MVC Basketball

The 2010-2011 Missouri Valley Conference tournament concluded over two months ago, and summer workouts for all teams begin in June in preparation for next season.

With this being the case, it is not too early to look ahead to the 2011-2012 campaign.

The Valley looks to be stronger next season as five of the 10 members from the 2010-2011 MVC all-conference first and second teams return, and the league could possibly send multiple teams to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007.

1. Creighton

The Bluejays lose two contributors to graduation in guard Kaleb Korver and center Kenny Lawson, but have a ton of returnees.

All-conference first team selection and freshman of the year forward Doug McDermott returns, as well as second-team selection junior guard Antoine Young, all-newcomer team pick sophomore center Gregory Echenique and all-freshmen team member guard Jahenns Manigat.

2. Wichita State

Five seniors concluded their careers with the Shockers after winning the NIT, notably first-team selection center J.T. Durley, forward Gabe Blair and guard Graham Hatch.

However, the returnees to the squad should lead WSU back to the top of the Valley, including second-team pick junior guard Toure' Murry, sixth-man of the year junior forward Ben Smith, junior guard David Kyles and junior center Garrett Stutz.

3. Indiana State

Senior guards Aaron Carter and Jake Kelly helped lead the Sycamores back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001.

A pair of honorable mention selections junior forward Carl Richard and freshman guard Jake Odum, as well as junior guard Dwayne Lathan experienced that success also and look to continue that into next season.

4. Evansville

Despite losing three seniors to graduation, guard Kavon Lacey, forward Clint Hopf and center Pieter van Tongeren, the Aces return second-team selection sophomore guard Colt Ryan, junior forward Kenny Harris and junior guard Denver Holmes. 

5. Drake

The Bulldogs suffer the loss of senior guard Ryan Wedel, but return three underclassmen.

Honorable mention pick freshman guard Rayvonte Rice, sophomore forward Ben Simons and sophomore center Seth VanDeest will lead the way for DU.

6. Illinois State

Five seniors ended their careers after an opening-round loss at the MVC tournament, including leading scorer senior guard Austin Hill, but the Redbirds return second leading scorer sophomore forward Jackie Carmichael.

ISU will bring in a slew of new freshmen and transfer guards, which was a point of weakness for the squad in 2010-2011.

7. Northern Iowa

UNI loses first-team selection senior guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe and all-defensive team member senior forward Lucas O'Rear. The Panthers return honorable mention pick sophomore guard Anthony James and junior guard Johnny Moran.

8. Missouri State

The Bears, regular-season champions of the MVC, lose four of their five starters to graduation, including second-team selections forward Will Creekmore, pending his fifth-year eligibility ruling and Jermaine Mallett, as well as guards Nafis Ricks and Adam Leonard.

MSU returns MVC player of the year junior forward Kyle Weems and all-freshmen team pick forward Nathan Scheer.

9. Bradley

Three senior guards have concluded their careers with the Braves including first-team selection Andrew Warren, Sam Maniscalco and Dodie Dunson.

Top returnees include junior forward Taylor Brown and sophomore guard Dyricus Simms-Edwards.

10. Southern Illinois

The Salukis lose honorable mention selection senior guard Carlton Fay. SIU returns junior guard Mamadou Seck and fifth-year senior Justin Bocot.

Just win Baby!

Al Davis said that famous phrase, and the Missouri Valley Conference is living it, going five for six in the postseason so far. The MVC has done well compared to the "Big 6" conferences, as they have only been out-performed by the ACC and Pac-10, with both conferences starting 6-1. The Big East (7-4), Big Ten (6-2), Big 12 (5-3), SEC (3-4) were not up to the MVC's success in the opening rounds of the four postseason tournaments.

Only Indiana State suffered the pain of defeat in their NCAA opener. Missouri State and Wichita State won in the NIT first round. Creighton and Evansville did the conference proud win convincing wins in the CBI and Northern Iowa showed they belonged in the post season with a convincing CIT win.

Starting Sunday, the remaining five teams return to the court as they work to extend their seasons and continue to shine compared to the majority of the "Big" conferences.

Indiana State

While the Sycamores fell to Syracuse 77-60, they have no reason to hang their head as they finish the year 20-14. The Sycamores will be a team to contend for the conference title next year as they will be returning their top three players next season (Dwayne Lathan, Carl Richards, and Jake Odum).

Missouri State

Missouri State opened the NIT with a 89-76 win over Murray State. Jermaine Mallet stepped up and put up a career-high 23 points as the Bears controlled the game from the onset.

The Bears will travel to Miami (FL) (20-14, 6-10 ACC) for their second round game Monday night. The Hurricanes are led by guards Malcolm Grant  (14.9 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Durand Scott (13.1 ppg, 3.1 apg).

The Bears and the Hurricanes have two common opponents this season. Both squads defeated Oral Roberts and Pepperdine this year by similar margins so this expects to be a even matchup.

Missouri State comes in as the hotter team, winning eight of their last ten while Miami is 5-5. With this being the case, the Bears will get a hard-fought win on their way to the third round.

Wichita State

In an in-state battle Wichita State dominated Nebraska 76-49. Guard David Kyles stepped up to put in 13 to lead a balanced Shocker attack.

Like Missouri State, the Shockers will travel to ACC territory as they will face Virginia Tech (22-11, 9-7 ACC) in the second round Sunday night. The Hokies, who believe they were snubbed for the NCAA tournament, are led by all-ACC guard Malcolm Delany (18.6 ppg, and 4.0 apg).

