The Men’s Other Top 25: Miami (OH) moves up to No. 1, Saint Louis slides to two--Mid-Major Madness
Here is the full ranking:
Ranking
Team (First-Place Votes)
Points
Last Week
T-6 Belmont 91 8 Others Receiving Votes:
George Mason 12; Murray St. 12; UC Irvine 11; Portland St. 10; Utah Valley 9; Bradley 8; Harvard 8; Merrimack 7; Kent St. 5; Navy 4; Winthrop 3; Sam Houston St. 3; Saint Joseph’s 3; UMBC 2; East Tennessee St. 1; Colorado St. 1
Dropped from Rankings:
Goerge Mason – 14; Winthrop – T-22; UC Irvine – 24; Murray St. – 25
Stretch Run Weekly Honors--Valley Hoops Insider
Stretch Run Top Players
Southern Illinois’ sweep of the Iowa schools was sparked by Quel’Ron House’s overall play and key baskets. The Valley’s fifth leading scorer (15.4 ppg) is a two-time ‘Newcomer of the Week’ and this week claims his first ‘Player of the Week’ nod. House is the twelfth different MVC player to earn the league’s top weekly honor.
Newcomer List Is Crowded
Ejjah Crawford is making a late push to become the MVC’s ‘Newcomer of the Year’. This week the UIC sophomore is receiving his second straight and third of the last five weeks, ‘Newcomer of the Week’ award. UIC split a pair of games and Crawford averaged 16 points, seven assists and 3.5 rebounds. He recorded a double-double against Evansville and scored 20 points against Valparaiso. His third weekly acknowledgement ties him with Valpo’s Owen Dease.
Freshmen Successful Stretch Run
Ever since Roger Powell Jr. became the head coach at Valparaiso, freshmen make big headlines. The program boasts of the last two ‘Freshman of the Year’ awards, and this week’s weekly winner, J.T. Pettigrew earned his third ‘Freshman of the Week’ award. Valpo swept their two games and Pettigrew averaged 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. While Murray State’s Roman Domon has been selected four times, Pettigrew and Belmont’s Eoin Dillon have been named three.
Pettigrew is the Valley’s third leading rebounder (7.1).
Bracketeer Rocco Miller Joins the Pod--Valley Hoops Insider
Mid-major rankings: Which teams can play way onto March Madness bubble?--USA TODAY
College basketball mid-major power rankings
8. Belmont (25-4)
The Bruins make their debut in the top 10 of the rankings as they continue a blistering run through Missouri Valley play. Coach Casey Alexander’s team has won 12 of its past 13 games, with the only loss coming on the road against a 19-win Bradley squad. Belmont is the only Division I team ranked in the top five nationally in both 2-point percentage (61.3%) and 3-point percentage (40.3%).
Bubble Watch: Late February mega update--Busting Brackets
Belmont (25-4) (NET: 53)
0-0 (Q1), 5-1 (Q2), 11-3 (Q3), 9-0 (Q4)
There’s a long list of quality mid-majors once again this season who are likely missing out on the Big Dance if they falter in their league tournaments. Belmont has been really incredible for a majority of the season and thanks to their metrics still have an outside shot, though it’s pretty precarious.
The Bruins haven’t played a single Quad 1 game, but do have a marvelous 5-1 mark against Quad 2 foes. A big win at UC Irvine was the first and they’ve added to that number during MVC play, with road wins over other contenders in Northern Iowa, UIC, Southern Illinois, and Murray State.
A lot of winning has occurred in Nashville, but those three Quad 3 losses likely sink the Bruins’ realistic chances. They lost tough home games against Richmond and Southern Illinois and were upset at Indiana State right before New Year’s. All of these contests were over a month and a half ago but it plagues the resume nonetheless.
It’s the final stretch of regular season play and there isn’t too much left to prove for the regular season champions of the MVC. Belmont can boost their metrics a bit more with a Quad 2 game at Illinois State on Saturday but it’s almost certainly a lost cause if they can’t win Arch Madness and get that automatic bid.
