What's Up In The Missouri Valley 2/16/2026

The Men’s Other Top 25: South Florida makes huge jump as top 10 remains virtually unchanged--Mid-Major Madness

Here is the full ranking:

Ranking	Team (First-Place Votes)	Points	Last Week
8	Belmont	84	9
25	Murray St.	12	20

Others Receiving Votes:

Northern Colorado 11; Austin Peay 11; North Dakota St. 9; Bradley 9; Montana St. 9; Harvard 8; UC Santa Barbara 6; Boise St. 5; Cal Baptist 4; Charleston 3; Merrimack 3; Sam Houston St. 3; Navy 2; Dayton 2; NJIT 2

Week 16 Watchlist: There's a Way Out of This--Basket Under Review

• #49 Belmont: at Illinois State, March 1 (+0.41 WAB). Belmont, even if they can run the table in the regular season, probably doesn't have enough to make the field as an at-large at 27-4. Three Q3 losses are a tough sell. But...I mean, a +1.1 WAB in an average season gets you on the 11 line. I'm aware that yesterday's price is not today's price, but can we at least agree we'd rather see 29-5 Belmont in the NCAA Tournament instead of 20-13 TCU?

Wednesday, February 18

C Games

#111 Murray State at #98 Illinois State (-4), 9 PM ET, ESPNU. The MVC race officially ended Sunday night thanks to Belmont turning a 17-point deficit into a 17-point win in spectacular fashion at Murray State. At best, this might be for second or third place, which does still matter in the MVC's format. Mostly, I just want some proof of life from both of these teams. They're a combined 9-11 in their last 20 games.

Friday, February 20

C Games

NCAAW: #109 Murray State (PK) at #136 Bradley, 7 PM ET, ESPN+. The women's MVC race is kind of incredible. This is 13-1 Murray at 11-4 Bradley, with 12-2 Belmont lurking if Bradley can hold serve on their home court.

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Monday, Feb 16th--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Yesterday was rather non-cataclysmic. Illinois handled Indiana no problem 71-51, and Belmont overcame a 17pt second half deficit to win by 17 at Murray State 87-70.

Men's Basketball Defeats Murray State Behind Epic Second Half--belmontbruins.com

Women's Basketball Dismantles the Beacons--Belmont Vision
Bruins Rout Valparaiso 77-37 Sunday Afternoon for Fourth-Straight Victory--belmontbruins.com

How Bradley Braves men's basketball coach made his mark in program's record book--Peoria Journal Star
Go big or go home; Braves defense stifles Salukis in milestone win--The Bradley Scout
Bradley earned a regular season sweep over Southern Illinois--bradleybraves.com

Bradley WBB Rallies Past Southern Illinois for Fourth Straight Win--bradleybraves.com

UNI basketball thumps Drake in Missouri Valley Conference game--Des Moines Register
Bulldogs Fall To Panthers In In-State Rivalry--godrakebulldogs.com

Runner Leads Aces in Loss to Illinois State--gopurpleaces.com

Illinois-Chicago overwhelms Illinois State in second half--The Pantagraph
A Redbird Disaster: Illinois State engulfed by the Flames in its worst loss of the season--The Vidette
Redbirds Fall in Chicago--goredbirds.com

Nelson’s career day lifts ISU women's basketball to win over Evansville--The Vidette
Second-Half Shooting Propels Redbirds To Comeback Win At Evansville, 88-75--goredbirds.com

Valpo shot with 8.8 seconds left hands ISU 76-75 heartbreaker road loss--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Trees suffer heartbreaking loss in Valparaiso--Indiana Statesman
Sycamores fall to game-winner on Sunday at Valparaiso--gosycamores.com

ISU women go cold in road setback at Drake--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Women's Sycamores fall to Bradley--Indiana Statesman

Tale of 2 halves; Belmont makes 36-point turnaround at Bank to sweep Racer men--Murray Ledger and Times
Tale of Two Halves: Racers Fall at Home to Belmont--goracers.com

