Following a 9-3 weekend in non-league play, Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball will tip off its 2022-23 conference season on Wednesday.

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MVC Player of the Week
Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois
6-6, 215, Sr., F, Waupun, Wis., Waupun High
Domask was dominant for the Salukis over the past week, leading the team with a 26.5 points per game average over two games at the SoCal Challenge. Domask also averaged 6.5 rebounds, three assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game over the tournament while averaging 41.3 minutes per game. The forward led the Salukis to an overtime win against Cal Baptist, scoring a career-high 32 points while shooting 12-of-18 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Down four at the start of overtime to the Lancers, Domask scored the final seven points of the game to secure the Saluki win.



MVC Newcomer of the Week
Tre Anderson, UIC
6-1, 185, Gr., G
Tacoma, Wash., Rainier Beach High [Idaho]
Anderson led the point for the Flames to near perfection this week, leading the team to a 3-0 record with two neutral site wins and a road victory. Anderson opened the week with 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds as UIC took down Stonehill at the Tom Konchalski Classic before matching his assist output against Holy Cross the next day with 17 points, seven rebounds and four more assists in the win over the Crusaders. At Green Bay, Anderson scored a game and season-high 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting while adding five more assists and four more rebounds. For the week, Anderson averaged 20 points, 6.3 assists and four rebounds per contest while adding three total steals. Eighteen of his 60 total points came at the free throw line as Anderson now ranks second nationally with 46 total free throws made this year. Anderson also leads all MVC players with 31 total assists on the season.




Vs. Non-MVC
Following a 9-3 weekend against non-league teams, Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball sits at 44-35 vs. non-league teams (.557).  Eight MVC league teams are .500 or better.  The 44-35 mark includes an impressive 23-4 slate in home non-league games.

Still Perfect
Entering Monday, Nov. 28, a total of 20 men’s basketball teams in DI have a perfect record, including Drake (6-0).  

For Openers
The MVC expanded to a 20-game league schedule for the first time in 2022-23, and all MVC teams will play two Conference games before Christmas, beginning with six games Wednesday, Nov. 30.  Last season, MVC men’s basketball started league play with four games Dec. 1.  The Nov. 30 start this year is believed to be the earliest to begin a conference season in league history.
Previous earliest starts:
12-1-2021 -- Southern Illinois at Evansville
12-1-2021 -- UNI at Bradley
12-1-2021 -- Missouri State at Illinois State
12-1-2021 -- Indiana State at Loyola
12-2-2021 -- Valparaiso at Drake
12-2-1950 – Houston at Bradley
12-4-2002 -- Creighton at UNI
12-5-1998 -- Southern Illinois at Creighton
12-5-1998 -- UNI at Indiana State
12-6-1997 -- Drake at Illinois State
12-6-2003 -- Southern Illinois at Drake
12-7-1967 – Memphis at Bradley
12-7-1996 -- UNI at Creighton

Winning the First One a Key
Since 1993-94, only five teams (UNI, a 2009 co-champ, Loyola in 2018, Drake in 2019, UNI in 2020, and UNI in 2022) have won at least a share of the MVC regular-season title without winning the league opener.  In fact, 25 of the last 31 regular-season champs (or co-champs) have opened 2-0 or better in MVC play, with UNI (2008-09, 2019-20, 2021-22), Wichita State (2011-12), Loyola (2017-18) and Drake (2018-19) the exceptions.  In 2018-19, Drake became the first regular-season champ since 1992-93 to start league play with back-to-back defeats.

0-2 Starts in Conference Play
Before Drake accomplished the feat in 2018-19, the league had not had a regular-season champ (or co-champ) start an MVC season with two-straight losses since the 1992-93 season when Illinois State started 0-2 in league play before winning the league race with a 13-5 MVC mark.  No team in MVC history has started league play 0-3 and gone on to win or share the regular-season title.

MVC Closes MTE Play
League teams wrapped up play in multi-team events (MTEs) over the weekend, and the MVC went a collective 17-17.  Last year, MVC teams combined for a cumulative 10-21 mark in MTEs.

Against the Top 25
Murray State knocked off No. 24 Texas A&M in the opening round of the Myrtle Beach Invitational for the league’s first win against a Top 25 team this year.  In 2021-22, the MVC recorded a 1-6 record against non-conference Top 25 programs. MVC teams are 1-1 vs. Top 25 teams this season, and the Conference is 2-2 against teams from Power leagues.

