Thursday, June 27, 2019

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/27/2019

Former Bradley assistant coach Tony Barone dies at 72--Peoria Journal Star
Looking back: It’s hard to believe--Bradley Scout

Women’s Basketball Adds Latisha Luckett To Coaching Staff--bradleybraves.com
UE basketball coach Walter McCarty eager to get started as players return to campus--Evansville Courier & Press
Four standouts to join ISU Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame on Oct. 26--The Pantagraph
Gassman chooses GVSU as new home--Vidette Online
2019 ISU Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame Class Announced--goredbirds.com
Coaches Caravan Visiting The Brockway Pub On July 13--gosycamores.com

New Sycamores enjoying sorting themselves out--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Marques Townes Lands Workout with Miami Heat--Loyola Phoenix
Milton Doyle To Play For Sacramento Kings In NBA Summer League--loyolaramblers.com
NBA Draft: Darius Garland, son of MSU legend Winston Garland, selected with 5th pick by Cavaliers--Springfield News-Leader
MSU hoops recruiting notes: Greenwood 5-star prospect Aminu Mohammed lands offer from Bears--Springfield News-Leader
Missouri State lands commitment from four-star point guard Ford Cooper--Springfield News-Leader
Bears Set Framework for Nonconference Schedule--missouristatebears.com
Davis eager to get back on the floor at SIU--The Southern Illinoisan
Salukis use last scholarship to sign Nebraska transfer guard Karrington Davis--siusalukis.com
Coach Mullins Press Conference Transcript--siusalukis.com

Saluki women add Lona as director of operations--The Southern Illinoisan
Lona named Director of Women's Basketball Operations--siusalukis.com
Valparaiso heading north for preseason foreign trip--NWI Times
Men’s Basketball Announces Plans for Foreign Tour--valpoathletics.com

Addison Stoller Set for Athletes in Action Trip to Spain--valpoathletics.com

Friday, June 7, 2019

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/7/2019

#BESPYS--Bradley Scout
Team of the Year — Men’s Basketball

The men’s basketball team arrived on the national scene for the first time in 13 years. The team beat SMU and Penn State in the early season Cancun Challenge. Despite losing its first five MVC games, the squad battled back to win nine of its last 13 regular season contests and earned the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament. Bradley defeated Missouri State, defending champion Loyola-Chicago and Northern Iowa in St. Louis to capture the program’s first MVC tournament title since 1988. The team made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2006 and as the No. 15 seed, and fell to No. 2 seed Michigan State after leading at halftime.
...
Coach of the Year — Brian Wardle

Wardle, in his fourth year as the men’s basketball head coach, guided the team to the NCAA Tournament. He has improved or maintained the team’s record each season at the helm. His efforts led Bradley back from an 0-5 start in Valley play, in addition to an 18-point second half comeback in the MVC title game. The team only suffered one loss when Wardle wore his shiny red dancing shoes.
2019 Junkanoo Jam Schedule Set For Sycamore Basketball--gosycamores.com
Ranking the Top 10 sports moments of the 2018-19 Ozarks school year--Springfield News-Leader
2. Jarred Dixon hits a halfcourt shot at the buzzer to beat Illinois State

With time winding down and the Bears down three, a pile of Bears and Redbirds struggled to pick up a loose ball at midcourt.

Senior Jarred Dixon picked up the ball and heaved up a prayer in desperation right before the buzzer sounded.

The ball banked off the backboard and in. Missouri State defeated Illinois State 66-65 on a halfcourt shot at the buzzer for one of the more memorable plays in the program's history.

"It couldn't have happened to a more deserving kid than Jarred Dixon," first-year Bears head coach Dana Ford said. "A close second would be Ryan Kreklow. Just happy for our players."

The win moved Missouri State into a three-way tie for second place in the Missouri Valley Conference. It helped solidify the Bears as a conference championship contender for the remainder of the season.

Other MSU men's basketball moments: Bears beat Loyola in Chicago, Dana Ford's debut ends in a win.

1. Lady Bears defeat Iowa State to advance to Sweet 16

Missouri State pulled off one of the great upsets in school history to give fans one of the most memorable games in the history of the storied program.

The Lady Bears defeated Iowa State 69-60 in Ames, Iowa, to advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history.

MSU entered the game as heavy underdogs and emerged as the Cinderella story of the entire tournament as it was the lowest-remaining seed in the Sweet 16.

"That was amazing," Kellie Harper said in awe. "I'm so proud of this team, and I think the thing that makes me the most proud is the way we just went out and played basketball the way we've been playing and we were able to win it by doing it our way.

"This is a dream come true."

Lebanon native Alexa Willard knocked down a turnaround jumper with 4:04 to go after Iowa State cut MSU's lead to one late. Sydney Manning followed with a 3-pointer on the team's next possession to go up six.

Iowa State star Bridget Carleton — a Wooden finalist — was tough for the Lady Bears to contain as she dropped 31 points.

But the Lady Bears were able to hang on for one of the great wins in MSU history — on the road at one of the toughest environments in women's basketball — to advance to the Sweet 16.

Other Lady Bear moments: Beating DePaul in the first round, beating Drake in the MVC Tournament championship, beating Drake and Northern Iowa during a regular-season road trip, Amaka Agugua-Hamilton introduced as new head coach
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Before breaking out in NBA Finals, Fred VanVleet tortured MSU because of Dana Ford--Springfield News-Leader
SIU Basketball | Salukis headed to Florida for early exempt tournament--The Southern Illinoisan