What's Up In The Missouri Valley: June 2018

Monday, June 25, 2018

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/25/2018

IndyStar basketball recruiting rankings for Indiana's 2019 class--The Indy Star

5. Brandon Newman, Valparaiso: The 6-4 Newman was dominant as a junior, averaging 24.8 points and 9.5 rebounds to lead Valpo to a Class 4A sectional title. Newman has continued to play well on the grassroots travel circuit and has high-major offers from Purdue, Creighton, DePaul, Kansas State and Xavier, in addition to Loyola of Chicago, Milwaukee, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Toledo and Valparaiso.
...

Castle's Alex Hemenway (Photo: Mike Lawrence/Courier & Press)

7. Alex Hemenway, Castle: The 6-4 guard had an outstanding sophomore season for a Class 4A semistate team and followed it up with a junior season that saw him average 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Hemenway, who is ranked No. 224 nationally in the class by 247sports, has offers from Belmont, Bradley, Butler, Clemson, Creighton, Evansville, IUPUI, Nebraska, Northern Kentucky, Valparaiso and Xavier.
...

Floyd Central's Cobie Barnes (right) (Photo: David Lee Hartlage/Courier Journal)

9. Cobie Barnes, Floyd Central: The 6-6 Barnes averaged 16.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for a 24-2 team as a junior. He earned a spot on the Junior All-Star team and put up 30 points and 15 rebounds in a loss to the Kentucky All-Stars in June. Barnes was offered last year by IUPUI, Evansville, Indiana State and Miami of Ohio.
...

Manual forward Jalen Johnson (Photo: Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar)

14. Jalen Johnson, Manual: The 6-8 Manual forward has showed plenty of potential, averaging 22.0 points and 10.9 rebounds as a junior. Johnson played this spring for Team Rose on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit. He currently has offers from Illinois-Chicago and Southern Illinois.

Richmond's Lucas Kroft (Photo: Courtesy photo)

20. Lucas Kroft, Richmond: The 6-5 Kroft will transfer to Richmond for his senior season after attending Fort Wayne North Side. He averaged 12.5 points per game as a junior. Kroft selected Ball State in late June over offers from several other Division I programs, including Indiana State and Milwaukee.

Vote for Female Most Outstanding Athlete--bradleybraves.com

UE men’s basketball program creates Aces Assist Club--gopurpleaces.com

Loyola basketball gets first Class of 2019 commitment--Chicago Tribune

Mo State Mondays: Passion and determination drive success--The Standard

Joseph Signs Professional Contract With Nässjö Basket--valpoathletics.com

Sunday, June 24, 2018

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/24/2018

Annual doubleheader featuring state of Iowa’s four schools ending after 2018--College Basketball Talk

LISTEN: Bradley basketball legend Roger Phegley--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley coach brings basketball league to campus--Peoria Journal Star
Vote for Male Most Outstanding Athlete--bradleybraves.com

Grand View Christian 2019 forward Issa Samake commits to Drake--Des Moines Register

Retrospect: Aces in the NBA Draft, it's been a while with some near-misses ever since--Evansville Courier & Press
ACES INSIDER : Profiles in Purple - Assistant men's basketball Todd Lickliter--gopurpleaces.com
ACES INSIDER: Profiles in Purple - Assistant men's basketball coach Terrence Commodore--gopurpleaces.com
ACES INSIDER: Profiles in Purple - Assistant men's basketball coach Matt Graves--gopurpleaces.com
ACES INSIDER - Catching up with Troy Taylor--gopurpleaces.com
ACES INSIDER - UE plays host to inaugural Men's Basketball Town Hall--gopurpleaces.com
ACES INSIDER - McCarty Party comes to Jasper--gopurpleaces.com
Walter McCarty announces first signing class at UE--gopurpleaces.com

Chris Duhon named Illinois State assistant coach--College Basketball Talk
Basketball: Redbirds add former Chicago Bull Chris Duhon to coaching staff--Vidette Online
Redbirds Add Chris Duhon as Assistant Coach--goredbirds.com

Jock Landale, Kendrick Nunn, and other un-drafted mid-major alumni sign pro contracts--Mid-Major Madness

Donte Ingram, Loyola University Chicago

Sources: Undrafted Loyola Chicago forward Donte Ingram has committed to summer league with the Chicago Bulls.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2018

As a general rule, you’re going to get some looks if you stand out on a mid-major team that makes a Final Four run. But even after the magic of March wore off, Ingram impressed NBA scouts. He worked out for 10 NBA teams during the pre-Draft process, and according to the Loyola Phoenix, he could have been a surprise Second Round pick. Ingram leaves college as a second-team all-Missouri Valley selection, a member of the NCAA Tournament’s all-South Region team, oh, and as part of one of the most memorable Final Four runs in history. Here’s his buzzer-beater against Miami, because you need to watch it again:

Is Loyola-Chicago being overvalued for 2018-19?--Busting Brackets
Mullins to be Inducted into SIU Hall of Fame Oct. 19--Loyola Phoenix
Donte Ingram to Work Out for New York Knicks June 19--Loyola Phoenix
Ingram Raising Eyebrows in NBA Workouts as Draft Approaches--Loyola Phoenix
Home for Summer: Ingram to Sign NBA Summer League Contract with Chicago Bulls--Loyola Phoenix
Men’s Basketball Receives First Class of 2019 Commitment--Loyola Phoenix
Donte Ingram Signs With Chicago Bulls--loyolaramblers.com

Nevada’s Josh Hall transfers to Missouri State--College Basketball Talk
Indiana Pacers select Alize Johnson with 50th pick--Mid-Major Madness
How Alize Johnson can help the Indiana Pacers--Mid-Major Madness
2018 NBA Draft grades: Pick-by-pick results, analysis for all 60 picks in the first and second round--CBS Sports

