MVC Player of the Week
Isiaih Mosley, Missouri State
6-5, 194, Jr., G
Columbia (Mo.) Rock Bridge High
Mosley lifted the Bears to a pair of league victories, including the team’s first win over a ranked foe in more than a decade. The reigning MVC scoring champion posted his second 40-point scoring output in a five-game span with 40 points, 8 rebounds and a pair of assists in MoState’s road win over No. 22-ranked Loyola on Saturday. He went 14-for-22 from the field with three 3-pointers and 9-of-11 at the free throw line, while scoring 11 points in a critical 14-3 Bears second-half run that put Missouri State up by 20 and eventually snapped Loyola’s 30-game home win streak. Earlier in the week, he got into foul trouble in the first three minutes of the game vs. Illinois State, but scored 22 points in the second half to lead his team to a 25-point home win. He was 7-for-11 from the field and 9-for-9 at the stripe against the Redbirds. For the week, he averaged 32.0 points per game, shot 63.6 percent from the field (21-for-33) and made 18-of-20 (.900) free throws with 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, while moving up to 17th on the program’s career scoring list.
Isiaih Mosley was named National Player of the Week by Andy Katz on Monday.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Terry Roberts, Bradley
6-3, 180, Jr., G
North Amityville (NY) Florida SouthWestern
Junior Terry Roberts keyed Bradley to a 2-0 week with 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in a pair of victories against Drake and Southern Illinois. The point guard scored 18 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists at Drake, helping end the Bulldogs’ 13-game winning streak in Des Moines, before also tallying 18 versus the Salukis and matching a career high with seven assists and three blocks.
Weekly (Monday, Jan. 24) Men's Basketball Coaches Call --
Top-25 Polls
After climbing into both the Associated Press (22) and Loyola Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll, powered by USA TODAY Sports (24), on Feb. 17, the Ramblers continue to receive votes in both polls this week following a home loss to Missouri State over the weekend. Loyola’s top-25 ranking this year gave the league at least one ranked team in nine of the past 11 seasons.
MVC in the Metrics
The Missouri Valley Conference is No. 11 in both the KenPom metrics and in the NET (through games of Jan. 23). Three MVC teams (Loyola, Missouri State, Drake) are in the Top 100 in KenPom and two (Loyola and Missouri State) are in the Top 100 of the NET.
NET Rankings Leaders
Loyola leads the league in the latest installment of the NET ratings, at No. 26. Last year, three league schools ranked in the Top 100 of the NET and the MVC had four teams in the Top 150. This year, the league currently has six teams rated 150 or better.
Home Cooking
Through games of Dec. 5, MVC men’s basketball teams had a 25-11 home record in non-conference play. Since then, MVC teams are 23-1 at home to lift the full-season non-conference home record to 48-12. Last season, Valley schools posted a 34-2 home record in non-league games, and the MVC was 55-6 at home the year prior. The league’s 22-14 (.661) home record in league play ranks seventh-best among conferences.
Two in Top 50 in KenPom
Loyola (29) and Missouri State (50) rank in the Top 50 in KenPom today. Every MVC team since 2012 to finish in KenPom’s Top 50 has made the NCAA Tournament (except UNI-49 for the canceled 2020 event).
Close Calls
Through Jan. 23, the MVC has played 36 Conference games. According to KenPom, the league’s 17 one-score (three points or less or overtime game) contests in 36 total league games is most in the nation (47.2%). A total of 20 MVC games have been decided by five points or less (or went into overtime). The MVC has not finished in the Top 10 since ranking 7th in close games in 2013 with 22 such games (of 90 total). In the past 20 seasons, the league has not had more than 25 (of 90) league games that were one-score/overtime games (27.8%).
Mosley for 40 Again
In Missouri State’s win at 22nd-ranked Loyola on Saturday, Isiaih Mosley 40 points in the 79-69 victory. It marked his second 40-point game this season. He’s the first MVC player to hit 40 twice in the same season since National Player of the Year Hersey Hawkins of Bradley did it nine times in 1987-88. Notably, since 1974-75 only seven MVC players have accomplished that feat (two did it twice).
