NCAA Basketball: Power rankings of all teams (363-1) for 2022-23 season page 10--Busting Brackets
137. Indiana State Sycamores- Last Season Ranking: 187
Conference: Missouri Valley
The Sycamores lost their best player before the season even started, so heading into last season it was already an uphill climb. Indiana State loves to shoot threes, but the only problem is that they did not make nearly enough of them. Losing their best player did not help that of course. Head coach Josh Schertz enters his second year as the head man at Indiana State and the first one did not go nearly as he planned. Schertz is a coach who has experienced a lot of success at the Division II level, and as we all know Division 1 is much different than Division II but the head coach has the recipe for success.
Indiana State shot the ball well inside the arc, they rarely turn the ball over, and take a lot of threes. Heading into this season the Sycamores have most of their roster coming back and added two of the most decorated Division II players of all time. Those two players are both great shooters from outside and the hope is they will help Indiana State in the three point department. Keep on doing what you are doing Sycamores and the wins will come. Indiana State is a middle of the pack Valley team but pose a lot of sleeper ability.
Cooper Neese may not be the leading scorer on this team this year and may not even be the best player. Neese is the best returning player that has the experience in the Valley. Neese is going to be a huge asset to this team no matter what role he plays. Neese is going to score points, he was the leading scorer for the Sycamores last year, but Indiana State will need his leadership more than they need him to be a leading scorer.
136. Bradley Braves- Last Season Ranking: 174
Conference: Missouri Valley
Bradley has shown it doesn’t matter how you do in the regular season if you can come together and win the conference tournament. Bradley would have made back to back NCAA tournaments if the 2019-2020 tournament and season were canceled. The Braves have been looking to recapture that magic and hopefully make the NCAA tournament again. Head coach Brian Wardle returns 4 of the 5 starters for the middle of the pack Valley team a season ago. Bradley likes to run a ball control offense and they try to rarely turn it over but with the point guard from the last few seasons graduating that position is up in the air and a question mark for the Braves.
Coach Wardle believes he was able to solve it in the transfer portal with Pop Weathers. Weathers is a transfer from JUCO State College of Florida where he was a two time all conference player and led his team in scoring and assists. Weathers finished the recruiting cycle as a top 75 JUCO player and was one of only 4 players in the nation to average at least 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Weathers stands at 6’0” and is one of the shorter players in the Valley but that is not going to deter him from leading Bradley in both scoring and assists this season.
131. Murray State Racers- Last Season Ranking: 128Conference: Missouri Valley
The last year in the Ohio Valley went about as well as you would have expected it to go. The Racers entered the NCAA tournament on a 21 game winning streak and before they lost to Saint Peter’s in the round of 32 won 22 games in a row. Murray State played fast, had one of the best offenses in the country, and to go along with their great offense played fantastic offense.
That was last year, in the offseason former coach Matt McMahon took the open LSU job. As a result of coach McMahon taking the LSU job the Racers lost almost every single player they had on their roster. Every key player the Racers had last year is gone. Not to fear Racers fans, you are going to be in a tougher conference in the Missouri Valley and former head coach Steve Prohm is back in Murray where he had a ton of success. The Racers have a brand new roster, brand new coach, and a brand new conference. It may be a struggle in year one in the Valley, but Murray State is never down for long.
Rob Perry is a transfer from Stetson. At Stetson the guard scored over 1,000 points in three seasons. Won the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year and was the player many Stetson fans pinned their hopes on to turn the program around. Murray State hopes that Perry can be the player for them who can kick start the rebuild and keep the program relevant. Perry will be the leading scorer and team leader for the Racers.
128. Northern Iowa Panthers- Last Season Ranking: 120Conference: Missouri Valley
The Panthers did everything right last year except make the NCAA tournament. Northern Iowa had an experienced team with the reigning Valley player of the year. It culminated in a team that won the Valley regular season and won one game in the NIT. Head coach Ben Jacobsen loves to shoot a ton of threes and always loads his team with fantastic shooters. Northern Iowa doesn’t look to be as good this year as they have an extremely young roster and lost a former player of the year and the best shooter in the Valley. The Panthers may struggle this year, and with the Valley being as deep as it is, climbing the ranks is never easy.