Racer women set new record with 40 pts. in 3rd--Murray Ledger and Times
In the face of danger; Racer women respond in time to quell UIC’s late charge--Murray Ledger and Times
Poock Shines as Racers Stay Undefeated at the Bank--goracers.com

College Men's Basketball: With AJ Green looking on, UNI trounces Drake--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
Panther men’s basketball rolls to impressive 86-62 win over Drake--unipanthers.com

Poor perimeter shooting costs Saluki Men--Southern Illinoisan
Salukis don’t measure up to Braves in 70-60 loss--The Daily Egyptian
Bradley Pulls Away From Southern Late in Sunday Matinée--siusalukis.com

Saluki Women play well, but come up short to Bradley--Southern Illinoisan
Salukis Fall to Bradley in Low-Scoring Slugfest--siusalukis.com

Men’s Basketball Rides Hot Shooting Past Illinois State, 83-56--uicflames.com

Whitaker's heroics are latest chapter in Valpo/Indiana State rivalry--The Victory Bell
Whitaker has Ice in his Veins, 76-75--The Valpo Vault
Whitaker Hits Game Winner as Valpo Beats Indiana State on Photo Finish--valpoathletics.com
Valpo to Host Bradley in Regionally-Televised Matchup on Wednesday--valpoathletics.com

Beacons Fall at Belmont Sunday--valpoathletics.com

MVC MBB Weekly Notebook 2-16-2026--The Missouri Valley

MVC Women's Basketball Weekly Notebook (Feb.16)--The Missouri Valley

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 2/15/2026

Sunday’s top college basketball bets: best spreads, value picks, and upset calls--Busting Brackets

Belmont Bruins head coach Casey Alexander | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Saturday delivered a strong slate of college hoops, and Sunday brings another group of intriguing matchups worth targeting.

Best Bets for Sunday, February 15, 2026

Bradley Braves at Southern Illinois Salukis

The Missouri Valley has been unpredictable all season, and this matchup fits that theme. Bradley already beat Southern Illinois once and matches up well stylistically. Expect another tight game that comes down to late possessions.

Illinois State Redbirds at UIC Flames

A Land of Lincoln rivalry rematch. UIC won the first meeting in Normal, but Illinois State now gets a shot at payback. The Redbirds were preseason conference favorites and could show flashes of that ceiling here.

Belmont Bruins at Murray State Racers

Murray State needs this one to stay alive in the MVC race. Belmont exploded for 103 points in the first meeting, but expect a defensive adjustment from the Racers at home. This feels like a narrow win for the host.

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Sunday, Feb 15th--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-Belmont @ Murray State (Missouri Valley) – these are two of the better teams in the MVC and it is a really tough road test for Belmont

Women’s Basketball Hosts Valparaiso for Annual Play4Kay Game Sunday Afternoon--belmontbruins.com

Bradley basketball at Southern Illinois rematch: Game time, how to watch, everything to know--Peoria Journal Star
The Hilltop mourns: Bradley Braves icon Joe Stowell dies at age 99--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley Athletics Mourns the Passing of Joe Stowell--bradleybraves.com

Drake women's basketball ends losing streak, takes down Indiana State--Des Moines Register
Bulldog Women Get Back to Winning Ways with Tenacious Effort Against Sycamores--godrakebulldogs.com

Redbirds Look To Bounce Back On The Road At Evansville--goredbirds.com

Female Sycamores go cold in road setback at Drake--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Trees go cold in road setback at Drake--gosycamores.com

AJ Green says time at UNI was most foundational in shaping him--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier

SIU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAME CAPSULE BRADLEY at SIU--Dawg Bites

Women’s Basketball Falls in Final Seconds to Murray State, 79-77--uicflames.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 2/14/2026

Week 15 Weekend Watchlist--Basket Under Review

Sunday, February 15

A Games

#62 Belmont (-1) at #107 Murray State, 6 PM ET, ESPN2.

