Bunched At the Top
Six of the MVC’s 12 teams are within two games of first place (two are tied for first; three are tied for third; and MoState is sixth just two games out of first). Only the Big 12 (6), Ivy League (6); Ohio Valley (6); and MVC (6) have as many as 5 teams within two games of first place this late in the season.

MVC MBB Weekly Notes (PDF)

MVC Player of the Week
Roman Penn, Drake
6-0, 185, Gr., G
Calumet City, Ill. | Bishop Noll
Penn averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in a pair of lopsided wins for Drake over Murray State and Southern Illinois. Penn scored 18 points going 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-5 at the free throw line with 5 rebounds and 3 assists at Murray State on Tuesday. On Saturday against Southern Illinois, Penn delivered 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor with 5 rebounds and a game-high 8 assists. 

MVC Newcomer of the Week
Courvoisier McCauley, Indiana State
6-5, 211, Gr., G
Indianapolis, Ind. | DePaul/Lincoln Memorial
McCauley averaged 18.0 points on the week as Indiana State’s leading scorer in both games of a 2-0 week. Both wins came by 10 or more points to extend ISU’s win streak to five games. He put up 15 points and six rebounds with three triples, a block, and a steal against Valpo before pacing all scorers at UNI with 21 points and a game-high five triples.

Others Nominated Last Week

• Tucker DeVries, Drake - Averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in a pair of blowout wins for Drake over Murray State and Southern Illinois. DeVries matched his career-high of 32 points on 10-of-16 shooting (6-for-8 from 3-point range) while hauling 6 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists in a 92-68 win at MSU.
• Darius Burford, Illinois State -- Averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game during the week for Illinois State … Made 13-of-27 shots from the field (48.1%) and also added two steals and a blocked shot while committing just two turnovers in nearly 67 minutes
• Donovan Clay, Missouri State -- Clay started the week with an 18-point outburst against Belmont, including 14 points in the second half to lead the Bears to victory. His lob to Jonathan Mogbo for an alley-oop dunk with 9 seconds remaining proved to be the game-winner for MSU and the fifth assist of the game for Clay. He followed that effort with 17 points and 5 rebounds in the Bears’ road win at UE.
• Ben Krikke, Valparaiso -- Averaged 23.0 points per game this week, going 19-of-31 (61.3 percent) from the field over the two games. He drilled two of his three 3-point tries and went 6-of-8 (75 percent) at the foul line while also squeezing seven rebounds, handing out six assists and recording two blocks.
• Ville Tahvanainen, Bradley -- Helped lead the Braves to a 2-0 week with convincing wins against Illinois State and Murray State.  He hit double figures in both games with 13 points at Illinois State and 18 points (in 19 minutes) against Murray State. He was 6-of-6 from three-point range against the Racers.
• Quinton Green, Valparaiso -- Averaged 15.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this week, highlighted by a 25-point outburst in Saturday’s 81-76 victory over Illinois State. He tied a career high with 10 rebounds and had his first double-double in a Valpo uniform. Green went 8-of-12 from the floor, 4-of-7 from 3 and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line in the win over the Redbirds. 
• Cade Tyson, Belmont -- Averaged 15.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game on 61 percent shooting this past week as Belmont stayed in the heart of the Missouri Valley Conference race. Tyson had one of the most efficient games in the league this season, scoring 19 points on eight field goal attempts vs. UIC.
• Marvin Coleman II, Evansville -- Recorded 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  Coleman opened the week with 7 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals as the Aces earned their first league win over Northern Iowa.  He followed that up with another strong performance in a close contest against Missouri State.  He scored 14 points while adding four rebounds in the 66-60 loss.
• Jonathan Mogbo, Missouri State -- Mogbo had 12 points and was a monster on the glass, pulling down 29 total rebounds in MSU’s two games last week, including 10 offensive boards as the Bears went 2-0 (Belmont, at Evansville).

