Tweet
20 Something
Three MVC men’s basketball teams have reached 20 victories. It marks only the second time since 2010 that three MVC teams entered Arch Madness with 20+ wins.
Three Teams w/20+ Wins at Arch Madness
1994 -- Bradley#, Southern Illinois*, Tulsa*
2000 -- Creighton*, Indiana State*, MSU#
2004 -- Creighton#, S. Illinois*, Wichita State#
2005 -- Creighton*, UNI*, Southern Illinois*
2006 -- Missouri State#, UNI*, Wichita State*
2007 -- Bradley#, Missouri State#, S. Illinois*
2008 -- Creighton#, Drake*, Southern Illinois#
2009 -- Creighton#, Illinois State#, UNI*
2010 -- Illinois State#, UNI*, Wichita State#
2020 -- Bradley, Loyola, UNI (COVID, no post-season)
2022 -- Drake, Loyola, Missouri State
*denotes NCAA; #denotes NIT
Down to the Wire
One game separated the top four teams in the standings as UNI earned sole possession of the regular-season title (14-4), while Drake, Loyola, and Missouri State tied for second place with 13-5 marks. In the league’s 115-year history, four teams have finished within a single game of each other just four times:
Seasons w/4 MVC Teams within 1 game of 1st
1971 -- DU/UofL/SLU (9-5), Memphis/Tulsa (8-6)
1977 -- SIU/NMSU (8-4), Wichita St./WTSU (7-5)
1990 -- SIU (10-4), Creighton, ILS, Tulsa (all at 9-5)
2022 -- UNI (14-4), Drake, Loyola, MSU (all 13-5)
Winner Take All
UNI earned the MVC’s regular-season title and the top seed for the 2022 State Farm MVC Tournament after defeating Loyola on Saturday, Feb. 26, with a 102-96 overtime win in Cedar Falls, Iowa. In the past 40 seasons (since 1982-83), only five times has the conference regular-season title been decided on the final day of the season with two contenders facing one another.
Most Recent MVC “Winner Take All”
3-2-85 -- Tulsa (11-4), Illinois State (11-4), Wichita State (11-4) – Tulsa faced and beat Wichita State; Illinois State lost at Bradley
2-26-11 -- Missouri St. (14-3) beat Wichita St. (14-3), 3-2-13 -- Creighton (12-5) beat Wichita State (12-5)
2-28-15 -- Wichita State (16-1) beat UNI (16-1)
2-26-22 -- UNI (13-4) beat Loyola (13-4)
No. 1 Seed “Success”
Counting 2021, the top-seeded team at the State Farm MVC Tournament has won the tournament 17 times in 45 tries, and it has happened only 10 times in the 31-year history in St. Louis.
History of Top Seed in STL
In 31 MVC Tournaments in St. Louis, the No. 1 tournament seed has:
10 - Won the Tournament
11 - Lost in the Semifinals
9 - Lost in the Championship Game
1 - Lost its first game
Tournament Titles, By Team
12 -- Creighton
5 -- UNI, Southern Illinois
4 -- Bradley, Illinois State, Tulsa, Wichita State
3 -- Indiana State
2 -- Loyola
1 -- Drake, Missouri State
Good News for Champs?
In the 45 seasons the league has conducted a post-season tournament (from 1977 through last year), there have been 52 regular-season champions (outright or shared). Forty of those 52 teams earned either the AQ or an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament (not counting the canceled 2020 NCAA Tournament).
Top Two Seeds = Semifinals
In the 31 previous MVC Tournaments played in St. Louis, the top two seeds have a combined 59-3 record in their first tournament games. In 2020, the top two seeds (UNI and Loyola) lost their first games. Third-seeded Indiana State also lost its first game that year, marking the first time in the history of the tournament that the top three seeds all lost their first games. Last year the top two seeds (Loyola and Drake) played each other in the title game.
Three Peat
In league history, only Southern Illinois (1993-94-95) has won three-straight conference tourneys. Only eight teams have won back-to-back conference tournament titles.
Best Pole Position?
Forty of 45 previous MVC tournament champions were seeded 1, 2, or 3. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have had the most success, combining for 33 titles.
MVC Tournament Titles By Seed
1 -- 17 (last: Loyola in 2021) 10 in St. Louis
2 -- 16 (last: Wichita State in 2017) 10 in St. Louis
3 -- 7 (last: Indiana State in 2011) 6 in St. Louis
4 -- 3 (last: Bradley in 2020)
5 -- 2 (last: Bradley in 2019)
Close Calls
The MVC played 90 Conference games in 2021-22. According to KenPom, the league’s 27 one-score (three points or less or overtime game) contests in 90 total league games (30%) is fourth-most in the nation. The 27 “close” games in league play is the most in the MVC in at least the last 20 seasons.
Working Overtime
Conference schools combined to play 13 overtime games in league play -- the most in at least the past 50 years (since 1972-73). The league has played a combined total of 19 overtime games (overall), which matches the most in the past 50 seasons in the MVC. A total of 36 MVC games were decided by five points or less (or went into overtime).
Closest Tournaments?
