What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 3/20/2021

Puppet Ramblings: Round of 64, Day 1--Hoops HD

-Drake had a really bad first half, and Wichita State had a worse second half. It’s a big win for Drake who is back in the Round of 64 for the first time since 2008.
-Georgia Tech vs Loyola Chicago should be a great game. Both teams are playing really well right now, and both are coming off their best regular seasons in recent memory. Notice I said REGULAR seasons. The year Loyola Chicago made the Final Four they were actually outside the bubble and wouldn’t have made the field at all without the automatic bid.

Marquette basketball coaching candidates: Porter Moser, Ritchie McKay, John Beilein and other names to watch--The Athletic

Call list

(In alphabetical order)

Porter Moser, Loyola Chicago head coach. It’s clear Moser has no desire to leave his Midwest wheelhouse. It’s possibly true Moser doesn’t even want to leave the Chicago area. But if the Ramblers coach craves an opportunity that gives him more cushion in the pursuit of NCAA Tournament bids — without having to explore altogether foreign territory to do so — this might be a tough gig to pass up. Marquette doesn’t require down-to-the-studs rehab. Ginning up interest in the team won’t be part of the job. Moser spent part of his pre-NCAA Tournament media appearance this week decrying Loyola Chicago’s seeding, relative to its NET rating and how it scheduled. He could leave all those worries behind with a 90-minute trip north.

Brian Wardle, Bradley head coach. Not the best timing for the Illinois native, Marquette alum and former Green Bay head coach. Bradley’s streak of 20-win seasons ended at three with a sub-.500 showing in 2020-21. Still, there’s certainly internal belief at Marquette in Wardle’s coaching chops and the Braves would have reached two straight NCAA Tournaments in 2019 and ’20 if the latter wasn’t canceled due to the pandemic. He’s also just 41 and might consider this a destination job. Nevertheless, you’d be bringing on a guy with a sub-.500 overall record at Bradley, and that might not charge up the fan base as you’d like.

Brian Hamilton’s hire

It’s easy to look at Beilein’s track record and background and convince yourself the (likely) immediate returns are worth it. And maybe there’s pressure on Scholl and others to prioritize a short-term turnaround given the lack of recent postseason success. But Marquette probably should take a step back and go to someone with both head coach experience and a longer shelf life. Scholl mentioned diversity would be a “critical piece” of the process. So this might come down to McKay and Moser.

WBB: Getting Ready--bradleybraves.com

2021 NCAA Men’s Tournament Viewing Guide: First Round Saturday Afternoon--Blogging The Bracket

West 11. Drake Bulldogs (26-4, 15-3 MVC At-Large) vs.
6. USC Trojans (22-7, 15-5 Pac-12 At-Large)

4:30 p.m. on TNT (March Madness Live game link) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Brian Anderson and Jim Jackson with Allie LaForce reporting)

On Thursday, the Bulldogs edged former Valley rival Wichita State, 53-52, to win their first NCAA game in 50 years. Tonight, Drake faces a Trojans team that’s making its 19th appearance in the field—a number that pales in comparison to the 50 crosstown rivals UCLA has racked up. And USC hasn’t had much success over those 19 trips. Their last, in 2017, ended in the round of 32 at the hands of Baylor (after a First Four win over Providence and a first-round win over SMU). And even a three-year streak that ran from 2007 to 2009 only featured a single Sweet Sixteen appearance (in 2007).

Drake takes First Four win into matchup vs. USC--CBS Sports
March Madness Day 3 primer: NCAA Tournament first round schedule, times, channels, predictions--Heat Check CBB

No. 11 Drake vs. No. 6 USC (-6.5)

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Channel: TNT
Venue: Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Following its first tournament win in five decades, Drake looks ahead to its 6/11 matchup against USC out of the Pac-12. Who is going to stop Trojans big Evan Mobley? It could either be a coming out party for Drake center Darnell Brodie or an evening to forget for Bulldogs fans.

