What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 2/26/2021

Under the Radar: Feb 24th (and Championship Week Video Notebook: Day 0)--Hoops HD

From there we run through the other 21 UTR Leagues and discuss the chances of teams like Drake, Western Kentucky, Belmont, and Winthrop of making the NCAA Tournament if they don’t win their conference tournaments, look at all the conferences races as we come down the stretch of the regular season, and much more! And, as always, we close with this week’s UTR Top Ten.

Conference Tourney Previews (Part 1 of 2)--Hoops HD

MVC tourney predicted champ: Loyola Chicago (#1 seed)
Dates: March 4-7
Location: St. Louis, MO
2020 tourney champ: Bradley (#4 seed)
Fun fact: 4 different champs since 2016
Seeding: 3 of past 5 champs were #4 or #5 seed
The Ramblers lost back-to-back games vs. Wisconsin/Richmond in mid-December but since then they have won 16 of 18 with the 2 losses by a combined 6 PTS. If Drake had a healthy Roman Penn/Tank Hemphill then I would give them some serious consideration, but they do not so this is the Ramblers’ title to lose. The stat that stands out is a best-in-the-nation 55.7 PPG allowed because (as everyone knows) defense wins championships. Coach Porter Moser made the Final 4 in 2018 with now-SR Cameron Krutwig so they both know what it takes to win games in March.

Bubble Watch: Four more teams join the lock party--The Athletic

Others

Should be in: Loyola Chicago, BYU, San Diego State
Work to do: Boise State, Drake, VCU, St. Bonaventure, Colorado State, Saint Louis, Richmond, Utah State, SMU, Wichita State, Western Kentucky

Loyola Chicago (17-4, 14-2; NET: 10, SOS: 143): Loyola still hasn’t played since last week’s narrow escape against Valpo and will finish its league season with home games against Southern Illinois on Friday and Saturday, but the following remains worth reiterating: In addition to having been safely inside the adjusted efficiency top 10 for weeks now, this is also the top per-possession defense in all of Division I. Not Baylor. Not Tennessee. Not Alabama. Or Houston. Or Michigan. Loyola Chicago. Thanks to a truly elite defense — and not just elite relative to competition, but adjusted for competition; this team can just plain guard — Rambler Fever™ rolls on.
Drake (21-2, 14-2; NET: 34, SOS: 255): Drake’s first game of the season without injured point guard and team usage rate leader Roman Penn went about as well as could be expected Monday night: The Bulldogs handled a vastly overmatched Evansville team, never blowing out the Purple Aces but never really letting them get close. Penn’s absence is the big point of intrigue. Again, we think this two-loss team that split with Loyola absolutely deserves an at-large bid, but it probably can’t afford to let up without Penn in the lineup. Two games left, both away, both at