What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 3/16/2018

Voices of the Valley NCAA Edition--Valley Hoops Insider

Wessler: Bradley basketball wise to avoid CBI and CIT--Peoria Journal Star
Bits: Bradley eliminates end zone seating sections--Peoria Journal Star

Drake men's basketball to play at Northern Colorado in CIT--Des Moines Register
Men’s Basketball Continues CIT Action At Northern Colorado--godrakebulldogs.com

"March Madness" Season Ticket Renewals Start Friday--"March Madness" Season Ticket Renewals Start Friday

Drake women's basketball: Inside the Bulldogs' rebuild that never was--Des Moines Register
Drake women's basketball staying focused ahead of upset attempt in NCAA Tournament--Des Moines Register
Drake women's basketball falls to Texas A&M in NCAA Tournament--Des Moines Register
Drake women shoot, pass well but ultimately fall to Texas A&M in NCAA Tournament's first round--Des Moines Register
Dean Collects Another MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week Honor--godrakebulldogs.com
Women's Basketball Falls To Texas A&M In First Round Of NCAA Tournament, 89-76--godrakebulldogs.com

The Morning Dish – Wednesday, March 14, 2018--Hoopville

Side Dishes:
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Coaching news from Tuesday night, and it’s sad news from our view. Evansville is expected to announce today that it will not be retaining head coach Marty Simmons, ending an 11-year run at the school. For those who grade coaches solely on record or postseason appearances, obviously they’re going to believe this was a completely fair move, and we understand, nothing we say will change their minds. Simmons was 184-175 at his alma mater and never advanced to the NCAA tourney or NIT, topping out with a CIT title in 2015. His teams did post three 20-win seasons (two of them in the last four) and might’ve had more if not for a rash of injuries this season after the Purple Aces got off to a good start.
More important, though, Simmons is widely regarded as one of the class acts and good guys in the sport, and you can find good things written about him by former players and those who have worked closely with him all over social media. (We can attest that when we’ve covered the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament he was all that) On the court, he also was one of the few coaches left to still run a true motion offense, still emphasizing four and five players moving in an era of ball screens and players standing around. His teams were always a joy to watch, and he also did it on a much tighter budget at Evansville than most all other MVC schools. As a coach and as a person he was the type of person this sport needs more of, not less, and it’s a shame we’ll be losing that. (Hoopville’s list of coaching changes)

2018 NCAA Tournament Players to Watch – Part 1--Hoopville

Clayton Custer, Jr. G, Loyola-Chicago
On a team known for its defense, the Missouri Valley Player of the Year also shines offensively as the team’s top scorer and assist man, while also shooting by far a career best from the field (52.3 percent).

The Morning Dish – Thursday, March 15, 2018--Hoopville

Today’s Menu:
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The second window should be outstanding, with what should be three very close games. Loyola Chicago meets Miami (3:10 p.m., truTV), South Dakota State and Mike Daum take on Ohio State (4 p.m., TNT) and North Carolina State faces Seton Hall (4:30 p.m., TBS) in an 8-9 game. The other game in the set is Iona against heavy favorite Duke (2:45 p.m., CBS).

The Morning Dish – Friday, March 16, 2018--Hoopville

We already have two buzzer-beaters. 11th-seeded Loyola Chicago gave us the first of the tourney, as Donte Ingram drained a straight-on 25-footer with :00.3 left to give the Ramblers a 64-62 win over Miami (Fla.), their first NCAA tourney win in 33 years. The 29th win of the year for Loyola made the Missouri Valley Conference a perfect 10-0 in its last 10 first-round games in the tourney.

