Missouri Valley Conference 2003-04 Season Recap
by Neal Heston
2003-04 one of the Valley’s best
As an attempted game-tying three-pointer from Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson bounced off the rim in the Panther’s first round defeat to Georgia Tech in the NCAA Tournament, so ended UNI’s season and the Missouri Valley Conference’s as well. Despite early postseason exits for all Valley squads, the conference enjoyed its strongest season since sending three teams to the NCAA Tournament in 1999.
Led by first-year coach Matt Painter, Southern Illinois ran away with the title and nearly became the second team in conference history to finish the league schedule 18-0. Northern Iowa, one of the season’s surprises, destroyed that dream on the regular season’s final night. The win for the Panthers helped form a logjam at second place as UNI, Wichita State and Creighton all finished with 12-6 conference marks.
Other notable accomplishments included four teams participating in the postseason, as Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa went dancing in the NCAA Tournament and Creighton and Wichita State accepted invites to the NIT. Southwest Missouri State could have made a strong argument for an NIT bid as well, but early season woes hurt the Bears. The same four postseason teams also racked up at least 20 wins apiece – tying a league record. And again, Southwest Missouri State fell just short of that mark with 19 victories.
Surprises in the Conference Tournament
Northern Iowa had not won the MVC Tournament and had made the championship game only once since joining the conference just over a decade ago. The Panthers squeezed through all of their games though to capture their first league crown ever. MVC Tourney MVP Ben Jacobson took the Panthers on his shoulders, helping lead the rally against Wichita State in the semifinals with 23 points and racking up a career-high 26 points in the double overtime championship game victory.
For the third consecutive season, Southern Illinois could feel nothing but disappointment. The Salukis entered tournament play as the top seed, only to bow out – this time to Southwest Missouri State. SMS stormed on the path to the championship game by taking down both teams that played in last season’s final, Creighton in the quarterfinals and Southern Illinois in the semifinals. Postseason glory was just out of reach though as the Bears fell in double overtime to Northern Iowa in the championship.
Rough Postseason for the MVC
NCAA Tournament:
Southern Illinois, No. 9 seed
The Salukis continued their late season fade by bowing out to eighth-seeded Alabama in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. A missed jump shot by Darren Brooks as time expired ended Southern Illinois’ season, as the Crimson Tide escaped with the 65-64 win. Alabama held the 34-23 lead at the half, but the textbook style play of the Salukis helped them rally back and take a late 62-61 advantage. Alabama’s Antoine Pettway ruined any hopes of a mild SIU upset though, hitting a six-foot shot with five seconds remaining.
Northern Iowa, No. 14 seed
The last and only other time Northern Iowa qualified for the NCAA Tournament (1990), it was a 14 seed. It fared well too, as that team knocked down third-seeded Missouri and nearly reached the Sweet 16 after a three-point loss to Minnesota. The Panthers weren’t so lucky this time.
After UNI rushed out of the gate to grab an early 6-2 lead on Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets ran away to take a 32-15 lead. Looking at a possible blowout loss, the Panthers wouldn’t lie down and cut the gap to 12 by halftime. It didn’t end there either as UNI kept the run going and took a 42-41 lead after a Brooks McKowen trey. Georgia Tech regained the lead thereafter and had a late 63-60 advantage with the ball in UNI’s possession. An attempted three by Ben Jacobson fell short though and with that, so did the opportunity for an upset.
National Invitation Tournament:
Wichita State
After the Shocker’s hopes of an NCAA appearance were crushed in a MVC Tournament loss to Northern Iowa, their opportunity to make a run in the NIT was stopped by Florida State. Wichita State held a 71-68 lead and was seconds from victory when Florida State’s Tim Pickett nailed a trey at the end of regulation to send the contest into overtime. The Seminoles went on to the 91-84 double overtime win.
Creighton
The Bluejays reached the postseason for the seventh consecutive year, but this one ended in bitter defeat. Creighton lost to intrastate rival Nebraska for the first time in six attempts when the Cornhusker’s Nate Johnson hit a lay up for the 71-70 win. The largest lead for both teams was nine points, but neither could pull away from the other. Creighton bowed out in the first round of the NIT for the sixth consecutive time.
