Tuesday, April 29, 2025

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 4/29/2025


Belmont Women's Basketball Adds Pepperdine Center from Transfer Portal--Belmont Vision



New face, new place, big wins: Here were the best Year 1 coaches in college basketball for the 2024-25 season--CBSSports.com

Mid-major noisemakers in Year 1

When it comes to mid-majors, I don't require an NCAA Tournament trip in order to receive some recognition. That said, making it to the Dance is reason for automatic inclusion. There were three places with first-year coaches that broke through on Selection Sunday. I've also included three more mid-major coaches who hit the 20-win threshold in their first tours at their new digs.

Drake: Ben McCollum 

Quite clearly the biggest mid-major winner of last season. Only three teams finished the season with as few as four losses: national champion Florida, Duke (finished No. 1 at KenPom) and McCollum's team. The Bulldogs went 31-4, won an NCAA Tournament game and earned a too-low 11-seed after owning the Missouri Valley. McCollum took the Iowa job in short order after obliterating the bar for success at that level. In winning nearly 89% of his games, McCollum is off to one of the best starts by a D-I coach ever. That's why Drake's the only school listed in this story to lose its coach less than 12 months after hiring him.



UE men’s basketball adds Keishon Porter--gopurpleaces.com



Illinois State coach Ryan Pedon comments on addition of Landon Moore--The Pantagraph
Redbirds Add Landon Moore for 2025-26 Season--goredbirds.com



Brandimore says she holds Murray State offer--RacerBasketball.com



Brown Becomes Latest to Join the Brown & Gold--valpoathletics.com