Historically Good or Uniquely Unknown?

Possible Wild Swings in the Missouri Valley Conference

(St. Louis, MO) – Will the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference basketball season be historically good or uniquely unknown? While the league boasts of eleven all conference players (of 15 possible) returning, there are huge questions at several programs. The Valley sent two teams (Drake and Loyola Chicago) to last year’s NCAA Tournament and the Ramblers qualified for the tournament’s Sweet Sixteen.

Drake, Missouri State, Loyola and Northern Iowa seem loaded, while there are question marks at Illinois State, Valparaiso, Indiana State, Evansville and Bradley. Southern Illinois is somewhere in between.

15 years have passed since the Valley sent three teams to March Madness. In 2005 three MVC teams went dancing and during the 2006 season, four participated in the Big Dance. Given the talent level on the league’s top four teams, this could be the season that streak is snapped.

Historically Good

Those top four teams should contend for the Missouri Valley title and for post season viability. Despite losing late season star Joseph Yesufu, Drake has star power, depth, veteran leadership and after winning an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 1971 the Bulldogs will be outstanding.

Drake returns all-Valley performers Roman Penn and ShanQuan Hemphill who were a dominant duo during the 2020-21 season. Penn is the quintesstional ‘lead guard’ averaging 11.2 points and 5.5 assists per game with an outstanding 2.4 assist-turnover margin. His 25 point performance against South Dakota demonstrated his team-leading importance.

Hemphill was a Sports Center Top Ten regular and an explosive performer. He averaged 13.2 points and 5.9 rebounds and was a focal point of coach Darian DeVries’ pressure defense. ‘Tank’ was Drake’s most consistent ‘game-changer’ and provided opponents with their most difficult matchup.

Center Darnell Brodie, D.J. Wilkins and wing Tremell Murphy rounded out the starting lineup prior to the Penn and Hemphill injuries. Swiss-Army Knife Garrett Sturtz was named to the Valley’s all-Bench team and like Yesufu, was forced into the starting lineup with all the late season injuries. Once they went down Yesufu was an explosive presence and will be missed. Over the final seven games the 6’ guard was unstoppable and translated that great finish to a transfer to Kansas.

That loss would devastate some teams, but Drake replaces and upgrades with incoming freshman Tucker DeVries. The head coach’s son was the State of Iowa’s ‘Mr. Basketball’ and is a top 100 player out of local Waukee High School. DeVries is 6’4 with great shooting range and a proven winner.

Drake will be better this season than last.

No Krutwig, No Moser, No Problem?

There is a ton of talent and experience in Loyola. Gone are Valley player of the year Cameron Krutwig and program building coach Porter Moser. Most programs would crater and fall apart. Instead, virtually every other player from last year’s Sweet Sixteen squad return to Rogers Park. First year coach Drew Valentine welcomes six of Moser’s ‘seven starters’ from last year, including the Valley’s top defender, Lucas Williamson.

Guards Braden Norris, Marquise Kennedy and Keith Clemons join forward Aher Uguak and wing Tate Hall as Ramblers that have won some sort of league-wide honor. All five are deeply experienced and schooled in the Rambler culture.

The obvious questions relate to Valentine’s inexperience as a head coach and how Jacob Hutson and Tom Welch replace Krutwig. Higly rated recruits join the unit. Ivy league transfers Ryan Schwieger and Chris Knight and three-star freshman Saint Thomas high-light Valentine’s first recruiting class. Former Indiana Hoosier and four-star high school player Damezi Anderson is still an intriguing talent.

Underdog UNI

Northern Iowa was the Valley’s preseason 2020 favorite. An injury to 2020 league Player of the Year A.J. Green derailed the season. Trae Berhow missed early playing time. After two hip surgeries, Green should be ready for the season and instantly transforms a Panther team that like Drake and Loyola has everyone back.

Former all-conference center Austin Phyfe, second teamer Berhow and last year’s Freshman of the Year, Bowen Born are a solid nucleus for veteran coach Ben Jacobson. The ‘dean of the Valley coaches’ has a team strengthened by the return of the explosive Noah Carter. The 6’6 sophomore withdrew his name from the transfer portal and he and returning senior Tywhon Pickford, makes UNI deep, talented and experienced.

Carter recorded four twenty-point performances and is a game-changer, but Green is the biggest power-shifting player in the Valley. He, single-handedly moves UNI from the lower third of the league to a first-place contender.

Missouri State Might Be Too Good

This juggernaut may be too good to not win the MVC regular season. All conference players are everywhere on this roster! They have size, versatility, athleticism, talent, experience and a sense of urgency about finally ‘closing the deal’.

Bears’ coach Dana Ford has assembled a team of dynamic players. Senior Gaige Prim is the best big man in the league. He was the Valley’s leading rebounder (9.1) and finished third in scoring (16.7). Junior Isaiah Mosely is the league’s most explosive scorer that’s not named Green. He was the MVC’s leading scorer (19.8). Brand new Bear, Donovan Clay, a Valparaiso transfer was part of the 2020 All-Valley Freshman team and last season was amongst the league leaders in minutes played, blocked shots and rebounds.

Guards JaMonta Black and Demarcus Sharp are adept ball-handlers and newcomer Jaylen Minnett is IUPUI’s all-time leader in three-point shooting. Freshman Isaac Haney was the State of Missouri’s sixth ranked player and is a two-time state champion.

Uniquely Unknown

Indiana State, Bradley, Illinois State and Valparaiso have vastly different rosters and the Sycamores have a new coach. Perhaps the biggest surprise in Terre Haute is the return of Tyreke Key and Cooper Neese to the Sycamore roster. While those four teams were stripped by transfers, each seemed to re-stock their rosters with talented players.

Bradley signed the national junior college player of the year. Valpo landed three Big Ten transfers and Illinois State picked up all Ohio Valley Guard Mark Freeman.

Ironically, Southern Illinois and Evansville had very stable offseasons. SIU returns all-conference wing Marcus Domask. Without Domask in the lineup the Salukis struggled, but this young and talented team, learned valuable lessons during the turbulent pandemic season.

Scheduling

Acquiring enough non-conference games of importance will be a key to this potentially being an historic season. At least five Valley squads have landed in very decent early season tournaments. Winning weighty non-conference games in November and December are critical to playing games in March.

We meet with the Valley head coaches this week and will learn more about their squads, but this could be a historically good season.

Do Good