Nate Heise now steps into a bigger role in the offense. Every player on the floor needs to be able to shoot threes for Northern Iowa. Heise didn’t have a huge share of the offense last season but can take off in the offense. The guard is going to be asked to take on a big role in the offense and if he takes to it easily, he will have a breakout season.
NCAA Basketball: Power rankings of all teams (363-1) for 2022-23 season page 11--Busting Brackets
123. Southern Illinois Salukis- Last Season Ranking: 136
Conference: Missouri Valley
We have all seen this before as a team who struggles to score on offense but holds teams to a minimal number of opportunities on the defensive end and plays great defense. That was the case with the Salukis last year. They had one of the worst offenses in the country. Southern Illinois also had one of the best defenses in the country a season ago. The Salukis did not allow teams to take three point baskets and they forced teams to funnel everything inside and take contested shots. It worked even though Southern Illinois was not a good rebounding team, and they didn’t protect the rim all that well. The numbers do suggest a little bit of regression on the defensive end.
To alleviate that the Salukis are going to have to score. Head Coach Bryan Mullins also realizes that his team is going to have to score so he went out to the transfer portal and got players who could score. The defense won’t be terrible, it just won’t be a top 75 defense again. The offense doesnt need to be top 75, but it does have to be better than it has been if Southern Illinois wants to meet their goals. The Salukis look like a middle of the pack team.
Marcus Domask led Southern Illinois in scoring last year with 15 points per game. The forward also led the team in rebounds and assists. Domask is one of the most efficient players in the country. He shot well over 80% from the line, 35% from deep, and 48% from inside the arc. He is a great scorer and will be again. There are not many shots to go around when you play the slow pace Southern Illinois does. The fact that Domask doesn’t need a lot of shots to score points is a huge asset.
120. Belmont Bruins- Last Season Ranking: 53
Conference: Missouri Valley
The unfortunate part for Belmont playing in the Ohio Valley was that even with the total domination the Bruins showed in the conference the league was usually a one bid league and if Belmont did not win the conference tournament, they were not going to make the NCAA tournament. That was the case for Belmont under head coach Casey Alexander.
He dominated the league for three seasons but was always upset in the conference tournament and did not make the NCAA tournament. The move for Belmont to the Missouri Valley is hopefully going to minimize that problem. The Valley will get multiple bids into the tournament if there are multiple deserving teams. Belmont is going to shoot a ton of threes and they recruit to their system.
The Bruins rarely have rebuilding years as they just reload. Even though this team lost four starters and have a lot of new faces I still feel the Bruins are going to finish in the top half of the Missouri Valley and push the top of the league to get better. Belmont has always been one of the top offensive teams in the country and this year won’t be different, the Bruins are still going to shoot at a high percentage, take a ton of threes, and light up scoreboards.
Ben Sheppard is the one starter returning for coach Alexander, and the senior guard was the leading scorer for Belmont a season ago. Sheppard was impressive on offense as he shot 62% from inside the arc and 37% from deep. He is still the go to guy on the offensive end and will still maintain his efficiency. He should be a Valley all conference player.
112. Drake Bulldogs- Last Season Ranking: 65
Conference: Missouri Valley
Darien DeVries should be on almost every power five shortlist for every job opening that comes open this year. What he has done at Drake in just a short amount of time is remarkable. The head coach has brought a program back from the dead and turned them into a top tier Missouri Valley team. The Bulldogs have done this all by taking smart shots on offense and playing team defense which has led to two straight top tier finishes in the Valley and an NCAA tournament appearance.
Drake doesn’t do anything flashy, but they play hard, rarely turn the ball over, and take smart shots. Drake is going to be back at the top again this year as they return most of their team from a season ago and picked up a few graduate transfers to stay old. Drake is likely headed back to the tournament, and it would be an upset if they didn’t win the league.
Tucker DeVries is the coach’s son, and he also happens to be the best Bulldog. The guard was the Missouri Valley freshman of the year. As a freshman DeVries stepped right in and took over the scoring load. He can make shots from all over the floor and will one day turn into one of the best scorers Drake has ever seen. You do not always find a volume shooter who can shoot those percentages from the floor.
