What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 11/13/2017

The Morning Dish – Friday, November 10, 2017--Hoopville

Today’s Menu: It’s a flat-out stuffed schedule to open the season, albeit one with few matchups of intrigue and a lot of chaff in the form of games vs. non-Division I opponents.
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North Carolina opens the defense of its national title at home against Northern Iowa, a team it blew out last year.
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For best pure matchups of the day, take a look at Yale at Creighton or Louisiana-Lafayette traveling to Mississippi. Others that look great on paper: Iona at Albany, Southern Illinois traveling to Winthrop

Talking Hoops With Ted Sarandis – November 9, 2017--Hoopville

From there, we talk about how the American Athletic Conference has two teams ranked high in Wichita State and Cincinnati. That leads us to look at two noteworthy schools that changed conferences this off-season, Wichita State and Valparaiso, and how they appear to be going in opposite directions at the moment. While the Shockers should contend in The American, Valparaiso lost Alec Peters and several other seniors, and favorites in The Valley this season appear to begin with Missouri State.

The Morning Dish – Saturday, November 11, 2017--Hoopville

The surprises start with Indiana losing handily to Indiana State 90-69 in Archie Miller’s debut. He is the first Indiana head coach to lose his debut since 1924. The Hoosiers trailed 54-33 at halftime, so it started early, and the Sycamores hit 17 three-pointers.
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Tonight’s Menu

It’s a light day, especially in the way of TV games since college football will dominate the landscape.

In an intriguing early matchup, Illinois State visits FGCU at 1 p.m.

Mid-Major Regional Quick Guide, Part II--Rush The Court

Midwest
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Offseason Realignment. Wichita State’s jump to the American Athletic Conference created a mini-domino effect in O26 land: Valparaiso joined the Missouri Valley, prompting IUPUI to fill the Crusaders’ spot in the Horizon.The Summit League, now down to eight members, wound up the ultimate loser here.
Alize Johnson – F – Missouri State. Wichita State’s departure aside, there’s a reason Missouri State was picked to win the Missouri Valley this season: Johnson — who averaged 14.8 points and 10.6 boards last season — is really, really good. The athletic forward logged 17 double-doubles and could be a first-round NBA Draft pick next summer.

The Morning Dish – Friday, November 10, 2017--Hoopville

For best pure matchups of the day, take a look at Yale at Creighton or Louisiana-Lafayette traveling to Mississippi. Others that look great on paper: Iona at Albany, Southern Illinois traveling to Winthrop, IPFW at Oakland

Here's 34 preposterous predictions for the 2017-18 college basketball season--CBS Sports

33. Taking over the throne for Wichita State in the Missouri Valley this season: Missouri State. The Bears also could apply for Cinderella qualification. It's going to be a different-looking Valley this season without the Shockers, but it's refreshing to see a new program emerge in what's still a quality mid-major conference.

LIVE BLOG: The Valley took care of business on opening night--Mid-Major Madness
2017 Savannah Invitational Primer--Blogging The Bracket
Quick Takes: Keep an eye on Texas AM--Bracketville

A few other Quick Takes from opening night:

Archie Miller’s debut at Indiana didn’t exactly go as planned. Indiana State flushed 17 three-pointers and cruised past the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. Good road win for the Sycamores. Tough start for IU.
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Missouri Valley Conference favorite Missouri State posted a better-than-you-think road win at Western Kentucky.

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Friday, Nov 10th--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
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-NORTHERN IOWA AT NORTH CAROLINA. It’s actually not technically a buy game, but it could end up looking like one. Northern Iowa has had some good teams, but they really struggled last season and by all accounts will struggle again this year.
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-INDIANA STATE AT INDIANA. The IU debut of Archie Miller! The Hoosiers may really struggle this year, but they shouldn’t struggle tonight.
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-MISSOURI STATE AT WESTERN KENTUCKY. Missouri State is who a lot of us like to win the Missouri Valley this year, and Western Kentucky is a team that we all liked as a top forty team this year until their offseason went completely to hell. So many question marks about the Toppers this year. Maybe we’ll learn something about them tonight.