Hoopville’s Postseason Awards:
All-Conference Team:
Darren Brooks, Southern Illinois
MVC scoring leader, MVC Player of the Week three times
David Gruber, Northern Iowa
2nd in MVC rebounding
Marcellus Sommerville, Bradley
Led Bradley in scoring, MVC leading rebounder
Jamar Howard, Wichita State
In MVC top 10 for scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals
Trey Guidry, Illinois State
Led ISU in scoring, MVC leader in three-point field goals
MVP: Darren Brooks, Southern Illinois
Newcomer of the Year: Marcellus Sommerville, Bradley
Coach of the Year (tie): Greg McDermott, Northern Iowa; Matt Painter, Southern Illinois
UNI’s Greg McDermott gets my vote based on the fact that the Panthers were picked for a sixth place finish in the conference and instead finished with the second seed in the conference tournament, went on to capture the tournament title and reached the school’s second NCAA Tournament ever. In only three years, McDermott has turned the Panthers from a cellar dweller into a contender.
Neck and neck with McDermott is (former) Southern Illinois’ Matt Painter. The job Painter did this season was nothing short of remarkable given that the team lost its top two scorers from last season and the head coach. Painter guided the Salukis to a school-record 17 conference victories and SIU’s best start since in decades.
Big Ten grabs another Saluki
Maybe Southern Illinois should think about joining the Big Ten Conference. After leading the Salukis to their best season ever in the Missouri Valley Conference, Matt Painter resigned as head coach last week. He will join the coaching staff at Purdue and take over the helm for Gene Keady after next season.
Painter had just finished his first season as head coach of the Salukis after Bruce Weber departed for the head coaching vacancy at Illinois last season. After being tabbed for a sixth place finish in the conference, the Salukis stormed through the MVC schedule and nearly became the second team ever to finish the league slate unbeaten. Though Painter will receive a hefty raise for heading to a larger program, the fact that he played at Purdue from 1989-93 was a large role in luring him away from SIU.
Illinois assistant coach Chris Lowery will return to his alma mater and take over as head coach for the 2004-05 campaign. Lowery has been an assistant on Weber’s staffs the past three seasons at Southern Illinois and Illinois. Each of those teams have won conference titles while heading to the NCAA Tournament – Southern Illinois twice and Illinois this season.
What to look for in ’04-’05
One word can be used to describe next season in the MVC: parity. At least four teams should have good reason to think they can win the league crown, and another three shouldn’t be far behind. Creighton should continue slipping from its powerhouse status as the Bluejays lose a lot of strong players. The coaching job by Dana Altman should determine just how far Creighton slides. Drake should continue to rise with its stingy defense, and Illinois State returns most of its nucleus from what was already a competitive team. To sum it all up, the team that sits in last place next season won’t deserve it.
Recapping the Valley
Southern Illinois (25-5, 17-1)
The Salukis ran out of wind down the stretch when they needed it most. After running off 16 consecutive wins and a 17-0 conference record, Southern Illinois dropped three of its last four to finish the season. Northern Iowa ruined the opportunity for a perfect Valley season, Southwest Missouri State prevented the Salukis from finally winning an MVC Tournament title, and Alabama sent SIU packing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Given where Southern Illinois was supposed to finish this season, it’s hard to say that the season was a disappointment. It just ended that way. The Salukis didn’t dominate the MVC in field goals, three-pointers or rebounding, but they did all of the little things to go from a predicted fifth place finish to the powerhouse of the conference.
Team MVP: Darren Brooks – 16.5 PPG, 60 steals
Leading Scorer: Darren Brooks – 16.5 PPG
Leading Rebounder: Darren Brooks – 5.7 RPG
Assists Leader: Darren Brooks – 2.73 APG
Season Accomplishments:
• The 16-game winning streak was SIU’s longest since the1966-67 campaign.
• With five games separating the Salukis from the second place team, SIU won the conference by the largest margin since Bradley in 1985-86.
• The Salukis won their third consecutive conference title, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since Drake did it from 1968-71.
• Darren Brooks led the MVC in scoring with 16.2 points per contest and also grabbed six rebounds a game to rank seventh in the conference.
Looking to Next Year:
First of all, Darren Brooks in returning. Anytime the conference’s player of the year returns, you’re at a good start. Also returning are Stetson Hairston, LaMar Owen and Jamaal Tatum. New head coach Chris Lowery has a good nucleus to work with. SIU should be in good position for another run at the MVC title.