3 on Watch List
Three Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball players have been named to the 2022-23 Lou Henson Award Watch List.  Ben Sheppard (Belmont), Tucker DeVries (Drake) and Courvoisier McCauley (Indiana State) represent the MVC on the list. The award, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in Division I college basketball, honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.

Drake No. 3 in Mid-Major Poll
Drake is the highest-rated MVC team in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major poll (from Monday, Nov. 21).  The Bulldogs are third behind Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.  Southern Illinois clocked in at No. 21 in that poll; Indiana State is ranked No. 24, while five other MVC schools (Belmont, Bradley, Missouri State, Murray State, and UNI) received votes.  Drake is receiving votes this week in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll.

BEL .. Career Best
Behind a career-high 24 points from Drew Friberg, Belmont defeated Georgia State, 68-66, on Sunday.  Meanwhile, Ben Sheppard led the Bruins to victory with a season-high 27 points vs. Howard en route to Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team honors earlier in the week. Belmont has won three straight.

BRAD .. Streak Reaches 11
Bradley’s home court win streak increased to 11-straight games after Saturday’s win over Merrimack and stems back to January 12 against Evansville. This includes a 7-game win streak at home over Valley opponents.

DU .. Champions in Paradise
Drake men’s basketball won its first preseason tournament crown since the 2018 Continental Tires Las Vegas Invitational after going 3-0 at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Nov. 18-21 with victories over Buffalo, Wyoming and Tarleton State. 

INS .. Classic Finish
Indiana State took third place at the Gulf Coast Classic with a 2-1 record in the tournament, defeating East Carolina before falling to Kansas City and then bouncing back to defeat Drexel. Xavier Bledson was named to the All-Tournament Team after leading ISU in scoring through the tournament with 15.7 points per game.

UE .. Taking Charge
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. put the team on his back over the last week as he recorded an average of 20 points per game for the Aces. He shot an efficient 50% from the field for the week while 5 of his final 9 3-pointers were good.  For the season, his average stands at 17.3 PPG.

UIC .. Making the Free Ones
UIC ranks first in the MVC and 24th nationally in free throw attempts per game with 24.9 per contest while ranking second in the conference and 36th nationally with 16.4 makes per game. Individually, Tre Anderson leads all MVC players and sits second in Division I with 46 made free throws this season. Anderson’s 64 total trips to the free throw line rank first among all Division I players. Anderson has accounted for 40% of UIC’s total made free throws this season.

ILS .. Strong Overall Numbers
Illinois State’s Kendall Lewis is one of just 10 players in NCAA Division I with at least 10 blocks, 10 steals, and eight assists this season.

MoST .. Five in Double Figures
Five Missouri State players scored in double figures in Sunday’s win over Oakland, marking the first time since Dec. 30, 2021 (vs. Evangel). Bryan Trimble Jr. (Sr., Kansas City, Mo.) scored 14 points, while James Graham (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis.) and Kendle Moore (Sr., Danville, Ill.) added 13 points apiece. Donovan Clay (Sr., Alton, Ill.) and Alston Mason (So., Overland Park, Kan.) added 11 and 10 points, respectively in the game. MSU trailed 23-13 with 8:39 left in the first half, then went on a 38-13 over the next fourteen-and-a-half minutes to run away with the victory.

MUR .. First MVC Game
The Racers host the Illinois State Redbirds Thursday at 7 p.m. in the CFSB Center in what will be a historic first as Murray State plays its first game in The Valley.  Fellow MVC newcomers UIC (Missouri State) and Belmont (Valpo) also open up league play at home this week.

UNI .. Anderson Leads
UNI forward Tytan Anderson leads the MVC in double-doubles (3), defensive rebounds per game (7.6) and total rebounds per game (10.4).

SIU .. Select Company
With a 32-point outing against Cal Baptist, Marcus Domask joins a list of just seven Salukis to score 30 or more points since the 2009-10 season. The 32 points are tied for fifth-most during the time with Carlton Fay’s 38-point game against Western Michigan in 2010 at the top of the list. 

VALPO .. In the Nick of Time
Fifth-year senior point guard Nick Edwards became the latest entry on the list of Valpo basketball players who have hit game-winning shots in the final five seconds of regulation or overtime when he drove to the basket and scored in the closing ticks of OT to lift Valpo past James Madison 81-79 on Sunday in Savannah, Ga. This was Valpo’s first last-second shot since March 6, 2020, Eron Gordon’s memorable basket to beat Loyola at the MVC Tournament in St. Louis. This marked Valpo’s 26th game-winning shot in the final five seconds since the start of the 1992-93 season. 

