What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/6/2023

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Wednesday, Dec 6th--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Evansville had been one of the bigger surprises in all of college basketball in getting off to a 7-1 start, and I still think they can end up having a decent year overall, but BYU blew them into the sun last night with a 96-55 win. I think the Cougars were up by 20 when the game tipped off.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-LIPSCOMB AT BELMONT. This game is not likely to have any sort of impact on the bubble or the NCAA Tournament whatsoever, but we at Hoops HD will ALWAYS highlight The Battle of the Boulevard!!

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES/BUY GAMES:

-Saint Louis @ Drake – a win for Drake gets them to 8-1 on the year

MVC Tuesday – Some Great and Some Bad--Valley Hoops Insider

OVC/MVC Women Week Four Award Winners--Valley Hoops Insider

Week Four Award Winners – Missouri Valley Conference

Belmont’s Kilyn McGuff recorded back-to-back career performances during the Bruins’ two victories. McGuff grabbed a career high, ten rebounds in one game and a season high 22 points in the next. For the week, the Valley’s ‘Player of the Week’ averaged 20 points and nine rebounds. McGuff is one of five Belmont players averaging double digits (10.9).

Missouri State junior Lacy Stokes is moving into a leadership for the Lady Bears. She leads the team in assists and has scored in double figures in four straight games. This week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week’ scored 12 points, grabbed five boards and handed out six assists during the Lady Bears’ win over Tulane. Stokes’ name can be found all over the Valley’s statistical leader board.

Murray State went two-and-oh last week and a big reason was the play of freshman Zoe Stewart. The rookie guard scored 14 and thirteen points during the Racer wins. This week’s ‘Freshman of the Week’ shot 55% from the field and handed out seven assists during the two victories.

Battle of the Boulevard presents crossroads in rivalry--nashvillehoops.blog
Men's Basketball Hosts Lipscomb Wednesday in the 150th Battle of the Boulevard--belmontbruins.com

Bruins Set for 77th Battle of the Boulevard Versus Rival Lipscomb--belmontbruins.com

Second half dooms Bradley in loss to Akron and former Illinois coach--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley's starting guard sorely missed in loss to Akron Adam Duvall Peoria Journal Star--Peoria Journal Star
Rapid Recap: Braves tame lions, defeat Lindenwood 63-56--The Bradley Scout
Beyond the slam dunks, Darius Hannah embraces his role--The Bradley Scout
Game Recap: Bradley at Akron--bradleybraves.com

Bradley WBB fall to Eastern Illinois--bradleybraves.com

Men's Basketball Preview: Saint Louis & Nevada--godrakebulldogs.com

Evansville men's basketball suffers humbling 41-point loss to No. 13 BYU--Evansville Courier & Press
BYU pulls away for 96-55 win over UE men--gopurpleaces.com

Aces host IUPUI Jaguars at Meeks on Wednesday night--gopurpleaces.com

Redbirds Look to Extend Win Streak on Wednesday--goredbirds.com

Top-20 Transfer Guards this Season--The Portal Report

8.) Isaiah Swope – Indiana State

FPTS/G: 32.6

Stats: 19.7 PPG, 2.1 APG, 2.2 STLPG, 50% FG, 45% 3P

Sycamores turn on burners in closing half at NIU--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Swope, Conwell late-half halfcourt execution another piece to ISU makeup--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Dominant Second Half Leads ISU over NIU--gosycamores.com

Missouri State basketball's comeback attempt falls in overtime at Middle Tennessee--Springfield News-Leader
Clay, Mason Hit Career Highs in Overtime Loss at Middle Tennessee--missouristatebears.com

Southwest Missouri standouts lead Mizzou basketball to win over Missouri State--Springfield News-Leader
Lady Bears Fall on the Road at Mizzou--missouristatebears.com

Walker says he has offer from Murray State--Racer Basketball

12/6/23 WEDNESDAY MATCHUP NEWS AND NOTES--Staring at the Floorboards

Subscriber Content

• Richmond is 12-42 from 3 in true road games (28%) and 40% at home... As for Northern Iowa, Bowen Born has struggled mightily as he’s played through injury, but looked his most Born-like in the OT loss against Evansville, logging a season high in minutes and points...

