Primarily a collection of news links about all 11 Missouri Valley League teams on a daily basis, culled from online newspapers, school athletic websites, the conference website, and school newspapers, plus some other content from time to time.
Bradley head coach Brian Wardle | MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR /
USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
New Year’s Day in college basketball is not just about
ranked teams and familiar national brands. For mid-major
programs, January 1 is where seasons truly begin. Conference
play ramps up immediately, margins get thinner, and every
home game starts to feel like a must-have.
This year’s New Year’s Day slate is loaded with meaningful
mid-major matchups. From the Missouri Valley to the WAC,
these games will shape standings, build confidence, and
expose which teams are ready for the grind of January and
February. Here are the top six or seven mid-major games to
watch as Wednesday becomes a showcase for programs that live
and breathe conference basketball.
Ranking the Best Mid-Major Games on New Year’s DayEmpty heading
Wednesday Mid-Majors Take Over January 1
New Year’s Day is when mid-major college basketball fully
turns the page into conference mode. There is no warm-up
period. Every game matters, standings begin to take shape,
and early momentum can carry a team for weeks. Ranked from
7 up to 1, here are the best mid-major games on the
New Year’s Day slate, cleaned up for clarity while keeping
the full context of each matchup.
7. Valparaiso Beacons (6-7) at Southern Illinois Salukis
(6-8)Empty heading
Something will have to give in this Missouri Valley matchup.
Neither team has won a conference game yet. Valparaiso sits
at 6-7 overall and 0-2 in league play, having dropped four
straight games. Their last two losses came against Murray
State and Northern Iowa. Owen Dease has been the top scorer
for the Beacons, averaging 12.1 points per game, but
Valparaiso is scoring just 71.4 points per contest as a
team.
Southern Illinois has also struggled to start the season,
sitting at 6-8 overall with four straight losses. However,
their conference schedule has been brutal, with all three
league losses coming against unbeaten MVC teams. Their most
recent loss was a three-point setback at Murray State,
following losses to Illinois State and Bradley. Quel’Ron
House leads the Salukis with 14.7 points per game. For both
teams, this game feels like a turning point.
6. Evansville Aces (4-10) at Illinois State Redbirds
(11-3)Empty heading
Evansville has had a difficult start to the season and sits
near the bottom of the Missouri Valley standings. The Purple
Aces are 4-10 overall and coming off a loss to Bradley.
Connor Turnbull leads the team in scoring, though he is
averaging just over 21 minutes per game. Evansville will
need its best effort of the season to stay competitive.
Illinois State,
on the other hand, is rolling. The Redbirds are 11-3 and
have won three straight games since a loss to Utah State.
Their most recent outing was an impressive road win at
Drake, where Chase Walker scored 17 points. Walker leads
Illinois State with 12.7 points per game while also
contributing 2.7 assists. With a favorable stretch of games
ahead, this matchup is about handling business for the
Redbirds.
4. Murray State Racers (11-3) at UIC Flames (5-8)Empty heading
Murray State brings a seven-game winning streak into Chicago
and looks like one of the hottest teams in the Missouri
Valley. Their latest win was a three-point victory over
Southern Illinois. Javon Jackson leads the Racers with 16.4
points per game, while Ramon Domon was the difference-maker
in a recent win over Valparaiso, scoring 20 points off the
bench.
UIC has had a tough season at 5-8 overall. They recently
snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over Illinois
Tech, scoring 102 points, though that came against a
non-Division I opponent. In conference play, the Flames have
been competitive, losing by three at Belmont and by six at
home to Northern Iowa. Andy Johnson leads UIC with 13.6
points per game, with Ahmad Henderson II close behind at
13.5.
3. Indiana State Sycamores (8-6) at Northern Iowa
Panthers (10-3)Empty heading
Indiana State stopped a two-game skid with a huge home win
over Belmont after facing a brutal early conference schedule
that included Bradley, Illinois State, and Belmont. Ian
Scott leads the Sycamores at 13.9 points per game. As a
team, Indiana State is averaging 76.7 points per game while
allowing 73.7.
