What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/22/2025

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Saturday, Dec 20th--Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Belmont absolutely crushed UC Irvine on the Eaters’ own floor 84-58. Belmont is damn good!!

Receiving-Votes Duke Tops Bruins in Non-Conference Finale--belmontbruins.com

Bradley basketball vs Southern Illinois recap: Braves win MVC home opener--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley basketball coach moves up program wins list. See where he ranks--Peoria Journal Star
‘We definitely didn’t want to go into three overtimes again’: Huibregtse sinks late free throws to seal Bradley’s sixth straight win--The Bradley Scout
Bradley defeats SIU and improves to 2-0 in MVC play--bradleybraves.com

Bradley WBB Holds on for Fourth Straight Win over Northern Kentucky--bradleybraves.com

Drake Escapes Evansville For First Conference Win, 66-65--godrakebulldogs.com

Offense Sputters as Drake Closes Non-Conference Slate with Loss to Minnesota--godrakebulldogs.com

Rally falls short as Aces fall to Bulldogs--gopurpleaces.com

Aces’ Hard-Fought Effort Falls Short in Non-Con Finale at Dayton--gopurpleaces.com

Illlinois State thrills Coach Ryan Pedon in decisive win over Indiana State--The Pantagraph
Redbirds chop down Sycamores in second MVC contest--The Vidette
Balanced Effort Leads Redbirds to Lopsided Conference Win--goredbirds.com

Redbirds fly into conference play after dominant win over Oakland--The Vidette

Early lead vanishes as Sycamore men fall by 20 at MVC foe Illinois State--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores fall in thrilling MVC opener to Braves--Indiana Statesman
Men's basketball falls to MVC preseason favorite Illinois State on Sunday--gosycamores.com

Michigan State tops ISU women in North Carolina tourney--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores fall to nationally-ranked Michigan State in Cherokee Invitational opener---gosycamores.com

12/21 Racer Rewind--WPSD Local 
Not pretty ... but a W; Racer men come back to beat Valpo with gutty play down stretch--Murray Ledger and Times
Gritty Racers Grind Out Win at Valpo--goracers.com

Ford, Secrist star for Racer women in conference tune-up--Murray Ledger and Times
Christmas came early for Racer Thomas--Murray Ledger and Times
Racers Cruise to Seventh Straight Win to Finish Non-Conference Play--goracers.com

12.22.25 Game Analysis--Basket Under Review

NORTHERN IOWA @ ST. MARY'S

I think my concerns for UNI here are two-fold, notwithstanding the obvious fact of being in Moraga right before Christmas, a similar situation to last year's faceplant in Nevada against Washington State....

UNI men’s hoops visits Saint Mary’s for non-conference finale--unipanthers.com

College Women's Basketball: UNI ends non-con season on high note--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
UNI women’s basketball: Panthers close non-conference play with a win--unipanthers.com

Salukis get bullied by Braves, lose 73-69--The Daily Egyptian
Salukis Fall to Bradley, Begin 0-2 in Valley Play--siusalukis.com

Salukis Defeat Judson, 85-29, for Biggest Win Since 2022--siusalukis.com

Men's Basketball Drops Overtime Decision at Charlotte, 88-76--uicflames.com

Women’s Basketball Falls Short Against Austin Peay, 59-48--uicflames.com

Another moment slips away from the Beacons--The Victory Bell
How Good is Valpo?--The Valpo Vault
Valpo loses its MVC opener 85-79--The Valpo Vault
Dease Posts Career High in Narrow Loss to Murray State--valpoathletics.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/20/2025

Men's Basketball Makes Huge Statement With Dominant Victory at UC Irvine--belmontbruins.com

Bruins Welcome Receiving-Votes Duke to the Curb Saturday Afternoon--belmontbruins.com

Bruised, Battered, but still Brave: Bradley wins triple-overtime thriller over Indiana State--The Bradley Scout

Women's Basketball Preview: Minnesota & UIC--godrakebulldogs.com

Men’s basketball back home on Sunday afternoon--gopurpleaces.com

Illinois State women shoot their way past Oakland--The Pantagraph
Redbirds Post Historic Shooting Night in Win Over Golden Grizzlies--goredbirds.com

