By Peyton Wesner
Who cares about Duke at Louisville or Kansas at Iowa State...I am more interested in Wichita State at Evansville and Bradley at Illinois State. Many questions will be answered this weekend like "Will Missouri State be able to win without Marcus Marshall?", "Can Wichita State overcome first half woes to defeat Evansville?", and "Will Drake and Southern Illinois ever win a conference game?"
January 17, 2015
2:00 PM EST-Full Court/ESPN3
15-2 (5-0) 13. Wichita State
at 13-4 (3-2) Evansville
15-2 (5-0) 13. Wichita State
Lunardi's Bracketology: 5 Seed
Solid Wins:
-Memphis 71-56 (in Sioux Falls)
-St. Louis 81-52 (Home)
-Seton Hall 77-68 (Home)
-Alabama 53-52 (Home)
-Illinois State 70-62 (Home)
-Loyola (IL) 67-53 (Road)
Losses:
-#25 Utah 69-68 in Overtime (Road)
-George Washington 60-54 in the Championship of the Diamond Head Classic.
Last Game:
-Win Against Southern Illinois 67-55 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#31 Ron Baker (JR)
-16.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#12 Darius Carter (SR)
-12.5 PPG & 6.1 RPG.
---#23 Fred Van Vleet (JR)
-10.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.6 APG, & 1.9 SPG.
---#32 Tekele Cotton (SR)
-10.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.8 APG, & 1.4 SPG.
13-4 (3-2) Evansville
Solid Wins:
-San Francisco 79-72 in Third Place Game of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Wright State 86-78 (Home)
-Belmont 65-62 (Road)
-Ohio 81-69 in Overtime (Home)
-#23 Northern Iowa 52-49 (Home)
-Bradley 66-56 (Home)
Losses:
-Green Bay 64-62 in Semi-Final of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Murray State 81-79 (Home)
-Indiana State 79-75 in Overtime (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Missouri State 56-54 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#31 D.J. Balentine (JR)
-20.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, & 3.7 APG.
---#55 Egidijus Mockevicius
-13.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, & 2.6 BPG.
---#5 Mislav Brzoja (SO)
-9.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, & 1.1 SPG
---#50 Blake Simmons (SO)
-8.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.4 APG.
Prediction:
The Game of the Day in "The Valley" takes place at the Ford Center between the thirteenth ranked Wichita State Shockers and the Evansville Purple Aces. The Shockers have started this year's MVC season right where they left off last year as they have not lost against a conference opponent since the 2013 Arch Madness Championship against Doug McDermott's Creighton Blue Jays. That stat alone is amazing but it hasn't all been blowout wins for the Shockers as they have had first half struggles that have made games closer than needed. Wichita State is led by a quartet of talent with the emergence of Darius Carter dominance in the post to go along with one of the best trios of guards in the nation (Baker, Van Vleet, and Cotton). How can they be beat? Well only two teams have found a way to get victories against the Shockers and the key is to contest every shot. I know that sounds simple, but the Shockers have shot 36.3% from the field in their losses at twenty-fifth ranked Utah and in the Championship of the Diamond Head Classic against George Washington. Defense is clearly the key but do the University of Evansville Purple Aces have enough to stop the best team in the Missouri Valley Conference? Evansville has started off strong but could be undefeated if a few breaks would have went their way like Jalen Moore making his free throws in Terre Haute and their defense keeping Milton Doyle out of the paint against Loyola. The Purple Aces are coming in on a two-game road winning streak with victories against Bradley and a Marcus Marshall-less Missouri State Bears team. I am positive Evansville has enough scoring power to hang around with the Shockers as they have the best scorer in the "The Valley", D.J. Balentine. Balentine had a very tough game in Springfield and finished the game with seven points on two for twelve shooting from the floor. Luckily for Balentine, Egidijus Mockevicius and former Villanova Wildcat Mislav Brzoja stepped up and totalled 32 points (18 pts for Brzoja and 14 pts for Mockevicius). The problem for Evansville is that their defense is not the best and I personally do not see them holding the "Big Four" to a poor shooting percentage, but if Balentine can score 20 plus points and Brzoja and Mockevicius play with the determination they have been, the Shockers may be shocked.
