(St. Louis, MO) – The ‘season of transition’ in the Missouri Valley Conference is going well, but what lies ahead now that the conference season is set to begin? There have been highs like Indiana State and Illinois State knocking off top 25 teams and lows like the death of the son-in-law of SIUC’s Head Coach Barry Hinson.
This season has been marked with loss of Creighton and the addition of Loyola University Chicago and a new coach at Drake in Ray Giacoletti. Evansville graduated their all-time leading scorer in Colt Ryan and replaced him with sophomore D. J. Balentine who is scoring at a higher rate than Ryan.
MVC teams are a combined 26 games over .500 and they are stunningly successful at home. Valley teams have won 49 of 60 games played on their home floors. They have split their 22 neutral site games. With all that success there are three questions I want to see answered.
1. CAN WICHITA STATE GO UNDEFEATED?
Heading into league play the Shockers are 13 – 0 and one of seven undefeated college teams. Head Coach Gregg Marshall’s team is ranked seventh in the latest USA Today/Coaches Poll and eighth in the AP Poll. Wichita State is outscoring its opponents by more than 14 points per game and have four players averaging double figures in points and five that are grabbing more than four rebounds every game.
They are deep, athletic and like all Gregg Marshall teams they defend. The Shockers lead the MVC in scoring defense, shooting percentage defense, rebounding, blocked shots and turnover margin. Those are the ‘effort’ statistics that so many coaches’ teach and Marshall achieves.
Can they run the table? Yes. Should they win them all? Yes. Will they win 18 straight Missouri Valley games. No. There are too many pot holes and danger spots. Valley teams already own seven wins over the ‘money’ conferences and the Shockers will get every team’s best game every night.
2. CAN DRAKE CONTINUE TO SURPRISE?
Drake University was picked to finish last in the Missouri Valley Conference but under Giacoletti the Bulldogs have raced out to a 9 and 3 record despite the loss of their starting point guard Gary Ricks Junior. Richard Carter is leading the way scoring over 18 points per game while 10 Bulldogs are playing more than 11 minutes per game.
Giacoletti told me that defense and rebounding would be the key to their season and Drake is second to Wichita State in scoring defense, shooting percentage defense and rebounding. They are doing exactly what their first year coach has taught.
A mid-season addition of transfer Jordan Daniels has given the team a lift. The Dogs are three and one with the 5’9″ guard in the line up. Daniels is averaging 14 points and four assists per game.
Will the Bulldogs continue to surprise? Yes.
Milton Doyle (loyolaramblers.com)
3. HOW GOOD IS LOYOLA’S MILTON DOYLE?
Freshman Milton Doyle has burst on the scene at the downtown campus of Loyola University. The Chicago Public League recruit started his college experience at Kansas, but never played a game in Lawrence and sat out last season. All Doyle has done is lead the Ramblers in scoring (15.1 ppg) while playing the second most minutes on the team.
The 6’4″ guard is the kind of player Head Coach Porter Moser can build around. Coupled with his first-ever recruit Christian Thomas (Clayton-St. Louis) the Ramblers have very strong foundation stones. Doyle was all-city and all-state at Marshall High School and is one of those rare type of talents.
How good is Milton Doyle? REAL GOOD.
Conference season starts on New Year’s Day. Let the fun begin and the questions be answered!
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As we near the closing of the portal window, we've reached 1900. Some of them never to play college basketball again, earn a college degree and some to play at a much lower level than they did last season.
I guess we'll be seeing this in a @RacersHoops uniform this year. Glad AJ is staying in the @ValleyHoops.
