Thursday, March 5, 2015

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Pick'em

By Peyton Wesner

Things to Remember:
Last Year's Winner: 
Wichita State
Contenders: 
Wichita State
Northern Iowa
My Sleepers:
Illinois State and Loyola (IL)

First Round
#9 Southern Illinois vs. #8 Missouri State
7:00 PM EST-MVC TV (FSN)

11-20 (4-14) Southern Illinois
Conference Wins:
-Loyola (IL) 59-52 (Home)
-Bradley 70-59 (Home)
-Illinois State 65-59 (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)
-Loyola 66-62 (Road)
-Evansville 72-64 (Home)  
Last Game:
-Win Against Drake 63-57 (Home)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(December 31) Loss 53-50 (Home)
-(January 31) Loss 52-46 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#25 Anthony Beane (JR) 
-16.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#14 Jordan Caroline (FR) 
-9.5 PPG & 6.4 RPG.
---#33 Sean O'Brien (SO) 
-7.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#1 Jalen Pendleton (JR)
-6.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#5 Deion Lavender (FR)
-6.3 PPG & 2.4 RPG.

11-19 (5-13) Missouri State
Conference Wins:
-Southern Illinois 53-50 (Road)
-Drake 62-37 (Home)
-Southern Illinois 52-46 (Home)
-Indiana State 60-56 (Home)
-Bradley 80-77 in Triple Overtime (Home)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-Evansville 56-54 (Home)
-Bradley 61-59 (Road)
-Loyola (IL) 53-50 (Home)
-Evansville 73-66 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To Loyola (IL) 65-51 (Road)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(December 31) Win 53-50 (Road)
-(January 31) Win 52-46 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#30 Camyn Boone (JR)
-8.6 PPG & 5.3 RPG.
---#2 Austin Ruder (SO) 
-8.2 PPG & 2.2 RPG.
---#23 Dorian Williams (JR)
--Named to Most-Improved Team
-7.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.4 RPG, & 1.5 SPG.
---#33 Chris Kendrix (FR)
-6.5 PPG & 3.8 RPG.
---#20 Gavin Thurman (JR)
-6.1 PPG & 2.4 RPG.

Prediction:
First team to sixty points wins! Tonight's first matchup to kick-off Arch Madness at the Scottrade Center is the Southern Illinois Salukis versus the Missouri State Bears. Southern Illinois finally stopped their skid (not caused by the ice in Carbondale) last Saturday by defeating the Drake Bulldogs. Honestly, the performance put forth by the Salukis was their best of the season as the team shot 52.1% from the field. Star Anthony Beane  led the pack in the dogfight and continued his stretch of great performances by posting seventeen points. Surprisingly, the big lift for SIU came from neither of the Freshmen, but Sophomore Sean O'Brien, who had four rebounds to complement fourteen points. A positive sign for Southern Illinois was that they had enough scoring to outscore Drake, but with it came a negative since they permited the Bulldogs to shoot 50.0% from the floor. Defense could be the deciding factor this evening against a Missouri State Bears team predicated by defensive play. The Bears of Missouri State have been a disappointment this season, but for a good reason. After starting off 2-0 in conference play, the team hit a rough patch by losing two games in a row. That's it? No, leading scorer and Pre-Season All-MVC guard Marcus Marshall decided to take his talents elsewhere leaving the team without his 19.5 points per game. Without Marshall, Missouri State went 1-9 in their next ten games as they struggled to find an identity. But when they eventually found their identity the Bears finished the season 2-2 with victories over Indiana State and Bradley. In the two games the teams played against each other this season, the Bears won by a total of nine points (by three in Carbondale and six in Springfield). Personally, I have always been one to think that defeating a team three times in a single-season is the hardest task imaginable, no matter the opponent. So with that being said, I am going with Southern Illinois, but for two reasons. For one, SIU won their last game of the regular season, which I believe will provide momentum going into Arch Madness. In addition, Anthony Beane has really stepped up his performances in the last three games and comes into the Gateway City averaging 21 points per game while shooting 57.8% during the stretch. Can you say hot?! I must mention, Missouri State's Austin Ruder has played well of late (17 points per game in hi last two), but I will take Beane over Ruder any day. In my opinion, the Bears will not be able to score enough to defeat the Salukis to begin Arch Madness.
---Southern Illinois 57, Missouri State 52

#10 Bradley vs. #7 Drake
9:30 PM EST-MVC TV (FSN)

8-23 (3-15) Bradley
Solid Wins:
-Central Michigan 84-73 (Home)
-Southern Illinois 63-44 (Home)
-Missouri State 61-59 (Home)
-Evansville 56-53 (Road)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-Indiana State 64-58 (Road)
-#16 Wichita State 62-59 (Home)
-Drake 60-54 (Road)
-Loyola (IL) 58-53 (Home)
-Missouri State 80-77 in Triple Overtime (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To Indiana State 60-52 (Home)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 28) Loss 69-57 (Home)
-(February 11) Loss 60-54 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Warren Jones (JR)
-12.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, & 1.7 SPG.
---#5 Tramique Sutherland (JR)
-11.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#4 Auston Barnes (SR) 
-9.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#24 Omari Grier (JR) 
-7.6 PPG & 1.8 APG.
---#21 Josh Cunningham (FR)
--Named to All-Freshman Team
-7.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#0 Ka'Darryl Bell (JR)
-6.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