In the 45 previous years of the MVC Tournament, there have been only two tournaments in which all games were decided by 10 points or fewer (1979 and 1999). In 1999, the average score differential in the nine games was only 4.56. It remains the only MVC Tournament with two overtime games. In 2021, only two of eight games played were decided by fewer than 10 points.
How Sweep It Is
Last year, five matchups at the State Farm MVC Tournament paired teams against one another that were involved in a regular-season sweep. The team that won the first two games also won the tournament game last year. Two matchups in this year’s tournament’s first six games features two teams that split their regular-season series (ILS-INS & LUC-BU).
We Meet Again?
In the 31-year history of the tournament in St. Louis, teams have played a regular-season finale and then met in both teams’ first game of the State Farm MVC Tournament 17 times. In the 17 previous occurrences, the team that has won the regular-season finale won the rematch 12 times, including each of the last five. There are two instances this year in which a first-game pairing is a repeat of the regular-season finale for both teams.
2021 Tournament Recap
Loyola breezed through the tournament last year, winning each of its games by 10 or more points. The Ramblers outlasted No. 2 seed Drake in the title game, 75-65.
G1 -- #9 Southern Illinois 73, #8 Bradley 63
G2 -- #7 UNI 65, #10 Illinois State 60
G3 -- #1 Loyola 73, Southern Illinois 49
G4 -- #4 Indiana State 53, Evansville 43
G5 -- #2 Drake vs. UNI (no contest, COVID)
G6 -- #3 Missouri State 66, #6 Valparaiso 55
G7 -- Loyola 65, Indiana State 49
G8 -- Drake 71, Missouri State 69
G9 -- Loyola 75, Drake 65
Title Game Appearances
13 -- Creighton, Illinois State
10 -- Southern Illinois
9 -- Tulsa
8 -- Bradley, Missouri State
7 -- UNI, Wichita State
5 -- Indiana State
2 -- Drake, Evansville, Loyola, West Texas State
1 -- New Mexico State, Valparaiso
Most Consecutive Title Games
5 -- Tulsa (1982-87)
3 -- Southern Illinois (1993-95)
2 -- 18x, most recently Bradley (2019, 2020)
Semifinal Game Appearances
24 -- Illinois State
21 -- Wichita State
20 -- Bradley, Creighton, Southern Illinois
18 -- Missouri State
13 -- Tulsa
10 -- Indiana State, UNI
8 -- Drake
4 -- Loyola
3 -- Evansville
2 -- New Mexico State, West Texas State
1 -- Valparaiso
Most Consecutive Semifinals
8 -- Wichita State (2010-17)
7 -- Southern Illinois (1989-95); Tulsa (1981-87)
6 -- Southern Illinois (2002-07); Bradley (1994-99)
5 -- Creighton (1999-2003); Missouri State (1996-00); Illinois State (1986-90)
NCAA Tournament Success
Notably, MVC teams are now 12-1 in their first game in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 2012. The league has now combined for 20 wins in the NCAA Tournament in the past eight NCAA championships and has earned multiple bids 16 times since 1994. Since 2010, The Valley has had two Final Four appearances – that’s the same as the Pac-12.
Sweet 16 Trips
In the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Loyola reached the Sweet 16, and Drake also won its first tournament game. In the Second Round, Loyola knocked off top-seeded Illinois to reach the Sweet 16, marking the 12th Sweet 16 appearance for an MVC member since 1985, which includes four in the past nine seasons.
Worst Friday Pole Position?
The sixth-seeded teams have gone a combined 10-31 in tournament games in St. Louis. Since the league expanded to its current 10-team format in 1997, only one No. 6 seed (UNI in 2019) has won two games (i.e. reached the finals).
Avoiding the Opening Round
Only 46 times in NCAA history has a team won four (or more) games to win its conference post-season tournament title. It’s not happened in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Young Guns
Two MVC men’s basketball coaches rank among the youngest in Division I this season, including Drew Valentine of Loyola (1) and Bryan Mullins of SIU (4).
Alma Mater Coaches
One MVC coach is leading his alma mater (Bryan Mullins at SIU). Three other MVC coaches played at another MVC school (Dana Ford of Missouri State played at Illinois State, Darian DeVries of Drake played at UNI, and Illinois State’s Brian Jones also played at UNI). In MVC history, there have been eight head coaches to lead their alma maters.
Jake Now Ranks Third
UNI’s Ben Jacobson is the third winningest MVC coach in conference-only games. Henry Iba (Oklahoma State) leads the MVC with 187 conference wins, while former Creighton coach Dana Altman is second with 182, and Jacobson is third with 174.
