MVC Hoops 2019-2020

[VUGrad1314]

Pretty optimistic write up for a site that picked us 9th. Maybe (even if we don't see it this year) our arrow is finally beginning to point upward .

https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/missouri-valley-basketball-2020-preview

[NotBryceDrew]

Javon is noticeably absent from any of the pre season team rankings. When he has been a lock 1-2 on every other projection I've seen.

[NativeCheesehead]

I hope we're picked ninth and shut out of all the pre season accolades. And then I hope the team gets an attitude about it.

[Midwest is Best]

I think it boils down to execution on the offense, stingy defense and minimizing the mistakes and turnovers. Every game needs to be complete. We won't win them all because some teams are just stronger top to bottom. However, execution for two complete halves will keep us in the games for wins and upsets.

[VUBBFan]

Airing November 4-7 on NBCS Chicago

https://twitter.com/ValleyHoops/status/1182372361334673410

[vu72]

The conference "stud", Missouri State, lost to Little Rock.     Bradley also lost to St. Joes.  The Missouri State loss is a black eye for sure.

[Valpower]

The conference "stud", Missouri State, lost to Little Rock.     Bradley also lost to St. Joes.  The Missouri State loss is a black eye for sure.

My unexamined perception is that the Bears always seem to get rated highly based on having a collection of athletic, NBA-like players who never seem to play up to their theoretical potential as a team. To me, they underperform exactly like a collection of studs tend to.  That said, I think UALR, like us, might be better than predicted.

[NativeCheesehead]

Still wouldn't sleep on MoSt. There's a lot of talent on that team. Maybe Ford can recruit but not coach, but I still wouldn't bet against them. Yet.

[wh]

Pretty optimistic write up for a site that picked us 9th. Maybe (even if we don't see it this year) our arrow is finally beginning to point upward .

https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/missouri-valley-basketball-2020-preview

Usually these prediction pieces are nothing more than hot garbage, but this one is infinitely better researched and written. 9th is probably way off (hopefully), but I don't blame the author. Typically, a mass of exodus of players from the prior year wouldn't bode well for the next season.

[VUGrad1314]

But in this case... With the Canada trip and the Toledo game as evidence... Maybe it's different? I think the game against SLU is going to tell us a lot. If we win that one (or even at least hang tough in that one) there could be serious reason for optimism.

[FieldGoodie05]

Was there no post game presser?

[FieldGoodie05]

Was there no post game presser?

Post game presser

https://youtu.be/xfxG5p9xG5Q

[humbleopinion]

Was there no post game presser?

Post game presser

https://youtu.be/xfxG5p9xG5Q

Kudos to the videographers.  We can hear the questions this year!

[talksalot]

SPRINGFIELD – An open 20-foot jumper by Little Rock's Ruot Monyyong with 2.3 seconds remaining lifted the visiting Trojans past Missouri State, 67-66, here Tuesday in the men's basketball season opener for both teams.

The Bears (0-1) led for more than 36 minutes and overcame a brief, one-point deficit in the final minute on a pair of free throws from Tyrik Dixon to lead 66-65 late. Ja'Monta Black secured a steal for Missouri State on Little Rock's next possession, which led to the home side running the clock down to 13 seconds before a missed shot from the corner late in the shot clock.

The visitors gathered in the rebound and seemed to be stymied by Missouri State early in their final possession before Jaizec Lottie found a wide open Monyyong on the right wing. The 6-foot-10 junior then dropped in his biggest shot of the night to give Little Rock a one-point upset win.

Dixon's desperation shot just inside half court as the buzzer sounded was off its mark for the Bears.

Ben Coupert led all scorers with 13 points and 8 rebounds for Little Rock (1-0) with Markquis Nowell adding 12 points and 8 assists, and Lottie scoring 10.

The Bears, who led by as many as eight in the second half, were led by Lamont West's 12 points with Dixon and Josh Hall pouring in 11 points apiece.

Coach Dana Ford's squad accounted for seven takeaways in the first half that helped the Bears generate a pair of transition buckets to take a 39-33 lead into at the game's midway point. Tulio Da Silva netted 9 of his 10 points in the first 20 minutes, including a rim-rattling fast-break dunk in the final minute of the half to give the home side a six-point cushion.

