On-Line Notebook (PDF)
Saturday, Jan. 9
Southern Illinois at Indiana State (ESPN3) -- 12:00 p.m. CT
Missouri State at Valparaiso (ESPN+) -- 1:00 p.m. CT
Illinois State at Evansville (ESPN3) -- 1:00 p.m. CT
Sunday, Jan. 10
Southern Illinois at Indiana State (ESPN3) -- 12:00 p.m. CT
Missouri State at Valparaiso (ESPN+) -- 1:00 p.m. CT
Illinois State at Evansville (ESPN3) -- 1:00 p.m. CT
Bradley at UNI (Panther Sports/ESPN+) -- 3:00 p.m. CT
Loyola at Drake (ESPN2) -- 5:30 p.m. CT
Monday, Jan. 11
Loyola at Drake (CBS Sports Network) -- 6:00 p.m. CT
Bradley at UNI (MVC TV Network) -- 7:00 p.m. CT
MVC Weekly Coaches Zoom Q&A With Media -- Jan. 5
MVC Player of the Week
Isiaih Mosley, Missouri State
6-5, 201, So., F
Columbia (Mo.) Rock Bridge High
Mosley had an incredible four-game stretch for the start of Valley play, reeling off four 20-point efforts to begin league play and rocketing to the top of the league's scoring leaders. He averaged 24.5 points per game, matched or set his career high twice, and helped lead the Bears to their first 6-1 start since the 2013-14 season. He finished the period 31-of-53 (.585) from the field, 7-for-16 (.438) from 3-point distance, and an impressive 29-of-33 (.879) at the line. Mosley also averaged 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in that span.
Even more impressive, Mosley averaged 18.0 points per game in the second half alone during this stretch, posting a 23-point second half against Indiana State and a 22-point half against UNI. Including a 26-point outing against Little Rock at the end of non-conference play, he also became the first MSU player since 1995 to post five straight 20-point scoring games.
Mosley racked up 26 points in just 22 minutes in MSU's win at UNI on 12-of-15 shooting; Scored 20 points in the rematch with UNI with 6 rebounds and 5 assists; Went 7-of-10 from the field in the first Indiana State game with 3 treys to score 23 against the Sycamores; and then concluded the period with a career-high 29 against INST that included 23 points in the second half and a 12-of-14 effort at the line.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Samari Curtis, Evansville
6-4, So., G
Xenia (Ohio) High [Nebraska]
Curtis continued to grow in his role with the Purple Aces and it has culminated in a team-high 14.8 points per game through the opening four Valley contests. In 25.6 minutes per game, Curtis has shot 46.3% overall, 40.7% from 3-point range and 83.3% at the line. He added 3.8 rebounds along with four assists, three steals and two blocks. Following a 7-point game in the MVC opener, Curtis erupted for a career-high 29 points in the finale at SIU as he led the Aces to an 84-72 win. The victory ended a 19-game conference losing streak. Curtis was 9-of-13 from the field, drained six out of eight from outside and was a perfect 5-5 at the line. Over his career mark of 30 minutes played, Curtis added four rebounds. With Evansville coming back home to face preseason league favorite UNI, Curtis continued his solid play, averaging 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds. The Xenia, Ohio native opened the series with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Sunday’s finale saw him chip in nine tallies and a career mark of six rebounds.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES
- Cameron Krutwig, Loyola, Sr. -- In three wins since December 27, Krutwig contributed 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 blocks per game, while shooting a scorching 68.6 percent (24-for-35) from the field as Loyola ran its home court winning streak to 15 games. The 6-foot-9 two-time First Team All-MVC honoree went for 15 points, five boards, three assists and a pair of blocks in a 90-60 victory to open a two-game set versus Illinois State, then nearly recorded his second career triple-double, producing 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists (with no turnovers) in an 86-55 decision. The big man pitched in 12 points and six caroms in a 57-49 victory over North Texas on January 2. For the season, Krutwig is averaging 16.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.3 apg and 1.4 bpg, while connecting on 64.8 percent (59-for-91) of his field goal attempts. He is one of only three players in Loyola men’s basketball history to accrue 1,500 points and 700 rebounds and is the only player in program annals with 1,500 points, 700 boards and 300 assists for his career.
