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.
From there we run through the other 21 UTR leagues and discuss the strength
of the Missouri Valley and how good Indiana State and Drake have looked so
far, along with Bradley still potentially being a dangerous team.
NIT Bracket (Protected Seeds in Bold, Bubble Teams in Italics):
1. Texas Tech (Big 12 1)
8. Minnesota
4. Mississippi
5. Washington
3. N.C. State (ACC 2)
6. Missouri
2. Michigan (Big Ten 1)
7. Saint Joseph's
1. Oregon (Pac-12 1)
8. Nevada
4. Xavier (Big East 1)
5. Iowa
3. Butler (Big East 2)
6. Duquesne
2. Indiana
7. Drake
1. South Carolina (SEC 2)
8. St. Bonaventure
4. UCF (Big 12 2)
5. Rutgers
3. Arkansas (SEC 1)
6. Maryland
2. Virginia Tech (ACC 1)
7. Seton Hall
1. Nebraska (Big Ten 2)
8. Georgia
4. Washington St.
5. Boise St.
3. UCLA (Pac-12 2)
6. Utah St.
2. St. John's
7. Syracuse
Also Considered: George
Mason, Boston College, VCU, Appalachian St., Louisiana Tech, North
Texas, SMU, Richmond, San Francisco, Florida St., Tulane, Wichita St.,
Bradley, Missouri St., Southern Illinois, Loyola Marymount, Yale,
Hawaii, Drexel, Kent St.
Casey Alexander has a Big Three. Photo Courtesy: Belmont University Athletics/Sam Simpkins
We’re approximately one-third of the way through the college
basketball season. Many teams aren’t fully formed, but some are so it is
possible to project which way a team’s season is heading.
Nashvillehoops.blog will take a look at what’s good, what’s bad and
what’s in between at this point with our five teams (as usual, in
alphabetical order).
Belmont (8-3)
The Good: The Bruins have put together a version of a
Big Three with Cade Tyson (17.1 ppg), Malik Dia (16.8) and Ja’Kobi
Gillespie (16.6). Tyson is playing at an all-league level and Dia is one
of the most gifted players in the MVC, but it’s the emergence of
Gillespie as a serious offensive threat because of his improved shooting
that makes the Bruins a possible NCAA team.
The Bad: Coach Casey Alexander hasn’t been able to
develop the depth he likes to have, but he is still hopeful that bench
players Kyler Vanderjagt and Win Miller will provide that. It remains to
be seen.
The In Between: As talented as Dia and Gillespie
are, they lead the team in turnovers. If those two can be more careful
with the ball, that would make a big difference.
The 7-footer played two seasons at Bradley, winning MVC defensive player of the year and helping the team to the 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
He is among BU's all-time leaders in field goal percentage and blocked
shots — and is the only BU player with at least 70 blocks in two
seasons. He was selected as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft
by the Golden State Warriors. He played parts of four seasons in the NBA,
including time with Golden State, the Boston Celtics and the Toronto
Raptors. After the NBA, he went on to compete professionally around the
world for nearly a decade.
Yohn starred for BU all four years, from 2009-13, was named to the MVC all-freshman team, and three times was named all-MVC.
She graduated as the BU record-holder for career 3-pointers, since
surpassed, and ranked eighth all-time in scoring. Yohn led Bradley to
its first two postseason appearances in program history — the 2010 and
2012 Women's Basketball Invitationals. She went on to play eight years
professionally, including in Germany. As a senior, Yohn became the first
BU player to finish with 300 points, 175 rebounds, 70 assists, 20
blocks and 70 steals in a single season. In her career, she was the
first to simultaneously reach the milestones of 1,300 points, 200
3-pointers, 450 rebounds, 250 assists, 80 blocked shots and 175 steals.
It was only a matter of time before the Sycamores made an appearance here in
our “Spotlight On The Sneaky Mid-Major” slot in the rankings. Josh Schertz’s
team, which won 23 games a year ago, leads the nation in effective
field-goal percentage (.617) and ranks fifth in 3-point percentage (.412)
and sixth in 2-point percentage (.616). They take 46 percent of their shots
and get 38 percent of their points from beyond the arc. In short, it’s quite
a fun offense to watch, and it’s yielding results. ISU’s only loss was at
Alabama, but there are also already five wins away from home — most by a
comfortable margin. Oh, and think it can’t get worse for Michigan State?
Well, the Sycamores and Spartans have their most anticipated meeting since
the 1979 national championship game coming up on Dec. 30.
