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MVC Player of the Week 
Tate Hall, Loyola
6-6, 220, R-Sr., G/F  |  Greenfield (Ind.) Greenfield-Central | University of Indianapolis
Hall broke out of a scoring slump in a big way last weekend, coming off the bench for the first time in his Loyola career to average 18.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steals, shooting 72.2 percent (13-for-18) from the field and 62.5 percent (5-for-8) from three-point range as the Ramblers ran their home court win streak to 17 games with a two-game sweep of MVC preseason favorite, Northern Iowa. The lefthander came off the bench to produce a season-high 24 points, adding three boards, three assists, and a pair of steals, while hitting 8 of 12 shots from the field, in a 72-57 victory over the Panthers on January 16. He finished up the weekend set by posting a team-high 13 points, six assists and three boards, going 5-for-6 from the field, in an 88-46 win over the Panthers. In his previous three contests, Hall had managed just 15 total points. For the year, he is putting up 10.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg and is shooting 47 percent (47-for-100) from the field and 35.8 percent (19-for-53) from three-point land.

MVC Newcomer of the Week
Terry Nolan Jr., Bradley
6-4, 190, Jr., G  |  Baltimore (Md.) George Washington
Nolan Jr. keyed a pair of Bradley victories during the weekend, averaging 14.5 points, while shooting 47.1 percent from the field. The junior tallied 16 points in Saturday’s win before adding 13 as Bradley completed the sweep on Sunday. Nolan also added seven rebounds, four assists and three steals during the two victories.

OTHERS NOMINATED

• Jared Ridder, Missouri State, Jr. -- Ridder posted career highs in scoring (23) and rebounds (6) in the Bears only game of the week, burying 9-of-13 (.692) field goals and 5-of-9 (.556) 3-pointers against Missouri S&T. In his 21-minute stint, Ridder set the pace for MSU to pull away in the second half, posting three triples in the two-and-a-half minutes as part of a 24-3 run. The win was Missouri State's 10th straight home win and helped the Bears with their best 10-game start since the 2009-10 season.
• Tyreke Key, Indiana State, Sr. -- Key averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in the Sycamores’ sweep of Illinois State Jan. 16-17.  The guard stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals in Indiana State’s first win over the Redbirds, and followed it up with an 18-point performance that catapulted Key into the top 10 in Indiana State scoring laurels. The Celina, Tenn. native now has 1,447 career points and is 108 points from the ninth spot on the list.
• Elijah Childs, Bradley, Sr. -- Childs led the Braves to their first Valley sweep of the season, scoring 14.5 points with 7.0 rebounds in a pair of victories against Evansville – shooting 65.0 percent from the field. The senior scored a season-best 19 points in Saturday’s nine-point win, making 9-of-11 field goals to go with eight rebounds.
• Braden Norris, Loyola, So. -- Norris averaged 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, shooting 50 percent (5-for-10) from the field and 57.1 percent (4-for-7) from three-point range, in a pair of wins over Northern Iowa last week at Gentile Arena. The 6-foot guard, a transfer from Oakland, notched 11 points, his most since December 18, in an 88-46 rout of UNI on January 17. He also contributed four rebounds and four assists in that game. In 49 minutes of action last week, Norris dished out five assists and did not commit a turnover. He is tallying 7.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 3.2 apg, while shooting 41.4 percent (24-for-58) from long distance, this season for a Loyola squad off to a 10-3 start.
• Austin Phyfe, UNI, Jr. -- Phyfe led the Panthers with 26 points and 17 rebounds in two games against Loyola last week. Phyfe scored 18 points and hauled in 12 rebounds on Saturday. The All MVC selection added 4 assists, and 3 blocks and went 8-13 from the field. Phyfe tallied 8 points, 5 rebounds, and a block in the second game of the series.  
• Bowen Born, UNI, Fr. -- Born finished the week with 18 points, and 2 assists in two games against Loyola. Born went 3-9 from the field and 2-3 from beyond the arc in game one. The 5’11 guard added 8 points in the second game, going 3-7 from the field. 

Top--25 Polls
Drake is receiving mention in both the Associated Press Top-25 poll and Ferris Mowers Top-25 men’s basketball coaches poll again this week.  The Bulldogs received 42 points (33rd) in the AP poll, and they received 20 points in the coaches poll (33rd).