- Shamar Givance, Evansville, Jr. -- Givance led the Purple Aces to a 3-1 mark through the opening two weekends of play and has gotten the job done in every aspect of the game. Over the first four MVC games, Givance has averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 29.8 minutes per game while shooting 53.3% from the field, 61.5% from outside and 81.0% from the line. He has also been credited with a team-best 15 assists. In the Dec. 27 conference opener at SIU, Givance hit four of his seven attempts along with both 3-point tries on his way to 11 points. He added five boards and three assists. Another efficient game in the finale against the Salukis saw him tally 17 points on the strength of a 5-of-9 shooting day. He was 2-4 from outside and connected on all five from the line. Givance added five more rebounds and three helpers. When UE headed back home to face preseason favorite UNI, Givance responded in a big way. While foul trouble hindered him in game one, he still scored seven points and dished out six assists to go along with three steals. In the January 3 finale, the Toronto product had the best game of his career while leading the Aces to a weekend sweep. He registered a career-high 22 points while connecting on six out of nine attempts and a strong 3-for-4 effort from 3-point range. His free throw shooting was also stellar as 7 of his 8 attempts found the bottom of the net. He added three assists. His free throw shooting during Evansville’s 3-game win streak has been pivotal as he knocked down 16 out of 17 tries.
- DJ Horne, Illinois State -- Averaged 16.5 points per game in two contests against Loyola Chicago, making 13-of-29 (44.8%) of his shots from the field and 6-of-13 (46.2%) from beyond the arc. He also pulled down eight rebounds and gave out five assists in the two games during the week. Scored 18 points in the opening game of the weekend, making seven of 12 shots and half of his six three-point tries. Pulled down two rebounds with two assists. Scored 15 points in the second game against the Ramblers, with six rebounds and three assists.
- Josiah Strong, Illinois State -- Averaged 13.0 points per game in two games against Loyola Chicago. He went 10-of-23 (43.5%) overall on the week, 6-of-10 from 3, and also added two rebounds and four assists. Scored 21 points in the series finale with the Ramblers, hitting on 8-of-15 of his shots from the field, and 5-of-7 from three-point range.
- Austin Phyfe, UNI -- Totaled 36 points, 20 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks in 2 games against Evansville. The All-MVC big man went 17-25 from the field on the weekend. Phyfe finished with 10 rebounds in each contest while scoring his second-highest point total of the season with 19 points in game 2 of the series.
- Shanquan Hemphill, Drake, Sr. -- Led Drake opening MVC play with 14.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while only playing 27.8 points per game … was 24-of-44 from the field and added five assists and six steals … had two plays appear on Sportscenter Top-10 … led Drake in the 18-point win to open the SIU series with 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting with five steals … scored in double-figures in all four games on the week … opened the period with 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting at Indiana State.
- Braden Norris, Loyola, So. -- Norris accounted for 3.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.7 steals last week in a pair of wins versus Illinois State and a non-league victory over North Texas. The transfer from Oakland went for six points, three boards and four assists in the series opener before tallying five points, two rebounds and a helper in an 86-55 victory on December 28. This season, Norris is delivering 7.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 2.7 apg, while shooting 50 percent (25-for-50) from the field and 44.7 percent (17-for-38) from three.
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 this week. The Bulldogs received 17 points (34th) in the AP poll, and they received 30 points in the coaches poll (32nd). Loyola also received one vote in the coaches poll this week (Jan. 4).
First to 13 Wins
Drake (13-0) is the first NCAA team to 13 wins this year. 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.
Still Perfect
Drake is one of just 10 unbeaten Division I teams (through games of Jan. 4):
Non-Conference Success
The MVC has a 41-23 non-conference record. The .641 winning percentage is 10th best in the league in the past 40 seasons (since the 1981-82 campaign).
Pause in the Action
Since Nov. 11 (two weeks prior to the start of the basketball season) and through today (Jan. 5), MVC schools have had 24 total non-conference games canceled/postponed due to COVID. Twenty of the 24 lost games were replaced by another opponent.
- Non-Conference Games Permitted: 90
- Non-Conference Games Scheduled: 68
- Games Cancelled/Added: 24/20
- Conference Games Scheduled: 90
- MVC Games Played: 14
- MVC Games Postponed/Rescheduled: 6/0
Home Sweet Home
This year, league teams were 32-2 (94.1 pct.) at home against non-league teams -- the best in the MVC since at least 1975-76:
Alma Mater Coaches
Only 35 Division I men’s coaches are leading their alma maters, including two in the MVC (Dan Muller at Illinois State and Bryan Mullins at Southern Illinois). Three other MVC coaches played at another MVC school (Dana Ford of Missouri State played at Illinois State; Darian DeVries of Drake played at UNI; Porter Moser of Loyola played at then-member Creighton. Moser was also a head coach previously at Illinois State).
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 34.7 percent figure leads the MVC, ranks third in the NCAA and is the best in the MVC since 1980.
UNI: Three-Point Streak Ends
UNI had made at least one three-pointer in 665 straight games – the longest streak in the Missouri Valley Conference. The streak ended on Jan 2, 2021, when UNI went 0-11 from beyond the arc against Evansville. The last time UNI failed to make a trey came Feb. 3, 2000, vs. Southern Illinois. Missouri State, with 586-straight games with a made three-pointer, now leads the MVC.
