Mountain West/MVC Challenge Series gets underway Tuesday, with 10 games over the next five days.  The leagues have split the series in each of the past two seasons.

Weekly MVC MBB Notebook (PDF)

MVC Player of the Week
Elijah Childs, Bradley
6-7, 225, So., Fwd., Kansas City (Mo.) Lee’s Summit West
Childs led the Braves to a 3-0 week, averaging 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks, while shooting 62.9 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from 3-point range (4-of-8). Named the MVP of the Cancun Challenge, Childs averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 boards in wins against SMU and Penn State as he helped lead Bradley to its first regular-season tournament title in 35 years. The sophomore collected career-best totals of 21 points and 12 rebounds versus the Mustangs before adding 18 points (13 in the second half) in the title game versus Nittany Lions. He also added his second double-double of the week with 12 points and 11 boards versus Chicago State on Saturday.

MVC Newcomer of the Week
Eric McGill, Southern Illinois
6-2, 175, Jr., Gd., Memphis (Tenn.) Panola College
McGill averaged 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals for Southern Illinois last week. Coming back from an injury, McGill led SIU in scoring in each of the team’s two games at the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational. He needed only 14 shots and 44 minutes to pile up his 32 points, shooting an efficient 8-for-14 (57 percent) from the field and 4-for-5 (80 percent) from the 3-point line. He scored a career-high 18 points in only 18 minutes against UMass. Against Tulsa, the 6-2 guard impressively led all players in rebounds (6) in addition to his team-high 14 points.


Tough Schedules
In 2018-19, MVC men’s basketball has 18 games against Power opponents (the five FBS leagues and the Big East).  The league also plays more than 40 games against  top opponents from non-Power leagues (teams picked 1-4 in their conference’s pre-season rankings).  The Conference has only suffered two losses (of its 22 total) to a team not among this collection of teams.

Home Cooking
The league has started the 2018-19 season with an 24-2 record in its home non-conference games. Last year the MVC was 54-7 against non-conference teams at home.  SIU hosts Howard on Monday.  Of the 20 non-league games scheduled this week, nine are at home, nine are on the road, and two are on neutral courts.

MVC vs. the Top 25
Last season, Loyola won at No. 5 Florida (12/6/18), marking the ninth-straight season the MVC has had at least one non-conference top-25 victory.  In four of the last six years, the league has had regular-season top-25 wins by multiple MVC schools.  Loyola’s top-5 win marked the 31st top-5 non-league win in MVC history, but marked the first top-5 non-league win on the road since Dec. 6, 1967 (exactly 50 years), when then-MVC member Louisville beat No. 5 Kansas, 57-51.  The MVC was 4-7 against top-25 schools last season, with all four wins by Loyola (Florida, Miami (Fla.), Tennessee and Nevada).  The league is 0-3 against Top-25 schools so far this year.

Welcome to Our House
Loyola hosts #5 Nevada on Tuesday.  Since Gentile Arena opened in 1996, Loyola has hosted just three other top 10 teams - No. 2 Michigan State in 2000-01, No. 5 Kansas State in 2010-11 and No. 3 Wichita State in 2013-14.  Loyola was not an MVC member when it hosted Michigan State or K-State.  Notably MVC schools have hosted three Top 10 (AP) non-conference teams this decade.

MVC Non-Conf. Home vs. Top 10 (this decade)
12/1/12 -- #3 Michigan at Bradley, L, 74-66
11/21/15 -- #1 North Carolina at UNI, W, 71-67
12/22/17 -- #9 Xavier at UNI, L, 77-67
That list only includes non-Conference games – Wichita State was ranked in the Top 10 and played at MVC sites in 2014.  UNI was also ranked No. 10 for a Wichita State home game in Feb. 2015.

A Helping Hand
Against West Virginia, Valpo’s Deion dished out his 10 assists in 33 minutes while not committing a single turnover. He becomes the first Valpo player to tally at least 10 assists without a turnover since Bryce Drew finished with 11 assists and zero turnovers in a Jan. 8, 1997, win over Buffalo.  Eight MVC players have accomplished that feat this decade.

Mountain Men
In 2017-18, for the second-straight year, the Mountain West and Missouri Valley Conference split the Challenge Series with a 5-5 tie.  Notably, the home team has won all 10 games in each of the past two seasons.  This is the final year of the current four-year agreement.  Additional information on Page 33 of the MVC Men’s Basketball Media Guide.