187 -- Henry P. Iba, Oklahoma State (1934-57)
182 -- Dana Altman, Creighton (1994-10)
174 -- Ben Jacobson, UNI (2006-present)
163 -- Eddie Hickey, Creighton/SLU (1935-43; 1946-58 )
155 -- Barry Hinson, MSU/SIU (1999-08; 2012-19)
Other MVC Coaching Tidbits
• Only MVC coach to win MVC Tournament as a player and coach: Chris Lowery (SIU/SIU), Porter Moser (CU/LUC)
• Only MVC coaches to win MVC Tournament as a player and reach title game as a coach: Chris Lowery (SIU), Dan Muller (ILS), Porter Moser (CU/LUC)
• Only MVC coaches to reach title game of MVC Tournament as a player and coach: Chris Lowery (SIU), Dan Muller (ILS), Jim Les (BRAD), Porter Moser (CU/LUC)
• Only MVC coaches to win MVC Tournament as a player and later become head coach for a team in the MVC: Chris Lowery (SIU/SIU), Paul Lusk (SIU/MSU), Porter Moser (CU/ILS-LUC), Dan Muller (ILS/ILS), Kevin McKenna (CU/INS), Bryan Mullins (SIU/SIU)
MVC Coaches, By Tourney Trips (counting 2022)
16 - Barry Hinson, Missouri St. (9)/SIU (7)
16 - Ben Jacobson, UNI
14 - Dana Altman, Creighton
12 - Porter Moser, Illinois State (4)/Loyola (8 )
11 - Rich Herrin, Southern Illinois
11 - Marty Simmons, Evansville
11 - Greg Lansing, Indiana State
10 - Jim Molinari, Bradley
10 - Royce Waltman, Indiana State
NCAA Tourney - Power Play
Since 1994, The Valley has compiled a solid record vs. the “Power 6” conferences in the NCAA. Since 1994, an MVC member has beaten the following teams from power conferences in the NCAA Tournament: Alabama, Arizona, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois (twice), Indiana, Kansas (three times), K-State, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh (twice), Seton Hall, Tennessee (four times), Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin. MVC teams are a combined 42-48 in the NCAA Tournament since 1994 (with 12 Sweet 16 trips and two Final Fours). Notably, 31 of the 42 wins in that span have been vs. power conference schools (BCS football leagues and the Big East).
How Sweet It Is
Four of the league’s current 10 members have advanced to a Final Four as an MVC member (Bradley, Drake, Indiana State and Loyola). An MVC team has reached a Sweet 16 a total of 12 times since 1985. In league history, 18 teams have reached the NCAA Final Four, and the MVC owns four national titles.
Nothing But NET
Since 1990-91, 53 MVC teams have been rated in the Top 50 of the NET (previously the RPI) on Selection Sunday, and 39 have been selected for the NCAA Tournament (the other 14 earned an NIT bid.) Missouri State (21 RPI in 2006) remains the highest metric-rated team to be excluded. Here are the 14 MVC teams with top-50 RPIs who were not selected for the NCAAs (12 of the 14 have occurred since 2005).
Year -- Team (RPI/NET on Selection Sunday)
1997 -- Missouri State (42)
2000 -- Missouri State (34)
2005 -- Wichita State (45)
2006 -- Missouri State (21), Creighton (39)
2007 -- Missouri State (36), Bradley (37)
2008 -- Illinois State (33), Creighton (46)
2009 -- Creighton (40), Illinois State (47)
2010 -- Wichita State (43)
2011 -- Missouri State (43)
2017 -- Illinois State (33)
MVC in the Metrics
The Missouri Valley Conference is No. 11 in both the KenPom and in the NET (through games of Feb. 26). Five MVC teams (Loyola, Missouri State, Drake, Bradley, and UNI) are in the Top 100 in KenPom and the same five are in the Top 100 of the NET. Last year, three league schools ranked in the Top 100 of the NET rankings, and the MVC had four teams in the Top 150.
Home Cooking
Through games of Dec. 5, MVC men’s basketball teams had a 25-11 home record in non-conference play. Since then, MVC teams are 23-1 at home to lift the full-season non-conference home record to 48-12. Last season, Valley schools posted a 34-2 home record in non-league games, and the MVC was 55-6 at home the year prior. The league’s 54-36 (.600) home record in league play ranks seventh-best among conferences.
Top-25 History
Loyola earned spots in both the Associated Press (22) and Loyola Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll, powered by USA TODAY Sports (24), on Feb. 17. Loyola’s top-25 ranking this year gives the league at least one ranked team in nine of the past 11 seasons. The Ramblers were ranked No. 22 when Missouri State snapped their 30-game win streak at Gentile in January.
Defending the Shot
Since 2010, all but two teams that have led the MVC in FG percentage defense have earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. (Loyola was third in the MVC in that statistic in 2018 and represented the league in the NCAAs; last year Missouri State led the league and failed to earn a post-season berth.) Bradley’s current 40.3 percent figure leads the MVC and ranks 34th nationally.
Hitting Their Shots
Loyola has led the league in FG percentage five-straight seasons. No other MVC program since the league began keeping FG percentage records in 1964 had done it more than three-straight seasons. Loyola is doing it again, hitting on 49.0 percent of its shots to lead the MVC and rank No. 8 in the NCAA.
At the Line
As a team, Missouri State leads the MVC with its 79.5 accuracy rate from the stripe - the best on record in the MVC (since 1964). Wichita State, in 1967, holds the league standard, at 78.8. The Bears rank 6th nationally in FT shooting; UNI ranks 9th at 78.8. Missouri State’s Isiaih Mosley leads the league and ranks 7th nationally in free throw percentage (90.9). AJ Green of UNI is right behind (90.8, 8th). Only a handful of MVC players this century have hit at 90 percent or better for an entire season (minimum 2.0 made per game).