One may be an accident, two a coincidence, three a trend…ten? It’s a record that surely suggests that the selection committee might want to give this league a little more due than it gave Illinois State and the Ramblers this year, whose seeding quite clearly suggests that-even as champions of the No. 8 conference in the country with 27 wins heading into their tourney final-almost certainly wouldn’t have been in the NCAAs if they hadn’t won the MVC title game. The Jesuit school continues to be one of the most lovable stories of this season, led by its biggest fan, Sister Jean Delores Schmidt, a 98-year old nun and team chaplain who is a campus treasure well on her way to national status. Also: Loyola has now won at least one game in four of its six trips to the NCAA tourney, not a bad record even as this was just its second bid since 1968. Not bad.

RTC Bracket Prep: South Region--Rush The Court

Don’t Miss This One Either: #6 Miami (FL) vs. #11 Loyola-Chicago, Thursday 3/15 at 3:10 PM ET. According to Vegas, this game is a veritable coin flip, which you don’t always see from a #6 vs. #11 matchup. The Ramblers, champions of the Missouri Valley Conference, beat Florida earlier this season and enter Thursday on an 11-game winning streak. Miami was red-hot on its own right prior to losing to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament. Can Loyola continue knocking down shots (40% 3FG)? Will Miami freshman Chris Lykes (9.6 PPG) and Lonnie Walker (11.5 PPG) play to their potential? This should be among the most competitive first round matchups you’ll see this week.

32 NCAA Tournament First Round Quick Takes--Rush The Court

Miami (FL) vs. Loyola-Chicago: To beat Miami (FL), Loyola-Chicago will need to replicate its defensive performance of forcing Florida to shoot 2-of-19 behind the arc.

2018 NCAA Tournament: Upset Specials!--College Basketball Talk

No. 11 LOYOLA-CHICAGO over No. 6 MIAMI and No. 3 TENNESSEE: The Ramblers ended up with a pretty perfect draw for a team looking to make a run. They are a good defensive team going up against Miami in the first round while Miami will be without their best player. They can cut off penetration, and if you do that, you cut off Miami’s offense. Then they draw Tennessee, who is good but is certainly not unbeatable this season. They may be the best matchup for Loyola when it comes to a No. 3 seed. If there is going to be a double-digit seed in the Sweet 16, I think it will be the Ramblers.

No. 11 Loyola (Chicago) stuns No. 6 Miami in last second--College Basketball Talk
Saturday’s tip times and TV assignments released--College Basketball Talk

Dallas: Spero Dedes, Steve Smith, Len Elmore and Ros Gold-Onwude

6:10 p.m.: No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Loyola (Chicago), TNT
8:40: No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 6 Florida, TNT

Thursday NCAA Tournament Recap: What a wild, wild day of basketball--College Basketball Talk

SHOT OF THE DAY

Shoutout to Donte Ingram, because he made this shot to kick off what turned into an incredible, exciting day of basketball:

THE CANES GO DOWN AT THE BUZZER!

No. 6 Miami loses to No. 11 Loyola-Chicago on a last-second three 👌🏼#MarchMadness @marchmadness pic.twitter.com/uWojPpTvIK
— Sarah Braslow (@sebraslow) March 15, 2018

March Madness bracket 2018: Upset predictions, Final Four pick in South Region--Sporting News

Best first-round game

No. 6 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 11 Loyola (Ill.). This game will be a test of Loyola's excellent defense, which ranks 24th in efficiency and held Florida to 59 points in a non-conference victory. It's possible no team is better than Miami at isolating opposing defenders and preventing them from helping each other. The Hurricanes rank 265th in assist rate, because that's how they play it: their man vs. your man. Just try keeping Lonnie Walker or Chris Lykes out of the lane.
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Sleeper team

Loyola (Ill.). The Ramblers obviously have a difficult game against Miami in the first round, and there may be no tougher team than Tennessee. But Loyola has shown it can play against high-level competition (that Florida win should get the Hurricanes' attention) and its variety of long-distance shot-makers could provide the right recipe for an upset or two.