MVC Players to Hit 40 2x in Same Year (since 1975)
Isiaih Mosley, Missouri State, 2021-22
$#Hersey Hawkins, Bradley, 1987-88
$#Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State, 1984-85
Benoit Benjamin, Creighton, 1984-85
$Lewis Lloyd, Drake, 1980-81 and in 1979-80
$#Larry Bird, Indiana State, 1978-79 and in 1977-78
$#Roger Phegley, Bradley, 1976-77
&MVC Hall of Fame; #Number Retired by School
An Incredible Stretch
Missouri State’s Isiaih Mosley hit the game-winning buzzer-beater at Bradley and since then he has averaged 34.4 points per game (in 5 games), shooting 62.5 percent from the field, 46.9 percent from three-point range, and 88.1 percent from the foul stripe. He’s also averaged 5.8 rebounds per game. His 172 points over a five-game span rival with some of the best performances nationally during the past five seasons.
Top 5-Game Performances in NCAA, Last 5 Years
176 -- Chris Clemons, Campbell (2018-19)
175 -- Markus Howard, Marquette (2019-20)
174 -- Max Abmas, Oral Roberts (2020-21)
172 -- Isiaih Mosley, Missouri State (2021-22)
166 -- Markus Howard, Marquette (2019-20)
166 -- Jeremiah Martin, Memphis (2018-19)
165 -- Trae Young, Oklahoma (2017-18)
164 -- Markus Howard, Marquette (2018-19)
164 -- Trae Young, Oklahoma (2017-18)
Mosley Hits 30 in 3-Straight
During that five-game stretch, Isiaih Mosley of Missouri State scored 30+ points in three-straight games. Mosley became the first Bear since Jimmy Dull in 1978 to score 30 points or more in three-straight games. The last MVC player to do it was Anthony Manuel of Bradley in 1988-89 --- 1/28/89 (31 at SIU) | 1/30/89 (31 vs. Creighton) | 2/4/89 (36 vs. Wichita State). Hersey Hawkins of Bradley had 23 30-point games in 1987-88 with his final streak being nine games from F15 to M6. An MVC player had hit 30-plus points in back-to-back games 21 times between Manuel’s and Mosley’s “three-peats.”
Jake Moves Into Third
UNI’s Ben Jacobson is the third winningest MVC coach in conference-only games. Henry Iba (Oklahoma State) leads the MVC with 187 conference wins, while former Creighton coach Dana Altman is second with 182, and Jacobson is third with 165 (through Jan. 23).
187 -- Henry P. Iba, Oklahoma State (1934-57)
182 -- Dana Altman, Creighton (1994-10)
165 -- Ben Jacobson, UNI (2006-present)
163 -- Eddie Hickey, Creighton/SLU (1935-43; 1946-58)
155 -- Barry Hinson, MSU/SIU (1999-08; 2012-19)
Young Guns
Two MVC men’s basketball coaches rank among the youngest in Division I this season, including Drew Valentine of Loyola (1) and Bryan Mullins of SIU (4). Loyola and Southern Illinois play each other twice this week (Tuesday/Thursday)
Alma Mater Coaches
Two MVC coaches are leading their alma maters (Dan Muller at Illinois State and Bryan Mullins at Southern Illinois). Two other MVC coaches played at another MVC school (Dana Ford of Missouri State played at Illinois State, and Darian DeVries of Drake played at UNI.) In MVC history, there have been eight head coaches to lead their alma maters.
BU .. Most Improved
The Braves have been one of the nation’s most improved teams this season. Since the NET rankings were first released on Dec. 5, no team in the nation has improved its ranking more than Bradley. The Braves placed 240th in the initial NET release but are now ranked No. 112 – an improvement of 128 spots that is the top mark nationally.
DU .. The Loneliest Number
One was the most telling statistic in Drake’s 82-74 overtime victory at UNI Saturday. Drake’s defense limited UNI to just one basket in 11 shots from the floor in overtime. The Bulldogs, also were held to one basket, but went 10-for-10 at the line in the extra period.
UE .. What a Turnaround
In a weekend home-and-home with Illinois State, the Purple Aces saw a massive turnaround over the course of 48 hours. On Friday in Redbird Arena, ISU defeated UE by a final of 94-56 while shooting 70.2% from the field. A quick transition saw the squads match up on Sunday at the Ford Center and a focused UE squad earned a scrappy 56-53 win. Interestingly enough, UE scored the same number of points in each game, but the defense held ISU to 41 fewer points on Sunday. It was the top defensive improvement for UE from one game to the next since 2017.
ILS .. Multiple 20’s
This season Illinois State guard Antonio Reeves has reached the 20-point plateau 11 times on the year, which is tied for the seventh-most in the country this season. Marshall’s Taevion Kinsey and Chattanooga’s Malachi Smith each have 14 to lead the country. That total also stands as the 25th-highest such total in program history, and one more will move him into a tie for 21st. The school record for 25-point games in a season is 25 from Doug Collins, who has each of the top three single-season such totals.
