What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 2/22/2022

The Other Top 25: Six new teams join ranking--Mid-Major Madness

The Other Top 25 saw a half dozen new teams jump into the ranking. SMU came in at No. 20. VCU tied for 21. Richmond was tied for 23. In a three-way tie for 25, Wagner, Drake and Memphis rounded out the other new teams.

The Other Top 25: Feb. 21, 2022

Rank Team (First Place Votes) Record Points Previous

10 Loyola Chicago 20-6 47 T-4

T-25 Drake 19-9 9 NR

Rank	Team (First Place Votes)	Record	Points	Previous
10	Loyola Chicago	20-6	47	T-4
T-25	Drake	19-9	9	NR

Missouri Valley Basketball: Northern Iowa benefits from chaos in standings--Busting Brackets
Stars of the Valleys’ Second Last Week--Valley Hoops Insider

Missouri Valley Conference

A.J. Green sparked Northern Iowa’s two victories that catapulted them into a first place tie. Green turned in a pair of 20-point performances, which extended his 20-point-game streak to four straight. He is now the league’s leading scorer during league-only games. The ‘Player of the Week‘ award is his third this season. Missouri State’s Isaiah Mosley has collected four.

Drake’s Tucker DeVries is running away with the league’s ‘Freshman of the Year‘ award and may also take the ‘Newcomer of the Year‘ nod. The Valley’s ‘Newcomer of the Week‘ has claimed that weekly honor three of the last four weeks. Last week the 6’7 freshman scored 16 points against Evansville and 24 in the Bulldogs’ huge win over Loyola.

MVC Hoops Power Rankings: ONE WEEK LEFT!--Missouri Valley Beat

Drake men's basketball completes second half comeback against Indiana State to win, 74-58--Des Moines Register
Bulldogs Turn It On in Second Half for Fourth Consecutive 20 Win Season--godrakebulldogs.com

There's plenty of angst among the UE basketball fan base. Is a coaching change imminent?--Evansville Courier & Press
Second-half surge not enough as the Aces' skid hits five after another close loss--Evansville Courier & Press
Sisley records career-high 18 points at Valpo--gopurpleaces.com

Watch now: Loyola grinds way past Illinois State in MVC defensive struggle--The Pantagraph
ISU unable to keep up with Loyola late, fall 59-50 in second game of season sweep--Vidette Online
ISU Falls in Battle with Ramblers--goredbirds.com

Familiar story as ISU lets lead slip at Drake--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Sycamores Fall to Preseason Favorite Drake in Des Moines--gosycamores.com

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Monday, Feb 21--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-LOYOLA CHICAGO AT INDIANA[sic] STATE (Missouri Valley). Loyola Chicago may be out of strikes when it comes to being inside the bubble and in a position to get an at-large bid if they don’t win the MVC Tournament. If they aren’t out of strikes, they are getting very close. Simply put, they cannot lose again until at least the semifinals.

Bubble Watch: Why Saturday’s bracket reveal was actually really important for bubble teams--The Athletic

Others
Work to do: San Francisco, San Diego State, Loyola Chicago, North Texas, Memphis, SMU, Davidson, Dayton, BYU, Belmont, VCU
Loyola Chicago (20-6, 12-4; NET: 37, SOS: 117): Having questioned USF’s quality wins (or lack thereof) above, it’s only fair to do the same to Loyola, whose win over San Francisco in that hastily arranged game in Utah Jan. 6 remains by far the most noteworthy result on this resume. It’s a resume, by the way, that as of last Saturday now includes four defeats in Missouri Valley play — the latest being to Drake in Chicago. It’s a threshold that may be hard for the Ramblers to overcome, though they remain in the mix for now.

Uguak Leads Loyola To 59-50 Victory At Illinois State--loyolaramblers.com