Nothing But NET
Entering this week, seven MVC schools rank in the top 150 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET).  Last year, only three MVC teams were in the Top 150 at season’s end. Five league schools are rated higher than last year’s best-rated team in the NET (Loyola led the league with a season-ending 131 NET rating in 2018-19.)  Co-champion Drake was the league leader at the end of the regular-season with a 127.  This season, the MVC has three in the Top 100, led by UNI’s No. 49 ranking.  As a conference, the MVC is the 11th-rated league in the NET ratings.  Last season, the MVC was No. 14 in the NET at season’s end.

MVC Men's Basketball Weekly Notebook (PDF)

Wednesday, Jan. 29
Drake at Indiana State (ESPN+) 6:00 p.m. CT
Missouri State at UNI (MVC TV) 6:00 p.m. CT
Valparaiso at Bradley (ESPN+) 6:00 p.m. CT
Loyola at Southern Illinois (ESPN+) 7:00 p.m. CT
Evansville at Illinois State (ESPN+) 7:00 p.m. CT

MVC Player of the Week
Cameron Krutwig, Loyola
6-9, 255, Jr., C, Algonquin (Ill.) Jacobs High
Krutwig had a monster week, putting up 16.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting 55.6 percent (15-for-27) from the field, as Loyola split a pair of contests last week, yet still sit tied atop the MVC standings. The 6-foot-9 center produced 13 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, falling just short of his second triple-double of the year, in a 75-55 victory over Indiana State. He then recorded another double-double, totaling 19 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, to go with four assists and a steal, in a heartbreaking 67-62 overtime loss at UNI. For the year, The Preseason MVC Player of the Year is having a season that is living up to that billing, averaging 15.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.5 apg and 1.3 spg, while connecting on 58 percent of his field goal tries. 

MVC Newcomer of the Week
Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois
6-6, 215, Fr., F, Waupun (Wis.) Waupun High
Marcus Domask averaged 15 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals for SIU in two wins last week. In SIU’s win against Illinois State, the Redbirds tied the score twice in the game’s final four minutes, and Domask responded with go-ahead field goals both times, and his driving layup with 28 seconds left gave SIU a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. He scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half of that game, including 8 of SIU’s final 10 points. In SIU’s win over UNI, Domask came a rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds.  The win at Redbird Arena marked the first SIU victory in 13 tries.  

Playing the Back Nine
The MVC will reach the halfway point of the conference schedule on Wednesday.  Since 1992-93, all 38 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), Missouri State (2011) and Loyola (2019) played in the NIT, while the other 30 midway leaders reached the NCAA Tournament. The last mid-season leader that failed to win the MVC regular-season title was Wichita State in 2013. WSU (8-1) held a one-game advantage over eventual champion Creighton at the midway point.  Last year, Loyola led the league after nine games with a 7-2 MVC mark.

Salukis Snap Streak
On Jan. 26, Southern Illinois won at Illinois State, snapping a 12-game losing streak at Redbird Arena.  On Jan. 4, Valparaiso won at Evansville for the first time since 1969, snapping a 22-game losing streak there.  UNI currently holds the league’s longest active win streak against an opponent at home as the Panthers have won 14-straight games against Valparaiso in Cedar Falls.

Another MVC Coaching Alum
There are currently five MVC head coaches who have also played in the MVC.  Dan Muller and Bryan Mullins are both coaching at their alma maters.

Moving Up the Charts
Now in his 14th season as head coach at UNI, Ben Jacobson continues to climb the all-time MVC lists for victories.

Most Wins -- Conference Games Only
187 -- Henry Iba, Oklahoma State (1934-57)
182 -- Dana Altman, Creighton (1994-10)
163 -- Eddie Hickey, CU (1935-43) & SLU (1946-58)
155 -- Barry Hinson, MSU (1999-08) & SIU (12-19)
145 -- Ben Jacobson, UNI (2006-present)
134 -- Gregg Marshall, Wichita State (2007-17)
126 -- Phog Allen, Kansas (1907-09; 1919-28)