2017 CHALLENGE RESULTS (Tied, 5-5)
2016 CHALLENGE RESULTS (Tied, 5-5)
2015 CHALLENGE RESULTS (MW won, 6-4)
2012 CHALLENGE RESULTS (MW won, 6-3)
2011 CHALLENGE RESULTS (Tied, 4-4)
2010 CHALLENGE RESULTS (MW won, 8-1)
2009 CHALLENGE RESULTS (MVC, 5-4)

MVC RECORDS IN THE SERIES (27-38)
Bradley: 0-6 (Streak: Lost 6 in a row)
Drake: 2-5 (Streak (Lost 3 in a row)
Evansville: 2-4 (Lost 1 in a row)
Illinois State: 2-4 (Lost 1 in a row)
Indiana State: 4-3 (Won 3 in a row)
Loyola: 1-2 (Lost 1 in a row)
Missouri State: 2-4 (Won 1 in a row)
UNI: 4-3 (Won 1 in a row)
Southern Illinois: 3-3 (Won 1 in a row)
Valparaiso: 1-0 (Won 1 in a row)
Creighton: 1-3 (now a member of the Big East)
Wichita State: 5-1 (now a member of the AAC)

Tough Go From the Field = W
Drake is one of just three schools to win a road game this year while shooting 37.5 percent (or worse) from the field.  The Bulldogs’ .352 figure at UMKC is the lowest FG percentage figure from a team that won a road game this year.

Braves Make FTs in Win
In the victory against Chicago State, Bradley made 17-of-18 free throws – its 94.4 percent is the team’s highest since hitting 96.4 against Creighton in 2010.  

KenPom Rankings
Loyola Chicago leads the MVC and ranks 39th in KenPom’s defensive efficiency ratings.  The Ramblers are the top-rated MVC team in KenPom (68th), and the league ranks No. 11 overall in the conference ratings.  The league was 9th at season’s end in KenPom last year.

KenPom Rankings II
A pair of MVC players rank in the top 8 of KenPom for effective field goal percentage.  SIU’s Marcus Bartley is 4th (81.4 percent), while LUC’s Cameron Krutwig is 8th (80.0).  Effective FG percentage is computed from (FGM + 0.5*3PM)/FGA. This differs from conventional field goal percentage by taking into account the extra value of a made 3-pointer.

2 for 40 Points a Game?
Indiana State’s Jordan Barnes and Tyreke Key are combining to average 39.6 points per game.  The last MVC duo to average 40+ per game for a whole season was Randy Blocker and Cam Johnson of UNI (1993-94).

Tourney Fun
Bradley claimed their first regular-season tournament championship in 35 years (1983 River City Shootout) with their crown at the Cancun Challenge this past week.  All 10 league teams are participating in a multi-team event (MTE).

Making an Impact
Several newcomers to the league are making an impact in various statistical categories.  Four first-year Valley players are in the Top 12 in scoring; five are in the Top 10 in assists per game.  Valpo’s Deion Lavender leads the league in assists (5.8), although he’s technically not a newcomer having played as a freshman at Southern Illinois.  SIU’s Eric McGill is also listed among the newcomers despite participating in 10 games last year (he was awarded a medical hardship and didn’t lose a year of eligibility).

NCAA First Installment N.E.T.
The NCAA Evaluation Tool (N.E.T.) was released for the first time Monday.  Bradley has the highest metric in the first released N.E.T., clocking in at No. 87.  The Braves’ lone loss this season was to a Quadrant 1 team (UIC) on the road.

Playing Some ‘D’
Loyola and Bradley rank 1-2 in scoring defense in the MVC and both are among the national leaders.  Coincidentally, each is among the national leaders in steals per game, too.

Long Range Bombers
Indiana State leads the NCAA in 3FG percentage, connecting on 48.3 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc.  Southern Illinois and Evansville have also been efficient from long range and rank in the Top 40 nationally.

Making Shots
Three MVC players are in the Top 45 nationally for field goal percentage accuracy, led by Loyola’s Cameron Krutwig, who ranks No. 2 at 80.0 percent.  Marcus Bartley of Southern Illinois leads the MVC and ranks No. 7 nationally in 3FG percentage.

Crashing the Glass
Elijah Childs of Bradley leads the league in rebounding and ranks No. 68 nationally, averaging 8.9 caroms per game.  Childs leads all MVC players, averaging 2.9 offensive rebounds per game, while Yarbrough tops the league in defensive rebounds (7.0 per game).