MVC Basketball

The Missouri Valley Conference is one of the top mid-major conferences in college basketball. It features several marquee teams, including ranked squads from Wichita State and Creighton, which should make this weekend's conference tournament unpredictable.

Since rising to prominence over the past decade, the MVC tournament has become the unofficial start of March Madness. It's a period of time college basketball fans have been waiting for all winter, and now it's finally set to begin.

Let's examine everything you need to know about this year's marquee event.

Where: Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

When: Thursday, March 1 to Sunday, March 4. Check local listings for start times.

Watch: Early-round games on FOX Sports Midwest, other affiliates and ESPN3.com. Championship Game on CBS.

Bracket: Complete MVC Tournament Bracket

Here are the top contenders to claim the Missouri Valley Conference's automatic bid:

No. 1 Wichita State Shockers

Not only are the Shockers favored to emerge victorious from this tournament, but they are a potential NCAA sleeper as well. The trio of Garrett Stutz, Joe Ragland and Toure' Murry will cause matchup problems for just about any team in America.

They have plenty of big-game experience after winning last season's NIT, and carried over that momentum to have a tremendous regular season. The Shockers defeated UNLV in early December and don't have a really bad loss on their résumé.

Wichita State will make the tournament regardless of their finish in St. Louis, but the Shockers would love to win the MVC to help boost their seeding.

No. 2 Creighton Bluejays

Creighton was on pace to have a season that could have even trumped that of Wichita State before a three-game losing streak in early February caused the team to regroup. The Bluejays have rattled off four straight wins heading into the tournament, so they should be in good shape.

They are led by the conference's biggest star in Doug McDermott. The sophomore forward is averaging 23 points per game (fourth in the nation) and eight rebounds. He gives them a puncher's chance in every game the team plays.

The Bluejays' biggest problem has been depth beyond McDermott. Creighton will need role players to step up if it's going to claim the title.

No. 5 Northern Iowa Panthers

Northern Iowa is a rock-solid sleeper team. The Panthers are best remembered for knocking off heavily-favored Kansas during March Madness two years ago, and once again have the look of a team that could make some noise if given the opportunity.

Ali Farokhmanesh is gone, but a strong rotation pushed the Panthers to a 19-12 record. Anthony James leads the way at 13 points per game. He's followed by six other players averaging at least six points. Seth Tuttle is one of the conference's most underrated players due to his efficiency.

There's a logjam of teams with a 9-9 conference record, but none of those fringe contenders has a better chance of making a stunning run than Northern Iowa.

Predicted Champion

Wichita State Shockers

The 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament kicks off on Thursday, and it's expected to be a wild one. It's that time of year for college basketball, as everything gets a little crazy in March. 

Also known as Arch Madness, 10 teams from the MVC will compete for the conference title beginning on Thursday and ending on Sunday at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Whichever team comes out on top will receive the MVC automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Tournament. The competition will be intense because so much is one the line. 

With that said, let's take a look at some specifics of Arch Madness. 

Bracket 

2012 MVC Tournament Bracket and TV Schedule

Courtesy of MVCSports.com, you can click here to see the Arch Madness in bracket form. 

Odds 

According to Covers.com

Indiana State (-4.5) vs. Southern Illinois 

Drake (-7) vs. Bradley 

Teams to Watch For 

No. 1 Wichita State

The Shockers are 26-4 on the year and 16-2 in conference play. They're easily the top favorites to win, and having the first-round bye is a huge help. They're currently ranked No. 15 in the nation. 

They only conference losses they suffered this season came at the hands of Creighton back in December, and a triple overtime loss to Drake at the end of January. Wichita State did bounce back strong the next time it played both of those teams, winning each in blowout fashion. 

Senior leadership is the key for the Shockers, as they're top five scorers on the team will be playing in their final Arch Madness.

Lead by Garrett Stutz and Joe Ragland, the Shockers should coast through the 2012 MVC Tournament. 

No. 2 Creighton 

The Blue Jays are 25-5 on the year and 14-4 in conference play. They're currently ranked No. 25 in the country. 