Northern Iowa (21-10, 12-6)
Head coach Greg McDermott said before the season started that it would be disappointing if games in February and March were meaningless. Needless to say, the Panther’s first round game in the NCAA Tournament with Georgia Tech wasn’t meaningless. UNI enjoyed its best season since reaching the NCAA Tournament in 1990 and nearly stormed back against the Yellow Jackets to put an upset in the books. Much like Southern Illinois, a win to move on in the tournament would have been nice, but the loss didn’t put much of a damper on the season.
Northern Iowa was tabbed to finish in sixth place – right behind the Salukis. Well, they did finish behind the Salukis, but in second place. Even with two starters new to the system, UNI exceeded expectations en route to its first winning season since 1996-97.
Team MVP:
Ben Jacobson – 14 PPG
Leading Scorer: Ben Jacobson – 14 PPG
Leading Rebounder: David Gruber – 6.9 RPG
Assists Leader: Erik Crawford, Brooks McKowen – 2.68 APG
Season Accomplishments:
• UNI made just its second NCAA Tournament appearance ever. The only other time they made the tournament was in 1990 when the Panthers were a member of the Mid-Continent Conference.
• Northern Iowa also won 20 games for the first time since 1990.
• Three nationally ranked teams walked onto the Panther’s home court and walked back off with a loss.
• The MVC Tournament title was UNI’s first ever. Prior to this appearance, the Panthers were just 5-11 in the MVC Tourney since joining in 1992.
Looking to Next Year:
Only two seniors were on the roster this season, but they were large contributors. As David Gruber and Matt Schneiderman depart, so does about 23 points and 14 rebounds a game. The progression of freshman Grant Stout this season should ease the transition, and add on the genius recruiting work that has been done by Greg McDermott so far. Also returning are all of the starting guards in Ben Jacobson, Erik Crawford and Brooks McKowen and bench players Chris Foster and Pete Schmit.
Wichita State (21-11, 12-6)
Finishing in a tie for second place in this tough conference usually doesn’t qualify as a disappointment, but that’s exactly what it was for the Shockers this season. With a veteran lineup returning, Wichita State had high hopes of ending the dominance of Southern Illinois and Creighton. Instead, the Shockers stumbled out of the gate and again towards the end of the season en route to a first round loss to Florida State in the NIT.
Despite the disappointments, Wichita State can take a positive out of the season. The squad’s 21 wins could have easily been 26 or 27 as the Shockers were 2-6 in games decided by five points or less.
Team MVP:
Randy Burns – 12.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG
Leading Scorer: Jamar Howard – 13.8 PPG
Leading Rebounder: Jamar Howard – 5.8 RPG
Assist Leader: Fridge Holman – 5.69 APG
Season Accomplishments:
• Wichita State won 20 games for the first time since the 1987-88 campaign.
• Despite clinching the third seed in the MVC Tournament, the Shockers were tops in the conference in points per game, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and rebounding.
• Head coach Mark Turgeon continues to build this program into a contender, taking WSU from nine victories his first season to 21 in his fourth season this year.
Looking to Next Year:
Yes, Aaron Hogg and Fridge Holman are gone, but the team’s top two scorers, Randy Burns and Jamar Howard will be back. Not only was Howard sixth in the MVC in scoring, but he was in the top 10 for nearly every major statistical category. If he is able to calm himself down in hostile environments next season, he will be a strong candidate for MVC Player of the Year. Throw in the returns of Rob Kampman and Paul Miller, and there is no reason why the Shockers shouldn’t compete for the Valley title next season.
Creighton (20-9, 12-6)
Nobody expected the Bluejays to struggle as they did this season, especially after starting the season 12-0. But after Southern Illinois walked into the Qwest Center and escaped with a 61-60 win, Creighton stumbled and finished the final 10 games of the season 3-7. The losses weren’t pretty either with a 15-point setback at Kent State and a 70-46 whipping at Southwest Missouri State. The ride down the roller coaster was capped off with a 71-70 loss at home to state-rival Nebraska in the NIT opening round.
Creighton’s failure to win a third consecutive MVC Tournament kept the Bluejays out of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.
Team MVP:
Brody Deren – 10.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG
Leading Scorer: Nate Funk – 11.1 PPG
Leading Rebounder – Brody Deren – 6.6 RPG
Assists Leader – Nate Funk – 2.68 APG
Season Accomplishments:
• Missing the NCAA Tournament may have been disappointing, but Creighton made the postseason for a seventh consecutive season. There are a lot of other MVC teams that would like to be in those shoes.