Kennell has career-best 5 3s, Bradley beats IUPUI 68-53--CBS Sports
Grown-up Braves open 114th basketball season--Peoria Journal Star
Wessler: Bradley gets a boost from freshman Ryan Stipanovich--Peoria Journal Star
Reynolds: Kennell shows there’s strength in Bradley’s numbers--Peoria Journal Star
Braves Win Opener over IUPUI, 68-53--bradleybraves.com

Big Second Half Propels Women’s Basketball To 69-56 Win--bradleybraves.com

Drake beats DIII Coe College 101-54--CBS Sports
Drake Men’s Basketball Rolls In Season Opener, 101-54--godrakebulldogs.com

Drake women's basketball adds versatile threats Allie Wooldridge, Maggie Negaard on Signing Day--Des Moines Register
Women’s Basketball Holds Off Milwaukee, 77-73, In Season Opener--godrakebulldogs.com
Women’s Basketball Falls at No. 11/11 Oregon in WNIT Quarterfinals--godrakebulldogs.com

Evansville pulls away from Arkansas State 77-63--CBS Sports
3 reasons UE basketball beat Arkansas State, 77-63--Evansville Courier & Press
Aleks Novakovich signs with UE men’s basketball--gopurpleaces.com
Taylor scores 23 as men’s basketball opens season with 77-63 win--gopurpleaces.com
Aces host North Carolina Central in Monday morning matchup--gopurpleaces.com

ACES INSTANT REPLAY - UE Women outdistance Murray State in season opener--gopurpleaces.com

The Morning Dish – Sunday, November 12, 2017--Hoopville

The actual best matchup might’ve been Illinois State at Florida Gulf Coast, and those two put on a high-scoring show with the Eagles outlasting the Redbirds 98-87. A third notable game? Maybe Saint Joseph’s/Toledo? (The Rockets also won 98-87 with Jaelan Sanford’s career-high 31) Maybe?

FGCU tops Illinois State 98-87 behind Johnson's 27 points--CBS Sports
'True' ISU basketball team may be a Christmas arrival--The Pantagraph
ISU drops season opener as FGCU attacks in lane--The Pantagraph
Homecoming not on Evans' mind for ISU season opener--The Pantagraph
Getting to know Katrina Beck--Vidette Online
Meet the 2017-2018 basketball Redbirds--Vidette Online
Redbird hoops drop opener in the wings of FGCU--Vidette Online
Illinois State Falls in Season Opener at Florida Gulf Coast--goredbirds.com

ISU women to open Gillespie era at Oakland--The Pantagraph
Goods excels but ISU women drop Gillespie's debut--The Pantagraph
Saylor to steer offense in 2017-18 voyage--Vidette Online
Redbirds Drop in Season Opener at Oakland--goredbirds.com

Indiana State makes 17 threes to ruin Archie Miller’s debut at Indiana--College Basketball Talk
Five things we learned from college basketball's opening night--Sports Illustrated

2. Archie Miller has his hands full in Bloomington, Ind. — The Hoosiers were destroyed by Indiana State in a 90-69 home loss in Miller's first official game as Indiana's head basketball coach. Miller might be checking to see if he purchased a two-way ticket back to Dayton after his team fell behind by 21 points at halftime, adding further misery to Indiana's desperate fans.

Miller left Dayton for Indiana this offseason with hopes of re-establishing the Hoosiers among the Big Ten's elite. While that may still happen, Friday's lopsided result likely reminded Miller it won't be an easy feat.

Indiana State beats Indiana, 90-69. Indiana State coach Greg Lansing makes $250K a year. Indiana coach Archie Miller makes $279K A MONTH.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 11, 2017

Eight snap judgments from college basketball's chaotic opening night--The Dagger

Indiana State, projected to finish eighth in the Valley this season, was on pace to hang 100 on the Hoosiers until the final six minutes when it finally eased off the gas pedal. The Sycamores led by as many as 30 points and sank 17 of their first 22 threes, torrid shooting aided by an Indiana defense that appeared confused defending ball screens and was slow to rotate and close out on shooters.

