2023 STATE FARM MVC MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
47th TOURNAMENT (33rd-straight in ST. LOUIS)
March 2-5 ... St. Louis, MO ... Enterprise Center
Capacity: 8,476 (Lower Bowl), 16,502 (Full)
THURSDAY, MARCH 2
12 pm -- GAME 1 (#8 UNI vs. #9 Illinois State)
2:30 pm -- GAME 2 (#5 Indiana St. vs. #12 Evansville)
6 pm -- GAME 3 (#7 Murray State vs. #10 Valparaiso)
8:30 pm -- GAME 4 (#6 Missouri State vs. #11 UIC)
FRIDAY, MARCH 3
12 pm -- GAME 5 (#1 Bradley vs. Game 1 winner)
2:30 pm -- GAME 6 (#4 Belmont vs. Game 2 winner)
6 pm -- GAME 7 (#2 Drake vs. Game 3 winner)
8:30 pm -- GAME 8 (#3 S. Illinois vs. Game 4 winner)
SATURDAY, MARCH 4
2:30 pm -- GAME 9 (Game 5 & 6 winners)
5 pm -- GAME 10 (Game 7 & 8 winners)
SUNDAY, MARCH 5
1:10 pm -- MVC Championship Game
Games 1-8 (MVC TV Network)
Game 9-10 -- Semifinals (CBS Sports Network)
Game 11 -- Championship (CBS)
State Farm MVC Tournament Notebook (PDF)
20 Something
For the first time in MVC history the Conference has five teams with 20+ wins prior to the league tournament. The previous record was three, matched 11 times.
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#
2023 -- Belmont, Bradley, Drake, Indiana St., SIU
*denotes NCAA; #denotes NIT
Regular-Season Champs
For the first time since 1996, Bradley has earned the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball regular-season title. It also marks the first time since 1996 the Braves have been the tourney’s No. 1 seed. Southern Illinois hadn’t been as high as No. 3 since 2019.
Team Seed; Note
1 -- Bradley (last seeded No. 1 in 1996)
2 -- Drake (seeded No. 2 in 2021; #3 last year)
3 -- SIU (last seeded as high as #3 since 2019)
Winner Take All?
In league history, the conference regular-season title has been decided on the final day of the season with two tied contenders facing one another eight times. The home team has won seven of the eight (Creighton was the only road team to win, in 1978, at SIU).
MVC “Winner Take All”
(records heading into regular-season finale)
2-25-78 -- Creighton (11-4) beat S. Illinois (11-4)
2-27-82 – Bradley (12-3) beat Tulsa (12-3)
3-2-85 -- Tulsa (11-4), Illinois State (11-4), Wichita State (11-4) – Tulsa faced and beat Wichita State; Illinois State lost at Bradley
2-26-11 -- MoState (14-3) beat Wichita St. (14-3)
3-2-13 -- Creighton (12-5) beat Wichita State (12-5)
2-28-15 -- Wichita State (16-1) beat UNI (16-1)
2-26-22 -- UNI (13-4) beat Loyola (13-4)
2-26-23 -- Bradley (15-4) beat Drake (15-4)
No. 1 Seed “Success”
Counting 2022, the top-seeded team at the State Farm MVC Tournament has won the tournament 17 times in 46 tries, and it has happened only 10 times in the 32-year history in St. Louis. A No. 2 seed has also won the title 10 times in St. Louis; the 3 seed has six titles; a four seed has won four times; and a five seed, two titles.
History of Top Seed in STL
In 32 previous MVC Tournaments in St. Louis, the No. 1 tournament seed has:
10 - Won the Tournament
12 - Lost in the Semifinals
9 - Lost in the Championship Game
1 - Lost its first game
MVC Tournament Titles, By Team
12 -- Creighton
5 -- UNI, Southern Illinois
4 -- Bradley, Illinois State, Tulsa, Wichita State
3 -- Indiana State, Loyola Chicago
1 -- Drake, Missouri State
Good News for Champs?
In the 46 seasons the league has conducted a post-season tournament (from 1977 through last year), there have been 53 regular-season champions (outright or shared). Forty of those 53 teams earned either the AQ or an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament (not counting the canceled 2020 NCAA Tournament).
