What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/30/2021

Historically Good or Uniquely Unknown?--Valley Hoops Insider
College basketball mid-major rankings: Ohio checks in at No. 3 in way-too-early Top 25--Heat Check CBB

13) Northern Iowa Panthers

Northern Iowa was stung by the injury bug early last season. Star player AJ Green experienced a hip injury in just the second game of the season and then played just once more. The Panthers struggled to just a 10-15 record with their star missing 22 total games. Green is now set to return for his senior year, though, and much of his supporting cast is back in play as well. Austin Phyfe and Trae Berhow, namely, are excellent players in their own right that fill out the core. Bowen Born and Nate Heise both showed potential as freshmen last season and that well-earned experience could pay dividends on a better team. UNI had high hopes for last year that were dashed in a hurry; they are now getting a second chance and should be among the best teams in the MVC.

10) Missouri State Bears

Missouri State quietly put together one of the better mid-major seasons in the country last season. While they lacked the quality wins of other programs, they simply handled their business in just about every other contest. Aside from their five games against Drake and Loyola Chicago, in which they went 0-5, the Bears were 17-2 last season. They finished in the KenPom Top 100 and now return their top two players in Isiaih Mosley and Gaige Prim. Prim is a MVC POTY contender while Mosley could be a big-time breakout candidate from a national perspective. The Bears are also bringing back Ja’Monta Black and Demarcus Sharp, in addition to adding a solid transfer in Donovan Clay (Valparaiso). The MVC has a lot of really talented teams at the top for the season; Missouri State is one of them.

5) Drake Bulldogs

Drake surprised much of the basketball world last season while leaping out to an 18-0 record over the first three months of the campaign. They wound up finishing 26-5 (NCAAT included) and ranked at No. 55 on KenPom. With Darian DeVries back on the sideline and six of his top seven scorers from last season also returning, the Bulldogs appear poised for another excellent season. Roman Penn’s injury near the end of last season somewhat derailed Drake last year but he will be at full health heading into this campaign. Critical running mates Tank Hemphill, Tremell Murphy, and DJ Wilkins are all returning as well. Losing Joseph Yesufu to Kansas is certainly a blow but this team still features the steady creator (Penn) and strong perimeter shooting that led them to a Top 40 adjusted offensive efficiency rating last season. Expect the Bulldogs to be near the top of the MVC again this time around.

4) Loyola Chicago Ramblers

Porter Moser is no longer walking the sidelines, nor will the now-graduated Cameron Krutwig be the offensive hub in 2021-22. Yet, Loyola-Chicago appears poised for yet another strong season out of the Missouri Valley. 30-year-old Drew Valentine was promoted to the head job this offseason and he is far from the only familiar face coming back. The Ramblers are returning a decent chunk of their core from last season; Lucas Williamson, Keith Clemons, Tate Hall, and Aher Uguak all decided to use their “extra year” of eligibility to return to the program. Sharpshooting guard Braden Norris is also returning, and he could emerge as the team’s top scorer. You are not going to find many teams in the country with as much experience as Loyola Chicago. The scheme will look very different without Krutwig and with a new head coach, but the Ramblers should remain excellent. Perhaps not as elite as they were this past season, but deserving of a preseason Top 50 placement. Superb defensive play and quality 3-point shooting will lead the way again.

Reciprocal relationship between ex-LMU players and returning ISU veterans--Terre Haute Tribune Star

MSU Insider: What Kaemyn Bekemeier's commitment can mean for Lady Bears; Dana Ford looks to 2025--Springfield News-Leader
Where Missouri State football, basketball head coach contracts rank against rest of Valley--Springfield News-Leader

Missouri State reveals Lady Bears coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton's contract extension details--Springfield News-Leader

Valparaiso lands former Wisconsin starter Kobe King, who received NCAA waiver to play--NWI Times

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/28/2021

Calip Earns MSU Outstanding Female Athlete Award--missouristatebears.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/27/2021

Kaboom! Awards: Charles Orsborn Award--bradleybraves.com

Ranking college basketball's top 2021 transfers--CBS Sports

56. Joseph Yesufu

Old school: Drake | New school: Kansas

With star wing ShanQuan Hemphill limited by injury and starting point guard Roman Penn out with a broken foot, Drake turned to Yesufu late in the season, and he delivered. After playing a bench role for the first season and a half of his career, the explosive 6-foot guard averaged 23.2 points in Drake's final nine games and turned in one of the best dunks of the NCAA Tournament in a First Four victory over Wichita State.