9-21 (6-12) Drake
Conference Wins:
-Indiana State 84-78 (Home)
-Bradley 69-57 (Road)
-Evansville 70-65 (Home)
-Southern Illinois 63-61 (Home)
-Bradley 60-54 (Home)
-Missouri State 78-43 (Home) 
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-#16 Wichita State 66-58 (Home)
-Loyola (IL) 50-47 (Road)
-Illinois State 64-56 (Home)
-Evansville 61-52 (Road)
-Loyola (IL) 80-75 in Overtime (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss To Southern Illinois 63-57 (Road)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 28) Win 69-57 (Road)
-(February 11) Win 60-54 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#12 Reed Timmer (FR) 
--Named to All-Newcomer & All-Freshman Team
-11.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, & 2.5 APG.
---#2 Gary Ricks Jr. (SR)
--Named as a Honorable-Mention Selection
-10.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 2.1 APG.
---#11 Jacob Enevold Jensen (SO)
--Named to Most-Improved Team
-7.9 PPG & 5.6 RPG.
---#3 Jordan Daniels (SR)
-7.1 PPG.
---#25 Chris Caird (SR)
-7.1 PPG & 2.1 RPG.
---#10 Trevor Berkeley (SR)
-5.4 PPG & 2.8 RPG.

Prediction:
Last season, both teams were defeated on Thursday Night, but one's losing skid in the Missouri Valley Tournament has to come to an end tonight. The Bradley Braves finished off another disappointing season Saturday with a home loss to Indiana State. The Braves ended the afternoon shooting a horrible 33.0% from the field. Bradley's leading scorer Warren Jones just could not put the "biscuit in the basket" and shot five for sixteen from the floor for tweleve points. But like I mentioned, the clanks came from everywhere. In fact, the only Bradley player to shoot 50.0% from the field on the afternoon was Donte Thomas as he scored nine points on four for eight shooting. An encouraging sign did come on the defensive end for the Braves, as they held Indiana State to 38.9% shooting. The same defensive performance, but a better shooting night will be needed to avoid the Scottrade Center from becoming "Timmer's Time" to shine. Reed Timmer continued his great string of games last weekend, but it was not enough. The Southern Illinois Salukis protected their house versus the Drake Bulldogs with a six-point victory. Drake could not get much needed stops and SIU ran all over them. Like I mentioned, Timmer had another great offensive game and scored twenty-five points on nine for fifteen shooting. Timmer's back court mate, Gary Ricks Jr., also shot well and posted eleven points on three from five shooting from beyond the arc (four for seven overall). During the season, Drake won both matchups and tonight they very much could again. The truth is that this game could go either way, but I personally believe the Bradley Braves will come out victorious. I know Drake has played very good the back half of the season, but Timmer's run of scoring has to eventually come to an end. The Freshman has averaged 19 points per game in his last three and despite him coming in hot, the athletic ability of Bradley will give him fits. The Braves will need--I think--around thirty-five points from Sutherland and Jones, but the way the first game went, it would not surprise me if the winner ends up with less than fifty.
---Bradley 55, Drake 54

Quarterfinals
#9 Southern Illinois vs. #1 (#8 in AP) Wichita State 
1:00 PM EST-MVC TV (FSN)

12-20 (4-14) Southern Illinois
Conference Wins:
-Loyola (IL) 59-52 (Home)
-Bradley 70-59 (Home)
-Illinois State 65-59 (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)
-Loyola 66-62 (Road)
-Evansville 72-64 (Home)  
Last Game:
-Win Against Missouri State 55-48 (1st Round)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 14) Loss 67-55 (Road)
-(February 17) Loss 84-62 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#25 Anthony Beane (JR) 
-16.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#14 Jordan Caroline (FR) 
-9.4 PPG & 6.3 RPG.
---#33 Sean O'Brien (SO) 
-7.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#1 Jalen Pendleton (JR)
-6.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#5 Deion Lavender (FR)
-6.5 PPG & 2.5 RPG.

27-3 (17-1) #8 Wichita State
Lunardi's Bracketology: 4 Seed
#1 Best Mid-Major According to CollegeInsider.com
Solid Wins:
-Memphis 71-56 (in Sioux Falls)
-Seton Hall 77-68 (Home)
-Alabama 53-52 (Home)
-Illinois State 70-62 (Home)
-Loyola (IL) 67-53 (Road)
-Evansville 61-41 (Road)
-Indiana State 74-57 (Home)
-Illinois State 68-62 (Road)
-Evansville 62-43 (Home)
-Indiana State 63-53 (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 #10 Northern Iowa 74-60 (Home)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 14) Win 67-55 (Home)
-(February 17) Win 84-62 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#31 Ron Baker (JR)
--Named to 1st Team All-MVC
-15.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#23 Fred Van Vleet (JR)
--Named to 1st Team All-MVC & All-Defensive Team
-12.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.4 APG, & 1.8 SPG.
---#12 Darius Carter (SR)
--Named as a Honorable-Mention Selection & Most-Improved Team
-11.5 PPG & 5.4 RPG.
---#32 Tekele Cotton (SR)
--Named to 2nd Team All-MVC & All-Defensive Team
-9.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#24 Shaquille Morris (FR)
--Named to All-Freshman Team
-4.8 PPG & 2.7 RPG.
---#3 Evan Wessel (JR)
--Named to Most-Improved Team
-4.4 PPG & 3.4 RPG.