March Madness 2018: No. 11 Loyola upsets No. 6 Miami with buzzer-beater--Sporting News
Loyola's Sister Jean can hardly contain her excitement after big upset--Sporting News
Loyola-Chicago May Be Your Cinderella Team, But the Ramblers Are Not Yet Satisfied--Sports Illustrated
March Madness Day 1 Takeaways: Loyola-Chicago Provides a Spark; SEC Shines While Pac-12 Flops--Sports Illustrated

The defining moment of the first day of the 2018 NCAA tournament was, at once, fantastic and foreseeable. No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago was a popular pick to upset No. 6 Miami at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Thursday. The Ramblers had already won at Florida in December. They rated out as one of the top 25 defenses in the country, according to Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted efficiency. They had rolled through the Missouri Valley Conference with only one loss since early January. Loyola-Chicago may be a little-known mid-major, but it did not stun the college hoops world by beating the Hurricanes.

What it did do was provide a dose of thrilling, game-swinging drama on a chalky day in which favorites mostly held serve*. As other potential Cinderellas saw their March dreams dashed—from No. 13 UNC-Greensboro (No. 4 Gonzaga) to No. 12 Davidson (No. 5 Kentucky) to No. 14 Stephen F. Austin (No. 3 Texas Tech) and everyone in between—the deep, buzzer-beating three-pointer from 6’6’’ Ramblers senior Donte Ingram that sent Miami packing guaranteed one underdog’s passage into the second round. When it comes time to assess this tourney in full, that shot will be lumped into an iconic montage of highlights. On Thursday, it didn’t have much company.

This 98-year-old nun is leading Loyola-Chicago into the NCAA tournament--The Dagger
Loyola-Chicago's mascot used to be a homeless person named 'Bo Rambler'--The Dagger
Loyola-Chicago's fans are making a lot of people think about Harry Potter--The Dagger
Loyola Chicago sinks Miami on Donte Ingram's last-second 3-pointer--The Dagger
Nobody loved Loyola Chicago's upset win more than its 98-year-old team nun, Sister Jean--The Dagger
Loyola Chicago's upset featured a great celebration from Donte Ingram's dad--The Dagger
2018 March Madness schedule: Thursday's NCAA tournament times, TV guide, info--USA Today

No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Wright State

South Region; 12:40 p.m. ET, truTV

Why Tennessee will win: Before losing to Kentucky in the SEC tournament title game, the Volunteers had won 13 of 15. That’s the type of sustained, solid play — underscored by victories during the season vs. Florida, Kentucky and Purdue — that will propel Tennessee.

Why Wright State will win: Simply put, it’s time. The Raiders, winners of the Horizon League tournament, are making their third appearance in the tournament and are in search of their first victory. A formidable defense will power Wright State, especially if Tennessee underestimates the Raiders.
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No. 6 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago

South Region; Approx. 3:10 p.m. ET, truTV

Why Miami will win: Any team that beat North Carolina on the road is more than capable of advancing past a first-round opponent making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1985. The Hurricanes are deep enough to survive the loss of star guard Bruce Bowen, who’s out with a foot injury.

Why Loyola-Chicago will win: The Ramblers will tap into the magic of 1963, the year they won the NCAA tournament. The Ramblers have won 10 in a row and their experience, deft shooting from three-point range and rebounding are a winning combination.

NCAA tournament 2018: Loyola-Chicago gets inspiration from 98-year-old nun--USA Today
NCAA tournament: What makes Loyola-Chicago a Sweet 16 threat after Miami buzzer-beating upset--USA Today
Quick Takes and Picks: Region by Region--Bracketville

SOUTH REGION

Let me start with this: Virginia was my first pick until the news about De’Andre Hunter. Continue: Arizona is arguably the most talented team in the Region – even though Virginia had, by far, the best season. Case in point – many college hoops aficionados predicted Arizona to be a No. 1 seed back in November. So the question becomes: Do you trust the Tucson Cats to break through and reach the Final Four?
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Best chance(s) for an upset: Loyola-Chicago over Miami. The Ramblers make shots and use the three-point line effectively. If they can hold their own on the glass, they’ll be a tough out for the Canes and others. Looking elsewhere? Viable double-digit seed options include Davidson (vs. Kentucky, ironically) and Buffalo (vs. Arizona).