• The Bluejays also won 20 games for the sixth consecutive season, the first team to do so since Cincinnati from 1958-63.
Looking to Next Year:
There should be reason for concern next season with Joe Dabbert, Michael Lindeman, Mike Grimes and Brody Deren departing. Leaving with those four players are 32 points per game. It’s still hard to root against this team though with Dana Altman at the helm. No matter who leaves, this team should be in the mix.
Southwest Missouri State (19-14, 9-9)
One of the most storied programs in the league has now missed the postseason for the fourth consecutive season, but the Bears were probably one of the best non-postseason teams in the nation this season. An NIT berth in 2000 was the team’s last postseason appearance.
SMS finished the conference schedule at .500 but was one of the most dangerous teams in the Valley towards the end of the season. Victories over Creighton and Southern Illinois in the conference tournament and a near-comeback against Northern Iowa in the championship game proved it. Had a few more games gone in the direction of SMS earlier this season, a postseason rejection would have been even more devastating.
Freshman Blake Ahearn enjoyed great success during his first year on the roster, being named MVC Player of the Week in January and Newcomer of the Week on two separate occasions. He set an MVC record with consecutive free throws made and sunk an amazing 97.3 percent of his attempts during the regular season.
Team MVP:
Merrill Andrews – 10.9 PPG
Leading Scorer: Merrill Andrews – 10.9 PPG
Leading Rebounder: Monwell Randle – 5.8 RPG
Assists Leader: Merrill Andrews – 3.21 APG
Season Accomplishments:
• Ahearn capped off the season as the best free throw shooter in the nation, swishing on 117 of 120 charity shots for a 97.5 percent conversion.
Looking to Next Year:
There was talk during the MVC Tournament that the job of head coach Barry Hinson was in jeopardy. That should no longer be the case and shouldn’t be the case next season either with the improvement this young team showed. The freshman accounted for nearly 21 points a game and their defense was just as phenomenal. SMS should be one of four teams competing for the title next season.
Drake (12-16, 7-11)
Say goodbye to the cellar, Bulldogs. Dr. Tom Davis worked a miracle with a team that was tabbed for a ninth place finish in the conference during the preseason. Even more impressive was that Drake had no seniors on this season’s sixth-place team. The young squad became just the fourth team ever in the Valley to record 300 or more steals during a season, snatching 309. Lonnie Randolph, Nick Grant and Chaun Brooks sat in the top five in the MVC for the category, with Randolph at the top.
To go along with strong defense, the Bulldogs sat third in the Valley in offense with 70.3 points per contest. If Drake is to continue moving up next season though, shooting and rebounding need to be worked on. The Bulldogs sat near the bottom of the conference in both areas.
Team MVP:
Lonnie Randolph – 12.1 PPG
Leading Scorer: Lonnie Randolph – 12.1 PPG
Leading Rebounder: Josh Powell – 4.4 RPG
Assists Leader: Lonnie Randolph – 3.79 APG
Season Accomplishments:
• A few more shots here and there going the Drake’s way would have given the Bulldogs a winning record during this campaign. Three losses included an 83-77 defeat at Iowa State, a 51-50 loss to SMS and an overtime defeat to Northern Iowa by five points.
Looking to Next Year:
Joshua Robinson and Quantel Murphy have decided to leave the Drake program, but they are the only two players departing. Combined, the two accounted for just under 15 points a game. Key returners include Klayton Korver, Josh Powell, Grant, Brooks and Randolph. Dr. Tom and the ‘Dogs could have basketball fever hitting Des Moines next season.
Bradley (15-16, 7-11)
Plain and simple, this was not a good season in Peoria. After entering the season with hopes of contending for the Valley title, the Braves were plagued by the injury bug. First went down Phillip Gilbert in late December, when he was the MVC’s leading scorer. The team posted a miserable record without him, falling from four games over .500 to five games below sea level. Other players also suffered other nagging, minor injuries.
Bradley did have some quality wins and losses this season, defeating SMS on the regular season’s final night and dropping narrow losses at DePaul and Southern Illinois. Three BU players finished the season in the Valley’s top five for scoring: Gilbert with 16 points a game, Marcellus Sommerville scoring 15.9 points a contest and James Gillingham tacking on another 15.2 points per night.
