What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 11/16/2022

The Other Top 25: Houston overtakes Gonzaga for top spot--Mid-Major Madness

The Other Top 25: Nov. 14, 2022

Rank Team (First-Place Votes) Points Record Previous

T-17 Drake 22 1-0 14

Others Receiving Votes:

Eastern Michigan 9; San Francisco 9; New Mexico 8; Florida Atlantic 7; Western Kentucky 6; Ohio 5; Utah State 5; Iona 4; Quinnipiac 3; Kent State 3; Southern Illinois 2; Santa Clara 2; James Madison 1; UC Irvine 1; San Diego 1

Rank	Team (First-Place Votes)	Points	Record	Previous
T-17	Drake	22	1-0	14

Missouri Valley Basketball: Grades for each team 1st week of 2022-23 season--bustingbrackets

First Weekly Award Winners--Valley Hoops Insider

Missouri Valley Conference

The nation’s leading rebounder is this week’s Valley Player of the Week. Illinois State’s Kendall Lewis is averaging 16.7 points and 13.7 rebounds during the Redbirds’ first three games. The 6’8 senior has topped the 20-point mark twice and recorded three-straight double-digit, rebounding games.

Indiana State head coach Josh Schertz told us Courvoisier McCauley could score and he didn’t lie. The DePaul transfer leads the undefeated Sycamores (2-0) with an 18.5 points-per-game average. McCauley, this week’s Newcomer of the Week. He snared 16 rebounds in two games and sparked ISU to its first 2-0 start in over ten years.

Weekly award winners will be high-lighted here near the beginning of the week throughout the season.

Bracketeer.org’s Rocco Miller--Valley Hoops Insider

11/14/2022 MATCHUP NEWS AND NOTES--Staring At The Floorboards

Subscriber Content
BELMONT @ LIPSCOMB
Casey Alexander hasn’t lost to his former team in the Battle of the Boulevard, and the last two years the games weren’t close. That said, this one feels a little different...

Lipscomb Clinches Win Over Belmont, Ending Battle Of The Boulevard Drought--Sports Credential
Lipscomb basketball beats Belmont in thriller 77-75--The Tennessean
How Lipscomb basketball's thrilling win over Belmont reignited a rivalry | Estes--The Tennessean
Men’s basketball suffers first loss against rival Lipscomb since 2017--Belmont Vision
Men's Basketball Falls at Lipscomb on Last-Second Shot--belmontbruins.com

Belmont women’s basketball unable to upset No.7 ranked Louisville--Belmont Vision
Bruins Take No. 7/5 Louisville to the Brink at the Curb Sunday--belmontbruins.com
Destinee Wells Garners MVC Player of the Week Award--belmontbruins.com
Belmont Receiving AP Top 25 Votes in First Poll of Regular Season--belmontbruins.com
Wells Selected to John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List--belmontbruins.com
Bruins Head to Murfreesboro Wednesday to Face Middle Tennessee--belmontbruins.com

Mid-Money Madness Nov. 14--Mid-Major Madness

Eastern Michigan @ Bradley

Spread: Eastern Michigan +6

Total: 147.5

The number is going to sink down as time winds down to tipoff. This is probably the most public play of the day. Eastern Michigan went down to the wire with Michigan Friday night dropping a close 88-83 contest. Emoni Bates looked the like the NBA superstar Sports Illustrated prophesized Bates would be when he was 14.

Bradley looked flat against Utah State losing 84-62. Bradley was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Preseason poll. The preseason line for this game opened at 12. So a professional may say fade Eastern Michigan at its highest point while also backing Bradley at its low point. I just don’t see how you can do that. Bradley is still missing first team all-conference center Rienk Mast to injury. Bradley still has a solid trio of guards with Ja’Shon Henry, Duke Deen and Connor Hickman. I still give the athletic edge to Eastern Michigan. Getting points, I think the Eagles are the way to go here. Bates looks locked and they have the talent around him to put up a lot of points. I’ll ride Eastern Michigan here.