The Shockers and Hokies have one common opponent this season. Wichita State beat Virginia by 12 while the Hokies fell twice to the Cavaliers. So one has to wonder if this can help the Shockers overcome to Blacksburg crowd.

Both teams come in 6-4 in the last ten games so neither team is streaking. The odds-makers have the Hokies by 4.5 points but that will not be enough as the MVC claims a second victory over the ACC.

Creighton

The Bluejays opened the CBI with an 85-74 over San Jose State. Doug McDermott led the Bluejays with 26 points and 9 rebounds. Center Gregory Echenique and guard Jahenns Maniqat also stepped up for Creighton, scoring 18 and 17 respectively.

Creighton will be the lone MVC team at home this round of tournament play as they host Davidson (18-14, 10-8 Southern) Monday night. The Wildcats are led by J.P. Kuhlman (12.6 ppg, 3.0 apg) and Jake Cohen (11.9 apg, 6.3 rpg).

The teams have two common opponents this season. While Creighton beat Samford and lost a close game to Nebraska, Davidson defeated both teams.

The Wildcats have been hot the last half of the season, winning 10 of their last 12 games, while Creighton is only 6-4 in their last 10 games. Taking it all into account, it will be a challenge for the Bluejays to pull out the win, leaving the home crowd looking forward to next year. 

Evansville

Evansville started their post-season journey with a 77-70 win over Hofstra. Colt Ryan shot down the Pride as he put up 21 points. The bench played huge as Jordan Jahr, Clint Hopf, and Ned Cox combined for 33 points.

The Aces' quest for the CBI semi-finals see them headed west to play Boise State (21-12, 10-6 WAC). The Broncos, who finished second in the WAC, are led by La'Shard Anderson (15.3 ppg, 4.8 apg) and Robert Arnold (12.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg).

The Aces and the Broncos have one common opponent this year. Both teams played Drake, with Evansville splitting their two games and Boise State losing to the Bulldogs.

Northern Iowa

Northern Iowa opened the CIT with an 84-50 trashing of  Rider. Guards Anthony James, Kwadzo Ahelegbe, and Johnny Moran split the workload for UNI, scoring 15, 14, and 14 points respectively. The Panthers looked like the team that had been in contention for the MVC crown until late in the season.

UNI was one of four teams receiving a bye into the quarterfinals, based on seeding following the first round. The Panthers will face the winner of today's game between Jacksonville (20-11) and SMU (18-14)  in the quarterfinals. With the additional rest, the Panthers should be in good shape to advance to the CIT semi-finals.

The madness is in full swing. Let's see if the conference's success will continue.

GO MVC!

I Thought This Was a Party. Let's Dance!

Ren McCormack got it right in Footloose, the conference tournaments are done and now it is time for the best teams in the country to dance. Six schools from the Missouri Valley Conference will be dancing in some manner as they take part in the four post-season tournaments.

As the tournaments kick off this week, it is time to take a quick look at the match-ups and see how long the MVC will be dancing.

NCAA Tournament

The invites to the big dance were limited for the MVC this season as only conference tournament champion Indiana State was tabbed to take part in the ultimate basketball event. The Sycamores (20-13, 12-6 MVC) were given the 14 seed and will travel to Cleveland to face Syracuse (26-7, 12-6 Big East) in their opening game on Friday.

ISU and Syracuse have three common opponents this season. Indiana State went 3-1 against a combination of DePaul and Northern Iowa, and Notre Dame (losing to Notre Dame 81-72), while Syracused went 3-0 in games against the same group. The Orange are led forwards Kris Joseph (14.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and Rick Jackson (13.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg) along with guard Scoop Jardine (5.8 apg).

While the match-up is not as bad as it seems at a distance, it will be a hard game for the Sycamores to win as they have a short stay in the dance.

National Invitational Tournament

The top two regular season squads, Missouri State and Wichita State were passed over for the big dance but were extended invites to the NIT.

In a battle of regular season champions who fell in their conference tournaments, Missouri State (25-8, 15-3 MVC) will host Murray State (23-8, 14-4 OVC) Tuesday in the first round of the NIT. The teams share a common opponent in Evansville. The Racers beat the Aces 72-47 as part of the BracketBusters while the Bears split their two contests with Evansville this season.

The challenge for the Racers is to stop MVC player of the year Kyle Weems. The Racers are led by guards Isaiah Canaan (11.7 ppg, 2.4 apg) and B.J. Jenkins (11.0 ppg, 3.8 apg).

The Bears have a lot to prove as they were shut out of the NCAA tournament. If they return to the form that won them the regular season crown, the home crowd will be celebrating a win and a trip to the second round of the NIT.

Wichita State (24-8, 14-4 MVC) gets a chance of redemption as they kick off the NIT against Nebraska (19-12, 7-9 Big 12). A common opponent is Creighton, who Nebraska beat 59-54, and Wichita State beat twice this season (68-54 & 67-65).

The Cornhuskers come into this matchup on losing four of their last five. The Cornhuskers, who only average 66.9 points per contest, are led by guard Lance Jeter (11.6 ppg, 4.6 apg) .

This match-up is favorable for the Shockers to pull out the win and make it to the second round, keeping their hopes of leading the MVC post-season charge alive.

College Basketball Invitational

Creighton (19-14, 10-8 MVC) gets a chance to extend their season as they will host San Jose State (17-15, 5-11 WAC) in the first round of the 16-team College Basketball Invitational. Both teams come into this match-up struggling, both losing three of their past five games.