UE basketball excited about start of summer workouts: 'It's more normal'--Evansville Courier & Press

Donte Ingram Signs With Donar Groningen--loyolaramblers.com

Republic standout Kaemyn Bekemeier commits to Missouri State Lady Bears--Springfield News-Leader
Why Republic superstar Kaemyn Bekemeier decided to commit to the Missouri State Lady Bears--Springfield News-Leader

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/24/2021

Kaboom! Awards: Varsity Club Most Outstanding Female Athlete--bradleybraves.com

Southeast Polk's Brooklin Dailey says time was right for her commitment to Drake women's basketball--Des Moines Register

Pohlman Finalizes Drake Women’s Basketball Coaching Staff--godrakebulldogs.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/22/2021

Kaboom! Awards: Women's Joe Stowell Award--bradleybraves.com

Center Florence Tshimanga Signs with Sycamore Women’s Basketball--gosycamores.com

Insider: Missouri State's major programs put emphasis on recruiting top local talent--Springfield News-Leader

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/19/2021

MSU Insider: Dana Ford gives Bears best chance at championship demands in next few seasons--Springfield News-Leader
Missouri State extends Dana Ford as men's basketball head coach--Springfield News-Leader

MSU Insider: Don't fear Coach Mox's success with the Lady Bears. Enjoy it.--Springfield News-Leader
Missouri State extends Amaka Agugua-Hamilton as Lady Bears head coach--Springfield News-Leader

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/18/2021

Mailbag: When does UE basketball start summer workouts? Where's Tyra Buss headed?--Evansville Courier & Press

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/17/2021

St. Bonaventure, Colorado State, Loyola Chicago headline early mid-major top 10--The Athletic

3. Loyola Chicago

Projected starters: Braden Norris, Keith Clemons, Lucas Williamson, Aher Uguak, Jacob Hutson

Two key figures from the Ramblers’ recent run of success have moved on: coach Porter Moser, who left for Oklahoma, and the brilliant Cameron Krutwig, who chose not to use his extra year of eligibility. And who could blame Krutwig for chasing his pro dreams after he finished his career with a Final Four, a Sweet 16 and All-American recognition?

Those two men won’t be easy to replace. But Loyola Chicago isn’t about to fall off a cliff. That’s because every other notable contributor from a team that finished No. 10 in KenPom is back, with some formidable reinforcements.

Clemons, Williamson, Uguak, sixth man Marquis Kennedy and Tate Hall are all super seniors. They are joined by a pair of 6-foot-7 Ivy League transfers in Chris Knight, a second-team all-Ivy performer at Dartmouth two seasons ago, and Ryan Schwieger, a former starter at Princeton. The staff is high on incoming freshmen Ty Johnson and Saint Thomas, and upperclassmen Tom Welch and Damezi Anderson bring depth.

That’s a wealth of experience for a program that has won at an elite level the past four years. The ceiling of this club may come down to the progression of Hutson, who served as Krutwig’s understudy as a freshman and shot 58 percent from the floor. The offense likely will have to adjust without Krutwig’s unique playmaking skills from the high post. Still, a team that ranked second nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency last season should remain a force on that end. Will 29-year-old first-time head coach Drew Valentine be able to keep the good times rolling on the Lake Shore? And will we see Sister Jean again in March?

ShanQuan Hemphill and Drake are looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament. (Albert Cesare/IndyStar via USA Today)

7. Drake

Projected starters: Roman Penn, ShanQuan “Tank” Hemphill, Tremell Murphy, Darnell Brodie, D.J. Wilkins

It’s time to retire the Seinfeld references and jokes about the Canadian rapper when mentioning Darian DeVries’ Bulldogs. Because this team has proved it can play.

