What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 2/24/2018

The Morning Dish – Sunday, February 18, 2018--Hoopville

Today’s Menu: Big Monday? This week, it’s more like Big Sunday.
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Loyola (Ill.) has a tricky game at Evansville. The Purple Aces are more potent than their 6-9 MVC record would indicate.

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Wednesday, Feb 14th--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
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-VALPARAISO AT LOYOLA CHICAGO (Missouri Valley). Loyola should at least be in the discussion if they win out, although their chances of getting in without the auto-bid are rather small.

Southern Illinois escapes in OT, beats Indiana State, 76-72--CBS Sports
Illinois State stages comeback to top Northern Iowa, 79-75--CBS Sports
Golder rallies Valparaiso late to 77-64 win over Bradley--CBS Sports
Loyola-Chicago clinches at least share of MVC title--CBS Sports
Timmer's 4-point play at buzzer lifts Drake--CBS Sports
Senior Moments We Shouldn’t Forget--Valley Hoops Insider
The Morning Dish – Thursday, February 22, 2018--Hoopville

Loyola-Chicago clinched the Missouri Valley regular season title with a 75-56 win at Southern Illinois, their first since joining the league. The Ramblers not only have an outright title, but they are the only team in the conference with a winning road record at 9-4.

Newman sees recruitment soar during junior season--24/7 Sports

"There have been some truly phenomenal universities that have shown interest in me," he said. "I am hearing from IPFW, Purdue, Butler, IUPUI, Loyola-Chicago, Valparaiso, Ball State, Xavier, Nebraska, and Illinois."

Northern Iowa vs. Valparaiso odds: Proven computer model locks in strong picks--CBS Sports
Haldeman's late 3 helps Northern Iowa hold off Valparaiso--CBS Sports
Indiana State beats Evansville 58-53--CBS Sports
Loyola-Chicago beats SIU 75-56 for first MVC title--CBS Sports
Bradley closes on 8-3 run, beats Missouri State 82-78--CBS Sports
Illinois State pulls even with Drake after 89-81 OT win--CBS Sports
Senior Moments We Shouldn’t Forget--Valley Hoops Insider
Exceeding All Expectations--Valley Hoops Insider
Final Drive To St. Louis--Valley Hoops Insider
Ramblers Clinch & Second Up For Grabs--Valley Hoops Insider

Wessler: Is Bradley good enough for a top-five MVC finish?--Peoria Journal Star
MVC tournament ticket sales down significantly--Peoria Journal Star
Valpo’s winter of discontent--Peoria Journal Star
Second-half meltdown dooms Bradley men yet again--Peoria Journal Star
The rocky road of a preseason favorite--Peoria Journal Star
For Bradley, win over Missouri State is one for the ages--Peoria Journal Star
LISTEN: Weekend frenzy in the Valley--Peoria Journal Star
Reynolds: Loyola guard Custer deserves MVC Player of the Year--Peoria Journal Star
Braves bag Redbirds at home--Bradley Scout
Bradley Drops Road Decision to Valpo--bradleybraves.com
Walt Lemon Inks NBA Contract--bradleybraves.com
Braves Clinch Top-Five Seed for Valley Tournament--bradleybraves.com

The passion for improvement is a Papis passion--Bradley Scout

Women’s basketball suffers weekend losses--Bradley Scout
Braves Run By Evansville 92-47--bradleybraves.com
Indiana State Edges Bradley 74-70--bradleybraves.com
Braves Head To Iowa For Final Road Swing--bradleybraves.com

2/19 Men's Basketball Players of the Week--College Sports Madness

Missouri Valley Reed Timmer G Drake

Is It Likely For NCAA Tournament Bubble Teams To Make The Tourney The Next Season?--Anonymous Eagle

NIT #1 SEEDS
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Illinois State Redbirds

2017 Record: 28-7
2017 KenPom Rank: #49
2017 NIT Finish: Lost in the second round to UCF, 63-62

2018 Record: 15-13
2018 KenPom Rank: #160
2018 Bracket Matrix: Nope

If Dan Muller wants to campaign against the end of graduate transfers, I’m going to make fun of him, but I’m at least going to understand where he’s coming from on the topic. Two of his major components from last season, MiKyle McIntosh and Deontae Hawkins, left ISU as graduate transfers after last season, compounding the problem of Paris Lee finishing his eligibility. Thus, Illinois State is sitting in fourth place in a Missouri Valley Conference that has lost both Creighton and Wichita State during this decade, which is not a good way to try to get into the NCAA tournament.