Northern Iowa is 10-3 overall and 2-0 in conference play,
coming off a 10-point home win over Valparaiso. That
followed a road loss to Saint Mary’s, with other defeats
coming against Wichita State and Tulsa. Trey Campbell
anchors the Panthers with 13.5 points per game and 3.5
assists. This matchup could shape the top half of the MVC
standings.
1. Bradley Braves (10-4) at Belmont Bruins (12-2)Empty heading
This is the best mid-major game on the New Year’s Day slate.
Bradley has won seven straight games and sits at 3-0 in
Missouri Valley play. The
Braves
opened conference action with a road win at Indiana State
and followed it with home victories over Southern Illinois
and Evansville. JaQuan Johnson leads the Braves and is
averaging nearly 19 points per game, including a 22-point
effort against Evansville.
Belmont enters at 12-2 overall but already has one
conference loss after a road defeat at Indiana State snapped
a four-game winning streak. Tyler Lundblade is one of the
top shooters in the country and leads the Bruins with 16.6
points per game. A home win puts Belmont right back in the
MVC title race, while a Bradley win would further cement the
Braves as a league favorite.
From there we run through the other 21 UTR leagues and talk about how
strong the Missouri Valley is with five teams who appear to be possible
formidable opponents in the Round of 64.
MVC G: JaQuan Johnson (Bradley) G: Jalen Quinn (Drake) F: Connor Turnbull (Evansville) F: Ian Scott (Indiana State) C: Fred King (Murray State) POYSF: JaQuan Johnson (Bradley)
While
I'm a little bummed that the status of the Missouri Valley has declined
somewhat over the years, it remains a very fun league capable of
producing Names You Should Know, and it has the single most identifiable
conference tournament in the entire sport. Serious kudos to whatever
businessperson and/or employee at the MVC who convinced CBS to give them
that Sunday afternoon spot all those years ago. Brilliant move by you.
Removing
all games against teams outside of the top-300 makes for a really
interesting chart, because it shows you that all of Northern Iowa,
Illinois State, and Belmont are legitimate top-75 teams in the nation.
It would also tell you that Murray State is right on the cutline, that
everyone in the entire league save for Evansville is a top-200 crew, and
that this is quietly the best defensive league among the likely
one-bids.
How believable that may be to you is your call, but I
think this edition of the MVC is a little up from previous ones. If
their current ranking of 9th holds, it's their best finish since
2017-18, when 11-seed Loyola Chicago made the Final Four. If they can
somehow push up to 8th, it's their best since the days of Southern
Illinois and Drake getting 4 and 5 seeds. It's a shame that the current
state of college basketball probably guarantees this is a one-bid
league, because there are at least a few teams I wouldn't mind seeing in
my eventual field of 68.
CHAMPION: A surprise: your 2026 Missouri Valley co-champs are Northern Iowa...and Murray State. TOURNAMENT: Hope you like defense. Northern Iowa gets it done over Belmont, and by doing so, bumps someone pretty good down to the 13 line. Good for upsets! SUPER DARKHORSE: Fun-ish fact: when you remove games against teams outside of the top-300, Southern Illinois actually
leaps Bradley in the standings by a hair. That could be meaningless, or
the fact they've somehow shot 26% from deep in these games could be a
sign of better play to come. MOST IMPACTFUL GAME: Murray State at Bradley and Belmont at Illinois State, March 1. These
two games, on the season's final day for each, could determine who wins
the conference and who has to play an extra game at Arch Madness.
-Belmont lost an overtime thriller to Indiana State 81-80. They had
to battle just to force OT, and then had a shot at the end to win it,
but couldn’t get it to go down. As is the situation with all Under the
Radar teams trying to make the NCAA Tournament, it’s a damaging loss
that they won’t get the chance to recover from.
2. Northern Iowa Panthers (57.3 points allowed per game)
Northern Iowa has quietly become one of the most difficult teams in the
country to score against. The Panthers are allowing just over 57 points per
game and have opened conference play with back-to-back wins while giving up
only 51 points per contest.
