Friday, January 29, 2021

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 1/29/2021

Under the Radar: January 27th--Hoops HD

From there, we cover the other 21 UTR leagues and discuss UMBC and Vermont battling it out in the America East, Drake and Loyola Chicago both having a legit shot for at-large bids, Winthrop who remains undefeated, some surprise results in the SoCon as East Tennessee State is emerging as a really good team, and much more.  And, as we do every week, we close with this week’s UTR Top Ten.

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Jan 28th--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES

-Drake got a big road win at Missouri State to remain unbeaten.  The two face each other again tonight.  Missouri State probably isn’t a team that will land inside the bubble, but it was just their second home loss of the season so the committee should give Drake some credit for that as a quality win.

Edwards, Krikke carry Valparaiso past Bradley 91-85 in 2OT--Associated Press
How COVID shutdowns are affecting Missouri Valley basketball--Peoria Journal Star



Elijah Childs heroics not enough for Bradley basketball in double OT loss at Valparaiso--Peoria Journal Star
Braves drop fourth straight in double-overtime roller coaster at Valparaiso--Bradley Scout
Braves Fall in Double Overtime at Valparaiso--bradleybraves.com



Ten Questions to Consider: Challenges In and Across Conferences--Rush The Court

The final weekend of January brings important conference tilts with teams trying to stay at the top of their leagues, others trying to end skids, and those in the Big 12 and SEC playing for conference bragging rights. With under 50 days to go until Selection Sunday, here are 10 questions I have for games this weekend:

7.  Can Missouri State throw a wrench into the Ramblers 8-1 start to MVC play? (Loyola Chicago @ Missouri State, Sunday, 3 PM EST, CBS Sports Network) Last week, Missouri State played undefeated Drake on back-to-back nights. In the first game, the Bears blew a 15-point second-half lead and on the next wasted a two-point lead with under six minutes to go. Missouri State has the MVC’s top-two scorers in Isiaih Mosley (22.9 PPG) and Gaige Prim (17.1 PPG) and the league’s top rebounder (Prim, 9.8/G).

Peterson: Drake basketball is 15-0. What should that mean? An extension for Darian DeVries--Des Moines Register
15-0 Men’s Basketball Returns Home to Host Illinois State--godrakebulldogs.com



First vs. Second: 18 Series In--Eville-Ways
Men’s basketball back home to face Valparaiso--gopurpleaces.com

UE women's basketball snapped a losing streak days after having to forfeit a game--Evansville Courier & Press



Howard suspended by ISU--Terre Haute Tribune Star



Loyola Wraps Up Five-Game Road Trip At Missouri State--loyolaramblers.com

Loyola Returns Home This Weekend, Battles Southern Illinois--loyolaramblers.com



Weekend Showdown with Loyola on Tap for Bears at JQH--missouristatebears.com

First-Place Lady Bears Head to Valpo for Two Games--missouristatebears.com



Salukis' Domask could miss UNI series--Southern Illinoisan
Game Notes: Men's Basketball vs. UNI--siusalukis.com

Game Notes: Women's Basketball at Loyola--siusalukis.com



Sheldon Edwards' overtime flurry leads Valparaiso past Bradley in double overtime--NWI Times
Valpo Roars from 14 Down, Tops Bradley in Double-OT Thriller--valpoathletics.com
Valpo Looks to Extend Winning Streak at Evansville--valpoathletics.com



State Farm MVC Scholar-Athlete Spotlight (Jan. 29)--The Missouri Valley

Thursday, January 28, 2021

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 1/28/2021

Hemphill scores 24 to lead Drake past Missouri St. 78-73--Associated Press
News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Wednesday, Jan 27th--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES

-Drake picked up a big road win against a Missouri State team who had just one loss on the season.  The two play again tonight and if Drake can get the sweep I think they should be considered to be safely inside the bubble.  I hope the committee is watching and sees it that way.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-DRAKE AND MISSOURI STATE (Missouri Valley).  Drake won the first game last night in what was a bit of a thriller and will remain unbeaten, and should be inside the bubble, if they’re able to get the sweep tonight.



