Bradley

Daily Poll: Who is the Best Team in the MVC?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:54:03 -0800

Daily Dribble: Tuesday Night Rewind

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 08:55:29 -0800

Back with my first daily recap in a couple days. There were 14 games last night, so here are 14 nuggets (1 from each game) to chew on. 1. Coming off a disappointing loss to Michigan State, Bradley rebounded for an important win at Wright State. In what was the game of the night, the Braves won in OT despite off-games from leaders Jeremy Crouch and Daniel Ruffin. Continuing their tour of the Horizon League, BU heads to #19 Butler next. 2. Louisiana-Lafayette is 1-5 after dropping a road game at Central Florida. This is the third year in a row the Cajuns have started 1-5.. not the type of consistency you want. 3. Not too many Chinese ballplayers in college basketball, but Shang Ping, who scored 11 for Nebraska in a blowout over Savannah State, is quietly plying his trade. 4. Tough start for Louisiana Tech head coach Kerry Rupp. The Bulldogs are 1-5 including home losses to powerhouses like SEMO and UAPB. 5. NMSU destroyed Prairie View A&M. Sort of related, check out Jason Tomassini’s article on the whereabouts of Herb Pope. 6. Saint Mary’s quick run as a Top 25 probably comes to an end following last night’s loss at SIU. 7. Even though they lost to CCSU last night, UMBC’s 7-3 start is impressive. The Retrievers were 200+ in RPI last year, but are 89th right now. 8. Who is Ben Glowiak? I don’t know. But the senior was 5 of 5 from three in Hartford’s 67-53 win over Monmouth. (He would have to go 2 of his next 40 from downtown to match Ohio State’s Jon Diebler.)(I can’t help but rip on Diebler for some reason.) 9. Maarty Leunen is quietly becoming a double-double machine for the Oregon Ducks. He had 23 and 11 last night against Sacramento State, his 6th double-double in 9 games 10. Oregon State blew away CS Bakersfield last night. The Roadrunners haven’t really come close in their 8 losses, which makes their lone win over Fresno that much more surprising. 11. Valparaiso is winning games left and right, with just a lone loss to unbeaten Vanderbilt. This is the Crusaders best start since 01-02, when they started 9-3 on the way to a 24 win, NCAA Tournament season. 12. BU’s Corey Lowe is on a tear right now. The sophomore has hit 17 threes in the last 3 games, and is averaging 27 ppg over that stretch. 13. Nicholls State improved to 3-7 with a win over ULM last night and.. I don’t know, I’m going on fumes here. 14. Lastly, 2-9 UMES beat 2-7 Kennesaw State last night and.. aw hell, it doesn’t matter. As an aside.. coaches like Bobby Petrino leaving teams in mid-season: weak. The fact that my beloved Nets haven’t fired Lawrence Franks mid-season: weaker.

Live Coverage: Bradley Beats Wright State in OT

Bill Kintner — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:08:44 -0800

DAYTON – When a team holds the opponent’s two best players to one total basket in regulation play, you would expect that team to win, unless that team is the young Wright State Raiders.

With their two leading scorers held to just one for 10 in field goals an experienced Bradley team had enough other weapons to defeat Wright State in overtime 72-65.

With 33 seconds left in regulation play and Wright leading by four at 57-53, Bradley’s Andrew Warren hit a 3-pointer to cut the Raiders’ lead to one.

When Wright State’s Vaughn Duggins got fouled with 31 seconds left he made one of two free throws to get the lead back to two at 58-56.

Wright State’s John David Gardner fouled Jeremy Crouch with 19 seconds remaining he made both free throws to tie the game at 60-60.

Wright State (3-3) got one more shot to win. With 2.1 seconds remaining Duggins got off a good shot at the top of the key and it bounced out to send the game in overtime.

In overtime Bradley (7-3) out-scored the Raiders 14-7 as Bradley’s leading scorers each scored a basket after being handcuffed in regulation play.

“I thought they (Wright State) guarded us really well. I thought both teams played well defensively. They are a good basketball team and they will win a lot of basketball game,” said Bradley coach Jim Les. “I didn’t see any panic set in and we stepped up and made big plays.”

Daniel Ruffin is leading Bradley at 16.4 ppg. He played with an abdominal strain finished 1-5 at seven points. Jeremy Crouch averages 14.5 ppg for the Braves and finished with seven points on 2-7 shooting.

Warren steeped up big tonight for the Braves with 23 points. He was the only Bradley player in double figures.

Warren who had been just 6-22 his previous three games had been working on his shots in practice and thought he was in a good position to take shots from the perimeter.

“The way our offense is sometimes, certain teams draw in on the penetration and that frees up guys out on the wings. That is how I got some good shots in the first half,” explained Warren.

In the first half Wright State jumped out to a 15-5 lead at the 11:45 mark. Bradley came roaring back and finally took the lead on a 3-pointer by Andrew Warren at the 1:25 mark.

With 53 seconds left Duggins fouled Warren as he attempted to shoot a 3-pointer. He calmly went to the line and hit all three foul shots to put Bradley up by five points at 29-24.

Wright State got the ball with 18 seconds. As time was running down Gardner missed a long jump shot. He got his own rebound and put it in just as time ran out to make it 29-26 at the half.

In the second half Bradley held the lead until the 14:00 minute mark when Duggins hit a jump shot to put the Raiders up 39-37.

Wright State got their lead up to nine points when Cooper land hit a 3-pointer to make it 51-42.

It was a lead the Raiders would hold until Bradley tied it up to send it into overtime.

Duggins led all scorers with 24 points on 8-13 shooting.

“We were a couple shots away from beating Valpo and a couple shots away from winning tonight. It shows how easy a game could swing and tonight it just didn’t work out for us,” said Duggins “We just couldn’t make those tough plays offensively and defensively when we had to.”