If you are of a certain age, you will recognize this as the once-perennial Ohio Valley Conference title game. Now, it's merely a matchup of the two best* teams in the Missouri Valley and of possibly the most interesting future option on the 12-seed line in the entire sport. The odds of this ending up as the single most entertaining game of the weekend, especially because of how vastly different each team plays, is higher than you'd think.

Belmont remains the same 4-in, 1-out offense they've been for 25 years, but this edition is shooting 61% 2PT/41% 3PT and has the single best frontcourt of any mid-major in the sport. Yes, I'm serious: the best. No one in the MVC has been able to slow down the multifaceted combo of Sam Orme, who is the best pick-and-pop stretch 4 in mid-major basketball this year not named Allen Graves, and center Drew Scharnowski, he of a 117 ORtg on 26% USG to go with an 8.4% Block%. The list of guys in this sport with a 110+ ORtg on 25%+ USG and a 8%+ Block%: Scharnowski, Nate Bittle, and Tarris Reed.

Murray, meanwhile, is one of the five best teams in college basketball in 2026 in one very specific area: winning from three. The Racers have made 98 more threes than their opponents this season, only outpaced by Alabama, Texas Tech, Charleston Southern (!), and Saint Louis. This is in large part because no team allows fewer threes than Murray thanks to a relatively unique defensive structure that keeps a big roughly 15 feet away from any screening action:

This is reliant on the defending guard chasing hard over the top, similar to an Illinois or Creighton system, but Murray's is as extreme a version of the super drop as I've seen run. In the first matchup, Belmont completely destroyed the super drop by running a record number of dribble handoffs, with Tyler Lundblade thriving off of them because Lundblade needs little-to-no space to get his shot off:

0:00

/0:08

The defensive equation is interesting, though. Belmont gave up a season-high number of points on putbacks because Murray's numerous three-point attempts banged off in every direction, meaning Murray's guards/wings were able to react to these shots quickly and secure 16 offensive boards. It ended up being pointless because Belmont got back 15 of their misses, but a better shooting day (6-23 versus Belmont's 12-24 two weeks ago) and better rebounding could give them what's necessary to get over the hump. And to bring back some nostalgia. - Will Warren

Men's Basketball Visits Murray State Sunday--belmontbruins.com

Bruins Douse Flames, Defeat UIC 71-56 Friday Night at the Curb--belmontbruins.com

MBB Preview: Bradley heads to Carbondale to take on Southern Illinois--bradleybraves.com

Bradley WBB Tops Evansville 79-68 for Third Straight Win--bradleybraves.com
Bradley WBB Looks to Sweep Road Trip at Southern Illinois--bradleybraves.com

Drake basketball loses to UIC at home, drops fifth straight MVC game--Des Moines Register

Aces Battle in Tough Loss to Bradley--gopurpleaces.com
Aces Welcome Illinois State Sunday for Play4Kay Game--gopurpleaces.com

Illinois State basketball travels to Illinois-Chicago for key MVC matchup--The Pantagraph
Redbirds Head to Windy City to Battle Flames--goredbirds.com

Win streak snapped: Salukis make Redbirds their prey in another MVC battle--The Vidette
Redbirds Drop 84-60 Road Contest To Hot-Shooting Salukis--goredbirds.com

Sycamores hoping to get some of their injured weapons back for Sunday matchup at Valpo--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Men's basketball set for Sunday matinee at Valparaiso--gosycamores.com

Racers Keep Rolling, Handle Beacons at the Bank--goracers.com

College Men's Basketball: UNI's Weisbrod has proved he belongs--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
UNI men’s basketball takes on Drake in Sunday’s Purple Out Game--unipanthers.com

Salukis cruise to Blackout Cancer Night win over Aces--Southern Illinoisan
Salukis deal the Aces a bad hand in 86-60 win--The Daily Egyptian
SIU Aims to Win Third Straight in Samaritan's Feet Game against Bradley--siusalukis.com