Meet Eoin Dillon, the clutch secret weapon in Belmont's stellar season--Basket Under Review
Tyler Lundblade sets record for three-pointers as Belmont cruises to
victory--Main Street Nashville
Men's Basketball Sets 3-Point Field Goal Record in Victory over
Evansville--belmontbruins.com
Bradley basketball vs UIC: Everything to know about the Braves 2 OT loss--Peoria Journal Star
‘We were playing with fire’: Braves defense flames out in overtime loss to
Illinois-Chicago--The Bradley Scout
MBB Recap: Bradley drops road contest in double overtime to UIC--bradleybraves.com
MBB Preview: Bradley to face Murray State in Regular Season Finale--bradleybraves.com
Women’s basketball wins rematch over Belmont, raises awareness for
pediatric cancer promotion--The Bradley Scout
Bradley WBB Falls at UIC, 66-53--bradleybraves.com
Bulldogs Fall In Final Seconds at Valpo--godrakebulldogs.com
Women's Basketball Preview: Evansville & Southern Illinois--godrakebulldogs.com
UE men fall in midweek contest at Belmont--gopurpleaces.com
Aces to Host Drake for Crucial Conference Clash--gopurpleaces.com
Illinois State travels to Northern Iowa for tiebreaking Missouri Valley
contest--The Pantagraph
Johnny Kinziger nets game winner as Illinois State registers crucial road
win--The Pantagraph
Redbirds Pick Up Season Sweep of Panthers with Win in Cedar Falls--goredbirds.com
Washington’s career-setting week earns fourth MVC Player of the Week
honors--The Vidette
Redbirds use dominant second half to surge past Salukis in home finale--The Vidette
Redbirds Close Home Slate With Win Over Salukis--goredbirds.com
Enel St. Bernard delivering blocks, dunks in first season as a Sycamore--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Graves' squad heading to Carbondale with 5-game MVC losing streak--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores fall at Southern Illinois--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores fall to Salukis 66-55--Indiana Statesman
Men's basketball drops midweek contest at Southern Illinois--gosycamores.com
Prackett gets double-double, but ISU women fall at Murray State--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Blue and White travel to play Racers--Indiana Statesman
Sycamores struggle in road setback at Murray State--gosycamores.com
Title Chasing: A Look at Each NCAAW Conference--Basket Under Review
Missouri Valley (MVC)
Murray State: 15-1
Belmont: 12-4Murray State doesn't have the #1 seed and the conference title locked down yet, but there is no way that they don't win two of their remaining four games. So I'm considering this race over and finalized.
Murray State staying focused ahead of Indiana State, with MVC regular
season title up for grabs--WPSD Local 6
Turner: Racer women can envision big moments, as long as they maintain
sharp focus--Murray Ledger and Times
Racers Clinch Share of Second Straight Valley Title--goracers.com
College Men's Basketball: Illinois State edges UNI in barn burner--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
Salukis defeat men’s basketball team for season sweep--Northern Iowan
UNI men’s basketball falls short in 71-69 loss to Redbirds in home
finale--unipanthers.com
UNI's Twedt has white coat ceremony on floor of McLeod Center after game--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
LIVE BLOG: Valparaiso at UNI women's basketball--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
Twedt Time: Jenna Twedt lifts Panthers over Salukis, 77-48--Northern Iowan
Jacqui Kalin’s jersey retirement set for Saturday, February 28 against
UIC--unipanthers.com
UNI women’s basketball: Panthers rout Beacons in stop-and-go contest--unipanthers.com
SIU gets big senior night win over Indiana State--Southern Illinoisan
Salukis show their strengths in 66-55 senior night win--The Daily Egyptian
22-0 Run Powers Salukis to Senior Night Victory over Indiana State--siusalukis.com
Quiet Second Half Sinks Salukis, 78-60, at Illinois State--siusalukis.com
Men’s Basketball Wins 2OT Thriller over Bradley, 93-86--uicflames.com
Women’s Basketball Defeats Bradley in Front of Record-Breaking Home Crowd--uicflames.com
PHOTOS: Valparaiso University hosts Drake in men's basketball--The Times
JT Pettigrew's game-winner evidence of freshman's growth at Valparaiso--The Times
WATCH: Valparaiso's JT Pettigrew hits a game-winning 3 to beat Drake--The Times
A Shot of Belief: Pettigrew's heroics lift Valpo--The Victory Bell
Valpo wins on Pettigrew Buzzer-Beater Shot--The Valpo Vault
Valpo Looks to Extend Winning Streak to Five in Saturday's Regular-Season Finale at Evansville--valpoathletics.com
Pettigrew Hits Game-Winner in Closing Seconds to Lift Valpo to Thrilling Win Over Drake--valpoathletics.com
Beacons Fall Thursday Evening at UNI--valpoathletics.com