Dixon opened up the second-half scoring with a high-arching shot off the glass to put MSU up 41-33 for its biggest lead of the night.

The Bears fought off several runs by the visitors throughout the rest of the half, answering every threat with timely plays and exciting finishes. Isiaih Mosley's transition layup made it a 46-41 game near the 14-minute mark; Hall's trey with 12-and-a-half remaining gave the Bears a 49-45 lead; and Keandre Cook's dunk-back midway through the final stanza pushed the Bears ahead 52-47.

Deeper in the half, a transition triple by Dixon gave Missouri State a six-point advantage, and West's four-point play with 6:27 remaining in the game brought the JQH Arena crowd of over 5,000 to its feet and made it 62-56 game.

However, the home side would convert just one field goal the rest of the way – a Mosley put-back with 4:35 on the clock -- that pushed MSU up 64-61 and ended a personal 5-0 outburst from Lottie.

Alsean Evans finally gave Little Rock a brief advantage with his 17-footer that found its mark with 83 seconds to go before Dixon calmed the waters with his charity shots at the 1:01 mark, giving MSU a 66-65 lead headed into the game's final minute.

Little Rock accounted for 36 points in the paint – 20 in the second half – to help execute the comeback and used pinpoint passing from Nowell to help the Trojans shoot 54-percent from the field in the second half and 51.9 percent (27-of-52) for the game.

MSU finished 23-of-54 (.426) from the field, 8-of-28 (.286) from long range and just 12-of-18 (.667) at the foul line.

The defeat was Missouri State's first loss in a home opener since 2002-03 and the team's first-ever loss at JQH Arena on opening night.

[talksalot]

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The UNI men's basketball team opened the season against Old Dominion in the McLeod Center, defeating the Monarchs 58-53.

The Panthers led the game for all but 32 second on Tuesday night. Strong defense highlighted the game, with just  a 26-25 halftime lead the Panthers had made 11 of 32 field goals but were held to just two three pointers on 17 total attempts. The Panther defense forced eight Old Dominion turnovers with freshman Antwan Kimmons recording the lone Panther steal in first half.

The offense picked up midway through the second half when Spencer Haldeman hitting back to back three pointers to give the Panthers a 39-30 lead with 13:34 remaining in the game. Austin Phyfe added two free throws five minutes later to give the Panthers an 11 point lead at 48-37, their largest lead of the game.

Following the final media timeout, a Panther turnover and three Monarch field goals put the Panther lead to just three with 54 seconds remaining in the game. Trae Berhow drew a foul with just four seconds remaining in the game, making both free throws the junior guard sealed the game for the Panthers, moving the team to 1-0 for the second year in a row.

AJ Green and Spencer Haldeman led the Panthers with 12 point apiece. Austin Phyfe finished the game with a double-double, recording 10 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks, and two assists. Phyfe recorded 32 minutes in his first game back after receiving a medical redshirt last season.

Spencer Haldeman hauled in six defensive rebounds while adding a team high three three pointers on the night. Tywhon Pickford led the Panthers with two steals on the night while Isaiah Brown added six point and six rebounds in just under 30 minutes of playing time.

FIRST HALF KEY STATS
UNI
-          UNI led 26-25 at the break
-          Isaiah Brown scores the first bucket of the season for the Panthers
-          Noah Carter, Antwan Kimmons and James Betz get their first minutes and points as Panthers
-          Panthers commit 7 turnovers
-          AJ Green leads all scorers with 8 points
Old Dominion
-          Jaylin Hunter records his first points as a Monarch
-          Old Dominion commits  8  turnovers
-          Jason Wade led the Monarchs with 4 steals

SECOND HALF KEY STATS
UNI
-          Austin Phyfe's  11  rebounds is a new career high in a single game
-          Spencer Haldeman's 6 rebounds ties his career high
-          Berhow's  2 late free throws secure the UNI win
Old Dominion
-          Jason Wade's 6 steals ties his career high in a game
-          Jason Wade's 13 points is a new career high in a game
-          Xavier Green had a career high in rebounds with 8
-          Xavier Green & Jason Wade led both teams in scoring with 13

UP NEXT
The 1-0 Panthers now set their sights on the Huskies of Northern Illinois. The 3 p.m. game will be the season opener for the Huskies. Northern Illinois finished the 2018-19 season at 17-17, making the MAC semifinal game. Saturday's game can be viewed on ESPN3.