Creighton has a very strong chance to win this tournament, especially if the Blue Jays get hot. They lead the nation in field goal percentage, shooting at 50.8 percent, and they're also second in three-pointers, shooting 42.8 percent. 

Led by Doug McDermott, who is third in the nation in scoring, the Blue Jays are going to put up a good fight. McDermott averages 23 points per game, shooting 60.7 percent from the field and 47.9 percent from beyond the arc. 

The sophomore forward will have to rise up and carry his team the whole way if Creighton wants to win and reach the NCAA Tournament. 

No. 7 Drake 

The Bulldogs are my sleeper team for Arch Madness, simply because they know they have to win it all to reach the NCAA Tournament. 

They'll be extremely motivated, and since they know they can perform at a high level and beat the best, the Bulldogs are going to surprise people. 

After Wichita State and Creighton, there's a significant drop off in the rest of the conference. No other teams have won double digit conference games, which is why those two teams are the big favorites. 

However, if there's a team that can shock the Shockers and disrupt the Blue Jays, I'd put my money on Drake. Led by Rayvonte Rice and Ben Simons, who both average 16 points per game, the Bulldogs will need to catch fire against Bradley and never look back. 

Prediction 

Unfortunately, my sleeper pick won't turn into a Cinderella, as Wichita State cruises through Arch Madness. 

The Shockers will use the great experience of their seniors to ride into the NCAA Tournament as MVC champs. Don't be surprised if Creighton wins though, thanks to McDermott's stellar performance. 

However, Wichita State has better depth and stronger players, so they'll get the job done in St. Louis. 

The Shakedown

Arch Madness is here. My favorite mid-major conference tournament kicks it off Thursday in St. Louis. The Missouri Valley offered fantastic finishes, crazy twists and major upsets throughout the conference this year. Teams two through eight may be as balanced as any other conference in the nation. Is there anyone that is up for knocking off Wichita? Can Creighton solidify an at large bid without winning the tournament? Let's find out!

The Breakdown

1. Wichita State 26-4 (16-2 Missouri Valley)

The Wichita State Shockers won Missouri Valley regular season title and the title for the conferences' coolest nickname. The Shockers come into the tournament ranked No. 14 in the nation and will most certainly be in the NCAA tournament regardless of their conference tournament performance. In a league that has produced some fantastic NCAA teams, the Missouri Valley could product two Sweet Sixteen teams this year.

Wichita State won the NIT tournament and took that momentum straight into 2011. Wichita won 16 of their 18 conference games this year and went 9-2 in their non-conference games. They destroyed a potent UNLV team by 19 and crushed Davidson on the road in their bracket buster game. 

2. Creighton 25-5 (14-4 Missouri Valley)

The Creighton Jays earn the second seed in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Led by Player of the Year candidate Doug McDermott (23.1 ppg), the Jays are also in great shape for an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament. Creighton is ranked No. 24 in the country and has knocked off Iowa, Nebraska, and Northwestern from the Big 10.

The Jays have cut it close lately with a buzzer-beater win against Long Beach State (Big West) and two one-point wins over Evansville and Indiana State. Those type of close games have defined the Missouri Valley this year and are a sure recipe for a great conference tournament ahead.  

3. Evansville 15-14 (9-9 Missouri Valley)

Evansville is the beneficiary of a five-way tie for third place. Maybe the biggest surprise in the Missouri Valley this year, Evansville will look to carry their solid play down the stretch into their first round game against Missouri State. This three-versus-six game is my first-round game to watch as Evansville swept Missouri State during the regular season, both games ending in overtime. 

4. Illinois State 18-12 (9-9 Missouri Valley)

The Redbirds came out second in the five-way tie. Their reward is a matchup with an incredibly scrappy and determined Northern Iowa team. Illinois State and Northern Iowa split the regular season series and look for the rubber match to be their platform for a run at the Missouri Valley title. Illinois State is as balanced in scoring as any team in the conference. On any given night they have five guys that fill it up. I see the balanced attack as a way for Illinois State to be a sleeper in the Missouri Valley, if they get past UNI. 