MVC Freshman of the Year Doug McDermott is the man the Spartans have to stop if they have a chance. For the Bluejays to win, they are going to have stop explosive guard Adrian Oliver (24.3 ppg). Oliver, a transfer from Washington, has scored in double digits in all but one of the games he has played in this season and has seven games with 30 or more points.

This is going to be a tough game, but the crowd in Omaha is going to be enough to help the Bluejays take flight to the second round.

Evansville finished the regular season with a level record (15-15, 9-9 MVC) so it is surprising to see that the Aces were invited to a post-season tournament. Now they get a chance to continue the surprise as  they open the CBI against Hostra (21-11, 14-4 CAA).

The Pride are led by guards Charles Jenkins (22.9 ppg, 4.8 apg) and Mike Moore (14.9 ppg, 2.2 apg). Hofstra was second in the CAA but fell to ODU in the conference tournament and missed out on the NCAA tournament.

While Evansville's record is not impressive, they match-up well against the Pride. The home court may be the difference as the Aces look to continue their season another game.

CollegeInsider.Com Postseason Tournament

Northern Iowa (19-13, 10-8 MVC) is the sixth team from the MVC to make the post-season and they will be hosting Rider (23-10, 13-5 MAAC) in the first round of the 24-team CollegeInsider.Com Postseason Tournament. 

The two teams in this showdown are going in different directions. The Panthers have lost seven of their last eight after being in contention for the MVC regular season crowd. In contrast, the Broncs have eight of their last ten games.

The Broncs are led by guards Justin Robinson (15.3 ppg, 3.8 apg) and Novar Gadson (13.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg). It looks to be a tough match-up for the Panthers as they are outperformed statistically in points, rebounds, assists and shooting percentage by their opponents from the MAAC. With this being the case, it looks to be a sad night in Cedar Falls as UNI looks to fall out of the CIT early this year.

Let the madness begin. GO MVC!!!

UAB (22-7, 12-4 C-USA); RPI:  28, SOS:  68

Missouri State (25-8, 15-3 MVC); RPI:  42, SOS:  127       

Common Opponents:  Tulsa (both lost)

*Since this article discusses at-large candidacy, assume that UAB does not win their conference tournament

Why UAB Gets In

UAB defeated East Carolina on Saturday to finish out the regular season.  The win ensured the Blazers of an outright Conference USA regular season championship, finishing one game ahead of UTEP and Tulsa.  Prior to that, UAB won an important road game at Southern Miss, who had been in contention for the league title prior to losing. 

In a league race that was back and forth throughout the season and had as many as five teams tied for first place at one point, UAB’s championship was hard fought and well deserved.  The emergence of teams like Tulsa, along with Southern Miss and even Marshall, helped to make Conference USA much more competitive than it has been in recent Memphis-dominated seasons.    

This depth of competitive teams helped put Conference USA at No. 8 in the conference RPI rankings, right behind the Pac-10 and just in front of the Atlantic 10.  The league finished the regular season with three teams in the RPI top 50—UAB, Memphis and Marshall—and three more between No. 51 and No. 61—Southern Miss, UTEP and Central Florida. 

UAB picked up three wins against the RPI top 50, including a win over a strong tournament candidate in VCU.  Overall, the Blazers were 3-4 against the top 50, with losses at Georgia—by only two— and Duke in their non-conference schedule.   

What was the biggest reason for UAB’s C-USA title?  A 6-2 road record in league games, capped off by the win at Southern Miss.  Overall, UAB had a very solid 9-5 record on the road this season.  That includes a win at Arkansas—a team that knocked off Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee at home.

Why UAB is Left Out

While Conference USA has more good teams than in past years, there are certainly no great teams in this league, including Memphis.  As a whole, the league picked up just a couple excellent wins against big-name teams.  UCF beating Florida and Marshall over West Virginia were the two biggest headliners for the conference.

How much does a handful of wins over teams ranked higher than No. 50 of the RPI actually count for when discussing a team’s at-large merits?  While Memphis is still in the running for an at-large bid, the other teams who finished near the top of the league—UTEP, Tulsa and Southern Miss—are pretty much out of contention at this point.  Each needs to win the Conference USA tournament to make the dance.

UAB came up a bit short on some of their biggest opportunities to impress the selection committee.  The losses to Duke and Georgia aside, the Blazers were swept by Memphis this season.  Despite the fact Memphis is not what they were just a couple years ago, winning at least one of those games would have gone pretty far in making UAB a more credible at-large candidate.

Why Missouri State Gets In

Like UAB, Missouri State earned a conference championship outright.  The Bears won the Missouri Valley with a record of 15-3, beating Wichita State in the season finale to claim the title.  Missouri State came up a possession short of winning the MVC tournament as well, losing to upstart Indiana State on Sunday. 

En route to their MVC regular season title, Missouri State swept Wichita State and Creighton and also won at Northern Iowa (before spiraling down after losing Lucas O’Rear).  Throughout the season, the Bears proved they were the team to beat in a league which is competitive top to bottom. 

Missouri State survived numerous tough road tests in the Valley, finishing a 7-2 record on the road in league games.  Given the 10,000-plus arenas of Creighton, Northern Iowa and Wichita State, that is a very impressive feat. 

How many bubble teams from the Big Ten or Big 12 would have also won seven road games in this league?

Why Missouri State is Left Out

Notice there was no mention of non-conference games in the portion above.  That’s because Missouri State has absolutely nothing of value in that department to present to the selection committee.

Missouri State had a few opportunities in their non-conference schedule but came up short on all of them.  The Bears lost at Tennessee in the NIT Tip-Off, as well as coming up 0-for-Oklahoma with losses to Tulsa and Oklahoma State. 

