By Peyton Wesner
Today is the day that I and other die-hard Missouri Valley Conference Men's basketball fans have been waiting as the two best teams, the Wichita State Shockers and the Northern Iowa Panthers, face off in the first meeting between nationally ranked MVC teams since January 18, 1982, when the Shockers took on Tulsa. But before we dive into today's great slate of hoops, I would like to reflect and continue to forcast who will place where in the best conference in High-Major basketball.
Pre-Season MVC Predictions
1. Wichita State
2. Northern Iowa
3. Evansville
4. Missouri State
5. Illinois State
6. Loyola (IL)
7. Bradley
8. Indiana State
9. Southern Illinois
10. Drake
Pre-Season All-MVC First Team
Ron Baker (Wichita State)
Fred Van Vleet (Wichita State)
D.J. Balentine (Evansville)
Seth Tuttle (Northern Iowa)
Marcus Marshall (Missouri State)
Egidijus Mockevicius (Evansville)
Errors:
Obviously I did not expect Marcus Marshall to decide to transfer in the middle of the season, nor for the Bears to win their first two conference games and then lose ever since. Really, there is no valid excuse for my Missouri State pick because they were playing awful with Marshall and I thought they were better than they really are. Surprising to me is the quality of team Indiana State has. Who would have thought that the Sycamores would be in the top half of the conference without All-MVC Point Guard Jake Odum. Not me, that is for sure!
Mid-Conference Season Predictions
1. Wichita State 27-3 (17-1)
---It is unlikely that the Shockers will even lose a game this conference season but I believe it will happen. It could come as early as today from my perspective since it is hard to play on the road against UNI, but if Wichita State survives, they could easily underestimate a team like Illinois State or Indiana State leading to their first conference regular season loss since 2013 to Creighton.
2. Northern Iowa 26-4 (15-3)
---Well if you are tired of the conference championship staying in Wichita, the Panthers are the team you should be rooting for. Northern Iowa, led by Seth Tuttle and a very active defense, have held the most potent offenses to a low number of points. But do they have enough offense to hang around with "The Big Four"?! That is what we will find out today.
3. Indiana State 16-14 (12-6)
---Why do I have the Sycamores in the third spot now? Because they only have three games remaining against the top five teams in the conference. In my eyes, that means that Indiana State has some very winnable games for the remainder of their regular season schedule. Maybe Freshman Brenton Scott was exactly what the Trees needed to grow to higher heights.
4. Evansville 21-9 (11-7)
---Mislav Brzoja's broken hand will hurt UE more than you know. Take it from me, Brzoja was finally clicking and becoming a third scorer that Blake Simmons was not during Adam Wing's absence. D.J. Balentine continues to score the basketball but there will be times he will not be able to score enough. I really look forward to the Illinois State/Evansville matchups because it is a realistic Arch Madness matchup that will show the talent of both schools.
5. Illinois State 19-11 (11-7)
---Coming in hot! The Redbirds have bounced back from their 0-2 conference start and should be 7-2 today. Think about it, if Akoon-Purcell would not have fouled at the end of the second half in Terre Haute while up two points and if they could have solved Northern Iowa's zone defense last Sunday we could be having a very different conversation. I look for the Redbirds to continue to compete with good play for the remainder of the season.
6. Loyola (IL) 16-14 (6-12)
---I really hope the Ramblers can figure-out their current struggles because the last thing they want is to be stuck in Thursday Night Action at the Scottrade Center. The ankle injury that has hampered the play of star Milton Doyle and has now taken him out of the action completly could be the bullet that puts the dog to bed. If any two games mean the most for the Ramblers on the "back nine" it would be on the road against Drake and at home versus Missouri State to conclude the regular season. These games are essential for two reasons. Number one, Valley fans will hopefully be able to see a fully healthy Milton Doyle and see how better he plays, and, number two, the Ramblers need to win these two matchups to stay out of the bottom four and create any kind of momentum to get the championship juices flowing for Arch Madness.
7. Southern Illinois 12-19 (5-13)
---Anthony Beane has finally solved his scoring struggles and trust me teams are going to find out quick. Beane is the Salukis' only scorer but he is a very good one. I see SIU ultimately sweeping Drake and winning at least one more game to grab the seventh spot in the conference.
8. Drake 8-22 (5-13)
---Will Drake ever be out of the bottom four? Every time they have a good young player, he transfers to a Big Ten school (Rayvonte Rice (Illinois) and Joey King (Minnesota)). The Bulldogs have a lot of potential in Gary Ricks Jr.'s Senior year and have solid players that could sneak up on a contender prior to March.
9. Missouri State 10-20 (4-14)
---So Austin Ruder, are you enjoying being the leading scorer and having your opponent's best defender guarding you at all times? Marcus Marshall is gone and in a blink of an eye the Bears conference championship asperations have disappeared as well. Hopefully they will not finish the season 0-16 but I suppose anything is possible.