Leading the League
UNI led the MVC in league-only offense, averaging 77.5 points per game. Since joining the Valley for the 1991-92 season, UNI has only led the MVC in conference-only game scoring offense three previous times (1996, 2014, 2020). The top four teams in the MVC race were also the top four in the MVC in league-only offense.
Twice for 40
Isiaih Mosley of Missouri State is the first MVC player to hit 40 twice in the same season since National Player of the Year Hersey Hawkins of Bradley did it nine times in 1987-88. Notably, since 1974-75 only seven MVC players have accomplished that feat (two did it twice).
MVC Players to Hit 40 2x in Same Year (since 1975)
Isiaih Mosley, Missouri State, 2021-22
$#Hersey Hawkins, Bradley, 1987-88
$#Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State, 1984-85
Benoit Benjamin, Creighton, 1984-85
$Lewis Lloyd, Drake, 1980-81 and in 1979-80
$#Larry Bird, Indiana State, 1978-79 and in 1977-78
$#Roger Phegley, Bradley, 1976-77
&MVC Hall of Fame; #Number Retired by School
DeVries Just One of Five
Freshman Tucker DeVries of Drake is one of just five first-year freshmen in NCAA DI to have reached 400 points (423) and 65 three-pointers (65) this year. He leads Drake in both categories this season.
Top Scoring Freshmen, MVC History
581 - Doug McDermott, Creighton (2010-11)
555 - *Cleo Littleton, Wichita State (1951-52)
545 - *Mitchell Anderson, Bradley (1978-79)
520 - John S. Williams, Indiana State (1982-83)
509 - AJ Green, UNI (2018-19)
478 - Milton Doyle, Loyola (2013-14)
470 - Shea Seals, Tulsa (1993-94)
465 - Tarise Bryson, Illinois State (1998-99)
457 - *Cliff Levingston, Wichita State (1979-80)
442 - *Antoine Carr, Wichita State (1979-80)
440 - *Kent Williams, Southern Illinois (1999-00)
439 - *Hersey Hawkins, Bradley (1984-85)
435 - Colt Ryan, Evansville (2009-10)
434 - Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois (2019-20)
429 - Eddie Bird, Indiana State (1987-88 )
428 - Rayvonte Rice, Drake (2010-11)
423 - Tucker DeVries, Drake (2021-22)
421 - Rodney Buford, Creighton (1995-96)
*MVC Hall of Famer
Green Climbs the Ladder
AJ Green of UNI became just the 49th player in the league’s 115-year history to reach 1,700 career points as he enters Arch Madness with 1,702. He’s the 7th player in UNI basketball history to reach 1,700 for a career and needs 12 points to pass Bill McCoy (1969-73) on UNI’s all-time list. Only two other Panthers (1,787, Ben Jacobson, 2002-06) (1,747, Seth Tuttle, 2011-15) have scored more points than Green since the Panthers joined the Missouri Valley. He extended his career record for consecutive made free throws to 48 on Saturday against Loyola, before having the streak snapped in the second half. Green’s streak is tied for the 5th-longest in MVC history.
Consecutive Free Throws Made, MVC History
60 - Blake Ahearn, Missouri State (12/20/03 - 2/14/04)
60 - Blake Ahearn, Missouri State (12/19/04 - 2/28/05)
57 - Vince Greene, Illinois State (1/18/04 - 11/30/04)
51 - Blake Ahearn, Missouri State (12/15/05 - 1/29/06)
48 - Marcus Wilson, Evansville (12/1/96 - 2/2/97)
48 - AJ Green, UNI (1/22/22 - 2/26/22)
44 - AJ Green, UNI (12/22/19 - 1/22/20)
44 - James Gillingham, Bradley (2/8/03 - 2/25/03)
Penn -- All-Time Leader
Roman Penn is the all-time leader for Drake in career assists with 414 heading into the State Farm MVC Tournament.
Mosley in Rare Company?
Only two players in the past 30 seasons (since 1992-93) have shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range, 90 percent from the stripe, while averaging 20.0 points or better. Missouri State’s Isiaih Mosley could be the third to do it.
Double Trouble
Missouri State’s Gaige Prim leads the Missouri Valley Conference with 10 double-doubles this season. Prim led the MVC with eight in 2020-21.
10 - Gaige Prim, Missouri State
8 - Rienk Mast, Bradley
6 - Garrett Sturtz, Drake
4 - Isiaih Mosley, Missouri State
3 - Sy Chatman, Illinois State
3 - Thomas Kithier, Valparaiso
Defensive Minded
On Saturday, Bradley led Valparaiso, 34-13, at the half. The 13 first-half points allowed by the Braves are the team’s fewest in a half since surrendering 12 in the second stanza versus Eureka on Dec. 18, 2014 and the fewest against a Division I school since allowing 13 in the first half against Tennessee Martin on Nov. 21, 1998. The Beacons rebounded in the second half with 42 points in a 79-55 victory. Notably, five league teams have been held under 45 points in a Conference game this season.
Fewest Points in an MVC Game This Season
31 -- Evansville at Loyola (02-23-22)
39 -- Southern Illinois vs Loyola (01-27-22)
41 -- Evansville vs Bradley (02-05-22)
44 -- Loyola at Southern Illinois (01-27-22)
44 -- Southern Illinois at UNI (02-09-22)
Three MVC men’s basketball teams have reached 20 victories. It marks only the second time since 2010 that three MVC teams entered Arch Madness with 20+ wins.