16,777,216
With 24 games left in the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball schedule, that’s how many win-loss combinations still exist. The MVC tiebreaker for tournament seeding is located on the MVC men’s basketball page -- a subdirectory under “Championship.”

Ranking in the Upper Half
The Missouri Valley Conference ranks in the upper half of NCAA DI for men’s basketball for home winning percentage in league play (61-35; .635 - 12th); in close games -- i.e. games decided by three points or less or overtime (23 of 96 - 13th); and also in the number of “blowout” wins -- i.e. games decided by 20 or more points (17 of 96 - 6th).

Close Games in MVC Play
Twenty-three of the league’s 96 contests have been decided by three points or less (or in OT) this year.  Thirteen additional games have been decided by six points or less [36 of 96 decided by six or fewer points this year].  MVC records in games decided by 3 or fewer (or OT):
Murray State (4-0); Missouri State (5-2); UNI (2-1); Drake (4-3); Belmont (2-2); Indiana State (2-2); Southern Illinois (1-1); Bradley (1-2); Illinois State (2-3); UIC (0-3); Valparaiso (0-4)

Homecourt Advantage
The league’s overall homecourt record is 61-35 (63.5 percent), but the five teams within a game of first place have combined for a 34-6 record at home (85.0 percent).  Four of those five are 7-1 in league play on their home courts.

Three-Way Tie For First
There have been 20 seasons in which the MVC had co-champions in its previous 115 years of men’s basketball (excluding the MVC’s first seven seasons in which divisional play occurred).  There have only been three MVC seasons with tri-champs.

MVC Seasons With Tri-Champions
1930-31 Creighton/Okla. St./Washington (5-3)
1935-36 Creighton/Okla. St./Drake (8-4)
1970-71 Drake/Louisville/Saint Louis (9-5)

Nothing But Net
Bradley heads a list of six MVC men’s basketball schools that rank in the Top 150 of the NET (Feb. 13).  The Braves are at No. 63, followed by Drake (72) and Indiana State (94).  The MVC ranks 15th as a Conference in the NET rankings.  Drake has had the best success in the MVC vs. Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents, compiling a 3-3 mark in those chances.  Bradley (12-0) and Drake (10-0) do not have a Quad 4 loss this year.

KenPom 
Drake leads the MVC in the KenPom ratings. The Bulldogs are 78, followed by Bradley (80) and Indiana State (98).  Six MVC teams are in the Top 160.  Bradley (48), Drake (67), and Southern Illinois (72) are among the KenPom leaders for adjusted defensive efficiency. Belmont tops the MVC in the KenPom metrics for offensive efficiency (73), followed by Indiana State (94), and Drake (99).

MVC at Midway Point
The MVC reached the midway point of its 20-game Conference schedule on Jan. 21.  Notably, since 1992-93, all 41 MVC teams in the lead (or co-lead) at the ‘turn’ have reached post-season play.  The last Valley mid-season leader to not reach post-season play was Tulsa in 1992.  Belmont (8-2) and Southern Illinois (8-2) were tied for first Jan. 21.

First Year Phenoms
A handful of first-year MVC players are on pace to surpass 200 total points as freshmen.  Cade Tyson of Belmont leads the way with 337 points so far.  UNI (3) and Belmont (2) account for five of the league’s top six scoring freshmen.

337 - Cade Tyson, Belmont
256 - Michael Duax, UNI
249 - Robbie Avila, Indiana State
239 - Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Belmont
192 - Trey Campbell, UNI
192 - Landon Wolf, UNI
181 - Kenny White, Murray State

Off the Bench
Here are your scoring leaders in bench scoring (those student-athletes who have come off the bench 15 or more games this season).  Player, team and games as a non-starter indicated below:

10.6 -- Chance Moore, Missouri State (22)
 9.2 -- Ja’Shon Henry, Bradley (19)
 7.4 -- Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Belmont (19)
 7.4 -- Sardaar Calhoun, Drake (23)
 7.4 -- Landon Wolf, UNI (26)
 7.2 -- Antoine Smith Jr., UE (16)
 7.1 -- Ville Tahvanainen, Bradley (24)

Double Trouble
Tytan Anderson of UNI leads the MVC with 10 double-doubles this year.  He entered the 2022-23 season with career averages of 1.9 points per game and 2.0 rebounds per game.  Two league players (Rienk Mast of Bradley and Garrett Sturtz of Drake) each have seven double-doubles.