Passing problems prompt Redbirds over Bradley in Normal--Bradley Scout
Braves Fall 66-54 At Illinois State--bradleybraves.com



You should be taking Drake seriously--Mid-Major Madness
Hemphill Scores 24 Points As Drake Men’s Basketball Improves to 15-0--godrakebulldogs.com
Penn Named to Lou Henson Award Watchlist--godrakebulldogs.com

Drake women beat Northern Iowa for the 10th time in 11 meetings--Des Moines Register
Women's Basketball Races Past UNI, 96-79--godrakebulldogs.com



Aces game at Indiana State rescheduled for February 17--gopurpleaces.com

Resilient Aces defeat Sycamores in overtime thriller--gopurpleaces.com



Watch now: Illinois State women knock off Bradley behind strong defense--The Pantagraph
’Birds blow by Braves in battle of I-74--Vidette Online
Illinois State Soars Over Bradley, 66-54--goredbirds.com

Men score two victories against Southern Illinois--Indiana Statesman
Indiana State and Evansville Game Makeup Date Announced--gosycamores.com

Sycamores Drop Heartbreaker in Evansville Wednesday Night--gosycamores.com



Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Hersey Hawkins ... and Cameron Krutwig. The Loyola senior is in elite company and looking to go out the way he started as a freshman — on a Final Four team.--Chicago Tribune
Start Time Announced For Feb. 26 Game Versus Southern Illinois--loyolaramblers.com



Drake remains undefeated as Missouri State basketball's comeback falls short--Springfield News Leader
MSU Insider: Why weren't the Bears motivated to compete an entire game against a contender?--Springfield News Leader
Missouri State basketball comeback attempt falls short, Bears swept by Drake--The Standard
Bears Show Grit in Series Finale vs. Unbeaten Drake--missouristatebears.com

No. 25 MSU Lady Bears cruise to fifth-straight win by beating Southern Illinois--Springfield News Leader
MSU Defense Locks Down Salukis in 61-44 Win--Springfield News-Leader



Panthers come out on top over Coe College, 70-60--Northern Iowan
Panthers Continue MVC Play at Southern Illinois--unipanthers.com

College women's basketball: Drake uses quick start to top UNI--Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
Panthers Fall to Conference Rivals Drake 96-79--unipanthers.com



Saluki Basketball 5@5: SIU's 29 3-point attempts, IHSA nixes playoffs and Drake rallies to drop Missouri State--Southern Illinoisan
Filewich gives Salukis productive minutes at Indiana State--Southern Illinoisan
Saluki Basketball 5@5: Domask possibly out again, ISU's Howard suspended, and the Loyola win--Southern Illinoisan
SIU-Valpo series adjusted to Feb. 21-22--siusalukis.com
Shorthanded Salukis hang tough at No. 25 Missouri State--siusalukis.com

Salukis drop first game back to Lady Bears--Daily Egyptian



Women's Basketball Returns to Action This Weekend Versus Missouri State--valpoathletics.com

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 1/27/2021

LaRavia lifts Indiana State past Southern Illinois 71-59--Associated Press
Penn scores 20 to carry Drake past Missouri St. 68-61--Associated Press
News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Tuesday, Jan 26th--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-DRAKE AT MISSOURI STATE (Missouri Valley).  These are two of the best teams in the MVC, and its’ a chance for Drake to pick up a really good road win that could jump out at the committee.  Drake is also unbeaten, so this game has several storylines.



Braves Begin Road Trip at Valparaiso Thursday Night--bradleybraves.com

Tatum Koenig Named Bradley Scholar-Athlete Of The Week--bradleybraves.com



Roman Penn scores 20 to carry Drake men past Missouri State 68-61--Des Moines Register
Men’s Basketball Erases 17-Point Deficit To Remain Undefeated--godrakebulldogs.com



Down In The Valley: Week In Review, Jan. 28--Terre Haute Tribune Star

ISU women hit road to play Purple Aces--Terre Haute Tribune Star



Braden Norris Makes Immediate Impact for Men’s Basketball--Loyola Phoenix

‘Ultimate Competitor’: UMass Transfer Bre Hampton-Bey Brings Toughness to Loyola Women’s Basketball--Loyola Phoenix



Missouri State basketball collapses in second half, loses to Drake--The Standard
Second-Half Comeback Lifts Visiting Drake Over MSU--missouristatebears.com
Mosley Named to Lou Henson Award Watch List--missouristatebears.com

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 1/26/2021

Key scores 23 to carry Indiana St. over S. Illinois 69-66--Associated Press
Kennedy carries Loyola of Chicago over Bradley 65-58--Associated Press
S. Illinois looks to end streak vs Indiana St.--Associated Press
The Other Top 25: Loyola University Chicago continues to bludgeon its opponents--Mid-Major Madness

Week 10

Rank School Record Change Our reasoning
6 Loyola University Chicago 12-3 3 Loyola isn't just beating teams. The Ramblers are demolishing them. Thanks to five straight wins by an aaverage of 23 points per game, they are up to 21 overall in KenPom.
13 Drake 13-0 1 Hi, I'm a national sportswriter and I think it's hilarious when I refer to Drake as "The Drake." This is a reference to the popular sitcom, Seinfeld, which you've probably never heard of because you're not as cool as I am.