---Wichita State 65, Evansville 60
3:05 PM EST
9-8 (5-0) Indiana State
at 3-14 (0-5) Drake
9-8 (5-0) Indiana State
Solid Wins:
-Illinois State 63-61 (Road)
-Evansville 79-75 in Overtime (Home)
-Missouri State 71-56 (Home)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
Eastern Illinois 60-56 (Home)
Missouri-Kansas City 73-70 in Double Overtime.
Last Game:
-Win Against Illinois State 71-70 in Overtime (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#11 Devonte Brown (JR)
-11.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, & 2.6 APG.
---#1 Khristian Smith (JR)
-11.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.2 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#4 Brenton Scott (FR)
-10.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#5 Justin Gant (SR)
-9.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, & 1.1 BPG.
3-14 (0-5) Drake
Wins:
-IUPUI 73-60 (Home)
-Jackson State 76-66 (Home)
-Simpson (Non-Division I) 84-62 (Home)
"Should Not Have Happened" Losses:
-North Dakota 63-62 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss to Loyola (IL) 50-47 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Gary Ricks Jr. (SR)
-10.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
---#12 Reed Timmer (FR)
-10.1 PPG & 2.6 APG.
---#3 Jordan Daniels (SR)
-8.4 PPG.
---#11 Jacob Enevold Jensen (SR)
-7.8 PPG & 5.8 RPG.
Prediction:
Is it possible Indiana State is better without Jake Odum then with? Looks like it so far as they have just found a way to win in every conference contest this season. On Wednesday Night the Sycamores came back from a two point deficit with twenty-three seconds left againsy the Illinois State Redbirds by Khristian Smith drawing a foul on DeVaughn Akoon-Powell. Smith then went to the free throw line and was as clutch as a person could be by making both free throws to tie the game and send it to overtime. Overtime was exciting and the final minute was epic. With about fifty seconds left Brandon Scott missed a layup that led to a Daishon Knight "and one" basket giving the Redbirds a one point lead. With Indiana State's ball and forty-one seconds left, Greg Lansing decided to go two for one, as Smith pulled up for a jumpshot with a little over thirty seconds left. Swish! Indiana State retook the lead! Daishon Knight ran the ball up court and fired another shot, CLUTCH! Illinois State 70, Indiana State 69 with twenty seconds left. Indiana State would later in the possesion have the ball underneath their basket with nine seconds left. The ball was inbounded but not corralled and was bouncing on the floor uncontrolled for a good two seconds. Then out of no where, Indiana State's Tre Bennett picked up the ball and laid it in to give the Sycamores a one-point lead with less than three seconds left! Illinois State hurriedly invounded the ball but their half court attempt fell short and the Sycamores prevailed. Indiana State's opponent this afternoon hopes they can prevail for the first time in conference play. The Drake Bulldogs have been in some close games but have not been able to hold on in matchups with Wichita State at home and Loyola (IL) on the road. Their last game against Loyola saw Senior Guard Gary Ricks Jr. nail six three pointers in the first half and score twenty points to tie the game at thirty going into the half. Loyola star Milton Doyle struggled but hit a jumpshot when it counted giving Loyola a three point lead. After both teams traded two point baskets, Drake had the ball with eight seconds left. The shot was going to come from Ricks Jr. even though he was having a cold second half. Ricks Jr. dribbled the ball and then pulled up over Doyle for the tie...the shot was off and Drake was left heartbroken yet again. Can they get their first conference win against a defensively sound Indiana State team? The Sycamores allowed their opponent's leading scorer to score over their season average for the first time as Redbird scorer Daishon Knight scored 21 points. I do not foresee Drake's Ricks Jr. scoring twenty-four like he did in his last game but sixteen points maybe. Nevertheless, Indiana State should win but it is definately a trap game for them.
---Indiana State 63, Drake 59
5:00 PM EST-Full Court/ESPN3
6-12 (1-4) Bradley
at 10-7 (2-3) Illinois State
6-12 (1-4) Bradley
Solid Wins:
-Central Michigan 84-73 (Home)
-Southern Illinois 63-44 (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.
Last Game:
-Loss to Northern Iowa 63-52 (Away)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Warren Jones (JR)
-13.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#5 Tramique Sutherland (JR)
-12.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, & 3.4 APG.
---#4 Auston Barnes (SR)
-10.8 PPG & 4.2 RPG.