There are a ton of interesting guys on this roster. Southern Indiana
transfer
Isaiah Swope
and South Florida transfer
Ryan Conwell
rank first and second in the Missouri Valley in made 3s while shooting 45
and 43 percent from deep, respectively. Swope averages 19.7 points and 2.2
steals, Conwell averages 15.2 points and 5.1 boards and former Bradley
transfer
Jayson Kent
(13.1 and 7.2) leads the league in 2-point percentage. But the name you
really need to know, the player you absolutely must see to believe, is
sophomore sensation
Robbie Avila, a 6-10, 240-pound unicorn with a soft middle, goofy grin and goggles. His
looks are deceiving, as Avila does it all for the Sycamores: 16.6 points,
5.9 boards, 3.8 assists, 10 of 25 from deep. He led the MVC in offensive
rating last season and is fourth this year in box plus/minus, sixth in true
shooting. To watch him is to love him. – Tucker
With the Sycamores off to a 9-1
start, the former Southern Indiana guard has been leading the way
averaging 19.7 PPG while shooting 50% from the field, including his
first double-double of the season with 27 points and 10 boards over
Northern Illinois.
SIU’s Xavier Johnson
is flirting with the top spot among the nation’s leading scorers.
During SIU’s win over Oklahoma State, Johnson hit the thirty point mark
for the third time this season. Johnson leads the Valley and is second
nationally in scoring (24.2 ppg) and is also the Valley’s ‘Player of the Week‘. He is 32nd nationally in free throw percentage (.913).
If Malik Dia continues to come off the Belmont bench, you can probably engrave Dia’s name on the MVC’s ‘Sixth Man Award’. This week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week‘
averaged 18.5 points and four rebounds during the Bruins’ wins over
Lipscomb and Middle Tennessee. The Vanderbilt transfer is the Valley’s
eighth leading scorer (16.8 ppg) and is converting .529 of his shot
attempts.
Drake’s impressive wins over Saint Louis and Nevada were sparked by the outstanding play of guard Kevin Overton. This week’s ‘Freshman of the Week‘
averaged fifteen points and 5.5 rebounds during the critical
non-conference victories. Overton is the MVC’s highest scoring rookie
(13.9 ppg).
Twenty-seven points and 19 rebounds in one game will often earn you praise. For Evansville’s Barbora Tomancova it earned a ‘Player of the Week’
award. It’s the first time in eight seasons that a Valley player has
reached those dual levels in one contest. This is the Purple Aces’
second weekly award winner. During week three Maggie Hartwig grabbed the
freshman award.
During week five, Indiana State’s Kiley Bess earned her team’s first
weekly individual award. Bess scored sixteen points, grabbed four
rebounds and handed out three dimes during the Sycamore win over
Southeast Missouri. Bess is the Valley’s ‘Newcomer of the Week‘.
Jailyn Banks is a three-time winner of the Valley’s ‘Freshman of the Week‘
title. The Belmont rookie scored 16 points during the Bruins’ win over
Lipscomb. Banks won the award for her work in week’s one and two of the
season and now has turned the trick in week five.
Patrick O'Bryant, Men's Basketball (2004-06)
Patrick O'Bryant was a two-year member of the Bradley Men's Basketball
team before being selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2006 NBA
Draft by the Golden State Warriors. The 2006 MVC Defensive Player of the
Year helped the Braves advance to the Sweet 16 of the 2006 NCAA
Tournament by upsetting nationally-ranked teams Kansas and Pittsburgh
during the first two rounds of the Oakland Regional.
In addition to the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year, O'Bryant's list of
conference awards include 2006 All-MVC second team, 2005 MVC
All-Newcomer Team, 2005 MVC All-Freshman Team and 2006 MVC
All-Tournament Team.
O'Bryant ranks third in program history by making 55.4 percent of his
career field goal attempts and fourth in program history with 147 career
blocked shots. He owns two of the top four single-season blocked shot
totals in program history, remaining the only Bradley player to reject
at least 70 shots in a season twice. O'Bryant also posted 11
double-double points and rebounds performances during his two-year
college career.
He played 90 career NBA games, spanning four seasons, and competed
professionally around the globe for 14 seasons overall. In addition to
traditional 5-on-5 professional basketball, O'Bryant competed in the Big
3 (3-on-3) nationally-televised pro circuit during the 2018 season.
O'Bryant also has suited up for the Bradley University alumni team,
Always A Brave, for all four of its TBT appearances, helping the team to
an 8-4 tourney record, three Super 16 appearances and a spot in the
2016 tournament semifinals.
Katie Yohn, Women's Basketball (2009-13)
A four-year member of the Bradley Women's Basketball team, Yohn was a
key contributor in each of her four seasons. She was a three-time
all-conference selection, earning honorable mention All-MVC in 2010 and
2011, before collecting second-team honors in 2013. She also received
2013 MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team honors and appeared on the 2010 MVC
All-Freshman Team.
As a senior in 2012-13, Yohn became the first player in Bradley history
to finish a season with 300 points, 175 rebounds, 70 assists, 20 blocked
shots and 70 steals. She became the first player since Bradley
Athletics Hall-of-Famer Heather Best in 1997-98 to lead the team in
scoring, rebounds and steals. Yohn broke the Bradley career record for
made three-pointers with a 3-for-4 effort from beyond the arc against
Missouri State on Jan. 12, 2013, hitting the game-winning three-pointer
in an 80-79 victory with 1.9 seconds left.