To top it off, the Bears let Valparaiso run all over them in their BracketBuster matchup a couple weeks back.  That was the Bears’ last chance to prove something to the committee outside of their MVC success.  Losing by double-digits to NIT hopefuls outside the league may very well offset their conference title accomplishment.

Also, winning the Missouri Valley just isn’t quite as prestigious it was in the early to mid 2000’s.  In those days—led by Southern Illinois and Creighton—the league was usually around No. 7 or No. 8 in terms of conference RPI and regularly saw multiple teams make the NCAAs.  This year, the MVC was just No. 12 in conference RPI, behind the Horizon League and just ahead of the imbalanced WAC.

Who Gets In?

Again, this assumes UAB doesn’t go on to win the Conference USA tournament.  Given the number of teams who finished bunched together near the top of the league, UAB fans shouldn’t count on winning it. 

Despite each winning their conference regular season championships, neither has a win over a legitimate NCAA tournament team this season.  There is a bit of speculation involved with determining whether either team deserves to make the tournament.

Based on relative strength of conference, strong road record, more competitive non-conference showing, and lack of any really bad losses (though at Arizona St. may be questionable), UAB deserves a shot to dance.

UAB:  IN, Missouri State:  OUT

Recent Matchups:

Clemson-Saint Mary’s:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/631612-clemson-vs-saint-marys-which-team-will-make-the-ncaa-tournament

VCU-Alabama:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/630542-vcu-vs-alabama-which-team-will-make-the-ncaa-tournament

Boston College-Colorado State:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/626211-boston-college-vs-colorado-state-which-team-will-make-the-ncaa-tournament

Michigan-Georgia:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/624160-michigan-vs-georgia-which-team-will-make-the-ncaa-tournament

The regular season has come to an end in the Missouri Valley Conference. Arch Madness in St. Louis is almost upon us as March begins. With this being the case, it is time to stop and reflect back on the season and recognize the best of 2010-2011. Only four seniors are in the MVC top 15, so 2011-2012 is definitely looking up for the conference.

First Team

Andrew Warren: Senior Guard, Bradley
Stats: 19.0 ppg, 1.9 apg, 5.5 rpg, 1.7 spg 

Antoine Young: Junior Guard, Creighton
Stats: 13.6 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.7 rpg, 1.0 spg

Colt Ryan: Sophomore Guard, Evansville
Stats: 15.8 ppg, 2.3 apg, 3.3 rpg, 1.3 spg

Kyle Weems: Junior Forward, Missouri State
Stats: 16.3 ppg, 1.4 apg, 7.0 rpg, 0.9 bpg, 1.2 spg

Doug McDermott: Freshman Forward, Creighton
Stats: 14.3 ppg, 1.1 apg, 7.6 rpg

Second Team

Dwayne Lathan: Junior Guard, Indiana State
Stats: 11.6 ppg, 1.5 apg, 4.9 rpg, 0.8 spg

Rayvonte Rice: Freshman Guard, Drake 
Stats: 13.8 ppg, 1.7 apg, 4.8 rpg, 1.4 spg

Mamadou Seck: Junior Forward, Southern Illinois 
Stats: 10.7 ppg, 1.5 apg, 8.0 rpg, 0.9 spg

Kenny Harris: Junior Forward, Evansville
Stats: 8.4 ppg, 1.4 apg, 6.3 rpg, 1.2 spg

Will Creekmore: Senior Center, Missouri State
Stats: 12 ppg, 1.1 apg, 6.5 rpg, 0.9 bpg

Honorable Mention

Jake Odum: Freshman Guard, Indiana State
Stats: 9.1 ppg, 4.1 apg, 3.9 rpg, 1.7 spg

Kwadzo Ahelegbe: Senior Guard, Northern Iowa 
Stats:14.0 ppg, 2.9 apg, 3.1 rpg

Toure' Murry: Junior Guard, Wichita State
Stats: 9.7 ppg, 3.4 apg, 5.0 rpg, 1.1 spg

J.T. Durley: Senior Forward-Center, Wichita State
Stats: 11.3 ppg, 5.1  rpg, 1.3 apg  

Jackie Carmichael: Sophomore Forward, Illinois State 
Stats: 9.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.2 bpg

Coach of the Year

Cuonzo Martin, Missouri State

Freshman of the Year

Doug McDermott, Creighton
 

Player of the Year

Kyle Weems, Missouri State

With a win over Wichita State Saturday, the Missouri State Bears won their first Missouri Valley Conference regular season title. Coach Cuonzo Martin is my pick for the MVC Coach of the Year, with Kyle Weems (16.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG) for Player of the Year.

Arch Madness, the MVC tournament, kicks off Thursday in St. Louis with two contests and concludes Sunday with the MVC tournament champion being crowned. With RPIs in the 40's, Missouri State (No. 46) and Wichita State (No. 48) might be sitting on pins and needles if they don't hoist the title at the Scottrade Center.

Here are the games and predictions for the tournament.

First Round

No. 8 Southern Illinois (12-18, 5-13) vs. No. 9 Illinois State (12-18, 4-14)

SIU and ISU split during the regular season, with each team winning on its own home court. Both teams are struggling as they both only have one win in their last five games. This game is for pride and potentially for SIU coach Chris Lowery's job.

Winner: SIU

 

No. 7 Drake (13-17, 7-11) vs. No. 10 Bradley (11-19, 4-14)

Drake and Bradley split during the regular season, with each team winning on its own home court, but Bradley beat the Bulldogs by 26 points Saturday. The young Bulldogs will put up a tough fight, but fall short. Watch out for Drake next season!