UNI loses battle to Bruins--Northern Iowan
UNI drops close game to Evansville--Northern Iowan

UNI lose two straight on the road--Northern Iowan

SIU Men's Basketball | Rupert, Salukis hold off Oklahoma State--The Southern Illinoisan
Bedlam at Banterra: Salukis upset Oklahoma State for second straight year--The Daily Egyptian
Recap | Salukis Take Down Oklahoma State at Banterra Center; Earn Power 6 Win for Fourth Consecutive Year--siusalukis.com

SIU Women's Basketball | 'Little eyes' on Salukis' clash with SIUE--The Southern Illinoisan
SIU Women's Basketball | Record crowd sees Salukis stop SIUE--The Southern Illinoisan
Recap | Women's Basketball Earns Dominant Victory over SIUE on Wednesday--siusalukis.com

Valiant Comeback Effort Falls Shy as Central Michigan Edges Valpo--valpoathletics.com

Women's Basketball Returns Home For Games Thursday, Saturday--valpoathletics.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/5/2023

The Other Top 25: Indiana State elevates to No. 9--Mid-Major Madness

The Indiana State Sycamores jumped to ninth in the first Other Top 25 of the month of December. They were in the receiving votes category a week ago.

Indiana State is 7-1 on the season and has won its last six contests. Its lone loss came at Alabama back on Nov. 10.

The Sycamores have won the Ball Dawgs Classic with victories over Rice, Pepperdine and Toledo.

Over the last seven days, Indiana State opened Missouri Valley Conference play with a pair of wins. It routed Southern Illinois 77-48 in the opener. Then in a highly anticipated showdown, the Sycamores earned an 85-77 victory over Bradley. They jumped out to a 19-point halftime lead over the Braves as five players scored in double figures.

The Sycamores are averaging 87.1 points per game, which ranks 16^th in the country. They are eighth among mid-majors. They have eclipsed the 80-point plateau in six of their eight games. Four players are averaging at least 13.5 points per game.

Indiana State sits fourth among all schools by hitting 53% of their shots. It is tied for third in 3-point field goal percentage at 41.5%.

The Sycamores were one of five teams to enter the rankings along with UNC Wilmington, Appalachian State, Saint Joseph’s and Tulane.

The top five saw subtle changes. Florida Atlantic remained No. 1 and received four of the five first-place votes. Colorado State, who received the other vote for the top spot, was elevated from No. 3 to No. 2. San Diego State slid down to three.

Memphis moved back a spot from No. 4 to No. 5. James Madison and Liberty were tied for fifth a week ago. The Dukes raised a spot to No. 4, while the Flames dropped to 11.

The Other Top 25: Dec. 4, 2023

Rank	Team (First Place Votes)	Points	Previous
9	Indiana St.	77	RV
10	Drake	70	15
19	Bradley	33	9

Others Receiving Votes:

George Mason 18; Yale 9; San Francisco 8; Evansville 8; UC Irvine 6; McNeese St. 4; Weber St. 3; Western Carolina 1; Cornell 1

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Tuesday, Dec 5th--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-BRADLEY AT AKRON. This is a really good under the radar match-up between a Bradley team that got off to a fantastic start, but is coming off two straight losses and looking to rebound. Akron is just 4-3 and has lost some tough games that they could have won, but I still think they are in position to have a really good year, and a win today would be big for the Zips as well. Both teams have limited opportunities at big wins in conference, so this is the kind of match-up you like to see between two really good UTR teams.

