Missouri Valley Conference Southeast Division

Is the Valley an SEC Feeder League?

(St. Louis, MO) – Clearly Missouri Valley Conference coaches know how to recruit and train high level basketball players. The only problem with that during the portal pandemic is that many of those players find ‘greener pastures’ in the fertile NIL field of the Southeastern Conference. Should we start calling the SEC, ‘Missouri Valley Conference Southeast Division’?

There are numerous former Valley performers contributing, if not starring in one of America’s so-called power conference to our southeast. While we know the portal door swings both ways, Valley fans struggle with the feeling of being left behind and the ‘what if’ game far too often.

What if K.J. Williams, Justice Hill, Trae Hannibal and Chico Carter were still at Murray State and not riding jets through the Souteastern Conference? Wouldn’t it be fun if Noah Carter and Isiaih Mosley were still battling it out when Northern Iowa and Missouri State collided, instead of laboring for a resurgent Missouri program? How good would Will Richard look in a Belmont uniform this season?

We already call LSU, Murray State Southeast. Why not rename the whole league Missouri Valley Conference Southeast Division?

If the ‘power conferences’ are so much better than the Valley, why is it that so many MVC refugees are succeeding at a high level John Calipari’s conference? Speaking of Calipari, it seems obvious that he likes having former Illinois State guard Antonio Reeves on his team.

The former Redbird is averaging over 12 points per game and is ranked in the SEC’s top ten in three point conversions.

Murray State Departures

These transfers make the most sense of any that took place. When Matt McMahon took the LSU head coaching position, several of HIS players came along. Then Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year’ K.J. Williams thought about the NBA, but traveled to Louisiana with his coach. The 6’10 Williams is thriving in the supposedly much more difficult competition.

He is third in the SEC in scoring and is a top-ten rebounder. All OVC guard Justice Hill traveled south as well and has been a starter and ranks among the SEC’s top ten in assists.

(Hill Steps Away From LSU For Personal Reasons)

Trae Hannibal went along too and is doing exactly what he did at Murray State. He does a little bit of everything. Recently scoring 19 points in a game with Arkansas, the physical Hannibal scores a little, rebounds some, knocks people down a little and is a big piece of McMahon’s team.

A fourth member of that 31-win team to leave was Chico Carter. The South Carolina Gamecock leads the SEC in three point percentage and is ninth in long distance deliveries.

If Steve Prohm had these four at Murray State, the Valley standings would look significantly different. Instead they play in the Missouri Valley Conference Southeast Division.

I-74 Refugees

The ‘War on 74’ might look differently with some of these transfers still wearing the red and white uniforms of Bradley and Illinois State.

Former Bradley guards Terry Roberts and Sean East are making their mark in the home of the nation’s college football champion. Roberts leads Georgia and is fifth in the SEC scoring race (15.9 ppg) and is in the top ten in free throw percentage, assists and steals.

Missouri’s East is receiving less playing time, but averages over eight points per game and is amongst the league leaders in steals.

Former Redbird Antonio Reeves is second only to national player of the year candidate Oscar Tshiebwe on the Kentucky Wildcat scoring list. Reeves (12.1) ranks in the SEC’s top ten in three pointers and is eleventh in down town accuracy.

The Best of the Rest

Remember when 7-footer Liam Robbins left Drake for Minnesota because it had always been his dream to play for the Gophers? One season was apparently enough to fulfill that dream and he is playing in his second season at Vanderbilt. He is averaging 13.2 points and 5.9 rebounds and is the SEC’s second leading rebounder.

Noah Carter and Isiaih Mosley have had some setbacks, but Carter has been highly effective for Dennis Gate’s Tigers. While Carter has played through some nagging injuries, he’s averaging double digits in scoring and grabbing nearly five rebounds.

Mosley, of course experienced great individual success at Missouri State and has struggled with ‘personal issues’ this season returning ‘home’ to Columbia, Missouri. During his limited action (9 games), he is averaging 7.9 points-per-game. His role could grow as the season wears on.

Perhaps the player that I wish MVC fans would have had the opportunity to enjoy is Will Richard. The former Belmont Bruin had all the earmarks of a future Valley Player of the Year candidate. Instead, the 6’4 sophomore transferred to Florida and is having a good season while the Gators are not. Richard is averaging over ten points and four rebounds and making nearly 41 percent of his long distance attempts.

Fifth year senior Tyreke Key drug his chronically injured shoulder to Tennessee and we are glad to report that he is healthy! Key is playing 26 minutes per game, averaging over nine points per contest and making threes. With any luck, he’ll end his collegiate career with 2,000 points. He has 1,805 right now.

We are glad these players are succeeding in the brighter spot lights of the Southeastern Conference. We’ve spoken to many of them and enjoyed their time on Valley teams. It is an ironic twist that so many MVC players migrated to the Southeastern Conference. This collection of productive players can’t be matched in any other conference, much less in a power conference like the SEC.

For now, we just enjoy calling that league, the Missouri Valley Conference Southeast Division.

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