December 31, 2014.
2:00 PM EST-Full Court/ESPN3
5-8 Bradley
10-2 Loyola (IL)
Resumé
5-8 Bradley
Solid Wins:
Central Michigan 84-73 (Home)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
Texas-Arlington 86-75 (Home)
Robert Morris 68-61 (Home)
UC Irvine 55-47 in the Semi-Final of the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic
Arkansas-Little Rock 64-54 in the Consolation Championship of the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic
Players to Watch:
--Tramique Sutherland (JR) 15.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, & 2.8 APG. Sutherland is a first year MVC player who transferred to Bradley after two years at Hill College (NJCAA). At Hill College he averaged 19.3 PPG & 7.6 RPG his Sophomore season. With Warren Jones (JR) out four to six weeks with a stress fracture, Sutherland is by far the best player on the Braves.
--Auston Barnes (SR) 11.4 PPG & 4.5 RPG. The former Central Michigan basketball player has seen 31 minutes per game of playing time last season and this season. Barnes is a very good three point shooter that hits 46.5% of the time. Also he is the Braves best free throw shooter (79.4%).
--Omari Grier (JR) 10.0 PPG & 2.8 APG. The majority of his shots come from the 3 point line but from everywhere he seems to struggle shooting (37.3 FG%). Grier's stats so far mirror last year's besides for the ten point dip in his free throw percentage.
--Josh Cunningham (FR) 6.2 PPG & 6.5 RPG. Cunningham was a four star recruit coming out of Morgan Park High School in Chicago last year. Strangly he picked Bradley over other college offers like Crieghton, Indiana, Iowa State, and Oklahoma, but nevertheless the 6'7" forward has been playing solidly and is always a threat to get a double-double
Overview:
The losses outweigh the wins for the Bradley Braves this season while every key contributor has been hurt at one time of the season. The injury to Warren Jones has really hurt the Braves as he was their leading scorer at the time of injury. Look for Bradley to really start winning when Jones comes back to play with Tramique Sutherland, who has played very well in his first four games.
10-2 Loyola (IL)
Solid Wins:
Kent State 69-61 (Road)
Texas Tech 62-44 in the Semi-Finals of the Las Vegas Classic.
Boise State 48-45 in the Championship of the Las Vegas Classic.
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
Tulane 83-70 (Home)
Players to Watch:
--Milton Doyle (SO) 13.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, & 4.1 APG. He was the MVP of the Las Vegas Classic and is one of the best players in the Missouri Valley. Doyle is a transfer from Kansas that does everything for the Ramblers while being the best player. Despite his points per game numbers decreasing, his assists per game has increased as well as his field goal (54.7%) and three point percentages (56.7%).
--Christian Thomas (SR) 12.8 PPG & 4.0 RPG. He has really became a key player for Loyola after his Freshman season and has averaged double digit points since. Thomas' play is a good complement to Doyle's.
--Montel James (JR) 9.1 PPG & 4.8 RPG. He does most of his work inside the paint as he shoots 54.2% from the field. Only problem for James is that his free throw shooting is only one tenth higher than his field goal shooting at 54.3%.
Overview:
Watch out for the Ramblers this season! Loyola has played great to end 2014 and has already the same amount of wins this season as last season (10). Expect Loyola to be in the top half of "The Valley" as long as Milton Doyle can stay healthy and productive.
Prediction:
Bradley will struggle and not be able to get revenge of last year's opening round game that they lost on Milton Doyle's Buzzer Beater. Personally, I feel Bradley's Sutherland will struggle shooting but still get double-digit points. Expect Doyle to have a solid game leadinf Ramblers to 1-0 in conference play.
---Loyola (IL) 63, Bradley 55
4:00 PM EST-Full Court/ESPN3
4-8 Indiana State
at 8-4 Illinois State
Resumé
4-8 Indiana State
Solid Wins:
None.
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
Eastern Illinois 60-56 (Home)
Missouri-Kansas City 73-70 in Double Overtime.
Players to Watch:
--Khristian Smith (JR) 12.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, & 2.0 APG.
--Devonte Brown (JR) 12.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, & 2.7 APG.
--Brenton Scott (FR) 10.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, & 1.6 APG.
--Justin Gant (SR) 8.5 PPG & 4.1 RPG.
8-4 Illinois State
Solid Wins:
Old Dominion 64-45 in the Semi-Final of Paradise Jam.
DePaul 78-72 (Road)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses
Utah State 60-55 (Home Opener)
Players to Watch:
--Daishon Knight (SR) 15.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, & 2.8 APG.
--Bobby Hunter (SR) 9.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, & 1.6 APG
--Reggie Lynch (SO) 8.4 PPG & 6.0 RPG
Prediction:
I feel that Illinois State's Daishon Knight and Bobby Hunter will play just a little bit better than Indiana State's Khristian Smith and Devonte Brown in a mid-50s scoring game.
---Illinois State 55, Indiana State 51
6:00 PM EST-ESPN3
10-2 16. Wichita State
3-9 Drake
Resumé
10-2 Wichita State
Solid Wins:
Memphis 71-56 in Sioux Falls.
