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.
Wes Miller returns to the state of North Carolina after five years at Cincinnati, where he did not reach the NCAA Tournament. But if he can rekindle what he produced at UNC Greensboro (185-135 record) at Charlotte, there could be a lot to like. Most notably, Miller did not struggle at Cincinnati because of his defenses; the Bearcats ranked in the top 22 for adjusted defensive efficiency in each of his last three seasons. Including his last four years at UNCG, Miller-led teams have finished top-75 for AdjD in 10 straight years.
Consistency on defense should be the calling card again, and his first Charlotte roster features high-major talent, with Keyshuan Tillery, Jordi Rodriguez-Stegemeijer, and Tyler McKinley following him from Cincinnati, as well as adding Dylan Grant (Rutgers) and Peyton Marshall (Georgia Tech). The 49ers lost by 20 to Georgia but also took North Carolina to overtime in the preseason.
While Indiana State did not deal with a coaching change this offseason, it features almost as much “new” as Charlotte — if not more. The 49ers at least bring back Arden Conyers, who played 19.5 minutes per game last season, while the Sycamores return 0.0% of their minutes. It is a brand-new roster for head coach Matthew Graves after an 11-21 (4-16 MVC) season a year ago, with Jackson Cooper as the new headliner.
Across Graves' two seasons at the helm, combined with his previous stint at South Alabama, we’ve learned that his teams play up-tempo and let it fly from three. Over half of Indiana State’s shots in his first season came from beyond the arc; that dropped to 45.2% last year, but it was still the 62nd-highest rate in the country. In their lone Division I exhibition this year, the Sycamores let 33 3s fly out of 60 field goal attempts in a seven-point loss at Butler.
This matchup in Terre Haute comes after Charlotte defended its home court against Indiana State, 92-76, in last year’s season-opener. Not many faces on either side remember that game, though. To say there is much known about either team given the overhauls would be disingenuous, but Miller could have Charlotte playing its best defense in some time, and Graves will have Indiana State ready to let it fly. - Lukas Harkins
Illinois State at Saint Mary's (-9)
Moraga, CA | 10:00 PM ET | ESPN+
Something tells me that Mickey McConnell's Saint Mary's group is going to be a little more offensive than the recent squads of his former head coach and boss Randy Bennett. Saint Mary's hasn't finished with a better offense than defensive since the COVID-shortened season, which makes people forget that prior to that, the Gaels' offense outpaced its defensive for 12 straight campaigns before that.
To that end, Saint Mary's has only had four teams in the Top 300 in pace since 2008, and those happen to perfectly with McConnell's four seasons as the team's point guard. A speedy Australia trip and a 76-possession game against Utah State in the regular season, plus a potent offensive trio of star passer Joshua Dent, breakout sniper Mantas Juzenas, and McDonald's All-American freshman Darius Bivins means that Saint Mary's will probably look more like McConnell's version of the Gaels.
Also on the offense-defensive spectrum, Illinois State weirdly flipped from a team 159-spots offensive to 83-spots defensive from two years ago to last year in KenPom, and yet the Redbirds were 13th-nationally in minutes continuity. Weirdly, the biggest difference in their resume is that they just had way higher two-way free throw percentages two years ago than last. It's still likely this Johnny Kinziger and Chase Walker core is better on offense than on defense.
