By Peyton Wesner
Well, that was much uglier than expected! Last Saturday, the first meeting of ranked Missouri Valley Conference opponents since 1982 occurred as the eighteenth ranked Northern Iowa Panthers hunted down and mauled the twelfth ranked Wichita State Shockers at the McLeod Center, which snapped Wichita State's thirty game MVC winning streak. The win in my opinion could be considered the biggest conference victory in the history of Northern Iowa. With that being said, UNI cannot underestimate the Indiana State Sycamores on their home court.
February 3, 2015
7:05 PM EST
20-2 (9-1) 14. Northern Iowa
at 11-11 (7-3) Indiana State
20-2 (9-1) 14. Northern Iowa
Lunardi's Bracketology: 5 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 #12 Wichita State 70-54 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#10 Seth Tuttle (SR)
-15.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, & 3.0 APG.
---#11 Wes Washpun (JR)
-9.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#1 Deon Mitchell (SR)
-6.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
---#14 Nate Buss (JR)
-6.3 PPG & 2.3 RPG.
11-11 (7-3) 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:
Win Against Bradley 64-58 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#11 Devonte Brown (JR)
-12.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, & 2.8 APG.
---#4 Brenton Scott (FR)
-11.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#1 Khristian Smith (JR)
-10.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#5 Justin Gant (SR)
-9.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#15 Tre' Bennett (JR)
-7.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG, & 2.9 APG.
---#0 Jake Kitchell (SR)
-6.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
Prediction:
Trap Game Alert! Trap Game Alert! The Northern Iowa Panthers have finally became a household name with their 70-54 win over the 2013-2014 Missouri Valley Conference Champion Wichita State Shockers. Even on Sportscenter today, College Basketball analyst Seth Greenberg called UNI a team that could cause havoc in March. All aboard the Bandwagon! On Saturday, Tuttle had a career-high twenty-nine points as the Panthers took control of the game halfway through the first half and never relinquished it. With Tuttle, Wes Washpun took the duty as second scorer by driving to the basket and scoring sixteen points against one of the best defensive teams since Christmas. While the offense was clicking on all cylinders, the defense was keeping the Shockers' offense out of sync and caused them to shoot 35.4% from the floor (UNI shot 60%). Residents in Cedar Falls, Iowa, hope the same shooting performance happens tonight against Indiana State. The Indiana State Sycamores won their seventh conference game on Saturday against Bradley to get them back to to a .500 winning percentage. Once again a "young sapling" did the scoring against the Braves as Freshman Brenton Scott outscored his counterpart Josh Cunningham with thirteen points. Although it is always positive to win, a negative from the victory came in the shooting struggle as a team. Indiana State shot only 38.9% from the field. The shooting must improve if they want to knock UNI off their pedestal. The last two meetings in the series have been won by the Panthers including this season's first matchup at Cedar Falls that ended with a score of 66-60. The key of the game is defense for both sides. UNI is coming off their best overall game of the season while Indiana State didn't look "great" in their previous. Even though Northern Iowa is coming in on a nine game winning streak, they must stay focused to come out alive, but I know if anyone can survive in "The Forrest" it is these cats.
---Northern Iowa 64, Indiana State 62
8:00 PM EST-ESPN3
16-6 (6-4) Evansville
at 14-8 (6-4) Illinois State
16-6 (6-4) 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)
-Indiana State 89-78 (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)
-Loyola (IL) 71-70 (Home)
-#13 Wichita State 61-41 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss To Drake 70-65 (Road) Players to Watch:
---#31 D.J. Balentin (JR)
-19.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, & 3.4 APG.---#55 Egidijus Mockevicius
-12.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG, & 2.7 BPG.---#50 Blake Simmons (SO)
-8.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.4 APG.---#12 Adam Wing (JR)
-7.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, & 2.6 APG.
14-8 (6-4) 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 Loyola (IL) 48-45 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#3 Daishon Knight (SR)
-14.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#44 DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (JR)
-12.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#4 Bobby Hunter (SR)
-9.0 PPG, 2.4 RPG, & 1.7 APG.
---#22 Reggie Lynch (SO)
-8.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, & 2.8 BPG.
---#1 Paris Lee (SO)
-6.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 2.6 SPG.