Winner: Bradley

 

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Missouri State (23-7, 15-3) vs. No. 8 Southern Illinois

Missouri State beat Southern Illinois by 17 and 18 points this season. The Bears have won six of their last seven games coming into the tournament, and it does not stop here.

Winner: Missouri State

 

No. 4 UNI (19-12, 10-8) vs. No. 5 Creighton (18-13, 10-8)

The Panthers and Bluejays split during the regular season, with each team winning on their own home court, but Creighton beat UNI by eight points Saturday. Northern Iowa comes into the tournament on a serious downswing, losing six of its last seven, while Creighton is 4-4 in its last eight. The Panthers' slide continues as they lose their fourth straight here and probably miss out on a postseason berth.

Winner: Creighton  

No. 2 Wichita State (23-7, 14-4) vs. No. 10 Bradley (11-19, 4-14)

Bradley lost to the Shockers by double-digits in both outings this season, and that will most likely happen a third time, as Wichita State is fighting for its NCAA life. The Shockers easily move on to the semis.

Winner: Wichita State

No. 3 Indiana State (17-13, 12-6) vs. No. 6 Evansville (15-14, 9-9)

Evansville defeated Indiana State in both matchups this season, but come into the game losing five of its last seven. The Sycamores have rebounded to win five of their last six after a five-game swoon cost them a chance at the MVC title. ISU gets the last laugh against their fellow Hoosiers and moves on to the semifinals.

Winner: Indiana State

 

Semifinals

No. 1 Missouri State vs. No. 5 Creighton

The Bears won both games against the Bluejays this season. With the way Missouri State is looking right now, Creighton has little chance. Unfortunately, with their RPI, the Bluejays (No. 146) will probably miss out on further postseason play after losing this matchup. 

Winner: Missouri State

 

No. 2 Wichita State vs. No. 3 Indiana State

Wichita State beat ISU twice this season, with both occurrences taking place during the Sycamores' five-game losing streak. Indiana State has peaked at the right time and scores the upset, sending the Shockers to the NIT. 

Winner: Indiana State

 

Finals

No. 1 Missouri State vs. No. 3 Indiana State

The Bears and Sycamores split their matchups during the season. Both teams are playing well as the tournament hits. In my first MVC Power Rankings, I had ISU on top. With that being the case, I give the edge to the Sycamores, as they will sneak into the dance. The Bears will have to wait to see if they sneak in or go to the NIT. 

Winner: Indiana State

GO VALLEY!!!

Normalcy returned to the MVC the past week.

Missouri State and Wichita State separated themselves from the rest of the pack as they went 2-0 last week. Both teams are still in the hunt for the MVC regular season title and showed their desire to have the top spot as the conference tourney looms.

The Missouri State Bears dispatched Illinois State and Drake in a pair of nine-point wins, while the Wichita State Shockers had impressive road wins over Northern Iowa (73-55) and Evansville (70-64) last week.

Northern Iowa's dreams of the conference regular season title ended, however, with the loss to Wichita State.

This put the Panther's three games back with two conference games to play.

The conference front-runners both face tough challenges this weekend in the bracket-busters: The Bears travel to Horizon title contender Valparaiso and the Shockers host Colonial power Virgina Commonwealth.

As things starts to settle, the conference is looking at potentially two bids to the NCAA tournament.

However, bracket busters are this week and the conference needs to step up to keep those bids in hand.

Here is the complete slate of BracketBuster matchups:

•  Virginia Commonwealth at Wichita State
•  Missouri State at Valparaiso   
•  Morehead State at Indiana State    
•  Illinois State at Western Michigan   
•  Green Bay at Southern Illinois    
•  Creighton at Akron    
•  George Mason at Northern Iowa    
•  Evansville at Murray State    
•  Detroit at Drake   
•  Bradley at Tennessee-Martin   

*Favorites denoted in bold

The matchups definitely do not play in the MVC's favor, as the conference's top four have tough matchups and the bottom half of the conference has underachieved most of the season.

With that being the case, a 4-6 mark is probably in the cards, though a low of 2-8 and a high of 6-4 would not be surprising.

Once the weekend is over, the teams head into the final full week of conference play before getting ready for March Madness in St. Louis.

MVC WEEKLY RANKINGS

10. Southern Illinois 11-16 (5-11 MVC) Last week: No. 10

9. Illinois State 11-16 (3-13 MVC) Last week: No. 8

8. Bradley 9-18 (3-13 MVC) Last week: No. 9

7. Drake 11-16 (6-10 MVC) Last week: No. 6 

6. Evansville 14-12 (8-8 MVC) Last week: No. 4

5. Creighton 17-11 (9-7 MVC) Last week: No. 7

4. Northern Iowa 19-9 (10-6 MVC)  Last week: No. 3

3. Indiana State 15-12 (10-6 MVC) Last week: No. 5 

2. Wichita State 22-5 (13-3 MVC) Last week: No. 2

1. Missouri State 21-6 (13-3 MVC) Last week: No. 1

For any mid-major fan, ESPN's BracketBusters provide a great weekend. Starting on February 18 and ending on February 20, ESPN will televise 11 games with 22 of the top mid-major teams in the country, some looking to put together a résumé for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Here are previews for the two Friday night games. 

The previews will include the keys to the game for both teams, players to watch for, and then my personal pick for the game.

Virginia Commonwealth at Wichita State

The best BracketBuster game could possibly be the first one of the weekend.

