Friday, December 5, 2025

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/5/2025

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Thursday, Dec 4th--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-High Point may win a lot of games this year, but after last night’s 86-84 loss at home to Southern Illinois I’m now thinking that if they want to make the NCAA Tournament one of those wins better be that last Big South Tournament game. It was Southern Illinois’s first road win of the season and the game winning layup came as time expired after a High Point turnover.

-Richmond got a really nice 84-76 win at Belmont, which is a win that I think they’ll end up getting a lot of credit for. Belmont is not a top 25 team by any means, but they are good and are not easy to beat on the road. It was the first loss of the season for the Bruins, who are still poised to have a good year. As for Richmond, I think it’s a sign that they can compete against a lot of the teams they’ll face in the Atlantic Ten. It’s a lot harder to go to Belmont and win than it is to go to about half the places in the A10 to win.



Shooting Struggles Snap Belmont’s Undefeated Run--Belmont Vision



MBB Preview: Bradley set for weekend matchup with NIU--bradleybraves.com

Rapid Recap: Women’s basketball splits results at Fort Myers Tip-Off--The Bradley Scout



12.5.25 Game Analysis--Basket Under Review

ELSEWHERE:

  • If an Eric Henderson defense is going to do one thing, it's deny the rim, and to date Drake owns a 1st percentile rim rate allowed, per Synergy data....



Taking stock of UE basketball one month into 2025-26 season--Evansville Courier & Press
UE travels to Western Kentucky for Saturday matinee--gopurpleaces.com



Illinois State seeks to extend winning streak in Saturday home game--The Pantagraph
Final Non-Conference Home Game Ahead for Men's Basketball--goredbirds.com



Screaming Eagles, Sycamores to throw down on the hardwood--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Men's basketball set for Sunday afternoon action against Southern Indiana--gosycamores.com



Tiger Whitaker comes home to Bank Saturday to face Racers--Murray Ledger and Times
Racers Home to Bellarmine Saturday - 1999-00 Team To Be Honored--goracers.com

Ford’s final game at Johnson ends with win--Murray Ledger and Times
Turner: Peay will not be the same team from last year--Murray Ledger and Times



UNI women's basketball: Panthers head to Ohio for a matchup with Toledo--unipanthers.com



SIU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAME CAPSULE SEMO AT SIU--Dawg Bites
Women’s Basketball to Host SEMO for Saturday Matchup--siusalukis.com

Thursday, December 4, 2025

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/4/2025

Under the Radar – Week 5--Hoops HD

After that we run through the other 21 UTR conferences and discuss teams like High Point and McNeese suffering surprising losses, Liberty has also struggled out of Conference USA but teams like Western Kentucky have come out strong. Both Buffalo and Miami OH are unbeaten out of the MAC and Akron is another tough team to watch. The MVC, Big West, and Sun Belt appear to be strong from top to bottom. We discuss all that, and more. And, as we do every week, we close with this week’s UTR Top Ten.



Men's Basketball Falls to Richmond--belmontbruins.com

Bruins Pick Up Gutsy Win at Middle Tennessee Wednesday Night--belmontbruins.com



Bradley’s Bully Is Leading the Way--Valley Hoops Insider



Drake men’s basketball owns the court against Western Illinois University--The Times-Delphic



Check out how Illinois State responded to having its leading scorer out--The Pantagraph
Kinziger’s big second half propels ISU to sixth-straight win--The Vidette



Sycamores prevent NIU Huskies comeback in home win--Indiana Statesman



Miller: Hustle plays led to better offense against Morehead State--Murray Ledger and Times

Racer women endure Morehead in road fight--Murray Ledger and Times
Currie-Jelks earns national player honor--Murray Ledger and Times



UNI men’s basketball renews rivalry with Wichita State on Saturday night--unipanthers.com

College Women's Basketball: Win pushes UNI to the top of the Valley--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier



Southern Rallies, Wins Thriller Over High Point--siusalukis.com



Women’s Basketball Heads to Ohio in Next Stop of Road Trip--uicflames.com



Men's Basketball to Host CCSJ in Final Game Before Finals--valpoathletics.com

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/3/2025

The Other Men’s Top 25: Utah St. jumps to No. 1--Mid-Major Madness

Belmont is top 100 in all three metrics: 35th in the NET, 75th in KenPom and 92nd in Torvik.