Even after losing arguably its best two players in Penn and Hemphill to injuries late in the season, Drake rallied to reach the First Four and beat Wichita State for some of those sweet NCAA Tournament units. That happened in large part because Joseph Yesufu emerged off the bench into a sudden scoring star, which he leveraged into an offseason transfer to Kansas.

His loss hurts, but Yesufu was averaging a little more than eight points after the first 18 games — and the Bulldogs were 18-0. The five starters who keyed that run all return, along with valuable sub Garrett Sturtz. That means the team’s top six players will all be seniors. Not a bad place to begin, huh? DeVries also welcomes his son, Tucker, who was a four-star recruit and one of the top prospects in Iowa. Omaha graduate transfer Ayo Akinwole, who led his former team in scoring, can fill the backup point guard role that Yesufu held before he went supernova.

This will be an extremely mature team full of guys who went to prep school or transferred in, meaning they’re even older than your average seniors. Don’t expect another magical, undefeated-into-February start, but the Bulldogs should challenge Loyola Chicago once again for Missouri Valley supremacy. They’re also in the same Orlando tournament as Belmont in November. Hey, ESPN, just don’t match up these two standout mid-majors against each other in the first round, OK?

How Zek Montgomery's basketball journey brought him to Bradley--Peoria Journal Star

Moikobu Joins Drake Men’s Basketball Coaching Staff--godrakebulldogs.com

UE home basketball games to remain at Ford Center after reaching new 5-year deal with city--Evansville Courier & Press

Thomas becomes the latest to join ISU's legion of guards--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Guard Micah Thomas Signs with Indiana State Basketball--gosycamores.com

ISU YEAR IN REVIEW: Sycamores had fruitful year among the COVID-19 stress--Terre Haute Tribune Star

Men's Basketball Add Home and Home Series with St. Bonaventure--unipanthers.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/15/2021

Kaboom! Awards: Men's Basketball Highlights--bradleybraves.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/14/2021

Gabi Haack Named MVC Dr. Charlotte West Award Winner--bradleybraves.com

MSU Insider: Recruiting notebook looks at Colin Ruffin, new Lady Bears offers, Jeremy Webb--Springfield News-Leader

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/13/2021

Bradley men's basketball signs a shooter to finish off its recruiting for 2021-22--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley Basketball Signs Zek Montgomery to NLI--bradleybraves.com

Salukis lukewarm on loss of Valley transfer rule--Southern Illinoisan
Todd Hefferman: Start saving for that Domask jersey--Southern Illinoisan

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/11/2021

Recruiting mailbag: How was Omaha Biliew's visit to Iowa? Has Drake set any visits?--Des Moines Register

Does Drake basketball have any visits on the schedule?

Yes.

The Bulldogs are planning to host a handful of prospects in June. I don't have exact dates, but a source with direct knowledge of Drake's recruitment told me the following prospects are expected to visit:

Caden Pierce, CG, 2022 (Glen Ellyn, Illinois)

Offers: Penn, Brown, Boston, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Illinois-Chicago

Jeremiah Talton, SG, 2022 (Quincy, Illinois)

Offers: Western Illinois

Recruits Zone reported this visit will happen June 21.

Jayden Dawson, PG, 2022 (Omaha, Nebraska)

Offers: Radford

Ben Vander Wal, SF, 2022 (Elmhurst, Illinois)

Brock Harding, PG, 2023 (Moline, Illinois)

Offers: Western Illinois

Zach Cleveland, PF, 2022 (Normal, Illinois)

Offers: Western Carolina, Illinois State, SIUE

I'm told the Bulldogs are also working on scheduling visits with New London 2023 point guard Blaise Porter, Indianola 2023 combo guard Drew Kingery and plenty more in-state talents in the 2022 and 2023 classes.