VCU (20-8, 12-4 CAA) and Wichita State (22-5, 13-3 MVC) are both near the top of their respective conferences and could be, and both are looking to build résumés for at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament.

This game is much more important for VCU. The Rams have lost their last two games, both of them at home. 

However, Wichita State also needs this game badly. The Shockers did not do anything too special in non-conference play and their hopes for an at-large bid could be crushed if they lose this game.

Keys for VCU

Turn Defense into Offense

VCU forces nine steals per game and takes advantage of this by getting out in transition. The Rams will need to stay up to par on Friday to win on the road.

Make Your Three-Pointers

VCU has a handful of solid three-point shooters. The Shockers are just mediocre with perimeter defense. The Rams need to take advantage of all open looks from beyond the arc.

Keys for Wichita State

Stay Strong on the Boards

Wichita State is a much better rebounding team than VCU. The Shockers cannot afford to give VCU offensive rebounds. They need to stay with their strengths and rebound to basketball.

Take Care of the Ball

VCU is a strong defensive team and averages nine steals per game. Playing on the road, VCU needs to be able to get its nine steals per game. If Wichita State takes care of the ball, it will be a huge advantage for the Shockers.

Take Advantage from Beyond the Arc

Just like VCU, Wichita State is a solid three-point shooting team with multiple three-point shooters. VCU allows nearly six three-pointers per game while Wichita State averages over seven. 

Players to Watch

For VCU, look out for Joey Rodriguez. Rodriguez can do a little bit of everything on the court and is a senior leader for the Rams. He got some national recognition early in the year for posted 17 assists against UNC-Greensboro. Although he has not been able to keep up numbers like that, he is still No. 3 in the CAA, averaging 4.4 assists per game.

For Wichita State, look for David Kyles. The junior from Texas shoots nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc and has hit as many as five three-pointers in a single game this season.

My pick: Wichita State by five

Kent State at Drexel

Kent State (17-8, 8-3 MAC) had been one of the hotter mid-majors in the nation before losing to Miami (OH) this week. The Golden Flashes do not have any chance at getting an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but a win against Drexel could help seeding in the event that they win the MAC tournament.

Drexel (17-9, 9-7 CAA) was hot at the start of the season and defeated No. 21 Louisville in December. However, the Dragons have cooled off a little in CAA play and stand in sixth place in the conference.

Keys for Kent State

Make the Game Offensive-Minded

Drexel generally plays lower-scoring games struggles more in higher-scoring games. Kent State plays better when there is more scoring.

Don't Be Afraid to Send Drexel to the Line

Drexel is not a strong free throw shooting team. As a team, the Dragons shoot 61.7 percent from the charity stripe. Drexel has a few good free throws shooters, but it also has a few very poor free throw shooters. Samme Givens, Gerald Colds, Daryl McCoy and Frantz Massenat all shoot under 60 percent.

 

Go with Balanced Scoring

Although Kent State's two dominant scorers are Justin Greene and Rodriguez Sherman, the Golden Flashes have other players who can score. Five players average more than nine points per game.

Keys for Drexel

Keep the Score Low

Just like Kent State wants a higher-scoring game, Drexel wants a lower-scoring game. Drexel will not be able to win this game if Kent State scores more than 70 points.

For Both Teams, the Battle on the Boards

Both Kent State and Drexel are two of the better rebounding teams in the country, although Drexel is the superior in that category at No. 8 in the nation. With both teams relying so strongly on rebounding, both teams will look to limit opponent rebounds.

Players to Watch

Look for Justin Greene on Kent State. Greene has scored in double figures in almost every game for the Golden Flashes. His strong moves down low are what get him there; the junior has only shot one three-pointer this year.

Chris Fouch on Drexel is one of the better mid-major players in the nation. The sophomore leads Drexel in scoring with 15.3 PPG. He has the ability to be an explosive scorer and has very good range.

My pick: Kent State by eight

The MVC continues to be surprising as Northern Iowa dropped two tough games, falling to Drake and Evansville.

Front-runner Wichita State had a nine-game winning streak snapped to SIU, who had lost five straight games, and was without four players.

So the top of the conference has been shaken up, but the conference is still holding its own and is looking at two bids. However, for that to happen, the top teams are going to have to step up, as the bracket-busters are coming up in a week.

Here are this week's rankings:

10. Southern Illinois 10-13 (4-8 MVC) 

Last week: No. 10

Results: 1-1 (Bradley 69, Southern Illinois 66; Southern Illinois 56, Wichita State 53)

Notes: The Salukis had their first taste of success in the last three weeks, as they upset the Shockers. SIU had lost five straight games and had three regulars suspended for violating team and university conduct codes. However, Senior Forward Carlton Fay stepped up scored 21 points and hit two clutch free throws to help the Salukis stun then MVC leader-Wichita State.

This week is key for SIU and coach Chris Lowery. Two games against middle of the pack Creighton and Indiana State await. If the Salukis play like they did against WSU, they have a chance to move up the conference standings and the power rankings. 

9. Bradley 8-17 (2-12 MVC) 

Last week: No. 9

Results: 1-1 (Bradley 69, Southern Illinois 66; Missouri State 77, Bradley 69) 

Notes: Bradley continued to play better this week as they managed a split. The Braves hung tight with the Bears, leading with just over four minutes left in the game, but just could not stop MVC Player-of-the-Year candidate Kyle Weems.

The Braves will be put to the test this week as they welcome in Evansville and the suddenly-slumping Panthers of Northern Iowa. While the regular season title is out of the question, moving out of the MVC cellar is within their reach.