All told, in a game that would be a surprising victory for Illinois State to go all the way across the country and win at a place few not named Gonzaga have come away victorious in, I would instead look to two offenses that will score a surprising amount of points here. - Matthew Winick
We have a battle between two teams picked to win their respective conferences at 10:30am CST as part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon. The Murray State Racers are dangerous, returning Roman Domon, Mathis Courbon, and Brayden Shorter, while adding Christian Jones, Brigham Rogers, and a number of international recruits including Mark Padjen and Pavle Nikolic. Domon is the star of the show as the future NBA player averaged 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game as a freshman last year. You can read more about the Murray State Racers below:
Tennessee State put together a strong season last year, led by Aaron Nkrumah who signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Kings last month, but was later waived. There’s a good chance he’ll still end up playing on the Stockton Kings in the G-League this season. Now, Head Coach Nolan Smith is on a roll. He picked up Aaron Bradshaw from Memphis where he averaged 8.6 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 57.6% with the Tigers last season. Transferring down into the Ohio Valley is going to instantly make him one of the best players in the conference. He also picked up Ty-Laur Johnson from San Diego where he averaged 14.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 43.2% overall and 30.9% from three-point. For context, he started out at Louisville where he averaged 8.7 points and 3.6 assists while starting in eight of his 30 games, in which he then transferred to Wake Forest where he started in 19 of his 29 games. All that to say, he has a strong amount of experience that’s going to complement Aaron Bradshaw well.
Tennessee State shouldn’t be slept on and Murray State should be one of the best mid-major teams in the country. This game is during prime working hours, but nothing wrong with having YouTube up on another screen or on your phone!
Illinois State vs Saint Mary’s
Photo: Illinois State Athletics
As you can tell from discussing Murray State earlier, the Missouri Valley Conference is once again going to be one of the most fun conferences to follow outside of the power conference ranks. Illinois State was picked to finish second in the conference with UIC narrowly behind them in third. Chase Walker and Johnny Kinziger have returned which gives them a huge advantage. Walker averaged 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game last season while shooting 54.5% overall. Kinziger was right behind him at 11.5 points with 2.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 40% overall and 33% from three-point. Demarion Burch transferred in from conference rival Bradley, where he averaged 8.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and one assist per game.
Randy Bennett made waves in college basketball when he announced that he’d be leaving Saint Mary’s after one of the best runs as a head coach in the sport to take the head coaching job at Arizona State. Mickey McConnell stepped up and was named the head coach of the Gaels after spending the last four years as the associate head coach. With Gonzaga out of the conference, it’s wide open with Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s leading the pack for the WCC. The Gaels were picked to finish second behind Santa Clara, as they received one first-place vote compared to the Broncos’ nine. Joshua Dent is the name to know for the Gaels. He averaged 13.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals last season while shooting 46.7% overall from the floor and 40.4% from three-point. The 6’3 junior has started to put his name on the map for the next-level, as he was recently named one of the top-100 players in college basketball.
This is a heavyweight matchup that tips off at 9pm CST this evening. Saint Mary’s is listed as the favorite in this home game, but Illinois State is going to be looking to start their season off with some momentum.
Murray State runs an offense similar to the Creighton Bluejays under Greg McDermott. The Let it Fly offense centers around a high volume of threes and very few free throw attempts. In addition, the wide-open offense works even better if teams can get out in transition for easy baskets. Murray State doesn't provide much on the defensive end; they play fast and want to run, but the defense has to provide some stops for them to reach their lofty ceiling.
79. Illinois-Chicago Flames- Last Season Ranking: 143
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Rob Ehsan (3rd season)
Player to know: Ahmad Henderson
It didn't take long for Coach Ehsan to turn the Illinois-Chicago program into legitimate Missouri Valley contenders every year, even though the 2025-2026 season ended in heartbreak in the conference tournament. The Flames head into the 2026-2027 season as the one team to watch in the mid-major ranks. The Flames are a huge sleeper: a team that could run and hide in the Missouri Valley and is good enough to earn an at-large bid.
–Murray State vs Tennessee State (Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon – Sioux Falls, SD) – these are two super talented UTR teams, both of whom are the preseason favorites to win their conferences
-Illinois State @ Saint Mary’s – another really interesting game between Illinois State who should be one of the better teams in the MVC and Saint Mary’s who is having to adjust to life without Randy Bennett.
189. Indiana State Sycamores- Last Season Ranking: 170
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Matthew Graves (3rd season)
Player to know: Karmoni Gregory
It's hard to fathom a Sycamores team that dominated the Valley for so long becoming one of the league's worst teams. Year 3 under coach Graves may have the special sauce, though. It is the best roster he's had, and there are finally shooters. Indiana State is still a long way from the NCAA Tournament, but they should be much improved in the Valley in 2026-2027.
