ESPN has selected the UNI at Drake men’s basketball game for distribution on ESPN2 on Saturday, Feb. 29. The game will air at 5 p.m. Central. Also, CBS Sports has selected the Loyola at Bradley men’s basketball game for distribution on CBS Sports Network on Saturday, Feb. 29. The game will air at 1 p.m. Central. The networks and game times were previously listed as TBD on the MVC schedule, as were the other three games that final day of the regular season.
The Loyola-Bradley game features a matchup of the league's last two NCAA Tournament teams. Loyola, which has earned back-to-back regular-season titles, was the MVC's tournament champ and NCAA qualifier in 2018, reaching the NCAA Final Four. The Ramblers are led by Cameron Krutwig, who is looking to become the first player in MVC history to finish in the Top 5 in the following four stat categories: scoring, rebounding, field goal shooting and assists. He's also among the MVC leaders in steals and blocks. Bradley won the league tournament in 2019 and represented the MVC in the NCAA Tournament last year. Guard Darrell Brown is the league's active career leading scorer with 1,705 career points through games of Feb. 10. It's good for 47th on the all-time MVC career scoring list and ranks in the Top 10 all-time at Bradley.
The UNI-Drake contest will feature a top candidate for the league's Larry Bird Trophy in UNI's AJ Green and a top candidate for the league's Newcomer of the Year award in guard Roman Penn. Green has led the Panthers to their 21-3 start, and he leads the league with 20.0 points per game. The league's 2019 MVC Freshman of the Year also tops the conference in three-point field goals made (74) and ranks third in the nation in free throw percentage (92.1). Penn, a transfer from Siena, is tops in the MVC in assists per game (6.0). Drake also has one of the most dominant big men in the league in Liam Robbins, who has recorded 70 blocks to lead the conference. Since the 2009-10 season, UNI has dominated the overall series between the two schools, winning 19 times in 23 meetings. The last five meetings have all been decided by 10 or fewer points, however, and Drake has won the last two matchups in Des Moines.
All times and networks for the league regular-season finale Saturday have been set.
Illinois State @ Evansville (ESPN3 – 1 p.m. Central)
Valparaiso @ Indiana State (ESPN3 – 1 p.m. Central)
Loyola @ Bradley (CBS Sports Network – 1 p.m. Central)
Southern Illinois @ Missouri State (ESPN3 – 3 p.m. Central)
Northern Iowa @ Drake (ESPN2 – 5 p.m. Central)
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.