Top Two Seeds = Semifinals
In the 32 previous MVC Tournaments played in St. Louis, the top two seeds have a combined 61-3 record in their first tournament games. In 2020, the top two seeds (UNI and Loyola) lost their first games. Third-seeded Indiana State also lost its first game that year, marking the first time in the history of the tournament that the top three seeds all lost their first games.
Best Pole Position?
Forty of 46 previous MVC tournament champions were seeded 1, 2, or 3. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have had the most success, combining for 33 titles.
MVC Tournament Titles By Seed
1 -- 17 (last: Loyola in 2021) | 10 in St. Louis
2 -- 16 (last: Wichita State in 2017) | 10 in St. Louis
3 -- 7 (last: Indiana State in 2011) | 6 in St. Louis
4 -- 4 (last: Loyola Chicago in 2022)
5 -- 2 (last: Bradley in 2019)
Arch Madness, Edition 33
The Valley is conducting its 33rd St. Louis-based postseason men’s basketball championship. With 33-straight years at the same neutral site, Arch Madness is the second-longest neutral site tenured collegiate tourney in the nation (following only the Big East in New York City).
We Meet Again?
In the 32-year history of the tournament in St. Louis, teams have played a regular-season finale and then met in both teams’ first game of the State Farm MVC Tournament 19 times. In the 19 previous occurrences, the team that has won the regular-season finale won the rematch 14 times, including each of the last seven.
How Sweep It Is
Last year, four first-round matchups at the State Farm MVC Tournament paired teams against one another that were involved in a two-game regular-season sweep. The team that won the first two games also won the tournament game last year. Each of the first eight games of this year’s tournament will feature matchups in which one team hasn’t beaten the other team this year.
“Final Four”
Here’s a look at all-time championship game and semifinal game appearances at the MVC Tournament (1977-present).
Title Game Appearances
13 -- Creighton, Illinois State
10 -- Southern Illinois
9 -- Tulsa
8 -- Bradley, Missouri State
7 -- UNI, Wichita State
5 -- Indiana State
3 -- Drake, Loyola Chicago
2 -- Evansville, West Texas State
1 -- New Mexico State, Valparaiso
Most Consecutive Title Games
5 -- Tulsa (1982-87)
3 -- Southern Illinois (1993-95)
2 -- 20x, most recently Drake & Loyola (2021 & 2022)
Semifinal Game Appearances
24 -- Illinois State
21 -- Wichita State
20 -- Bradley, Creighton, Southern Illinois
19 -- Missouri State
13 -- Tulsa
11 -- UNI
10 -- Indiana State
9 -- Drake
5 -- Loyola Chicago
3 -- Evansville
2 -- New Mexico State, West Texas State
1 -- Valparaiso
Most Consecutive Semifinals
8 -- Wichita State (2010-17)
7 -- Southern Illinois (1989-95); Tulsa (1981-87)
6 -- Southern Illinois (2002-07); Bradley (1994-99)
5 -- Creighton (1999-2003); Missouri State (1996-00), Illinois State (1986-90)
Avoiding the Opening Round
Only 48 times in NCAA history has a team won four (or more) games to win its conference post-season tournament title. No team from the Missouri Valley Conference has won four games in four days to claim the league tourney title.
Father-Son Combos
Tucker DeVries (Drake) is one of four MVC student-athletes playing for their fathers in men’s basketball, joining Hunter Jacobson (UNI), Jaden Schertz (Indiana State), and Griffin Yaklich (UIC).
Other MVC Coaching Tidbits
• Only MVC coach to win MVC Tournament as a player and coach: Chris Lowery (SIU/SIU), Porter Moser (CU/LUC)
• Only MVC coaches to win MVC Tournament as a player and reach title game as a coach: Chris Lowery (SIU), Dan Muller (ILS), Porter Moser (CU/LUC)
• Only MVC coaches to reach title game of MVC Tournament as a player and coach: Chris Lowery (SIU), Dan Muller (ILS), Jim Les (BRAD), Porter Moser (CU/LUC)
• Only MVC coaches to win MVC Tournament as a player and later become head coach for a team in the MVC: Chris Lowery (SIU/SIU), Paul Lusk (SIU/MSU), Porter Moser (CU/ILS-LUC), Dan Muller (ILS/ILS), Kevin McKenna (CU/INS), Bryan Mullins (SIU/SIU)
MVC Coaches, By Tourney Trips (counting 2023)
17 - Ben Jacobson, UNI
16 - Barry Hinson, Missouri St. (9)/SIU (7)
14 - Dana Altman, Creighton
12 - Porter Moser, Illinois State (4)/Loyola (8)
11 - Rich Herrin, Southern Illinois
11 - Marty Simmons, Evansville
11 - Greg Lansing, Indiana State
10 - Jim Molinari, Bradley
10 - Royce Waltman, Indiana State
Jake Climbing the List
UNI’s Ben Jacobson has won 334 games in his time at UNI (3rd all-time in the MVC), and he is second on the coaching wins list for MVC-only games trailing only Henry Iba of Oklahoma State.
