What's Up In The Missouri Valley 11/5/2024

Belmont Wins by 23 in Season Opener--Belmont Vision
Men's Basketball Defeats Maryville (TN)--belmontbruins.com

The Vibe is Right at Bradley--Valley Hoops Insider
Bradley basketball vs SEMO: How the balanced Braves bulled their way to opening night victory--Peoria Journal Star

Women’s basketball kicks off season with win over Knox--The Bradley Scout
Bradley dominates on home floor in season opener--bradleybraves.com

A look at Ben McCollum's first gameday as Drake men's basketball head coach--Des Moines Register
Drake basketball: Three takeaways from Ben McCollum's first win with the Bulldogs--Des Moines Register
Drake Handles York in Season Opener, 93-41--godrakebulldogs.com

Bulldogs Erase 15-Point Deficit in 10th Straight Season-Opening Win--godrakebulldogs.com

Under the Radar Game of the Day (Evansville at North Texas) – Tuesday, November 5th--Hoops HD

UE women's basketball begins 2024-25 season at IU Indy--gopurpleaces.com

Another bad shooting night, more takeaways from Illinois State basketball's season opener--The Pantagraph
Late Rally Falls Short in Season-Opener--goredbirds.com

Birds Set to Open Campaign at Northwestern--goredbirds.com

ISU men's basketball drops season opener to FAU--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Men's basketball falls in season opener to Florida Atlantic on Monday night--gosycamores.com

Spurts doom ISU women's basketball in home opener--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Secrist shatters career highs in Sycamores’ season-opening setback--gosycamores.com

Opening Night Breakdown--Bracketville

But no conference had as many scares as the Big East. Butler finally dispatched Missouri State, 72-65, in a nip and tuck battle that saw the Bears give the Bulldogs all they wanted.

Butler vs. Missouri State thoughts: Jahmyl Telfort carries Dawgs, but signs of worry emerge--Indianapolis Star
Missouri State basketball scares Butler, falls short in Cuonzo Martin return--Springfield News-Leader
Cuonzo Martin provides plenty of optimism in return--Springfield News-Leader
Bears Take Butler to the Wire in Season Opener--missouristatebears.com

Lady Bears Roll Past Miners in Exhibition, 76-30--missouristatebears.com

Murray State rolls through Bethel 113-37 in season opener--WPSD Local 6
Playing for others; Racers unleash huge performance against Bethel after taking hits to their hearts--Murray Ledger and Times
Versatile Applewhite ready for new year--Racer Basketball
Episode 158: It's the Ride Home after Murray State's 113-37 win vs. Bethel--Racer Basketball
Murray State blasts Bethel in opener--Racer Basketball
Episode 159: Here's Tuesday morning's 'Fast Break'--Racer Basketball
Racers Breeze Past Bethel in 100th Season Opener--goracers.com

UNI men’s basketball showcases athleticism in season-opening win over Dubuque--Cedar Rapids Gazette
College men's basketball: UNI rolls in opener over Dubuque--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
Panther men’s hoops soars past Dubuque in opener--unipanthers.com

Panthers open the regular season against La Crosse--unipanthers.com

Ante Brzovic carries load for Charleston in season opener--Mid-Major Madness
Salukis Fall to College of Charleston in season opener--Southern Illinoisan
Salukis drop first game after shaky defensive outing--The Daily Egyptian

SIU Women's BB drops opener at Auburn--Southern Illinoisan
SIU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AUBURN 65, SIU 31--Dawg Bites
Recap | Southern Illinois Drops Season-Opener, 65-31, at Auburn--siusalukis.com

Flames Open Season in Style with 91-43 Win over St. Francis--uicflames.com

Women’s Basketball Opens the 2024-25 season at Home Against Cincinnati Tuesday--uicflames.com

Valpo gets Liberty, then death in season opener--The Victory Bell
Schmidt Shines in Men’s Basketball Season Opener--valpoathletics.com
Men's Basketball to Host Home Opener on Friday--valpoathletics.com

Beacons take first steps in loss to Liberty--The Victory Bell
Women’s Basketball Drops Season Opener to Liberty--valpoathletics.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 11/4/2024

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Monday, Nov 4th: THE SEASON OPENER!!!--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-CHARLESTON VS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (Field of 68 Showcase – Sioux Falls SD). This is a very liberal use of the word “Showcase”…but it is a somewhat interesting match-up. Chris Mack takes over at Charleston and has a chance to get what may at least be a somewhat notable win away from home to start things off.

-INDIANA STATE AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC. Both teams are coming off very strong runs in recent years, especially FAU, but both teams have also been completely gutted and are now tasked with rebuilding almost from scratch.

