ESPN has selected the Bradley at Loyola men’s basketball game for distribution on ESPN2 on Saturday, March 2.   The game will tip at 5 p.m. CT.   And CBS has selected the Illinois State at Southern Illinois men’s basketball game for distribution on CBS Sports Network on Saturday, March 2, with a 1 p.m. CT air time.  The games were previously listed as TBD on the MVC schedule.

Saturday, March 2
Evansville @ Valparaiso (ESPN+) – 1 p.m. CT
UNI @ Indiana State (ESPN+) – 1 p.m. CT
Illinois State @ Southern Illinois (CBS Sports Network) - 1 p.m. CT
Drake @ Missouri State (ESPN+) – 2 p.m. CT
Bradley @ Loyola (ESPN2) - 5 p.m. CT

Loyola (9-3 in MVC play) enters the final six games of the conference season with a two-game lead over Drake, Illinois State and Missouri State (all 7-5).  The Ramblers have yet to face Bradley this season.  Last year, Bradley defeaed the Ramblers in Peoria, 69-67, on Jan. 31, and the Ramblers didn't lose again until falling to Michigan in the Final Four.  Marques Townes leads Loyola in scoring this year, averaging 15.4 points per game.  His 18.1 points per game average in conference play is a league-best.  Bradley, meanwhile, started the MVC race this year by dropping its first five games.  The Braves, though, have won five of their last seven outings, posting 96 points in its most recent win (96-67 over Indiana State).  The 96-point outing was the most for Bradley in an MVC game in 12 seasons.  Two Bradley players average in double figures, including Darrell Brown (15.1 ppg) and Elijah Childs (11.8 ppg and 7.9 rebounds).

Illinois State defeated Southern Illinois on Jan. 15, 59-58, in the teams' first meeting this year in Normal, Ill.  The Redbirds have the league's top scorer (for all games) in Milik Yarbrough.  Yarbrough currently leads the Redbirds in points, rebounds, and assists.  He would also be the first ISU student-athlete to lead the team in all three categories since Tarise Bryson during the 1999-00 season when he had 578 points, 124 rebounds and 105 assists.   The Salukis have five players averaging double-figures this year; SIU hasn’t had five players average double-figures since 1993-94.  SIU senior center Kavion Pippen is surging over his last four games, averaging 18.5 points in that stretch.  Armon Fletcher, meanwhile, leads the Salukis in scoring with his 14.3 per-game figure.

Using the Wildcard model, the Missouri Valley Conference -- in conjunction with its television partners -- reserves clearance windows for select dates throughout the season and waits until three weeks before the contest(s) to determine network clearances.