5. Northern Iowa 19-12 (9-9 Missouri Valley)

Ben Jacobsen and the Panthers are the fifth seed in the Missouri Valley tournament. The Panthers have faced some issues this season with the consistency of their play. After starting 10-1, UNI lost three straight. Since then, they have been slowly building back their confident style of play. Aside from a 25-point thumping as the hands of Wichita two weeks ago, UNI really seems to be getting their rhythm back.

They played VCU very close in their bracket buster game and ended the season a nice two-game win streak. Like Illinois State, UNI could be a sneaky team in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, unfortunately however only one can advance past Friday. 

6. Missouri State 16-13 (9-9 Missouri Valley)

Missouri State will be the sixth seed in the Missouri Valley conference. After a promising start to the month of February, Missouri State fell apart. The Bears have lost four straight games and have a rematch with Evansville for a potential chance to shock Wichita State. One thing is for sure, we will find the mental makeup of this team as they look to turn the tide. 

7. Drake 16-14 (9-9 Missouri Valley)

The Drake Bulldogs are the seventh seed in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. On the back end of the 9-9 log jam, Drake will have to play an opening round game Thursday against Bradley. Drake won their previous two games this season against Bradley but but were close contested. If Drake gets past Bradley, they will face a Creighton team that handled them both times they face each other in the conference. I like the future of Drake basketball, but I think this year it ends on day two against Creighton. 

8. Indiana State 17-13 (8-10 Missouri Valley)

Indiana State will not have the luxury of Larry Bird starting at the SF for them next week so they will need to figure something else out. All joking aside, Indiana State has a few things to hang their hat on coming into the Missouri Valley conference. The Sycamores beat No. 25 Vanderbilt earlier this season and lost to Creighton by one this past Saturday. Having won three of their last five, Indiana State will be an interesting team to keep an eye on in St. Louis. 

9. Southern Illinois 8-22 (5-13 Missouri Valley)

The Salukis are not the traditional contender of yesteryear. Southern Illinois has had an extremely disappointing season with just eight wins in 30 games. Once a mainstay in the Missouri Valley, the Salukis appear to be heading in the direct opposite direction. Southern Illinois made appearances in the tournament every year from 2002-2007 but has not been back since. They may knock off Indiana State in the eight-verses-nine game but their season will definitely be over against Wichita the next day if they make it that far. 

10. Bradley 7-24 (2-16 Missouri Valley)

The Bradley Braves round out the pack in the Missouri Valley. A disappointing 2011-2012 campaign will come to a close in their opening round game against Drake.

The Takedown

Opening Round

No. 7 Drake over No. 10 Bradley

No. 8 Indiana State over No. 9 Southern Illinois

Quarter-Finals

No. 1 Wichita State over No. 8 Indiana State

No. 2 Creighton over No. 7 Drake

No. 3 Evansville over No. 6 Missouri State

No. 5 UNI over No. 4 Illinois State

Semi-Finals

No. 1 Wichita State over No. 5 UNI

No. 2 Creighton over No. 3 Evansville

Championship

No. 1 Wichita State over No. 2 Creighton

Missouri Valley Champion: Wichita State (29-4, 5 seed in NCAA tournament)

The Final Buzzer

If we are fortunate enough to see a No. 24 Creighton vs No. 14 Wichita State Championship, we could be looking at the best Mid-Major conference championship game. Creighton has not been playing their basketball as of late, but a conference championship could really propel their confidence heading into the tournament. As I see it now though, Wichita State is just too good. They dismantled the Jays two weeks ago by 21 points and have won 16 of their last 17 overall.  

Cinderella Madness

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012.

This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the Big Six conferences seeded seventh or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in their bracket to participate.

Utilizing our award-winning college basketball simulation engine, we "played" each matchup 501 times.

View the 16-team Cinderella Madness bracket.

2010-11 Butler

No Gordon Hayward, but Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard were back as key figures for the Bulldogs, who also relied on tough defender Ronald Nored at the point.

After a three-game losing streak that culminated with a 62-60 loss at Youngstown State on February 3rd, Butler would reel off 14-straight wins to reach the title game for the second-straight season.