Indiana State upsets Indiana in Bloomington, 90-69--Mid-Major Madness
Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing talks Indiana upset--Mid-Major Madness
Opening day winners and losers: Young UK struggles, Duke doubles up on good news--CBS Sports

Losers: Indiana

The Archie Miller era in Bloomington is not off to a swell start, to put it nicely.

The Hoosiers fell victim to Indiana State -- a team picked to finish eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference -- by a score of 90-69 on Friday on Indiana's home floor. It makes Miller the first Indiana coach since 1924 to lose a season-opening debut.

Archie Miller is the first #iubb coach to lose a season-opening debut since Everett Dean in 1924.

Who did Everett lose to?

Indiana State.
— Matt Glenesk (@MattGlenesk) November 11, 2017

Indiana State hit 17 of its 26 3-point attempts to bury the Hoosiers, who have an even more brutal slate ahead. Friday nights game is one of seven of a grueling 20-day stretch which includes a road trip to face No. 23 Seton Hall, capped by a November-ending battle against No. 1 Duke at Assembly Hall.

It's going to take time and patience for Indiana fans to see Archie Miller's vision through, but it's hard to imagine the new era getting off to a worse start.

Indiana St uses treys ruin Miller's debut at Indiana--CBS Sports
The Upset in Greg Lansing’s Words--Valley Hoops Insider
Banner day: Sycamores dominate Hoosiers 90-69 in season-opening shocker--Terre Haute Tribune Star
ISU enters a zone few teams ever find themselves in--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Sycamores Get Hot And Down Hoosiers Inside Assembly Hall--gosycamores.com

Women’s Hoops Drops Regular Season Opener to Saint Louis, 60-59--gosycamores.com

Loyola-Chicago holds off Wright State 84-80--CBS Sports
Loyola (Chicago) beats Division III Eureka 96-69--CBS Sports
College Basketball: Benzinger boost not enough for Raiders--Dayton Daily News
Loyola Hangs On, Edges Wright State, 84-80--loyolaramblers.com
Ramblers Roll Past Eureka, 96-69--loyolaramblers.com

Strawbridge, Rice Impress As Ramblers Drop Season Opener To Fort Wayne, 79-70--loyolaramblers.com

Miller leads balanced Missouri St. to 85-80 win in opener--CBS Sports
Live: Missouri State men's hoops opens season at Western Kentucky--Springfield News-Leader
Missouri State holds on for opening night win over Western Kentucky--Springfield News-Leader
Lusk calls Alize Johnson 'outstanding' in return from injury--Springfield News-Leader
Western Kentucky vs Missouri State: Inside look at the Hilltoppers--The Standard
Western Kentucky lands several punches; Bears survive difficult road test to go 1-0--The Standard
Bears Get Gut-Check Win in Hoops Season Opener--missouristatebears.com

Preview: The Missouri State Lady Bears open the 2017-18 season against Ball State--The Standard
Lady Bears Open Season Monday at Ball State, Host Central Missouri Wednesday--missouristatebears.com

College basketball is back, but does anyone actually care?--College Basketball Talk

MOST INTERESTING GAMES
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4. Northern Iowa at No. 9 North Carolina, Fri. 7:00 p.m.: If you;re looking for a major upset this weekend, look here. North Carolina is overrated this early in the season, particularly with the loss of Joel Berry II to a broken hand, and UNI has traditionally been one of the better teams in the Missouri Valley.

Luke Maye helps No. 9 UNC beat Northern Iowa 86-69 in opener--College Basketball Talk
Picks, Predictions and What to Watch on College Basketball's Opening Weekend--Sports Illustrated

Northern Iowa at No. 9 North Carolina

Dean Smith Center, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Friday Nov. 10, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Only in a league like the ACC could the Tar Heels be projected to finish fifth—such is life in college basketball’s deepest conference. The Heels will have to make it work early in the season without Joel Berry—he broke his hand after punching a door during what must have been a crushing loss in a game of NBA2K—but that shouldn’t matter against Northern Iowa. With a healthy Berry, Pitt transfer Cameron Johnson, Luke Maye, Theo Pinson and freshman Garrison Brooks, the Tar Heels will once again be a Final Four contender.

North Carolina 84, Northern Iowa 64