[talksalot]

CHICAGO (November 5, 2019)

In Short
Four players scored in double digits and junior center Cameron Krutwig fell two rebounds shy of a triple-double as Loyola University Chicago (1-0) coasted to an 82-48 victory over UC Davis (0-1) tonight at Gentile Arena in the season opener for both teams. The Ramblers, who dominated the Aggies in the paint, outscoring them, 58-28, have now won eight straight season openers.

How It Happened
After an entertaining first few minutes of back-and-forth action, Loyola was able to grab the lead for good thanks to a spurt of six unanswered points that was bookended by a pair of layups from Tate Hall, giving the hosts a 14-8 edge.

Several minutes later, a jumper by Matt Neufeld brought UC Davis within 20-16, with a little over nine minutes remaining in the half, but a three-pointer by Lucas Williamson jump-started a period-closing, 19-6 run that featured seven points from Krutwig, as Loyola took a commanding 39-22 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Despite not shooting well from the perimeter in the opening 20 minutes, the Ramblers connected on 16 of 25 shots from inside the three-point arc, and limited the Aggies to just 1-for-11 accuracy (.091) from long range.

Loyola never let up in the second half and added to its lead once UC Davis got within 16, at 41-25, less than a minute into the period. Over the next 11-plus minutes, the Ramblers outscored the Aggies, 28-11, with Paxson Wojcik's layup stretching the LU advantage to 69-36. That lead would grow to as many as 36 points on a pair of occasions, the last time coming when Bruno Skokna knocked down a pair of foul shots to make it 77-41 with 4:04 left to play.

A Look At The Numbers
Krutwig posted his eighth career double-double but his first of the points/assists variety. The 7-foot-9 center scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds but dished out a career-best 11 assists to only one turnover.
Krutwig is the first Rambler to hand out 10 assists in a game since Denzel Brito dropped 10 dimes against Fordham in the opening game of the remodeled Gentile Arena on November 26, 2011.
Hall had an impressive all-around outing, racking up 14 points, nine boards, three assists and four steals as he filled up the stat sheet in his Loyola debut after sitting out last season following a transfer from the University of Indianapolis.
Williamson pitched in 13 points and five rebounds and freshman guard Marquise Kennedy totaled 11 points, three boards and a pair of steals in his first official appearance as a Rambler.
As a team, the Ramblers dished out 20 assists and committed only eight turnovers, while shooting 55.6 percent (35-for-63) from the field, with many of those buckets coming from close range.
Skokna contributed nine points off the bench, while Aher Uguak accounted for eight points and three rebounds for the victorious Ramblers.
Matt Neufeld led UC Davis, which shot just 3-for-17 (.176) from three-point territory, with 15 points

Up Next
Loyola travels to Furman, which opened its season tonight with a win over Gardner-Webb, Friday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

[talksalot]

Philadelphia, Pa. – Five Braves scored in double figures in the season opener but it wasn't enough for the Bradley men's basketball team as Saint Joseph's snuck out an 86-81 victory on Tuesday night.

Senior Darrell Brown led Bradley with 17 points and five assists, while classmate Koch Bar registered his second career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Senior Nate Kennell chipped in 15 points, while Elijah Childs and sophomore Ja'Shon Henry also reached double-digits with 11 and 10, respectively.

Bradley started the contest strong and raced to a 14-6 lead just over four minutes into the contest. Bar led BU with six points during the early run as the eight-point edge was the largest for either team in the game.

Saint Joseph's weathered the early storm, however, and trailing by seven late in the half, the Hawks finished the opening stanza on a 7-2 run to pull within just two of the Braves at the intermission, 45-43.

