Is this real life? Bradley and Southern Illinois defeated Evansville at home and Illinois State respectively? Well then. Last Saturday in my opinion could be split into two days as the two early afternoon games resulted in huge upsets while the later games had expected results. What will happen today and tomorrow with the first place team, the Northern Iowa Panthers, taking on the current fourth seeded, Illinois State Redbirds, and the Wichita State Shockers (second in standings) facing off with the Indiana State Sycamores (third in standings)?
February 10, 2015
7:00 PM EST-Full Court/ESPN3
9-15 (3-9) Missouri State
at 16-8 (6-6) Evansville
9-15 (3-9) Missouri State
Conference Wins:
-Southern Illinois 53-50 (Road)
-Drake 62-37 (Home)
-Southern Illinois 52-46 (Home)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-Evansville 56-54 (Home)
-Bradley 61-59 (Road)
-Loyola (IL) 53-50 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss To #16 Wichita State 78-35 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Austin Ruder (SO)
-8.0 PPG & 2.3 RPG.
---#30 Camyn Boone (JR)
-7.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#23 Dorrian Williams (JR) (DNP at Wichita State)
-7.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.7 RPG, & 1.4 SPG.
16-8 (6-6) 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)
Single-Digit 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)
-Drake 70-65 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To Bradley 56-53 (Home)Players to Watch:
---#31 D.J. Balentine (JR)
-19.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, & 3.3 APG.---#55 Egidijus Mockevicius (JR) (DNP against Bradley)
-12.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, & 2.6 BPG.
---#5 Mislav Brzoja (SO)
-8.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, & 2.7 APG.
---#50 Blake Simmons (SO)
-8.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG, & 2.2 APG.---#12 Adam Wing (JR)
-6.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, & 2.3 APG.
Prediction:
So the Evansville Purple Aces dropped another game to a bottom feeder opponent, but I suppose that is nothing new. In their last three games, Evansville has been edged by Drake and Bradley and obliterated by Illinois State. Against the Braves on Saturday, the Purple Aces were missing double-double machine Egidijus Mockevicius to a reason I have yet to hear of. I must admit though, D.J. Balentine picked up the scoring production with a very efficient eight for thirteen shooting outing with a game high twenty-two points. It is very important that Balentine looked great since he is now the only source of scoring and has been shooting absolutly awful of late. The Purple Aces had amble amount of opportunities to "step on the throat of their opponent" since they possessed a fourteen point lead at halftime, but Bradley behind a huge unexpected lift from Nate Wells and Tramique Sutherland reeled in Evansville's lead and eventually put them away with clutch free throws. Will Evansville be able to stop the skid against an inferior Missouri State team. Suprisingly is the fact that the Bears have won a game since the departure of pre-season All-MVC guard Marcus Marshall, but unshockingly is the fact that Wichita State killed Missouri State in Wichita. The final score was 78-35 in favor of the Shockers...or in other words, the game was very ugly. The Bears ended the night shooting 25% from the field with only one of their players shooting over 50% for the evening (Cameron Boone three for four shooting, six points). The leading scorer of Missouri State had nine points (Gavin Thurman) whilevfour of Wichita State's players had more than nine points individually! Let's just say that the Missouri State Bears are offensively-challenged and I do not foresee that changing even if Mockevicius is inactive. What I do expect seeing is D.J. Balentine scoring twenty plus points for another game in a solid win that comforts the Evansville faithful at the Ford Center.
---Evansville 67, Missouri State 53
February 11, 2013
8:00 PM EST-ESPN3
15-9 (7-5) Illinois State
at 22-2 (11-1) 13. Northern Iowa
15-9 (7-5) Illinois State
Solid Wins:
-Old Dominion 64-45 in the Semi-Final of Paradise Jam.
-DePaul 78-72 (Road)
-Missouri State 69-55 (Road)
-Evansville 77-51 (Home)
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:
-Loss To Southern Illinois 65-59 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#3 Daishon Knight (SR)
-14.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#44 DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (JR)
-12.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#22 Reggie Lynch (SO)
-9.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, & 2.9 BPG.
---#4 Bobby Hunter (SR)
-8.5 PPG & 2.4 RPG.
---#24 Deontae Hawkins (FR)
-7.4 PPG & 5.2 RPG.
---#1 Paris Lee (SO)
-6.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, & 2.6 SPG.
22-2 (11-1) 13. Northern Iowa
Lunardi's Bracketology: 4 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)
-#12 Wichita State 70-54 (Home)
-Indiana State 61-51 (Road)
Losses:
-VCU 93-87 in Overtime (Road)
-Evansville 52-49 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Drake 69-53 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#10 Seth Tuttle (SR)
-15.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, & 3.1 APG.
---#11 Wes Washpun (JR)
-8.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#1 Deon Mitchell (SR)
-6.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG, & 2.2 APG.
---#14 Nate Buss (JR)
-6.5 PPG & 2.5 RPG.
Prediction:
So do you think we will see the same competitive game we saw in Bloomington tonight between these two earlier in the season? I hope so but it would not surprise me if Northern Iowa defeats Illinois State in a double-figures win. The Redbirds were the hottest team in "the Valley" besides their opponent until a very disappointing loss at Carbondale last weekend. Illinois State was able to rally from a Salukis' lead that was eighteen points in the first half. At one point in the second half, Illinois State even took the lead with a pair of Daishon Knight free throws that put his team up 57-55 with 1:49 left. The Redbirds were going to escape, if they could play defense. On that given day the previous statement was wishful thinking as SIU went on a 10-2 run to end the game. The Redbirds were finally grounded. While Illinois State was shot down, the Northern Iowa Panthers haven't been knocked off their winning course since New Years when they blew a sixteen point lead to the Evansville Purple Aces. Looking back on the loss, I feel it was the best thing to ever happen to UNI as the whole team has looked unstopable since and Seth Tuttle has been playing like the Larry Bird Player of the Year in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Panthers ran by last weekend's opponent, the Drake Bulldogs, behind a combined fifty-one point performance from Matt Bohannon (fourteen points), Nate Buss (nine points), Paul Jesperson (twelve points), and Seth Tuttle (sixteen points). The quartet scored two less points than the whole Drake Bulldogs team! I know Illinois State looked great and should have won the first meeting at Redbird Arena, but I am unsure if they will be able to contend with their opponent on this evening.