The pick: Eastern Michigan +7 or better

How the Bradley Braves will handle Eastern Michigan and its heralded basketball recruit--Peoria Journal Star
How the Bradley Braves shut down Eastern Michigan's star and won in a blowout--Peoria Journal Star
Braves dominate Bates, Eagles in 89-61 romp--Bradley Scout
Bradley leaves no doubt against Eastern Michigan--bradleybraves.com

Coyotes pull away, spoil Braves’ home opener--Bradley Scout
Women's Basketball defeated by South Dakota--bradleybraves.com
Women's Basketball faces Wisconsin on Wednesday--bradleybraves.com

College basketball needs a better opening week, Keyontae Johnson’s return and more--The Athletic

Mid-Major Top 10
10. Drake (1-0). The Bulldogs only played one game last week, an 80-48 win over IUPUI, but they return four starters from the team that won 25 games last season and finished in a tie for second in the Missouri Valley. LW: NR

Drake men's basketball gets Roman Penn back in 80-72 win over Wofford--Des Moines Register
Drake basketball guard Conor Enright's maturity makes up for early inexperience--Des Moines Register
Drake Pulls Away from Wofford at Home--godrakebulldogs.com

No. 6 Iowa women's basketball fights off Drake's upset bid with overtime road win--Des Moines Register
Bulldogs Fall Short in Overtime Slugfest to No. 4 Iowa--godrakebulldogs.com

David Ragland Evaluates the First Week--Valley Hoops Insider
Regular season home opener set for Wednesday--gopurpleaces.com
Aces welcome Chicago State to the Ford Center for Education Day game--gopurpleaces.com

Lewis earns first MVC Player of the Week honors--The Vidette
Kendall Lewis Named MVC Opening Player of the Week--goredbirds.com

Illinois State women's basketball plays host to St. Thomas in home opener--The Pantagraph
Illinois State women overcome sluggish start to dump St. Thomas--The Pantagraph
Robinson, Wilson lead ISU women's basketball past St. Thomas 71-56--The Vidette
Big Second Half Lifts Illinois State to 71-56 Home Win--goredbirds.com

Solid defense helps Sycamores take down Ball State--Indiana Statesman
McCauley Named MVC Newcomer of the Week--gosycamores.com

COLLEGE REPORT: 'Terrific' Hart good fit at UCF; ISU adds Ohio big man--Terre Haute Tribune Star

Westerfeld returns from injury to bolster ISU's post position--Terre Haute Tribune Star
Sycamores close opening homestand against Central Michigan--gosycamores.com

Basketball Bears Prepare for Mid-Week Challenge at BYU--missouristatebears.com

5 numbers to know after the Missouri State Lady Bears' win over Saint Louis--Springfield News-Leader
Delarue’s Career Night Helps Lead Lady Bears Over Billikens--missouristatebears.com

11/13 Racer Rewind--WPSD Local 6
Murray State's DJ Burns expanding game on the court--WPSD Local 6
Racer men’s offense operates well in win over Lindsey Wilson--Murray Ledger & Times
Myrtle Beach Challenge Awaits Racers Thursday--goracers.com

Racer women fall behind early in loss at Purdue--Murray Ledger & Times
Racers Battle Hard, Fall at Purdue--goracers.com
Turner Inks Two In-State Standouts For 2022-23--goracers.com

Spiders crawl past UNI, 68-55--Northern Iowan

Iowa State women’s basketball expects another tense game at UNI--Cedar Rapids Gazette
UNI women's basketball grabs 20-point win over Saint Louis--unipanthers.com
UNI women's basketball to host No. 7 Iowa State Wednesday--unipanthers.com

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games – Monday, Nov 14th--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:
-Also a bit of a surprise, after winning at Oklahoma State, Southern Illinois went on the road to Southern Indiana, who is a transitional team, and was blown out of the place 71-53. It was Southern Indiana’s first ever win as a D1 program.

SIU Men’s Basketball Sputters vs Southern Indiana--Daily Egyptian
Salukis Unable to Slow Down Southern Indiana on the Road--siusalukis.com

SIU Women's Basketball | Salukis look for turnaround against IUPUI--Southern Illinoisan
Salukis to look bounce back against IUPUI--siusalukis.com