NCAA Tournament: First Round Preview – Thursday, March 15th--Hoops HD

DALLAS

(11) LOYOLA-CHICAGO VS (6) MIAMI (approx. 3:10 PM, TruTV). This game has to be one of the most highly-picked upsets in terms of seeding. The Ramblers also sport one of the country’s best defenses and breezed through their title run in the Missouri Valley Conference this year. Miami was a one-and-done in the ACC Tournament after their loss to North Carolina.

Loyola delivers NCAA Tournament’s first upset over Miami thanks to last second three--The Comeback
Sister Jean is Loyola-Chicago's spiritual guide and biggest fan in NCAA Tournament--CBS Sports
WATCH: Loyola Chicago downs Miami on last-second shot--24/7 Sports
March Madness' first upset: Loyola-Chicago stuns Miami with last second 3-pointer--CBS Sports
Loyola-Chicago is your March Madness Cinderella team if you love Harry Potter--CBS Sports
Buzzer-beater lifts Loyola-Chicago over Miami in NCAA return--CBS Sports
LOOK: Barack Obama congratulates Loyola-Chicago on upset win vs. Miami--CBS Sports
High school teammates hit biggest shots of NCAA Tournament 1,606 miles apart--CBS Sports
Watch Loyola-Chicago vs. Tennessee online: 2018 NCAA Tournament live stream, time, date--CBS Sports
Tennessee vs. Loyola-Chicago odds: Advanced computer simulation locks in 2018 NCAA Tournament picks--CBS Sports
Watch: Loyola Chicago beats Miami on Donte Ingram three in the final seconds--Mid-Major Madness
Reaction: Porter Moser, Donte Ingram and Marques Townes on Loyola’s dramatic win--Mid-Major Madness
Can Loyola Advance?--Valley Hoops Insider
Incredible Finish for the Ramblers--Valley Hoops Insider
Miami vs. Loyola-Chicago: Keys to the game--State Of The U
NCAA Tournament: Tennessee to face 11-seed Loyola-Chicago on Saturday--Rocky Top Talk
NCAA tournament 2018: The best and worst of everything from March Madness Day 1--SB Nation

The 5 Best Day 1 Games

1. (11) Loyola-Chicago 64, (6) Miami 62 (South)

A lot of times, March Madness buzzer-beaters are bad games with great endings. This was a great game with a great ending.

Things really picked up between the Ramblers and Hurricanes about midway through the second half when the two teams refused to stop burying highly contested three-pointers.

The haymakers continued for the next several minutes, but Miami never gave up its lead. At least not until there only 0.3 seconds left to play.

Donte Ingram, it’s time to become a March Madness immortal. Take it away ...

Loyola Chicago with the SHOT OF THE DAY. #MarchMadness

🎥: @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/ohdG01OIxa
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 15, 2018

It just gets better every time.

The win for Loyola was its first in the NCAA tournament in 33 years. In 1985, the Ramblers won two games before falling to Georgetown in the Sweet 16. They’ll head back to that round with a win over third-seeded Tennessee on Saturday.

What we learned from Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament--Big East Coast Bias

THE MADNESS RETURNED QUICKLY

The first game of the day between the Rhode Island Rams and Oklahoma Sooners was a precursor to what would follow the rest of the afternoon and evening. The Loyola-Chicago Ramblers won in DRAMATIC fashion as Donte Ingram hit a buzzer-beater from the frickin’ LOGO to down the Miami Hurricanes. Then, the San Diego State Aztecs and Houston Cougars traded HAYMAKERS later on in the night, eventually leading to Rob Gray’s go-ahead shot in the final seconds. The Cougs star had THIRTY-NINE points in the victory.

We quickly remembered why this whole dang Tournament is the best thing going.