Saturday (Jan. 27) marked the midway point of the MVC schedule. Last year (Belmont and SIU led the league at 8-2 after 10 games) marked the first time since 1992 that a conference leader (or co-leader) failed to reach post-season play after leading the league at the midway point of the Conference schedule. Indiana State (18-3, 9-1 MVC) leads The Valley at the midway point in 2023-24.
Drake’s current 16-game homecourt winning streak is tied for 5th-best nationally. Drake (11-0) and Indiana State (9-0) have not lost at home this year.
Southern Illinois trailed by 20 points at Murray State in the second half on Jan. 27, only to rally for a 60-58 victory. It’s the third 20-point comeback by an MVC school this season.
Missouri State’s Alston Mason is coming off a career-high 36 points in Wednesday’s win over Drake. His outburst marked the most points by a Bear since Isiaih Mosley’s 40-point effort at Loyola on Jan. 22, 2022. Indiana State’s Isaiah Swope also had 30 points (at UIC) last Wednesday, and Bradley’s Duke Deen hit his career high with 31 points at Indiana State on Saturday.
Indiana State leads eight MVC teams among the Top 162 as ISU sits at No. 24. Drake is 47; and Bradley, 64. The MVC finished 15th as a league in the Conference NET last year and enters this week 10th as a league. The league’s Top 3 NET-rated teams have combined for nine Quad 1+Quad 2 victories this year.
Indiana State enters the week No. 24 in the NET, is rated No. 37 in KenPom, and is at No. 41 in ESPN’s BPI Index. ISU is receiving votes in both the Associated Press (34th-most votes overall) and USA Today Top 25 coaches poll (33rd overall).
Robbie Avila of Indiana State leads all centers nationally in assists per game (4.1). Only 27 centers nationally in the last 30 seasons have averaged 3.0 APG or better [Basketball Reference].
The MVC has combined for a 25-35 record on the road in league play (.417). The road success in MVC play is the third-best on record (through at least 1977).
Indiana State is 10 in offensive efficiency in KenPom; Drake is No. 44 in OE; and Bradley is 66. Since 2012, 10 of 12 MVC teams in the Top 35 of KenPom’s OE have earned a spot in the NCAA Tourney (UNI, 2020 - COVID; MOST, 2022 - played in the NIT).
Drake and Belmont are two of the winningest programs in the NCAA since the start of the 2020-21 campaign. Drake ranks fourth-best nationally in that span, and Belmont is No. 20.
UIC leads the MVC and ranks eighth in the nation in blocks per game (5.8). Only one MVC team since 1987 has recorded 5.0 blocks per game for an entire season.
Valparaiso is one of the youngest teams in the nation (per KenPom), as the Beacons rank No. 356 (of 362) in experience.
The MVC finished the non-conference regular-season schedule with an 84-48 (.636) record. The +36 ledger (games over .500) is the best in MVC men’s hoops since the 2017-18 campaign, when the Valley was 87-46 (+41), which included post-season play that season.
Valley Runs Deep -- Notably, MVC men’s teams are 12-3 in their first game in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 2012. The league has now combined for 20 wins in the NCAA Tournament in the past 10 NCAA championships and has earned multiple bids 16 times since 1994. Since 2013, The Valley has had two Final Four appearances, and an MVC team has reached a Sweet 16 a total of 12 times since 1985.
Nation’s 2nd Oldest -- Founded in 1907, the Missouri Valley Conference is the nation’s second-oldest Division I athletic conference (behind only the Big Ten). The MVC is celebrating its 117th season in 2023-24.
In March 2024, The Valley will conduct its 34th St. Louis-based postseason men’s basketball championship. With 34-straight years at the same neutral site, Arch Madness is the second-longest neutral site tenured collegiate tourney in the nation (following only the Big East in New York City). This year's tournament dates are March 7-10 (Thursday-Sunday) at Enterprise Center.
Belmont BRUINS
- Behind a season-high 17 points from Keishawn Davidson, Belmont University men's basketball defeated UIC, 74-65, Saturday from the Curb Event Center. Davidson added five assists and two steals as Belmont forced a season-high 23 turnovers.
- Malik Dia has recorded 16 consecutive double-figure scoring games after scoring 13 points in the win against UIC on Saturday (plus a game-high 19 points Tuesday at Illinois State).
BRADLEY BRAVES
- Duke Deen finished the week with an average line of 22 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG while shooting 54% from the floor and 57% from three.
- Malevy Leons is on pace to become the 53rd 1,000-point scorer in Bradley MBB history; he sits 24 points away from 1,000 career points in his three year career at Bradley.
- The Braves rank 1st in the MVC in both FG% and 3FG% during conference conference play.
- Bradley made 18 three-point field goals in its win against Belmont. The 18 treys in a game matches a league season-best (SIU had 18 in its win against Saint Louis), and the total was only one shy of the all-time league mark of 19 treys in an MVC game (Indiana State had 19 in a win against Murray State on Feb. 4, 2023.)