10. Bradley 9-22 (4-14)
---Why does Bradley never live up to expectations? Seriously, they have plenty of scorers, but got beat by double-digits by Drake! I don't know if their team has the competive fire or what is going on in Peoria but whatever it is, it's not good.
Mid-Season All-MVC Team
Ron Baker (Wichita State)
D.J. Balentine (Evansville)
Seth Tuttle (Northern Iowa)
Fred Van Vleet (Wichita State)
Egidijus Mockevicius (Evansville)
Daishon Knight (Illinois State)
Mid-Season All-MVC 2nd Team
Anthony Beane (Southern Illinois)
Devonte Brown (Indiana State)
Darius Carter (Wichita State)
Christian Thomas (Loyola)
Tekele Cotton (Wichita State)
All-MVC Freshman Team
Brenton Scott (Indiana State)
Jordan Carolina (Southern Illinois)
Josh Cunningham (Bradley)
Reed Timmer (Drake)
Shaquille Morris (Wichita State)
NOTE**
I would put Milton Doyle First Team MVC but since he will miss three to four weeks with ankle injury, I have a feeling it will hurt his argument and chances to receive such a high post-season award.
January 31, 2015
1:05 PM EST
7-15 (2-7) Bradley
at 10-11 (6-3) Indiana State
7-15 (2-7) Bradley
Solid Wins:
-Central Michigan 84-73 (Home)
-Southern Illinois 63-44 (Home)
-Missouri State 61-59 (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 Drake 69-57 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Warren Jones (JR)
-13.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#4 Auston Barnes (SR)
-10.6 PPG & 4.2 RPG.
---#5 Tramique Sutherland (JR)
-10.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, & 3.0 APG.
---#24 Omari Grier (JR)
-8.2 PPG & 2.0 APG.
---#21 Josh Cunningham (FR)
-7.7 PPG & 7.5 RPG.
---#0 Ka'Darryl Bell (JR)
-7.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
10-11 (6-3) Indiana State
Solid Wins:
-Illinois State 63-61 (Road)
-Evansville 79-75 in Overtime (Home)
-Missouri State 71-56 (Home)
-Illinois State 71-70 in Overtime (Home)
"Never Should Have Happened" Losses:
-Eastern Illinois 60-56 (Home)
-Missouri-Kansas City 73-70 in Double Overtime.
-Drake 84-78 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To Evansville 89-78 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#11 Devonte Brown (JR)
-12.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, & 2.9 APG.
---#4 Brenton Scott (FR)
-11.8 PPG & 3.8 RPG.
---#1 Khristian Smith (JR)
-10.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.0 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#5 Justin Gant (SR)
-9.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#15 Tre' Bennett (JR)
-7.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, & 3.0 APG.
Prediction:
Although Indiana State has finally hit a bit of a slide (I figured would eventually come), it will stop today. Bradley lost to Drake at home on Wednesday...that means they are definately not a team the Sycamores should be fearing. The Braves do have a lot of scoring options, but Indiana State has just as many players that can guard them. The thing I am really looking forward to seeing is which Freshman will steal the show, Bradley's Josh Cunningham or Indiana State's Brenton Scott. Both players have had really good first seasons in "The Valley" and are showing the fans that they could be the future stars of the conference. Ultimately, I feel Indiana State will be too much for their opponent and will put the Braves away behind a good performances from Brenton Scott, who scored twenty points at Evansville, and Devonte Brown, who is averaging 21 points per game in his last two.
---Indiana State 63, Bradley 54
2:00 PM EST-Full Court/ESPN3
13-8 (5-4) Illinois State
at 13-8 (3-6) Loyola (IL)
13-8 (5-4) Illinois State
Solid Wins:
-Old Dominion 64-45 in the Semi-Final of Paradise Jam.
-DePaul 78-72 (Road)
-Missouri State 69-55 (Road)
Conference Losses
-Indiana State 63-61 (Home)
-#16 Wichita State 70-62 (Road)
-Indiana State 71-70 in Overtime (Road)
-#20 Northern Iowa 54-53 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Missouri State 67-57 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#3 Daishon Knight (SR)
-15.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#44 DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (JR)
-12.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#4 Bobby Hunter (SR)
-9.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, & 1.7 APG.
---#22 Reggie Lynch (SO)
-8.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, & 2.6 BPG.
13-8 (3-6) 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)
Conference Losses:
-#23 Northern Iowa 67-58 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-#15 Wichita State 67-53 (Home)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Evansville 65-56 (Home)
-Indiana State 72-61 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To #12 Wichita State 58-47 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#32 Christian Thomas (SR)
-11.9 PPG & 4.2 RPG.
