What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/28/2017

The Morning Dish – Thursday, December 28, 2017--Hoopville

Tonight’s Menu

We have more conference openers on tap, as well as a few final non-conference games.
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The best game on a full night of Missouri Valley action is Southern Illinois visiting Northern Iowa (8 p.m.)

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Thursday, Dec 28th--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
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-SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT NORTHERN IOWA. UNI has had a rough week, but of their four losses three of them are to top ten teams, so their resume is still pretty strong. If they finish at the top of the MVC I think they’ll be inside the bubble regardless of what happens in the conference tournament.

Trio of promotions in Bradley athletics--Peoria Journal Star
Will Bradley’s nonconference success carry over to MVC season?--Peoria Journal Star
Braves Open Valley Play at Drake--bradleybraves.com

Vanessa Markert Named COUNTRY Financial Scholar-Athlete Of The Week--bradleybraves.com
Braves Host Western Illinois In Final Non-Conference Game--bradleybraves.com

Women’s Basketball Opens MVC Play Friday Against Valparaiso--godrakebulldogs.com

Sycamores Host Valpo Thursday Night In MVC Opener--gosycamores.com

Loyola Travels To Iowa To Open Valley Play--loyolaramblers.com

Missouri State basketball players listed in police report as persons of interest for theft--The Standard

UNI men's basketball enters MVC play after after tough nonconference schedule--The Gazette

UNI Women's Basketball Lends Helping Hands--unipanthers.com

SIU Men's Basketball | Stradnieks learned from one of Salukis' best--The Southern Illinoisan
SIU Men's Basketball: 5 things we learned from the non-conference--The Southern Illinoisan
MVC Power Rankings--The Southern Illinoisan

Big West Roundup, Vol. 4: Recapping the highlights and missed opportunities from Christmas week--Mid-Major Madness

Performances of Last Week
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Dikymbe Martin: 30 points (7-12 FGs), 6 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl vs. Valparaiso
7. UC Riverside Highlanders (5-7)

Last ranked: 8th

Dikymbe Martin and co. helped the Mid-Major Madness staff omit Valparaiso from all future power rankings by shellacking the Crusaders last Wednesday.

via GIPHY

In all seriousness, the Highlanders — not the Anteaters, not the Gauchos nor the brutality-imposing UC Davis Aggies — have pulled of two of the Big West’s biggest non-conference upsets (the first being their opening-night brutality against California).

But could they play spoiler during conference play? Although the teams ahead of them in these power rankings would want otherwise, pulling upsets will only make Big West play more exciting and wacky. Highlanders, keep doing your thing. I’m here for this.

Canada spry: Tevonn Walker healthy again as Valparaiso opens league play--Post-Tribune
NWIU NOTES: Crusaders set to begin Valley play--NWI Times