Saluki Women put the hammer to Redbirds--Southern Illinoisan
Women’s Basketball Dominates Redbirds for First Win Against Illinois State Since 2022--siusalukis.com
Short Turnaround for Women’s Basketball as They Host Bradley on Sunday--siusalukis.com

Men's Basketball Welcomes Illinois State for Sunday Matinee--uicflames.com

Women’s Basketball Falls Short on the Road to Belmont, 71-56--uicflames.com
Women’s Basketball Makes Second Stop in MVC Road Trip at Murray State Sunday--uicflames.com

Women's Basketball Closes Road Trip at Belmont Sunday--valpoathletics.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 2/13/2026

Mid-Major Power Rankings: Saint Louis sets the standard as Gonzaga, Miami (OH) apply pressure--Busting Brackets

10. Belmont Bruins (21-4)

NET: 60

Belmont took a hit with the overtime loss to the Bradley Braves, a result that narrows the margin in the Missouri Valley race and reinforces the likelihood that the league sends just one team to the NCAA Tournament.

The Bruins still hold a two-game conference lead with five regular-season games remaining. That cushion matters. They return home Thursday to face the Northern Iowa Panthers before a pivotal road trip to Murray State Racers on Sunday.

Belmont controls its path, but the margin for error has disappeared.

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Friday, Feb 13th--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Belmont bounced back from their overtime loss at Bradley with a 91-86 win over a Northern Iowa team that had been playing really well, but it’s probably not going to be enough to put them on the bubble even if they win out. Another case of a good UTR team that would have made it inside the bubble had they just had more opportunities during the season to prove themselves.

This mid-major is helping Power 5 schools win titles — and pushing for one of its own--The Athletic
Tyler Lundblade scores career-high 31 points as Belmont beats Northern Iowa--Main Street Nashville
Men's Basketball Defends Home Court Against UNI--Belmont Vision
Men's Basketball Defeats Northern Iowa in High-Level Game--belmontbruins.com

From Canada to the Hilltop: Maya Foz making the most of her freshman year--The Bradley Scout

Drake basketball loses to UIC at home, drops fifth straight MVC game--Des Moines Register
Bulldogs Drop Fifth In A Row; Fall to UIC, 80-70--godrakebulldogs.com

Women's Basketball Preview: Indiana State--godrakebulldogs.com

Aces fall to Salukis in road contest--gopurpleaces.com

Illinois State catches fire in second half to secure needed win--The Pantagraph
Battle-tested: Redbirds prevail in second meeting with Beacons--The Vidette
Second Half Flurry Pushes Redbirds to 22-Point Win--goredbirds.com

Short-handed Sycamores lose by 2 to Murray State--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores head to Valparaiso--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Second-half rally by Sycamores comes up short against Racers--gosycamores.com

Kelsey scores 27 as ISU women lose by 12 after big comeback at UNI--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Gutsy effort falls short for Sycamores at UNI--gosycamores.com
Sycamores wrap up Iowa road trip Saturday at Drake--gosycamores.com

Murray State survives sluggish second half, beats Indiana State 74-72--WPSD Local 6
Racer men respond, end Terre Haute drought--Murray Ledger and Times
Bear of a task--Murray Ledger and Times
Racers Win For First Time at Indiana State in MVC--goracers.com
Racers Host Belmont Sunday at The Bank--goracers.com

After explosive game at Indiana State, Racer women meet Valpo--Murray Ledger and Times

College Men's Basketball: UNI drops high-scoring affair at Belmont--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
Panther men’s basketball falls short in high scoring loss at Belmont--unipanthers.com

College Women’s Basketball: UNI grinds down Indiana State on Goebel’s historic night--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
In case you missed it: Five takeaways from UNI's win over Indiana State--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
UNI women’s basketball: Panthers outlast Sycamores an a heavily-offensive matchup--unipanthers.com

