Although the Missouri Valley Conference fielded just one team in the NCAA Tournament last season, there are plenty of reasons to look forward to the 2011-12 campaign.
Missouri State became the first regular-season MVC champion in more than a decade to miss the NCAA Tourney after its unexpected loss to Indiana State in the conference tournament. As has been the case several times during the past 10 seasons, the Bears found themselves on the wrong side of the bubble, even with a 15-3 conference mark. Preseason favorite and regular-season runner-up Wichita State also found itself settling for an NIT bid after Selection Sunday, as the Valley received no at-large bids in what was considered a down year for the league.
However, Wichita State made use of its NIT berth, steamrolling through the tournament and upsetting top-seeded Alabama for the title. Although the team’s leading scorer is gone this season along with another starter, WSU still returns five of its six top scorers and should yet again be one of the squads competing for the conference crown. Another team expected and picked by many to win the MVC title also played in a postseason championship game last March. The Creighton Bluejays found themselves going against Oregon and former coach Dana Altman in the CBI championship game but fell just a basket short of giving the Valley two postseason tourney champions. With all three of its players who averaged double figures in scoring returning and also its two leading rebounders, the Bluejays will be dangerous in the MVC and are also gaining national recognition.
The other three squads expected to finish in the upper half include Indiana State, Evansville and Northern Iowa. Indiana State captured the Valley’s only NCAA bid last March, falling in the first round to Syracuse. Evansville grabbed a postseason berth just one season after finishing last in the conference. And Northern Iowa was in competition for the Valley crown last year until injuries hampered it down the stretch and sent the Panthers to a CIT bid. All three of those teams also return a solid amount of points, rebounds and starters from last season to give the MVC enough depth that should grab multiple bids to the NCAA Tournament in 2012.
Predicted order of finish
- Indiana State
- Creighton
- Wichita State
- Evansville
- Northern Iowa
- Bradley
- Illinois State
- Missouri State
- Drake
- Southern Illinois
Preseason All-MVC Team
Sr. F Kyle Weems, Missouri State
Jr. G/F Colt Ryan, Evansville
So. F Doug McDermott, Creighton
Sr. G Dwayne Lathan, Indiana State
Sr. G/F Carl Richard, Indiana State
Player of the Year: Doug McDermott, Creighton
Other players to watch:
Sr. F Mamadou Seck, Southern Illinois
So. G Rayvonte Rice, Drake
Jr. G Anthony James, Northern Iowa
Sr. G Antoine Young, Creighton
Sr. G Toure’ Murry, Wichita State