-INDIANA STATE AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS. This is another high quality Under the Radar match-up. Indiana State is 7-1 on the year, and is coming off a fantastic win at Bradley. Northern Illinois is a respectable 5-2 and is coming off a loss to Northwestern. This is just Northern Illinois’s third home game and they managed wins in the first two.

-EVANSVILLE AT BYU. This is, perhaps, a buy game, and Evansville likely is overmatched, but they are also off to a surprising 7-1 start and have been one of the bigger early surprises in all of college basketball. Still, BYU is ranked in the top 15, they’ve earned the ranking, and they should get it done at home tonight.

-OKLAHOMA STATE AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. The Salukis blasted Saint Louis over the weekend, are 5-2 overall, are unbeaten at home, and have another winnable game tonight.

Locked On Women’s Basketball: Who can conquer The Valley in 2023-24?--The Next
MVC/OVC Fourth Week Standouts--Valley Hoops Insider

Fourth Week Standouts – Missouri Valley

Darnell Brodie is the second Drake Bulldog to claim a ‘Player of the Week’ award. Tucker DeVries claimed the first week honor. Brodie tied his career high of 21 points in a Bulldog win over Valparaiso and then added twelve more points during a win over Missouri State. The sixth-year senior leads the Valley and is sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.7018) and is averaging a career-best 13.9 points per game.

Isaiah Swope is one of the top three-point shooters nationally and in the Valley. The Indiana State guard scored 22 and 18 points in the Sycamores’ opening two MVC games and is this week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week’. Swope is making a league best and tied for fourth nationally 3.75 three-pointers per game. His 18.75 points-per-game average is third in the Valley.

Evansville’s Chuck Bailey III is the first repeat winner of a Valley weekly award. The rookie claimed his second ‘Freshman of the Week’ award by throwing in 27 points during the Purple Aces’ loss at Missouri State and followed up with six more during UE’s victory over Northern Iowa.

Seven Valley teams in Top 100 of NCAA NET--Racer Basketball

Women's Basketball Beats In-State Rival--Belmont Vision
Kilyn McGuff Selected as MVC Player of the Week--belmontbruins.com

Bradley WBB prepares to host Eastern Illinois--bradleybraves.com

Bracketology: Takeaways from first NET rankings of 2023-24 season--Heat Check CBB

7. Other specific rankings of note

No. 56 Drake Bulldogs

Drake felt like a dark-horse at-large contender coming into this season. And while the Bulldogs have not wowed anyone in their 7-1 start — they even lost to Stephen F. Austin by 24 — they are still held in relatively high regard by the NET. A No. 56 start keeps them in the conversation before the thick of the MVC schedule, especially with a neutral-site matchup with Nevada (No. 21) looming.

Brodie Garners MVC Player of the Week Status--godrakebulldogs.com

What channel is Evansville basketball vs. BYU on? Here's how to watch--Evansville Courier & Press
Bailey named MVC Freshman of the Week as Aces head to BYU--gopurpleaces.com

Mailbag 12.4.23--Burner Ball

Which mid or low major coach has seen his #SearchSZN stock rise most thus far this season and why is it Josh Schertz? – @CurryHicksSage

Josh Schertz is awesome. The Indiana State head coach is a great talent evaluator and knows how to recruit to fit his scheme. The result? The Sycamores are 7-1 after winning 23 games last season. I would love to see Schertz get a chance at a high major next season (looking at you, DePaul). Athletic directors please do yourselves a favor and hire guys that have won at any level. Winning is a skill and not everyone has it. Go with the guy with a proven track record instead of some flashy name retread that flamed out at his last job.

12/5/23 TUESDAY NEWS AND NOTES--Staring at the Floorboards

Subscriber Content

• Indiana State was in this very position last year after an early 2-0 Valley start, and suffered a serious swoon in three OOC games following, which included a shocking home loss to Northern Illinois....
  

