What's Up In The Missouri Valley 4/7/2024

Former mid-major stars shine in Final Four--Mid-Major Madness

Purdue

Lance Jones (Southern Illinois)

Carbondale, Illinois stand up! The Salukis had a heck of a season in the Big Ten between Purdue’s Lance Jones and Illinois’ Marcus Domask.

Jones will go down as one of the most prolific guards in Salukis’ history, making the third most 3-pointers (205) and picking up the fifth most steals (176) in a career.

In Saturday’s national semifinal for the Boilermakers, he led the game in made 3-pointers (4) and had a steal to boot. Only behind Edey on the scoreboard with 14 points, he was a big part of Purdue’s first trip to the national title since 1969.

Title Game

Purdue and UConn will face off in the national championship game on Monday night at 9:20 ET on TBS. There will be three former mid-major players in action, Lance Jones (SIU), Cam Spencer (Loyola MD), and Tristan Newton (ECU).

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 4/6/2024

Bradley basketball lands commitment from former Peoria Notre Dame all-stater--Peoria Journal Star

Illinois State Legend Doug Collins to be Enshrined into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame--goredbirds.com

It's official: Saint Louis announces Indiana State's Josh Schertz will be basketball coach--Indianapolis Star
Schertz departs ISU, takes Saint Louis U. job--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Assistant Matthew Graves promoted to interim head coach--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Schertz resigns as Indiana State head men's basketball coach--gosycamores.com
Matthew Graves announced as Interim Men’s Basketball Head Coach--gosycamores.com

Murray State's Mattox named head coach at Morehead State--WPSD Local 6

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 4/5/2024

MVC in the NIT: Every Missouri Valley basketball program to win a National Invitation Tournament--Peoria Journal Star

Former Bradley women's basketball coach an integral part of NCAA Final Four program--Peoria Journal Star

Seton Hall defeats Indiana State in thrilling final to win NIT--Asbury Park Press
Indiana State loses heartbreaker to Seton Hall in NIT Championship Game--Mid-Major Madness
Saint Louis expected to hire Josh Schertz: Indiana State coach likely to leave Sycamores after falling in NIT--CBSSports
Report: Indiana State's Josh Schertz expected to accept Saint Louis head coach job after NIT loss--ON3
Seton Hall closes game on 9-0 run, breaks Indiana State hearts in NIT final, 79-77--Indianapolis Star
Indiana State's 'throwback team' captured imagination of community, country with NIT run--Indianapolis Star
Amid Saint Louis rumors, Josh Schertz says he'll 'try to have a decision by the weekend.'--Indianapolis Star
Isaiah Swope only ever asked for a chance. He showed why this year with Indiana State--Evansville Courier & Press
Schertz wins Hugh Durham Award as mid-major Coach of the Year--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Rarefied Air: Indiana State nearly closes NIT with crown--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Will he stay? ISU's Schertz expected to announce decision today or Saturday--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Indiana State concludes storybook season with NIT championship heartbreaker--gosycamores.com

Lady Bears Add Transfer Zoe Stewart--missouristatebears.com

Mattox new Morehead State head coach--Racer Basketball

Young to return to Murray State for fifth season--WPSD Local 6
Kate the Great returns!; Future Hall of Fame forward will play 5th year at Murray State--Murray Ledger & Times

Mid-Major ties to 2024 Men’s Final Four--Mid-Major Madness

Purdue

Lance Jones

Jones played in 119 games with Southern Illinois before becoming a Boilermaker. He posted 1,514 career points (12^th in program history), 205 3-pointers (third) and 176 steals (fifth). Last season, he was named to the MVC All-Defensive Team and Third-Team All-MVC. The guard registered 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Head Coach Matt Painter

Painter had one year of head coaching experience before becoming the head man for Purdue. He led Southern Illinois for the 2003-04, where the Salukis went 25-5 and made the NCAA Tournament. They reached No. 15 in the AP poll during the season, and he was named Missouri Valley Coach of the Year.

DAILY DIRT – 4/5/24--HoopDirt

Been a busy week. Here are just a few quick things to kick off the day…

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It sounds like Ryan Davis, who just resigned as the head coach at D3 Lake Forest College (IL) will be hired as an assistant on Rob Eshan’s new staff at UIC. Davis had been the head coach at LFC for the past three seasons, and had been an assistant at the school since 2015. The Illinois native played at the University of Chicago.

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 4/4/2024

'I'm back': Bradley basketball starting big man to return for fifth-year senior season--Peoria Journal Star

Darian and Tucker DeVries announce departure from Drake--The Times-Delphic

Mid-Major ties to 2024 Women’s Final Four--Mid-Major Madness

Iowa

Head Coach Lisa Bluder

Bluder took over the Hawkeye program in 2000. Prior to Iowa City, she was the head coach at Drake for 10 seasons, where she went 187-106. The Bulldogs posted five 20-win seasons and made five postseason appearances.

