What's Up In The Missouri Valley: October 2023

Monday, October 30, 2023

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 10/30/2023

2023-24 Missouri Valley Conference preview--The Next Hoops

Total Team Effort Powers Bulldogs in First Exhibition Victory--godrakebulldogs.com

Community comes together; ISU men's basketball rolls in exhibition with Illinois Wesleyan--The Vidette
Redbirds Open Season with Big Exhibition Win--goredbirds.com

ISU women's basketball blows past Illinois Wesleyan 94-56 in exhibition game--The Vidette
Smith recovering strong as ISU women's basketball looks to maintain prominence--The Vidette
‘Birds Win Over Titans in Regular Season Dress Rehearsal--goredbirds.com

Will the Racers Be Murray State?--Valley Hoops Insider

Guffey steps away from Racer program--Racer Basketball

UNI men’s basketball matches up with Coe in exhibition on Wednesday--unipanthers.com

Panther women’s basketball comes out victorious in exhibition matchup.--unipanthers.com

Big Shot Beacons--The Victory Bell

Saturday, October 28, 2023

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 10/28/2023

Standouts and concerns: Takeaways from Evansville basketball's win over Wabash--Evansville Courier & Press
Bailey and Cuff lead the way as Aces outlast Wabash--gopurpleaces.com

Lieb motivated to excel in new role with ISU men's basketball after transfer from Illinois--The Vidette

Will Missouri State finally have its breakthrough? Biggest questions before 2023-24 season--Springfield News-Leader

'Racing to March' - Murray State men's basketball preseason show--WPSD Local 6
CBS lists their Top 101 teams in the country--Racer Basketball

Racers learn lessons from scrimmage--Racer Basketball

The Top Five Early Season Bracketed MTE’s--Hoops HD

#2 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis

Location: Paradise Island, Bahamas

When: November 22,23,24

Every game of this tournament should be fantastic basketball. If you’re a fan of one of these teams and you happen to lose a game don’t worry because your next game will be just as important. Remember every game is a data point for the NCAA Selection Committee come March and they don’t care if you win a game in the consultation side or the championship side of these early season tournaments. Teams in this tournament will have 3 opportunities to pick up quality wins. Arkansas, North Carolina and Villanova all have visions of the Final 4 and every team in the Bahamas have their sights on a bid to the NCAA Tournament come March.

1st Round Matchups:

North Carolina vs Northern Iowa

Villanova vs Texas Tech

Michigan vs Memphis

Arkansas vs Stanford

My pick for the championship game: Villanova vs Arkansas

My pick to win it: Arkansas

Women’s basketball hosts UW-La Crosse in exhibition matchup--unipanthers.com

Friday, October 27, 2023

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 10/27/2023

Belmont’s Foundation Building--Valley Hoops Insider
Must-see matchups for men's basketball--Belmont Vision

Women's basketball's can't-miss matchups--Belmont Vision

NCAA Basketball: Ranking top 20 players for 2023-24 Julius Erving Award--Busting Brackets

4. Tucker DeVries – Drake Bulldogs

2022-23 season stats: 18.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg

DeVries was the clear MVC Player of the Year last season, leading Drake to the NCAA Tournament. He had 15 games of at least 20 points, including back-to-back 32-point games in league play. While mid-major guys rarely have a shot at these awards, the small forward position is one of the weaker groups presented this week, allowing the MVC star a shot at being a real threat.

Ankeny Centennial basketball player Mya Crawford commits to Drake--Des Moines Register

Ben Humrichous made the jump from NAIA stardom to the University of Evansville. Why?--Evansville Courier & Press
Men’s basketball faces Wabash in Saturday exhibition game--gopurpleaces.com

Redbirds Set for Crosstown Showdown with Titans, Presented by First Site--goredbirds.com

PLAYER PROFILE: ‘Get in where I fit in,' Wolfe says--Terre Haute Tribune-Star

Missouri State to Retire Jersey of Danny Moore--missouristatebears.com

The Racer Basketball Podcast--Racer Basketball
Racers ready for secret scrimmage--Racer Basketball

Racers ready to prove they belong among Valley's best--Racer Basketball

UNI women’s basketball identifies areas to improve to get back to NCAA Tournament--Cedar Rapids Gazette

Sports Column | Bucky Dent: Can SIU women's basketball repeat recent history?--The Southern Illinoisan

Thursday, October 26, 2023

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 10/25/2023

Bradley Is Predictably Good--Valley Hoops Insider

Tucker DeVries Placed on Julius Erving Award Watch List--godrakebulldogs.com

Dinnebier Included on Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award Preseason Watch List--godrakebulldogs.com

Illinois State women's basketball picked third in MVC preseason poll--The Pantagraph

PLAYER PROFILE: Shetlar grew up watching KU, Wichita State legends Baker, VanVleet--Terre Haute Tribune-Star

Meet Missouri State men's basketball's newcomers entering the 2023-24 season--Springfield News-Leader

Young named to Hammon Award watch list--Racer Basketball
Young Included on 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List--goracers.com

Northern Iowa Basketball: 2023-24 season preview and outlook for the Panthers--Busting Brackets

McDermott named to the 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award watch list--unipanthers.com

MVC Notebook | SIU women’s basketball picked for 8th-place finish--The Southern Illinoisan

Valpo seniors cherishing upcoming season--The Victory Bell

Tucker DeVries Placed on Julius Erving Award Watch List--The Missouri Valley

UNI Tabbed as MVC Women's Basketball Preseason Favorite--The Missouri Valley
Valley Places Three On 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List--The Missouri Valley

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 10/24/2023

College basketball rankings: CBS Sports' Top 100 And 1 best teams heading into the 2023-24 season--CBS Sports

59

Drake

Preseason favorites (again) to take the Missouri Valley, the Drake Bulldogs have the good fortune of starting one of the best mid-major hoopers: Tucker DeVries. He'll be a threat to drop 20 or more against any opponent. His father is the head coach, and Darian DeVries has surrounded Tucker with mid-major transfers such as Kyron Gibson (UT Arlington), Ethan Roberts (Army) and Atin Wright (CSUN). This will be a squad that looks to shoot from deep early and often, and they've got veteran 5-man Darnell Brodie as a security blanket in the paint.

100

N. Iowa

It's been too long (2016) since Northern Iowa danced. I think this team, after an unexpected letdown of a 14-win year, becomes the biggest competitor to Drake in the Missouri Valley and has a big bounce-back. It'll have a chance to make noise in November thanks to playing in the Bahamas at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Ben Jacobson has a potential 20-point-per-game guy in combo guard Bowen Born. Tytan Anderson is also among the MVC's best.

Women's Basketball Picked Fourth in MVC Preseason Poll--belmontbruins.com

20 coaches on the rise entering the 2023-24 college basketball season--College Hoops Today

It’s never too early to start looking ahead to the upcoming year!

Check below for our list of 20 head coaches on the rise entering the 2023-24 college basketball season.

This list does not include coaches from both the Atlantic 10 and Mountain West.

In no particular order:

Darian Devries, Drake: DeVries has averaged a whopping 24.4 wins during his five-year tenure with the Bulldogs, which has also included four postseason appearances and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. DeVries also boasts an impressive 63-29 mark in Missouri Valley regular season games during his career. This guy is a high-major coach in a mid-major conference.

Trio of Bulldogs Land on All-MVC Teams as Drake Women are Named Second in Preseason Poll--godrakebulldogs.com