Missouri Valley Conference Notebook
by Neal Heston
One of the Best
The non-conference slate for Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) teams has been successful, to say the least. As each team plays its first conference game this week, just two teams sit below the .500 mark. Seven teams occupy a spot in the Mid-Major top 25 for CollegeInsider.com, and three are receiving votes for the Associated Press poll (Wichita State, Southern Illinois and Creighton). The 64-22 non-conference mark is the Valley’s best in modern history thanks to a handful of surprises thus far. Contenders and pretenders will be sorted out during the next few weeks though as the conference season gets into full swing.
The Valley in the Mid-Major Top 25
2. Wichita State
3. Southern Illinois
6. Creighton
11. Southwest Missouri State
21. Evansville
24. Northern Iowa
25. Bradley
(Also: 26. Illinois State)
MVC Game of the Week: Evansville 63, Creighton 61
Neither rain nor sleet nor snow could keep Evansville and Creighton from tipping off on Wednesday. Creighton braved more than a foot of snow for the win, but Kyle Anslinger’s jump shot at the buzzer crushed those hopes. Anslinger gave the surging Aces its first conference-opening win in four years and sent Creighton to a 0-1 Valley start for the first time in seven years. The Purple Aces led for 30 minutes before the Bluejays put together a 15-3 run to take a five-point lead. It was short lived though as Andre Burton and Lucious Wagner led Evansville to a winning rally.
Burton and Wagner each chipped in 13-point efforts. Nate Funk and Johnny Mathies sunk 12 points apiece in a losing effort for the Bluejays.
Game to watch this week: Dec. 28, Bradley at Creighton, 7:05 p.m.
This contest will give Bradley a chance to prove it is a force to be reckoned with in the MVC. Creighton will definitely be tough after the buzzer-beating loss at Evansville. A strong Bluejay defense, which allows less than 60 points per contest, will need to contain four Bradley starters who average double figures in scoring. Bradley has gotten off to a good start, but the non-conference slate hasn’t been the strongest. A win at the Qwest Center would be a nice addition to the resume.
Hoopville’s Player of the Week: Darren Brooks, Southern Illinois Salukis
Who else but Brooks is worthy of the honor this week? He has led the Salukis to five consecutive wins, and his numbers the last four games have included 14 points and 10 rebounds; 19 points, six rebounds and six assists; 11 points; and 16 points. A close second goes to UNI’s Ben Jacobson.
Hoopville’s Newcomer of the Week: Eric Coleman, UNI Panthers
The freshman center continues to dazzle the crowd with dunks, but more importantly, he continues to make his presence known under the basket. Coleman scored nine, 13 and a career-high 24 points in wins this week. His rebounding numbers were good as well.
Touring the Valley
Wichita State Shockers (7-0, 1-0)
Last Week: defeated Tulsa 71-66; defeated Texas-San Antonio 84-79
Next Game: vs. UMKC Dec. 28
The Shockers squeezed by two strong opponents to remain the only Valley team with an unblemished record. Paul Miller recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds in a 71-66 victory over Tulsa. Win No. 7 didn’t come easily as WSU trailed by seven at the half against Texas-San Antonio. Five Wichita State players scored in double figures though, which was enough to put a win in the books.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City will head into Wichita Tuesday for a 7:05 p.m. tip off.
Southern Illinois Salukis (9-2, 1-0)
Last Week: defeated Wright State 54-42; defeated Southeast Missouri State 72-68; defeated Saint Louis 67-41; defeated Illinois State 61-49
Next Game: Dec. 30 vs. Wyoming
Arkansas-Little Rock handed the Salukis a 70-53 drubbing on Dec. 7 and forced SIU to sit down and realize it wasn’t invincible. Since then, the Salukis have been invincible, winning five consecutive contests. Three opponents failed to score 50 points against the stingy SIU defense. Darren Brooks has shown why he is this team’s leader and one of the best players in the Valley, as he has averaged 15 points in Southern Illinois’ last four wins.
With the victory over Illinois State Thursday, SIU won its 28th consecutive home conference game, fourth-best in league history. The Salukis will briefly step out of league play when Wyoming heads into Carbondale next Thursday for a 7:05 p.m. tip off.
Evansville Purple Aces (7-2, 1-0)
Last Week: lost to Purdue 62-61; defeated Creighton 63-61
Next Game: Dec. 31 at Wichita State
The Purple Aces won’t play again until New Year’s Eve, but the rest is welcomed after last week. Evansville followed a heartbreaking loss to Purdue with a buzzer-beating win against Creighton on Wednesday. Kyle Anslinger was kind enough to deliver the blow against the Bluejays.
December 22 marked a special day for the Purple Aces. It was the day the team matched its win total from last season – not bad, considering about 20 games remain on the schedule. Evansville finally seems to be clicking on both sides of the court and appear as though they are in position to be the Valley’s surprise team of the season. A trip to Wichita State next Friday will tell the conference whether or not the Purple Aces are a contender or pretender.
Bradley Braves (7-1, 0-0)
Last Week: defeated Pepperdine 76-58; defeated Samford 79-59
Next Game: Dec. 28 at Creighton
Bradley has opened some eyes with its quick start, but similar to Evansville, the coming days and weeks will reveal this team’s true identity. In the meantime, the Braves are basking near the top of the MVC. Marcellus Sommerville continues to lead this team, and Patrick O’Bryant has been a nice surprise as well. O’Bryant recorded a double-double in the 20-point win over Samford, and Sommerville scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out four assists in a win over Pepperdine.