Also receiving votes: UC Santa Barbara, Missouri State, Liberty, Colgate, Louisiana Tech.

Under the Radar Game of the Day – January 25, 2021 (and other highlighted games)--Hoops HD

OTHER HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-LOYOLA CHICAGO AT BRADLEY (Missouri Valley).  There may be room for Loyola Chicago inside the bubble, but they’ll pretty much need to win out in order to have any shot of it at all.

Canadians Win Both MVC Awards--Valley Hoops Insider



Bradley men's basketball swept in home series with Loyola--Peoria Journal Star
What's going on with the Bradley basketball team? Reasons why the Braves are struggling--Peoria Journal Star
Braves falter in late stages, swept by Loyola-Chicago--Bradley Scout
Loyola Rallies Past Braves for 65-58 Win--bradleybraves.com
Elijah Childs Named to Lou Henson Award Watch List--bradleybraves.com

Women’s Basketball Opens Road Swing At Illinois State Wednesday--bradleybraves.com



Why Drake forward Jordan Kwiecinski has bragging rights over twin brother Bennett, a Siena forward--Des Moines Register

Women’s Basketball Hosts UNI Wednesday--godrakebulldogs.com



Back home in Meeks, Aces welcome in Sycamores--gopurpleaces.com



Watch now: MVC coaches warn players to avoid negativity coming their way from social media--The Pantagraph

Watch now: Illinois State women take on Bradley at Redbird Arena--The Pantagraph
Five things to know before Redbird women’s basketball takes on rival Bradley at home--Vidette Online
Redbirds Host the Braves on Wednesday for I-74 Rivalry Game--goredbirds.com




Sycamores out-last snarling Salukis--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Hot Sycamores blast past Salukis--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Sycamores Win Third Straight with 69-66 Victory Over SIU--gosycamores.com
Balanced Attack Lifts Sycamores Over Salukis, 71-59--gosycamores.com

ISU women hit road to place Purple Aces--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Indiana State University Women’s Basketball Falls to Northern Iowa--Indiana Statesman
Trees Make Short Trip to Evansville for Mid-Week Matchup--gosycamores.com



Loyola Men’s Basketball Overcomes First Half Slump to Sweep Bradley 65-58--Loyola Phoenix
Kennedy Sparks Ramblers’ Rally For 65-58 Win At Bradley--loyolaramblers.com
Krutwig Named To Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List--loyolaramblers.com



Missouri State basketball can solidify itself as the team to beat in the Valley this week--Springfield News-Leader
Missouri State basketball blows 17-point lead to fall to undefeated Drake--Springfield News-Leader

No. 25 Lady Bears, Salukis Meet Wednesday Afternoon at The Q--missouristatebears.com



N. Iowa beats Coe 70-60--Associated Press
UNI men's basketball returns home with win over Coe--Cedar Rapids Gazette
College men's basketball: UNI squeaks past Division III Coe--Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
Panthers Defeat Kohawks 70-60--unipanthers.com

UNI notes: Panther women show good balance leading into showdown with Drake--Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
Panther Women Take on Drake in Des Moines, Wednesday--unipanthers.com



Salukis' Domask to miss Indiana State series with foot injury--Southern Illinoisan
Saluki Basketball 5@5: Filewich could play big minutes vs. ISU, Domask out, and Monday's schedule--Southern Illinoisan
Turnovers, Key's 23 lead Sycamores past Salukis--Southern Illinoisan
Saluki Basketball 5@5: Keeping Filewich and D'Avanzo on the floor, getting to the free-throw line, and Drake is back--Southern Illinoisan
Salukis fall in first game of series against Indiana State--Daily Egyptian
LaRavia and Sycamores’ bench takes care of the Salukis--Daily Egyptian
Shorthanded Salukis nearly pull off upset at Indiana State--siusalukis.com
Kyler Filewich named MVC Newcomer of the Week--siusalukis.com
Salukis run out of gas in 71-59 loss at Indiana State--siusalukis.com
Game Notes: Women's Basketball at Missouri State--siusalukis.com