20 Pacers

PF Alize Johnson, Missouri State senior

He's a rebounder, but last season left a lot to be desired on the offensive end. Grade: C+

Northern Iowa AD: No plans to play at Iowa, Iowa State in basketball--Des Moines Register
Former UNI point guard Juwan McCloud finds new home--The Gazette

Hefferman: The offensive rebound everyone else gave up on--The Southern Illinoisan
Saluki Basketball | SIU should expect great competition in Cuba, Louisiana-Lafayette coach says--The Southern Illinoisan

Both Saluki hoop squads heading to Sin City for Thanksgiving weekend--The Southern Illinoisan
Women's Basketball announces 2018-19 non-conference schedule--siusalukis.com

Missouri State’s Johnson Picked by Pacers in NBA Draft--The Missouri Valley

Monday, June 18, 2018

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/18/2018

Peterson: Business decision or a fear or losing? Peeling back the curtain of soon-to-be over Hy-Vee Classic--Des Moines Register

TODD AARON GOLDEN: ISU took steps towards improvement in 2018, but still a ways to go | Indiana State Sports--Terre Haute Tribune Star

After thrilling Final Four run, Loyola's Donte Ingram working to take next stop — to the NBA--Chicago Tribune

Prime Time League is no more, Hy-Vee Classic soon to follow--The Gazette
Iowa should keep playing UNI in men's basketball, but will it?--The Gazette
College men's basketball: Changing landscape adds to UNI's scheduling challenge--Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Thursday, June 14, 2018

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/14/2018

Bradley will play SMU in Cancun opener--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley men finalize plans for Europe trip--Peoria Journal Star
Braves Receive Cancun Challenge Invitation--bradleybraves.com
Bradley Basketball Announces Summer European Trip--bradleybraves.com

Hy-Vee Classic to end after 2018, as Iowa announces it's pulling out--Des Moines Register

UE fans, students looking to improve atmosphere at basketball games--Evansville Courier & Press
Crossover: Should Evansville basketball place an emphasis on recruiting Indiana?--Evansville Courier & Press
UE Town Hall event to take place on June 21--gopurpleaces.com
ACES INSIDER - Coach McCarty kids camp opens--gopurpleaces.com

UE Athletics announces staff additions--gopurpleaces.com

ISU basketball to open against Georgia in Cayman Islands Classic--The Pantagraph

Ex-ISU guard honored at Women's Basketball Hall of Fame--The Pantagraph
Women's basketball shoots for stellar 2018 season--Vidette Online

Holston, ISU envision opportunities with one another--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Washington has fun with his All-Star experience--Terre Haute Tribune Star
ISU's Neese patiently bides his time | Indiana State Sports--Terre Haute Tribune Star

Nick Knacks: High-Major Bias Continues in ‘Way-Too-Early’ Polls--Loyola Phoenix

Loyola Women’s Basketball Adds Jazmine Covington--loyolaramblers.com

2018 NBA Draft Profile: Alize Johnson has the tools to hear his name called--Mid-Major Madness
Former South Florida forward appears on summer league roster as current MSU Bear--Springfield News-Leader
Jessica Jackson Joins Lady Bears Coaching Staff--missouristatebears.com

Former UNI player Nick Nurse becoming Toronto Raptors' head coach--The Gazette
College men's basketball: Iowa pulls out of Hy-Vee Classic--Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
College men's basketball: Prime Time League abruptly ends--Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
Prime Time Ends 31-Year Run of Summer Basketball--unipanthers.com
Former Panther Takes Over as Raptors Head Coach--unipanthers.com

College women's basketball: CF's Emerson Green commits to UNI--Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Way-too-early look at the 2018-19 MVC men's basketball season--The Southern Illinoisan
Salukis' Bol undergoes second knee surgery--The Southern Illinoisan
Thik Bol undergoes knee surgery--siusalukis.com

SIU Women's Basketball | Salukis' Bowling leaves program prior to senior year--The Southern Illinoisan
Brockmeyer preparing for bigger role in 2018-19--The Southern Illinoisan

Valparaiso: Last year's game against Valparaiso was among the most exciting of the season as Tayler Persons drilled a last-second, game-winning 3-pointer in front of a large crowd at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals will be on the road this season. The date is unknown. The Crusaders (15-17) experienced some adversity in their first season in the Missouri Valley, but they are routinely one of Ball State's toughest non-conference opponents each season. Bakari Evelyn is the Crusaders' leading returning scorer at 12.6 points per game. Ball State leads the all-time series 33-31.

Men's basketball notes: Seton Hall transfer Eron Gordon brings 'well-rounded' background to Valparaiso--Post-Tribune

Braves Receive Cancun Challenge Invitation--The Missouri Valley

Thursday, June 7, 2018

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/7/2018

Slightly Less Way-Too-Early 2018-19 Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings--Mid-Major Madness

RANK    TEAM    2017-18 RECORD  WAY TOO EARLY   POINTS
...
3       Loyola  32-6            3               219
...
16      Illinois State  18-15  25  67
...
23  Bradley  20-13  NR  40

The Basketball Tournament bracket: Team Fredette and Ram Nation each earn 2 seeds--Mid-Major Madness

Always A Brave (Bradley alumni) was a 3 seed last year and advanced to the Sweet 16 but dropped to a 5 this year. It draws a strong 12 seed in Primetime Players.

Always A Brave Returns for TBT 2018--bradleybraves.com

Drake Looking for Quick Transition – DeVries Part 2--Valley Hoops Insider