10 Tytan Anderson - UNI
7 Garrett Sturtz - Drake
7 Rienk Mast - Bradley
6 Kendall Lewis - Illinois State
5 Jonathan Mogbo - Missouri State
5 Malevy Leons - Bradley
4 four players tied 

Fire Away
The Sycamores made 36 three-point baskets combined in wins against Murray State and Valpo (19 vs. Murray State, 17 vs. Valparaiso). The 36 treys are the most in a two-game stretch in Conference history. The 19 treys against Murray State established a record for three-pointers made in a league game.

Margin Call
Bradley defeated Murray State this past week, 83-48.  It was the Braves third victory of 35 or more points this season, including their second in MVC play.  Below are a list of wins in Conference play this year by 35 or more points

+45 -- Bradley vs. Evansville, 1/11/23 (91-46)
+43 -- Indiana State vs. Murray State, 2/4/23 (99-56)
+36 -- Drake at Evansville, 1/21/23 (97-61)
+35 -- Bradley vs. Murray State, 2/11/23 (83-48)

30 Something
Marcus Domask of Southern Illinois leads the league with three 30-point games.  Tucker DeVries of Drake leads the Conference with 14 20-point games.

Number of 30-Point games
3 -- Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois
2 -- Bowen Born, UNI
2 -- Tucker DeVries, Drake
2 -- Ben Krikke, Valparaiso
2 -- Courvoisier McCauley, Indiana State
2 -- Ben Sheppard, Belmont

Number of 20-Point games
14 -- Tucker DeVries, Drake
12 -- Ben Sheppard, Belmont
12 -- Ben Krikke, Valparaiso
11 -- Bowen Born, UNI

Streaking
Drake’s current 7-game winning streak is tied for the 9th-longest active streak; Bradley’s 6-game streak is t-14th best. Drake’s 5-game road winning streak is tied for 6th-best nationally.

15 -- Eastern Washington
10 -- Oral Roberts
9 -- Southern Miss.
9 -- Toledo
8 -- Furman
8 -- Northwestern State
8 -- Creighton
8 -- Rider
7 -- Drake (tied with four other teams)

20 Something
Drake reached the 20-win plateau this past week, and the Bulldogs enter the final two weeks of the season with a 21-6 mark.  Four other teams are within range of 20-win seasons, including Bradley and Southern Illinois (19 wins each currently), and Belmont and Indiana State (18 wins each). The league has never had more than three teams enter the Conference tournament with 20+ wins. The MVC has had three 20+ win teams prior to Arch Madness 11 times previously.

Three Teams w/20+ Wins at Arch Madness
1994 -- Bradley#, Southern Illinois*, Tulsa*
2000 -- Creighton*, Indiana State*, MoState#
2004 -- Creighton#, S. Illinois*, Wichita State#
2005 -- Creighton*, UNI*, Southern Illinois*
2006 -- Missouri State#, UNI*, Wichita State*
2007 -- Bradley#, Missouri State#, S. Illinois*
2008 -- Creighton#, Drake*, Southern Illinois#
2009 -- Creighton#, Illinois State#, UNI*
2010 -- Illinois State#, UNI*, Wichita State#
2020 -- Bradley, Loyola, UNI (COVID, no post-season)
2022 -- Drake, Loyola*, Missouri State#
*denotes NCAA; #denotes NIT