INS .. Lineup Limbo
The Sycamores have used 14 different starting lineups in 18 games this season. No starting lineup combination has been used more than three times.
LUC .. Reaching a Milestone
Lucas Williamson has scored in double figures in each of the last five contests, matching the longest streak of his career. He now needs only four rebounds to become the 23rd player in program history to collect 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. Over the last five contests, he is putting up 12.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 48.5 (16-for-33) from three-point range.
MSU .. Welcome Home
Bears’ newcomer Jaylen Minnett, a graduate transfer from IUPUI, makes his long-awaited return to his hometown of Terre Haute on Tuesday when the Bears take on Indiana State at the Hulman Center. The South Vigo High School product averaged 25.8 points and 2.9 assists per game for a 19-7 club his senior year (2016-17) and finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,782 career points. He went on to play four seasons at IUPUI (1,403 points in 111 games), but has never played against Indiana State in his college career. He is No. 7 among all NCAA Division I active players in career 3-pointers (334).
UNI .. Nearing 1,500
AJ Green is just 3 points from joining UNI’s 1,500 career point club. Only 7 other players in program history have reached that milestone, the last being Seth Tuttle in 2015. Green leads the MVC in three-point FGs per game (2.94).
SIU .. Opening Tip
Loyola has won the last games versus the Salukis at Gentile Arena. In the last meeting at Gentile (2-27-21), the Ramblers won in OT, 65-58. Lance Jones had a career-high 30 points, and SIU rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to send it to OT. The Salukis are 2-2 in Valley road games this season with wins at Evansville and Valparaiso.
VALPO .. Century Mark
Valpo head coach Matt Lottich earned his 93rd career win on Jan. 22 at Indiana State. He needs just seven more to become the fourth head coach in program history to reach 100 career victories, joining Homer Drew, Bryce Drew and J.M Christiansen. Lottich’s victory over the Sycamores elevated him into a tie for fourth in program history with the legendary Gene Bartow (1964-1970). On a side note, Valpo assistant coach Matt Bowen worked under Bartow at UAB in 1995.
BU .. Dangerous Downtown
Junior Ville Tahvanainen is a big key to success for the Braves this season. The team’s leader in 3-pointers made, Tahvanainen is shooting 46.8 percent from beyond the arc in victories in 2021-22 (22-of-47). However, the junior is making just 23.8 percent in defeats (10-of-42). Last week, Tahvanainen converted 66.7 percent of his 3-point attempts (6-of-9) as Bradley swept a pair of games versus Drake and Southern Illinois.
DU .. Spreading the Wealth
When all five starters scored in double figures in Drake’s 82-74 overtime win at UNI Saturday, it marked the third game this season that the Bulldogs had at least five players reach double-digit scoring. Roman Penn had a season high 18 points followed by 16 apiece from D.J. Wilkins and Garrett Sturtz. Tremell Murphy and Tucker DeVries added 11 apiece.
LUC .. Norris Steps Up
Over the last four games, redshirt junior Braden Norris has stepped up his scoring production for Loyola, pitching in 14.5 ppg to go with 2.0 rpg, 4.3 apg and 1.0 spg. The 6-foot- point guard has knocked down a three-pointer in 15 consecutive home games and seven straight outings overall.
MSU .. Emerging Excellence
Missouri State’s Isiaih Mosley’s recent hot streak has catapulted him into the national spotlight as the country’s leader in total points (444) and field goals made (162), while ranking ninth in scoring average (21.1) and 17th in free throw percentage (.901). Likewise, the junior guard has moved up to No. 10 on KenPom’s player efficiency rankings.
SIU .. Trending
Dalton Banks is 25-of-39 (.641) from the field in his last nine games, reversing a 5-for-31 start to the season. He’s averaging 7.2 points and 2.7 assists during the stretch. He is also seventh in the MVC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2).
VALPO .. Down but not Out
When Valpo transformed a 40-35 halftime deficit into a 75-73 victory on Jan. 22 vs. Indiana State, it represented the fifth time this season the Beacons have trailed at the game’s midway mark before rallying to prevail. Half of Valpo’s 10 wins this season have come when trailing at the break.
UE .. Making Them Count
Evansville has shot at least 80% from the line in each of the last four games. Over that span, the Aces have knocked down 33 out of 38 free throw tries – an average of 86.8%. Prior to the recent streak, UE was shooting 68.3% on the season, but has seen that average rise to 71.4%.