Prediction:
"You Don't Want to go to War With the Shockers!" Yellow and Black will fill the Scottrade Center this afternoon as the Wichita State Shockers play their Arch Madness opener against the Southern Illinois Salukis. Although, Wichita State does not have an undefeated overall record or conference record, the Shockers once again have a great team. Led by the "Fantastic Four" of Ron Baker, Fred Van Vleet, Darius Carter, and Tekele Cotton, the Shockers finished the conference season 17-1 with last weekend's regular season championship victory at home against Northern Iowa. Despite those bad boys from Kansas coming out and solidifying a twelve-point halftime lead, the Panthers did not go down easy. UNI went on a 27-19 run to start the second half and decrease their opponent's lead to four. With the Shockers scrambling and looking for points, Evan Wessell swished two three-pointers, ultimately shifting momentum. The Panthers were shocked and Wichita State went on to win 74-60 and take the Regular Season Missouri Valley Conference Championship. Everyone starting for Wichita State scored in double-figures, led by a seventeen-point, seven-assist performance from Ron Baker. Fellow first teamer of Baker, Fred Van Vleet chipped in thirteen points, seven assists, and six rebounds. With all the weapons the Shockers have, Southern Illinois will have more than their hands full this afternoon. The Southern Illinois Salukis pulled off "an upset"--if you could call it that--by defeating the Missouri State Bears in the First Round of Arch Madness last nightly. The game was a true barn-burner as the winner had only 55 points. Although SIU star Anthony Beane was contained to ten points, Beane did many of the little things like rebound and steal the ball in order to help his team. Freshman Deion Lavender provided the big blows as he made all of his four free throws in the final minute to increase the lead to eight. Sophomore Sean O'Brien also played well and ended the night with ten points. During the regular season, Wichita State won both games by an average margin of seventeen points per game while SIU's Beane was held to an average of twelve points per game. Anthony Beane, who averages 16.3 points per game, must score more than twenty for his team to have any chance of an upset. But even if he does, the Shockers could shoot the ball terrible and still win because of their tough defense. Lastly and unfortunately for Southern Illinois, with the big crowd that travels to St. Louis every year from Wichita, today's game could basically be considered a home game for the Shockers and we know they do not lose at home.
---Wichita State 71, Southern Illinois 51

#5 Evansville vs. #4 Illinois State 
3:30 PM EST-MVC TV (FSN)

19-11 (9-9) Evansville
Solid Wins:
-San Francisco 79-72 in Third Place Game of Gulf Coast Showcase.
-Belmont 65-62 (Road)
-Ohio 81-69 in Overtime (Home)
-#23 Northern Iowa 52-49 (Home)
-Indiana State 89-78 (Home)
-Drake 61-52 (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)
-Bradley 56-53 (Home)
Last Game:
-Loss To Illinois State 69-67 in Overtime (Home)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(February 3) Loss 77-51 (Road)
-(February 28) Loss 69-61 in Overtime (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#31 D.J. Balentine (JR)
--Named to 1st Team All-MVC
-19.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, & 3.1 APG.
---#55 Egidijus Mockevicius (JR)
--Named to 1st Team All-MVC & All-Defensive Team
-12.0 PPG, 9.9 RPG, & 2.3 BPG.
---#5 Mislav Brzoja (SO)
--Named to All-Bench Team
-7.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, & 2.6 APG.
---#50 Blake Simmons (SO)
-7.4 PPG, 1.9 RPG, & 2.3 APG.
---#12 Adam Wing (JR)
-7.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, & 2.0 APG.

19-11 (11-7) 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)
-Loyola (IL) 48-45 (Road)
Single-Digit 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)
-Southern Illinois 65-59 (Road)
-#15 Wichita State 68-62 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Evansville 69-67 in Overtime (Road)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(February 3) Win 77-51 (Home)
-(February 28) Win 69-61 in Overtime (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#3 Daishon Knight (SR)
--Named to 2nd Team All-MVC 
-13.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#44 DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (JR)
--Named Newcomer of the Year & to All-Newcomer Team
-13.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#22 Reggie Lynch (SO)
--Named to 2nd Team All-MVC & All-Defensive Team
-9.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, & 2.7 BPG.
---#4 Bobby Hunter (SR)
--Named to All-Bench Team
-7.5 PPG & 2.1 RPG.
---#24 Deontae Hawkins (FR)
-7.3 PPG & 5.4 RPG.
---#1 Paris Lee (SO)
--Named to All-Defensive Team
-6.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 2.6 SPG.
---#11 MiKyle McIntosh (FR)
-6.3 PPG & 4.3 RPG.