NCAA Basketball: Rauf Report’s Bold Predictions for All 31 Conferences--Heat Check CBB

Missouri Valley

MURRAY STATE WINS EITHER THE REGULAR-SEASON OR TOURNAMENT TITLE

Murray State’s first two seasons in the Missouri Valley have been rocky, but head coach Steve Prohm now has a team that looks capable of breaking out. Point guard JaCobi Wood is one of the best players in the conference, and a slew of transfers — namely, Terence Harcum (Appalachian State) and KyeRon Lindsay (Texas Tech) — will give the Racers the depth of high-impact options it hasn’t had in recent seasons. Expect Murray State to be in the upper tier of the Valley, resulting in at least one of the two league titles.

Bradley basketball 2024-25 season prediction, schedule analysis: Valley title chase--Peoria Journal Star

Aces open 2024-25 season on Tuesday at North Texas--gopurpleaces.com

Missouri State basketball vs Butler: Scouting report, prediction for opening night--Springfield News-Leader
Men's Basketball Opens Season Monday at Butler--missouristatebears.com

Murray State vs. Bethel preview--Racer Basketball

Under the Radar Game of the Day (Charleston vs. Southern Illinois) – Monday, November 4th--Hoops HD
SIU MEN’S BASKETBALL CHARLESTON 90, SIU 80--Dawg Bites
Recap | Salukis Fall to College of Charleston, 90-80, at Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase--siusalukis.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 11/3/2024

Opening Night and Week for MVC Teams--Valley Hoops Insider

Men's Basketball Hosts Maryville (TN) to Open Season--belmontbruins.com

Bradley basketball roster: How the BU Braves built a contender for the 2024-25 season--Peoria Journal Star
MBB Game Preview: Bradley vs SEMO--bradleybraves.com

A player-by-player look at the Illinois State men's basketball team--The Pantagraph,
Redbirds to Tip-Up Season on Monday Evening--goredbirds.com

Long wait nears end as ISU men's hoops opens Monday vs. FAU--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores open the 2024-25 season in Ohio against Florida Atlantic--gosycamores.com

Trees open 2024-25 season at home against WKU--gosycamores.com

Lady Bears Host Miners in Monday Exhibition--missouristatebears.com

Racer men open season tonight against Bethel--Murray Ledger and Times
Vegas picks Murray State 3rd in Valley--Racer Basketball
Episode 157: Kenny Roth hops on to preview Monday's season opener--Racer Basketball
100th Season of Racer Basketball Begins Monday--goracers.com

Racers learn plenty from exhibition win--Racer Basketball

SIU MEN’S BASKETBALL Season Preview: 3 Things to Watch--Dawg Bites
GLANCE BOX SIU at AUBURN--Dawg Bites
Preview | Nagy Era Begins Monday Against College of Charleston--siusalukis.com

Women's Basketball set to open season Monday at Auburn--Southern Illinoisan
Preview | Women's Basketball Set to Open Season Monday at Auburn--siusalukis.com

Flames Open 2024-25 Season Monday vs. St. Francis--uicflames.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 11/2/2024

'Cool': Game ball, a bark, a point and an NBA debut for former Bradley basketball star--Peoria Journal Star
Malevy Leons scores first point in the NBA--bradleybraves.com

Illinois State basketball assistant Rob Judson to retire at end of season--The Pantagraph

SEASON PREVIEW: Graves ready to see new-look Sycamores in action--Terre Haute Tribune-Star

'Racing to March' - Murray State Racers preseason special--WPSD Local 6

SIU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Thompson takes the winding road home--Dawg Bites

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 11/1/2024

MVC Preseason Predictions: Braves look to reclaim throne--The Bradley Scout

MVC Women’s Basketball Preseason Predictions: Drake stays atop the conference--The Bradley Scout

Bracketeer's All-American Watch List: Non-Power Conferences--The Bracketeer

Eligible Conferences

America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Conference USA, Horizon League, Ivy League, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, MVC, NEC, OVC, Patriot League, SoCon, Southland, SWAC, Summit League, Sun Belt, WAC

Ineligible for Consideration: ACC, American, Atlantic-10, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Mountain West, SEC, WCC

Preseason 2nd Team All-Americans

Christian Shumate, McNeese
Duke Deen, Bradley
Kobe Julien, Arkansas State
Kezza Giffa, High Point
Robert McCray V, Jacksonville