Sycamores look for bounce-back game Sunday--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Great Scotts, it's a family reunion at Indiana State--Terre Haute Tribune-Star

Racers Take 5-Game Win Streak To Valparaiso--goracers.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/19/2025

12.19.25 Game Analysis--Basket Under Review

QUICK TAKES:

• UC Irvine looked dead in the water for about 30 minutes last year in Nashville, but eventually their paint dominance and especially free throw shooting (24-26) won out despite Belmont going 15-38 from 3 and attempting 10 more field goals than the Eaters. ...

Tyler Lundblade Named to Lou Henson Award Watch List--belmontbruins.com

Bradley played one of its longest games ever. See how it stacks up historically--Peoria Journal Star
MBB Recap: Bradley wins overtime marathon against Indiana State--bradleybraves.com

Women's Basketball Secured First Valley Win of the 2025-26 Season--bradleybraves.com

Drake Opens MVC Play With Loss at Murray State, 81-72--godrakebulldogs.com

Ty Pence, Illinois State open Missouri Valley Conference play with victory--The Pantagraph
Big Second Half Propels Redbirds to Win in Carbondale--goredbirds.com

It took three overtimes, but Sycamores fall to Bradley in MVC opener--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Men's basketball drops triple-overtime MVC opener against Bradley--gosycamores.com

Murray State opens MVC play with 81-72 win over Drake--WPSD Local 6
Missouri Valley Conference play arrives; Racer men beat Drake; Murray State uses muscle to beat ‘Dogs at own game--Murray Ledger and Times
Racers Take MVC Opener Over Drake--goracers.com

Seen this film before?; Like last year, Racer women show signs of their 3 stroke returning--Murray Ledger and Times

Leon Bond named to Lou Henson Award early season watchlist--unipanthers.com

Salukis drop conference opener 75-68 to Redbirds--The Daily Egyptian
Turnovers Plague Southern Again as Physical Redbirds Surge Late--siusalukis.com

Women’s Basketball Faces Austin Peay in Weekend Matinee--uicflames.com

Beacons to Tip Off League Play on Sunday at ARC--valpoathletics.com

Guedet to Join Valpo Women’s Basketball in 2026-27--valpoathletics.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/18/2025

College Basketball Best Bets: Conference Openers and One Big Mismatch--Busting Brackets

ISU head coach Ryan Pedon | MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK

Now it’s time to get back to work. Here are our best bets for Thursday’s slate.

Bradley Braves at Indiana State Sycamores

Home court matters in the Missouri Valley, especially in a conference opener. Bradley has not been tested much on the road yet, and this environment presents a real challenge.

Indiana State is built to defend at home and should be able to dictate pace. Take the home team as a slight underdog.

Betting Pick: Indiana State Sycamores +3.5 over Bradley
Final Score Prediction: Indiana State 77, Bradley 70

Illinois State Redbirds at Southern Illinois Salukis

Illinois State has the look of a team that could contend for the Missouri Valley title this season. Opening conference play on the road is never easy, but the Redbirds are the better team in this matchup.

When forced to choose between location and talent, the smarter bet is the better basketball team.

Betting Pick: Illinois State Redbirds +2.5 over Southern Illinois
Final Score Prediction: Illinois State 78, Southern Illinois 72

Enjoy the games. Whether you are here to fade or follow, be sure to track all of our bets on BetStamp throughout the season.

Under the Radar – Week 7--Hoops HD

After that we run through the other 21 UTR conferences and discuss the overall strength of the Big West where Hawaii and UC San Diego are off to great starts. The Missouri Valley is looking very strong with teams like Northern Iowa, Belmont, Murray State, and Illinois State.

