What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 5/19/2020

The Other Top 25 2020-21: Gonzaga should be a national championship favorite--Mid-Major Madness

In the Valley, Northern Iowa and Loyola University Chicago are the two clubs to keep an eye on. Both return the core of solid teams from last year, making the MVC a potential multi-bid league for the first time in the post-Wichita State era.

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5. Northern Iowa Panthers

2019-20: 25-6 (13-4)

There were few occurrences weirder last February and March (pre-quarantine) than watching Northern Iowa blast Drake by 27 in Des Moines, only to see the Bulldogs come back and win by 21 less than a week later in the Missouri Valley quarterfinals. That loss probably popped what would have been UNI’s bubble and have doomed an awesome Panthers team to the NIT.

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Thankfully, that same group returns in 2020-21, led by reigning conference player of the year AJ Green. Last year, Green became just the third sophomore ever to win that award, joining Fred VanVleet and Doug McDermott. He’s scored over 1,100 points in his two seasons thanks to a 44% mark from three in conference play and a 92% rate from the line overall. Green is the best shooter in the Valley, and if he can make strides in his ability to defend and distribute, he’ll have the Panthers in the AP Top 25 conversation.

UNI is returning more than just the best player in the conference. By his side — or, rather, down low — will be Austin Phyfe, the league’s best big man not named Cameron Krutwig. Phyfe is one of the most efficient players you’ll ever see — he led the MVC in offensive rating (132.6) and shot 69% (nice) from the field in conference play. He also ranked in the top two in the league in offensive rebounding percentage, defensive rebounding percentage, and effective field goal percentage. For that reason, the two best players in the conference might play their home games in Cedar Falls.

With those two, it’s easy to see why the Panthers had one of the most efficient offenses in the country last year (No. 23 per KenPom), and that’s not even factoring in Trae Berhow, who was second on the team in scoring and shot 42% from three. He’ll be back as well.

There’s not much of note coming in either on the transfer market or in the freshman class, but that’s ok. The one key, according to Ben Jacobson, will be if Tywhon Pickford can step up and fill the void left by Isaiah Brown’s graduation. Brown was MVC defensive player of the year last year, but Jacobson thinks Pickford can help make up for his loss.

“We’re counting on Ty to come in whenever we would get back, this summer or the fall, and immediately step into that spot. He’s shown that he can do some of those same things defensively. Now we need him to do it for longer and we need him to do it every practice and every game.”

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

4. Loyola University Chicago Ramblers

2019-20: 21-11 (13-5)

Loyola’s best shot at becoming more than “the team that made the Final Four that one time” is in 2020-21. Almost the entire team is returning from a group that won 13 games in the Valley and played its best basketball in February, which included a win at then-reigning conference champion Bradley on Senior Day.

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Krutwig, the only guy other than AJ Green to get a player of the year vote, will return for his senior season. I could sit here and spew stats at you, but a better use of your time would be to go read what Kyle Cajero wrote about him back in December. TL;DR: Krutwig can score, rebound, and assist, and he can do all those things well.

Thanks to his role on the Final Four team in 2018, Krutwig is the guy everyone will know. But he’s certainly not the only player capable of earning all-conference honors. In fact, Tate Hall was All-Valley Third Team and on the All-Newcomer Team last season. The transfer from University of Indianapolis is a three-point marksman who picks his spots well, and as you just read in Kyle’s piece (I know you read it), is excellent in transition.

On the other end of the court is the Ramblers’ honoree on the All-Defensive Team from last year, Lucas Williamson. The lock-down defender ranked fourth in the Valley in steal percentage and, as the Loyola Phoenix points out, forced UNI’s Green to commit 14 turnovers over two games last year.

Returning everyone from an already-good team is a great way to get into The Other Top 25. Adding someone like sit-out transfer Brandon Norris, finally eligible this season, can put Loyola over the top. Norris was a Horizon League All-Freshman Team member and ranked 23rd in Division I with a 2.75 assist-to-turnover ratio in 2018-19. He and Williamson will give Loyola the most annoying, suffocating backcourt in the league.