Yohn finished her career ranking eighth in program history with 1,365
career points and set the then-program record with 210 career 3-point
field goals (now second). She also ranked sixth in program history with
88 blocked shots and seventh with 199 steals when she graduated. Yohn
was the first student-athlete in MVC Women's Basketball history to
combine for 1300 points, 200 3-pointers, 450 rebounds, 250 assists, 80
blocked shots and 175 steals.
Yohn's performances were vital in Bradley Women's Basketball making its
first two postseason appearances in program history - the 2010 and 2012
Women's Basketball Invitationals (1-1 records in both). After Bradley,
Yohn enjoyed an eight-year professional playing career, starring in the
German Bundesliga.
Four teams joined the ranking: St. Bonaventure at 22, McNeese State at 23,
UC Irvine at 24 and Belmont at 25.
The Other Top 25: Dec. 11, 2023
Rank
Team (First Place Votes)
Points
Previous
7
Indiana St.
91
9
11
Drake
76
10
25
Belmont
9
NR
Others Receiving Votes:
Santa Clara 8; San Francisco 8; Bradley 8; Tulane 6; Vermont 5; Weber
St. 5; Louisiana Tech 4; Purdue Fort Wayne 4; George Mason 3; Longwood 3;
Southern Illinois 2; Long Beach St. 2; Kent St. 1; George Washington
1; Hawaii 1
Dropped from Ranking:
Bradley – 19; Santa Clara – 23; Vermont – T-24; Tulane – T-24
-Drake is now 9-1 after handily beating a Nevada team that came into this one
unbeaten. We were all really big on Drake coming into the year and thought
they could land inside the bubble, but they did lose some key players from a
year ago, and after getting blown out by Stephen F Ausitn a few weeks ago we
just kind of wrote them off. Well, I think it’s time to write them back in.
They’re now 9-1 with a couple of notable and impressive wins.
It’s time to start paying attention to Indiana State
Let’s end on a positive note. The Indiana State Sycamores aren’t getting a
lot of national love right now, but they absolutely deserve it.
A 9-1 start has Josh Schertz’s squad up to No. 12 in the NET rankings and
No. 54 on KenPom. Outside of a loss to Alabama, this high-powered offense
has been boatracing opponents.
Indiana State plays at a fast tempo and leads the country in effective field
goal percentage, per KenPom. That’s likely because ISU ranks in the top 10
in shooting both inside and outside the arc. The Sycamores share the ball
and rarely turn it over. They also have five different players averaging at
least 10.5 points. Five players also average over 2.0 assists, including
three that average 3.8 or more.
This is a balanced team with a dynamic backcourt. The Sycamores also have
one of the nation’s most unique weapons in center
Robbie Avila, who is a pretty apt comparison for college
basketball’s Nikola Jokic given his production and skill set. Just look!
It is worth noting that Avila did not play in the loss to Alabama, and his
presence could have made a difference in that game.
Drake remains the favorite to win the Missouri Valley this season, but
Indiana State is right there. The Sycamores have another chance to make a
statement on Dec. 30 at Michigan State. You might want to tune in — because
this is a group that could become America’s darling in the NCAA Tournament.
Drake vs. Nevada, 7:30 p.m., BallerTV ($): Part
of the same $20 Vegas bundle as the Santa Clara-New Mexico game,
Drake-Nevada is another highly-touted mid-major matchup. The Wolf Pack
are among the many teams in the Mountain West building an at-large
resume. The Bulldogs sit at 8-1 with two wins already in the stacked
Missouri Valley. This is another potential swing game for the committee
as it may end up being Drake’s only opportunity all season for a
quadrant one victory.
-NEVADA VS DRAKE (Jack Jones Classic, Henderson NV). Nevada comes
into this game at 7-0 and has a decent win against Washington, but
hasn’t had any really big tests yet. Drake has only lost one game, and
while they might not be a “really big” test, they’re still a good team.
This is a resume building opportunity for two teams whose schedules
don’t necessarily provide them with an abundance of opportunities, which
makes this an important game for both of them.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES/BUY GAMES:
-Valparaiso @ Virginia Tech -Southern
Indiana @ Indiana State – The Trees can get to 9-1 on the year, which
is amazing since this is just their 4th home game
After being selected to our Top 20 Transfer Guards list,
the former Southern Indiana guard dropped a season-high 27 points and
10 rebounds to secure his first career double-double and lead the
Sycamores to a 90-67 win over NIU. Averaging 19.7 PPG, 2.1 APG, and 2.2
STLPG, Swope is Indiana State’s leading scorer and has this program off
to an 8-1 start following back-to-back wins this week.
After that, Chad, Rocco, and David run through the other 21 UTR leagues
and discuss ... how strong the Missouri Valley
looks with Indiana State and Drake both playing so well.
-Belmont almost blew an 18pt halftime lead on their own home court
and just barely survived a furious comeback by Lipscomb and held on to
win the Battle of the Boulevard 72-71. I love this rivalry! It
actually goes back to when the two were NAIA schools.