12/18/25 THURSDAY NEWS AND NOTES--Staring at the Floorboards

Subscriber Content

MISSOURI VALLEY

• Southern Illinois and Illinois State split their series last year, but it took some aberrational 3PT shooting (13-24) and a friendly whistle for the Salukis to get the win in Carbondale....
• Matt Graves will make his return to the sideline for the Sycamores, as he’s now fully recovered from offseason heart surgery. It will be interesting to see how Indiana State’s rotations and role allocations look moving forward without Markus Harding... Bradley’s frontcourt however has struggled majorly to defend on the perimeter/in PNR...
• First Valley game of the Ryan Miller era, so I expect the CFSB Center will be packed, despite the holiday timing.... Drake meanwhile just got torched from 3 by NDSU, with the Bison going 19-33...

Men's Basketball Takes on UC Irvine Friday--belmontbruins.com

Bruins Outlast Evansville, 77-67, in MVC Opener at the Curb--belmontbruins.com

The Missouri Valley's 5 biggest upset wins this basketball season--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley basketball vs Indiana State: How the Bradley Braves rallied to win in 3 OTs--Peoria Journal Star
Bradley Basketball to Celebrate 40, 30 & 20-Year Anniversaries of Three Teams--bradleybraves.com

Drake basketball building its identity under Eric Henderson | Hines--Des Moines Register

Drake women's basketball opens MVC play with win over Indiana State--Des Moines Register
Drake Opens Valley Play with 97-77 Victory at Indiana State--godrakebulldogs.com

Aces Drop MVC Opener at Belmont--gopurpleaces.com

Men's Basketball Opens MVC Play in Carbondale--goredbirds.com

Illinois State women's basketball plays final nonconference contest--The Pantagraph
Redbirds Set To Host Oakland In Final Non-Conference Tuneup--goredbirds.com

Indiana State head coach working his way back--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Men's basketball begins MVC play at home against Bradley--gosycamores.com

Indiana State women drop MVC opener to Drake--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamore women drop first MVC game of season against Drake--Indiana Statesman
Third-quarter surge sends Drake past Indiana State in MVC opener--gosycamores.com

Perfect timing; Racer men have offense humming ahead of Valley opener with Drake--Murray Ledger and Times
Big dog visits tonight; Drake is gold standard program of Valley for good reason--Murray Ledger and Times
MSU's Jackson Named To Lou Henson Award Watch List--goracers.com

College Men's Basketball: UNI fights way past UIC for road win--Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
UNI men’s basketball rallies for win at UIC in conference opener--unipanthers.com

SIU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAME CAPSULE SIU at BRADLEY--Dawg Bites
Women’s Basketball Falls to Bradley in Conference Opener--siusalukis.com

Men's Basketball Narrowly Falls to Northern Iowa, 60-54--uicflames.com

Women’s Basketball Tops DePaul for First Time Since 1981--uicflames.com

Injuries pile up as Beacons fall--The Victory Bell

Shorthanded Beacons Fall to Central Michigan--valpoathletics.com

What's Up In The Missouri Valley 12/17/2025

College basketball best bets: Tennessee bounces back, UConn flexes at home--Busting Brackets

Belmont Bruins at Evansville Purple Aces

This is a tricky early conference spot for Belmont. The Bruins are the better team on paper, but Evansville plays with energy at home and should be fully engaged in a Missouri Valley opener.

Expect a competitive, grind-it-out game where possessions matter and the margin stays tight throughout. Getting double digits with the home team is too much to pass up.

• Betting Pick: Evansville Purple Aces +10.5 over Belmont Bruins
• Final Score Prediction: Belmont 69, Evansville 68

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Tuesday, Dec 16th--Hoops HD

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-Belmont @ Evansville (Missouri Valley) – this should be a winnable road game for Belmont and get them to 11-1 on the season

Brand New Names are Emerging--Valley Hoops Insider

Brand New Names – Player of the Week

Leon Bond III exploded for 26 points during Northern Iowa’s win over Oakland. The Valley’s ‘Player of the Week’ collected seven rebounds and made nine of 13 shot attempts. LB3 is the Valley’s sixth different player to earn this weekly award.