Notes:
-Bradley leads the all-time series 2-0.
-Bradley also played Horizon League member UIC losing 84-75 and Loyola winning 64-47.
-If you were wondering where former Evansville coach Steve Merfeld went after leaving Evansville, wonder no more. He is an assistant coach at Bradley.
-Bradley’s next game is Wednesday December 19th at Butler at 7 pm.
-Wright State’s next game is Saturday against local rival Miami at home at 7 pm.

Daily Dribble: Top 10 Players in the MVC

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:20:46 -0800

The MVC's hopes of getting multiple teams into the NCAA Tournament are slimmer than they've been in recent years. Yet the talent level isn't too bad, comparable to other 2nd tier leagues like the CAA and WAC. The only real void is the lack of true go-to scoring star like they've had in Jamaal Tatum or Nate Funk. If his first game is any indication however, perhaps Creighton freshman P'Allen Stinnett will be that guy. Another guy off to a great start is Drake's Jonathan Cox, a 6-8 junior averaging 15 and 10 after two games. MVC Top 10 1. Randal Falker, F, SIU 2. Daniel Ruffin, G, Bradley 3. Eric Coleman, F, UNI 4. Matt Shaw, F, SIU 5. Deven Mitchell, F, Missouri State 6. PJ Couisnard, G/F, Wichita State 7. Jeremy Crouch, G, Bradley 8. Bryan Mullins, G, SIU 9. Boo Richardson, G, Illinois State 10. Dane Watts, F, Creighton Next In Line Osiris Eldridge, G, Illinois State Jason Holsinger, G, Evansville P'Allen Stinnett, G, Creighton Jay Tunnell, C, Indiana State Josh Young, G, Drake

MVC Preseason Media/Coaches Poll

Press Release — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:13:19 -0700

The Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll is voted on by the league's head coaches, play-by-play men, beat writers and sports information directors.

Preseason MVC Men's Basketball Poll

Rank Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Southern Illinois (39) 390
2. Bradley 311
3. Missouri State 283
4. Creighton 266
5. Illinois State 235
6. Wichita State 210
7. Northern Iowa 197
8. Indiana State 110
9. Drake 80
10. Evansville 63

2007-08 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team

Name, School, Pos., Ht., Wt., Year, Hometown, High School
Eric Coleman, UNI, C, 6-6, 240, Sr., Maplewood (Minn.) Tartan High
PJ Couisnard, Wichita State, G/F, 6-4, 216, Sr., Houston (Texas) Yates High
Randal Falker, Southern Illinois, F, 6-7, 230, Sr., St. Louis (Mo.) Gateway
Tech
Deven Mitchell, Missouri State, F, 6-5, 210, Sr., Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo
High
Daniel Ruffin, Bradley, G, 5-10, 162, Sr., Peoria (Ill.) Central High
Preseason Player of the Year -- Randal Falker, Southern Illinois

Honorable Mention:
Jeremy Crouch, Bradley;
Levi Dyer & Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State;
Bryan Mullins & Matt Shaw, Southern Illinois

Who Will Win the MVC?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 21:05:14 -0700

2007-08 Bradley Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:36:46 -0700

Bradley Braves

Overall Rank: #44

Conference Rank: #2 Missouri Valley

2006-07: 22-13, 10-8, 4^th

2006-07 postseason: NIT

The backcourt will win championships in the Missouri Valley and Bradley boasts a couple of the best in the conference. Point guard Daniel Ruffin and wing Jeremy Crouch both averaged 13.8 points per game last season and are quality shooters. Crouch is one of the best in the nation and shot 50 percent from long range and made over three per game. Ruffin is a smart floor leader and averaged 5.4 assists and only 2.4 turnovers per game.

Who’s Out:

Ruffin and Crouch do lose their backcourt mate and the team’s leading scorer Will Franklin. Franklin was the third dangerous threat from three-point land and averaged 14.6 points per game on the season. Fellow starting guard J.J. Tauai has also run out of eligibility. Tauai, the fourth of last year’s starting guards if you are keeping track, was never a great scorer, but he was a solid defender and did a lot of work on the glass despite his 6-3 stature. The big man around those four guards is also gone. Zach Andrews averaged 11.1 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds during his senior campaign. Forward Danny Adams was usually one of the first players off the bench and little used guard Saihou Jassey has transferred to SIU-Edwardsville.

Who’s In:

Despite all the losses, four junior college transfers are expected to use their experience and contribute immediately. The frontcourt needs the most help and David Collins and Rashad Austin fit the bill. Collins, a seven-footer, is a decent rebounder and shot blocker and will at least be a big body off the bench. It is Austin who is garnering larger expectations after averaging 13.3 points and 7.9 rebounds at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. However, at 6-7, Austin is not the biggest of big men around. Theron Wilson will do a little bit of everything and the 6-5 wing will be effective inside and outside, on offense and defense. Guard Tyron Cole-Scott is a terrific scorer. He scored nearly 1,100 points during his junior college career and will continue to shoot lights out from anywhere on the floor. The only knock on the Waterloo, Iowa native is his height. At 5-10 he may have more trouble finding clean looks in the MVC than he did at the junior college level. That fills all the holes Bradley was concerned about this year, but a few other newcomers will help build for the future. Center Anthony Thompson needs to put on a little weight, but he is a good athlete who can hit the mid-range jumper. For now, it will be his defensive presence that moves him up the depth chart. Will Egolf is another versatile big man who can handle the ball, but it will be difficult for the incoming freshmen to see many minutes in a suddenly crowded frontcourt. Point guard Sam Maniscalco will learn behind Ruffin, but the 6-0 Chicago product is mentally and physically prepared to earn some quality minutes as a backup. Coach Jim Les ran a two point guard offense last year and it is not out of the question that Maniscalco could see some minutes on the court at the same time as Ruffin as well.