The Bulldogs relied on a stout defense and timely shooting to make their run, with Howard's bucket as time expired beating Old Dominion to set up a third-round matchup with top seed Pittsburgh. But the good fortune ran out in the title game, where the Bulldogs shot the lowest percentage for a finalist in the modern era.

2005-06 Bradley

Jim Les' alma mater was one of the more surprising entries into the tournament field in 2006 as they boasted a pedestrian 11-7 mark in MVC play. But the Braves got hot at the right time, winning seven straight to reach the MVC tournament final, with the seventh win being a 60-52 triumph over regular season champ Wichita State.

They would rebound from a loss to Southern Illinois to beat Kansas and Pittsburgh thanks in part to two performances from Patrick O'Bryant that likely cemented his status as a lottery pick. O'Bryant was one of four Bradley players to average double figures with the high-flying Marcellus Sommerville leading the way.

Bradley had an RPI of 29 and a strength of schedule of 61, likely bolstered by the overall strength of the MVC. Bradley's season ended in the Sweet 16, where the team fell 80-64 to top-seeded Memphis.

-Raphielle Johnson, CollegeHoops.net

Game recap

Butler's Howard was known for his scrappy play, over-sized t-shirt under the jersey and at times, proud proprietor of upper lip whiskers that understandably required a Facebook fan page.

He averaged 14.8 points per game during the Bulldogs' run in the 2011 NCAA tournament, but in our Cinderella Madness opening round, Howard was M.I.A. The big man scored six points (1-7 FG) in 29 minutes as Bradley renewed their run in the opening round of Cinderella Madness.

Mack (20 points) led the first-half charge as the Bulldogs built an eight-point lead with six minutes to go before the half. Bradley's Sommerville rallied the Braves and tied the game before Chase Stigall buried a three-ball as the halftime buzzer sounded.

Mack's bucket two minutes into the second half boosted Butler's lead back to seven, 37-30. But over the next eight minutes, Bradley rattled off a 19-9 run and took a 49-46 lead.

With four minutes and change on the clock, and still trailing by three, Butler's Zach Hahn buried a triple from the right wing to tie the game up at 59. A couple possessions later, Tony Bennett (12 points) knocked down a jumper to give the Braves the lead for good. Bradley converted their free throws down the stretch to upset the top seed 70-66.

Player of the game: Patrick O'Bryant (18 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLK)

Winning percentage of 501 simulations: '06 Bradley, 57.9 percent-'11 Butler, 42.1 percent

The Illinois State Redbirds found themselves in familiar territory Friday night against No. 21 Creighton at Redbird Arena. 

On Wednesday night, the Redbirds fought back from a 19-point deficit to lose at Wichita State by five points. 

Call it a moral victory. 

The Redbirds were down by 18 points in the second half tonight against Creighton, but fought to bring the score to within two points against the Missouri Valley Conference frontrunners.  Creighton won 87 to 78.

Does this similar situation present a second moral victory?

Junior Jackie Carmichael, who scored 14 points, dismissed any similarities between the Wichita State loss and Creighton.

“It was it’s own game,” Carmichael said during the postgame press conference.  “We played tough and fought back.”

Most of that “fight” belonged to Minnesota transfer and reserve, Bryant Allen.  Allen scored 29 points to lead all scorers.  He recorded five three-pointers in nine attempts.

“Open shots presented themselves, and I took them,” Allen remarked.

Little did he know, shooting from beyond the arc played right into Creighton’s game plan.

Creighton head coach Greg McDermott claimed in the postgame press conference that the Bluejays’ strategy was to keep Illinois State off the foul line.  Clogging the interior, however, would leave the perimeter open.

McDermott’s strategy paid off.  The Redbirds made just eight three-pointers out of 32 attempts. 

Creighton’s Doug McDermott, the second-highest scorer in the nation, posted a team-high 20 points for the Bluejays.

The turning point in the game came with 25 seconds remaining and Creighton leading by four points.  ISU’s Johnny Hill was called for a flagrant foul on Creighton’s Grant Gibbs.  A second technical was issued to Hill and he was ejected.

