(St. Louis, MO) – Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner Doug Elgin believes the Valley deserves more NCAA Tournament access. The veteran MVC leader says Loyola’s Final Four run is a signal that Valley teams belong on the national stage.
Elgin says schedule making is a key ingredient for teams to receive tournament access. However, the league has been hit with bad news on two scheduling fronts. The annual ‘Big 4 Classic’ in Iowa, pitting Iowa and Iowa State against league members Drake and Northern Iowa is coming to an end and the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge is taking at least a one year hiatus.
The traditional meetings between the Division 1 programs in Iowa is coming to an end. The University of Iowa may have been the initiator in the demise. Sighting an increase in conference games as its reason, the Hawkeye program pulled out.
Commissioner Elgin says he sickened by the news, and says the biggest losers are the Iowa basketball fans.
The Mountain West has scheduling problems of its own and the MW/MVC Challenge will not be played in 2019, but could return in 2020. He believes both leagues benefit from better NCAA Tournament access when they play one another.
Mid Major Strategy
Scheduling the other top flight mid major programs has become a necessary strategy for leagues similar to the Valley (See EnthusiAdamsTM Mid Major Architect). Elgin says it is important to schedule teams ranked in the RPI’s top 100. To gain tournament access teams must cultivate possible rivalry type games with teams from conferences like the Atlantic Ten or Conference USA.
Valley teams gaining access to high level multi-team events is a crucial part of Elgin’s strategy.
While several conferences are rearranging their league schedules, Elgin doesn’t believe that is a viable MVC alternative. League leadership believes it is important to protect the Valley’s ’round-robin’ league format.
Loyola & New Metrics
Gaining tournament access could be getting easier. Elgin says the notoriety and the financial windfall from Loyola’s dramatic Final Four appearance is helping the league. Talent levels in the Valley are rising and Elgin says that is a direct result of recent NCAA Tournament successes. MVC teams have won ten straight first round games and due to Loyola’s success programs will see a financial windfall.
College analysts like Jerry Palm, Ken Pomeroy, Jeff Sagarin and others were gathered by the NCAA to investigate new ways to evaluate teams. Elgin says that new metric is on the way. The new measurement will aid in granting tournament access to deserving teams.
Eight of the top 15 players are returning from last year’s all-conference teams. Three teams have new head coaches. Some Valley watchers believe this year’s recruiting class is one of the best collective groups in recent history.
Defending champion Loyola returns league MVP Clayton Custer and ‘Freshman of the Year‘ Cameron Krutwig. Illinois State returns its top three scorers including ‘Newcomer of the Year‘ Milik Yarbrough. Returning second-teamers are Jordan Barnes (Indiana State), Armon Fletcher (SIU) and Illinois State’s Phil Fayne.
Underrated Darrell Brown (Bradley), Krutwig and SIU’s Kavion Pippen are the third team members that are expected to shine.
Do Good
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.@SEMOMBB wins at home and is 2-0, tied with @MSUEaglesMBB atop the @OVCSports. Our prayers are with the @LRTrojans after the death of one of their managers Josh Claxton. Their game with EIU was postponed today.
Good officiating in the @SEMOMBB/@SIUEMBB in a little late game dust up.
BTW, @LindenwoodWBB is 2-0. @CoachAmyEagan has that program headed the right direction.
With @SkyhawkHoops winning on the road and @LUMensBball winning at home, right now, 5 @OVCSports teams are 1-1.