Prediction:
Ah, Illinois State and Evansville, it seems like we just saw this game last Saturday. Oh wait we did! The setting was the Ford Center in Evansville and the refs were calling hardly any fouls. At halftime the Redbirds held a slight 31-27 lead thanks in large part to seven points in the last five minutes from DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell. In the second half though, it turned into the D.J. Balentine show. Balentine scored eighteen of the first twenty-two points for Evansville in the second twenty minutes narrowing the Redbirds lead down to one with 5:04 remaining. Next, Egidijus Mockevicius put the Purple Aces up three with four unanswered points of his own. Fast-forward to thirteen seconds left, which was when Adam Wing drew a foul allowing him to shoot two free throws. He made them both and UE was up two. Could Illinois State answer? Of course they can! Akoon-Purcell was able to drive the lane with five seconds and lay-up the ball for two points sending the match to overtime. In the extra session, the lead was tugged back and forth until Paris Lee made a layup to increase Illinois State's lead to three with forty-eight seconds remaining. Who would Evansville go to with the game on the line? Balentine? No! Brzoja! Mislav Brzoja nailed a three pointer to tie the game with thirty-two seconds remaining. Double Overtime? No, Daishon Knight, who was three for eleven from the floor prior to the possession, made a short jumper to push the Redbirds ahead by two with two seconds left. Adam Wing was the in-bounder for Evansville and he threw it deep. Unfortunately for UE, the ball was picked off by a MiKyle McIntosh, who was wearing a red jersey, sealing the victory for Illinois State. Can Evansville avenge last weekend's loss and a previous one from early February? Normally, I like to pick teams that were swept in the regular season in conference tournament matchups, but Illinois State's athletic ability is not something I can pick against. The Missouri Valley Conference's leading scorer D.J. Balentine did light up the Redbirds for twenty-two points, but I expect his opponent to guard him better and more closely than Saturday. The same can be said about Evansville guarding DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell, who netted sixteen Saturday. My one-on-one battle to watch is Illinois State's Reggie Lynch versus Evansville's Egidijus Mockevicius. Whoever can keep the other team's guards out of the paint and protect the rim will get their team the win. Look for Daishon Knight to rebound from his poor shooting performance with sixteen plus points in a five point victory while Balentine struggles to find the bottom of the net.
---Illinois State 71, Evansville 66

#10 Bradley vs. #2 (#11 in AP) Northern Iowa
7:00 PM EST-MVC TV (FSN)

9-23 (3-15) Bradley
Solid Wins:
-Central Michigan 84-73 (Home)
-Southern Illinois 63-44 (Home)
-Missouri State 61-59 (Home)
-Evansville 56-53 (Road)
Single-Digit Conference Losses:
-Indiana State 64-58 (Road)
-#16 Wichita State 62-59 (Home)
-Drake 60-54 (Road)
-Loyola (IL) 58-53 (Home)
-Missouri State 80-77 in Triple Overtime (Road)
-Indiana State 60-52 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Drake 52-50 in Overtime (1st Round) 
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 13) Loss 63-52 (Home)
-(February 21) Loss 56-39 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#2 Warren Jones (JR)
-12.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#5 Tramique Sutherland (JR)
-11.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#4 Auston Barnes (SR) 
-9.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#21 Josh Cunningham (FR)
--Named to All-Freshman Team
-7.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#24 Omari Grier (JR) 
-7.6 PPG & 1.8 APG.
---#0 Ka'Darryl Bell (JR)
-6.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

27-3 (16-2) #11 Northern Iowa
Lunardi's Bracketology: 4 Seed
#4 Best Mid-Major According to CollegeInsider.com
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)
-Illinois State 83-64 (Home)
-Evansville 68-57 (Home)
Losses:
-VCU 93-87 in Overtime (Road)
-Evansville 52-49 (Road)
Last Game:
-Loss To #11 Wichita State 74-60 (Road) 
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 13) Win 63-52 (Road)
-(February 21) Win 56-39 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#10 Seth Tuttle (SR)
--Larry Bird Player of the Year & Named to 1st Team All-MVC
-15.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, & 3.3 APG.
---#11 Wes Washpun (JR)
--Named as a Honorable-Mention Selection, Sixth Man of the Year, & Captain of All-Bench Team
-8.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#1 Deon Mitchell (SR)
--Named as a Honorable-Mention Selection
-7.2 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#14 Nate Buss (JR)
--Named to All-Bench Team
-6.8 PPG & 2.7 RPG.
---#4 Paul Jesperson (JR)
--Named to to All-Newcomer Team
-5.8 PPG & 2.3 RPG.
---#5 Matt Bohannon (JR)
-5.7 PPG.
---#20 Jeremy Morgan (SO)
-5.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#12 Marvin Singleton (SR)
--Named to Most-Improved Team
-4.9 PPG & 5.1 RPG.