186. Southern Illinois Salukis- Last Season Ranking: 136
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Scott Nagy (3rd season)
Player to know: Jalen Haynes
The Salukis are in a transitional rebuild under head coach Scott Nagy; every team going through a new coach has to do that. Southern Illinois is in good hands, though, as their head coach is a program builder and has made the NCAA Tournament multiple times at every stop. In this case, for the Salukis, it's when, not if, but that when, won't be in 2026-2027. The roster is young and likely finishes in the middle of the MVC pack.
166. Bradley Braves- Last Season Ranking: 109
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Brian Wardle (12th season)
Player to know: Xander Alarie
The Braves have become a consistent Valley contender every season. Coach Wardle has guided Bradley to only one NCAA Tournament appearance, but his teams are always in the mix because he gets the absolute most out of his roster. The 2026-2027 roster has many players with little Division I experience but an extremely high ceiling. Trust Wardle to finish near the top of the Valley again.
145. Drake Bulldogs- Last Season Ranking: 121
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Eric Henderson (2nd season)
Player to know: Owen Larson
Drake had a tough year, and it was the first time the Bulldogs had not had a winning record in 7 years. The defense was terrible, and Drake didn't have nearly enough good players. Coach Henderson hopes year 2 will be much better than the first. There are a lot of question marks on the 2026-2027 roster, but it is hard to see them not improving a little bit. Drake is still a middle-of-the-pack Valley team.
143. Valparaiso Beacons- Last Season Ranking: 283
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Roger Powell (4th season)
Player to know: JT Pettigrew
Valpo had a surprising season last year, winning 18 games and finishing in the middle of the Valley. The 2025-2026 season hopefully won't be a one-off, since the Beacons have a good portion of their roster back from last year. The returners include 3 out of the top 5 scorers from last season. Valpo will be a factor in the Valley this year.
140. Belmont Bruins- Last Season Ranking: 124
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Evan Bradds (1st season)
Player to know: Jack Smiley
Belmont was the Missouri Valley regular-season champion last year but lost in the conference tournament and did not make the NCAA Tournament. The icing on the cake for the Bruins was that former coach Casey Alexander left for Kansas State, leaving the program in the hands of Evan Bradds. Bradds was one of the best Belmont players ever and also coached at Duke. He knows how to win, and the Bruins won't drop off much.
138. Northern Iowa Panthers- Last Season Ranking: 115
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Kyle Green (1st season)
Player to know: Greyson Uelman
Ben Jacobson is off to Utah State, and the Panthers hired former assistant coach Kyle Green. Green isn't going to change how the reigning Missouri Valley Conference tournament champions play overall. Northern Iowa will still play smothering defense, and it will likely be one of the best units in the sport. The pace will increase from one of the slowest in the country, but not much. The Panthers will always be relevant in the Valley.
126. Illinois State Redbirds-Last Season Ranking: 132
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Ryan Pedon (5th season)
Player to know: Chase Walker
The Redbirds have been trending up over the last couple of seasons and have finished near the top of the Missouri Valley. The NCAA Tournament is the next step in Illinois State's rebuild. The 2026-2027 roster is built to win; it has the stars who have been in the system, and Coach Pedon has filled the rest of the roster with excellent role players, making the Redbirds one of the favorites in the Valley.
By my count, power conference teams added 65 bigs or combo forwards from mid-major teams this offseason. I don't have a historical database on this, but I'd imagine it is nearing the most ever.
Last season, teams that won the paint and the rebounding battle dominated, prompting programs with substantial resources to invest heavily in frontcourt players to emulate that style. As Evan Miyakawa researched this summer, market demand for bigs was by far the highest relative to value of any position on the floor.
I want to use the Missouri Valley as an example here. These are the advanced stats of the 10 big men with the most D-I experience under their belts coming into last season, sorted by PER (Valparaiso didn't have any bigs with D-I experience).
What is the most interesting mid-major team in the country?