---#24 Omari Grier (JR)
-9.8 PPG & 2.3 APG.
10-7 (2-3) Illinois State
Solid Wins:
-Old Dominion 64-45 in the Semi-Final of Paradise Jam.
-DePaul 78-72 (Road)
-Missouri State 69-55 (Road)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses
-Utah State 60-55 (Home Opener)
Last Game:
-Loss To Indiana State 71-70 in Overtime (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#3 Daishon Knight (SR)
-15.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#44 DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (JR)
-13.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, & 1.0 APG.
---#4 Bobby Hunter (SR)
-9.4 PPG & 2.1 RPG.
---#22 Reggie Lynch (SO)
-8.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, & 3.0 BPG.
Prediction:
Illinois State came so close to avenging their loss to Indiana State that started the conference season but Sycamore Junior Tre Bennett had other plans. Daishon Knight scored a team high twenty-one points but once again he had another poor shooting performance. Not only did Knight struggle but the whole team. That night Illinois State shot 36.5% but the defense held the Sycamores to 38.3% from the field keeping the game close. Despite that statistic, in my opinion the Redbirds' defense cost them the game. A foul from DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell sent Khristian Brown to the free throw line for the chance to tie the game, which he capitalized on. Another mistake for Illinois State was not stealing the ball when it was laying on the floor in the final moments before Tre Bennett scooped it up and laid it in for the game winner. While Illinois State lost a close game, Bradley's last matchup was not even close as the Northern Iowa Panthers came out with their spectacular defense and started off the game on a 31-9 run! Yes the Panthers had 31 and the Braves only had 9. Later in the second half the Braves started hitting baskets but the game was already out of hand. A postive for both teams going into tonight is that they are each getting one of their leading scorers back as Illinois State's DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell and Bradley's Warren Jones are both healed and playing regular minutes respectively. For me the difference will be who can score the most points between Illinois State's combo of Daishon Knight and DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell and Bradley's duo of Warren Jones and Tramique Sutherland. Jones and Sutherland do not really impress me but Daishon Knight is a great talent and I think today he will have a good performance and lead his team to their third conference win.
---Illinois State 67, Bradley 57
January 18, 2015
4:00 PM EST-ESPNU
8-9 (2-3) Missouri State
at 15-2 (4-1) 23. Northern Iowa
8-9 (2-3) Missouri State
Solid Wins:
-Southern Illinois 53-50 (Road)
"Should Not Have Happened" Losses:
-Washington State 89-84 in Overtime in 5th Place Game of Great Alaska Shootout
-Oral Roberts 80-61 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss to Evansville 56-54 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Austin Ruder (SO)
-8.5 PPG & 2.3 RPG.
---#23 Dorrian Williams (JR)
-7.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.6 RPG, & 1.5 SPG.
---#30 Camyn Boone (JR)
-7.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
15-2 (4-1) 23. Northern Iowa
Lunardi's Bracketology: 6 Seed
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)
-Loyola (IL) 67-58 (Home)
Losses:
-VCU 93-87 in Overtime (Road)
-Evansville 52-49 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Bradley 63-52 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#10 Seth Tuttle (SR)
-14.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, & 3.2 APG.
---#11 Wes Washpun (JR)
-9.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#1 Deon Mitchell (SR)
-6.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, & 2.1 APG.
Prediction:
Well that escalated quickly...from verbal altercation to suspended against Evansville to the decision to transfer Marcus Marshall is no longer a Missouri State Bear. The guard from St. Paul, Minnesota who took "The Valley" by storm as a Freshman while winning 2012-2013 Freshman of the Year was averaging just under twenty points a game this season and has decided to transfer after the current semester. In my opinion he will most likely go to a Power Six school that will help expose him to better competition, and if he plays well, will raise his chances of going to the NBA. So with that being said, congratulations Austin Ruder, you are now the leading scorer enjoy trying to make baskets against the defensive-minded Northern Iowa Panthers. Since their opening game loss at Evansville, UNI has defeated their opponents by an average margin of 15 points a game. To go along with the Panthers' good defense that holds teams to an average of 48.2 points per game while in conference play, Northern Iowa has so much depth that if one player is having a rough game, the others will make up for it. Seth Tuttle is no doubt the best player as he leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks, but without the supporting cast they would not be as good as they have been in 2014-2015. While the Panthers have been hot the Bears have been not as since their 2-0 start in conference play, they have dropped their last three coming into today. I expect Northern Iowa's defense to suffocate the Bears' offense in route to yet another double-digit victory.