Illinois State looks to add shooters from transfer portal after loss of Burford, Foster--The Pantagraph

Robbie Avila NBA Mock Draft scouting report: Why 'Cream Abdul-Jabbar' could be second round sleeper in 2024--The Sporting News
Indiana State keeps memorable season alive with NIT semifinal win--A Daly Dose Of Hoops
NIT: CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES--Staring at the Floorboards
NIT NOTEBOOK: Pirates' coach impressed by Sycamores, fans--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Season Finale: Sycamores seek to ride off into sunset in NIT Final--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Indiana State's Schertz wins Hugh Durham Award as mid-major coach of the year--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Trees Still Rolling in the NIT--Indiana Statesman
Indiana State ready for championship battle versus Pirates--gosycamores.com
Schertz named CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Coach of the Year--gosycamores.com

Young ready to run it back one last time--Racer Basketball
Young Returns for her Fifth Year--goracers.com

DAILY DIRT: D1 staff’s starting to take shape--HoopDirt

A bunch of new basketball staff’s starting to take shape over the past few days. Some I’ve mentioned already, some are new. Wanted to compile them all in one place:

Illinois Chicago: According to his X, Niagara assistant Kevin Devitt has joined Rob Ehsan’s staff at UIC. Devitt just wrapped up his 4th season at Niagara after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at UAB (where he worked for Ehsan).

Grace Berg to Represent Drake in Women's College All-Star Game--Missouri Valley

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 4/3/2024

Dollars and sense: How Bradley basketball and its NIL group navigate the NCAA transfer portal--Peoria Journal Star

Abbie Aalsma becomes fourth ISU women's basketball player to enter transfer portal--The Vidette

Indiana State advances to NIT final with over Utah--Mid-Major Madness
The Breakfast Buffet: March Madness Edition--College Hoops Today

Things To Sample

Josh Schertz has made Indiana State appointment TV
You don’t always say that in April about a team that plays in the Postseason NIT. The Sycamores picked up their 32nd win of the season on Tuesday night against Utah and will play Seton Hall on Thursday night in the title game of the event. Schertz’s crisp offensive sets made Indiana State a fascinating watch throughout the regular season and while the Sycamores didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament, their aesthetically pleasing style has been showcased over the past few weeks. Schertz has been reportedly linked to the head coaching vacancy at Saint Louis, but first he’s got a chance to lead Indiana State to a postseason title. This is the best season that this program has had since Larry Bird led the Sycamores to the national title game in 1979.

How a 15-minute montage helped Indiana State basketball flush NCAA snub, spur NIT run--Indianapolis Star
Another 100 points for Indiana State as Sycamores beat Utah, advance to NIT final.--Indianapolis Star
Sycamores topple Utes with lion’s share of fans in Hinkle--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores earn first-ever trip to NIT Championship with win over Utes--gosycamores.com

Zo State: Cuonzo Martin officially reintroduced as basketball coach at press conference--The Standard

Young discusses her milestones; ‘I’m just glad that I’ll be able to show my kids I was actually good at basketball’--Murray Ledger & Times

Boom: Ellis becomes first portal addition in 2024--The Victory Bell

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 4/2/2024

Drake hires Ben McCollum, who won four Division II titles, as basketball coach--The Associated Press
Drake hires Ben McCollum from Northwest Missouri State as men’s basketball coach--The Athletic
Drake basketball tabs Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri State coach, to lead program--Des Moines Register
What to know about Ben McCollum, the new Drake men's basketball head coach--Des Moines Register
Peterson: As a Drake grad, I'm optimistic Ben McCollum will rebuild men's basketball roster--Des Moines Register
Drake Men's Basketball Ushers in New Era with Hiring of Head Coach Ben McCollum--godrakebulldogs.com

Where is De Pere basketball star Johnny Kinziger now? Making noise as a freshman for Illinois State--Green Bay Press-Gazette

ISU women's basketball's Brooke Coffey, Molly Lenz enter transfer portal--The Vidette

NIT semifinals is no ‘Hoosiers’ for Indiana State. It’s what team expected after March Madness snub--The Associated Press
NIT: SEMIFINAL NEWS AND NOTES--Staring at the Floorboards

Subscriber Content

Hinkle will be Hulman Center East with Indiana State “hosting” Utah, who will be playing their first tournament game away from the friendly altitude of the Huntsman Center....

BLUE & WHITE VIEW: Prominent, ‘unique’ squad takes to Hinkle hardwood--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores look to keep rolling at Hinkle--Indiana Statesman

How Cuonzo Martin will go about returning Missouri State basketball where it needs to be--Springfield News-Leader

Making it official: Poock becomes a Racer--Murray Ledger & Times
Bradley-transfer Poock signs with Racers--Racer Basketball
Racers Announce Poock as Transfer Signing--goracers.com

SIU MEN’S BASKETBALL Nagy retains Howard for coaching staff--Dawg Bites
News | Scott Nagy Announces Jerrance Howard will be Retained on Coaching Staff--siusalukis.com

Rob Ehsan named UIC men’s basketball head coach--UIC Today

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 4/1/2024

Sycamores head to historic Hinkle Fieldhouse for NIT Final Four--gosycamores.com

Fresh start: here are all the Basketball Bears entering the transfer portal--The Standard

Simmons says he has Murray State offer--Racer Basketball

Rob Ehsan Named UIC Men’s Basketball Head Coach--uicflames.com

All about recruiting for 'The Rev'--The Victory Bell