Down to the Wire
Last year, just one game separated the top four teams in the standings as UNI earned sole possession of the regular-season title (14-4), while Drake, Loyola, and Missouri State tied for second place with 13-5 marks.  In the league’s 115-year history, four teams have finished within a single game of each other just four times:

Seasons w/4 MVC Teams within 1 game of 1st
1971 -- DU/UofL/SLU (9-5), Memphis/Tulsa (8-6)
1977 -- SIU/NMSU (8-4), Wichita St./WTSU (7-5)
1990 -- SIU (10-4), Creighton, ILS, Tulsa (all 9-5)
2022 -- UNI (14-4), Drake, Loyola, MoState (all 13-5)

Penn in Select Company
In the past 10 seasons only 16 NCAA DI players have had a 30-point game and a 15-assist game in the same season.  Drake’s Roman Penn is one of just two to do it this year.

Chaz Williams, UMass, 2013-14
Jaaron Simmons, Ohio, 2015-16
Kay Felder, Oakland, 2015-16
Dennis Smith, NC State, 2016-17
Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State, 2016-17
Erick Neal, UT Arlington, 2017-18
Jordan McLaughlin, Southern California, 2017-18
Trae Young, Oklahoma, 2017-18
Nick Norton, Drake, 2018-19
Ja Morant, Murray State, 2018-19
Josh Sharkey, Samford, 2019-20
Jalen Moore, Oakland, 2020-21
Wendell Green Jr., Eastern Kentucky, 2020-21
Yuri Collins, Saint Louis, 2021-22
Tyler Robertson, Portland, 2022-23
Roman Penn, Drake, 2022-23

Leons 1 of Just 4
Bradley’s Malevy Leons joins just three MVC players in the past 32 years (since the 1991-92 season) to record 40+ blocks and 40+ steals in the same season. Leons enters the week with 41 steals and 44 blocks.

40+ Steals + 40+ Blocks (Since 1992)
Rolan Roberts, SIU (2001-02) – 41 steals, 87 blocks
Marcus Timmons, SIU (1994-95) – 70 steals, 40 blocks
Jake Koch, UNI (2012-13) – 43 steals, 44 blocks
Malevy Leons, BRAD (2022-23) - 41 steals, 44 blocks

Most League Losses, Champ
Drake and Loyola shared the MVC title in 2018-19 with 12-6 conference records.  It marked the most losses for a league champ in MVC history (during the MVC’s 18-game schedule).

Most League Losses For an MVC Champion
6 Drake (2018-19)
6 Loyola (2018-19)
5 Creighton (2012-13)
5 Evansville (1998-99)
5 Illinois State (1992-93)
5 Drake (1970-71)*
*Drake won a playoff for the title, but the Bulldogs tied for the best regular-season record with Saint Louis and Louisville.

Streaking
No team in MVC history has lost more than three consecutive league games and won (or shared) the Conference title.  

Longest MVC Losing Streaks by an MVC Champ
3 Creighton (2012-13); Bluejays finished 13-5
3 Evansville (1998-99); Aces finished 13-5
3 Southern Illinois (1991-92); Salukis finished 14-4
3 Drake (1935-36); Drake shared title at 8-4
2 numerous times

Making His Threes
Belmont’s Drew Friberg leads the MVC and ranks in the Top 10 in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage (4th, 46.6) and total 3FG made (8th, 88). His 88 makes are among the all-time bests for a player in his first year in the MVC.  Courvoisier McCauley of Indiana State has 83 treys and is closely behind.

Three-Pointers Made - First-Year MVC Players
103 -- Adam Leonard, Missouri State (2009-10), Jr.
93 -- Troy Hudson, Southern Illinois (1995-96), Jr.
90 -- Chamberlain Oguchi, Illinois State (2008-09), Sr.
88 -- Drew Friberg, Belmont (2022-23), Gr. 
87 -- Skipp Schaefbauer, Illinois State (1996-97), Jr.
86 -- Luke McDonald, Drake (2000-01), Fr.
83 -- Courvoisier McCauley, IndState (2022-23), Gr. 