Sycamores approaching pole position in the Valley--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Indiana State Basketball Continues to Win--Indiana Statesman

Lady Bears defeat Tulane in 10-point deficit win--The Standard
Stokes Named MVC Newcomer of the Week--missouristatebears.com
Lady Bears Hit the Road for Showdown with In-State Rival Tigers--missouristatebears.com

Racers can't overcome slow starts at ISU--Racer Basketball

Murray State seeing success with new system--WPSD Local 6
The Runnin’ Racers; Turner embraces women’s high national ranking for scoring--Murray Ledger & Times
Stewart named MVC Freshman of the Week--Racer Basketball
Murray State 4th-highest MVC team in NET--Racer Basketball
Stewart Named MVC Freshman of the Week--goracers.com

College Men’s Basketball: UNI looks to improve on defensive end following Evansville loss--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
Panther men’s hoops prepares for midweek clash with Richmond--unipanthers.com

UNI Notes: Women’s hoops 'in a storm,' Track & field opens season in Ames--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier

SIU Men's Basketball | 3 Things to Watch: Salukis welcome Oklahoma State to Banterra--The Southern Illinoisan

MVC MBB Weekly Notebook (12-4-2023)--Missouri Valley

MVC Women's Basketball Weekly Award Winners (Dec. 4)--Missouri Valley
MVC Women's Basketball Weekly Notebook (Dec. 5)--Missouri Valley

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/4/2023

Belmont-Lipscomb 150: May the best film critic win--nashvillehoops.blog

Bruins Roll Past Middle Tennessee Sunday Afternoon, 71-57--belmontbruins.com

What the Bradley Braves learned from the early Missouri Valley basketball games--Peoria Journal Star
Game Preview: Bradley at Akron--bradleybraves.com

Tightly connected BYU rising in rankings, set to host Evansville--Field Level Media

Darius Burford's big basket helps Illinois State hold off Murray State--The Pantagraph
Culture is building with ISU men's basketball 2-0 start to MVC play--The Vidette

Redbirds Can’t Overcome Fifth-ranked Wolfpack--goredbirds.com

MoState Men Look to Rebound at Middle Tennessee--missouristatebears.com

Illinois State takes down Murray State 76-72--WPSD Local 6
Racer men dig too deep a hole at Illinois State--Murray Ledger & Times

‘Back Home Again ... in Indiana’; Racer women find Hoosier State quite appealing in win over USI--Murray Ledger & Times

Newcomers lead men's basketball to 71-59 victory over Southern--Valpo Torch

Steals, bench points not enough to lift Beacons over Western Illinois--Valpo Torch

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/3/2023

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Sunday, Dec 3rd--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Indiana State won a big game at Bradley 85-77, and actually had a much bigger lead than that throughout most of the game. We were all really impressed with how good Bradley looked out of conference, but the Braves have now lost their first two MVC games, and Indiana State now has our attention as they improve to 2-0 in the league and have a really impressive road win to go along with their 7-1 overall record. FEAR THE TREES!!!

-Also in the Missouri Valley, Drake improved to 7-1 and picked up their second conference win with a pretty impressive 74-57 showing over Missouri State.

Injuries Mount Threatening Valley Teams--Valley Hoops Insider

Without Tyson, Belmont still beats Valpo 77-68--nashvillehoops.blog
Men's Basketball Improves to 2-0 in Missouri Valley Conference---Belmont Vision
Men's Basketball Defeats Valparaiso--belmontbruins.com

Belmont Hosts Mid-State Showdown Sunday Afternoon--belmontbruins.com

Bradley 'heard the boos' and made a surge. It wasn't enough in the MVC home opener--Peoria Journal Star
Behind big first half, Indiana St hands Braves second straight loss--The Bradley Scout
Game Recap: Bradley vs Indiana State--bradleybraves.com

Bradley WBB beats Lindenwood--bradleybraves.com

Drake basketball overcomes shooting woes for 74-57 win over Missouri State in MVC matchup--Des Moines Register
Determined Dogs Beat Bears for 2-0 MVC Start--godrakebulldogs.com