Even in losses, the defense has traveled. Northern Iowa allowed 63 points to
Tulsa, 74 to Wichita State, and 63 to Saint Mary’s. That consistency
reflects the program’s identity under Coach Ben Jacobson. The Panthers
remain at home on New Year’s Day against Indiana State.
Northern Iowa to win the Missouri Valley Conference (+325)
The Panthers came into the season with high expectations and have
delivered. Ben Jacobson, in his 19th year at Northern Iowa, has guided
the team to two regular-season conference titles since 2020. When
placing our money on futures, we want to bet on teams and coaches who
have done it before. A lot of recent winning coaches have left their
schools for better jobs, but Jacobson has stuck around. Leon Bond III
looks like he’s ready to be the go-to guy and Trey Campbell is off to a
great start for his senior campaign. They have the best defense in the
conference and it’s not particularly close. With experienced leadership
and lockdown defense, the Panthers are well positioned to finish atop
this conference.
This is one of the more intriguing games on the slate. Belmont is 12-1 and
riding a four-game winning streak, though the Bruins have not played since
before Christmas. Indiana State is 7-6 and coming off a tough road loss at
Illinois State, but the Sycamores will be desperate to avoid starting
conference play 0-3. Expect maximum effort and a tight finish.
Betting Pick: Indiana State Sycamores +8.5 over Belmont Bruins Final Score Prediction:
Belmont 70, Indiana State 68
Utah Valley 19; South Florida 18; Liberty 16;
Northern Iowa 15; Kent St. 13; Rhode Island 10; Cal Baptist 9; San Francisco 6; High
Point 5; UNC Wilmington 4; Buffalo 3; Wyoming 2; Iona 2
-Belmont @ Indiana State (Missouri Valley) – nearly every road game
in the Valley is tough, but Belmont is a tough team. They have a chance at
making a run at the bubble, but they need to blow through this league to do
it and that means winning all the tough road games
Wright State has consistently been one of the more post and rim reliant
offenses in the country in the Nagy to Sargent era, which often puts them at
stylistic odds with the HoriZONE League, and particularly Greg Kampe's zone
at Oakland....
MVC
ILLINOIS STATE @ DRAKE
ISUred hasn't defeated Drake since 2020, but this is as vulnerable as we've
seen the Bulldogs in that stretch...
#89 Illinois State (-1) at #145 Drake, 9 PM ET, ESPN+.
Early, impactful game for MVC purposes. Illinois State has quietly gone
9-1 (albeit with one win over a top-150 opponent) since a 1-2 start and
is now 2-0 in the MVC.
C Games
#119 Southern Illinois at #96 Murray State (-6), 7 PM ET, ESPN+.
I have Murray as the fifth-droppiest drop coverage in America this year
using our old pal the Ball Screen Coverage Spectrum, which could go one
of two ways very violently for SIU: either the team that shoots 46% on
midrange jumpers shows up, or the team that shoots 27.5% from 3 and
attempts the fewest deep balls in America makes this a bad math problem.
Thursday, January 1 (New Year's Day)
C Games
#117 Bradley at #62 Belmont (-8), 7 PM ET, ESPN+.
2-0 at 2-0 in the MVC. I'd also argue this is a game between the actual
two best players in the league: Jaquan Johnson of Bradley and Nic
McClain of Belmont. By the way, Bradley better load up on NIL to keep
Johnson. I know nothing, but if you're the best player in the MVC as a
sophomore you're unfortunately not long for the league. European soccer
transfer system soon.
Tonight’s feature conference is the Missouri Valley, which is hands down
looking like the strongest UTR conference. Belmont is off to a great
start with just one loss and appears to have a path to landing inside
the bubble. Northern Iowa (who barely lost at Saint Mary’s), Murray
State, and Illinois State have also looked really strong.
(St. Louis, MO) –Before
conference season hits full stride this week here are the Missouri
Valley and Ohio Valley Conference pre-Christmas players of the week. Bradley’s Jaquan Johnson , Tennessee Martin’s Matas Deniusas and Murray State’s Roman Domon are the players repeating previously earned honors.