Prediction:
I have been waiting for this matchup for quite a long time...too bad Northern Iowa at Indiana State will overshadow it. D.J. Balentine's Evansville Purple Aces did what their Indiana rival did as well when visiting Des Moines, Iowa, this season and that is not a positive thing. Last Saturday, Evansville lost to the Drake Bulldogs in another poor shooting performance from Balentine. The Missouri Valley Conference's leading scorer shot six for nineteen from the field against arguably the worst team in the conference marking his fifth under 50% shooting game in his last six. With Balentine bricking shots, Junior Adam Wing has became more aggresive and has averaged 10.3 points per game in his last four outtings. Nevertheless, Wing will not be able to score enough to cover Balentine (if he struggles) against the Illinois State Redbirds this evening. Illinois State has been flying high since starting 0-2 in conference play and with their win Saturday at Loyola, the Redbirds have tied their opponent for fourth in the conference standings. Illinois State is led by a mixture of height in the form of Reggie Lynch and scoring in the form of Daishon Knight and DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell. The Redbirds are playing so well that they almost beat the Northern Iowa Panthers at home but allowed the game to get away as Nate Buss nailed a game winning three pointer with six seconds remaining. This is definatley not the opponent the Purple Aces want with Balentine struggling and shooting 32.5% in his last six. Look for Daishon Knight and Reggie Lynch to both have solid outings against their counterparts, D.J. Balentine and Egidijus Mockevicius, claiming sole possesion of fourth place for their school.
---Illinois State 67, Evansville 60
February 4, 2015
8:00 PM EST-ESPN3
19-3 (9-1) 16. Wichita State
at 7-16 (2-8) Bradley
19-3 (9-1) 16. 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)
-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:
-Loss To #18 Northern Iowa 70-54 (Road)Players to Watch:
---#31 Ron Baker (JR) -16.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.2 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#12 Darius Carter (SR)
-11.9 PPG & 5.7 RPG.---#23 Fred Van Vleet (JR)
-11.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.4 APG, & 1.8 SPG.---#32 Tekele Cotton (SR)
-9.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.4 SPG.7-16 (2-8) 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 Indiana State 64-58 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Warren Jones (JR)
-13.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#5 Tramique Sutherland (JR)
-11.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, & 3.0 APG.
---#4 Auston Barnes (SR)
-10.6 PPG & 4.2 RPG.
---#24 Omari Grier (JR)
-8.2 PPG & 2.0 APG.
---#21 Josh Cunningham (FR)
-7.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#0 Ka'Darryl Bell (JR)
-7.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
Prediction:
A buddy of mine said that he "feels bad for Bradley" since they play Wichita State after a Shockers' loss because there is no way they will lose two games in a row. Personally, I cannot argue with him as the Shockers have not lost two games straight since the 2012-2013 season and have won games by a margin of 18.5 points this season after losses. In case you missed last weekend's action, Wichita State's thirty-game MVC winning streak is over and it came at the hands of the Northern Iowa Panthers. UNI had their best game of the season as their offense shot 60% from the field while their defense held the "Fantastic Four" to thirteen for thirty-eight shooting (34.2%) and the whole team to 35.4% shooting. Fred Van Vleet was what you could call the only bright spot despite shooting three for ten for a total of eighteen points. Expect Wichita State to play even "more angry" tonight at the Carver Arena against Bradley. The Bradley Braves lost their eighth game of the conference season Saturday against the Indiana State Sycamores. Prior to the loss, news came out as leading scorer Warren Jones was having some "good ole fun" and was arrested at a strip club on misdemeanor charges of obstruction of identification and criminal trespassing. Jones was suspended from the Indiana State game and tonight he is expected to miss another game as a part of his punishment. The first loss for Bradley against Wichita State was a twenty points defeat but tonight their real punishment could be an even nastier beatdown Ron Baker and the gang will inflict.
---Wichita State 70, Bradley 52
8:05 PM EST
9-14 (2-8) Southern Illinois
at 6-16 (3-7) Drake
9-14 (2-8) 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 Missouri State 52-46 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#25 Anthony Beane (JR)
-15.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG.
---#14 Jordan Caroline (FR)
-9.3 PPG & 6.0 RPG.
---#33 Sean O'Brien (SO)
-8.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#1 Jalen Pendleton (JR)
-6.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
6-16 (3-7) Drake
Division I Wins:
-IUPUI 73-60 (Home)
-Jackson State 76-66 (Home)
-Indiana State 84-78 (Home)
-Bradley 69-57 (Road)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-#16 Wichita State 66-58 (Home)
-Loyola (IL) 50-47 (Road)
-Illinois State 64-56 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Evansville 70-65 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Gary Ricks Jr. (SR)
-11.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
---#12 Reed Timmer (FR)
-10.3 PPG, 1.9 RPG, & 2.4 APG.
---#11 Jacob Enevold Jensen (SR)
-8.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#3 Jordan Daniels (SR)
-7.9 PPG.
---#25 Chris Caird (SR)
-7.5 PPG & 2.2 RPG.