Dinnebier Drops 30-Piece in Double O.T. Loss at Minnesota--godrakebulldogs.com

'He's built for it': Antonio Thomas leads UE men's basketball to thrilling OT win over UNI--Evansville Courier & Press
Aces win overtime thriller against UNI--gopurpleaces.com

Early deficit sinks Aces women’s basketball at UT Martin--gopurpleaces.com

Dalton Banks, Illinois State basketball play host to Murray State--The Pantagraph
ISU men's basketball holds off late surge, takes down Murray State 76-72--The Vidette
Redbirds Remain atop MVC with Win over Racers--goredbirds.com

No. 5 North Carolina State handles Illinois State women--Associated Press
ISU women's basketball gearing up for daunting two-game stretch--The Vidette
ISU women's basketball's win streak ends in 79-61 loss at No. 5 NC State--The Vidette
Gillespie Returns to Raleigh for Sunday Matinee vs Fifth-Ranked Wolfpack--goredbirds.com

Sycamores secure convincing win in Peoria, 2-0 Valley start--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Hot First Half Drives Sycamores Past Braves--gosycamores.com

Resilient Sycamores overcome early deficit to beat Chippewas--gosycamores.com

Missouri State basketball no match for Valley-favorite Drake--Springfield News-Leader
Bears Fall at Drake for First Valley Loss--missouristatebears.com

Racer Review: Murray State vs. Bradley--Racer Basketball
Murray State at Illinois State preview--Racer Basketball
Anderson Scores 27 - But Racers Fall At Illinois State--goracers.com

College Men’s Basketball: How UNI opened conference play 0-2--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
UNI men’s basketball drops overtime battle at Evansville--unipanthers.com

Panthers finish five-game road stand with loss to Creighton--unipanthers.com

Sharpshooting Salukis tie record for most threes in win over SLU--Daily Egyptian

Valpo can't overcome early Belmont barrage--The Victory Bell
Early Hot Shooting Helps Bruins Top Beacons--valpoathletics.com
Road-Heavy Stretch Continues Wednesday at Central Michigan--valpoathletics.com

Four Quarters with Mary Evans--The Victory Bell
Sims Nets Career High; Women’s Basketball Falls at Purdue--valpoathletics.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/2/2023

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Saturday, Dec 2nd--Hoops HD

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-INDIANA STATE AT BRADLEY (Missouri Valley). This game actually has a very pivotal feel to it. Bradley looked really strong out of conference, but lost their conference opener to Murray State earlier this week, and will really take a hit of they can’t get it done at home today and lose their second in a row. Indiana State is not a bad team at all. They only have one loss, they won their conference opener in decisive fashion against Southern Illinois, and a win like this would do a lot for their tournament resume.

-MISSOURI STATE AT DRAKE (Missouri Valley). Both teams come into this one at 6-1 and both won their conference opener. There is room in this league for teams to land inside the bubble, and that’s what makes this such an important game for both of them.

12/2/23 SATURDAY NEWS AND NOTES--Staring at the Floorboards

Subscriber Content

• Bradley’s length and physicality has been a stumbling block for Indiana State’s elite rim and 3 offense since Schertz took over...
• A totally different Fort Wayne team swept Oakland last year, so it’s difficult to glean much from those meetings...

ISU women seek third out-of-town victory--Terre Haute Tribune-Star

Kickapoo grad Indya Green's career night leads Missouri State to win over Tulane--Springfield News-Leader
Green’s Career High Lifts Lady Bears Over Tulane--missouristatebears.com

It's Racers at Redbirds Sunday--goracers.com

Bria's barrage leads Racers to win at USI--Racer Basketball
Learn Post First Double-double, Racers Take First Road Win--goracers.com

Women’s Basketball Collects Gritty Road Victory At Omaha--uicflames.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/1/2023

The madness of the Missouri Valley Conference is at it again--Mivd-Major Madness
December Coaching Carousel Breakdown--Burner Ball

