Mid-Term Grades
Since 1991-92, all 37 MVC teams in the lead (or co-lead) at the break have reached post-season play.  The last Valley mid-season leader to not reach the post-season was Tulsa, in 1992.  Since then, mid-year leaders Bradley (1994 & 1999), Illinois State (1996 & 2017), Wichita State (2005), Creighton (2006), and Missouri State (2011) played in the NIT, while the other 30 mid-way leaders reached the NCAA Tournament.  Loyola will either be in a first-place tie (with a loss on Wednesday vs. UNI) or in sole possession of first place (with a win vs. the Panthers).

MVC MBB Weekly Notes (PDF)

MVC Player of the Week
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Keandre Cook, Missouri State
6-5, 183, Jr., Gd., Baltimore, Md.
Edmondson-Westside [Odessa College]
Cook helped the Bears to a 2-0 home stand last week with game highs in scoring and rebounding in both contests while averaging 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. He also led the charge in a resurgent MSU defense that allowed just 36.0 points per game on the week. Cook scored 21 points and snagged 8 rebounds in the Bears’ win over Loyola on Wednesday, converting 8-of-12 field goals and 5-of-8 from 3-point range in a thrilling home win. He followed that with a double-double in Saturday’s win over Bradley, notching 16 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals. He also tallied 14 defensive rebounds and converted 7 three-pointers on the week.
A total of 20 players in league history have swept Player and Newcomer honors in the same week, including four this year.   The MVC began awarding a Newcomer of the Week during the 2003-04 season.

Rookie Coaches
In the league’s previous 111 seasons, a total of 15 coaches in their first years with an MVC team won 22 or more games.  Darian DeVries of Drake has 16 wins in the Bulldogs’ first 21 contests.  Ten regular-season games, the State Farm MVC Tournament and potential post-season games remain.  Bill Hodges established the league record for wins by a rookie coach, winning 33 games with Indiana State’s 1979 Final Four team.  A total of 19 MVC coaches won the league in their rookie season, but it’s only happened three times since Hodges won the league with ISU in 1979.

Bears’ Defense Shines
After the Bears defeated Loyola Chicago, 70-35, on Jan. 23, 2019, Missouri State became just the second MVC team in the shot clock era (1985-86 - present) to hold back-to-back conference foes to 37 points or less, after the Bears beat Bradley on Jan. 26, 55-37.  Illinois State also did so during the 1985-86 season.  The Redbirds held Creighton to 34 points and West Texas State to just 32 points in back-to-back contests (1-13-86/1-18-86).

Margin Call
Loyola has been involved in two league games with a 35-point margin this year, beating Indiana State, 79-44, and losing to Missouri State, 70-35.  Since the advent of the 3-point shot (1986-87), there have been 30 league games decided by 35 or more points.  Loyola is the first school to be on both sides (a win and a loss) in the same season.  Only one league team has lost a league game by 35 points and went on to win the league (Illinois State lost to Wichita State by 41 points in 2016-17 and shared the title with WSU.)

Worst to First
Valpo finished in last place in the league last year (6-12 record).      In 111 years of MVC basketball, only 28 teams have gone from the worst position (last place or tied for last) to an upper division finish the following year.   Only four of those 28 went from worst to first.  Of the four, only Bradley earned an outright title, going from 3-13 in 1978-99 to an outright championship in 1979-80 (13-3).

Cardiac Kids
Southern Illinois rallied from 21 points down to defeat UNI on Wednesday.  The comeback matches the 5th-best all-time in MVC history.  Notably, coach Barry Hinson has been a part of three of the top seven comebacks.  His Missouri State team rallied from 23 down to beat SIU at the 2005 MVC Tournament, and his MSU squad in 2007-08 rallied at Winthrop after trailing by 22 points.

Shooting a Key for Loyola
Loyola leads the MVC in FG percentage (50.0 percent). Notably, when the Ramblers shoot well, they win.  Loyola has hit 50.0 percent or better in a league-high 13 games this year (all wins).  The Ramblers are 0-8 when they don’t shoot 50 percent.  The Ramblers have hit 50 percent or better 37 times over the past two seasons.  The Ramblers are connecting on 57.4 percent (366-for-638) of their field goal attempts and 43.6 percent (99-for-227) of their shots from long distance, in their 13 wins. However, in eight losses, Loyola is shooting just 38.3 percent (155-for-405) from the field and 24.3 percent (33-for-136) from three-point territory. 

More on Rambler Shooting
Loyola leads the nation with a 57.4 percentage in games that it has won.  The Ramblers’ 51.5 percent figure in league play this year is the third best since the advent of the three-point shot (1986-87).  The Ramblers shot 50.9 percent in league play last year.

Home Cooking
 With a 75-50 victory over Southern Illinois, Loyola ran its home-court winning streak in Valley play to 11 games. The Ramblers last loss in conference play at Gentile Arena was a 61-57 setback on January 3, 2018. The last time Loyola won 11 straight home league games was February 1, 1984 through February 8, 1986, when it came out on the positive end of 12 consecutive home conference decisions.

Most Experienced Rosters
According to data compiled by KenPom, two MVC schools rank among the Top 20 nationally for ‘most experienced’ rosters.  Southern Illinois ranks 13th on the list, while Illinois State ranks 20th.  Missouri State (26) and Bradley (86) also are in the Top 100.

Making an Impact
Several newcomers to the league are making an impact in various statistical categories.  Notably, the top three in the league in assists and steals are all new to their programs.

Streaking
Valparaiso visits Evansville on Saturday, Feb. 2, looking to snap its 21-game losing streak there.  The Crusaders are looking for their first win in Evansville since Gene Bartow led the 1968-69 Valpo squad to a 101-95 road win.

Winning with Defense
Since 2010, every team but one that has led the MVC in field goal percentage defense has earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament.  (Loyola was third in the MVC in that statistic last year.)  Notably, in the past 14 seasons, the MVC leader in team defense (PPG allowed in league-only games) has reached the NCAA Tournament 10 times and the NIT three times.  Loyola led the league in scoring defense last year (61.6 ppg allowed in league games).  UNI, in 2013, was the only MVC leader in that stat category to fail to reach post-season play.

On the MVC Road
MVC teams won 13 of the league’s first 30 road games (13-17), but only Drake won on the road last week, giving the MVC a combined 14-26 record in league road games this year.  Not surprisingly, since 1996-97 (22 previous seasons) the league team with the best road record in MVC play has won the league every year but one (in 2011 Wichita State was 8-1 on the road in MVC games and finished second to Missouri State.  The Bears were 7-2 on the road that year.)
Notably, league teams were just 28-62 on the road in MVC play last year.  Four teams (Drake, Loyola, Missouri State and Valparaiso) are 2-2 this year.  Loyola led the league with a 7-2 road record in MVC play last year.  An MVC champ has won six or more league road games in 18 of the past 22 seasons.