The Other Top 25: Vermont makes season debut in ranking--Mid-Major Madness
The Other Top 25: Jan. 31, 2022
Rank Team (First Place Votes) Record Points Previous 10 Loyola Chicago 16-4 38 6 T-21 Missouri State 16-7 13 T-22 Also receiving votes:
Saint Louis 10; Oakland 9; North Texas 8; Seattle 7; Morehead State 7; Furman 6; Grand Canyon 6; St. Bonaventure 5; Wagner 5; SMU 4; Dayton 4; Drake 3; Santa Clara 3
Stars of the Valleys Winning Big Games--Valley Hoops Insider
Missouri Valley Conference
Bradley’s Rienk Mast has taken the gloves off. The 6’9 forward is continuing his outstanding play. His eight-game double-digit scoring streak has included four games of twenty or more points and last week he averaged 18.5 points and ten rebounds in Bradley’s two wins. The Valley’s ‘Player of the Week‘ is now the league’s leading rebounder in conference-only games and is fifth in scoring.
Drake’s Tucker DeVries is making a strong case to be this season’s ‘Freshman of the Year‘. The 6’7 wing earned his first ‘Newcomer of the Week‘ award by averaging 15 points and 4.5 assists during a huge week for the Bulldogs. Their victory over Loyola pulled them into a tie with Ramblers for first place.
DeVries is the conference’s leading freshman scorer.
Coach Yak and the UIC Flames--Valley Hoops Insider
Braves Put Winning Streak on the Line at Northern Iowa--bradleybraves.com
Vote for Prairie Farms Bradley Athlete of the Month--bradleybraves.com
Bulldogs set to Square Off with Sycamores--godrakebulldogs.com
Watch now: Illinois State heads to Loyola hoping practice helps turn things around in February--The Pantagraph
Five things to know as the Redbirds look to snap a three-game losing streak at Loyola--Vidette Online
Redbirds Travel to Chicago to Take on Ramblers--goredbirds.com
Preseason MVC Favorite Drake Comes to Hulman Center Wednesday Night--gosycamores.com
ISU women to start 5 games in 11-day stretch--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Sycamores begin three-game road swing at UNI--gosycamores.com
Forde Minutes: Blooming Big Men, Hot Seats and the Shift Westward--Sports Illustrated
MID-MAJORS IN CONTENTION FOR AT-LARGE BIDS
Loyola Chicago (26). Record: 16–4, 7–2 in the Missouri Valley. Conference rank: 11th out of 32. Quality wins: San Francisco on a neutral floor; Vanderbilt and DePaul on the road. Losses: Michigan State and Auburn on neutral floors; Drake on the road; Missouri State at home. NCAA NET ranking: 31st. KenPom ranking: 32nd. The transition from Porter Moser to top assistant Drew Valentine has gone splendidly, with a veteran team still doing most of the things well that it had in the previous four seasons. Résumé is hurt by the demise of Arizona State, which the Ramblers beat in November.
Bracketology 2022: UCLA Rises to the Top Line; Kentucky Edging Closer--Blogging The Bracket
Elsewhere
Loser of the Weekend: The Missouri Valley is temporarily a two-bid conference, thanks to Loyola’s (16-4, 7-2 MVC) 77-68 loss at Drake (16-6, 7-2). The Ramblers have now dropped two of their last four and will need to be careful the rest of the way with power conference teams starting to rise up the bubble.
Bubble Watch: Illinois and the problem with extremely weird circumstances--The Athletic
Others
Should be in: Loyola Chicago, BYU, Colorado State
Loyola Chicago (15-4, 7-2; NET: 31, SOS: 121): There’s now a very real chance Loyola runs into some at-large trouble before all is said and done. The Ramblers don’t have many options to actually improve their resume in the Valley, but home versus Missouri State and at Drake, both Quadrant 2, are two of those opportunities. Loyola lost them both. Avoiding bad losses is always the name of the game here, but would Loyola get in if it beats all of the bad teams in the league but lost to Missouri State away? What if Drake gets it back in Chicago, too? What if it picks up a bad loss or two along the way? There are plenty of scenarios you could cycle through; the point is nothing is guaranteed.
Ramblers Host Illinois State Wednesday In Annual Jesuit Jam Game--loyolaramblers.com
How has Michigan gained momentum? Why has Kansas State been so fun to watch? 12 questions, answers on women’s basketball--The Athletic
12. I love mid-major at-large teams. With the extra four tourney slots, which mid-major conferences have the best chances at getting two (or more) spots in the Big Dance?
The extra four slots were definitely added to create additional opportunities for teams to participate in the NCAA Tournament, perhaps from lesser-known conferences. Missouri State is having a great season, and even if the Bears don’t win the MVC, they should earn an at-large bid.
UNI women's basketball starts four game home stand against Indiana State--unipanthers.com
SIU Men's Basketball | 3 Things to Watch: Salukis aim for consecutive victories--Southern Illinoisan
MVC Announces Men's Basketball Scheduling Adjustments--The Missouri Valley
MVC Women's Basketball Weekly Notebook - Feb. 1--The Missouri Valley
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