UE: On a Streak
An impressive start to conference play has seen the Aces win their last three games on the way to a 3-1 MVC start. Following an 84-72 win at SIU on Dec. 28, Evansville held off a resilient UNI team to sweep the weekend series. Evansville has earned three league wins in a row for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. That streak began with a road win at Valparaiso followed by home triumphs over Drake and UNI.
MSU: Inside the Arc
The Bears rank No. 5 nationally in 2-point field percentage (.621) headed into the week. Missouri State has made 133-of-214 shots from inside the arc so far this season with the team boasting 50-percent shooting efforts in 5-of-7 games to date.
Sharp Shooters
Drake (6th) and Loyola (7th) 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 four MVC teams rank in the Top 30 in the NCAA. Drake and Loyola face one another in Des Moines this week.
INS: Streaking Against SIU
Indiana State looks to extend its two-game win streak over Southern Illinois this weekend after having defeated the Salukis in both matchups a season ago. The Sycamores won 68-56 at home, and came away with a 77-68 win in Carbondale. Last season’s series sweep snapped an eight-game losing skid against SIU.
ILS: Lots of Scorers
Through eight games of the season, Illinois State has had 11 players reach the double-figure scoring plateau. That total is the top mark in the MVC. Additionally, There have been four players who have scored at least 20 points in a game, which is tied for the top mark in the MVC.
Tough D
Three MVC teams are among the national leaders for fewest points allowed. Bradley, Drake and Loyola all surrender fewer than 60.0 points per game.
SIU: 7-Game Winning Streak
SIU has recorded seven-game winning streaks in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2005-06 and 2006-07, when now-head coach Bryan Mullins was a freshman and sophomore guard for the Floorburn U Salukis.
DU: Bulldogs Rolling
Twelve of Drake’s 13 wins have come by double-digits. The Bulldogs average margin of victory of 24.0 points per game is the 18th most by any team since 2010-11 through the first 13 games of the season. Drake’s 31-point victory over SIU was its biggest in the series history, fifth-biggest margin ever for Drake in an MVC game and second biggest against an MVC opponent in Knapp Center history. 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.
BU: Many Options
The Braves feature a deep team in 2020-21 with a number of options in their lineup. BU has already had nine different players score in double figures in a game this season, most recently by Jayson Kent in Bradley’s last game at No. 14 Missouri when the rookie tallied 11 points off the bench. Overall, Bradley’s bench has outscored its opponent’s by 10 or more points in 7-of-9 games this season, outscoring foes by an average of 28.3 to 13.4.
VALPO: Open Season
The Jan. 9 start to conference play marks Valpo’s latest since head coach Scott Drew’s team commenced the Mid-Continent Conference slate on Jan. 11, 2003 vs. Western Illinois. Valpo is 1-2 in league lid-lifters since joining The Valley and 2-2 under Matt Lottich. Valpo went 6-4 in league openers in its decade in the Horizon League.
UNI: Trae’s Triple Double
UNI senior Trae Berhow recorded a triple-double against Evansville on Jan 2, the first in UNI history. It’s the fourth in the NCAA this year and 41st on record in MVC history. Here’s our last 5.
Most Recent MVC Triple-Doubles (Pt-Reb-Ast)
Jake Odum (10/10/12), INS vs. Fairfield, 11/27/11
Troy Taylor (10/10/10), UE vs. Creighton, 12/29/12
Fred VanVleet (10/10/11), WSU vs. MSU, 2/7/15
Nick Norton (18/13/17), Drake vs. NDSU, 12/1/18
Cameron Krutwig (22/10/10), LUC vs. Vandy, 12/18/19
Trae Berhow (10/10/10), UNI vs. UE, 1/2/21
LUC: Eyeing a 3-0 MVC Start
Loyola has never started Missouri Valley Conference play with three straight wins and, in fact, has opened conference play, regardless of league affiliation, at 3-0 or better, just four times in program history, including just once in the last 33 years. In 2001-02, the Ramblers commenced Horizon League competition with a 6-0 ledger. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Loyola is 15-12 away from home in Valley games, the most road wins of any team in the league during that stretch. Only Drake (12), Southern Illinois (11) and Missouri State (11) have won 10 or more road games in league action during that stretch.
UE: Triple Threat
Evansville’s top six scorers average at least 2.9 outside attempts per game. The Aces have made a total of 106 triples on the season, which ranks 11th in the nation. Along those same lines, the 10.6 3-point makes per game is 13th in the NCAA. Both pace the MVC. Notably, Drake (3rd, 43.0 pct) and Loyola (9th, 41.2 pct) both rank in the Top 10 nationally in three-point field goal accuracy.