DRAKE BULLDOGS
- Darnell Brodie averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals in two games last week. He scored 18 points with nine rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists in the 83-80 double overtime loss on Wednesday. Brodie added 11 points grabbed eight rebounds and distributed four assists in the 77-63 win over UNI on Saturday.
- Tucker DeVries averaged 23.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in two games last week. He put together a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds in the 83-80 double overtime loss on Wednesday. DeVries poured in a game-high 29 points with seven rebounds and six assists in the 77-63 victory over UNI on Saturday.
- Atin Wright averaged 9.5 points and 3.0 rebounds last week. Wright scored 12 points and snagged three rebounds at Missouri State before contributing seven points (five from the free throw line) in the 77-63 win over UNI on Saturday.
- Drake is 4-0 this season in games following a loss and 35-12 under head coach Darian DeVries in games after a loss including a 21-8 mark in games following a conference loss. Drake is 19-3 in home games following a loss since the beginning of the 2018-19 season and has won 10 consecutive home games immediately following a loss.
- Dating back to Jan. 24, 2023, Drake has won 16 consecutive games at home, the longest active home win streak in the MVC.
- Darnell Brodie surpassed 1,000 points in his collegiate career and currently has 1,008 career points (998 of which were scored as a member of the Drake men’s basketball team).
EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES
- Averaging 18.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, Yacine Toumi led the Purple Aces to their third MVC win of the season against Illinois State. Toumi opened the week tying his career scoring mark with 20 points at UNI. He was 9-of-16 from the field while adding 6 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. In the win over the Redbirds, Toumi converted 8 of his 11 attempts and picked up 6 more rebounds. For the week, he shot 63.0% from the field and averaged 6.0 caroms.
- Junior Tanner Cuff averaged 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in a strong week of action for the Purple Aces. Cuff registered 13 points in a close road contest at UNI on Tuesday. He hit 5 of his 11 attempts and finished with 5 rebounds as he finished just one shy of his career scoring mark. He posted another double figure outing in the win over Illinois State, scoring 10 points while adding 6 boards and a pair of blocks. In an average of just over 29 minutes of action, Cuff had four assists while turning the ball over just once. This week’s games marked the first time this season that Cuff has scored 10+ points in consecutive games.
- Making Progress – Since taking over as head coach of the Purple Aces program, David Ragland has made progress each day and the results this season have shown that the hard work is paying off. UE earned its 12th win of the season on Saturday, the most in a season since the 2017-18 campaign. The victory was also the third Missouri Valley Conference triumph of the year and matched the Aces’ entire MVC win total from the previous two seasons combined.
- Back-to-back – For the first time this season, Tanner Cuff has posted back-to-back games with 10+ points. He began the week with 13 points in the road game at UNI, falling just one short of his career scoring mark of 14. He followed that up with a 10-point game against Illinois State. A strong week saw him post 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while picking up a total of four assists.
UIC FLAMES
- Against Belmont, UIC allowed just 22 first-half points, its best defensive showing in the opening 20 minutes since Dec. 8 at Jacksonville State, when the Flames yielded a season-low 19 first-half points.
- Saturday marked the 10th time in 21 games this season UIC has made 10 or more three-pointers in a game, and the 12th time the Flames have shot better than 35 percent from beyond the arc.
- C.J. Jones scored in double figures for the fifth consecutive game (ninth time this season) and dished out at least seven assists for the third game in a row (eighth time this year).
ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS
- Illinois State leads the MVC in offensive rebounding, pulling down an average of 10.71 offensive boards per contest. The Redbirds have an offensive rebounding allowed percentage of just 24.8, which is the 29th-lowest total in NCAA Division I basketball and is ISU's lowest of the KenPom (since 1998-99) era.
- Through 20 games in the season, Illinois State has committed single-digit turnovers eight times. This season's total is the second-most in a season since 1998-99, behind only the 2008-09 squad who did it nine times in 34 games.
- Against Evansville, Redbird freshman forward Chase Walker made 8-of-8 free throws, which is tied for the third-best single-game free throw percentage by a freshman in program history.
- Twice this season Myles Foster has led the Redbirds in points, rebounds, and assists (without sharing the team lead), the first time against Southern Illinois on January 6, and the second time on January 23 against Belmont. With two such games in a single season, he has the second-most games where he solely led the 'Birds in all three.
INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES
- Robbie Avila averaged a near double-double in the Sycamores’ 2-0 week and move into first place in the MVC. He averaged 22.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.5 AST/G, 2.0 BLK/G, and 1.5 STL/G. Avila shot a 53.6% (15-for-28) from the floor, 44.4% (4-for-9) from deep, and 90.9% (10-for-11) from the foul line.
- Indiana State leads the nation in effective field goal percentage (61.4), is 3rd in FG percentage (51.2) and 1st in 3FG percentage (41.0). The Sycamores’ 51.2 is the second-best in the MVC during the shot-clock era.