8. Illinois State 11-14 (3-11 MVC) 

Last week: No. 6

Results: 0-2 (Wichita State 74, Illinois State 57; Indiana State 56, Illinois State 46) 

Notes: ISU hit a major bump in the road this week as they dropped two games to upper-division teams. While the loss to the Shockers was disappointing, the fact that ISU allowed the Sycamores to score 19 of the game's last 20 points makes one think that the brief success the Redbirds had the past two weeks was an anomaly.

The Redbirds have a tough week ahead as they host Missouri State and then travel to Omaha to face Creighton. If ISU doesn't watch it, they will be having to fight off Bradley for the MVC cellar.

7. Creighton 15-11 (7-7 MVC) 

Last week: No. 7

Results: 1-1 (Creighton 75, Evansville 69; Drake 67, Creighton 64)

Notes: Consistency continues to be a problem for Creighton. For the second consecutive week, the Bluejays started the week with a big win, as they upended Evansville, then lost a hard-fought contest to the streaking Bulldogs. 

A RPI at 146 means that post-season play will not be in the cards for Creighton. Right now, the Bluejays are hoping to play spoiler and also avoid playing the first day of the conference tournament. The schedule is definitely helping them, as they host two of the bottom three teams this week, Southern Illinois and Illinois State.

6. Drake 11-14 (6-8 MVC) 

Last week: No. 8

Results: 2-0 (Drake 72, Northern Iowa 69; Drake 67, Creighton 64) 

Notes: What a week for the young Bulldogs as they went 2-0 this week. They won a hard fought game against MVC-contender Northern Iowa and the kept the momentum going as they were able to hold off Creighton, who almost rallied from a nine-point deficit with 2:28 to go. Drake is the hottest team in the MVC with three straight wins and a waved off three away against the Redbirds from a fourth.

Drake's losing record and RPI of 200 make the post-season a stretch, but the recent success is setting up the Bulldogs nicely for the future. This week will show how far this team has come, as they face road match-ups against former MVC contender Indiana State and MVC co-leader Missouri State. A split here would go a long way for the future.

5. Indiana State 13-12 (8-6 MVC) 

Last week: No. 5 

Results: 1-1 (Missouri State 73, Indiana State 66; Indiana State 56, Illinois State 46) 

Notes:  The Sycamores needed a late run against Illinois State to bring an end to their five game losing streak.

This week is huge for ISU as they have two must win games. First they host the streaking Bulldogs, and then they travel down I-70 to face Southern Illinois. If the Sycamores want to make the College Basketball Invitational Tournament two wins are needed.

4. Evansville 14-10 (8-6 MVC) 

Last week: No. 4

Results: 1-1 (Creighton 75, Evansville 69; Evansville 70, Northern Iowa 62) 

Notes: The Aces saw their four-game winning streak come to an end, but they pulled off their biggest win of the season when they upended Northern Iowa behind Ned Cox's season-best 16 points.

The Aces have continued to move up the RPI rankings, as they now are at No. 99. Bradley and Wichita State are up for Evansville this week. If the Aces of the past three weeks show up, their post-season chances will continue to be "in the cards."

3. Northern Iowa 18-8 (9-5 MVC) 

Last week: No. 1

Results: 0-2 (Drake 72, Northern Iowa 69; Evansville 70, Northern Iowa 62) 

Notes: Northern Iowa managed in two games to undo what they had worked hard to obtain over the four previous weeks, as they dropped two games that should have been winnable.

This should not be totally surprising, as the Panthers struggled the week prior, winning late against the Bears, and squeaking out a win against Illinois State. UNI's RPI took a nose drive this week, as it went down 21 spots to No. 73, placing the Panthers on the outside looking in for the NCAA tournament. UNI has a must-win game Saturday, as they host the conference co-leader Shockers. A loss then, and UNI NIT plans are in order.

2. Wichita State 20-5 (11-3 MVC) 

Last week: No. 2

Results: 1-1 (Wichita State 74, Illinois State 57; Southern Illinois 56, Wichita State 53) 

Notes: The Shockers are holding onto a share of the MVC lead after a very bad loss to SIU. Like Northern Iowa, struggles this past week are undoing their recent success. WSU's loss to the underachieving Salukis knocked the Shockers on the edge of the NCAA bubble, with an RPI of 55. Unless Wichita State gets back on track, a MVC tourney win will be the only way the Shockers make the dance.

WSU has two tough games this week, which makes the task at hand even more challenging, as they travel to Cedar Falls to face UNI, and then travel for a showdown with Evansville. Win, and their chances are definitely helped, lose in either, and they are in trouble.

1. Missouri State 19-6 (11-3 MVC) 

Last week: No. 3

Results: 2-0 (Missouri State 73, Indiana State 66; Missouri State 77, Bradley 69) 

Notes: The Bears return to the top spot following two big wins, getting Missouri State back on track. A No. 47 RPI still places the Bears in bubble territory, so they cannot afford to slip up. The Bears face Illinois State and the streaking Bulldogs this week so wins are not guaranteed.

Will the Bears be the first team to be number one in the power rankings two weeks in a row? Or will they stumble and leave the door open for someone else? Will Wichita State top this week's fan poll, or will the Bears move back to number one? We will see this week. Thank you for reading and voting.

This week saw some surprises, as Missouri State lost two, while Indiana State and Southern Illinois saw their losing streaks reach four games. Bradley won a conference game, and Illinois State won for the third time in four games.

