Historic Opportunities
(St. Louis, MO) – If the Missouri Valley Conference is going to achieve the great things predicted by so many, then this is a gigantic fortnight. Between now and the first Valley conference games, the MVC’s season narrative will be largely written.
Prior to the pivotal Thanksgiving week ‘multi-team events’ league members have two ‘power five’ encounters and when MTE’s roll out in full force there are historic opportunities for the conference to flex its collective muscles.
Pre-MTE Games
Wednesday’s three difficult road games bring ‘statement’ games for Valparaiso, Northern Iowa and Missouri State. The Beacons visit Stanford, UNI travels to Arkansas and Missouri State is in Huntsville, Texas for a game with Sam Houston State.
Each of these teams is getting healthier and each faces a stiff test. Valparaiso should have Ben Krikke back soon. If he plays Wednesday, he gives the Beacons (0-2) a fighting chance against coach Matt Lottich’s former team. Lottich played for the Cardinal from 2000-2004.
Stanford (2-1) earned a 57 KenPom rating last season.
Bowen Born has returned to the Northern Iowa lineup and the Panthers (1-2) visit 16th ranked Arkansas. The Razorbacks (2-0) had a 2021 18 KenPom rating. Ben Jacobson’s team struggled out of the gate and their only win is against a non-Division 1 team.
‘Jake and the Giant Killers’ look for the upset in Fayetteville. Jacobson and UARK head coach Eric Musselman are both wildly successful, but couldn’t be more different in terms or reputation. The conservative, quiet and respectful Jacobson faces off with the energetic, shirt-removing Musselman in a unique show down.
Keaton Hervey has returned to the Missouri State lineup. MSU (1-1) received outstanding individual performances from Gaige Prim (28 points and 15 rebounds in game one) and Isiaih Mosley (31 points in game two) and are looking for some growing ‘team momentum’.
In an ‘under the radar’ game, the Bears visit a Sam Houston State team that is coming off a 19-9 season where they earned a 180 in the KenPom.
Any MVC win on Wednesday will help the league’s prestige and NCAA metrics.
Multi-Team Opportunities
Nine Valley members participate in Thanksgiving MTEs. Northern Iowa waits until to Christmas holiday for their multi-team event. The other nine will be building a collective league narrative that will produce or diminish legitimate post season participation.
Bradley and Southern Illinois are both participating in the Paradise Jam. The Braves open with Colorado State and the Salukis battle the University of Colorado. Bradley meets a CSU team that has produced two straight 20-win seasons. The Rams’ (3-0) 2021 76 KenPom ranking earned them a trip to the National Invitation Tournament.
SIU faces a Colorado squad coming off a 23-9 season that saw them play in the NCAA Tournament. Bradley plays either Brown or Creighton in the second round and the Salukis face either Northeastern or Duquesne.
Evansville is in the Gulf Coast Showcase. That tournament is filled with other mid-major teams.
Illinois State plays Bucknell at home as part of the Cancun Challenge and then they face Saint Louis in Mexico. Buffalo or Stephen F. Austin await in the next game. Both are good mid-major opponents.
Indiana State travels to the Myrtle Beach Invitational and has a first round date with Old Dominion (152 KenPom). Oklahoma and East Carolina are also on their side of the bracket.
The Naples Invitational finds Missouri State playing a large field of solid mid-major opponents. After an opening round game with Long Beach State, the Bears could face Murray State (or East Tennessee State).
Muti-Team Headliners
Drake has a huge home game with Richmond (KenPom 65) before their Orlando-based tournament. The Bulldogs (2-0) face future Valley member Belmont in the opening round. Then Drake faces Alabama or Iona. Other teams in the ESPN Events Invitational are Dayton, Miami, North Texas and Kansas. Dyamic resume-building games abound.
The Battle 4 Atlantis doesn’t start until November 24 and Loyola faces Michigan State. If that isn’t big enough for you, the Ramblers’ second round opponent is either Auburn or Connecticut. The other four teams in ‘the Battle’ are Syracuse, Virginia Commonwealth, Arizona State and defending national champion Baylor.
If Loyola is 4-0 heading into ‘the Battle’ and can earn a win or two, look for the Ramblers to become a nationally ranked team.
These last two MTEs are the most signifiant of the gigantic fortnight.
Missouri Valley teams have at least five games against teams from the ‘power 7’ conferences and the possibility of five more contests against those elite programs. They will have numerous games against high-quality, mid-major programs.
This gigantic fortnight will largely determine the Valley’s national narrative. It’s the perfect time for the league to emerge.
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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.