Team MVP:
Marcellus Sommerville – 15.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG
Leading Scorer: Marcellus Sommerville – 15.6 PPG
Leading Rebounder: Marcellus Sommerville – 7.3 RPG
Assists Leader: Marcello Robinson – 3.90 APG
Season Accomplishments:
• Bradley’s 8-4 non-conference record was its best since going 7-3 outside the Valley in the 1994-95 campaign.
• Thankfully for the Braves, Marcellus Sommerville will be back in Peoria next season. He received MVC Newcomer of the Week honors six times.
Looking to Next Year:
As with Creighton, the Braves are losing more players than they are returning. Gone are Marcello Robinson, Gillingham and Gilbert. Quality players are returning though with Sommerville and Mike Suggs, but the conference might be a little ahead of the Braves unless a few new players step up.
Indiana State (9-19, 5-13)
Indiana State was fantastic on defense. Unfortunately for the Sycamores, the exact opposite could be said about the offense. Having a defense that allows 61.7 points a game would be enough to warrant a top half finish in the conference for most teams, but ISU managed to score just 57.9 points a game themselves – dead last in the MVC. Strong defense was enough to carry them through the midway point of the MVC schedule, but a sputtering offense from then on sent the Sycamores on an 11-game skid and near the bottom of the standings.
Team MVP:
David Moss – 13.6 PPG
Leading Scorer: David Moss – 13.6 PPG
Leading Rebounder: Amani Daanish – 5 RPG
Assists Leader: David Moss – 3.52 APG
Season Accomplishments:
• ISU held 13 opponents to 60 points or less. They were 6-7 in those games.
Looking to Next Year:
Defense – and hopefully, offense too. If the Sycamores can get things rolling on the offensive side, the Valley will be just that more interesting next season. David Moss, who sat in the MVC top 10 for scoring and steals, returns, as does Amani Daanish and Eric Gray. It could be either a very fun or very long season for ISU basketball.
Evansville (7-22, 5-13)
The Purple Aces recorded their worst season in several years, but the good news is they finished the year 5-8 after a 2-14 start. Close contests were not Evansville’s expertise as the Aces were only 1-5 in games decided by five points or less and were also just 3-7 when leading at the half.
Senior guard/forward Clint Cuffle was the leader on this team as well as one of the better players in the Valley. His 14 points per contest placed him in the conference’s top 10, and he was also fifth in the MVC with 6.1 rebounds per game.
Team MVP:
Clint Cuffle – 13.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG
Leading Scorer: Clint Cuffle – 13.8 PPG
Leading Rebounder: Clint Cuffle – 6.2 RPG
Assists Leader: Lucious Wagner – 4.55 APG
Season Accomplishments:
• Evansville came close to defeating a couple of NCAA-caliber teams, dropping a four-point game to Illinois-Chicago and an eight-point contest to Austin Peay.
Looking to Next Year:
Both of the guards are returning with Andre Burton and Lucious Wagner. Going 4-6 in their final 10 games this season is promising as well.
Illinois State (10-19, 4-14)
Usually, the team that gets last place doesn’t want next season to approach too quickly. This isn’t the case for head coach Porter Moser and the Redbirds though after the way they played this season. ISU dropped some close contests to good teams and lost five games by five points or less. Strong performances, but tough losses, were put up in an 89-84 setback to Utah State, a three-point loss to Northern Iowa at the beginning of the MVC season, an overtime loss to state rival Illinois and a heartbreaking one-point loss to Creighton.
Trey Guidry had a breakout year for ISU, receiving MVC Player of the Week honors during the first week of the season. He scored 14.7 points a game and was a threat from downtown, hitting nearly three treys (the irony) a game.
Team MVP:
Trey Guidry – 15.2 PPG
Leading Scorer: Trey Guidry – 15.2 PPG
Leading Rebounder: Marcus Arnold – 4.6 RPG
Assists Leader: Vince Greene – 3.38 APG
Season Accomplishments:
• ISU earned its first MVC road win at Northern Iowa in January, the only Valley team to win on the Panther’s floor this season.
Looking to Next Year:
Barring injuries, this team won’t finish any lower than sixth place and could finish even higher. Three-point threats Guidry and Gregg Alexander return, as does Marcus Arnold, who tallied 12.8 points per contest.