Valpo, Bradley Set for MVC Title Game Rematch--valpoathletics.com
Ben Krikke Recognized as Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week--valpoathletics.com
Valpo Basketball Weekly: Jan. 26--valpoathletics.com



MVC MBB Weekly Notes (J26)--The Missouri Valley

Monday, January 25, 2021

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 1/25/2021

Krutwig leads Loyola of Chicago over Bradley 69-56--Associated Press
Krikke carries Valparaiso past Illinois State 70-66--Associated Press
Loyola-Chicago looks to extend streak vs Bradley--Associated Press
News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Sunday, Jan 24th--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-LOYOLA CHICAGO AT BRADLEY (Missouri Valley).  A win for Loyola Chicago will get them to 12-3 on the year and keep them within a game of Drake.

Colorado State is just Niko Medved’s latest rebuild: This Week in Mid-Major--The Athletic

Games of the week

(All times ET. AP rankings as of Monday morning. And because this is 2020-21, all games are tentative).

Loyola Chicago at Bradley 7 p.m. Monday CBS Sports. These two teams met on Sunday, with Loyola scoring an impressive 69-56 road victory. Bradley needs to get off the mat in Game 2 or face a precarious position in the conference race.

Drake at Missouri State, 8 p.m. Tuesday, ESPN+. The Bulldogs are expected to resume their season and put their undefeated record on the line with the first of a back-to-back in Springfield on Tuesday. The Bears enter at 9-1 and have a dangerous 1-2 punch with Isiaih Mosley (23.5 points per game) and Gaige Prim (16.7).

The Mid-Major Top 10

7. Drake (13-0, 4-0 Missouri Valley): The undefeated campaign resumes on Tuesday for the Bulldogs, who own the nation’s best 3-point percentage (43.1). We’re interested to see how sharp Drake is after a 22-day layoff, but the team’s excellent chemistry should help. LW: 8

10. Loyola Chicago (12-3, 7-1 Missouri Valley): The Ramblers went to Bradley on Sunday afternoon and left no doubt from the opening tip. They jumped to a 22-2 lead and were up at halftime, 43-19. That followed a 36-point win over Valparaiso and a 42-point blowout of Northern Iowa. Safe to say Porter Moser’s team has put that loss to Indiana State earlier this month behind it. Loyola Chicago is off to its best start in conference play since the 1984-85 season. The Drake series, by the way, is now set for Valentine’s Day weekend. LW: Not ranked



Slow start haunts Braves against Loyola-Chicago--Bradley Scout
Strong First Half Leads Loyola Past Braves--bradleybraves.com



Undefeated Men’s Basketball Returns to Action At Missouri State--godrakebulldogs.com

Drake women fall at Missouri State in doubleheader--Des Moines Register



Watch now: Illinois State rally falls short as Krikke leads Valpo to weekend MVC sweep--The Pantagraph
Redbirds come back stifled, fall 70-66 for seventh straight loss to Valpo--Vidette Online
Redbirds Close Homestand with Narrow Loss--goredbirds.com

The Illinois State Basketball Coaches Shows Presented by Bud Light Air Tonight--goredbirds.com



Comfort zone: Howard feels good in starting role for ISU--Terre Haute Tribune Star



1/25 Men's Basketball Players of the Week--College Sports Madness

MVC College Basketball LogoMissouri ValleyCameron KrutwigCLoyola Chicago

Men’s Basketball Earns Best Conference Start Since 1985 with Win Over Bradley--Loyola Phoenix
Fast Start Propels Loyola To 69-56 Victory Over Bradley--loyolaramblers.com



Bears Set for Home Showdown with Unbeaten Drake--missouristatebears.com

Calip Picks Up Second Straight MVC Player of the Week Nod--missouristatebears.com



1/25 Women's Basketball Players of the Week--College Sports Madness

MVC College Basketball LogoMissouri ValleyMaya McDermottGNorthern Iowa

McDermott Named MVC Newcomer of the Week--unipanthers.com



Valley Hoops Insider Postgame 1/24--Valley Hoops Insider
Canadian Crusaders lead Valparaiso to sweep of Illinois State--NWI Times
Krikke, Sackey Shine as Valpo Fends Off Illinois State--valpoathletics.com

Beyer, Sheehan Join Women’s Basketball Program--valpoathletics.com



MVC Women's Basketball Weekly Notebook - Jan. 25--The Missouri Valley