Clean Slate After 13 Games
    A total of 19 MVC men’s basketball teams, including Drake this year, have started a season with 13-straight wins in the league’s 114-year history.  Drake’s previous best start to a season was 8-0 in 1970-71.  Of the 12 previous 13-0 MVC starts since World War II -- eight teams reached the NCAA Tournament, and four played in the NCAA Final Four.

DU:  Still Perfect
Drake is one of just six unbeaten DI teams (through games of Jan. 18).

14-0:  Gonzaga
13-0:  Baylor, Drake, Winthrop
6-0:  Siena
3-0:  Alabama A&M

Pause in the Action
Since Nov. 11 (two weeks prior to the start of the basketball season) and through today (Jan. 19), MVC schools have had 24 total non-conference games canceled/postponed due to COVID.  All 24 of the lost games were replaced by another opponent.  Not counting the yet-to-be rescheduled Indiana State-Evansville postponement, the MVC has had 29 game-date shifts in league play since Christmas.

• Non-Conference Games Permitted:  90
• Non-Conference Games Scheduled:  68
• Games Cancelled/Added:  24/24
• Conference Games Scheduled:  90
• MVC Games Played:  28
• MVC Games Postponed/Rescheduled:  17/16
• Total Games Moved:  29

For the Ages
Evansville is the ‘oldest’ team in the Missouri Valley Conference, as its roster has an average of 21.49 (through 1/18/2021).  Drake, however, leads the league in average age by its “Top 7,” as defined by the most total minutes played.  That Top 7 for Drake has an average age of 22.55.

Back-to-Back
Here’s a statistical snapshot for the second game played as part of the league’s back-to-back series (cumulative averages, through Jan. 18):

Home Teams -- 10-4 (G1); 7-7 (G2)
Points (Home) -- +3.71  |  (Visitors) -- +0.14
FTA (Home) – +0.14  |  (Visitors) -- +2.29
Pts./Possession (Home) -- +0.069
Pts./Possession (Visitors) -- +0.031

Home Sweet Home
This year, Valley men’s teams are 33-2 (94.3 pct.) at home against non-league teams -- the best in the MVC since at least 1975-76.

Three in MVC in Top 10
Three MVC players, including two from Missouri State, are in the Top 10 of KenPom’s player ratings for offensive efficiency.  MSU’s Isiaih Mosley is the only underclassman in the Top 5.  The Valley is the only league with more than two players on the list.

KenPom Player Ratings (Offensive Efficiency) 
 1. Luka Garza, Iowa (Sr.)
 2. Isiaih Mosley, Missouri State (So.)
 3. Ryan Davis, Vermont (Jr.)
 4. Gaige Prim, Missouri State (Sr.)
 5. Justin Turner, Bowling Green (Sr.)
 6. Cameron Thomas, LSU (Fr.)
 7. Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois (Jr.)
 8. Cameron Krutwig, Loyola Chicago (Sr.)
 9. Michael Flowers, South Alabama (Sr.)
10. Danny Pippen, Kent State (Sr.)

Line Item
Indiana State, which leads the MVC in total free throws made, total free throws attempted and free throw percentage, ranks eighth nationally as 24.7 percent of all its points come from the foul line.
Evansville, which leads the MVC in total 3FG made (149, 10.6 3PG), ranks second nationally as 49.4 percent of all its points comes from behind the arc.  The Aces trail only Mississippi Valley State (52.7 pct of all points are treys).

MSU:  Hot Bears
Missouri State has eclipsed the 50-percent mark in FG shooting eight times in the first 10 games and start the week ranked 16th nationally (3rd in the MVC) in field goal percentage (.507). The Bears also rank No. 2 nationally in two-point field goal percentage (.636), trailing only Gonzaga in that metric.

Mosley Ranks No. 2 in NCAA
Missouri State’s Isiaih Mosley is one of just three MVC players in the past 10 seasons to score 20 or more points in 8-straight games.  The sophomore ranks second nationally in scoring (23.5 ppg) behind Iowa’s Luka Garza (26.9 ppg). 

MVC Players, Consecutive Games w/20+ Pts.  (last 10 seasons)
10 - Doug McDermott, Creighton (2011-12)
  8 - Isiaih Mosley, Missouri State (2020-21)
  8 - D.J. Balentine, Evansville (2014-15)
  7 - Doug McDermott, Creighton (2012-13)

Long-Range Bombers
Led by Drake’s 43.0 percent figure from three-point range, the MVC has five teams in the Top 50 in the NCAA this season in three-point field goal percentage.  Drake ranks third nationally.