Here is the full ranking:

Ranking

Team (First-Place Votes)

Points

Last Week

9 Belmont 70 23
11 Northern Iowa 59 8

Others Receiving Votes:

Davidson 17; UNC Wilmington 13; Hawaii 11; Boise St. 10; Kent St. 10; Central Connecticut 10; Loyola Marymount 9; UAB 9; Miami OH 9; Illinois St. 8; Northern Colorado 7; Grand Canyon 6; Iona 5; South Alabama 4; Winthrop 3; Richmond 2; Columbia 2; East Tennessee St. 1

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Wednesday, Dec 3rd--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-RICHMOND AT BELMONT. I highlight this because I think both teams are good and while it’s unlikely that either ends up around the bubble, it’s also not entirely impossible. This would probably be the biggest win of the season for either team up to this point, so it’s a pretty big game. It’s also just a fascinating matchup.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-Southern Illinois @ High Point – High Point will likely be favored in all of their remaining games and if they win out I can’t imagine them not being inside the bubble

Winning MTEs & Weekly Awards--Valley Hoops Insider

Winning MTEs & Weekly Awards

While Tennessee State neighbor Belmont was claiming the Coconut Hoops Tournament, Tyler Lundblade was named the MVP. Lundblade averaged 19.3 points-per-game and is this week’s MVC ‘Player of the Week’. His award is the first this season for the 8-0 Bruins. He leads the Valley in free-throw percentage, made three-pointers and is third in scoring.

Newcomers Making Their Mark

Drake split a pair of games with ‘power five’ conference teams and Jalen Quinn was outstanding. The Loyola Chicago transfer scored 20 points during the Bulldogs’ loss to LSU and added 31 in their win over Georgia Tech. He averaged 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists against that top competition and is the Valley’s ‘Newcomer of the Week’. Quinn is the Valley’s second leading scorer (17.5 ppg) and is fifth in assists (3.88).

Profound First-Year Players

Four Missouri Valley Conference freshmen rank in the league’s top 16 in scoring. Murray State’s Roman Domon led the Racers last week scoring 40 points in three games. The native of France is the Valley’s ‘Freshman of the Week’ becoming the third different rookie to claim the weekly award. Ironically, the MVC’s top scoring freshman, Illinois Chicago’s Andy Johnson (14.9 ppg) is yet to earn one of the awards. Valparaiso’s Rakim Chaney (14.0), Illinois State’s Ty’Reek Coleman (13.6) are ranked tenth and eleventh in the league scoring race. Domon (12.1) is sixteenth and Johnson is ninth.

NET Looks Good--Valley Hoops Insider



Teams of the Week: Thoroughly Prepared Men of Michigan--Basket Under Review

HONORABLE MENTION: REMAINING CONFERENCE AWARDS

MISSOURI VALLEY: BELMONT - Capped off a terrific week in Fort Myers by traveling up the East Coast and winning a true road game at Charleston. At the event, the Bruins knocked off Saint Francis with ease, and put away Toledo by a 15-point margin. Bruins get a ton of love for its beautiful offense, which now ranks 4th nationally in eFG%, but how bout the defense only allowing a nationally 17th lowest eFG% as well? What a great combination as we inch closer to Valley play.

Belmont’s eight-game winning streak ends with loss to Richmond--Main Street Nashville
Men's Basketball Plays Richmond Wednesday--belmontbruins.com


The Women’s Other Top 25: Some shuffling in top 15, but teams remain same--Mid-Major Madness

Belmont and Harvard were the next two, with a pair of Mountain West teams following in UNLV and Colorado St. Ball St. jumped to 15, and Santa Clara was No. 16. Massachusetts and Columbia held steady at 17th and 18th. Saint Joseph’s and Montana St. rounded out the top 20.

Princeton came in at 29th in the NET and 39th in Torvik. The Tigers are 7-1 and have won five straight games. They knocked off Rhode Island on the road and DePaul at home last week. They have a loaded upcoming schedule with consecutive games against Seton Hall, Belmont, Rutgers and George Mason.

Here is the full ranking:

Ranking

Team

Last Week

11 Belmont 9

Women’s Basketball Visits Middle Tennessee Wednesday Night--belmontbruins.com



Bradley basketball vs Washington State recap: BU wins on dunk in final seconds--Peoria Journal Star
Ahmet Jonovic’s slam secures Braves’ last-second win vs. Washington State--The Bradley Scout
Alex Huibregtse named Busey Bank Scholar-Athlete of the Week--bradleybraves.com
MBB Recap: Bradley battles back and earns a victory over Washington State--bradleybraves.com

Bradley WBB Heads to Nebraska to Conclude Road Trip--bradleybraves.com



Braden Appelhans sets record in Drake win over Western Illinois--Des Moines Register
Drake Basketball sees big wins on road over holiday break--The Times-Delphic
Bulldogs' Three-Point Barrage Buries Leathernecks, 108-57--godrakebulldogs.com

Drake women's basketball falls to Lindenwood, drops sixth straight--Des Moines Register
Lions Spoil Character Counts! Day with Wire-to-Wire Win Over Drake Women--godrakebulldogs.com