Three Teams w/20+ Wins at Arch Madness
1994 -- Bradley#, Southern Illinois*, Tulsa*
2000 -- Creighton*, Indiana State*, MSU#
2004 -- Creighton#, S. Illinois*, Wichita State#
2005 -- Creighton*, UNI*, Southern Illinois*
2006 -- Missouri State#, UNI*, Wichita State*
2007 -- Bradley#, Missouri State#, S. Illinois*
2008 -- Creighton#, Drake*, Southern Illinois#
2009 -- Creighton#, Illinois State#, UNI*
2010 -- Illinois State#, UNI*, Wichita State#
2020 -- Bradley, Loyola, UNI (COVID, no post-season)
2022 -- Drake, Loyola, Missouri State
*denotes NCAA; #denotes NIT
Down to the Wire
One game separated the top four teams in the standings as UNI earned sole possession of the regular-season title (14-4), while Drake, Loyola, and Missouri State tied for second place with 13-5 marks. In the league’s 115-year history, four teams have finished within a single game of each other just four times:
Seasons w/4 MVC Teams within 1 game of 1st
1971 -- DU/UofL/SLU (9-5), Memphis/Tulsa (8-6)
1977 -- SIU/NMSU (8-4), Wichita St./WTSU (7-5)
1990 -- SIU (10-4), Creighton, ILS, Tulsa (all at 9-5)
2022 -- UNI (14-4), Drake, Loyola, MSU (all 13-5)
Winner Take All
UNI earned the MVC’s regular-season title and the top seed for the 2022 State Farm MVC Tournament after defeating Loyola on Saturday, Feb. 26, with a 102-96 overtime win in Cedar Falls, Iowa. In the past 40 seasons (since 1982-83), only five times has the conference regular-season title been decided on the final day of the season with two contenders facing one another.
Most Recent MVC “Winner Take All”
3-2-85 -- Tulsa (11-4), Illinois State (11-4), Wichita State (11-4) – Tulsa faced and beat Wichita State; Illinois State lost at Bradley
2-26-11 -- Missouri St. (14-3) beat Wichita St. (14-3), 3-2-13 -- Creighton (12-5) beat Wichita State (12-5)
2-28-15 -- Wichita State (16-1) beat UNI (16-1)
2-26-22 -- UNI (13-4) beat Loyola (13-4)
No. 1 Seed “Success”
Counting 2021, the top-seeded team at the State Farm MVC Tournament has won the tournament 17 times in 45 tries, and it has happened only 10 times in the 31-year history in St. Louis.
History of Top Seed in STL
In 31 MVC Tournaments in St. Louis, the No. 1 tournament seed has:
10 - Won the Tournament
11 - Lost in the Semifinals
9 - Lost in the Championship Game
1 - Lost its first game
Tournament Titles, By Team
12 -- Creighton
5 -- UNI, Southern Illinois
4 -- Bradley, Illinois State, Tulsa, Wichita State
3 -- Indiana State
2 -- Loyola
1 -- Drake, Missouri State
Good News for Champs?
In the 45 seasons the league has conducted a post-season tournament (from 1977 through last year), there have been 52 regular-season champions (outright or shared). Forty of those 52 teams earned either the AQ or an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament (not counting the canceled 2020 NCAA Tournament).
Top Two Seeds = Semifinals
In the 31 previous MVC Tournaments played in St. Louis, the top two seeds have a combined 59-3 record in their first tournament games. In 2020, the top two seeds (UNI and Loyola) lost their first games. Third-seeded Indiana State also lost its first game that year, marking the first time in the history of the tournament that the top three seeds all lost their first games. Last year the top two seeds (Loyola and Drake) played each other in the title game.
Three Peat
In league history, only Southern Illinois (1993-94-95) has won three-straight conference tourneys. Only eight teams have won back-to-back conference tournament titles.
Best Pole Position?
Forty of 45 previous MVC tournament champions were seeded 1, 2, or 3. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have had the most success, combining for 33 titles.
MVC Tournament Titles By Seed
1 -- 17 (last: Loyola in 2021) 10 in St. Louis
2 -- 16 (last: Wichita State in 2017) 10 in St. Louis
3 -- 7 (last: Indiana State in 2011) 6 in St. Louis
4 -- 3 (last: Bradley in 2020)
5 -- 2 (last: Bradley in 2019)
Close Calls
The MVC played 90 Conference games in 2021-22. According to KenPom, the league’s 27 one-score (three points or less or overtime game) contests in 90 total league games (30%) is fourth-most in the nation. The 27 “close” games in league play is the most in the MVC in at least the last 20 seasons.
Working Overtime
Conference schools combined to play 13 overtime games in league play -- the most in at least the past 50 years (since 1972-73). The league has played a combined total of 19 overtime games (overall), which matches the most in the past 50 seasons in the MVC. A total of 36 MVC games were decided by five points or less (or went into overtime).
Closest Tournaments?