- Indiana State ranks 9th nationally with 40.9 percent of its total offense coming from three-point baskets. Illinois State leads the MVC rank ranks 32nd in the NCAA with 22.9 percent of its points coming from the free throw line this season.
- Indiana State’s 41.0 percentage from three-point range leads the nation. Four league schools rank among the Top 50 in the NCAA in three-point accuracy.
MISSOURI STATE BEARS
- Since 2010, all but three teams that have led the MVC in FG percentage defense have played in the NCAA Tournament. Missouri State’s 40.9 figure currently leads the league and ranks 55th nationally.
- Cesare Edwards averaged 14.0 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game on the week to go with a pair of three-pointers and 3 blocks as part of a 2-0 week for Missouri State. He logged a dozen points in Wednesday's win over Drake, including 10 in overtime, to lead MSU's charge, while snagging 6 rebounds and knocking down a clutch 3-pointer in overtime. He followed that with his first career double-double at Valparaiso on Saturday, registering 16 points and 11 rebounds in the road victory as he rejected 3 shots and hit another 3-pointer in the victory, while going 5-of-6 at the line.
Murray State RACERS
- MSU had their largest crowd of the season in their 70-68 loss to Southern Illinois last Saturday with 6,757.
- The Racers' home average in 2023-24 leads the MVC at 5,300. MSU led The Valley in 2022-23 with an average of 5,218.
- MSU is hitting .316 from the 3-point throw line in their MVC wins (31-of-98), but they're better in their losses with .367 (36-of-98). They've taken the same number of threes (98) in their five wins and five losses.
UNI PANTHERS
- Northern Iowa will host Murray State on Saturday afternoon with the chance to guarantee another winning season in the McLeod Center. Since moving into the McLeod Center in Nov. 2006, UNI has finished .500 or better at home every year with no losing seasons
- The Panthers are also closing in on their 1,400th all-time win in their 121-year history, picking up their 1,398th win last week against Evansville.
- Tytan Anderson has scored at least one point in 53 consecutive games, the longest streak among active Panthers.
- Bowen Born is 51 points away from cracking into UNI's top-ten all-time scoring list. The junior guard has tallied 1,349 during his four seasons with the Panthers and is currently 11th on the list. Born is currently on pace to set a single-season program record for free throw percentage, making 91.9% (57-62) of his shot attempts from the charity stripe.
- Head coach Ben Jacobson is two wins shy of his 350th career victory, currently leading all active MVC coaches in total wins.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS
- Xavier Johnson led the Salukis to a pair of wins over the last week, a home win over Valparaiso and a road win at Murray State. The graduate guard averaged 21.5 points, 5.5 assists, and three rebounds. Johnson had a game-high 27 against Valpo, with 25 of the 27 coming in the second half of play. Johnson went on to help the Saluikis rally back from a 20-point deficit on the road at Murray State, scoring the final four points to cap off a 25-3 run to end the game. Johnson hit the game-winner on a driving layup with 2.9 seconds remaining. He also dished out six assists against the Racers.
- Southern Illinois rallied back from a 20-point deficit against Murray State Saturday. The Racers led 55-35 with 14 minutes remaining before the Salukis went on a 25-3 run to close out the game. It marked the second consecutive game that SIU has come back after trailing at halftime. That had never happened before this week. The 20-point comeback is the eighth-best in the NCAA this year.
VALPARAISO BEACONS
- Valpo freshman Cooper Schwieger averaged 15.0 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game over two contests this week. He started the week with 20 points - his second-highest total in any game this season and highest in conference play - in a game at Southern Illinois on Wednesday. He also grabbed seven rebounds against the Salukis while shooting at a 57 percent clip (8-of-14) and going 2-of-3 from 3-point range. The freshman followed with 10 points on Saturday vs. Missouri State to extend his double-figure scoring streak to five and grabbed seven or more rebounds for the seventh straight game. He blocked two shots in each contest this week as well.
- Valpo's Cooper Schwieger is one of six freshmen in the country averaging at least 12.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg in conference play. He joins Georgia Tech’s Baye Ndongo, George Washington’s Darren Buchanan, New Mexico’s JT Toppin, Saint Francis (PA)’s Eli Wilborn and Iowa’s Owen Freeman. Schwieger is trying to become the first MVC freshman since Creighton’s Doug McDermott in 2010-11 to average 12.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg in league play. There are only two players in the MVC total shooting 50 percent from the field, 85 percent from the free-throw line and averaging double figures in scoring – Schwieger and Indiana State star Robbie Avila.
- You’ve likely heard of the 2004-05 “Baby Bulls,” but it’s time to officially dub the 2023-24 Valpo basketball team the “Baby Beacs.” Like the 2004-05 Chicago Bulls featuring rookies Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Chris Duhon and Andres Nocioni, this year’s version of the Beacons is filled with promising young players. On Jan. 27 vs. Missouri State, four true freshmen were part of the Valpo starting lineup – Sherman Weatherspoon IV, Kaspar Sepp, Cooper Schwieger and Jahari Williamson. This marked the first time in 40 years that Valpo had started four freshmen.