Prediction:
UNI welcome to Arch Madness, but in the past years that has been a bad thing. The last time Northern Iowa actually won a game at the Scottrade Center was 2010 when they won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and later defeated Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. So expect an upset? No way! Although Seth Tuttle has not won a game in his career at Arch Madness, this team is truly something else (in a good way). Every night, Head Coach Ben Jacobson can count on not only Seth Tuttle to score the basketball but basically anyone. The Depth the Panthers have this season is deeper than the Pacific Ocean as they have eight players avergaing over 4.5 points per game. And if Northern Iowa isn't scoring the basketball, don't worry, the defense will keep the team either ahead or within striking distance, just ask their opponent tonight. The Bradley Braves finally won! The Braves survived a hard fought, "where was the offense?" game by the score of 52-50 in Overtime last nigg. The Braves shot a poor 33.9% from the floor, but clutch free throws by Tramique Sutherland with two seconds remaning won it. Ironically (and I am surprised it did not cost them), Braves Center Nate Wells missed two free throws at the end of regulation for the worst free throw shooting team in the conference, which could have ended the game five minutes earlier. Nevertheless, the Braves survived the night and are playing tonight against the second best team in "The Valley." So who wins? Is this even a valid question. The way Bradley shot last night was appauling and unless they shoot around 45%-50% they will not stand a chance. During the season series, they were not within striking distance of the Panthers so why now? In fact, in the last meeting between these two, UNI held Bradley to thirty-nine points, not in a half, but the whole game! Expect Seth Tuttle to be double-teamed when catching the ball by Bradley's defense, but he will find the open man for three-point attempts that will suck away any momentum the Braves have.
---Northern Iowa 65, Bradley 47

#6 Loyola (IL) vs. #3 Indiana State 
9:30 PM EST-MVC TV (FSN)

18-12 (8-10) 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)
-Drake 80-75 in Overtime for Sixth Seed (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)
-Illinois State 67-60 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Missouri State 65-51 (Home)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 24) Loss 72-61 (Road)
-(February 7) Loss 79-65 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#32 Christian Thomas (SR)
-11.5 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
---#35 Milton Doyle (SO) 
-11.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#24 Montel James (JR)
-9.0 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
---#2 Earl Peterson (JR)
-8.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, & 1.9 APG.
---#4 Devon Turk (JR)
-8.0 PPG & 2.4 RPG.
---#0 Donte Ingram (FR)
-5.1 PPG & 3.2 RPG.

15-15 (11-7) 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 Shoulda Happened" Losses:
-Eastern Illinois 60-56 (Home)
-Missouri-Kansas City 73-70 in Double Overtime.
-Drake 84-78 (Road)
-Missouri State 60-56 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Bradley 60-52 (Road)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 24) Win 72-61 (Home)
-(February 7) Win 79-65 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#11 Devonte Brown (JR) 
-12.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, & 3.2 APG.
---#4 Brenton Scott (FR) 
-11.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#1 Khristian Smith (JR) 
-10.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, & 1.7 APG.
---#5 Justin Gant (SR) 
-9.5 PPG, & 4.2 RPG.
---#15 Tre' Bennett (JR)
-7.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, & 3.0 APG.
---#0 Jake Kitchell (SR)
-6.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.

Prediction:
Heeeeeee's BACK! Milton Doyle has returned...and at the perfect time. The Loyola Ramblers, who come in on a two game winning streak, clinched the sixth seed in their second to last game of the season in a road victory against the Drake Bulldogs. Impressively, Ramblers Christian Thomas and Earl Peterson scored twenty points apiece in the crucial game and totaled for half of the points for their team. In their last match-up, Loyola went out on top with a 65-51 win over the Missouri State Bears. That was the game, Ramblers Star Milton Doyle returned from a twelve game absence and showed how healthy his ankle is. Doyle played only nine minutes, but in those minutes he recorded six points, four assists, and three steals. Personally, I believe Doyle's injury helped the Ramblers figure out how to play without him making them a better team overall. But will the homegrown product be able to have the same production for forty minutes against the team that knocked Loyola out of Arch Madness in their first season in the MVC. The Indiana State Sycamores surprised me greatly this season as they finished with the third best record in the conference in the first year of the Post-Jake Odum Era. The Trees are led by a combination of youth in Brenton Scott and experience in Devonte Brown, Khristian Smith, Justin Gant, Tre' Bennett, and Jake Kitchell. The Sycamores also bring in some momentum as they defeated the Bradley Braves in their regular season finale. Indiana State's defense was fantastic in the win as they held their opponent to 38.9% shooting from the floor. With the positive comes a negative though, since the offense shot the poor percentage of 38.9%. Junior Khristian Smith led the way for the Sycamores and scored sixteen points while Justin Gant and Devonte Brown added ten apiece. Can Indiana State bring a feeling of deja vu to Valley fans everywhere? I don't think so! Since January 21, when Indiana State was defeated by Northern Iowa, the Sycamores have been on a pattern of losing and winning the next game just to lose again. Indiana State won their last game, which means they are due for a lose. Milton Doyle being back definately adds something special to what is cooking in Chicago and I believe he will be the difference. Expect a very close game that comes down to the end. Maybe we will even see some more "Milton Magic!"
---Loyola (IL) 67, Indiana State 65

Semi-Finals
#4 Illinois State vs. #1 (#8 in AP) Wichita State
2:35 PM EST-MVC TV (FSN)