Pre-Christmas Players of the Week
Johnson is emerging as a dominating force
in the Missouri Valley Conference. The sophomore guard led the Braves to
a 2-0 week in league play and scored 40 points in the two Bradley
victories. The league’s leader in steals also collected eight assists
and eight steals. Johnson earns his second ‘Player of the Week’ honor and leads the conference with an 18.5 points-per-game scoring average.
The Missouri Valley’s leading rebounder, Fred King is the MVC ‘Newcomer of the Week’.
King sparked Murray State to a pair of league wins by averaging 17.5
points and eight rebounds. His 16-point, eleven-rebound double-double
was the second of the season for the Creighton transfer.
Pre-Christmas Rookie Repeaters
Murray State’s Roman Domon scored twenty
points during the Racers’ win over Valparaiso and nine while defeating
Drake. Domon’s second ‘Freshman of the Week’ honor ties him with Valpo’s Rakim Chaney with two such honors.
-Northern Iowa hung with Saint Mary’s on the road, and actually had a
lead for much of the game, but SMC pulled it out down the stretch
63-58. This would have been a signature road win for UNI and a big
statement to the committee had they been able to pull the upset.
Belmont and Tulsa were the two teams to move into the top 10 this week.
The Bruins are up to No. 8 and are 12-1. The Golden Hurricane sits at 10
with an 11-1 record. It has won its last eight games.
Four teams joined the ranking after not being ranked last week: Seattle
(No. 20), Murray St. (No. T-21), Cal Baptist (No. T-21) and Kent St. (No.
T-23). They replaced Richmond, UNC Wilmington, Northern Iowa and George
Washington.
Here is the full ranking:
Ranking
Team (First-Place Votes)
Points
Last Week
8
Belmont
51
14
T-21
Murray St.
13
RV
Others Receiving Votes:
Richmond 10; Northern Iowa 10; South Florida 9; Illinois St. 8; Utah
Valley 8; Wyoming 7; St. Bonaventure 7; Northern Colorado 7; Grand Canyon
3; Buffalo 3; William & Mary 2; Rhode Island 2; San Francisco 1; Iona
1
Dropped from Rankings:
Richmond – 15; UNC Wilmington – T-17; Northern Iowa – 20; George
Washington – 25
BELMONT - Bruins had their work cut out for them
entering the week with their second MVC game, going on the road to
Evansville, followed by the cross-country visit to UC Irvine. For the Purple
Aces, the game served as their Valley opener at home, and they brought a
solid effort throughout. Belmont countered by involving the dependable Drew
Scharnowski, who chipped in 14 points on just nine shot attempts. Tyler
Lundblade drained all eight of his free throws en route to a Belmont 83-78
win and 21 points on the night. Belmont has established a 2-0 start to the
conference season. Then the trip to UC Irvine came, and this team took off
inside the Bren Events Center. A rare blowout of the Anteaters, 84-58. The
Belmont D held UCI to under 30% shooting from deep and near-34% shooting
overall. Belmont fully concluded non-conference play with just one loss and
is 12-1 overall. The SOR resume tool has Belmont at 51st in the country,
which is clearly the best in the Valley at this stage.
Bruins are playing at an extraordinary level right now.
Opposing teams don't come into Bren Events Center and
dominate like this, especially from outside of the region. A
substantially impressive way to conclude non-conference resume work.#MVChttps://t.co/05SMQXifDB
MISSOURI VALLEY: ILLINOIS STATE - The Redbirds are off
to their best 13-game start since the 2009-10 season at 10-3. More
importantly, ISUred is now 2-0 and off to a great start in the
ever-important Valley race. The key road win last week came in Carbondale, a
rally to beat the tough Salukis following a five-point halftime deficit. In
the win over Indiana State, the Redbirds had a freakishly low four turnovers
for the entire game. This team is currently clicking on all cylinders, and
it's refreshing to witness.