After the dust settled, the MVC is still looking at two and possibly three bids, but there is some work to be done.

Here are this week's rankings.

10. Southern Illinois 10-13 (4-8 MVC) 

Last week: No. 7 

Results: 0-2 (Evansville 66, Southern Illinois 49; Drake 65, Southern Illinois 44)

Notes: The last two weeks have not been kind to the Salukis, as they have dropped four straight contests. They get a chance to get back into the win column this week as they take on Bradley, which is fresh off its first MVC win of the season.

Coach Chris Lowery definitely needs to turn things around if he wants to feel safe about another season in Carbondale, as a third straight season without a NCAA bid is wrapping up.

9. Bradley 7-16 (1-11 MVC) 

Last week: No. 10 

Results: 1-1 (Wichita State 61, Bradley 41; Bradley 69, Creighton 61) 

Notes: Welcome to the MVC win column, Bradley. After suffering a hard loss to the Shockers, the Braves shocked the conference and Creighton as they pulled off the win against the Bluejays. Bradley definitely has a chance to make it two straight wins as they travel to SIU on Saturday.

8. Drake 9-14 (4-8 MVC) 

Last week: No. 9 

Results: 1-1 (Illinois State 77, Drake 75; Drake 65, Southern Illinois 44) 

Notes: The Bulldogs lost a heartbreaker to ISU as a last-second three was waved off, giving the Redbirds the win. Drake rebounded to hand SIU its fourth straight loss and end its own three-game losing streak.

7. Creighton 14-10 (6-6 MVC) 

Last week: No. 6

Results: 1-1 (Creighton 83, Indiana State 69; Bradley 69, Creighton 61)

Notes: Consistency is definitely lacking this week for Creighton. A big win against ISU put the Bluejays in good position to move up in the MVC standings. However, they forgot to show up their next game out and gave Bradley its first conference win of the season.

Being four games out at this point has effectively ended any hope of winning the MVC title. A RPI that has fallen to 153 means that they have to win out in St. Louis to have any hope of playing on in Mid-March.

6. Illinois State 11-12 (3-9 MVC) 

Last week: No. 8 

Results: 1-1 (Illinois State 77, Drake 75; Northern Iowa 53, Illinois State 51) 

Notes: ISU looks like a new team the last two weeks. While they lost to UNI in their last game, they gave the Panthers everything they could handle. It is a tough week for the Redbirds, as they travel to the front-running Shockers and then host the struggling Sycamores.

5. Indiana State 12-11 (7-5 MVC) 

Last week: No. 4  

Results: 0-2 (Creighton 83, Indiana State 69; Wichita State 70, Indiana State 54) 

Notes: Two weeks ago ISU sat atop the power rankings and the MVC standings. Fourteen days later, things are completely different. The Sycamores have lost four straight contests and have fallen three games off the pace into a fourth-place tie. Their RPI continues to plummet, as it now sits at 121, which is starting to put a return trip to the College Basketball Invitational Tournament at risk.

4. Evansville 13-9 (7-5 MVC) 

Last week: No. 5 

Results: 2-0 (Evansville 66, Southern Illinois 49; Evansville 77, Missouri State 65) 

Notes: The Aces are riding a four-game winning streak at the right time of the season, and their RPI is reaping the benefits, as it now sits at No. 104 up from No. 148 two weeks ago. Creighton and Northern Iowa are up for Evansville this week. A split is needed to keep the Aces going in the right direction. If they continue this strong play, a postseason trip will be in the cards.

3. Missouri State 17-6 (9-3 MVC) 

Last week: No. 1

Results: 2-0 (Northern Iowa 60, Missouri State 59; Evansville 77, Missouri State 65) 

Notes: The curse of power ranking No. 1 strikes again. Following the Sycamores' fall from grace last week, the Bears proceeded to drop two games and fall out of first in the MVC. Missouri State has two winnable games this week as it faces Indiana State and Bradley. To not fall further onto the bubble and watch their No. 49 RPI slip, they need to go 2-0 this week.

2. Wichita State 19-4 (10-2 MVC) 

Last week: No. 3

Results: 2-0 (Wichita State 61, Bradley 41; Wichita State 70, Indiana State 54) 

Notes: "Just win baby" must be echoing through the WSU campus as the Shockers took over first place in the MVC. WSU has run off four straight wins, as it has worked its way past Indiana State and Missouri State in the past two weeks. Not only do the Shockers look down from the top in the MVC standings, they also now have the best RPI in the conference as they are now ranked No. 39.

Right now Bleacher Report's lead bracketologist Jordan Schwartz has the Shockers as his fourth team out, while ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi has WSU sneaking in with the last four into the dance. Clearly there is still some work to do. Right now, if the Shockers continue to play like they have, getting into the dance will not be a problem for this team.

1. Northern Iowa 18-6 (9-3 MVC) 

Last week: No. 2 

Results: 2-0 (Northern Iowa 60, Missouri State 59; Northern Iowa 53, Illinois State 51) 

Notes: Northern Iowa did what championship teams are supposed to do: Win close games. They came back with two free throws with five seconds to go to knock off the Bears in a battle of MVC contenders and then held off a pesky ISU squad to complete the 2-0 week. Two winnable games are on the slate for the Panthers as they travel to Drake and Evansville.

UNI has continued its recent surge in the RPI, moving up 12 spots this week to No. 52, placing the Panthers into bubble consideration if they do not win the MVC Tourney.

Last week saw the Bears as the fans' favorite. Will that be the same this week, as they are coming off two losses, or will the Panthers get more love this week? Thanks for reading and voting.