What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Horizon 4/2/2026

Just catching up on a bunch of assistants on the move…

Murray State associate head coach Brendan Mullins to Belmont

The 25 Best Men’s NCAA Tournament Buzzer Beaters of the Past 25 Years--Sports Illustrated

5. Paul Jesperson, Northern Iowa over Texas (2016 first round)

No. 11 Northern Iowa clung to a 72–70 lead late in regulation against No. 6 Texas in the first round of the 2016 Midwest Regional. With fewer than 12 seconds to play, Texas guard Isaiah Taylor drove the lane and got a layup to go that tied the contest at 72 with fewer than three seconds remaining. Northern Iowa inbounded the ball to Paul Jesperson on the right sideline, who crossed over to the middle of the floor and put up a half-court heave as time expired. Cash. The Panthers advanced to the round of 32 in an absolute stunner.

Northern Iowa’s Paul Jesperson shoots the winning shot over Texas in the first round of the 2016 tournament. | Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

15. Ty Rogers, Western Kentucky over Drake (2008 first round)

In a first-round game where both teams apparently refused to play defense, No. 12 Western Kentucky found itself trailing No. 5 Drake 99–98 with five seconds left in overtime. Inbounding from beneath their own basket, the Hilltoppers turned to a play that has become one of the most trusted in buzzer-beater scenarios—one man brings the ball up, and when the defending team has committed just enough, tosses the ball back to a trailing shooter. Ty Rogers was that trailing shooter, and he hit nothing but net.

Greeneview grad lands dream job at Belmont--Dayton Daily News
Bradds is Back and Ready to Build--Valley Hoops Insider
Belmont Duo Could Be Perfect Additions to Iowa State in 2026-27--Sports Illustrated
Evan Bradds faces significant roster decisions as new Belmont basketball coach--Main Street Nashville
In hiring Evan Bradds, Belmont chooses family over experience | Estes--Nashville Tennessean
Evan Bradds' journey to becoming Belmont basketball coach started with an ACL injury--Nashville Tennessean
Belmont basketball freshman Jack Smiley returning for sophomore season--Nashville Tennessean
Why Rick Barnes has high praise for Tennessee basketball transfer Tyler Lundblade--Nashville Tennessean
Belmont Turns To Bradds To Lead Next Era Of Men’s Basketball--Belmont Vision
Evan Bradds Welcome Event Recap--belmontbruins.com

How to watch NIT semifinals: Schedule for Auburn vs. Illinois St., New Mexico vs. Tulsa--The Athletic

No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 4 Illinois State

Auburn, which picked up wins over Florida, St. John’s and Arkansas during the regular season, has secured three straight victories to reach the NIT semifinals, though it hasn’t been easy. The Tigers relied on a strong second half to survive South Alabama’s upset bid in the first round and have since defeated Seattle and Nevada by six points apiece.

All three wins were played at Neville Arena, meaning Thursday’s meeting with Illinois State will be Auburn’s first NIT game away from home.

Kevin Overton and Keyshawn Hall have been instrumental in carrying the Tigers through the tournament. Overton is putting up a team-high 17 points so far in NIT play, while Hall is averaging 14.7 points and nine rebounds — his 15 rebounds in Auburn’s win over Seattle were a season high.

The Tigers have holes defensively. They allow nearly 79 points per game and are incapable of defending the 3-ball, but the offense is a different story. Auburn ranks 12th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, and the team gets to the free throw line at a high rate.

Illinois State suffered an early exit from the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament but has since bounced back, knocking off Kent State, Wake Forest and Dayton en route to the semifinal round.

The Redbirds are led by juniors Chase Walker and Johnny Kinziger, who combine to average over 25 points per game. Three more players score at least nine points per game, including knockdown shooter Boden Skunberg, who’s connecting on 39.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Unlike Auburn, Illinois State is defined by its defense. The Redbirds defend all areas of the floor relatively well and are exceptional at limiting second-chance points, ranking 12th in the nation in opponent offensive rebound percentage. They’re fairly average on offense, though they do rank 66th in 2-point percentage.

It remains to be seen if Illinois State can handle an opponent from the mighty SEC, but this team has come on strong at the right time. Auburn can’t afford to underestimate the Redbirds.

Illinois State learned its lesson well enough to reach NIT semifinals--Daily Herald
3 things to know about Illinois State ahead of Thursday’s NIT semifinal against Auburn--Chicago Tribune

TITLE GAME BOUND: Illinois State women oust South Dakota to continue WNIT run--The Pantagraph
Redbirds head to first WNIT championship with victory over Coyotes--The Vidette
Redbirds Punch Ticket To WNIT Championship With 67-60 Win At South Dakota--goredbirds.com