Creighton’s Gibbs and teammate Antoine Young sank three free throws to extend the lead to six points. 

A third technical foul was handed out moments later to the Illinois State fans for what appeared to be an object thrown onto the court. 

The contest was signed, sealed, and delivered in favor of the Bluejays at that point. 

The two teams face off again on February 1 in Omaha.  ISU will be looking for a different result on the road.

“I think we can beat them,” Carmichael said.  “When someone shoots 57 percent [Creighton made 32 of 56 field goals], it’s going to be hard to beat them.”

Creighton extends its overall record to 15-2 (5-1 in the MVC), while Illinois State drops to 11-6 (3-3 in the MVC).  

Illinois State and head coach Tim Jankovich found an unlikely hero on Saturday afternoon as the team escaped fellow Missouri Valley Conference opponent, Evansville.  

The Redbirds won 75-73 to maintain a share of the conference lead. 

With 2.2 seconds left on the clock, Illinois State found themselves down a point. The length of the court was in front of them.

The hero was none other than junior center, Jackie Carmichael.  

Carmichael caught his teammate's one-handed sling in the corner behind the three-point line.  Not a promising position for the 6'9", 240-pound inside specialist.

Carmichael banked a three-pointer as time expired, sending the crowd of 5,333 at Redbird Arena into a frenzy.

The two Missouri Valley opponents exchanged the lead six times in the final five minutes of play.  

Carmichael led the Redbirds with 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.  Junior guard, Tyler Brown, added 16 points.

Colt Ryan, the Purple Aces' junior sharpshooter, scored 29 points (10-15 FGs) to lead all scorers for head coach Marty Simmons' Purple Aces.

Ryans two free throws at the 14:15 mark in the second half brought the score to 49-42, the largest lead of the game.  

But three-pointers from Minnesota transfer Bryant Allen and Tyler Brown helped swing momentum back into Illinois State's favor.  Transfer guard Anthony Cousin's three-pointer with 10:04 left to play gave the Redbirds their first lead since early in the first half.  

Illinois State is 11-4 overall (3-1 in conference), while Evansville drops to 7-7 overall (2-2 in conference).    

Great basketball is not only played in places like Durham and Chapel Hill; sometimes it is played in places like Provo and Omaha.

Early in the 2010-11 season, Jimmer Fredette grabbed the national spotlight and didn't let go until after he led BYU to a 32-5 record and a consistent Top 10 ranking, as well as taking home just about every national Player of the Year Award that was handed out.

Doug McDermott plays for a lesser known mid-major (Creighton) in an overlooked conference (Missouri Valley).

But the BlueJays' sophomore shooting forward phenom could just be the player to launch the small school from Nebraska into the national discussion and himself into consideration for this year's Player of the Year accolades.

Could McDermott be this year's Jimmer?

The similarities are intriguing.

In the last poll before Christmas 2010, BYU was 10-1 and ranked No. 23. In the last poll before Christmas 2011, Creighton was 8-1 and ranked No. 21.

Fredette finished the 2010-11 season as the D-1 scoring champ. McDermott is currently tied for the lead with Damian Lillard from Weber State.

In his final season in Provo, Fredette scored 28.9 points per game; McDermott is currently scoring 25.3 ppg.

Last year, Jimmer shot 45.2 percent from the field, 89.4 from the line and 39.6 from beyond the arc; McDermott is shooting 63.3 percent from the field, 85.3 from the line and 57.8 from beyond the arc.

Fredette and McDermott are throw-back players. They both rely on sharpened shooting skills not just freakish athleticism.

Hopefully, the national media will feature McDermott as the season unfolds, allowing for college basketball fans from across the country to follow this highly overlooked small name from a small school as he pursues excellence on the collegiate hardwood.

This year’s ACC-Big Ten Challenge is now history.  The Big Ten won the challenge for the third straight year, in its most convincing fashion yet (8-4). 

Now, attention turns largely to the Big East-SEC Challenge, where 12 games will be played over three days, Thursday to Saturday.  For the first time in the five-year history of the event, every SEC team will participate; however, four Big East teams will be left out. 

