Primarily a collection of news links about all 11 Missouri Valley League teams on a daily basis, culled from online newspapers, school athletic websites, the conference website, and school newspapers, plus some other content from time to time.
Fortunately for Iowa State, two of the five players coming on visits are
perfect options to be the Cyclones’ next star player.
The first one is
Jaquan Johnson, a sophomore guard who played for the Bradley Braves. Johnson has been
incredible. He averaged 16.9 points per game in his sophomore year and added
3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Jaquan Johnson would be ideal Tamin Lipsey replacement
Bradley's Jaquan Johnson celebrates a Belmont turnover late in the
overtime period of their college basketball game Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 at
Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves defeated the Bruins 95-84. | MATT
DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
He had three 30+ point games last season, with his best game coming against
the Belmont Bruins in an overtime victory over the conference leaders.
Johnson perfectly fits the mold to be the star player of Iowa State for the
future. He’s a dynamic guard, one who can score with ease. Also, he can
rebound the ball to an extent, as well as dish the ball out like a point
guard.
Sometimes, players move up a level and really slow down, but there is reason
to believe that Johnson won’t slow down and continue at a similar pace with
the Cyclones.
Note: Players from the Mountain West and Atlantic 10 were not considered
for this article
Tyler Lundblade, Belmont
The reigning Missouri Valley Conference player of the year was one of the
top shooters available in the portal. The former walk-on made 40.6% of his
3-pointers despite having a high shooting volume, with 8.8 attempts per game
from beyond the arc. As a graduate transfer, the 6-foot-5 Texas native
didn’t even have to wait for the portal to open before deciding on his next
stop, signing with Rick Barnes and Tennessee on April 2.
Jaquan Johnson, Bradley
Johnson took an enormous leap from his freshman to his sophomore season,
improving his scoring average from 6.6 to 16.9 points per game to help him
earn first-team All-MVC honors. He is only 5-foot-11, which could cause some
problems against bigger, more athletic competition in a major conference,
but his all-around production is impressive, with 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists
and 2.6 steals per game. He was named the MVC most improved player and made
the league’s all-defensive team.
Drew Scharnowski, Belmont
The 6-foot-9 Scharnowski, the No. 50 player in USA TODAY’s portal rankings,
was a first-team all-MVC selection after averaging 10.7 points, six rebounds
and 2.6 assists per game as a sophomore for a Bruins team that went 26-6. He
was a strong presence down low, too, with 1.3 blocks per game. It’s possible
he follows former Belmont coach Casey Alexander to Kansas State, but the
Wildcats won’t be alone in vying for his services.
Nicknamed “Bully” for his hard-nosed, scrappy style, Johnson stepped
into Bradley’s starting lineup this season and thrived, averaging 16.9
points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 38.3
percent from behind the arc. He was named the MVC Defensive Player of
the Year and became the first Brave since 1990-91 to record at least
three games of 30-plus points.
NORTHERN IOWA SWEEPS CONFERENCE REGULAR SEASON AND TOURNAMENT TITLES
Man, another close one!
UNI was dominant in its run through the Missouri Valley Tournament and,
if wasn't dealing with injuries in January, may have cruised through
the regular season as well. Instead, a five-game losing stream in
January sent them from being in the mix of the title race to the No. 6
seed in the tournament.
Trey Campbell - Men's Basketball Campbell
closed out his collegiate basketball career with a strong performance
in March, averaging 15.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game
in the final six games of the season, which included the Panthers' run
to the MVC Tournament title and the program's first NCAA Tournament
appearance since 2016. Named to First Team All-MVC and a member of the
MVC All-Defensive Team at the end of the regular season, as well as the
Doug Elgin Most Outstanding Player of the MVC Tournament, Campbell
scored in double figures in all five of UNI's postseason games,
including 23 points against both Evansville and UIC in the conference
tournament.
UNI’s new head men’s basketball coach Kyle Green | Julia Hansen/Iowa
City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The college basketball coaching carousel continues to move
quickly, especially with the added pressure of the transfer portal
and NIL.
While the biggest hires
tend to get most of the attention, there are several moves this
cycle that could end up being just as important over time.
These are the types of hires that may not make headlines right
away but could lead to steady improvement and long-term success.
Here are five under-the-radar head coaching hires worth paying
attention to.:
Kyle Green offers familiarity and stability at Northern Iowa
Kyle Green is a familiar name for the Northern Iowa Panthers,
having spent multiple stints with the program before returning as
head coach. That familiarity should help maintain continuity while
still allowing for some adjustments.
His recent experience with the Iowa State Cyclones also gives him
exposure to a high-major environment, which could influence
recruiting and style of play moving forward.
Several UE and USI players already announced their
intention, either via their individual social media accounts, agents or
reputable news sources, to enter the transfer portal. Here is the
current list for all four programs, which will be updated throughout the
offseason.
Evansville men's basketball
Joshua Hughes: The 6-10 junior forward averaged 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 32 games.
Kaia Berridge: The 6-4 sophomore guard averaged two points in 28 games.
Marlon Barnes Jr.:
The 6-6 redshirt sophomore forward appeared in just three games and
averaged two points. Barnes came to Evansville after a year at
Pittsburgh.
Connor Turnbull:
The 6-10 senior forward averaged 11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.4
blocks in 16 games but was limited by injuries. All-MVC Defensive Player
of the Year in 2025.
Weston Aigner: The 6-3 junior guard saw limited minutes in five games before a season-ending injury.
Leif Moeller: The 6-7 freshman guard averaged 10.8 points, 4.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 32 games during his lone season in Evansville.
Evansville women's basketball
Camryn Runner: The 5-8 sophomore guard led the Purple Aces
with 18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Played a major role in
guiding Evansville to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament
championship game. All-MVC Second Team.
Kylee Norkus: The 5-10 sophomore guard averaged 3.6 points and 2.6 assists in 31 games.
Sydney Huber: The 6-0 freshman guard averaged 8.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 35 games. All-MVC Freshman Team.
Elle Snyder:
In 35 games, Snyder averaged 3.8 points and 5.4 rebounds for
Evansville. Snyder, a 5-9 sophomore guard, spent each of her first two
seasons with the Purple Aces.
Georgia Ferguson: The 6-3 freshman forward averaged 5.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 35 games.
Georgia Cox: The 6-4 sophomore forward averaged 6.2 points and two rebounds in 35 games.
Logan Luebbers Palmer: The 5-9 sophomore guard averaged 10.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 18 games before an injury ended her season.
BreAunna Ward: The 5-10 freshman guard averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 35 games.
Jelena Savic: The 5-11 freshman guard averaged 5.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 35 games.