20-11 (11-7) 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)
-Loyola (IL) 48-45 (Road)
-Evansville 69-67 in Overtime (Road)
Single-Digit 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)
-Southern Illinois 65-59 (Road)
-#15 Wichita State 68-62 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against Evansville 71-67 (Quarterfinals)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 4) Loss 70-62 (Road)
-(February 14) Loss 68-62 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#3 Daishon Knight (SR)
--Named to 2nd Team All-MVC 
-13.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#44 DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (JR)
--Named Newcomer of the Year & to All-Newcomer Team
-13.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#22 Reggie Lynch (SO)
--Named to 2nd Team All-MVC & All-Defensive Team
-9.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, & 2.7 BPG.
---#24 Deontae Hawkins (FR)
-7.7 PPG & 5.4 RPG.
---#4 Bobby Hunter (SR)
--Named to All-Bench Team
-7.3 PPG & 2.1 RPG.
---#1 Paris Lee (SO)
--Named to All-Defensive Team
-6.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 2.6 SPG.
---#11 MiKyle McIntosh (FR)
-6.2 PPG & 4.2 RPG.

28-3 (17-1) #8 Wichita State
Lunardi's Bracketology: 4 Seed
#1 Best Mid-Major According to CollegeInsider.com
Solid Wins:
-Memphis 71-56 (in Sioux Falls)
-Seton Hall 77-68 (Home)
-Alabama 53-52 (Home)
-Illinois State 70-62 (Home)
-Loyola (IL) 67-53 (Road)
-Evansville 61-41 (Road)
-Indiana State 74-57 (Home)
-Illinois State 68-62 (Road)
-Evansville 62-43 (Home)
-Indiana State 63-53 (Road)
-#10 Northern Iowa 74-60 (Home)
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 Southern Illinois 56-45 (Quarterfinals)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 4) Win 70-62 (Home)
-(February 14) Win 68-62 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#31 Ron Baker (JR)
--Named to 1st Team All-MVC
-15.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#23 Fred Van Vleet (JR)
--Named to 1st Team All-MVC & All-Defensive Team
-12.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.3 APG, & 1.8 SPG.
---#12 Darius Carter (SR)
--Named as a Honorable-Mention Selection & Most-Improved Team
-11.2 PPG & 5.4 RPG.
---#32 Tekele Cotton (SR)
--Named to 2nd Team All-MVC & All-Defensive Team
-9.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#24 Shaquille Morris (FR)
--Named to All-Freshman Team
-4.9 PPG & 2.7 RPG.
---#3 Evan Wessel (JR)
--Named to Most-Improved Team
-4.3 PPG & 3.4 RPG.

Prediction:
Today is the Final Four of Arch Madness and for two teams everything is on the line whike for the other two pride is at risk. In game one of today's semi-finals, the Illinois State Redbirds will take on the top-seeded Wichita State Shockers. In the Redbirds' quarterfinal matchup, Illinois State fought back from a six-point halftime deficit to advance past the Evansville Purple Aces. Illinois State's defense was terrific on the Missouri Valley Conference's leading scorer, D.J. Balentine as they held him to six for seventeen shooting from the field for seventeen points. The offense, led not by Daishon Knight nor DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell but Deontae Hawkins, played even better and shot 46.9% from the floor. Hawkins was the leading scorer on the day and nailed four three pointers in route to seventeen points. In fact, it was his six points in the final three minutes that sent the Purple Aces back to Evansville. The Redbirds' opponent this afternoon though, is no newcomer to the art of sending teams home in tournaments. The Wichita State Shockers defeated the Southern Illinois Salukis yesterday, but it was much closer than expected. SIU came running out of the tip and actually had a 15-11 lead with 8:04 left in the first half. But they are the Shockers, there was no way that Wichita State was actually going to get defeated by the Salukis. Eight straight points from Tekele Cotton ended SIU's run and put Wichita State up 20-15. The lead would just extend as Wichita State went into halftime up 28-20 and never reliquished the lead again. Tekele Cotton, Fred Van Vleet, and Ron Baker combined for thirty-five points on the day, but they must shoot the ball better to come away with a victory this afternoon. During the regular season, Illinois State gave the Shockers the toughest time (not including Northern Iowa) as they won both games by a combined margin of fourteen points. My one-on-one mathcup to watch is between Wichita State's Ron Baker and Illinois State's DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell. Both players killed the other's team in matchups this season as Baker is averaging seventeen points per game against Illinois State while Akoon-Purcell has played in only one game and scored eighteen points. Personally, I would love to see Illinois State come away with an upset, but a wise man once told me "You Don't Want to go to War with the Shockers." So I will ultimately pick Wichita State in a close, high-scoring game that is won by their defense's peskiness on Redbird guard Daishon Knight.
---Wichita State 72, Illinois State 65

#6 Loyola (IL) vs. #2 (#11 in AP) Northern Iowa
5:05 PM EST-MVC TV (FSN)

19-12 (8-10) 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)
-Drake 80-75 in Overtime for Sixth Seed (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)
-Illinois State 67-60 (Road)
Last Game:
-Win Against Indiana State 81-53 (Quarterfinals)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 4) Loss 67-58 (Road)
-(February 18) Loss 58-39 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#32 Christian Thomas (SR)
-11.7 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
---#35 Milton Doyle (SO) 
-11.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#24 Montel James (JR)
-9.1 PPG & 4.4 RPG.
---#2 Earl Peterson (JR)
-8.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, & 2.0 APG.
---#4 Devon Turk (JR)
-8.0 PPG & 2.4 RPG.
---#0 Donte Ingram (FR)
-5.4 PPG & 3.3 RPG.