Newcomer’s Emerging

Layne Taylor came to Murray State with big expectations and last week those expectations were met and exceeded. The Central Arkansas transfer scored 23 points and added eight assists during the Racers’ 115-100 win over Akron. This week’s Valley ‘Player of the Week’ leads the MVC in assist-to-turnover ratio and is third in assists.

Brand New Freshmen

Belmont’s Jack Smiley has scored 58 points in his last six games and is becoming a growing part of the Bruins’ attack. The Valley’s ‘Freshman of the Week’ scored all eleven of his points during the second half of Belmont’s win over UIC. Five different Valley freshmen have claimed a weekly award. Only Valparaiso’s Rakim Chaney has earned this award twice.

Men's college basketball watchability rankings: The season's 10 most entertaining teams--The Athletic

12. Belmont

One more true mid-major to watch: Casey Alexander’s Bruins have risen to 79th in KenPom’s rankings, and their blend of pace, efficiency, shooting and unselfishness make them an extremely pleasant viewing experience. Tyler Lundblade is among the country’s best shooters, and Sam Orme’s inside-out game makes him immensely difficult to defend. Nic McClain ranks 12th nationally in assist rate as the system’s conductor.

Better Balance Leading To Better Results--Valley Hoops Insider
Men's Basketball Defeats Evansville--belmontbruins.com

Bart Brooks and Belmont embrace the nonconference gauntlet--Basket Under Review
Bruins Begin Missouri Valley Conference Play Wednesday Night with Evansville Visiting--belmontbruins.com

'Evolve': What was learned about Bradley basketball from nonconference season--Peoria Journal Star
MBB Preview: Bradley to open Missouri Valley play at Indiana State--bradleybraves.com

Women’s basketball gets back on track with victories over Chicago State and South Dakota--The Bradley Scout
Maya Foz named Busey Bank Scholar-Athlete of the Week--bradleybraves.com
Bradley WBB Opens Conference Season against Southern Illinois--bradleybraves.com

Men's Basketball Preview: Murray State & Evansville--godrakebulldogs.com

Hundley posts top game at UE in Valley opener--gopurpleaces.com

MVC Opener Up Next for Women's Basketball--gopurpleaces.com

Illinois State basketball opens Missouri Valley Conference season--The Pantagraph

Sycamores taking a little momentum into MVC opener against Bradley--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Update on Indiana State Men's Basketball Coach Matthew Graves--gosycamores.com

ISU, Drake women set to clash in Hulman Center--Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Sycamores begin MVC play at home against Drake--gosycamores.com

Teams of the Week: Take a Step Away From Pinnacle--Basket Under Review

HONORABLE MENTION: REMAINING CONFERENCE AWARDS

MISSOURI VALLEY: MURRAY STATE - Another Jack Jones Classic key result. The Racers raced hard to a 115-100 regulation win over Akron. This one was not for lovers of defense, but man was it electric. It goes down as a very meaningful win at this stage, Murray State jumped from 111 to 95 in POM due to the result. Racers were absurdly wet from distance, going 18-32 from downtown. Eye-popping stuff there. Layne Taylor dropped six of them, while leading the squad with 23 points. Seven different Racers scored in double-figures in this shootout. Murray State is a tough defensive cover for any future opponent.

Racers Open 4th Season in the Valley - Host Drake Thursday--goracers.com

Thomas makes season debut for Murray State after battling back from injury--WPSD Local 6
Murray State races past Memphis 85-57 in front of record crowd--WPSD Local 6
Education Day at Murray State; Lesson learned; Racer women hammer Memphis in front of record crowd--Murray Ledger and Times

Panther men’s basketball visits UIC for Valley opener on Wednesday afternoon--unipanthers.com

Salukis looking to make statement in Valley opener--siusalukis.com

Men's Basketball Welcomes UNI for MVC Home Opener--uicflames.com

Women’s Basketball hosts Chicagoland Neighbor DePaul in Non-Conference Action--uicflames.com

Valpo falls on the road in nonconference finale--The Victory Bell
Martinelli, Wildcats overcome Beacons, 86-70--The Valpo Vault
Valpo Drops Nonconference Finale at Northwestern--valpoathletics.com