In the 45 previous years of the MVC Tournament, there have been only two tournaments in which all games were decided by 10 points or fewer (1979 and 1999). In 1999, the average score differential in the nine games was only 4.56. It remains the only MVC Tournament with two overtime games. In 2021, only two of eight games played were decided by fewer than 10 points.
How Sweep It Is
Last year, five matchups at the State Farm MVC Tournament paired teams against one another that were involved in a regular-season sweep. The team that won the first two games also won the tournament game last year. Two matchups in this year’s tournament’s first six games features two teams that split their regular-season series (ILS-INS & LUC-BU).
We Meet Again?
In the 31-year history of the tournament in St. Louis, teams have played a regular-season finale and then met in both teams’ first game of the State Farm MVC Tournament 17 times. In the 17 previous occurrences, the team that has won the regular-season finale won the rematch 12 times, including each of the last five. There are two instances this year in which a first-game pairing is a repeat of the regular-season finale for both teams.
2021 Tournament Recap
Loyola breezed through the tournament last year, winning each of its games by 10 or more points. The Ramblers outlasted No. 2 seed Drake in the title game, 75-65.
G1 -- #9 Southern Illinois 73, #8 Bradley 63
G2 -- #7 UNI 65, #10 Illinois State 60
G3 -- #1 Loyola 73, Southern Illinois 49
G4 -- #4 Indiana State 53, Evansville 43
G5 -- #2 Drake vs. UNI (no contest, COVID)
G6 -- #3 Missouri State 66, #6 Valparaiso 55
G7 -- Loyola 65, Indiana State 49
G8 -- Drake 71, Missouri State 69
G9 -- Loyola 75, Drake 65
Title Game Appearances
13 -- Creighton, Illinois State
10 -- Southern Illinois
9 -- Tulsa
8 -- Bradley, Missouri State
7 -- UNI, Wichita State
5 -- Indiana State
2 -- Drake, Evansville, Loyola, West Texas State
1 -- New Mexico State, Valparaiso
Most Consecutive Title Games
5 -- Tulsa (1982-87)
3 -- Southern Illinois (1993-95)
2 -- 18x, most recently Bradley (2019, 2020)
Semifinal Game Appearances
24 -- Illinois State
21 -- Wichita State
20 -- Bradley, Creighton, Southern Illinois
18 -- Missouri State
13 -- Tulsa
10 -- Indiana State, UNI
8 -- Drake
4 -- Loyola
3 -- Evansville
2 -- New Mexico State, West Texas State
1 -- Valparaiso
Most Consecutive Semifinals
8 -- Wichita State (2010-17)
7 -- Southern Illinois (1989-95); Tulsa (1981-87)
6 -- Southern Illinois (2002-07); Bradley (1994-99)
5 -- Creighton (1999-2003); Missouri State (1996-00); Illinois State (1986-90)
NCAA Tournament Success
Notably, MVC teams are now 12-1 in their first game in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 2012. The league has now combined for 20 wins in the NCAA Tournament in the past eight NCAA championships and has earned multiple bids 16 times since 1994. Since 2010, The Valley has had two Final Four appearances – that’s the same as the Pac-12.
Sweet 16 Trips
In the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Loyola reached the Sweet 16, and Drake also won its first tournament game. In the Second Round, Loyola knocked off top-seeded Illinois to reach the Sweet 16, marking the 12th Sweet 16 appearance for an MVC member since 1985, which includes four in the past nine seasons.
Worst Friday Pole Position?
The sixth-seeded teams have gone a combined 10-31 in tournament games in St. Louis. Since the league expanded to its current 10-team format in 1997, only one No. 6 seed (UNI in 2019) has won two games (i.e. reached the finals).
Avoiding the Opening Round
Only 46 times in NCAA history has a team won four (or more) games to win its conference post-season tournament title. It’s not happened in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Young Guns
Two MVC men’s basketball coaches rank among the youngest in Division I this season, including Drew Valentine of Loyola (1) and Bryan Mullins of SIU (4).
Alma Mater Coaches
One MVC coach is leading his alma mater (Bryan Mullins at SIU). Three other MVC coaches played at another MVC school (Dana Ford of Missouri State played at Illinois State, Darian DeVries of Drake played at UNI, and Illinois State’s Brian Jones also played at UNI). In MVC history, there have been eight head coaches to lead their alma maters.
Jake Now Ranks Third
UNI’s Ben Jacobson is the third winningest MVC coach in conference-only games. Henry Iba (Oklahoma State) leads the MVC with 187 conference wins, while former Creighton coach Dana Altman is second with 182, and Jacobson is third with 174.