---#24 Montel James (JR)
-8.4 PPG & 4.0 RPG.
---#4 Devon Turk (JR)
-8.3 PPG & 2.5 RPG.
Prediction:
Do not sleep on Loyola in this game! The Ramblers held Wichita State's high powered offense to only 58 points on Wednesday. Through my eyes, that is a very good performance, but without Doyle, the offense cannot competitively produce pointd. Devon Turk was the leading scorer against the Shockers with nine points. A team's highest scorer with under ten points normally does not get the team a win. The offense will need to step up against today's opponent, the Illinois State. The Redbirds rebounded from their home loss to Northern Iowa with a ten point win to sweep the season series against the Missouri State Bears. Many Redbirds' had great individual games against Missouri State as Reggie Lynch had twelve points and five rebounds, Daishon Knight scored fourteen points, and DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell had his first great game since returning from injury with a twenty point, twelve rebound performance. Loyola's defense may be able to contain the scoring of Illinois State but if the offense continues to be unseen, expect another L in the Joseph J. Gentile Center.
---Illinois State 60, Loyola (IL) 53
3:05 PM EST
16-5 (6-3) Evansville
at 5-16 (2-7) Drake
16-5 (6-3) 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)
-Loyola (IL) 65-56 (Road)
Losses:
-Green Bay 64-62 in Semi-Final of Gulf Coast Showcase.-Murray State 81-79 (Home)
-Indiana State 79-75 in Overtime (Road)
-Loyola (IL) 71-70 (Home)
-#13 Wichita State 61-41 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Indiana State 89-78 (Home)Players to Watch:
---#31 D.J. Balentine (JR)
-19.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, & 3.5 APG.---#55 Egidijus Mockevicius
-13.0 PPG, 10.9 RPG, & 2.7 BPG.---#50 Blake Simmons (SO)
-8.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.4 APG.---#12 Adam Wing (JR)
-6.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, & 2.6 APG.
5-16 (2-7) Drake
Division I Wins:
-IUPUI 73-60 (Home)
-Jackson State 76-66 (Home)
-Indiana State 84-78 (Home)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-#16 Wichita State 66-58 (Home)
-Loyola (IL) 50-47 (Road)
-Illinois State 64-56 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Bradley 69-57 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Gary Ricks Jr. (SR)
-11.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
---#12 Reed Timmer (FR)
-9.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG, & 2.5 APG.
---#3 Jordan Daniels (SR)
-8.0 PPG.
---#11 Jacob Enevold Jensen (SR)
-8.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, & 1.0 BPG
---#25 Chris Caird (SR)
-7.5 PPG & 2.2 RPG.
Prediction:
"D.J. Balentine from downtown" is what the Purple Aces will need to be seeing today for any chance of victory. Evansville is coming off a huge 89-78 win over in-state rival Indiana State where the whole team played well and shot 53.2% from the field. Today the same performance will be required against a pesky Drake Bulldogs squad. The Bulldogs started off the conference season horribly as they dropped their first five games, but since, Drake has slowly dug themselves out of the conference cellar and are in the thick of a race for Loyola's six seed. In Drake's last game, the Bulldogs behind a total of 44 points from Ricks Jr., Timmer, and Enevold Jensen, dominated Bradley on their home court. Evansville better not underestimate them or Drake will be 2-0 against Indiana teams at home.
---Evansville 65, Drake 59
4:00 PM EST-ESPN2
19-2 (9-0) 12. Wichita State
at 19-2 (8-1) 18. Northern Iowa
19-2 (9-0) 12. Wichita State
Lunardi's Bracketology: 4 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)
-Evansville 61-41 (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 Loyola (IL) 58-47 (Home)Players to Watch:
---#31 Ron Baker (JR) -16.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#12 Darius Carter (SR)
-12.0 PPG & 5.9 RPG.---#23 Fred Van Vleet (JR)
-11.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.5 APG, & 1.9 SPG.---#32 Tekele Cotton (SR)
-9.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, & 1.3 SPG.19-2 (8-1) 18. 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)
-Indiana State 66-60 (Home)
-Illinois State 54-53 (Road)
Losses:
-VCU 93-87 in Overtime (Road)
-Evansville 52-49 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#10 Seth Tuttle (SR)
-15.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, & 3.1 APG.
---#11 Wes Washpun (JR)
-8.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#1 Deon Mitchell (SR)
-7.0 PPG, 2.2 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
---#14 Nate Buss (JR)
-6.4 PPG & 2.4 RPG.