Winningest MVC Coaches - All Games
486 -- Henry P. Iba, Oklahoma State (1934-57)
337 -- Eddie Hickey, CU/SLU (1935-43; 1946-58
334 -- 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)
183 -- Ben Jacobson, UNI (2006-present)
182 -- Dana Altman, Creighton (1994-10)
Against the Top 25
MVC teams are 2-2 vs. Top 25 non-conference teams this season and 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.
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 tourneys.
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.
MVC vs. Power Leagues in the NCAAs
ACC (3-8) Big Ten (5-9) Big 12 (8-6) Big East (5-7) Pac-12 (2-4) SEC (8-6)
Streaking
Bradley extended its winning streak to 10 games after beating Drake on Sunday, Feb. 26, in Peoria, and in the process ended Drake’s 10-game win streak. The Braves enter this week (through games of Feb. 26) with the nation’s fifth-longest active winning streak.
14 -- Oral Roberts
13 -- Toledo
11 -- Hofstra
11 -- Vermont
10 -- Bradley
9 -- Houston
9 -- Iona
Nothing But Net
Bradley heads a list of six MVC men’s basketball schools that rank in the Top 145 of the NET (Feb. 27). The Braves are at No. 56, followed by Drake (70) and Indiana State (96). 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 3-4 mark in those chances. Bradley, Missouri State, and Southern Illinois also matched Drake’s win total against the top two quads with three wins apiece. Neither Bradley (13-0) or Drake (11-0) has a Quad 4 loss this year.
KenPom
Bradley leads the MVC in the KenPom ratings. The Braves are 78, followed by Drake (80) and Indiana State (97). Five MVC teams are in the Top 135. Bradley (38), Drake (56), and Southern Illinois (65) are among the KenPom leaders for adjusted defensive efficiency. Belmont tops the MVC in the KenPom metrics for offensive efficiency (79), followed by Indiana State (96), and Drake (110).
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. 26).
POINTS [Career Scoring Average]
1,591 - (69) Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois [15.3]
1,582 - (71) Ben Krikke, Valparaiso [13.1]
1,544 - (85) D.J. Wilkins, Drake [9.8]
1,493 - (t97) Lance Jones, Southern Illinois [12.8]
1,362 - Garrett Sturtz, Drake [8.4]
1,358 - Roman Penn, Drake [11.7]
1,332 - Cooper Neese, Indiana State [10.1]
1,230 - Donovan Clay, Missouri State [9.8]
1,069 - Tucker DeVries, Drake [16.2]
1,018 - Bowen Born, UNI [11.98]
1,011 - JaShon Henry, Bradley [8.4]
1,004 - Jawaun Newton, Evansville/S. Illinois [7.5]
*12 active MVC players have reached 1,000 points
REBOUNDS
910 (30) - Garrett Sturtz, Drake
684 - Donovan Clay, Valparaiso/Missouri State
625 - Rienk Mast, Bradley
609 - Darnell Brodie, Drake
3-POINT FIELD GOALS MADE
300 (3) - D.J. Wilkins, Drake
212 - Cooper Neese, Indiana State
203 - Lance Jones, Southern Illinois
176 - Ville Tahvanainen, Bradley
ASSISTS
590 (10) - Roman Penn, Drake
350 - Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois
333 - D.J. Wilkins, Drake
285 - Lance Jones, Southern Illinois
280 - Donovan Clay, Valparaiso/Missouri State
STEALS
176 - Garrett Sturtz, Drake
175 - Lance Jones, Southern Illinois
130 - Roman Penn, Drake
117 - D.J. Wilkins, Drake
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 tournament with 50 steals and 49 blocks. No MVC player on record (since the MVC began keeping steals and blocks as a stat in 1980-81) has record a 50-50 season.