---Northern Iowa 65, Illinois State 58
8:00 PM EST-Full Court/ESPN3
10-15 (3-9) Southern Illinois
at 14-10 (4-8) Loyola (IL)
10-15 (3-9) Southern Illinois
Solid Wins:
-SIU-Edwardsville 79-67 (Road)
-Loyola (IL) 59-52 (Home)
-Bradley 70-59 (Home)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-Missouri State 53-50 (Home)
-Indiana State 59-56 (Home)
-Evansville 75-66 (Road)
-#18 Northern Iowa 59-52 (Home)
-Missouri State 52-46 (Road)
-Drake 63-61 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Illinois State 65-59 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#25 Anthony Beane (JR)
-16.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#14 Jordan Caroline (FR)
-9.4 PPG & 6.3 RPG.
---#33 Sean O'Brien (SO)
-7.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#1 Jalen Pendleton (JR)
-6.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 1.1 SPG.
14-10 (4-8) 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)
-Missouri State 53-50 without Milton Doyle and Christian Thomas (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)
-Illinois State 48-45 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss To Indiana State 79-65 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#35 Milton Doyle (SO) (DNP against Indiana State)
-11.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#32 Christian Thomas (SR)
-11.1 PPG & 4.0 RPG.
---#24 Montel James (JR)
-8.9 PPG & 4.2 RPG.
---#4 Devon Turk (JR)
-8.1 PPG & 2.6 RPG.
---#2 Earl Peterson (JR)
-7.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, & 1.7 APG.
Prediction:
---Loyola (IL) 60, Southern Illinois 58
8:00 PM EST-ESPN3
12-12 (8-4) Indiana State
at 21-3 (11-1) 15. Wichita State
12-12 (8-4) 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 Loyola (IL) 79-65 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#11 Devonte Brown (JR)
-13.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, & 2.9 APG.
---#4 Brenton Scott (FR)
-11.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, & 1.1 BPG.
---#1 Khristian Smith (JR)
-9.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#5 Justin Gant (SR)
-9.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#15 Tre' Bennett (JR)
-7.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, & 3.0 APG.
---#0 Jake Kitchell (SR)
-7.0 PPG & 5.2 RPG.
21-3 (11-1) 15. 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.
-#18 Northern Iowa 70-54 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Missouri State 76-35 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#31 Ron Baker (JR) -15.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#12 Darius Carter (SR)
-11.7 PPG & 5.4 RPG.---#23 Fred Van Vleet (JR)
-11.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.5 APG, & 1.8 SPG.---#32 Tekele Cotton (SR)
-9.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.3 SPGPrediction:
---Wichita State 70, Indiana State 58
8:05 PM EST
8-17 (3-9) Bradley
at 7-17 (4-8) Drake
8-17 (3-9) 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:
-Win Against Evansville 56-53 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Warren Jones (JR) (DNP at Evansville)
-13.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#5 Tramique Sutherland (JR)
-11.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, & 2.9 APG.
---#4 Auston Barnes (SR)
-10.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#24 Omari Grier (JR)
-8.5 PPG & 2.0 APG.
---#21 Josh Cunningham (FR)
-7.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#0 Ka'Darryl Bell (JR)
-7.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
7-17 (4-8) Drake
Division I Wins:
-IUPUI 73-60 (Home)
-Jackson State 76-66 (Home)
-Indiana State 84-78 (Home)
-Bradley 69-57 (Road)
-Evansville 70-65 (Home)
-Southern Illinois 63-61 (Home)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-#16 Wichita State 66-58 (Home)
-Loyola (IL) 50-47 (Road)
-Illinois State 64-56 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss To #14 Northern Iowa 69-53 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Gary Ricks Jr. (SR)
-11.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 2.4 APG.
---#12 Reed Timmer (FR)
-10.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG, & 2.4 APG.
---#11 Jacob Enevold Jensen (SR)
-7.7 PPG & 5.4 RPG.
---#3 Jordan Daniels (SR)
-7.5 PPG.
---#25 Chris Caird (SR)
-7.5 PPG & 2.2 RPG.
Prediction:
---Drake 58, Bradley 54
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 22-2 (11-1)
2. Wichita State 21-3 (11-1)
3. Indiana State 12-12 (8-4)
4. Illinois State 15-9 (7-5)
5. Evansville 16-8 (6-6)
6. Loyola (IL) 14-10 (4-8)
7. Drake 7-17 (4-8)
8. Missouri State 9-15 (3-9)
9. Bradley 8-17 (3-9)
10. Southern Illinois 10-15 (3-9)
Thursday Night
G1: MOST vs BRAD (BRAD Won First Meeting at Carver Arena (BRAD))
G2: DRAKE vs SIU (DRAKE Won First Meeting at The Knapp Center (DRAKE))
Friday Afternoon
G3: UNI vs W-G1
G4: ILST vs EVAN (ILST Won First Meeting at Redbird Arena (ILST))
Friday Night
G5: INST vs LOY (INST Swept the Season Series)
G6: WSU vs W-G2
PW's Prediction Record Coming into Today: 125-47 (47-14 in the MVC)
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