ISU's Gassman seeks another solid outing against UNI--The Pantagraph
Inspired Yarbrough delivers as ISU rallies past UNI--The Pantagraph
Final week in Valley will decide seeding spots for tourney--The Pantagraph
Redbirds eager to have entire team back for home finale--The Pantagraph
Redbirds down Drake in OT in home finale--The Pantagraph
Redbirds prevail over Panthers, 79-75--Vidette Online
Redbirds Shoot Their Way to Win Over Panthers--goredbirds.com
Milik Yarbrough Named MVC Newcomer of the Week for Fifth Time--goredbirds.com
Redbirds Close Home Schedule with Overtime Win--goredbirds.com
Illinois State Closes Regular Season at Loyola on Saturday--goredbirds.com

2/19 Women's Basketball Players of the Week--College Sports Madness

Missouri Valley Simone Goods F Illinois State

Saylor makes instant impact with ISU women--The Pantagraph
Goods sparks ISU women past Sycamores with career-high 29 points--The Pantagraph
Play4Kay game has special meaning for ISU coach Gillespie--The Pantagraph
ISU women dominate boards in rout of Evansville--The Pantagraph
ISU women hope to stay hot at UNI--The Pantagraph
Women's basketball avenges January loss to Indiana State with win Friday--Vidette Online
Women's basketball routs Evansville to close out home schedule--Vidette Online
Goods Leads Redbirds to Winningest Season in Five Years--goredbirds.com
Green Goes Out in Style in 70-44 Victory Over Evansville--goredbirds.com
Goods Sweeps MVC Weekly Honors--goredbirds.com
Redbirds Take to the Road for a Rematch Against Northern Iowa--goredbirds.com

'Sister Jean' offers comfort, prayer — and a competitive edge — for Loyola basketball--Chicago Tribune
What is Loyola basketball's 'Wall of Culture'? It's a guide to team's remarkable season--Chicago Tribune
Loyola Ramblers win their first ever Missouri Valley Conference title--Fan Sided
Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings: Chaos. Pure chaos.--Mid-Major Madness

Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings: Week 14

RANK    TEAM            RECORD  LAST WEEK       POINTS
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14      Loyola Chicago  23-5    15              117
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Loyola sells out Saturday's game vs. Illinois State — first sellout at Gentile Arena since 2003--Chicago Tribune
Loyola clinches Missouri Valley title with 75-56 win over Southern Illinois--Chicago Tribune
15 teams who missed last year's NCAA Tournament, but could make noise in March--CBS Sports

Loyola-Chi.

Record last season: 18-14 | Record this season: 23-5 | Current seed: 12

With Wichita State out of the Valley, Loyola has stepped in and taken in advantage in year one of the post-Shockers era. The Ramblers, coached by Porter Moser, are 13-3 and have lived up to the hype. Coaches in the conference anticipated Loyola would be the best team in the league. The team got off to a 10-1 start and made its loudest statement with a road win at Florida on Dec. 6. For the most part the non-conference schedule hasn't been respectable, but given the way Loyola's won in MVC play, it certainly is setting itself up well for a good seed if it can take the automatic bid.

In fact, if Northern Iowa doesn't steal the auto bid at Arch Madness, 2018 will mark the first time since 2011 that the MVC tournament was won by a team not named Northern Iowa, Creighton or Wichita State. Loyola has never won it; the Ramblers joined the Valley in 2013, replacing Creighton after the Jays joined the Big East. Loyola's last NCAA Tournament appearance: 1985.

Mid-major Power Rankings: St. Bonaventure returns to elite — and top-5 — form--The Athletic

7. Loyola-Chicago (24-5, 14-3): The Ramblers claimed their first Missouri Valley title in just their fifth season in the league with a blowout victory over Southern Illinois on Wednesday. (Last week: 8)

This week: The final regular season game comes Saturday at home against Illinois State on ESPN2, a game in which the Redbirds have a lot more to play for than Loyola.
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23. Wright State (21-8, 13-3): The Horizon League's bid to the Big Dance is truly a toss up, but the Raiders likely locked up the regular season crown with Friday's 69-67 victory over Northern Kentucky in a thriller. (Last week: N/A)

This week: In order to lock it up for good, Wright State needs to win two road games this week, at IUPUI and UIC, both of which are tough opponents.