Most Wins -- All Games
486 -- Henry Iba, Oklahoma State (1934-57)
337 -- Eddie Hickey, CU (1935-43) & SLU (1946-58)
327 -- Dana Altman, Creighton (1994-10)
285 -- Barry Hinson, MSU (1999-08) & SIU (12-19)
283 -- Ben Jacobson, UNI (2006-present)
261 -- Gregg Marshall, Wichita State (2007-17)

Coaches Longevity Marks (Seasons)
23 -- Henry Iba, Oklahoma State (1934-57)
20 -- Eddie Hickey, CU (1935-43) & SLU (1946-58)
17 -- Dana Altman, Creighton (1994-10)
16 -- Barry Hinson, MSU (1999-08) & SIU (12-19)
14 -- Ben Jacobson, UNI (2006-present)
13 -- Ralph Miller, Wichita State (1951-64)
13 -- Maury John, Drake (1958-71)
13 -- Joe Stowell, Bradley (1965-78)
13 -- Rich Herrin, Southern Illinois (1985-97)

Top Freshmen
Marcus Domask of Southern Illinois is the league’s top scoring and top rebounding freshman, as he is averaging 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.  Domask is one of only four freshmen in the nation averaging at least 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.

Poll Chatter
UNI is No. 32 in this week’s AP top-25 poll.  The Panthers received 13 points.  UNI (17-3) won 16 games all of last season, and the Panthers’ last AP ranking was on March 16, 2015, when they were No. 11 in the poll.  UNI was ranked No. 14 in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches poll that year.  The last MVC team to be ranked was Loyola Chicago, which clocked in at No. 7 in the coaches poll in the final rankings of 2018 after its Final Four run.  This week, UNI has two points in the coaches poll (36th).

Hitting Their Shots
Loyola has ranked among the top 17 in the nation in FG percentage in each of the last three seasons.  The Ramblers enter this week No. 3 in the NCAA.  Loyola has led the Conference in FG shooting in each of the last three seasons.  Since the MVC began tracking team FG percentage (1963-64), no league team has led the league for four-straight seasons.  Notably, Loyola’s 50.7 field goal percentage during 2017-18 established an MVC record in the three-point era (since 1986-87).

JJ Jumper
Since 1992-93 only two players have played a full season in which he made zero two-point baskets and 40 or more three-pointers.  Jonah Jackson of Drake enters this week with 44 made field goals this year (all three-pointers), and he’s looking to join that group.

King Krut
Loyola’s Cameron Krutwig ranks in among the MVC leaders in points, rebounds, assists and FG percentage.  Only seven previous times since 1980 (the first year assist leaders were tracked) has a player ranked in the MVC’s Top 10 in each of those four categories.  Krutwig is also 6th in the MVC in steals per game and 9th in blocks.

Home Cooking
Three league schools are still unbeaten at home this year (Drake, Indiana State, UNI).  Drake’s 15-game streak at home is tied for 10th-best in the NCAA among active streaks.  UNI has 11 in a row, and Indiana State has 10-straight.

Home Cooking, Part II
During the non-conference season, MVC schools combined for a 55-6 record at home against non-league schools.  That .902 winning percentage ranked second best in the MVC this century.

Hitting the Outside Shots
Four league schools rank among the Top 30 in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage this year.  UNI is the top-shooting MVC team from beyond the arc, ranking 14th nationally at 38.8 percent.  Indiana State is 17th at 38.6.

Green’s Strong Start
AJ Green of UNI is one of just four sophomores in the NCAA who is averaging better than 23.0 points per game in league play.  Only five MVC players since 2002 have averaged better than 20.0 points per game in league play.  The last MVC player to average 25.0 or better in conference games was Hersey Hawkins of Bradley in 1988 (33.4 ppg).

Reaching 1,000 Points
A host of MVC players have surpassed 1,000 points for their careers this year.  Darrell Brown ranks 59th all-time in MVC history and is the league’s active leading scorer with 1,634 career points.

Young Guns
The top four scorers in the MVC entering this week are non-seniors -- that includes three sophomores.  Additionally, only two seniors are among the league’s Top 10  rebounders.  A sophomore leads the league in assists, a sophomore leads the league in steals, a sophomore leads the league in blocks, and a sophomore leads the league in three-point field goals.