The other two BCS Conferences, the Big 12 and Pac 12, began a series the same year as the Big East and SEC.  However, the event was discontinued after last season.

Two years ago, two other conferences decided to get in on the conference-challenge craze: the Missouri Valley and Mountain West, arguably college basketball’s best two non-BCS conferences. 

Now in its third year, the event opened last night with one of two marquee matchups: Creighton at San Diego State.  Creighton managed to pull out a tough one-point win after coming back from 17 down, on one of the toughest home courts out west—if not the entire country.  It was a great showcase between teams who should finish first or second in their respective conferences.

For Creighton, this game was the toughest non-conference game on their schedule.  It might be the toughest team they play all season.  For San Diego State, it was a chance to knock off a second Top-25 team (they beat Arizona last week), and perhaps crack the Top 25 themselves.  This game had an aura of March around it, and played out that way.

This game was an example of how meaningful the opportunity provided by the MVC-MWC Challenge can be to the teams involved, even more than teams from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten or SEC.

Make no mistake, the ACC and Big Ten matchups, as a whole, still reign supreme in this recent run of conference-vs.-conference events.  However, for most of the teams from these conferences, as well as the Big East and SEC, it is just one of many competitive games on their pre-conference schedule. 

Look at Michigan State, for example.  The Spartans faced Florida State at home on Wednesday night, and won.  While it was a good win against a solid (if not great) Florida State team, this game wasn’t even the toughest ACC opponent Michigan State has faced already this year.  In their opening two games, they lost to North Carolina and Duke.  After playing those two teams, Michigan State must have felt a bit relieved to face the Seminoles.

Speaking of North Carolina, their Challenge matchup with Wisconsin—a top 10 team—wasn’t even the toughest game they’ll play this week.  The Tar Heels will play No. 1 Kentucky on Saturday, in Lexington.  Wisconsin certainly poses many unique challenges to any team, but the Badgers cannot quite stack up with what Kentucky will throw at UNC.

UNLV, still less than a week removed from their statement win over the same UNC team just mentioned, will travel to Wichita State in what will be the other marquee matchup in the MVC-MWC Challenge.  After the win over UNC, UNLV is now a Top-20 team with the requisite target on their back. 

Wichita State lost to Alabama and Temple in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, and will be very anxious to prove they can not only complete, but win against NCAA tournament-caliber competition.  The Shockers do not have any other games remaining on their non-conference schedule that will provide the same opportunity as the one this Sunday.

Colorado State is a team who has gradually improved over the past three seasons, going from nine wins, to 16, to 19 last year.  With any further improvement this season, they could easily be in the discussion for an NCAA Tournament bid.  The Rams will have a chance to strengthen their case in such a discussion when they play at Northern Iowa on Saturday. 

Northern Iowa is currently 6-1, with some quality wins of their own over Old Dominion and Iowa State.  They are hoping to return to the NCAA Tournament after their 2010 Sweet 16 appearance.  This could be the most interesting matchup outside of Creighton-San Diego State and UNLV-Wichita State.   

Boise State, in their first season in the MWC, is off to a solid 5-1 start, losing only to Long Beach State.  They will face Indiana State, last year’s MVC Tournament Champion and NCAA Tournament representative. 

Indiana State appears to be on track to make another run at the league championship, after taking third place in the Old Spice Classic last weekend. The Sycamores could very well be the best team Boise State faces outside the MWC, including Long Beach.  It may be their best opportunity to prove they can compete in the upper half of the MWC this season.   

Teams from the MVC and MWC have different goals for this season.  Creighton and UNLV want to be a fixture among the top 15 or 20 in the nation.  Wichita State and San Diego State want league titles. Northern Iowa and New Mexico—who hosts Missouri State on Saturday—plan to fight for NCAA at-large bids.  Boise State and Wyoming (off to a 7-1 start against a soft schedule) are playing for respectability in the MWC. 

In each case, how they fare in this year’s MVC-MWC Challenge could go a long way to determining how successful each is in accomplishing their goals.