Missouri Valley Advent Week Opportunities

Eighteen Games This Week

(St. Louis, MO) – Christmas shopping is at a fever’s pitch but we are filled with Missouri Valley Christmas wishes. Eighteen games remain before Christmas Eve and just six more after before Valley teams turn all their attention to conference play.

Three of those final six games are against ‘money conference’ teams, but this week’s games can solidify the MVC’s national profile before all of college basketball turns to league activities.

Advent Week MVC/OVC Collisions

Eight of the Valley’s 18 games pit them against Ohio Valley Conference teams. Two of them take place tonight. Evansville hosts two different OVC teams this week. The Purple Aces entertain UT Martin tonight and Tennessee Tech on Wednesday. David Ragland’s team has previously defeated the OVC’s Southeast Missouri twice. The Skyhawks are one of the nation’s fastest paced and most prolific scoring teams.

Murray State travels to Little Rock, Arkansas for a game with ULR’s Trojans. While the Racers have struggled to close out games, the inconsistent Trojans (4-5) have signature wins over Tulsa and Ball State and could have Arkansas transfer Makhel Mitchell join the lineup for the first time. Mitchell is one of those players liberated to play by the recent NCAA decision on two-time transfers.

Murray could also see the first action by two-time transfer Alden Applewhite.

Two more meetings occur Tuesday when Valley teams Indiana State and Missouri State host OVC opponents. The Sycamores (10-1) entertain Tennessee State in a game that could break the scoreboard. Missouri State hosts Lindenwood in a game where former Link Year Academy graduates Damien Mayo (MSU) and Colin Ruffin (Lions) will clash.

Thursday Illinois State hosts Southeast Missouri and old friends collide when Southern Illinois Edwardsville travels to Bradley. The Redbirds and Redhawks meet at 7:00 pm on ESPN+. SIUE coach Brian Barone and Bradley coach Brian Wardle are very good friends.

Southern Indiana makes the short trip to Southern Illinois on Friday.

Valley teams are 6-0 against the OVC this year.

Advent Week Signature Opportunities

National pundits may not know it, but there are huge Advent Week opportunities for the Valley. Tonight Bradley travels to Duquesne for a game with the (81 Kenpom) Dukes. While currently ranking 68 in the NCAA’s ‘national evaluation tool’ the Dukes represent a Quad One opening for the struggling Braves. They have failed to win a game since guard Connor Hickman went down with an ankle injury.

On Tuesday, Samford (118 KP/133 NET) who recently defeated Belmont visits Valparaiso and Drake shoots for a Missouri Valley Conference record. If the Bulldogs can hold on to a home court advantage, Darian DeVries’ team can set a new league mark for 43 straight non-conference home wins.

Friday, the Bulldogs travel to Birmingham, Alabama for a game with UAB. While ranking college conferences, Kenpom ranks the Valley tenth and the Bulls’ American Athletic Conference as ninth. Murray State entertains another AAC squad in Southern Methodist. SMU holds an impressive 62 NET ranking and come in at 71 in Kenpom.

The final game of Advent Week finds Missouri State on the West Coast to take on St. Mary’s. While the West Coast Conference Gaels are just 5-5, they are 81 in the latest NET and 64 in Kenpom. The WCC has fallen to eleventh in the Kenpom conference rankings.

Thirteen of the 18 Advent Week games will be played on Valley home courts. This is part of the final push to cement national recognition for the league desperately looking to grab multiple bids to next March’s NCAA Tournament. With four teams in the NET’s top 100, these pivotal games can shape that narrative come Selection Sunday.

After Christmas, Evansville, Illinois State and Indiana State face ‘money conference teams in Cincinnati, Kentucky and Michigan State. But we’ll worry about those games after we open our Christmas presents.

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