Former Bradley basketball star signs one-year NBA deal with Oklahoma City Thunder--Peoria Journal Star
One-on-One: Most impactful freshman for men’s basketball--The Bradley Scout
Five takeaways from Bradley’s win over Millikin--The Bradley Scout
‘I want to win and get to the NCAA Tournament; if we don’t, it’s a fail’: Men’s Basketball Season Preview--The Bradley Scout

One-on-One: Most impactful transfer for women’s basketball--The Bradley Scout
Kaylen Nelson: Braves’ star player to make comeback in 2024-25 season--The Bradley Scout
Women’s Basketball Preview: Optimism surrounds Braves heading into year three of Popovec-Goss era--The Bradley Scout

Men's Basketball Preview: York--godrakebulldogs.com

Drake Looks Scary Good in Halloween Exhibition Contest--godrakebulldogs.com
Women's Basketball Preview: North Dakota State & Saint Louis--godrakebulldogs.com

Playing the Point at Evansville--Valley Hoops Insider

Seniors looking to lead Sycamores this season--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
ISU men's basketball set for showdown with Owls--Terre Haute Tribune-Star

SEASON PREVIEW: Indiana State women's basketball preparing for new beginning--Terre Haute Tribune-Star

5 bold predictions for Missouri State basketball entering 2024-25--Springfield News-Leader

Wood on Mid-Major All-American watch list--Racer Basketball

Young named to Leslie Award Watch List--Racer Basketball
Young Named to Lisa Leslie Award Watch List--goracers.com

UNI men’s basketball opens 2024-25 season Monday against Dubuque--unipanthers.com

Valpo Men's Basketball Season to Begin on Monday at AIA Total Athlete Tipoff--valpoathletics.com

Women's Basketball Set to Open Season Monday vs. Liberty--valpoathletics.com

MVC Men's Basketball Season Starts Monday (Nov. 4)--Missouri Valley Conference

MVC Women's Basketball Season Starts Monday (Nov. 4)--Missouri Valley Conference

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 10/31/2024

A New Preseason NIT Projection--NIT Bracketology

The other big change? Home games for Seattle (!), UAB, Louisiana Tech, San Francisco, and Bradley – These all come through being the projected second best team in a top 12 KenPom conference. (There are no automatic bids for projected conference champs with 125 rating or higher because I don't project top seeds losing in a conference tournament until it happens.)

Projected NIT Bracket:

1. N.C. State (ACC 2)

8. Saint Joseph's

4. Bradley (MVC 1)

5. Colorado St.

3. Louisiana Tech (CUSA 1)

6. Georgia Tech

2. South Carolina

7. Washington St.

Look at the lineup and locals shine: 5 takeaways from Bradley basketball's big exhibition win--Peoria Journal Star

Aces women’s basketball picks up exhibition win over Franklin--gopurpleaces.com

Setting expectations for Missouri State basketball in 2024-25--Springfield News-Leader

Murray State women's basketball beats Bethel in lone exhibition game--WPSD Local 6
And … they’re off!; Racer women open with exhibition win over Bethel--Murray Ledger & Times
Episode 156: It's the 'Ride Home' after Murray State's exhibition win over Bethel--Racer Basketball
Racers Handle Wildcats in First Exhibition of the Season--goracers.com

Tytan Anderson named to Bracketeer.org Preseason All-American watchlist--unipanthers.com

Five takeaways from Valparaiso's exhibition win--The Victory Bell

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 10/30/2024

Women's Hoops Ranked 15th in Preseason Mid-Major Top 25® Poll--belmontbruins.com

College basketball predictions: Our picks for Final Four, national champ, flops and more--The Athletic

Most interesting mid-major team in the country

Bradley. Brian Wardle is building the Braves back into the upper tier of the Missouri Valley Conference, and Bradley has the pieces to win both the conference regular-season and tournament titles. Preseason MVC Player of the Year Duke Deen stands only 5-8, but he’s one of the most prolific mid-major scorers as both a driver and 3-point shooter. Flanked by combo guard Zek Montgomery and forward Darius Hannah, Bradley might develop into one of those scary 12 seeds come tournament time. — Dochterman

17 things we learned from 2024 Missouri State basketball exhibition under Cuonzo Martin--Springfield News-Leader
Four Bears in Double Figures to Cinch Exhibition Win--missouristatebears.com

Racer women hit floor in exhibition tonight against Bethel--Murray Ledger & Times
Racers ready for lone exhibition game--Racer Basketball
Murray State grabs votes in Mid Major poll--Racer Basketball

‘You don’t want to miss it’: New brand of Saluki basketball set to begin--The Daily Egyptian

Women’s Basketball Defeats Roosevelt in Exhibition Match-Up Tuesday Night--uicflames.com