110. Missouri State Bears- Last Season Ranking: 108
Conference: Missouri Valley
It is hard to believe that the Bears have not made the NCAA tournament since the 1998-1999 season, but it is true. Head coach Dana Ford has the Missouri State program rolling right now and they are trending in the right direction. The Bears added a ton of talent in the transfer portal, and a lot that talent comes from winning programs. Players coming from winning programs is important because those players know how to win and know what it takes to win. Those are all good traits to have when it comes to trying to assemble a roster full of transfers.
Missouri State heads into this season with a great roster and on paper looks to be the most talented roster in the Missouri Valley. Coach Ford guided his team to a second place finish in the conference last season and is going to finish in the top half this season and no one should be surprised if this team wins the league. I know the Valley has improved especially at the top, but the Bears are going to have a good year.
Matthew Lee made a name for himself last season as the point guard for Saint Peter’s. Lee is not going to light the nets on fire, but what he does provide is something any team should want. The point guard is a great defender, good three point shooter and good passer. He is a pass first point guard who wants to get all his teammates involved. When the game is on the line Lee is a great shooter and a good free throw shooter and is ready to close the game out. Lee is going to have a great year on a team with a lot of offense.
Destinee Wells Named to Prestigious Naismith Trophy Watch List--belmontbruins.com
The Preseason Other Top 25: Nos. 15-11--Mid-Major Madness
14. Drake
With the departure of Loyola Chicago to the Atlantic 10, the Missouri Valley Conference is Drake’s for the taking. The Bulldogs were tabbed as the preseason favorites and received 52 of the possible 54 first place votes in the preseason poll. Drake has come painstakingly close to winning the conference title each of the last two years, only to lose to the Ramblers in the title game both seasons. The Bulldogs will turn to MVC Preseason Player of the Year Tucker DeVries to lead them this season. He netted a team-best 13.9 points per game en route to being named the conference’s Freshman of the Year last season. Joining DeVries on the First Team was Roman Penn, the program’s all-time assist leader. The graduate guard dished out 3.9 helpers as well as scored 11.1 points in 2022.
Drake will visit a pair of A-10 schools in Richmond and Saint Louis as well as face Mississippi State before MVC play begins.
NCAA Basketball: Power rankings of all teams (363-1) for 2022-23 season page 2--Busting Brackets
341. Evansville Purple Aces- Last Season Ranking: 169
Conference: Missouri Valley
The Todd Lickliter era is going to be a bad one for the Purple Aces. Lickliter took over after former coach Walter McCarty was relieved of his duties as a coach. Since McCarty was let go the Evansville program has been in shambles. Evansville played at one of the slowest paces in the country a season ago. That coupled with their total lack of efficiency on the offensive side of the ball, led to a team that only scored 59 points per game.
Playing slow and sloppy on the offensive end is one thing and there are teams out there who can win that way. It is nearly impossible to win playing that way when you provide no resistance on the defensive side of the ball at all. The Purple Aces played at the exact same pace on the defensive end as teams only managed to get up 52 shots per game on Evansville. However, the opponents shot 50% from the floor on the season for Evansville.
Lickliter is gone and the Purple Aces have started a new chapter. That chapter begins with David Ragland. Ragland has always been a well respected assistant who has had experience in the Missouri Valley. Ragland has been on the staff of a lot of winning teams and the hope is he can start to rebuild Evansville into a respectable Missouri Valley foe. This year though he is just hoping Evansville will win more than 6 games overall and more than 2 games in the conference. Kenny Strawbridge is a transfer from Alabama State, and he joins a brand new Evansville roster with the hopes of getting this team to rise from the depths of the Valley. Strawbridge had a successful career at Alabama State and his experience is going to be vital to Evansville.
NCAA Basketball: Power rankings of all teams (363-1) for 2022-23 season page 7--Busting Brackets
217. Illinois State Redbirds-Last Season Ranking: 205
Conference: Missouri Valley
Illinois State was in drastic need of a new face to run the program. Dan Muller didn’t make it through last season, and this year Ryan Pedon was hired as the new coach for the Redbirds. Pedon comes from Ohio State and with him comes player development and a great recruiter. Illinois State was also in drastic need for an overhaul, which is what they got this year. The roster is going to look completely different.