Midwest Hoops Spotlight reported Illinois 2022 point guard Donovan James will unofficially visit Drake on June 23.

• MORE: Here are 21 in-state basketball prospects to watch in the 2023 class

Drake is also going to host Council Bluffs Lincoln 2022 combo guard Josh Dix at some point this summer, whether it's in June or July. It's up in the air whether that visit will be official or unofficial. Dix just visited Iowa on June 8, and he's got an official to Purdue set for June 18-19. He also has an official visit to Wake Forest in the works, and a couple potential dates could be June 15-16 or June 22-23.

Rock Island 2022 point guard Amarion Nimmers also recently told Recruits Zone that he plans on unofficially visiting Drake this summer.

Meyer Joins Women’s Basketball Team--godrakebulldogs.com

Tori Jarosz named Women’s Basketball assistant coach--gopurpleaces.com

Coach of the year? Athletes of the year? We pick 2020-21 Missouri State superlatives--Springfield News-Leader

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/9/2021

Knock-on Effect: What UTA to the Missouri Valley could mean down the line--Mid-Major Madness

Three Bulldogs Earn State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award--godrakebulldogs.com

Aces name Max Ethridge as Director of Basketball Operations--gopurpleaces.com

Three Redbirds Honored with State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award--goredbirds.com
Jada Stinson to Compete for Puerto Rico at FIBA Women’s AmeriCup--goredbirds.com

UNI men’s basketball almost back to full strength for 2021-22 season--Cedar Rapids Gazette
Eric Coleman to Participate in Red Bull USA Basketball 3X Nationals--unipanthers.com

Salukis opening 2021-22 season at Tennessee--Southern Illinoisan
Chris Carr speaks to Saluki Basketball--siusalukis.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/7/2021

Mike Geary Named Women’s Basketball Associate Head Coach--bradleybraves.com
Women’s Basketball Adds Diamond Cannon--bradleybraves.com

Drake basketball assistant coach Larry Blunt hired at Oklahoma State--Des Moines Register
DeVries Named Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year--godrakebulldogs.com

How Drake women's basketball landed Iowa transfer Megan Meyer--Des Moines Register
Moia Hired as Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach--godrakebulldogs.com

University of Evansville basketball promotes Logan Baumann to associate head coach--Evansville Courier & Press
Logan Baumann elevated to Associate Head Coach--gopurpleaces.com

Watch now: Former Utah State player McChesney transferring to Illinois State--The Pantagraph
Watch now: Illinois State basketball adds 6-10 transfer Liam McChesney--The Pantagraph
Men’s Basketball Adds Liam McChesney--goredbirds.com

Schertz fills out ISU men's basketball coaching staff--Terre Haute Tribune Star

LaKale Malone Rounds Out Indiana State Women’s Basketball Staff--gosycamores.com

Loyola Names Nicole “Colie” Shelwick Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach--loyolaramblers.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 6/1/2021

Illinois State transfer Dusan Mahorcic down to 3 schools--Zags Blog

Bryston Williams Joins Sycamore Men’s Basketball as Assistant Coach--gosycamores.com

‘Let’s see if we can make this bigger’: Black college basketball coaches are encouraged by a significant uptick in hires — including 51% of offseason vacancies--Chicago Tribune

Young first-timers such as Loyola’s Drew Valentine — who was 29 on his hiring date to become the youngest active head coach in Division I men’s basketball — are getting a crack at attractive jobs. So are lifelong assistants who paid their dues such as Stubblefield, a 27-year assistant at Oregon, Cincinnati and other stops.

“We’ve worked so hard to show that we can do the job and that we can do the full job all the way around,” said Valentine, who noted his father’s influential role as a high school basketball coach. “There’s a stigma around the role a lot of Black coaches have on coaching staffs in college basketball. Getting the opportunity to be head coach, you have to be CEO, you have to do it all.

“It (has been) frustrating, but college athletics as a whole, they’ve made a better effort to change this year. I’m proud I can be part of that change and inspire the next generation.”

Photos of Loyola Ramblers basketball coach Drew Valentine.

(Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)