Prediction:
On paper the Northern Iowa Panthers do not stand a chance, but on the court they have the best chance in the Missouri Valley to end Wichita State's thirty game regular season winning streak. Northern Iowa has had a great season so far led by All-MVC Power Foward Seth Tuttle and a defense that has held conference opponents to 50.2 points per game. The deceiving stat for UNI is that Seth Tuttle is their only scorer averaging double-digits. So shut down Tuttle and UNI losses? Not exactly, since the Panthers have one of the best benches in the country. Playing Northern Iowa in my opinion, is like protecting a fortification in war because you can analysis where you think the bulk of the damage will come from (Tuttle) but never know where the other destruction will occur. One day Bohanon could drop fifteen plus, another day Buss or Mitchell, or maybe Washpun and Morgan. It is hard to determine who will step up with Tuttle for Northern Iowa but someone always does. With Northern Iowa's opponent, Wichita State, one does not need to guess who will play great as it comes from their "Fantastic Four" of Juniors Ron Baker and Fred Van Vleet, and Seniors Darius Carter and Tekele Cotton. The four have completely ran over Missouri Valley Conference opponents with their shooting, paint scoring, and defensive intensity without shocking anyone. Now, one weakness for Wichita State could be their lack of a go-to scorer off the bench. The bench talent is young and unexperienced led by Freshmen Shaquille Morris and Rashard Kelly. Morris and Kelly have had some good performances this season but together the two are only producing an average of 7.8 points per game. THIS HAS BEEN THE GAME WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! Wichita State's offense versus Northern Iowa's defense. Tuttle versus Carter. The Fantastic Four against Tuttle's Troops! Sit back and buckle up, because this game is for sure to be a ride.
---Northern Iowa 56, Wichita State 54
8:05 PM EST-Full Court/ESPN3
9-13 (2-7) Southern Illinois
at 8-13 (2-7) Missouri State
9-13 (2-7) Southern Illinois
Solid Wins:
-SIU-Edwardsville 79-67 (Road)
-Loyola (IL) 59-52 (Home)
-Bradley 70-59 (Home)
"Should Not Have Happened" Losses:
-Southeast Missouri State 55-54 (Home)
-New Orleans 56-52 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss To #18 Northern Iowa 59-52 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#25 Anthony Beane (JR)
-16.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG.
---#14 Jordan Caroline (FR)
-9.0 PPG & 6.0 RPG.
---#33 Sean O'Brien (SO)
-8.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
8-13 (2-7) Missouri State
Conference Wins:
-Southern Illinois 53-50 (Road)
-Drake 62-37 (Home)
Conference Losses:
-Indiana State 71-56 (Road)
-Illinois State 69-55 (Home)
-Evansville 56-54 (Home)
-#23 Northern Iowa 60-46 (Road)
-#14 Wichita State 76-53 (Home)
-Bradley 61-59 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss to Illinois State 67-57 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Austin Ruder (SO)
-8.8 PPG & 2.1 RPG.
---#23 Dorrian Williams (JR)
-7.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.7 RPG, & 1.5 SPG.
---#30 Camyn Boone (JR)
-7.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
Prediction:
First one to sixty points wins! The Southern Illinois Salukis have been trending upward after a five game losing streak to begin conference play, the team won two games in a row at home against Loyola (IL) and Bradley to snap the skid. The losses eventually came back though at Evansville and in a game against Northern Iowa, where the Salukis' leading scorer and Missouri Valley Conference's third best, Anthony Beane, shot two for nine from the field while scoring only five points. Will Beane's struggles continue against the coldest team in the conference? The Missouri State Bears were suppose to be a contender this season and everything was looking optimistic when they started the conference season 2-0 with one of their wins coming against SIU in Carbondale. Then the losses started piling up and their star Marcus Marshall had a verbal altercation with head coach Paul Lusk leading to his decision to take the rest of the season off and transfer after the current semester. Nineteen points were gone in the blink of an eye and Missouri State struggles worsened. Tonight is the Bears best chance to win in a long time since it is a home game and against a team with only one scorer to shut down. This game will be close but close enough that I feel the Bears come out on top.
---Missouri State 61, Southern 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 19-2 (9-0)
2. Northern Iowa 19-2 (8-1)
3. Evansville 16-5 (6-3)
4. Indiana State 10-11 (6-3)
5. Illinois State 13-8 (5-4)
6. Loyola (IL) 13-8 (3-6)
7. Southern Illinois 9-13 (2-7)
8. Missouri State 8-13 (2-7)
9. Bradley 7-15 (2-7)
10. Drake 5-16 (2-7)
Thursday Night
G1: SIU vs DRAKE
G2: MOST vs BRAD
Friday Afternoon
G3: WSU vs W-G1
G4: INST vs ILST (INST Swept Season Series)
Friday Night
G5: EVAN vs LOY (Split Season Series, Both Teams Won on Road)
G6: UNI vs W-G2
PW's Prediction Record Coming into Today: 108-42 (34-11 in the MVC)
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