Late Rally Puts Men’s Basketball Back in the Win Column, 80-70 at Drake--uicflames.com

Big second half lifts Illinois State over Valpo--The Victory Bell
Pettigrew Turns in Second Straight Double-Double in Defeat at Illinois State--valpoathletics.com
Valpo, Indiana State to Meet for 100th Time on Sunday--valpoathletics.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 2/12/2026

MVC urgency and mid-major muscle: Thursday night sets up for statement wins--Busting Brackets

Valparaiso Beacons at Illinois State Redbirds

The Illinois State Redbirds entered the season as the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season favorite. It has not gone according to plan, but there is still time to get hot before Arch Madness.

Valparaiso has been pesky all season, including a win over the Redbirds earlier this year. The Beacons are just 3-8 on the road, though, and while they have won back-to-back games, this feels like a tough turnaround spot.

Coach Ryan Pedon’s group needs a statement performance, and this sets up well at home. Expect Illinois State to play with urgency and pull away in the second half.

Murray State Racers at Indiana State Sycamores

A solid Missouri Valley Conference matchup here. Murray State comes in at 18-8 and looking to bounce back after a loss. Indiana State sits at 10-15 and has struggled for consistency.

The Racers have the athletic edge and more firepower on both ends of the floor. Against one of the bottom teams in the league, this feels like a spot where Murray State controls tempo and pulls away.

Northern Iowa Panthers at Belmont Bruins

The Panthers head to Nashville to take on Belmont in a key Missouri Valley showdown. Northern Iowa is 16-9, while Belmont sits at 22-4 and remains near the top of the standings.

The Bruins are coming off a loss, which only adds urgency in this spot. If Belmont wants to stay in control of the race, this is a must-win at home. Look for the Bruins to respond with a strong offensive performance.

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Thursday, Feb 12th--Hoops HD

UTR WATCH:

-Tonight’s slate is all Under the Radar games

-Northern Iowa @ Belmont (Missouri Valley) – Belmont’s at-large hopes may have vanished after their loss at Bradley over the weekend. They face a very good and red hot Northern Iowa team that is exceptionally dangerous now that they’re healthy. This should be a good one tonight

2.12.26 Game Analysis--Basket Under Review

A pristine Mid Major only slate today. Let's dive in...

• A healthier Northern Iowa has regained their footing in the Valley...[Subscriber content] Of course Belmont's offensive structure can quickly render an elite rim denial defense moot...[Subscriber content]

Seven Teams Fighting For Five Spots--Valley Hoops Insider

Under the Radar – Week 15--Hoops HD

After that we run through the other 22 UTR leagues and look at how Liberty is still unbeaten (albeit barely) in Conference USA, and Belmont had a tough loss at Bradley that will probably end their at-large hopes.

Tyler Lundblade Named to E*TRADE Men's 3-Point Championship Watch List--belmontbruins.com

Women’s Basketball Returns to the Curb, Hosts UIC Friday Night--belmontbruins.com

Ellie McDermid named January Prairie Farms Athlete of the Month--bradleybraves.com

Aces Begin Four Game Homestand Friday Night Against Bradley--gopurpleaces.com

Redbirds Begin Road Trip Friday At Southern Illinois--goredbirds.com

Indiana State eyes momentum in matchup with Murray State--Indiana Statesman
Young added to State Farm College 3-Point Championship Watch List--gosycamores.com

Women’s basketball travels to Northern Iowa--Indiana Statesman

Look on the bright side; In wake of UNI disaster, Racer men are still in great spot in Valley--Murray Ledger and Times

Tristan Smith named to watch list for 2026 State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship--unipanthers.com

SIU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAME CAPSULE ILLINOIS STATE AT SIU--Dawg Bites
Salukis Back in Banterra for Friday Tilt Versus Redbirds--siusalukis.com

Women’s Basketball Begins Four-Game Road Trip Versus Belmont Friday Night--uicflames.com