Andy Dieckhoff (11-9; 10-10) — SU: USC; ATS: Drake
Brian Rauf (10-10; 11-9) — SU: USC; ATS: USC
Connor Hope (11-9; 9-11) — SU: USC; ATS: Drake
Eli Boettger (12-8; 5-15) — SU: USC; ATS: USC
Lukas Harkins (13-7; 11-9) — SU: USC; ATS: USC

NCAA Tournament: Drake's encore is a matchup with USC, the tallest team in college basketball--Des Moines Register
What to know about USC, Drake basketball's next NCAA Tournament opponent--Des Moines Register

Women’s Basketball Drops WNIT Opener to Milwaukee--godrakebulldogs.com

Watch now: Rough third quarter dooms Illinois State to WNIT loss--The Pantagraph
Five things to know before women's basketball open WNIT play against Tulane--Vidette Online
Redbirds swept away by Green Waves 75-67--Vidette Online
Hot-Shooting Green Wave Defeats Redbirds in First Round of WNIT--goredbirds.com

Loyola-Chicago meets Illinois in Second Round--Associated Press
Loyola University Chicago holds off Georgia Tech--Mid-Major Madness
NCAA Tournament Upset odds: Illinois, Villanova and West Virginia look to avoid surprise in second round--The Athletic

Illinois Fighting Illini (-7) (Midwest No. 1) vs. Loyola Chicago Ramblers (No. 8)

Upset Chance: 41 percent

If you thought the country was obsessed with Sister Jean and the Ramblers three years ago, you should see what Slingshot thinks of them now. A 41 percent upset chance in this game is staggering, given that the model doesn’t have many issues with Illinois. No, this is all about Loyola being mis-seeded and sporting all sorts of giant-slaying weapons. The Ramblers have the nation’s third-ranked defense, and accomplish the near-impossible trifecta of owning the defensive glass (20.7 percent opponent offensive rebounding rate, second in the country, per KenPom), forcing turnovers (21.5 percent) and denying 3s (33.9 percent of shots allowed). Loyola excels at maximizing possessions as well as limiting them — the Ramblers rank 343rd in adjusted tempo. Illinois wants to push the pace, so it will be a fascinating contrast in styles. If the Illini have anything resembling a glaring weakness, it’s their inability to force turnovers (16 percent of opponents’ possessions), which could again limit their ability to pull away from Loyola. Our eyes tell us Illinois is a championship-caliber team that can handle even the toughest of challenges. But our model says to be very, very wary of this matchup.

2021 NCAA Tournament: Seth Davis makes his picks for Sunday’s second-round games--The Athletic

No. 8 Loyola Chicago vs. No. 1 Illinois (-7), 12:10 p.m., CBS. For all the well-deserved attention heaped on Loyola senior center Cameron Krutwig, it was the other Ramblers who stepped up against Georgia Tech on Friday and catapulted the team into the second round. The backcourt duo of 6-4 senior Lucas Williamson and 6-foot sophomore Braden Norris combined for 37 points, 12 assists and four turnovers on 8-of-14 3-point shooting. Loyola, which is ranked 343rd in the country in tempo, won by forcing the Yellow Jackets to play a slower pace. Illinois, which is 80th in tempo, prefers to get out and go, but the Illini are also plenty capable of winning a slower game, largely because of the two-way presence of 7-foot sophomore center Kofi Cockburn. Illinois is fourth in the country in defensive efficiency, so it’s one of the few teams in the tourney that can match the Ramblers, who are third. The pick: Illinois

Column: Lucas Williamson and Loyola knock off Georgia Tech 71-60 in the NCAA Tournament, setting up a matchup with Illinois. ‘It’s going to be something special.’--Chicago Tribune
They Have Been Here Before--Valley Hoops Insider
Loyola tops Georgia Tech 71-60, will face Illini on Sunday--Daily Herald
MARCH MADNESS: Illinois, Loyola Chicago Set for Round of 32 Matchup--Off The Inbound
Ramblers Shake Off Slow Start, Defeat Georgia Tech in First Round of NCAA Tournament--Loyola Phoenix
Williamson Powers Loyola To 71-60 Win Over Georgia Tech--loyolaramblers.com
Top-Seeded Illinois Awaits Loyola In NCAA Second Round On Sunday--loyolaramblers.com