quickly. The Ramblers are already averaging a 9.70 seed but cannot afford many losses against MVC opposition.

This trip to Drake (Feb. 13 and 14) will be huge for both teams.

Drake Bulldogs
NET: 31, Resume: 49.5, Quality: 63.0
Q1: 0-0 | Q2: 4-0 | Q3: 4-1 | Q4: 8-0

Drake, despite only one loss, is in a slightly worse position that Loyola Chicago right now but is still on the right side of the cutline. The Bulldogs’ NET is quite strong but efficiency metrics never seemed to buy into their hot start to the year. They are still 18-1, though, and that is hard to overlook. Drake is currently averaging a 9.92 seed on the Bracket Matrix ahead of their coming matchup with Northern Iowa, which they lost to last time.

If the Bulldogs are able to defeat the Panthers, then they will be 19-1 when they attempt to defend their home court in back-to-back games against aforementioned Loyola Chicago. We will know a lot more about the MVC bid situation after this weekend, but there is a pretty good shot at a two-bid league right now. The league just has too many landmines for either of these teams to take it easy on the deodorant, which is a sad statement because both belong in the dance.

Bradley basketball loses in final seconds against Southern Illinois--Peoria Journal Star
What to watch in Bradley men's basketball rematch at Valparaiso--Peoria Journal Star
'We needed this': Bradley men's basketball team uses balance to blow past Valparaiso--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley falls short in final seconds to Southern Illinois--Bradley Scout
Bradley picks up first ever road win at Valparaiso--Bradley Scout
Southern Illinois Edges Bradley, 69-68, in Final Seconds--bradleybraves.com
Braves Run Past Valparaiso, 76-52--bradleybraves.com

2/8 Women's Basketball Players of the Week--College Sports Madness

Missouri Valley Gabi Haack G Bradley

Gabi Haack Named MVC Player Of The Week--bradleybraves.com
Gabi Haack Named Senior CLASS Award Candidate--bradleybraves.com
Women’s Basketball Returns Home To Host Northern Iowa--bradleybraves.com

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Wednesday, Feb 10th--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-NORTHERN IOWA AT DRAKE (Missouri Valley). Drake is coming off their first loss of the season, which was a somewhat surprising result against Valpo. They should still be inside the bubble and should be able to get this win tonight at home.

College basketball picks: Iowa-Rutgers, Villanova-Marquette and more--The Athletic

Northern Iowa at Drake (-11½), 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network. Drake was 13-0 against the spread, then failed to cover in three of the last four and lost outright as a 13-point favorite to Valparaiso on Sunday. But hey, it’s hard to go undefeated, and you start to feel that pressure in February. Now the pressure is gone. It’s time for Drake to get back to crushing. The Bulldogs get a favorable matchup in Northern Iowa. This is one of Ben Jacobson’s worst defensive teams. They pack it in and allow opponents to fire away from deep, and that’s a dangerous formula against Drake. The one concern is Drake could be looking ahead to this weekend’s huge doubleheader against Loyola Chicago, but UNI is a program no one takes lightly. Drake should be ready and motivated to bounce back. The pick: Drake

Drake, Northern Iowa enter matchup via different paths — but will that matter Wednesday?--Des Moines Register
What we learned: Drake 80, Northern Iowa 59--Des Moines Register
Feb. 14 Men's Basketball vs. Loyola Contest Tipoff Shifted To 2 p.m. On ESPN2--godrakebulldogs.com
Men’s Basketball Returns Home To Host UNI--godrakebulldogs.com
Yesufu’s Career High Leads Men’s Basketball In A 21-Point Win Over UNI--godrakebulldogs.com

Playing for grandma: Drake senior honoring late grandmother during pink series--Des Moines Register
Monahan Selected as Candidate for Senior CLASS Award--godrakebulldogs.com
Berg Named MVC Newcomer of the Week for Sixth Time--godrakebulldogs.com
Women’s Basketball Hosts SIU Thursday and Friday--godrakebulldogs.com