A strong test awaits the Braves on Tuesday with a road trip to Creighton. Tip off is set for 7:05 p.m.
Northern Iowa Panthers (7-2, 0-0)
Last Week: defeated Wisconsin-Green Bay 76-65; defeated Wagner 86-56; defeated Longwood 84-63
Next Game: Dec. 30 at Las Vegas, vs. Valparaiso
The offense has been rolling for UNI during a four-game winning streak. UNI has averaged nearly 82 points per contest in victories over UMKC, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Wagner and Longwood.
Ben Jacobson, the MVC’s leading scorer, has taken charge in the Panthers’ last three wins as he has averaged 20.3 points per game. Freshman center Eric Coleman and sophomore forward Grant Stout have also continued to provide a strong presence inside. Stout has scored at least 12 points in the last three games, and Coleman tied a career-high with 24 points against Longwood Thursday.
UNI heads to Las Vegas for two contests to end 2004. Its next game is against Valparaiso on Dec. 30.
Southwest Missouri State Bears (6-2, 0-0)
Last Week: defeated Miami (Ohio) 69-63; lost to Oklahoma 61-53
Next Game: Dec. 30 at Illinois State
The Bear’s six-game winning streak ended at the hands of Oklahoma Thursday, but SMS showed it is definitely ready to compete in the Valley again this season. Had the Bears stayed out of foul trouble against the Sooners, SMS would be riding seven straight wins. Oklahoma was limited to 29 percent shooting but connected for 21 free throws to stay ahead. SMS hit only 10 of 21 from the charity stripe.
Defense is carrying the Bears again this season, to the tune of 58 points allowed per game the last five games. The offense is contributing a lot more than it did last season too, averaging nearly 78 points per contest – second in the Valley.
SMS will attempt to get back on the winning track next Thursday in its conference opener at Illinois State.
Indiana State Sycamores (5-6, 0-0)
Last Week: lost to Ball State 65-59; lost to USC 68-64; lost to Clemson 83-57; lost to Long Beach State 38-37
Next Game: Dec. 30 vs. Drake
The Rainbow Classic wasn’t bright for the Sycamores, who fell to a last place finish with devastating losses. The tournament started well with a near miss against USC, but it got worse with losses of 83-57 and 38-37. Against Long Beach State (Yes, it was a basketball score, not football.), Indiana State hit only 14 of 56 shots and failed to score at least 20 points in either half. An outstanding defensive effort went to waste with a poor offensive showing, to put it nicely.
After earning impressive wins over Valparaiso and Butler to jump out to a 5-2 start, the Sycamores have stumbled and dropped four straight. They will try to rebound against the conference’s only other team with a losing record when Drake visits Thursday. Tip off is set for 7:05 p.m.
Creighton Bluejays (8-3, 0-1)
Last Week: lost to Wyoming 68-64, lost to Evansville 63-61
Next Game: Dec. 28 vs. Bradley
After a 7-0 start, the Bluejays have dropped three of four, including two heartbreakers last week. The last two losses came by a combined six points, and a valiant comeback at Evansville was forgotten at the buzzer when Kyle Anslinger gave the Purple Aces the win.
Nate Funk continues to lead this team with 17- and 12-point efforts the last two games, but shooting from the rest of the team has been poor lately. Thirty percent shooting won’t get a team very far, especially in the MVC.
The Bluejays will attempt to avoid an 0-2 start in the Valley when Bradley visits for a 7:05 p.m. tip off on Tuesday.
Illinois State Redbirds (8-3, 0-1)
Last Week: defeated Loyola-Chicago 73-67; lost to Southern Illinois 61-49
Next Game: Dec. 30 vs. Southwest Missouri State
Illinois State is off to a good start – maybe even better than expected, but it wasn’t evident at Southern Illinois Thursday. The Redbirds were forced into 20 turnovers and connected on only four of 17 free throws. That isn’t exactly the recipe for success against one of the Valley’s top teams. Southern Illinois broke a 6-6 tie with an 11-0 run early in the first half and didn’t allow the Redbirds to get any closer than 55-49 near the end of the game. Lorenzo Gordon, who scored 19 in the win over Loyola-Chicago, led the Redbird attack with 13 points against Southern Illinois.
SMS will venture into Redbird Arena next Thursday for what will be another strong test for Illinois State. Tip off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Drake Bulldogs (3-5, 0-1)
Last Week: lost to Southern Utah 94-74; defeated Wagner 70-63
Next Game: Dec. 30 at Indiana State
Drake had the misfortune of running into a red hot Southern Utah offense Monday as SUU sank a school-record 17 3-pointers. Pete Eggers led the Bulldogs with 13 points, and Klayton Korver, Chaun Brooks and Leonard Houston each chipped in 10. It wasn’t enough to overcome 60 percent shooting from Southern Utah though.
The Bulldogs rebounded to beat Wagner, 70-63 Thursday. Chris Bryant stormed off the bench for a career-high 14 points. A 17-point lead evaporated slowly during a 7:22 scoring drought, but Drake was able to hold on for the win.
A road trip to Indiana State next Thursday awaits the Bulldogs.