187 -- Henry P. Iba, Oklahoma State (1934-57)
182 -- Dana Altman, Creighton (1994-10)
174 -- Ben Jacobson, UNI (2006-present)
163 -- Eddie Hickey, Creighton/SLU (1935-43; 1946-58 )
155 -- Barry Hinson, MSU/SIU (1999-08; 2012-19)
Other MVC Coaching Tidbits
• Only MVC coach to win MVC Tournament as a player and coach: Chris Lowery (SIU/SIU), Porter Moser (CU/LUC)
• Only MVC coaches to win MVC Tournament as a player and reach title game as a coach: Chris Lowery (SIU), Dan Muller (ILS), Porter Moser (CU/LUC)
• Only MVC coaches to reach title game of MVC Tournament as a player and coach: Chris Lowery (SIU), Dan Muller (ILS), Jim Les (BRAD), Porter Moser (CU/LUC)
• Only MVC coaches to win MVC Tournament as a player and later become head coach for a team in the MVC: Chris Lowery (SIU/SIU), Paul Lusk (SIU/MSU), Porter Moser (CU/ILS-LUC), Dan Muller (ILS/ILS), Kevin McKenna (CU/INS), Bryan Mullins (SIU/SIU)
MVC Coaches, By Tourney Trips (counting 2022)
16 - Barry Hinson, Missouri St. (9)/SIU (7)
16 - Ben Jacobson, UNI
14 - Dana Altman, Creighton
12 - Porter Moser, Illinois State (4)/Loyola (8 )
11 - Rich Herrin, Southern Illinois
11 - Marty Simmons, Evansville
11 - Greg Lansing, Indiana State
10 - Jim Molinari, Bradley
10 - Royce Waltman, Indiana State
NCAA Tourney - Power Play
Since 1994, The Valley has compiled a solid record vs. the “Power 6” conferences in the NCAA. Since 1994, an MVC member has beaten the following teams from power conferences in the NCAA Tournament: Alabama, Arizona, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois (twice), Indiana, Kansas (three times), K-State, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh (twice), Seton Hall, Tennessee (four times), Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin. MVC teams are a combined 42-48 in the NCAA Tournament since 1994 (with 12 Sweet 16 trips and two Final Fours). Notably, 31 of the 42 wins in that span have been vs. power conference schools (BCS football leagues and the Big East).
How Sweet It Is
Four of the league’s current 10 members have advanced to a Final Four as an MVC member (Bradley, Drake, Indiana State and Loyola). An MVC team has reached a Sweet 16 a total of 12 times since 1985. In league history, 18 teams have reached the NCAA Final Four, and the MVC owns four national titles.
Nothing But NET
Since 1990-91, 53 MVC teams have been rated in the Top 50 of the NET (previously the RPI) on Selection Sunday, and 39 have been selected for the NCAA Tournament (the other 14 earned an NIT bid.) Missouri State (21 RPI in 2006) remains the highest metric-rated team to be excluded. Here are the 14 MVC teams with top-50 RPIs who were not selected for the NCAAs (12 of the 14 have occurred since 2005).
Year -- Team (RPI/NET on Selection Sunday)
1997 -- Missouri State (42)
2000 -- Missouri State (34)
2005 -- Wichita State (45)
2006 -- Missouri State (21), Creighton (39)
2007 -- Missouri State (36), Bradley (37)
2008 -- Illinois State (33), Creighton (46)
2009 -- Creighton (40), Illinois State (47)
2010 -- Wichita State (43)
2011 -- Missouri State (43)
2017 -- Illinois State (33)
MVC in the Metrics
The Missouri Valley Conference is No. 11 in both the KenPom and in the NET (through games of Feb. 26). Five MVC teams (Loyola, Missouri State, Drake, Bradley, and UNI) are in the Top 100 in KenPom and the same five are in the Top 100 of the NET. Last year, three league schools ranked in the Top 100 of the NET rankings, and the MVC had four teams in the Top 150.
Home Cooking
Through games of Dec. 5, MVC men’s basketball teams had a 25-11 home record in non-conference play. Since then, MVC teams are 23-1 at home to lift the full-season non-conference home record to 48-12. Last season, Valley schools posted a 34-2 home record in non-league games, and the MVC was 55-6 at home the year prior. The league’s 54-36 (.600) home record in league play ranks seventh-best among conferences.
Top-25 History
Loyola earned spots in both the Associated Press (22) and Loyola Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll, powered by USA TODAY Sports (24), on Feb. 17. Loyola’s top-25 ranking this year gives the league at least one ranked team in nine of the past 11 seasons. The Ramblers were ranked No. 22 when Missouri State snapped their 30-game win streak at Gentile in January.
Defending the Shot
Since 2010, all but two teams that have led the MVC in FG percentage defense have earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. (Loyola was third in the MVC in that statistic in 2018 and represented the league in the NCAAs; last year Missouri State led the league and failed to earn a post-season berth.) Bradley’s current 40.3 percent figure leads the MVC and ranks 34th nationally.
Hitting Their Shots
Loyola has led the league in FG percentage five-straight seasons. No other MVC program since the league began keeping FG percentage records in 1964 had done it more than three-straight seasons. Loyola is doing it again, hitting on 49.0 percent of its shots to lead the MVC and rank No. 8 in the NCAA.
At the Line
As a team, Missouri State leads the MVC with its 79.5 accuracy rate from the stripe - the best on record in the MVC (since 1964). Wichita State, in 1967, holds the league standard, at 78.8. The Bears rank 6th nationally in FT shooting; UNI ranks 9th at 78.8. Missouri State’s Isiaih Mosley leads the league and ranks 7th nationally in free throw percentage (90.9). AJ Green of UNI is right behind (90.8, 8th). Only a handful of MVC players this century have hit at 90 percent or better for an entire season (minimum 2.0 made per game).