28-3 (16-2) #11 Northern Iowa
Lunardi's Bracketology: 4 Seed
#4 Best Mid-Major According to CollegeInsider.com
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)
-Illinois State 83-64 (Home)
-Evansville 68-57 (Home)
Losses:
-VCU 93-87 in Overtime (Road)
-Evansville 52-49 (Road)
-#11 Wichita State 74-60 (Road) 
Last Game:
-Win Against Bradley 71-46 (Quarterfinals) 
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 4) Win 67-58 (Home)
-(February 18) Win 58-39 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#10 Seth Tuttle (SR)
--Larry Bird Player of the Year & Named to 1st Team All-MVC
-15.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, & 3.4 APG.
---#11 Wes Washpun (JR)
--Named as a Honorable-Mention Selection, Sixth Man of the Year, & Captain of All-Bench Team
-8.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#1 Deon Mitchell (SR)
--Named as a Honorable-Mention Selection
-7.4 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#14 Nate Buss (JR)
--Named to All-Bench Team
-7.1 PPG & 2.8 RPG.
---#20 Jeremy Morgan (SO)
-5.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#4 Paul Jesperson (JR)
--Named to to All-Newcomer Team
-5.6 PPG & 2.2 RPG.
---#5 Matt Bohannon (JR)
-5.6 PPG.
---#12 Marvin Singleton (SR)
--Named to Most-Improved Team
-4.8 PPG & 5.1 RPG.

Prediction:
Chicago versus Cedar Falls. The Dynamic Duo versus Tuttle's Troops. Loyola versus Northern Iowa. In game two of today's Missouri Valley Conference semi-final action, the Loyola Ramblers will try to upset another opponent, this time the Northern Iowa Panthers. The Loyola Ramblers had a total offensive outburst yesterday against the Indiana State Sycamores. The Ramblers, not only scored eighty-one points, but shot 57.4% from the field and 62.5% from beyond the arc. "Stud Sophomore" Milton Doyle played well in twenty-one minutes of action off the bench and ended the night with seven points and six assists. Really it was not Doyle who stole the show though, but the people around him. Christian Thomas, Montel James, Ben Richardson, and Donte Ingram, all shot the ball very well and ended up in double-figures. While the offense was clicking on all cylinders, the defense was dominant and held the Sycamores to 31.4% shooting. Even though UNI has more weapons than Loyola, they must bring their A-game to advance to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship game. The Northern Iowa Panthers, like the top-seeded Wichita State Shockers, had an off-half of basketball to begin their stint in St. Louis. The team from Cedar Falls struggled shooting in the first half while only possessing a two-point lead. The second half was when the Panthers decided to quit playing with their prey and take over the game. In the second twenty minutes, Northern Iowa scored forty-four points! Nate Buss led the pack with a season-high twenty-three points while Larry Bird Player of Year winner Seth Tuttle stuffed the stat-sheet with ten points, eleven rebounds, and five assists. During the regular season, UNI won by the margins of nine and nineteen points, but now stats do not matter. The way Loyola has played since Milton Doyle has stepped back on the court has been amazing and if they can get a few 50/50 balls to go their way, then they will be in striking distance at the end. Nevertheless, the way UNI played yesterday in the second half was great and I foresee that kind of play to continue this afternoon. Look for Seth Tuttle to dominate the paint and record another double-double while the Ramblers struggle to get close range attempts.
---Northern Iowa 63, Loyola (IL) 59

Championship
#4 Illinois State vs. #2 (#11 in AP) Northern Iowa
2:00 PM EST-CBS

21-11 (11-7) 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)
-Loyola (IL) 48-45 (Road)
-Evansville 69-67 in Overtime (Road)
-Evansville 71-67 (Quarterfinals)
Single-Digit 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)
-Southern Illinois 65-59 (Road)
-#15 Wichita State 68-62 (Home)
Last Game:
-Win Against #8 Wichita State 65-62 (Semi-Finals)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 25) Loss 54-53 (Home)
-(February 11) Loss 83-64 (Road)
Players to Watch:
---#3 Daishon Knight (SR)
--Named to 2nd Team All-MVC 
-14.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#44 DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (JR)
--Named Newcomer of the Year & to All-Newcomer Team
-12.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#22 Reggie Lynch (SO)
--Named to 2nd Team All-MVC & All-Defensive Team
-9.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, & 2.7 BPG.
---#24 Deontae Hawkins (FR)
-7.5 PPG & 5.2 RPG.
---#4 Bobby Hunter (SR)
--Named to All-Bench Team
-7.3 PPG & 2.1 RPG.
---#1 Paris Lee (SO)
--Named to All-Defensive Team
-6.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 2.5 SPG.
---#11 MiKyle McIntosh (FR)
-6.1 PPG & 4.2 RPG.