Who to Watch:

Matt Salley was a junior college transfer and had a decent campaign his first year in Peoria. The 6-7 forward started 13 games and, with a more traditional lineup expected, Salley should step into a starting position at the four spot. Salley is a strong rebounder and can step outside and hit the jumper. His versatility and upside could turn into a big, big season for the senior. The only other returning player up front is Sam Singh. The 6-9, 266 pound junior has struggled with injuries much of his career but, if healthy, Singh could develop into a quality reserve.

Final Projection:

Andrew Warren had a good freshman season and will battle with the newcomers for minutes on the wing. He only averaged 4.1 points per game, but Warren is a quality scorer and could drastically increase that number with the increase in playing time he will most certainly see this season. The only thing stopping Bradley from being really, really good is fitting all the new faces together. Once everybody learns their roles, the Braves are good enough to win the conference and make some noise in the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Daniel Ruffin, Senior, Guard, 13.8 points per game

Tyrone Cole-Scott, Junior, Guard, DNP last season

Jeremy Crouch, Senior, Guard, 13.8 points per game

Matt Salley, Senior, Forward, 7.1 points per game

David Collins, Junior, Center, DNP last season

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | College Basketball Schedule | Discuss the Preview

MVC Weekly Notebook: Tourney Time

David Merchant — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

After a rugged 18-game conference schedule, the Southern Illinois Salukis are the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Champions. SIU closed out the regular season by winning their fifth conference title in the last 6 years and will
enter the conference tournament as one of the top non-BCS teams in the nation at 25-5. The Salukis appear to be in line for a very favorable NCAA Tournament seed, one that could be in the top 4. The Creighton Bluejays finished second, 2 games behind SIU, and the Bluejays saw their chances at a conference title fade away as they went 0-2 against SIU. Missouri State finished 12-6 in league play for the second consecutive year and will enter the conference tournament as the 3 seed. The Bradley Braves finished fourth at 10-8 followed by Northern Iowa at 9-9. Wichita State, last years MVC regular season champion, finished in a disappointing sixth place at 8-10. Illinois State, Evansville and Drake all finished in a tie for seventh at 6-12, with the Redbirds winning a tiebreaker for the #7 seed at the conference tournament. After starting 4-1, the Indiana State Sycamores ended the season in dead last with a 5-13 league mark.

After winning the regular season crown, the Southern Illinois Salukis continued their climb in the national polls released Monday. SIU jumped from #13 to #11 in the AP Poll and the Salukis are also ranked #11 by the coaches in the USA Today / ESPN Coaches Poll after coming in at #14 last week. Creighton, the runner-up to SIU, was the only other MVC team to receive votes this week. The Bluejays received 12 votes in the USA Today / ESPN Coaches Poll, good for a #33 ranking.

The Missouri Valley Conference, currently with a #6 ranking in the RPI as a conference, appears to be in good shape this season to get three teams into the Big Dance. The Salukis however, will be the only team to enter the conference tournament as a “lock” to make the NCAA Tourney, as both Creighton and Missouri State need to win their quarterfinal games to enhance their resumes. The Bluejays and Bears, both currently in the top 40 in the RPI, appear to be at-large worthy and a win by both teams in their quarterfinal games will all but assure both teams of a tourney appearance. A loss by either team in the quarterfinals could send them packing to the NIT. The Bears failed to reach the semifinals last season, fell out of at-large status and were left out of the Big Dance despite a lofty RPI. It’s simple, win and get to the semifinals. And, the Bluejays and Bears have to like their chances.

The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament gets under way this Thursday from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO. The tournament dubbed “Arch Madness,” is sure to be a dandy. SIU will look to become repeat champions and the first #1 seed to walk out with the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament berth since 1998. However, don’t just crown SIU the champs. The rest of the league will be vying for the all-important automatic bid and SIU will get the league’s best shot. If exciting college basketball is what gets your blood flowing, tune in this weekend to the always-entertaining MVC Tournament.

Game of the Week – #13 Southern Illinois at Indiana State, Tue Feb. 20, Hulman Center, Terre Haute, Indiana

The Southern Illinois Salukis knew all they had to do was win and the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Championship would be theirs out-right. It was easier said then done Wednesday night in Terre Haute but the Salukis weren’t about to let everything they had worked for slip out of their grasp. SIU battled back from a 2-point halftime deficit and held on to beat Indiana State 58-50 and in doing so won the MVC. The Salukis have now won or shared 5 of the last 6 conference championships. Despite entering the contest having lost 4 straight games and in last place in the conference, the Indiana State Sycamores gave it their all and almost pulled off the biggest upset of the conference season. ISU built a 5-point advantage after a bank shot by Trent Wurtz at the 14-minute mark but SIU responded with a 10-2 run giving SIU a three-point lead with 7 minutes to play. SIU would never relinquish the lead and they would go on to beat ISU, earning the number 1 seed for this weekend’s conference tournament. Jamal Tatum and Tony Young each had 15 points as SIU shot 44 percent from the floor while holding Indiana State to just 35 percent. Marcio Stinson was the only Sycamore in double figures with 17 points. The Salukis will now head to St. Louis with their 25-5 record and the role of team to beat in the MVC Tournament. If SIU can become the first number one seed to win the tourney title since 1998, the Salukis could be heavily rewarded come Selection Sunday. With a tournament championship on their resume, SIU could land a # 2 seed in the Big Dance.