BEL .. Davidson Debuts
Belmont welcomed nine newcomers to this year’s roster, including graduate transfer Drew Friberg and three-year Tennessee Tech starter Keishawn Davidson.  Friberg is third on the team in scoring (13.4 ppg).  Davidson has been sidelined with an injury but played his first game in the win at Georgia State.  He contributed five points, three rebounds, two steals and two assists.

BRAD .. Mast Returns
Rienk Mast returned from injury for his first game of the 2022-23 season for Bradley. The All-MVC First team selection while playing on a minutes restriction gathered 12 points and 6 rebounds in just 17 minutes of work vs. Merrimack.

DU .. 100
After defeating Tarleton State, 71-64 for the Paradise Jam title, Drake coach Darian DeVries won his 100th career game in 141 tries (he is now 101-41.)

UE  .. Home Sweet Home
Only one of Evansville’s first eight games have been at the Ford Center in Evansville.  Belmont and Murray State have also only played a single game at home this year.  The Aces host Southern Illinois on Wednesday.  The last three games vs. SIU at Ford Center have been decided by two (54-52 SIU), four (64-60 SIU in ot) and seven points (98-91 UE).

UIC  .. Turning Them Over
The Flames rank first in the MVC in turnovers forced per game (17.43) and 29th nationally (also first in the MVC) with a +4.7 turnover margin. In UIC’s active three-game winning streak, UIC is +16 in the turnover margin, committing 30 turnovers while forcing teams to turn the ball over 46 times (15.3 per game).

ILS .. Charity Tosses
Two league teams are in the Top 11 in the NCAA in free throw percentage.  Illinois State ranks 7th nationally by converting 81.1 percent (103 of 127).  Drake is 11th at 80.3 accuracy as the Bulldogs have connected on 94 of 117.

INS .. Best in a Decade
The Sycamores stayed perfect at home with a 105-68 win over Trinity Sunday afternoon at the Hulman Center. True freshman Robbie Avila posted a double-double in his first career start in the game. ISU is off to a 6-1 start this season, its best start since 2011-12 when the Sycamores also started off 6-1.

MoST .. Clay Closing In
 The countdown to 1,000 career points has begun for Donovan Clay (Sr., Alton, Ill.). Clay is currently at 944 points in 103 games, including 63 games at Valparaiso. His next start will be the 100th of his career.

SIU .. No Quit
After Cal Baptist scored the first four points of overtime to jump ahead 61-57 with 3:44 left in action, the Salukis did not surrender another point to CBU for the remainder of the game while Domask took over scoring the next seven points to secure the victory.

MUR .. 20 Somethings
The 22 points for Rob Perry and 27 for UTC’s Jared Stephens marked the first time a Racer and the opponent have had a player each score 20-plus points since the Racers’ OVC Tournament title game last March. In that game, MSU’s Tevin Brown scored 23 points and Morehead State’s Johni Broome scored 32.

UNI .. Looking to Snap Skid
UNI looks to snap its three-game skid in conference openers this Wednesday at Bradley. The Panthers last win in the first game of league play came in 2018-19 also at Bradley.  Coach Ben Jacobson is now five victories shy of passing Dana Altman for 3rd on the MVC’s all-time wins list. Jacobson has won 323 games in his time at UNI, while Altman totaled 327 wins at Creighton (1994-2010).

VALPO .. The Century Mark
Valpo’s Matt Lottich joined the 100-win club with Sunday’s triumph vs. James Madison. He became just the fourth head coach in program history to reach the significant milestone, joining Homer Drew, Bryce Drew and J.M. Christiansen. 

20 Games in MVC Play
MVC teams will play 20 league games for the first time, with two Conference games taking place the week after Thanksgiving.  Teams will play nine opponents twice, and the other two league teams once each (one home, one away).

What Else is New?
In addition to the league’s three newest institutions, the MVC has adopted a new 11-game tournament format.  The league’s championship -- The State Farm MVC Tournament, affectionately known as Arch Madness, will be played Thursday-Sunday, March 2-5, in St. Louis at Enterprise Center.  The tournament will celebrate its 47th anniversary overall in 2023, and it will be the 33rd-straight season the event has been held in St. Louis.  Only the Big East Conference (in New York City) has had a longer continuous run at a single site.