Murray State
Coach Ryan Miller managed to hold onto Roman Domon, a French wing who won
Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year last season. He’s surrounded
Domon with a talented core, and the Racers are poised to be the next scary
team to come out of the Valley. — Moore
Belmont
For the first time since 1985, the Bruins won’t be coached by Rick Byrd or
Casey Alexander. They kept it in the family, tabbing Evan Bradds to take
over for Alexander. Bradds has never been a head coach, but he has a great
reputation and the look of a future star. The Bruins lost a lot of talent —
as usual — so we don’t know a ton about how they’ll look on the floor. The
guess here is they will shoot well (shocking, I know) and find a way to
finish in the top four of the MVC. — Light
My Favorite Mid-Major Team of 2026-27: Belmont Bruins
Some might call this a biased pick because of our
recently announced content partnership with the school. Well, yes, but also this team could be really good! I really liked what I
saw from the Bruins squad in their exhibition against Duke. They move the
ball well on offense, force turnovers on defense and everyone on the floor
can shoot. Evan Bradds has a bright future ahead of him as a head coach and
should find success early on in the Missouri Valley.
Lukas Harkins
My Favorite Mid-Major Team of 2026-27: Illinois State
Redbirds
Both Chase Walker and Johnny Kinziger saw their scoring averages dip as
juniors last year, but Illinois State took another step forward under head
coach Ryan Pedon. The Redbirds have improved their KenPom finish from the
year prior in each of Pedon's four years, and bringing back Walker and
Kinziger for their fourth year together offers hope for another leap. The
new group around them includes two other familiar faces to the MVC in
Bradley transfer Demarion Burch and Missouri State transfer Zaxton King, as
well as Malik Messina-Moore and Noah Cleveland. Illinois State made massive
strides defensively last season; if its offense can rediscover itself, with
a sophomore breakout from Mason Klabo helping, the Redbirds can be
dangerous.
Jim Root
My Guys of 2026-2027:
Jack Smiley (Belmont):A couple of
Smiley's standout performances last year (see: torching Murray State on
the road) had me on board his hype train. He's a skilled lefty who can
score or create, boasting a lethal jumper and a pristine 2.2 A/TO ratio as
a freshman. But then he got
the Joey Dwyer profile treatment, and I am now the hype train's conductor.
Rocco Miller
My Guys of 2026-2027:
Trevon Payton (Bradley): Payton will take the leap from
Arkansas-Pine Bluff to Bradley, which is no small task. But with him, he
brings one of the most effective FG% known to college basketball for a
player 6-5 and under and returning from last year. This bodes well when
combining forces with the great Brian Wardle. Wardle has one fewer player
to worry about when it comes to taking great shots, a hallmark of Braves
basketball.
Others receiving votes: Illinois Chicago 22; Liberty 20;
UNC Wilmington 19; Yale 19; Furman 18; Tulsa 17; Illinois St. 16; UC
Irvine 16; UNLV 12; Charlotte 8; Wyoming 7; South Alabama 7; Vermont 6;
North Texas 4; Charleston 3; Montana St. 2; San Diego 2; LIU 2; UMBC 2;
Utah Valley 1; Siena 1
264. Evansville Purple Aces- Last Season Ranking: 248
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: David Ragland (5th season)
Player to know: AJ Casey
Evansville is going through a never-ending rebuild, largely because the Aces
haven't been able to get anyone on campus who can put the ball in the hole.
Coach Ragland likes to play slow, but the offense he runs is inefficient;
teams still win with a low-scoring offense. The problem was the complete
lack of defense. Evansville is young and doesn't have much to fix the
defense. Another year at the bottom of the Valley.
Murray State followed at No. 7. The Racers won the Missouri Valley with a
19-1 conference and 31-4 overall record. They have their top four scorers
back: Halli Poock (22.5 ppg, 4.3 apg), Sharnecce Currie-Jelks (17.4 ppg,
11.7 rpg), Haven Ford (17 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg) and Keslyn Secrist (13
ppg, 6.4 rpg).