MVC Active Career Leaders
Here are the league’s active career leaders in various statistical categories and, when applicable, MVC all-time rank.  The numbers only include stats while one’s school was an active member of the MVC (thru games of Feb. 12).

POINTS [Career Scoring Average]
1,515 - (87) Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois [15.2]
1,502 - (92) D.J. Wilkins, Drake [9.8]
1,483 - (99) Ben Krikke, Valparaiso [12.7]
1,440 - Lance Jones, Southern Illinois [12.7]
1,316 - Garrett Sturtz, Drake [8.3]
1,281 - Cooper Neese, Indiana State [10.0]
1,296 - Roman Penn, Drake [11.6]
1,169 - Donovan Clay, Missouri State [9.7]
1,008 - Tucker DeVries, Drake [16.3]
 977 - Jawaun Newton, Evansville/S. Illinois [7.5]
 970 - Bowen Born, UNI [11.98]
 969 - JaShon Henry, Bradley [8.4]
*nine active MVC players have reached 1,000 points

REBOUNDS
891 (t32) - Garrett Sturtz, Drake
662 - Donovan Clay, Valparaiso/Missouri State
591 - Rienk Mast, Bradley
580 - Darnell Brodie, Drake

3-POINT FIELD GOALS MADE
288 (3) - D.J. Wilkins, Drake
206 - Cooper Neese, Indiana State
195 - Lance Jones, Southern Illinois
174 - Ville Tahvanainen, Bradley

ASSISTS
569 (11) - Roman Penn, Drake
332 - Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois
329 - D.J. Wilkins, Drake
273 - Lance Jones, Southern Illinois
264 - Donovan Clay, Valparaiso/Missouri State

STEALS
170 - Lance Jones, Southern Illinois
170 - Garrett Sturtz, Drake
123 - Roman Penn, Drake
114 - D.J. Wilkins, Drake

Against the Top 25
MVC teams were 2-2 vs. Top 25 non-conference teams this season and was 3-5 against teams from Power leagues.  Drake beat No. 15 Mississippi State on Dec. 20, and Murray State knocked off No. 24 Texas A&M in the opening round of the Myrtle Beach Invitational.  In 2021-22, the MVC recorded a 1-6 record against non-conference Top 25 programs.

Vs. Non-MVC
The league finished the regular season with a 74-55 record vs. non-league teams (.574).  That record includes an impressive 46-10 slate in home non-league games. MVC teams were 71-54 (.568) in non-league play in 2021-22.

Power Play
MVC teams combined for three wins against power conferences in 2022-23, but only had eight tries. During the last four seasons, the MVC has averaged 12.5 games a year against teams from power leagues.  In the six seasons prior (2013-14 through 2018-19), MVC teams averaged twice as many contests against teams from power leagues (25.0).

NCAA Success
Notably, the MVC has combined for 20 wins in the NCAA Tournament in the past nine NCAA championships and has earned multiple bids 17 times since 1994.  Since 2010, The Valley has had two Final Four appearances and 12 Sweet 16 appearances (by 7 different schools)

The Valley Runs Deep
From 2012-2019, MVC teams garnered 10-straight first-round wins in the NCAA Tournament.  Since 2012, the MVC is now 12-3 in first-round games, which includes wins in 8 of the past 10 NCAA Tournaments.

Postseason Power Play
Additionally, since 1994, an MVC member has beaten the following teams from power conferences in the NCAA Tournament:  Alabama, Arizona, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois (twice), Indiana, Kansas (three times), K-State, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh (twice), Seton Hall, Tennessee (four times), Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin.