29-3 (16-2) #11 Northern Iowa
Lunardi's Bracketology: 4 Seed
#4 Best Mid-Major According to CollegeInsider.com
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)
-Illinois State 83-64 (Home)
-Evansville 68-57 (Home)
Losses:
-VCU 93-87 in Overtime (Road)
-Evansville 52-49 (Road)
-#11 Wichita State 74-60 (Road) 
Last Game:
-Win Against Loyola (IL) 63-49 (Semi-Finals)
Head-to-Head Against Opponent:
-(January 25) Win 54-53 (Road)
-(February 11) Win 83-64 (Home)
Players to Watch:
---#10 Seth Tuttle (SR)
--Larry Bird Player of the Year & Named to 1st Team All-MVC
-15.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, & 3.3 APG.
---#11 Wes Washpun (JR)
--Named as a Honorable-Mention Selection, Sixth Man of the Year, & Captain of All-Bench Team
-7.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#1 Deon Mitchell (SR)
--Named as a Honorable-Mention Selection
-7.3 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#14 Nate Buss (JR)
--Named to All-Bench Team
-7.2 PPG & 2.8 RPG.
---#20 Jeremy Morgan (SO)
-5.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#5 Matt Bohannon (JR)
-5.6 PPG.
---#4 Paul Jesperson (JR)
--Named to to All-Newcomer Team
-5.5 PPG & 2.2 RPG.
---#12 Marvin Singleton (SR)
--Named to Most-Improved Team
-5.0 PPG & 5.1 RPG.

Prediction:
It all comes down to this! At four o'clock Eastern Standard Time, a Champion will be crowned and the nation will know who the best team in the Missouri Valley Conference. In a shocking upset in game one of Session 4, the Illinois State Redbirds "shocked" the Wichita State Shockers. The game started off as a back and forth match, but then thanks to a 6-0 run, Wichita State went up 26-14 with 4:06 left in the first half. The Wichita State crowd was going nuts as they believed they were going to their third straight Arch Madness Championship. How wrong were they? At the half, Illinois State fought and got the Shockers' lead down to eight. Later, the Redbirds started the second half on a 16-6 run, taking a two-point lead over the regular season champions. Going into the four minute TV timeout, Wichita State was down one and every punch Illinois State threw, Wichita State countered until they were down three points with eight seconds left. The Shockers raced the ball downcourt and similar to the same place Fred Van Vleet attempted a shot last year against Kentucky for the tie, he tried again. The ball left his hand and soared through the air...Clank! The Redbirds won!! And just like in 2012, the Illinois State Redbirds upset the Wichita State Shockers giving themselves another opportunity to get into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

In secon Arch Madness semi-final, the Northern Iowa Panthers avoided the upset by hanging onto a nine-point halftime lead in route to a 63-49 victory. Although Seth Tuttle led the pack with a thirteen point, six rebound, three assist performance, the biggest shots came from Sophomore Jeremy Morgan. Morgan nailed back-to-back three pointers that extended the UNI lead from eleven to fifteen. The youngster from Coralville, Iowa, ended the afternoon with another eleven point performance that continued to give him great consideration to be named to the All-Tourney team. The Panthers also did a superb job on Loyola's dynamic duo of Christian Thomas and Milton Doyle as they held the two to six for fourteen shooting and sixteen combined points.

The scenerio is simple...win and you are in the NCAA Tournament. This game definitely means much more to Illinois State though, as if they lose they would most likely end up in the NIT or the CIT and definately not the NCAA. For Northern Iowa, the Panthers, even with a loss, will make the NCAA Tournament as a four or five seed. So who wins this battle between two of the MVC's best? During the regular season, Northern Iowa escaped from Normal with a win thanks to a game-winning three pointer from Nate Buss and later destroyed the Redbirds by nineteen at home. I do believe the Redbirds will give the Panthers their best test of the season, but I cannot pick against the Panthers, who are hungry in Seth Tuttle's last chance at a Arch Madness Championship. The key for Northern Iowa is to limit Illinois State's made attempts from downtown. In their two first games in St. Louis, the Redbirds have shot 42.4% from beyond the arc and that percentage must lower if you are an UNI fan if you want to celebrate tonight. For Illinois State, I believe it as simple as running in transition and using your quickness. In the first half against, Wichita State, I personally noticed that the Redbirds were not using their quickness and getting into the paint to facilitate for open threes. In the second half, they did and as simple as turning a lamp on, Illinois State was scoring the basketball. Today, I see a defensive, hard-fought slugfest, that results in a Panthers win thanks to an MVP performance from not only Seth Tuttle but the whole team.
---Northern Iowa 61, Illinois State 59

Most Outstanding Player: Seth Tuttle (UNI)

All-Tourney Team:
Seth Tuttle (UNI)
Deon Mitchell (UNI)
Daishon Knight (ILST)
DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (ILST)
Fred Van Vleet (WSU)

PW's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Prediction Record:   8-1

PW's Regular Season Prediction Record: 191-65 (73-17 in the MVC)



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