St. Louis 81-52 (Home)
Seton Hall 77-68 (Home)
Alabama 53-52 (Home)
Losses:
#25 Utah 69-68 in Overtime (Road)
George Washington 60-54 in the Championship of the Diamond Head Classic.
Players to Watch:
--Ron Baker (JR) 16.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, & 2.1 APG.
--Darius Carter (SR) 11.9 PPG & 6.3 RPG.
--Fred Van Vleet (JR) 11.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, & 5.3 APG.
--Tekele Cotton (SR) 9.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 2.8 APG.
3-9 Drake
Solid Wins:
None.
"Should Not Have Happened" Losses:
North Dakota 63-62 (Home)
Players to Watch:
--Gary Ricks Jr. (SR) 11.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, & 2.6 APG.
--Reed Timmer (FR) 11.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG & 3.0 APG.
--Jordan Daniels (SR) 9.6 PPG
--Jacob Enevold Jensen (SO) 8.1 PPG & 6.0 RPG.
Prediction:
Drake is a canidate to be the bottom feeder in "The Valley" this season, why would they defeat one of the best? Wichita State has such a deep team and even when Baker or Van Vleet are not performing well Carter and Cotton will pick up the slack. Also, with the Shockers coming off a loss, I do not expect them to lose two in a row.
---Wichita State 67, Drake 50
6:00 PM EST-Full Court/ESPN3
6-6 Missouri State
7-6 Southern Illinois
Resumé
6-6 Missouri State
Solid Wins:
None.
"Should Not Have Happened" Losses:
Washington State 89-84 in Overtime in 5th Place Game of Great Alaska Shootout
Oral Roberts 80-61 (Road)
Players to Watch:
--Marcus Marshall (JR) 22.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 1.6 APG.
--Austin Ruder (SO) 9.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, & 1.5 APG.
--Dorrian Williams (JR) 7.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, & 4.7 APG.
--Camyn Boone (JR) 7.3 PPG, & 5.8 RPG.
7-6 Southern Illinois
Solid Wins:
None
"Should Not Have Happened" Losses:
Southeast Missouri State 55-54 (Home)
New Orleans 56-52 (Home)
Players to Watch:
--Anthony Beane (JR) 18.8 PPG & 2.5 RPG.
--Sean O'Brien (SO) 10.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, & 1.8 APG.
--Jordan Caroline (FR) 9.3 PPG & 7.1 RPG.
--Jalen Pendleton (JR) 8.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, & 1.6 APG.
Prediction: You woul think with two of the top three leading scorers (MSU's Marcus Marshall & SIU's Anthony Beane) in the Missouri Valley Conference that it would be a high scoring game but I believe that it will be a game that rests in the high 50s or low 60s. Southern Illinois is actually the team that has the most scoring around their star but I am going to go with Missouri State for one reason...Marcus Marshall. I feel Marshall will show everyone in Carbondale, Illinois, who the best player on the court is tonight.
---Missouri State 61, Southern Illinois 56
January 1, 2015
11-1 23. Northern Iowa
at 10-2 Evansville
Resumé
11-1 23. Northern Iowa
Solid Wins
-Stephen F. Austin 79-77 in Overtime (Road)
-Virginia Tech 73-54 in Semi-Final of Cancun Challenge.
-Northwestern 61-42 in Championship of Cancun Challenge.
-Iowa 56-44 (in Des Moines)
Only Loss:
-VCU 93-87 in Overtime (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#10 Seth Tuttle (SR)
-14.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, & 3.3 APG.
-4 year starter with a lot of experience and skill. 2013-2014 All-MVC First Team. -Tuttle is the best player on UNI as he leads his team in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks per game.
-His points per game and rebounds per game averages have decreased so far compared to last season but his assists per game and field goal percentage (62.5%) have increased.
-Tuttle is a old fashioned big man without many attempts from the three point line. Much of his production comes from down on the block or just inside the arc.
---#11 Wes Washpun (JR)
-11.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, & 3.1 APG.
-He is the defensive stopper & point guard for the Panthers, who has become more efficient in his second year.
-His field goal percentage has increased in 2014-2015 because he has not settled for long range jumpshots and instead drives the ball to the basketball off of the dribble.
---#4 Paul Jesperson (JR)
-7.3 PPG & 3.3 RPG.
-One of the three clutch three-point shooters for Northern Iowa.
-75% of his field goal attempts come from three-point land, where he shoots 41.3%.
-Best free throw shooter on the team (85.7%).
---#1 Deon Mitchell (SR)
-6.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
-4-year starter for the Panthers.
-His production seems to have topped out last year as a Junior as his points per game has decreased under the amount he averaged his Freshman year.
-Shares point guard duties with Washpun.
-In non-conference play, Mitchell's shooting has stumbled a bit to the percentage everyone expected him to shoot as he has shot 32.9% from the field and 18.8% when shooting three pointers this season.
---#14 Nate Buss (SR)
-6.3 PPG & 2.2 RPG.
-Like Mitchell his production has decreased but for Buss it is primarily caused by a lack of playing time.
