What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 4/6/2018

Twitter Mailbag: It’s Offseason SZN--Mid-Major Madness

Which Mid-Major Conferences do you think have a shot at multiple bids next season?
— Valpo Hoops Fan (@Valpo_Hoops) April 4, 2018

This question, or at least some variation of it, is the one we get the most. It’s also another one that’s tough to speculate at this point in the year because of how much there’s left to do before the season starts. Schedules need to be finalized. There’s still an absurd amount of player movement left. Everything will be different by October. Hell, it’ll be different a month from now.

That being said, there’s a couple of conferences that seem like they can have a shot. It’s most of the usual suspects: WCC, Mountain West, A-10. However, I think the Missouri Valley and Conference USA could make a run at two bids if their teams build up a strong enough non-conference schedule and perform well in that portion of the season.
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Top 5 players in the transfer market leaving mid-major programs?
— Will Saul (@will_saul_25) April 4, 2018

The Transfer Epidemic™ is bigger and better than ever. Here are a few names that will play a major role at their next stop:

Joe Cremo - Albany
Ryan Taylor - Evansville
Trey Porter - Old Dominion
Zach Johnson - Florida Gulf Coast
Koby McEwen - Utah State

Why the Valley’s Best Days Are Ahead--Valley Hoops Insider

Three years later: plane crash memories 'still emotional'--Vidette Online

Best Moments of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament--Sports Illustrated

2 of 30 Greg Nelson
Round 1

Loyola-Chicago team chaplain Sister Jean Dolores- Schmidt became an international sensation as the No. 11 Ramblers shocked Miami.
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11 of 30 Greg Nelson
Round 2

Tennessee became Loyola-Chicago’s latest victim thanks to Clayton Custer’s buzzer beater.
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19 of 30 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Round 3

The fashion police were on to Loyola-Chicago coach Porter Moser for his eclectic mixing of patterns.

20 of 30 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Round 4

With a 78-52 drubbing of Kansas State, the Ramblers stayed alive in the bracket.
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26 of 30 Greg Nelson
Final Four

Loyola-Chicago's dream Cinderella run came to an end at the hands of Michigan in the Final Four, a heartbreaking defeat in the last game of Ramblers' senior Ben Richardson's career.

College basketball season in review: The 10 best mid-major games from 2017-18--Mid-Major Madness

7. Loyola Chicago 63, Tennessee 62

No. 3 seed Tennessee must’ve thought it had dodged a bullet when it drew Loyola in the Second Round. But the Ramblers outplayed Tennessee, showing off the brilliant team basketball and shot-making skills that won their game against Miami. The Volunteers managed to make a late comeback and even took a 62-61 lead, but then Loyola had its second late shot for the ages, this time from Clayton Custer.

6. Loyola Chicago 64, Miami 62

Loyola’s run to the Final Four could not have happened without one shining moment from Donte Ingram. Miami led for most of the second half, but Porter Moser’s squad was hanging in there. Miami’s win probability never dipped below 60 percent after the 15-minute mark, but then, Donte Ingram pulled up from downtown...

The 2018 NCAA tournament’s 5 best games, ranked--SB Nation

3. (11) Loyola-Chicago 63, (3) Tennessee 62 (Second Round)

For the second time in as many games, Loyola-Chicago advanced in the NCAA tournament by taking out a single-digit seed from a power conference with a clutch shot in the closing seconds. More on that first game in a second.

Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Clayton Custer played hero for the Ramblers in this one, hitting a last second shot that danced all over the rim before finally dropping through.

Former Cyclone Clayton Custer is clutch as can be!! pic.twitter.com/5UcOGfaTpy
— Barstool ISU (@BarstoolISU) March 18, 2018

This was when you started to get the sense that Loyola’s March run might not be limited to the tournament’s opening weekend. Though the game came down to the final possession, Loyola was the better team against Tennessee for all 40 minutes, something you can rarely say in an 11 vs. 3 matchup.

2. (11) Loyola-Chicago 64, (6) Miami 62 (First Round)

A lot of times, March Madness buzzer-beaters are bad games with great endings. This was a great game with a great ending, which is why it’s on the list and Michigan-Houston isn’t.

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 were only 0.3 seconds left to play. That’s when Donte Ingram made the first of many Loyola March memories.

LOYOLO pic.twitter.com/CkcEfulFV9
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 15, 2018

If that shot is just a little off to the left, then we never really get to know Sister Jean, we don’t get the next two last second shots by Loyola, we don’t get an 11-seed in the Final Four, and maybe it’s the Hurricanes who wind up coming out of the South Region.

March is cruel and unforgiving and beautiful.