---Northern Iowa 65, Missouri State 49
6:05 PM EST-ESPN3
13-4 (3-2) Loyola (IL)
at 7-11 (0-5) Southern Illinois
13-4 (3-2) 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.
-Bradley 64-49 (Home)
-Evansville 71-70 (Road)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
-Tulane 83-70 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Drake 50-47 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#32 Christian Thomas (SR)
-12.7 PPG & 4.1 RPG.
---#35 Milton Doyle (SO)
-11.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.1 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#4 Devon Turk (JR)
-8.1 PPG & 2.5 RPG.
7-11 (0-5) Southern Illinois
Solid Wins:
-SIU-Edwardsville 79-67 (Road)
"Should Not Have Happened" Losses:
-Southeast Missouri State 55-54 (Home)
-New Orleans 56-52 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss to #13 Wichita State 67-55 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#25 Anthony Beane (JR)
-16.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG.
---#33 Sean O'Brien (SO)
-9.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#14 Jordan Caroline (FR)
-9.2 PPG & 6.4 RPG.
Prediction:
From one dog fight to another, the Ramblers are looking to capitalize against the only team in "The Valley" without a conference win. Loyola (IL) has opened spectators' eyes this season as they had the same number of wins prior to their conference opener than all of last season. The improvement can be credited to the Loyola's defense that holds opponents to a little under sixty points a game and the unselfishness of Sophomore star Milton Doyle. Doyle has taken less shot attempts this season compared to last while facilitating the ball just as well as Pre-Season All-American Fred Van Vleet. Without Doyle, the Ramblers truly would not be in the position they are today. In Loyola's last game, the Ramblers' defense held the Bulldogs offense to 38.3% shooting from the field while Loyola's offense shot 51.2% from the field themselves. Why was the game so close? Three words...Gary Ricks Jr. Drake Senior Ricks Jr. had twenty four points at Loyola on Wednesday night, twenty of which came in the first half, but his last second three pointer attempt was off the mark and the Ramblers prevailed in an ugly win. Southern Illinois' Anthony Beane hopes tonight will be his time to score twenty plus points. Beane who came into conference play as the third leading scorer in the Missouri Valley has averaged only 9.2 points per game against conference opponents while shooting 23.4% from the field. Is that bad...let's just say it is not good. The Salukis as a whole team have played just as bad as their star and have yet to win a game while having close losses at home against Indiana State and Missouri State. This is Southern Illinois' best opportunity to avoid losing since Loyola (IL) is coming off a close victory against Drake. Will the Salukis receive a lift from their fans and give them something to cheer about? I really have a bad feeling that the Salukis will win this game but I have faith in Milton Doyle, Christian Thomas, and the Loyola Ramblers because of their solid defense. Really all Loyola needs to do is keep Anthony Beane from scoring since he is the only scoring threat.
---Loyola (IL) 62, Sourhern Illinois 60
THE ROAD TO ARCH MADNESS
It is never to early to begin looking ahead to March so here is the seedings and matchups if the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament started today.
Arch Madness if it Started Today
1. Wichita State 15-2 (5-0)
2. Indiana State 9-8 (5-0)
3. Northern Iowa 15-2 (4-1)
4. Loyola (IL) 13-4 (3-2)
5. Evansville 13-4 (3-2)
6. Illinois State 10-7 (2-3)
7. Missouri State 8-9 (2-3)
8. Bradley 6-12 (1-4)
9. Southern Illinois 7-11 (0-5)
10. Drake 3-14 (0-5)
Thursday Night
G1: BRAD vs SIU (BRAD Won First Matchup at Carver Arena (BRAD))
G2: MOST vs DRAKE (MOST Won First Game at JQH Arena (MOST))
Friday Afternoon
G3: WSU vs W-G1
G4: LOY vs UE (LOY Won First Meeting at Ford Center (UE))
Friday Night
G5: UNI vs ILST (UE First Meeting at Ford Center (UE))
G6: INST vs W-G2
PW's Prediction Record Coming into Today: 84-35 (20-8 in the MVC)
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