Prediction:
WATCH OUT! THERE IS A DOG FIGHT GOING DOWN IN DES MOINES! Tonight two of the five teams battling for the sixth seed in Arch Madness face-off as the Southern Illinois Salukis and the Drake Bulldogs step inside the ring. Both teams are trending upward--although the record does not imply it--after both started 0-5 in conference play. On Saturday, the Salukis lost a tough meeting in Springfield as the Missouri State Bears had just enough to put down a SIU rally late in the game. Once again, Southern Illinois star Anthony Beane shot poorly while finishing the game three for ten with eleven points. Young pups Jordan Caroline and Tyler Smithpeters played very well though and scored fourteen points apiece in the loss. The bad news for the Salukis is that they are now on a three game losing streak since winning two in a row, but the good news is that they have a great opportunity to steal a game at Drake tonight. The Drake Bulldogs are in my opinion the hottest team in the bottom half of the Missouri Valley Conference as they have won three of their five games (previously won three in first sixteen). In their last game at home against Evansville, everything clicked as the Bulldogs shot 54.8% from the field and played outstanding defense on the best scorer in the conference. D.J. Balentine. Drake Freshman Reed Timmer was the best player on the floor and scored a game-high eighteen points and is now averaging 16.5 points per game in his last two. A second scorer emerging to help Senior Gary Ricks Jr. supply points for the team? I think so and tonight I feel Ricks Jr. and Timmer will score a combined thirty points to guide their dogs to victory in their backyard.
---Drake 60, Southern Illinois 59
9:00 PM EST-Full Court/ESPN3
13-9 (3-7) Loyola (IL)
at 9-13 (3-7) Missouri State
13-9 (3-7) 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)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-#23 Northern Iowa 67-58 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Southern Illinois 59-52 (Road)
-Evansville 65-56 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss To Illinois State 48-45 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#32 Christian Thomas (SR)
-11.5 PPG & 4.1 RPG.
---#24 Montel James (JR)
-9.0 PPG & 4.1 RPG.
---#4 Devon Turk (JR)
-8.1 PPG & 2.5 RPG.
---#2 Earl Peterson (JR)
-6.8 PPG & 2.1 RPG.
9-13 (3-7) Missouri State
Conference Wins:
-Southern Illinois 53-50 (Road)
-Drake 62-37 (Home)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-Evansville 56-54 (Home)
-Bradley 61-59 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Southern Illinois 52-46 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Austin Ruder (SO)
-8.5 PPG & 2.2 RPG.
---#23 Dorrian Williams (JR)
-7.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.6 RPG, & 1.5 SPG.
---#30 Camyn Boone (JR)
-7.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
Prediction:
Is Milton Doyle back yet? No? Ugh! The Loyola Ramblers have not won a game since last year's Freshman and Newcomer of the Year Milton Doyle has gone down with an ankle injury. The analysis is simple...without Doyle the offense is stagnant and Christian Thomas cannot easily get free from defenders and score points. The stats do not lie my friends. Since Doyle has gone down, Thomas has averaged less than one half of his points per game average (5.3 points per game in his last four outings). Thomas even tied a season-low with two points at home against Illinois State Saturday in a game the Ramblers should of won. Why should've Loyola won? BECAUSE MONTEL JAMES MISSED FOUR FREE THROWS WHILE HIS TEAM WAS DOWN THREE POINTS! Hmm...that would do it. Do not get me wrong, James played phenomenal and had the best game of his young Rambler career with a career-high twenty-two points to go along with seven rebounds. In fact, the only negative of his performance was that he missed his free throws that could have helped draw his team closer to victory!
STOP THE PRESSES! MISSOURI STATE HAS FINALLY WON A GAME WITHOUT MARCUS MARSHALL! THE LOSING STREAK IS FINALLY OVER! The Bears got back in the win column last Saturday in a 52-46 win over Southern Illinois. At one point, Missouri State was up by sixteen points! Like Illinois State though, the Bears tried to give the game away, but luckily for them Southern Illinois' rally did not have enough time to formulate. So who will be sent to the bottom four of thw Missouri Valley Conference standings after tonight? Personally, I can see Loyola (IL) going into the JQH Arena and winning easily, but home-court advantage in favor of the Bears could play a factor. Both teams' leading scorers have played awful of late (Loyola's Christian Thomas and Missouri State's Austin Ruder), which gives me the feeling that this will be a low scoring affair. I think I am going to have to go with Missouri State in a tight one as I feel the home rims play favorably to their shot attempts.
---Missouri State 52, Loyola (IL) 50
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. Northern Iowa 20-2 (9-1)
2. Wichita State 19-3 (9-1)
3. Indiana State 11-11 (7-3)
4. Evansville 16-6 (6-4)
5. Illinois State 14-8 (6-4)
6. Loyola (IL) 13-9 (3-7)
7. Missouri State 9-13 (3-7)
8. Drake 6-16 (3-7)
9. Southern Illinois 9-14 (2-8)
10. Bradley 7-16 (2-8)
Thursday Night
G1: DRAKE vs SIU (Face-Off on Wednesday at The Knapp Center (DRAKE))
G2: MOST vs BRAD (BRAD Won First Meeting Carver Arena (BU))
Friday Afternoon
G3: UNI vs W-G1
G4: EVAN vs ILST (Face-Off on Tuesday at Redbird Arena (ILST))
Friday Night
G5: INST vs LOY (INST Won First Meeting at Human Center (INST))
G6: WSU vs W-G2
PW's Prediction Record Coming into Today: 111-43 (40-12 in the MVC)
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