Turnbull and Hundley key UE victory over Ball State--gopurpleaces.com

Purple Aces Fall at Purdue--gopurpleaces.com



Illinois State’s Boden Skunberg--Valley Hoops Insider
Illinois State men's basketball returns home to battle Eastern Kentucky--The Pantagraph
Redbirds Fly Past Colonels for Seventh Consecutive Win--goredbirds.com

ISU women's basketball drops conference opener to UNI--The Vidette
Redbirds Fall In MVC Opener At UNI, 68-54--goredbirds.com



Sycamores blast Red Devils 99-57--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores dominate in 99-57 victory over Eureka--Indiana Statesman
Sycamores rout Red Devils 99-57 on Tuesday night--gosycamores.com

22s are wild as Kelsey, ISU women's basketball slip by NIU 69-61--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Trees complete perfect homestand with win over Northern Illinois--gosycamores.com



Murray State growing through early struggles--WPSD Local 6
Miller: Morehead gives Racer men chance to work on rebounding--Murray Ledger and Times
Racer men close strong against Morehead--Murray Ledger and Times
Racers Post 6 In Double-Figure Scoring in Win Over Eagles--goracers.com


Mid-Major Madness Women’s Player of the Week Voting: Nov. 24-30--Mid-Major Madness

Feast Week is in the rearview mirror, and several mid-major women’s players feasted on the opposition. There were a bunch of good candidates to be finalists for our player of the week.

So, without further ado, here are the five nominees: Sharnecce Currie-Jelks (Murray State),
Kira Reynolds (UT Arlington), Meadow Roland (UNLV), Adrianna Smith (Maine) and Macy Spencer (High Point).

You can vote for your choice at the bottom of this article.

Sharnecce Currie-Jelks (Murray State)

Currie-Jelks had a pair of double-doubles last week to help guide the Racers to a 2-0 week at the Daytona Beach Classic. She averaged 27.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting 63% from the field. Her best performance of the week came in an 88-83 win over George Mason in which she posted a career-best 32 points and 11 rebounds. That point total is the most by a Missouri Valley player this season. The Jackson, Tenn., native then had 23 points and 10 rebounds in an 82-77 win over Boston College, which was the program’s first-ever triumph over an ACC opponent. The junior leads the MVC at 20.9 points per game for the season.

Murray State using success in Daytona Beach Classic as turning point in season--WPSD Local 6
Racer women heading to Morehead means big homecoming for Ford--Murray Ledger and Times
Ford Shines in Homecoming Game, Racers Down Eagles--goracers.com



College Men's Basketball: UNI by 65; Panthers roll Division III Coe College--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
Taking Flight--Northern Iowan
Campbell passes 1,000 career points as UNI men’s basketball rolls Coe--unipanthers.com

College Women’s Basketball: UNI leaning on defense in MVC opener--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
LIVE BLOG: Illinois State at UNI women's basketball--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
UNI WBB split games in Las Vegas--Northern Iowan
UNI women’s basketball: Panthers open MVC play with a win over Illinois State--unipanthers.com



Salukis stun Panthers in buzzer-beating comeback 86-84--The Daily Egyptian
Salukis aim to slow High Point's high-powered offense--siusalukis.com

SIU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAME CAPSULE SIU at UAB--Dawg Bites
Salukis Run Into Hot Shooting Again, Fall 81-54 at UAB--siusalukis.com



Men's Basketball Drops Last-Second 63-62 Decision to Arkansas-Pine Bluff--uicflames.com



Valparaiso announces new President--The Victory Bell
Signature win slips away from Valpo in OT--The Victory Bell
The Marquette Ride Home Episode--The Victory Bell
Valpo loses a heartbreaker in OT--The Valpo Vault
Valpo Pushes Marquette to Brink in Overtime Road Setback--valpoathletics.com

Monday, December 1, 2025

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/1/2025

Week 5 Watchlist: So Can the Pope--Basket Under Review

Wednesday, December 3

C Games

#141 Southern Illinois at #79 High Point (-9), 7 PM ET, ESPN+. This is a battle of the 'Rons: Cam'Ron Fletcher of High Point and Quel'Ron House of Southern Illinois.

#110 Richmond at #75 Belmont (-7), 7:30 PM ET, ESPN+. Well, look: you either like fun or you don't. This is fun. Belmont could go absolutely nuts at the rim in this game...if they can get there. Richmond has been fabulous at stunting drives to the basket by simply packing things all the way in, but their actual FG% allowed once you get there is hilarious. Fun battle in that regard.