Sturtz In Select Company
Drake’s Garrett Sturtz (6’3”) is the all-time leading rebounder in Drake men’s basketball history. Of the 37 all-time MVC members, he’s the shortest to lead his program in career rebounding.  He joins Oscar Robertson as the only guards to lead their MVC programs in rebounds.

Career Rebound Leaders (Past & Present MVC Schools)
Shortest Student-Athletes to Lead Their Schools
6-3 Garrett Sturtz, Drake*
6-4 Dick Estergard, Bradley*
6-4 Seymour Bryson, Southern Illinois
6-5 Byron Houston, Oklahoma State
6-5 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati*
*played full career as an MVC student-athlete

Leading the League
Indiana State leads the MVC and ranks 33rd nationally for team field goal percentage (47.9).  The Sycamores have led the MVC in team field goal percentage just one time in ISU history -- their 1978-79 MVC championship and Final Four season with Larry Bird.

Charity Tosses
Illinois State ranks 5th nationally in team free throw percentage, connecting on 79.6 percent of its foul line shots.  Missouri State set a league record last year by connecting on 79.7 percent for the season.  Drake ranks 11th in the NCAA this year (77.5 percent).

On the Defensive
Four league teams rank in the Top 52 of the NCAA for scoring defense.  Southern Illinois ranks 19th nationally at 61.9 ppg allowed; Bradley ranks 21st (61.9 ppg); Missouri State is 33rd (63.3); and Drake is 52nd (65.0).

Scoring Offense
Indiana State continues to lead the league and ranks 31st nationally in scoring (78.9 ppg).  Notably, only one league team has averaged better than 80 points per game since 1994 (Tulsa, 83.4).  Wichita State (81.0 ppg in 2017).  

Long Range Snipers
Belmont leads the league and ranks fourth nationally by shooting 39.7 percent from beyond the arc. Belmont is 14th nationally in total 3-pointers made per game (9.7). Indiana State is 17th nationally in 3FGM per game (9.6).

BEL .. Sheppard Leads
Ben Sheppard of Belmont has hit 20 or more points in seven of the Bruins’ last nine games, which included 25 points in the win against UIC this weekend. Before that nine-game stretch he hadn’t hit 20 in a game in the seven games prior.

BRAD .. Defending the Shot
Since 2010, all but three teams that have led the MVC in FG percentage defense have earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament.  Bradley’s current 40.1 figure leads the MVC and ranks 24th nationally.

DU .. Consistent Success
Drake men’s basketball has won at least 20 games for the fifth consecutive season (every year of the Darian DeVries era) for the first time in program history. 

UE .. Persistence Pays Off
Evansville’s persistence finally paid off as the Purple Aces defeated UNI at the Ford Center last week.  The last six games have seen UE perform much better on both ends of the floor.  In the first 10 MVC games, the Aces were outscored by 21.5 points per game.  Over the prior six games, UE has kept things much closer, falling by just 7.0 points per game with things being much closer in the final minutes.

UIC .. Block Party
UIC ranks first in the Conference with 128 blocked shots this season, for an average of 4.74 per game. Four Flames rank in the Top 15 in the MVC, including Toby Okani (4th, 1.19 bpg).

ILS .. Starter Shuffle
Against Belmont, Illinois State used a starting lineup of Malachi Poindexter, Seneca Knight, Darius Burford, Kendall Lewis, and Ryan Schmitt.  It marked the 12th different starting lineup used this season by ISU, the seventh-most different starting lineups in the country.

INS .. Dynamic Duo
The Sycamores lead the league in assists, assists per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio while Cameron Henry and Julian Larry individually rank in the top 10 in the Valley in each of those categories. Henry (98) and Larry (90) are closing in on 100 assists this season and would be the first duo to record 100 assists in the same season since Michael Menser and Matt Renn in 2000-01.