Game of the Upcoming Week – Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship Game, Sun. March. 4, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri at 1 p.m. on CBS

The Missouri Valley Conference will take center stage this Sunday when the league will host its conference tournament championship game on CBS. The Southern Illinois Salukis have to be the favorite this year to be the ones holding up the signs at center court on Sunday that read “Missouri Valley Champs”. The Salukis stormed through the regular season with a 15-3 conference record and enter Arch Madness with an 11 game winning streak. Top challengers would appear to be Creighton, the #2 seed and Missouri State, the #3 seed. The Salukis, during the regular season, however, swept both teams. And don’t rule out Bradley, who made an impressive run last year to the tournament final as the #5 seed, and Wichita State, who was ranked as high as #8 nationally this year. If these two teams can get on a roll, they have the talent and ability to win the tournament. Very rarely do the seeds hold to be true, but this year will be the exception. Southern Illinois, Creighton, Missouri State and Bradley, the top 4 seeds, will all make it to the semifinals Saturday. From here, it’s anybody’s guess, but Southern Illinois is to strong and Nate Funk has always played well in St. Louis and on Sunday the Salukis will battle the Bluejays with the league’s automatic berth on the line. SIU will defeat the Bluejays for the third consecutive time this season and enter the NCAA Tournament on a 14 game winning streak. The Salukis will likely receive a top 4 seed, possibly as high as # 2. SIU will have tons of momentum entering the Big Dance and they have the talent to make it very deep run into March.

Prediction – Southern Illinois over Creighton – 58-50

Player of the Week – Randal Falker, Jr., C – Southern Illinois

The recent emergence of junior center Randal Falker has been a big reason why SIU has climbed into the Top 15 of the national polls and just recently captured their fifth conference title in the last 6 years. Falker was a man among boys Saturday night in the Salukis win over Evansville as he put his team on his back and carried them to victory. Falker hit 13-of-15 shots from the floor while scoring a career-high 30 points while grabbing a game high 7 rebounds. In the Salukis conference championship-clinching win over Indiana State Wednesday, Falker had just 4 points but he took only 3 shots. Falker continued to be a force down low, however, as he grabbed a team high 10 rebounds. The only glitch in Falker’s game, which could prove to be costly in close tournament games, is his free throw shooting as he made just 6-of-15 attempts this past week. Falker is dominating on both ends of the floor and he is currently second on the team in scoring with 13 points per game while leading the team in rebounding, averaging 7 boards a game. When Falker his playing to the best of his ability, the Salukis are almost unstoppable. SIU needs to Falker to continue his solid play if they look to bring the MVC Tournament title to Carbondale.

Team Capsules

1. Southern Illinois (25-5, 15-3) Last Week: 1st

The Southern Illinois Salukis wrapped up the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship Wednesday night when they defeated Indiana State 58-50 in Terre Haute. The Salukis have won or shared 5 of the last 6 regular season Valley Championships and in doing so have made a name for themselves on the national scene as one of the top mid-majors in the country. Despite trailing by 2 at the half to the Sycamores, the Salukis, who only had 6 buckets in the first half, played like champions in the second half as they held on to beat ISU behind 15 points from Tony Young and Jamal Tatum. The Saluki defense was once again outstanding as they held ISU to just 35 percent shooting. SIU then extended its winning streak to 11 games Saturday night when they knocked off Evansville, the same Ace team that beat them earlier this season, 76-69. Junior Randal Falker wasn’t going to let this years SIU seniors, who have accomplished so much, go out with a loss. Falker scored a career-high 30 points while grabbing a team high 7 rebounds as SIU avenged their earlier loss to Evansville. Young added 17 and Tatum had 15 in their final home game of their career. The Salukis will open up MVC Tournament action as the #1 seed Friday at noon when they face the winner of Thursday’s Evansville / Drake game. SIU will have no trouble moving on to the semis and even though no top seed has won the conference tournament since 1998, you’ve got to like the Salukis chances as they enter tournament action on an 11 game winning streak. A tournament championship will greatly enhance the Salukis chance at a top 4 seed in the Big Dance.

2. Creighton (19-10, 13-5) Last Week: 2nd

The Bluejays surprising home loss to Drexel in last Saturdays BracketBuster Event hung around a little longer than the Bluejays would have liked as they lost for the second consecutive time Tuesday, falling to Illinois State 65-55 in Normal, Illinois. The loss ended the Bluejays slim conference championship hopes and may have even put a damper on the Jays at-large hopes. If the Jays can get hot in St. Louis they’ll stay in the Big Dance mix. Creighton jumped out to a 10-point halftime lead and appeared to be coasting before the Redbirds made a stunning second half comeback. The Redbirds outscored CU 40-20 in the second half and went on to hand the Jays their fifth conference loss. Nate Funk led the Bluejays with 16 points and Anthony Tolliver added 12 points and 9 rebounds. Creighton however, bounced back and picked up a solid win Saturday to avoid entering the conference tournament on a three game skid. CU beat Wichita State, avenging an earlier loss to the Shockers, 71-54 at the Quest Center on Senior Night. The Bluejays were deadly from beyond the arc as they hit 56 percent of their three point attempts as they jumped all over the Shockers and coasted to a 15 point win. Nick Porter had 17 points and Funk added 16 as the Bluejays finished conference action 13-5. The Bluejays will enter the MVC Tournament as the 2 seed despite losing 3 out of their last 5 games to close out the regular season. Creighton will get the winner of the 7-10 match up between Illinois State and Indiana State. The Bluejays should have no trouble beating the winner of that game Friday and moving on to the semifinals where they’ll face either Missouri State or Wichita State. Creighton has the ability to make the championship game so don’t be surprised if they are playing for the league’s automatic bid Sunday afternoon on CBS.

3. Missouri State (21-9, 12-6) Last Week: 3rd

After losing 2 home games last week, the Missouri State Bears found themselves on the “bubble” for the NCAA Tournament. When faced with adversity, good teams respond and that’s just what the Bears did, picking up 2 wins this past week and putting themselves right back in the NCAA Tournament mix. Tuesday night, the Missouri State Bears did something they hadn’t done since 1996 when they beat Wichita State in Wichita. The Bears got 18 points from Nathan Bilyeu and 17 from Blake Ahearn as the Bears beat the Shockers 71-65 and in doing so completed the season sweep of Wichita State. Despite shooting just 42 percent from the field, the Bears were on fire from the three-point arc hitting 11-of-27 attempts, which proved to be the difference in the game as MSU was out rebounded 40-28. The Bears then picked up their second win of the week, a 92-74 win over Drake Saturday night and will now enter the MVC Tournament with some momentum. Blake Ahearn scored 24 points in his final home game in a Bear’s uniform and he also hit 4 threes giving him the school record for threes in a career. Ahearn hit 267 three points shots during his tenure as a Bear. The Bears were once again on fire all night long as they hit 55 percent of their shots and 42 percent of their three point attempts. The Bears have made the conference tournament final in 2 of the last 3 years, but have come up just short in both instances. It’s never easy to beat the same team 3 times in a season but the Bears will get that chance when they play Wichita State Friday night. The Bears should get past the Shockers and in doing so almost lock up an NCAA at-large berth. Missouri State could make a run at the tourney title but they are 0-4 against SIU and CU. The Bears will likely fall in the semifinals.