-He received the big opportunity of his collegiate career last season as he averaged career highs in points (10.6 PPG), rebounds (5.0 RPG), and minutes (20.6 MPG).
-Like Jesperson, he is a really good three point shooter that shot 50.6% from beyond the arc last year and is already shooting 41.4% this season.
-Despite being a three point shooter, he is not afraid to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket or pull up a long two point shot.
---#5 Matt Bohannon (JR)
-5.8 PPG
-He is the third really good three point shooter to watch for the Northern Iowa Panthers and he has only taken two non-three point attempts this season.
-His playing time has decreased by five minutes this season, which has caused his points per game average to drop from 9.9 (last year's) to 5.8.
-In my opinion, Bohannon is his best when the game is on the line.
-Great team leader.
10-2 Evansville
Solid Wins:
-San Francisco 79-72 in Third Place Game of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Wright State 86-78 (Home)
-Belmont without Craig Bradshaw 65-62 (Road)
-Ohio 81-69 in Overtime (Home)
Losses:
-Green Bay 64-62 in Semi-Final of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Murray State 81-79 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#31 D.J. Balentine (JR)
-22.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 3.7 APG.
-True scorer (for you Purple Aces fans, Balentine is a Colt Ryan like scorer) that has already surpassed a thousand points for his career. He was a key substitute for Evansville his Freshman year as he averaged 8.1 PPG.
-Balentine was a 2013-2014 All-MVC First Team selection and the highest scoring player in "The Valley" last season. This season he also leads his conference in scoring while having the third highest PPG average in Division One Men's Basketball.
-He is a high volume shooter that averages a little over 16 attempts per game at a field goal percentage of 46.2% and a three point percentage of 40.0%.
-Evansville's offense is about getting Balentine the ball as the Junior from Kokomo, Indiana, cuts off many screens to get open looks off curls.
---#55 Egidijus Mockevicius
-14.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG, & 2.3 BPG.
-The big Lithuanian is one of only a few players to be averaging a double-double going into conference play.
-His statistics have improved year-by-year and he is shooting the excellent percentages of 67.7% from the field and 82.4% from the free throw line.
-Mockevicius cannot shoot well outside and has yet to attempt a three pointer in his career. His outside the paint shooting is average but where he does his damage is inside the paint with post moves or crashing the boards and putting in back in easy layups.
---#50 Blake Simmons (SO)
-8.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.4 APG.
-Coach Marty's Simmons son, and two-year starter for the Purple Aces.
-His stats have declined compared to last season as his Freshman season he averaged 9.3 PPG & 3.0 RPG.
-Most of his points come on wide open jump shots when Balentine drives and passes it out.
-Simmons is very efficient shooter as he shoots 50.0% from the field and 40.7% from beyond the arc.
---#5 Mislav Brzoja (SO)
-8.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, & 3.4 APG.
-Croatian transfer from Villanova for the most likely reason of receiving minimal to none playing time for the Wildcats.
-Brzoja is a very well-rounded player that can score the ball, rebound as a guard, and facilitate to scorers.
-He has the capability to nail three pointers although his three point percentage does not show it (23.1%).
-One of the better free throw shooters on Evansville (85.7%).
---#12 Adam Wing (JR)
-6.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG.
-3-year starter at Evansville and team leader.
-He is a very good defender that has improved offensively season after season.
-Wing can be described as a non-agressive shooter as he is a "pass first" kind of player, but when Wing does let a shot go, he makes it 52.8% of the time.
-He missed last Sunday's game against Coppin State with strained quadriceps and his status is unknown for tonight.
---#4 Duane "Boo" Gibson
-5.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.8 APG.
-2-year starter for the Purple Aces.
-He is known for his defense rather than his offense. Pass first point guard.
-Sadly for "Boo" his playing time has decreased as well as his production compared to last season.
-Gibson is no threat from outside the arc and has only attempted one three pointer in his collegiate career. Defenders dare Gibson to shoot but he will only pull the trigger about three times a game.
Prediction:
The game truly could go either way as they are very evenly matched and have sImilarities. Both teams had all five starters returning from last season," and both have an All-MVC player, but tonight I feel like Northern Iowa's depth will stop Evansville cold in their tracks. The Panthers have so many players that can score when desired while Evansville really only has Balentine and Mockevicius that can score at win. Like last year at the Ford Center, I think the Panthers will spread their shooters around the perimeter, run Tuttle and Washpun or Tuttle and Mitchell in a pick and roll, allowing UNI to have three possible plays: point guard passes to Tuttle for a layup/post move, the point guard takes a jumpshot or drives all the way in for a layup, or the point guard can pass the ball out to one of the three pointer shooters for a wide open shot. With one of those options, the Panthers can rip the Purple Aces' defense to shreds.A personal concern for UNI is that even with offense, the Panthers must stop Balentine from getting any shot he wants because they do not want to get into a game where the team that scores the most wins (See UNI at VCU). I encourage everyone to watch on ESPN3 because who knows...maybe this could be the 2015 Arch Madness Championship.
---Northern Iowa 64, Evansville 61
PW's Prediction Record so far: 35-19 (3-1 in the MVC)
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