MVC – Wide Open Upcoming Season

Balance of Power Shifting Again

(St. Louis, MO) – The Missouri Valley Conference has never been more wide open. Heading into last season, Valley watchers ‘knew’ the league’s four best teams were all based in Illinois. Those four teams finished tied for first (Loyola), third (Southern Illinois), fifth (Bradley) and sixth (Illinois State).

Bradley went on to win the Arch Madness title.

During a year when the co-champions each lost six conference games, the league was ultra balanced. Three teams finished 9-and-9 and only three teams had losing records. 2019-20 could be even more competitive.

The Reigning Champions

Both Loyola and Drake have serious talent returning, but each sustained heavy graduation losses. With the graduation of TWO former Larry Bird Trophy winners in Clayton Custer and Marques Townes, the heart of Rambler basketball is changing. The graduation of Nick McGlynn changes the energy level and the reality of a serious post threat at Drake.

Returning Ramblers, Cameron Krutwig and Lucas Williamson are capable leaders, but Porter Moser’s team has leaned heavily on the point guard play of Custer, Townes and Ben Richardson during their two-year reign, and it begs the question, ‘who runs the point?’ That position has to be filled at an elite level if LUC is to three-peat.

The Bulldogs are facing the opposite problem. Losing all-Valley center McGlynn changes the Bulldogs on both ends of the floor. McGlynn was an outstanding defender and capable scorer. If sophomore-to-be Liam Robbins continues to develop, Darian DeVries’ seemingly endless array of talented wing players will be virtually unstoppable. Robbins is a key. Drake will miss senior point guard and floor leader Brady Ellingson, but the gritty Bulldogs have multiple options.

Drake has even more talented wings coming on board this season.

Tournament Champions

From mid January on, Bradley was a deadly team. The Braves went 12-4 and claimed the Arch Madness title and gave Michigan State a battle in the national tournament. Brian Wardle’s team has returning weapons and they too, have serious graduation losses.

Darrell Brown and Elijah Childs are all-conference type players. Childs may be the Valley’s most difficult match up problem. The 6’7 forward can play around the basket and can be lethal in the mid-range game. Brown has the ability to lead the league in scoring. No current Valley duo has this potential ceiling.

Talent Influx

Missouri State’s Dana Ford is blowing up the Valley’s recruiting norms. Illinois State’s Dan Muller isn’t far behind. Those two programs are amassing weapons like the US/USSR Cold War arms race. No MVC teams have jumped into the NCAA’s transfer portal like these two.

San Jose State transfers Keith Fisher and Jaycee Hillsman sat out last season in Normal, Illinois and are both physical specimens and were significant contributors on the Spartan squad. Former Eastern Kentucky star Dedric Boyd is a proven scorer too. He averaged 13.2 points per game.

Tyriq Dixon (Middle Tennessee) and Josh Hall (Nevada) are transfers with NCAA Tournament experience ready to add fire-power and leadership to the Bears’ lineup. Grad transfers Lamont West (West Virginia) and Anthony Masinton-Bonner (Colorado State) have played heavy minutes at the highest levels. ESPN calls West this year’s ninth best transfer.

Arguably the best prep player in the State of Missouri also signed with MSU. Isiaih Mosley, Mister Show-Me Basketball averaged 23.2 points and 6.9 rebounds for Columbia Rock Bridge. 247sports.com ranked Mosley and fellow Bear recruit Tyem Freeman (Springfield Parkview) as two of the Show Me State’s top three prospects.

Forward Gaige Prim has been ranked as the second best junior college player in this year’s class.

This deep stable of talented newcomers makes the Valley race more wide open.

More D1 Transfers of Note

Valparaiso and Evansville have some notable transfers joining their rosters. Valpo boasts of former Seton Hall guard Eron Gordon and St. Joseph transfer Nick Robinson. Both were highly rated coming out of high school and will find themselves in a crowded Crusader back court. Javon Freeman has decided to return and a healthy Ryan Fazekas gives Matt Lottich’s team plenty of fire-power.

Walter McCarty’s recruiting chops were proven early when he landed Kansas transfer Sam Cunliffe, Coastal Carolina’s Artur Labinowicz and prep star DeAndre Williams. All three sat out last season and become eligible this year. Those three joining the emerging K.J. Riley in the Evansville lineup will make the Purple Aces a more complete team.

The Jury Is Out

Indiana State continues to recruit talented wings. Add Cobie Barnes to the long list of prolific players and scorers to play for the Sycamores. The lack of an inside presence makes them hard to figure.

In Ben Jacobson’s first ten years at Northern Iowa the Panthers always accumulated at least 18 wins. Nine of those first ten seasons were 20-victory campaigns and twice UNI racked up 30 triumphs. But three straight seasons of 16 or fewer wins has made Northern Iowa a question mark. Freshman of the Year, A.J. Green returns as does a healthy Austin Phyfe.

Jacobson has been a master at cultivating players and he only lost two seniors from last year’s team. Can the Panthers rebound?

Southern Illinois has a new coach and lost some significant talent from last year’s team. Bryan Mullins takes over a team that graduated six players and some highly regarded players that sat out last season have left the program. Mullins is rebuilding the roster, but there are too many question marks surrounding Saluki basketball to get a good feel for this year’s team.

Grad transfer Barret Benson is a 6’10 center from Northwestern. His arrival in Carbondale is intriguing.

Valley Recruiting Improvement

League members continue to grow their talent base. Verbalcommits.com shows the Valley’s ‘stars-per-recruit’ average going up. In 2017 the average MVC recruit was a 2.2103. In 2018 it was 2.210 and this season it is 2.300.

With more talent means a more wide open race.

Do Good