Standing Strong

(St. Louis, MO) – Rebuilding isn’t so bad after all. The Missouri Valley Conference looked to be in rebuilding mode when Creighton left the league and all kinds of quality players graduated and a few others left programs.

Three weeks into the season, the results have been just fine.  The Valley is 20 games over .500 (46-26) including four wins against ‘power six’ leagues including one win over a top 25 team and an outstanding 8 and 3 combined record against the Mountain West, West Coast and WAC).

Everyone knew Wichita State would be good, and they are VERY GOOD. The Shockers are 8 – 0 and now ranked tenth in the nation, but the surprise teams so far have been a pair of 6 and 1 teams, Drake and Missouri State. Drake won the Fresno State Classic, Wichita State has won two different tournaments, Indiana State finished fourth in the Great Alaska Shootout and Northern Iowa came in third at the Paradise Jam. Missouri State’s Bears are achieving great things while missing two starters.

America’s Renaissance Conference is solid.

Newcomer Loyola is 3 and 5 and hasn’t lost a game by more than six points. Two of their losses were in overtime and one of those was AT Mississippi State. Milton Doyle has joined St. Louisan Christian Thomas as a ‘dynamic duo’ on the north side of Chicago.

The next seven days will bring stiff tests to MVC teams.

Drake and Northern Iowa battle Iowa and Iowa State respectively at Wells Fargo Arena, Evansville travels to Murray State and Southern Illinois hosts Western Kentucky this week and Evansville travels to Xavier next week.

Which individuals are standing out?

It is easy to look at the scoring leaders and those players are putting the rock in the rack. Evansville’s D.J. Balentine continues to lead the league with a 25.3 average and Desmar Jackson (SIUC) and Richard Carter (Drake) both top the 20 point mark, but let’s look at the point guards.

Winning teams have great guard play and five of the six best teams (according to winning percentage) have guards at the top of the ‘assists’ list. Evansville Freshman Duane Gibson paces the league with 5.7 assists per game.  He’s followed by WSU Sophomore Fred Van Vleet (5.5) and Indiana State Senior Jake Odum (5.3).

MVC teams have plenty of opportunities prior to league play to continue to gain so-called ‘statement victories.’ Valley schools still have games with two SEC schools, one from the ACC, four Big East teams and one each with the Big 10 and Big 12.

Do Good