MOST .. Fourteen Fits
Missouri State’s 14th different starting lineup of the season seems to be the one that fits best. The team’s latest starting quintet of Donovan Clay, Alston Mason, Damien Mayo Jr., Jonathan Mogbo and Kendle Moore has engineered back-to-back Valley victories for the Bears for the first time since Jan. 15-18 and showing balance on both ends of the floor. In addition to Clay’s team-best 17.5 points per game on the week, Mogbo snagged 14.5 rebounds -- including a career-high 19 vs. Belmont. Meanwhile, Mason dished out 6.0 assists and played all 80 minutes, Moore dropped in seven 3-pointers, and Mayo shot 50 percent from the field and grabbed 4.5 rebounds. All 13 MoState players who have seen the floor this season have earned at least one start.

MUR .. Looking to Rebound
The Racers have lost three-straight games (at Indiana State, to Drake, and at Bradley) and have played eight games in a row against teams at the top of the standings (top 6).  With games remaining at Illinois State and Missouri State and home games with Evansville and Valparaiso, the Racers are up against teams they have already defeated this season.

UNI .. Jake Climbing the List
UNI’s Ben Jacobson has won 333 games in his time at UNI (3rd all-time in the MVC), and he is tied for second on the coaching wins list for MVC-only games trailing the legendary Henry Iba (Oklahoma State) by five wins.

Winningest MVC Coaches - All Games
486 -- Henry P. Iba, Oklahoma State (1934-57) 
337 -- Eddie Hickey, CU/SLU (1935-43; 1946-58
333 -- Ben Jacobson, UNI (2006-present)
327 -- Dana Altman, Creighton (1994-10)
285 -- Barry Hinson, MoState/SIU (1999-08; 2012-19)

Winningest MVC Coaches - MVC Games Only
187 -- Henry P. Iba, Oklahoma State (1934-57) 
182 -- Ben Jacobson, UNI (2006-present)
182 -- Dana Altman, Creighton (1994-10)

VALPO .. ARC Excellence
Valpo owns a home record of 8-5 this season entering Tuesday’s game against Southern Illinois. Thanks to Saturday’s win over Illinois State, the Beacons have clinched a winning record at home. Valpo has maintained a home record of .500 or better in 31 consecutive seasons. 

SIU .. It’s a Steal
SIU’s 7.6 steals per game lead the MVC. The duo of Lance Jones and Xavier Johnson are No. 1 and 4 in the MVC in steals with 48 and 41 respectively. 

DU .. Vintage Roman Penn
During Drake’s seven-game winning streak Roman Penn has averaged 18.3 points per game, 7.3 assists per game and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting at a 54.4 percent clip from the field (49-of-90). Penn has scored at least 16 points in six of those seven games.

INS .. Streaking
Indiana State is on a five-game win streak with the last four wins coming by 10 or more points, the first time the Sycamores have won four straight games by 10+ points since 2013-14.

UNI .. Success vs. Drake
The Panthers are 30-7 against Drake at home all-time as the two in-state rivals clash in Cedar Falls on Wednesday night. UNI looks to snap a season-long five-game losing streak, its longest since the 2017-18 season which is also tied for the second longest skid for the Panthers under Ben Jacobson. The longest losing streak in the Jacobson era came in 2006-07 in Jacobson’s first season as head coach with 7 consecutive losses.

SIU .. Keeping Up With Jones
Lance Jones leads the Salukis with 60 3-pointers this season and 36 in Valley play. The senior has made 195 threes over his career to rank fifth in program history. Jones is one steal short of entering SIU’s Top-5.

VALPO .. Red Light, Green Light
Quinton Green has scored 51 points in the two games against Illinois State, going 10-of-15 from 3-point territory, 17-of-23 from the field and 7-of-8 at the foul line in those contests. Green scored a season-high 26 points on Jan. 21 at Illinois State before finishing a point shy of that mark on Feb. 11 when the Redbirds came to the ARC. His only two games this season with upward of 20 points have come against Illinois State, and in his last 18 games, his two outputs of greater than 16 are the games against the ‘Birds.