MBB Preview: Bradley to host Washington State--bradleybraves.com



Men's Basketball Preview: Western Illinois & UAB--godrakebulldogs.com



Illinois State Wins Imagination Bracket, Richmond defeats Charlotte in consolation game--Mid-Major Madness
5 in 5: A Look at the Week Ahead in Women's College Basketball--Basket Under Review

5 Teams to Watch This Week

Illinois State

Missouri Valley Conference play starts this week, and Illinois State opens on the road at Northern Iowa. After dropping their last three games, Illinois State is going to be looking to right the ship a bit as they open their conference slate. They will also host Eastern Illinois this week and will attempt to sweep their schedule this week and create some momentum as they roll into conference play.



After rough Alcorn State loss, ISU will try to recover Tuesday vs. Eureka--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Indiana State hosts Eureka on Tuesday night--gosycamores.com

Allen named Hannig Construction Indiana State Student-Athlete of the Week--gosycamores.com



Missouri Valley MBB Weekly Update 12.01.25--The Missouri Valley

MVC Women's Basketball Weekly Notebook (Dec. 1)--The Missouri Valley

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 11/30/2025

11/30 KenPom rankings update--RacerBasketball.com



Sunday’s College Hoops Picks Spark Hope for a Late-Weekend Turnaround--Busting Brackets

Belmont Bruins vs. Charleston Cougars

Charleston looked sharper with Connor Hickman back, but Belmont feels like the better, more stable team in this matchup. Expect a competitive game that tilts the Bruins’ way late.

Betting Pick: Belmont Bruins -160 over Charleston Cougars

Final Score Prediction: Belmont 75–73 over Charleston

Men's Basketball Defeats College of Charleston--belmontbruins.com



Bradley WBB Splits Weekend at Fort Myers Tip-Off--bradleybraves.com



Drake Falls to LSU in Emerald Coast Classic Opener, 71-62--godrakebulldogs.com
Bulldogs Defeat Yellow Jackets in Emerald Coast Classic Consolation, 84-74--godrakebulldogs.com


Third Quarter Surge Helps Aces Down Northern Illinois--gopurpleaces.com



Check out a successful trip to Florida for Illinois State men's basketball--The Pantagraph
Redbirds unwrap a championship: ISU claims Terry’s ESPN Chocolate Invitational--The Vidette
Redbirds Claim Tournament Title with 72-65 Win over Paladins--goredbirds.com

Redbirds left grounded against Wake Forest in Puerto Rico Shootout finale--The Vidette



Indiana State loses for 2nd time in Louisiana Tech MTE, despite scoring 58 second-half points--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores look to tame Red Devils--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores come up short in Ruston after last-second Louisiana Tech jumper--Indiana Statesman
Sycamores' second-half comeback falls short against Alcorn State--gosycamores.com



Miller lauds toughness of Racer men in GW win--Murray Ledger and Times
Racer Return Home - Host Morehead State Tuesday--goracers.com

Daytona Beach Classic; Racer women embrace grind, beat BC for first win against ACC--Murray Ledger and Times
Murray State in Daytona Beach Classic; Currie-Jelks strong-arms George Mason in opening win--Murray Ledger and Times
WBB: Here's the 'Ride Home' after Murray State's 88-83 win over George Mason--RacerBasketball.com
Currie-Jelks scores 32, Racers beat George Mason--RacerBasketball.com
WBB: It's the 'Ride Home' after Murray State's 82-77 win over Boston College--RacerBasketball.com
With ten threes, Racers edge Boston College, 82-77--RacerBasketball.com
Daytona Beach W, Racers Down Patriots--goracers.com
Racers Score ACC Victory in Undefeated Feast Week--goracers.com


Panther men’s basketball to host Coe on Monday night--unipanthers.com

UNI women’s basketball: Panthers split matchups in Las Vegas after a loss to UNLV--unipanthers.com



Salukis topple Trojans 74-65--The Daily Egyptian
Steffe Scores 21 as Salukis Win at Home--siusalukis.com

SIU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAME CAPSULE--Dawg Bites
Salukis’ struggles continue, fall 60-52 to Western Kentucky--The Daily Egyptian
Western Kentucky’s Hot Shooting Sinks Salukis, 60-52--siusalukis.com



Women’s Basketball Earns Gritty Win Over Maine, 64–54--uicflames.com
Women’s Basketball Falls in Final Seconds to Iona, 52-50--uicflames.com



Long scoring runs do in the Beacons--The Victory Bell
"This Is the Valpo Way"--The Valpo Vault
Men’s Basketball Rebounds with Dominant Win Over Western Michigan--valpoathletics.com
Men's Basketball Hits the Road to Clash with Marquette on Tuesday--valpoathletics.com

Waytashek Sets Career High as Women’s Basketball Drops Tournament Finale--valpoathletics.com