This year the offense is far more athletic and has some guys who are going to have positional flexibility. The new head coach for the Redbirds is going to want to shoot three, move the ball on offense, and play a pack line defense in the half court. Coach Pedon went out to the transfer portal and found the players he is going to need to accomplish that goal. The Redbirds have a lot of question marks with their new roster. A lot of these players have never played a game with each other, and those types of things do matter. Illinois State is going to finish in the middle of the pack this year, they do have good enough talent to do that. The Valley is going to be tough this year, but I do believe in the new head coach for Illinois State.
Darius Burford is the shortest player on the floor most nights. The transfer from Elon stands at 6’0” but he has a lot of game. He is an efficient guard who shot 46% from the floor and is a good rebounder for his size. The best asset that Burford brings to Illinois State is a point guard who is experienced, a great passer, and can score. He is also good enough to lead a defense and is a good enough defender that he can guard the opponents point guard comfortably. Burford is the best player on the team and is going to have a lot of responsibilities on the floor for the Redbirds.
Kindred: 'Competitors compete.' Colton Sandage does it better than most--The Pantagraph
Our first impressions of Dana Ford's new-look team after Missouri State basketball's exhibition--Springfield News-Leader
Trimble Is Top Gun as Bears Down Jets in Exhibition Play--missouristatebears.com
Prohm confident Racers have pieces to succeed--WPSD Local 6
Racers Open The Season At Saint Louis Monday--goracers.com
UNI men's basketball tips new season hosting Wartburg--unipanthers.com
UNI women's basketball to open regular season Monday--unipanthers.com
Salukis Open 2022-23 Season Monday against Little Rock in the Charles Helleny Tipoff Classic--siusalukis.com
Women's Basketball takes down McKendree--siusalukis.com
NCAA Basketball: Power rankings of all teams (363-1) for 2022-23 season page 5--Busting Brackets
274. Illinois-Chicago Flames- Last Season Ranking: 265
Conference: Missouri Valley
Goodbye Horizon League and hello Missouri Valley, the Flames make the transition to a new, better league and with that comes a team that doesn’t look like they are going to be much in their first year in a new league. The team was old heading into last season, as they had 4 seniors who were regulars, and one of those players decided to come back for his Covid year only to leave and transfer late in the offseason.
The loss of star Damaria Franklin is going to hurt Illinois-Chicago heading into this season. The Flames have almost no production coming back from last year. Even with a new roster we are all going to know what to expect from head coach Luke Yaklich. Illinois-Chicago is going to take a ton of threes and they are going to play at a fast pace on offense. They are going to have to recruit to that style obviously which is why they may struggle this year, but Yaklich should be able to get this team playing consistently well.
This year though they will be a bottom tier team in the Missouri Valley. Filip Skobalj is the lone returning starter, and he can shoot the ball well from deep. He is going to need to be very good for this team to climb out of the Valley basement.
NCAA Basketball: Power rankings of all teams (363-1) for 2022-23 season page 6--Busting Brackets
244. Valparaiso Beacons- Last Season Ranking: 242
Conference: Missouri Valley
Valpo is always a team that is sneaky and is seemingly never out of the Missouri Valley tournament race. The Beacons never do anything flashy but they also don’t always win so many games either. The Valley is a deep conference this year so there is going to be an added challenge for Valparaiso to overcome as they try to make their run to the top of the league. The Beacons do have a good portion of their roster coming back from last year including their two best players. Valpo added a nice piece from the transfer portal as well that is going to help in the backcourt.
The Beacons shot 54% from inside the arc which was one of the best numbers in the country. Valpo is going to feed the ball inside to their best player and work from there. Ben Krikke is the big man for the Beacons. He shot almost 60% from the field a year ago. The better he goes the better Valpo is going to play. The Beacons are a bottom tier team in the Valley this year.
Women's Basketball Set to Open Season Monday at Central Michigan--valpoathletics.com
2022-23 Valparaiso Men's Basketball Season Preview--The Missouri Valley
Women's Basketball 11/5/2022 10:30:00 AM--The Missouri Valley
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