4. Bradley (20-11, 10-8) Last Week: 4th

Entering this week’s action the Bradley Braves were on everybody’s radar as a possible NCAA Tournament at-large team. The Braves didn’t help out their cause Tuesday night when they fell to UNI, but don’t count out the Braves just yet. If they can get hot in St. Louis, just like they did last year, and reach the tournament final, they may find themselves right back in the at-large picture come Selection Sunday. Bradley opened up last week with a very damaging loss, a 79-70 setback to Northern Iowa. The Braves jumped out to a 7-point halftime lead but then they allowed UNI to shoot a remarkable 78 percent from the floor in the second half as the Panthers came back and handed the Braves a 9-point loss. Daniel Ruffin had a game-high 20 points and 9 assists and Zach Andrews had 14 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort. The Braves however, bounced back Saturday as they closed out the regular season with a 74-58 win over Indiana State and in doing so locked up a fourth place finish in the MVC. Jeremy Crouch led 5 Bradley players in double figures with 13 points. After only leading by 4 at the half, the Braves caught fire in the second half, outscoring ISU 40-28 as they coasted to their tenth conference win of the year. The Braves won’t have to wait long to get revenge on the Panthers for their loss last week. Bradley opens up tournament action Friday with a game against UNI. Bradley gets past the Panthers before losing to SIU in the semifinals.

5. Northern Iowa (18-12, 9-9) Last Week: 6th

After losing eight of their last nine games entering this past week, the Northern Iowa Panthers season looked to be slipping away. However, the Panthers bounced back last week picking up 2 very important conference wins and will now enter the MVC Tournament with a little momentum. If this team can get hot, they could be very dangerous in St. Louis, but they must be able to make their outside shots because when they can’t, they are in trouble. UNI opened the week with a solid 79-70 win over Bradley, led by Brooks McKowen and Travis Brown who each had 15 points. UNI trailed by 7 at the break but shot 78 percent from the floor in the second half as they picked up the win. The Panthers also hit 8-of-10 three-point shots in the game and showed they can be deadly from beyond the arc. Grant Stout and Eric Coleman each recorded a double double in the Panthers victory over the Braves. UNI then closed out the regular season Saturday with a 71-66 win over Illinois State. Stout, the Missouri Valley Player of the Week, had 19 points and 9 rebounds and Coleman added 15 points and 7 rebounds as they reasserted themselves as they top frontcourt duo in the conference heading into the MVC Tournament. UNI once again was solid from outside hitting 40 percent of their threes and they ended MVC action at 9-9. The Panthers will open tournament play Friday with an afternoon contest against Bradley. The Braves are the better team and will likely send UNI packing, but the Panthers played solid last week and could give the Braves fits. The Panthers however, had a solid year, despite their recent skid, and they will most likely be headed to the NIT after a loss to the Braves.

6. Wichita State (17-13, 8-10) Last Week: 5th

It’s been a strange year for the Wichita State Shockers, but with a solid showing at the MVC Tournament, the Shockers could resurrect what has been a very disappointing second half of the season. The Shockers rose all the way to #8 in the polls after a solid non-conference portion of the season but they then went 8-10 in MVC action and will now likely be playing in the NIT instead of the Big Dance for the second consecutive year. The Shockers picked the wrong time to fade as they have now lost 4 consecutive games as they head into St. Louis this weekend. The Shockers opened up play last week looking to end their two game skid but the Missouri State Bears come into Koch Arena and beat the Shockers on their own floor 71-65 for the first time since 1996. The Shockers out shot and out rebounded the Bears but they were just 9-of-20 from the free throw stripe and the Bears hit 11 three point baskets which proved to be the difference. Kyle Wilson and Karon Bradley each had 17 points in the loss. The Shockers then closed out the season Saturday with their fourth loss in a row, a 71-54 setback at the hands of Creighton. PJ Couisnard led the Shockers with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Shockers will take the court at the Scottrade Center Friday night when they take on the Missouri State Bears. The Shockers have fallen to MSU twice this season, but they are good enough to win this game. However, Wichita State’s recent struggles will continue and their season will end with a quarterfinal loss in the MVC Tournament. The Shockers will likely be headed to the NIT.

7. Illinois State (15-15, 6-12) Last Week: 8th

The Illinois Sate Redbirds will enter the Valley Tournament this weekend having won 3 of their last 4 games. ISU picked up a very solid win Tuesday night when they beat the second place Creighton Bluejays 65-55 at Redbird Arena. After trailing by 10 at the break, the Redbirds went on numerous runs in the second half, led by the MVC Newcomer of the Week Osiris Eldridge who scored all 18 of his points in the second frame and ISU outscored CU 40-20 in the second half. The Redbirds used a 14-4 run to start the second half to tie the game and later went on a 15-5 run to distance themselves from the Jays. Levi Dyer added 12 points as the Redbirds won their sixth conference game of the year. The Redbirds however, saw their three game winning streak come to an end Saturday as they fell in their final game to Northern Iowa 71-66. Dyer had 17 points and Greg Dilligard had 12 points and 9 rebounds. The Redbirds will play the second opening round game Thursday night in St. Louis when they’ll battle the 10th seeded Indiana State Sycamores. Illinois State should have no trouble with the Sycamores and they’ll advance to the quarterfinals to take on Creighton. The Redbirds beat the Jays last week, but that won’t happen again. ISU’s season will end when they fall to Creighton on Friday at the MVC Tournament.