The first half set up a competitive second stanza as neither team had the ball with a two-possession lead until under five minutes remaining. Trailing by four with two minutes left in the contest, Brown sunk his third 3-pointer of the night to pull Bradley within one, 80-79. The Braves got the defensive stop they needed but saw their go-ahead attempt on the offensive side of the court blocked. The Hawks then made six free throws in the final minute to secure the 86-81 victory.

The Braves shot 39.0 percent in the contest, including a 45.0 percent clip from 3-point range. The Hawks converted 41.9 percent of their baskets, while also making 28-of-32 free throws in the winning effort.

Bradley returns home to face IUPUI in its season opener on Saturday night. First tip at Carver Arena is set for 7 p.m.

Game Notes: The Braves opened the season on the road for the first time since 2009 ... Bar's double-double is the first for the senior since his freshman season against Eastern Illinois ... Bradley collected 23 offensive rebounds on Tuesday – its most since corralling 25 against Little Rock on Dec. 22, 2014 ... The Braves' 81 points are their most in a season opener since a 95-81 victory against Pepperdine in 2002 ... Bradley now leads the series with Saint Joseph's, 4-2.

[talksalot]

Wed Nov 6.   Illinois State 79 Belmont 72

Illinois State 79
##   Player   GS   MIN   FG   3PT   FT   ORB-DRB   REB   PF   A   TO   BLK   STL   PTS
2   Copeland, Zach   *   33   8-16   2-6   2-4   2-4   6   2   5   1   0   3   20
25   Hillsman, Jayce   *   29   3-6   3-4   2-2   2-4   6   0   1   2   0   2   11
13   Idowu, Rey   *   21   5-9   0-0   1-2   3-1   4   1   1   1   1   0   11
3   Torres, Ricky   *   24   3-7   3-6   1-2   0-2   2   1   6   2   0   0   10
5   Fisher III, Keith   *   17   1-5   0-1   0-2   0-4   4   3   0   1   0   0   2
0   Horne, DJ              13   4-4   2-2   0-1   0-0   0   2   0   1   0   0   10
12   Reeves, Antonio      12   2-2   1-1   0-0   0-1   1   0   0   0   0   0   5
4   Ndiaye, Abdou      19   2-5   0-1   0-0   1-4   5   3   1   0   4   0   4
1   Boyd, Dedric      15   1-7   1-3   0-0   1-2   3   1   1   0   0   1   3
32   Bruninga, Taylor      14   1-2   1-2   0-0   0-3   3   0   1   0   0   1   3
15   Donnelly, Lijah      3   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
TM   TEAM      0   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-2   2   0   0   0   0   0   0
TOTALS   -   200   30-63   13-26   6-13   9-27   36   13   16   8   5   7   79
Team Summary   FG   3PT   FT
First Half   9-29   4-13   1-4
31.03 %   30.77 %   25.00 %
Second Half   21-34   9-13   5-9
61.76 %   69.23 %   55.56 %
Total   30-63   13-26   6-13
47.6 %   50.0 %   46.2 %
Technical Fouls: (1) Fisher III, Keith   Second Chance Points: 13   Scores Tied: 2 time(s)
Points in the Paint: 24   Fast Break Points: 3   Lead Changed: 4 time(s)
Points off Turnovers: 9   Bench Points: 25   Largest Lead: 7 2nd-00:01

[VUGrad1314]

Props to ISUr for a really good home win for the MVC.

[VALPO LI]

Evansville is holding their own
Up 34-30 against #1 Kentucky at the half!

[VALPO LI]

Evansville just beat #1 Kentucky!!!!
WOW!!!!

[vu84v2]

Watched the last 6 minutes. Evansville made a few mistakes down the stretch, but their point guard was solid and they made big plays down the stretch. Great win that Evansville clearly earned.

[vu84v2]

College basketball non-conference scheduling can be pretty amusing. Evansville goes on the road and pulls off an amazing upset of the top-ranked team in the country...and two days later plays mighty IU-Kokomo at home.

On a different note, we should look forward to the home game in late January against Evansville. Freeman matched up against Sam Cunliffe will be really fun to watch.

[vusupporter]

Meanwhile, Loyola loses at home to Coppin State.

[valporun]

Meanwhile, Loyola loses at home to Coppin State.

Wah Wah...