Leading the League
UNI led the MVC in league-only offense, averaging 77.5 points per game. Since joining the Valley for the 1991-92 season, UNI has only led the MVC in conference-only game scoring offense three previous times (1996, 2014, 2020). The top four teams in the MVC race were also the top four in the MVC in league-only offense.
Twice for 40
Isiaih Mosley of Missouri State is the first MVC player to hit 40 twice in the same season since National Player of the Year Hersey Hawkins of Bradley did it nine times in 1987-88. Notably, since 1974-75 only seven MVC players have accomplished that feat (two did it twice).
MVC Players to Hit 40 2x in Same Year (since 1975)
Isiaih Mosley, Missouri State, 2021-22
$#Hersey Hawkins, Bradley, 1987-88
$#Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State, 1984-85
Benoit Benjamin, Creighton, 1984-85
$Lewis Lloyd, Drake, 1980-81 and in 1979-80
$#Larry Bird, Indiana State, 1978-79 and in 1977-78
$#Roger Phegley, Bradley, 1976-77
&MVC Hall of Fame; #Number Retired by School
DeVries Just One of Five
Freshman Tucker DeVries of Drake is one of just five first-year freshmen in NCAA DI to have reached 400 points (423) and 65 three-pointers (65) this year. He leads Drake in both categories this season.
Top Scoring Freshmen, MVC History
581 - Doug McDermott, Creighton (2010-11)
555 - *Cleo Littleton, Wichita State (1951-52)
545 - *Mitchell Anderson, Bradley (1978-79)
520 - John S. Williams, Indiana State (1982-83)
509 - AJ Green, UNI (2018-19)
478 - Milton Doyle, Loyola (2013-14)
470 - Shea Seals, Tulsa (1993-94)
465 - Tarise Bryson, Illinois State (1998-99)
457 - *Cliff Levingston, Wichita State (1979-80)
442 - *Antoine Carr, Wichita State (1979-80)
440 - *Kent Williams, Southern Illinois (1999-00)
439 - *Hersey Hawkins, Bradley (1984-85)
435 - Colt Ryan, Evansville (2009-10)
434 - Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois (2019-20)
429 - Eddie Bird, Indiana State (1987-88 )
428 - Rayvonte Rice, Drake (2010-11)
423 - Tucker DeVries, Drake (2021-22)
421 - Rodney Buford, Creighton (1995-96)
*MVC Hall of Famer
Green Climbs the Ladder
AJ Green of UNI became just the 49th player in the league’s 115-year history to reach 1,700 career points as he enters Arch Madness with 1,702. He’s the 7th player in UNI basketball history to reach 1,700 for a career and needs 12 points to pass Bill McCoy (1969-73) on UNI’s all-time list. Only two other Panthers (1,787, Ben Jacobson, 2002-06) (1,747, Seth Tuttle, 2011-15) have scored more points than Green since the Panthers joined the Missouri Valley. He extended his career record for consecutive made free throws to 48 on Saturday against Loyola, before having the streak snapped in the second half. Green’s streak is tied for the 5th-longest in MVC history.
Consecutive Free Throws Made, MVC History
60 - Blake Ahearn, Missouri State (12/20/03 - 2/14/04)
60 - Blake Ahearn, Missouri State (12/19/04 - 2/28/05)
57 - Vince Greene, Illinois State (1/18/04 - 11/30/04)
51 - Blake Ahearn, Missouri State (12/15/05 - 1/29/06)
48 - Marcus Wilson, Evansville (12/1/96 - 2/2/97)
48 - AJ Green, UNI (1/22/22 - 2/26/22)
44 - AJ Green, UNI (12/22/19 - 1/22/20)
44 - James Gillingham, Bradley (2/8/03 - 2/25/03)
Penn -- All-Time Leader
Roman Penn is the all-time leader for Drake in career assists with 414 heading into the State Farm MVC Tournament.
Mosley in Rare Company?
Only two players in the past 30 seasons (since 1992-93) have shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range, 90 percent from the stripe, while averaging 20.0 points or better. Missouri State’s Isiaih Mosley could be the third to do it.
Double Trouble
Missouri State’s Gaige Prim leads the Missouri Valley Conference with 10 double-doubles this season. Prim led the MVC with eight in 2020-21.
10 - Gaige Prim, Missouri State
8 - Rienk Mast, Bradley
6 - Garrett Sturtz, Drake
4 - Isiaih Mosley, Missouri State
3 - Sy Chatman, Illinois State
3 - Thomas Kithier, Valparaiso
Defensive Minded
On Saturday, Bradley led Valparaiso, 34-13, at the half. The 13 first-half points allowed by the Braves are the team’s fewest in a half since surrendering 12 in the second stanza versus Eureka on Dec. 18, 2014 and the fewest against a Division I school since allowing 13 in the first half against Tennessee Martin on Nov. 21, 1998. The Beacons rebounded in the second half with 42 points in a 79-55 victory. Notably, five league teams have been held under 45 points in a Conference game this season.
Fewest Points in an MVC Game This Season
31 -- Evansville at Loyola (02-23-22)
39 -- Southern Illinois vs Loyola (01-27-22)
41 -- Evansville vs Bradley (02-05-22)
44 -- Loyola at Southern Illinois (01-27-22)
44 -- Southern Illinois at UNI (02-09-22)