8. Evansville (14-16, 6-12) Last Week: 7th

The Evansville Purple Aces picked the wrong time to lose two games and the Aces, after falling in their final two games of the season last week, will now enter the MVC Tournament this weekend reeling. Evansville opened up last week with a hard fought 82-79 loss to Drake in Des Moines. After trailing 61-44 with just over 12 minutes top play the Aces went on a 16-1 run to get within 2 points but they couldn’t get over the hump. Jason Holsinger hit 8-of-12 three pointers on his way to a career high 29 points. Matt Webster added 15 points and 7 rebounds as the Aces split the regular season series with Drake. The Aces then had a very tough challenge Saturday night as they closed out the year with a visit to SIU for the Salukis Senior Night. The Aces hung around all night but the Salukis showed why they are ranked #11in the country as they avenged an earlier loss to the Aces by the score of 76-69. Webster led the Aces with 21 points as the Aces lost despite shooting over 50 percent from the floor and from three-point land. Of the four teams playing opening round games on Thursday at the MVC Tournament, the Evansville Purple Aces, despite entering the tournament as the 8 seed, are the most dangerous team of the four. The Aces own wins over Missouri State and Southern Illinois in conference play and if they can get hot from three-point land they could surprise some people in St. Louis. The Aces kick off the tournament Thursday with a game against Drake, a game they should have no trouble winning. The Aces will then give SIU all they can handle again Friday before falling in a very close game to the #1 seeded Salukis.

9. Drake (16-14, 6-12) Last Week: 10th

The Drake Bulldogs will enter this week’s Valley Tournament having won 4 of their last 6 games. Drake opened up last week with a solid 3-point win over Evansville Wednesday night. Drake jumped out to an 11-point halftime advantage and survived a late 16-1 run by Evansville to hold on for the 82-79 victory, their sixth conference win of the year. Nick Grant led the Bulldogs with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting and Ajay Calvin added 16 points as the Bulldogs forced the Aces into committing 13 turnovers while only committing 6 themselves. The Bulldogs then closed out their regular season with a trip to Missouri State to take on the Bears who had not lost in 17 consecutive games on Senior Night. That streak ran to 18 as the Bulldogs fell to the Bears for the second time this season 92-74. Drake is 0-8 against the Bears in the last four years under coach Tom Davis. Calvin led the Bulldogs with 19 points and 9 rebounds as the Bulldogs got run off the floor by the Bears in the second half. The Bulldogs will open tournament action Thursday when they take on the Evansville Purple Aces. The two teams split their regular season series, with Drake beating Evansville just this past week. This time though the Drake Bulldogs will be on the short end of the stick as their season will come to a close as they’ll fall to the Aces in St. Louis. Despite their opening round loss to Evansville, it was still a very solid year for the Bulldogs as they finished the season with their first winning record in 20 years

10. Indiana State (12-17, 5-13) Last Week: 8th

The Indiana State Sycamores, after starting MVC play 4-1, and being one of the early surprises in the Valley, proceeded to go 1-12 in their final 13 conference games and wound up finishing in dead last in the conference standings. Indiana State had an opportunity Tuesday night to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the conference season when they hosted Southern Illinois as the Salukis looked to win the conference title outright. The Sycamores hung close for most of the game but SIU pulled away and beat ISU 58-50. The Sycamores had a 2-point halftime lead but SIU outscored ISU by 10 in the second half and held on for the 8 point win. Marcio Stinson was the only ISU player in double figures as he had 17 points. The Sycamores shot just 35 percent from the floor in the loss. ISU then closed out the regular season with a 74-58 loss to Bradley, their sixth consecutive loss. ISU was within 4 at the half but they allowed Bradley to shoot 49 percent from the floor in the second half and the Braves pulled away handing the Sycamores their 13th conference loss. Jay Tunnell had 14 points and Gabe Moore added 10. The Sycamores will likely be one and done at the MVC Tournament in St. Louis this weekend. The Sycamores open play with Illinois State Thursday night and the Redbirds should be able to dispatch the Sycamores rather easily. Indiana State’s season will end in St. Louis and they’ll return home with a 12-18 overall record and a bitter taste in their mouth after a very disappointing season that started so promising.