Tough D
Three MVC teams are among the national leaders for fewest points allowed.   Bradley, Drake and Loyola all surrender fewer than 62.0 points per game.

BU .. Defending the Shot
Since 2010, every team but one that has led the MVC in FG percentage defense has earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament.  (Loyola was third in the MVC in that statistic in 2018 and represented the league in the NCAAs.)  Bradley’s current 36.8 percent figure leads the MVC, ranks second in the NCAA (to Quinnipiac’s 35.8 percent).
The Braves’ mark of holding teams to just 36.8 percent shooting is nearly one percent better than the current MVC record – 37.7 percent by Wichita State in 2016-17 – while the Braves are aiming to become the first team in Valley history to lead the league in field goal percentage defense in four-straight seasons (Valley records go back to 1980). 

SIU:  Honoring a Legend
SIU will wear RH patches for the remainder of the season, in honor of the late Rich Herrin, who guided the Salukis to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1993-95. Coach Herrin, who passed away on Christmas night, is in the MVC and SIU Halls of Fame. He won 225 games at SIU and, in addition to his three NCAA Tournaments, guided SIU to four NIT appearances.

UNI:  Panthers Add Two
The UNI men’s basketball team has added two additional games to its schedule, now playing Cornell College on Thursday, January 21, and Coe College on Monday, January 25.  Both games tip at 6 pm CT and will air on ESPN+.  The McLeod Center will continue to operate at 15% capacity.  

Sharp Shooters
Drake (3rd) and Loyola (8th) are both ranked in the Top 10 nationally in field goal percentage.  Loyola has led the league in FG percentage for four-straight years.  Three league schools are shooting 50.0 or better from the floor this year, and they each rank in the Top 16 in the NCAA this season.

ILS:  Rare 5-Game Homestand
Illinois State is currently in the middle of a stretch of five consecutive home games (all played within nine days). The last time a Redbird squad has played in five consecutive home games was during the 2009-10 season when ISU hosted Norfolk State, SEMO, St. Bonaventure, Central Michigan, and Niagara between November 27 and December 13.

LUC:  Rare 5-Game Road Trip
Loyola opens a stretch of five consecutive road games in Valley play this week when it visits Valparaiso Wednesday night. The Ramblers, who have to play Bradley, Missouri State and Drake all on the road this season, have 15 MVC road wins since the start of the 2017-18 season, the most of any Valley team in that stretch.

INS:  How Sweep It Is
The Sycamores’ back-to-back wins over the Redbirds on the road is the Sycamores’ first back-to-back wins in Normal since Jan. 12, 2000 and Jan. 6, 2001.

UE:  Using His Time Wisely
When the opportunity arose for Evansville’s Iyen Enaruna to see extended playing time over the weekend, the junior took full advantage.  In Sunday’s contest at Bradley, Enaruna scored a career-best 17 points, knocking down five of his six attempts.  Enaruna added seven rebounds and an assist in 28 minutes of action.

VALPO:  Gordon Surging
Valpo’s Eron Gordon has led the team (outright or tied) in rebounding in three straight games and four total this season after not doing so at all a year ago. He has upped his rebounding average from 2.3 per game in 2019-20 to 4.2 per game this season and is second on the team behind only Donovan Clay. Gordon has paced the squad in scoring in each of the last two games after not doing so in any of his first 44 career contests at Valpo. The senior also led the team in rebounding for the fourth time this season (and third straight game) after not doing so at all during the 2019-20 campaign.

DU:  Margin Call
Drake’s 24.0 scoring margin is second in the nation to Baylor (24.8).  The last MVC team to have a scoring margin of +20.0 for an entire season was Cincinnati’s 1960 Final Four team.  Only six league teams on record have had a full-season figure about 15.0 points per game.  Loyola has a 17.5 scoring margin this season, which ranks 12th nationally.

LUC:  Rambling On
Loyola is off to a 5-1 start in Valley play for a third consecutive season and during its current three-game win streak, is holding the opposition to 50.3 points per game on 37.2 percent (57-for-153) accuracy from the field and 31.9 percent (15-for-47) from three-point territory.