MVC 2013 & Beyond

(This is the second of a two-part series on the MVC’s 2013 Season and beyond)

St. Louis, MO –  Creighton is out and Loyola-Chicago is in.  This is a significant drop in prestige, basketball ability and tradition, and an upgrade in television market and a fun place to visit.

With the Bluejays heading to the Big East, Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner Doug Elgin and the university presidents had an important job in replacing the perennial league power.  As we reported last month, Loyola, Illinois-Chicago, Belmont, Oral Roberts, Denver, Valparaiso, UMKC and others were being considered.

While the Bruins of Belmont would have been the best basketball replacement and a very good market too, the Loyola addition isn’t bad.

First, the basketball…. The Valley loses Creighton and its 25 RPI and gains the Ramblers and their RPI of 222. That is a dramatic loss.  America’s Renissaunce Conference didn’t expect to get an even trade and only Belmont and Valparaiso (to a lesser degree) could have filled that bill. Make no mistake, the Creighton defection is serious.  The entire league RPI suffers with this trade.

That’s not Loyola’s fault.  The Ramblers are coached by former Illinois State Head Coach (and Saint Louis U assistant) Porter Moser and they more than doubled their win total from the previous season (from 7 to 15).  Moser is making in-roads in the the flourishing Chicago prep scene and the program is moving in the right direction.

They’ve renovated some of their facilities and attendance at Rambler games is poor, but on the rise.  On the women’s side they have just hired legendary Sheryl Swoopes as their Head Coach.

It’s hard to find the other connections.  Creighton has a great soccer program and one of the better baseball organizations in the college game.  Loyola had a very average soccer season and they don’t field a baseball team. The Ramblers won the Horizon League title in Cross Country.

What about other Valley basketball prospects?

As we said in the previous installment, coaching stability is just great and the brand new hire at Drake is very solid.  Many of the Valley’s very best players have graduated.  The loss of Doug McDermott, Colt Ryan, Jackie Carmichael and Carl Hall is huge. Those payers have been been electric, prolific and effective.  They will be greatly missed.

Wichita State is the new standard bearer for the league and though they lost Carl Hall and Malcolm Armstead they are loaded for next season. Cleanthony Early, Ron Baker, Fred VanVleet, Tekele Cotton and company are loaded and will make another national splash.

Indiana State’s Jake Odum returns as the league’s most decorated performer, but there is other star power in the Valley. Bradley’s Walt Lemon Junior, Southern Illinois’ Desmar Jackson and Northern Iowa’s Seth Tuttle are some of the players that will make noise next season.

Obviously schools are recruiting and in the next several days there will be numerous announcements of new players joining programs, but just today, Missouri State announced the signing of one of the very best Juco players in the country in Ron Mvouika.

Mvouika was an all-region player averaging over 19 points and eight rebounds per game for Sheridan (Wyoming). He is a 6’5 junior from France and is part of really solid recruiting class for Head Coach Paul Lusk.

Illinois State has brought in some strong juco players too and Bradley’s best recruit, Mike Shaw won’t be eligible until the 2014 season because he’s transferring from Illinois, but the Braves are building something special.

It is a transition season for MVC hoops, but not the disaster that some have thought.  Look for good things from the Missouri Valley!

Do Good