Daily Dribble: Saturday's Top 20 Stars

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 21:59:08 -0800

Here it is.. the list you've all been waiting for, the Top 20 stars of Saturday's college basketball action. You'll notice there's only 18 listings, because 2 pairs of teammates are stuck together on the list.. 1. Shan Foster/Derrick Byars - Vanderbilt - 24 points each in he huge win over #1 Florida. Byars also added 8 assists for good measure. 2. Carl Elliott - George Washington - The senior guard had the first triple-double in GW's history. He scored 17, had 12 boards, and added 11 assists in a league win over Temple. 3. Brook Lopez - Stanford - The Cardinals beat up on tumbling Oregon behind 26 and 10 boards from Lopez. It was the heralded twin's best career game, and he also added a couple of blocks. 4. Jeff Green - Georgetown - The Hoyas are streaking, having won 9 straight, and Green is the biggest reason why. He scored 19 points and 10 boards in a road win at Villanova, and even hit the game-winning shot. 5. Joey Dorsey - Memphis - Without Heytvelt, Gonzaga was no match for Dorsey on the inside. The junior forward ended up with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the Tigers overtime win. 6. Al Thornton - FSU - Had his team won, Thornton might have been #1 on today's top stars list. But his monster 30 points and 16 boards weren't enough to stop the Noles from losing their 4 straight game. 7. Darren Collison - UCLA - Collison dished out a career-best 15 assists in the Bruins win at Arizona. The loss was Arizon'a 2nd worst ever at home (behind UNC a couple weeks back).. and Collison was a big reason why. The sophomore guard also added 17 points.. and oh, he had just 2 turnovers compared to all those assists. 8. Patrick Christoper - California - Up until this week, Christoper was a little used freshman guard. But after scoring 16 in an upset win over ranked Oregon, Christopher scored 24 points and added 10 boards in Cal's win over Oregon State. Note bad for a guy averaging 4 ppg coming into the week. 9. Jeremy Crouch - Bradley - Crouch, who came into today's game at VCU shooting 49% from three, scored 22 points on a blistering 8 of 11 shooting. He hit 6 threes, and helped the Braves pick up a huge BracketBusters win. All the talk is about SIU, Creighton, and MSU making it from the Valley.. but the Braves are quietly positioning themselves on the Bubble. 10. Brad Jones - Wyoming - How do you like 32 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists? Jones ate up San Diego State to help snap the Cowboys 4-game losing streak. 11. Obie Nwadike - Central Connecticut State - Even though NEC-leading CCSU lost at Farleigh Dickinson, you can't blame it on Nwadike. The senior forward scored 27 points and 17 rebounds, and helped his chances of winning conference Player of the Year. 12. Ty Lawson - UNC - 13 points, 7 assists, 3 boards in UNC's win at #21 BC. The Heels are now tied with Virginia for first in the ACC. 13. Valdas Vasylius - Old Dominion - Coming off a monster 32 point, 10 board game over Hofstra, the Lithuanian forward scored 22 and added 10 boards today. The Monarchs beat to Toledo and have no won 9 straight games. 14. Ibrahim Jaaber/Mark Zoller - Arguably the Ivy League's best two players combined to score 49 points, 10 boards, and 10 assists in a win over Cornell. 15. Mark Tyndale - Temple - Overshadowed by Carl Elliott's triple-double and the fact that his team lost, Tyndale still deserves credit for scoring 33 points on 12-16 shooting. 16. Romeo Travis - Akron - Once a teammate of Lebron James, Travis is now Akron's best player. He scored 21 points and pulled down 11 boards in the Zips easy BracketBusters win over Austin Peay. The MAC's best team deserved a better opponent than Austin Peay at home. 17. Kevin Lisch - Saint Louis - The sophomore guard scored 24 points and added 7 rebounds in the Bills win over La Salle. 24 points doesn't seem monstrous, but it is considering SLU scored just 59 points and he hit 8 of their 21 free throws. 18. Derrick Caracter - Louisville - 14 points and 2 boards might not sound like much, but since the heralded freshman has returned to the lineup and been contributing, the Cardinals are 3-0 including wins at Marquette and Pittsburgh. - Keep on Dribbling -

MVC BracketBusters Preview & Predictions

David Merchant — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 09:13:50 -0800

Valley teams will take center stage this week as ESPNU presents the annual BracketBuster Event, where teams from non-BCS conferences face off against one another in an attempt to bolster their tournament resumes. The Valley is arguably the best non-BCS league in the nation and with its third best non-conference record ever at 82-27, the MVC has shown it can play with the best in the country. Valley teams have posted numerous quality wins this season, including Missouri State’s win over Wisconsin, Indiana States knocking off nationally ranked Butler and Wichita State beating Syracuse on the road. This weekend’s games will give teams hoping to make the post season a chance to pick up a marquee win as the Valley continues to prove it is one of the top conferences in all of college basketball.

Here’s a closer look at the 10 Valley BracketBuster match ups with predictions.

Friday February 16th

Winthrop at Missouri State

The Bears have a chance to add to a resume that includes a win over #4 Wisconsin when they face a very solid Winthrop team from the Big South Friday night in Springfield. Winthrop, who lost to Wisconsin in overtime in Madison, is currently 10-0 entering this week’s action in the Big South and looks to be the favorite to win their conference tourney. Should they slip up, a win at Missouri State could help them out in their quest for an at-large bid. Missouri State will have its hands full with the Eagle’s leading scorer Michael Jenkins who is averaging almost 16 points a game. The Bears know what’s at stake and a win here will move them even closer to the Big Dance. The Bears don’t want a repeat of last year’s Selection Sunday when they were left out of the tourney and this game will have Missouri State stepping up to the challenge and beating the Eagles behind a huge game from seniors Blake Ahearn and Tyler Chaney.

Prediction – Missouri State 75-70

Saturday February 17th

Appalachian State at Wichita State

Both teams will probably need to win their respective conference tournaments to get into the NCAA Tournament but both teams enter this match up as two of the best non-BCS teams in the nation. The Shockers, who looked to be a lock to make the Big Dance a few weeks ago desperately needs this win if they want to even find themselves on the “bubble” come Selection Sunday. Both squads own numerous quality wins this season with Appalachian State beating Virginia, Vanderbilt and VCU but it might be the winner of this game that keeps its NCAA Tournament dreams alive. The Mountaineers, currently first in the Southern Conference’s North Division, likely hasn’t encountered an atmosphere like Wichita State’s Koch Arena. The home crowd will be a huge factor and the Shockers led by Kyle Wilson and Sean Ogirri will pick up yet another quality win, but will the win be enough to help them come Selection Sunday?

Prediction – Wichita State 80-70

Evansville at Samford

Neither team has a shot at the NCAA Tournament but it’s the Evansville Purple Aces who will look to continue their season with a shot at the NIT still within reach. Sitting at just one game under .500, the Aces need to pick up as many wins as possible over the course of the last three weeks if they want to make the postseason. The Aces will travel to Samford Saturday to take on a very strong Bulldog team, which is currently second in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Bulldogs are led by Randall Gulina who is averaging just over 18 points a game for a very solid Bulldog team. The Aces have been good this season at home but they are just 3-9 on the road. The Aces are 3-0 against the OVC this season with wins over Austin Peay, SE Missouri State and Tennessee-Martin. The Aces, despite their road struggles, will pull out a very close win over Samford, running the table against OVC teams.