Mid-Major Hot Seat

*Coaches removed from Preseason List*

Luke Yaklich (Illinois-Chicago)

Dana Ford (Missouri State)

Conference Play – Round One--Valley Hoops Insider
One-on-One: Will the MVC be a multi-bid league this season?--The Bradley Scout
MVC NOTEBOOK: Unbeatens stumble in first round of Valley tilts--Terre Haute Tribune-Star

Bradley struggles again at Murray State, records first loss of the season--The Bradley Scout
Game Preview: Bradley vs Indiana State==bradleybraves.com

Short-handed Braves fall at Butler--The Bradley Scout
Bradley WBB back home against Lindenwood--bradleybraves.com

Notebook: Belmont’s Davidson shows signs of life--nashvillehoops.blog
Men's Basketball Hosts Valparaiso Saturday--belmontbruins.com

College Basketball: Eight Mid-Major Freshmen to Pay Attention To--ON3

G Kevin Overton, Drake

The Buzz: Drake has started the season 6-1 and Kevin Overton is the team’s third leading scorer averaging 14.0 points while shooting 36.4 percent from the field. Overton, a 6-foot-5 lefty from Oklahoma, has gone for 19 or more points in three of his seven games. Their upcoming stretch includes Missouri State, Saint Louis, and Nevada.

Women's Basketball Preview: Minnesota & North Dakota State--godrakebulldogs.com

'Still plenty of room for growth': Inside the UE men's basketball team's hot start--Evansville Courier & Press
Men’s basketball welcomes UNI on Saturday afternoon--gopurpleaces.com

Aces women's basketball heads to UT Martin--gopurpleaces.com

Strong second half lifts Illinois State past Illinois-Chicago in MVC opener--The Pantagraph
Burford, Banks' scoring efforts lift ISU men's basketball to 69-64 win over UIC--The Vidette
Big Second Half Leads Redbirds to MVC-Opening Win over Flames--goredbirds.com

Illinois State women trounce Chicago State for fifth straight win--The Pantagraph
ISU women's basketball wins fifth straight 102-47 over Chicago State--The Vidette
Redbirds Win Fifth-Straight with All-Around Historic Performance against Chicago State--goredbirds.com

Off The Burner 11.29.23--Burner Ball

Josh Schertz is a name to watch.

Indiana State head coach Josh Schertz just wins, man. The Sycamores are off to a 6-1 start after beating the brakes off a good Southern Illinois team last night. After an 11-win season in year one, Schertz led ISU to a 23-13 record last year. They finished top-100 in KenPom for the first time since 2013 and they’re sitting at 72 as of writing. Before he got to Indiana State, he won 83% of his games over 13 seasons at D2 powerhouse Lincoln Memorial. They won their conference nine (!) times. Schertz is a rising star in the business and is more proof that athletic directors should hire winners at any level.

Braves and Sycamores budding rivals? Schertz says not yet--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
ISU Battles the Braves to End Early MVC Slate--gosycamores.com

Saturday matinee at Central Michigan on deck for Sycamores--gosycamores.com

After getting past Bradley, Racer men eye 2-0 Valley start at Illinois State--Murray Ledger & Times

Racer women want more consistency as they head to Southern Indiana--Murray Ledger & Times
Racer Review: Murray State vs. UT Martin--Racer Basketball
Murray State at Southern Indiana preview--Racer Basketball

College Athletics: Bowlsby discusses interim AD job, what it takes to be successful at UNI--Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
Panther men’s basketball takes on Evansville in final early MVC matchup--unipanthers.com

Panthers finish a five-game road stand with a matchup at Creighton--unipanthers.com

SIU Men's Basketball | 3 Things to Watch: Salukis aim to rebound against Saint Louis--The Southern Illinoisan

Men’s Basketball Falls To Illinois State, 69-64 in MVC Opener--uicflames.com

Women's Basketball Closes Road Stretch Sunday at Purdue--valpoathletics.com