Prediction – Evansville 62-61

UW-Milwaukee at Drake

The Drake Bulldogs were off to one of their best starts in school history at 9-2 but they have since hit a lull and have struggled in the MVC. The Panthers of UW-Milwaukee have historically been one of the top teams in the Horizon league but they are having a down year. Both teams have no shot at the post season but they both will be playing for the pride of their conferences. The difference in this game will be Drakes full-court pressure as it will give the Panthers fits all game long. The Panthers have yet to win a road game this season as they are currently 0-13 away from home. UW-Milwaukee is lead by Avery Smith, one of two Panthers averaging double figures in scoring with 15 points per game. Drake will get a huge game out of senior Ajay Calvin and the Bulldogs should have no trouble handing the Panthers their 14 consecutive road loss of the season.

Prediction – Drake 68-55

Miami (OH) at Indiana State

The Redbirds of Miami, Ohio will travel to Indiana State Saturday to take on the Sycamores in a game both teams need badly if either one hopes to make the NIT. Both teams are hovering around the .500 mark thus far and in order to quality for the NIT, teams must finish above .500. The Sycamores will struggle despite this game being on their home floor as the forward duo of Tim Pollitz and Nathan Peavy has been huge for the Redhawks as each play over 34 minutes and average 14 points per game. The Sycamores have struggled recently with their shooting and if they want to stay close they’ll have to play much better on the offensive side of the ball. This game will be close throughout but the Redhawks will steal one on the road and inch even closer to a possible postseason berth.

Prediction – Miami (OH) 62-55

#15 Southern Illinois at #12 Butler

The highlight game on this year’s BracketBuster schedule features two nationally ranked teams clashing head on when Southern Illinois visits Butler. Both teams are in the running for a top 4 seed in the Big Dance and whichever team wins here will add to their already very solid tournament resume. The Bulldogs have been the surprise team in the country this season as they have been almost unbeatable behind AJ Graves’ stellar play. Graves keeps this team together, averaging 17 points a game, but this team is very solid from beyond the arc as they hit 20 threes a week ago in a win over Cleveland State. One of the Bulldogs only two losses came to Valley member Indiana State, a team SIU has already beaten during conference action. SIU will once again rely on their smothering defense to try and stop the Bulldogs. Regardless of the outcome both teams will be seeded very high in the NCAA Tournament and both, at this point, are locks to make the Big Dance. This game should be an outstanding college basketball game, but Butler playing at home has the edge and will escape with a narrow win.

Prediction – Butler 68-66

Ball State at Illinois State

Another Missouri Valley verse Mid-American match up has the Ball State Cardinals traveling to Normal, Illinois to take on the Illinois State Redbirds. Neither team has a shot at the post season unless they get hot and run the table in their conference tournament, which most likely won’t happen. Both teams, however, will be looking to step outside conference play and pick up a win on a national stage. The advantage goes to the Redbirds in this game as they are a much better team than the Cardinals and they are playing at home. The Cardinals are led by Skip Mills, averaging 13 points per game, but after him they are not very deep. Illinois State will play one of its more complete games this season and beat Ball State handily.

Prediction – Illinois State 75-62

Northern Iowa at #11 Nevada

Just a couple weeks back, the Northern Iowa Panthers looked primed for another tournament run and a possible MVC Championship. But the Panthers have struggled as of late and now their tournament chances are in serious jeopardy. One simple way to revive those chances is to beat nationally ranked Nevada on the road. But that is easier said than done and the Panthers will have their hands full with an extremely talented Wolfpack team lead by Player of the Year Candidate Nick Fazekas. Fazekas is averaging over 20 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Wolfpack who have only tasted defeat twice this season. The Panthers will have to hope that both Grant Stout and Eric Coleman can stay out of foul trouble and they will have to do anything possible to contain Fazekas. Nevada has the edge in guard play, both Marcelus Kemp and Ramon Sessions average in double figures, and since this game is away from Cedar Falls, the Panthers will be trouble from the opening tip. Nevada wins and all but knocks UNI out of NCAA Tournament at-large talk.

Prediction – Nevada 80-70

Bradley at Virginia Commonwealth

Both teams are hoping to hear their names called on Selection Sunday but both still have work to do and the winner of this game will certainly enhance their chances. The Braves have slipped as of late and VCU is looking to pad its resume in case it doesn’t win the automatic bid for the CAA. VCU currently sits atop the CAA and is primed to be the next surprise team to make some noise in the Big Dance after George Mason did so next year. However, they must first beat a solid Bradley team at home and they should have no trouble doing so. VCU is lead by a trio of guards, B.A. Walker, Eric Maynor and Jesse Pellot-Rosa, all who are averaging in double figures. The Braves live and die by the three point shot and lately that shot hasn’t been falling. It won’t be easy for the Braves, as they’ll head into a gym where VCU has only lost twice all season. The Rams will keep their tourney hopes alive with a victory of a solid Bradley team.

Prediction – Virginia Commonwealth 75-65

Drexel at Creighton

The last game to be played by a Valley member in this year’s BracketBuster event will feature the Drexel Dragons going on the road to take on the Creighton Bluejays. Both teams appear to be in good shape to make the Big Dance but the Dragons need this game badly as they are sitting on the “bubble” for at-large consideration. The Bluejays appear to be a lock to make this year’s tournament but a win over a Drexel team who has wins at Syracuse, St. Joseph’s and Villanova, will certainly enhance their seed. When the Dragons walk out onto the floor at the Quest Center they’ll be in for quite a surprise as no atmosphere in the CAA is like that of the one in Omaha. The Bluejays must stop Drexel’s force in the middle, center Frank Elegar, who is averaging 15 points and 7 boards per game. Anthony Tolliver will be up to the challenge and Nate Funk will continue to make the “big shot,” and the Bluejyas will win a very close game over the Dragons of Drexel.

Prediction – Creighton 77-73