MVC -- 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) - 50 steals, 49 blocks
Making His Threes
Belmont’s Drew Friberg leads the MVC and ranks among NCAA leaders in three-point field goal percentage (3rd, 45.9) and total 3FG made (11th, 96). His 96 makes are among the all-time bests for a player in his first year in the MVC. Courvoisier McCauley of Indiana State has 95 treys, and he ranks 13th in the NCAA in total three-pointers made this season.
Three-Pointers Made - First-Year MVC Players
103 Adam Leonard, Missouri State (2009-10), Jr.
96 Drew Friberg, Belmont (2022-23), Gr.
95 Courvoisier McCauley, IndState (2022-23), Gr.
93 Troy Hudson, Southern Illinois (1995-96), Jr.
90 Chamberlain Oguchi, Illinois State (2008-09), Sr.
87 Skipp Schaefbauer, Illinois State (1996-97), Jr.
86 Luke McDonald, Drake (2000-01), Fr.
82 Tad Ackerman, Creighton (1994-95), Jr.
82 Brady Ellingson, Drake (2017-18), Gr.
79 Tyler Brown, Illinois State (2011-12), Jr.
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
First Year Phenoms
A handful of first-year MVC players have surpassed 200 total points as freshmen. Cade Tyson of Belmont leads the way with 385 points so far. UNI (3) and Belmont (2) account for five of the league’s top six scoring freshmen. Only 24 freshmen in MVC history have reached 400 total points. Tucker DeVries of Drake was the last to accomplish the feat, hitting 502 last year.
385 - Cade Tyson, Belmont
294 - Robbie Avila, Indiana State
293 - Michael Duax, UNI
292 - Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Belmont
234 - Landon Wolf, UNI
228 - Trey Campbell, UNI
216 - Kenny White, Murray State
213 - Jalen Jackson, UIC
Double Trouble
Tytan Anderson of UNI leads the MVC with 11 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.
11 Tytan Anderson - UNI
8 Kendall Lewis - Illinois State
8 Rienk Mast - Bradley
7 Garrett Sturtz - Drake
5 Jonathan Mogbo - Missouri State
5 Malevy Leons - Bradley
5 Jace Carter - UIC
30 Something
Marcus Domask of Southern Illinois and Ben Krikke of Valpo lead the league with three 30-point games. Krikke leads the Conference with 15 20-point games.
Number of 30-Point games
3 -- Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois
3 -- Ben Krikke, Valparaiso
2 -- Bowen Born, UNI
2 -- Tucker DeVries, Drake
2 -- Courvoisier McCauley, Indiana State
2 -- Ben Sheppard, Belmont
Number of 20-Point games
15 -- Ben Krikke, Valparaiso
14 -- Tucker DeVries, Drake
12 -- Ben Sheppard, Belmont
12 -- Bowen Born, UNI
10 -- Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois
Winners
Belmont (98) and Drake (95) are among the national leaders in total wins in DI basketball since 2020 (thru games of Sunday, Feb. 26)
115 -- Gonzaga
110 -- Houston
107 -- Kansas
102 -- Baylor
99 -- San Diego State
99 -- Liberty
98 -- Belmont
95 -- Drake
95 -- Arizona
94 -- USC
93 -- UCLA
Leading the League
Indiana State leads the MVC and ranks 29nd 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 2nd nationally in team free throw percentage, connecting on 79.5 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 15th in the NCAA this year (77.5 percent), while Indiana State is 31st at 76.2 percent.
On the Defensive
Four league teams rank in the Top 40 of the NCAA for scoring defense. Bradley ranks 13th in the NCAA at 61.3 points per game allowed; Southern Illinois is 16th (61.6); Missouri State is 29th (63.7); while Drake is 40th (64.8).
Scoring Offense
Indiana State continues to lead the league and ranks 32nd nationally in scoring (78.7 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 13th nationally by shooting 38.6 percent from beyond the arc. Belmont is 17th nationally in total 3-pointers made per game (9.5). Indiana State is 24th nationally in 3FGM per game (9.2).
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 39.9 figure leads the MVC and ranks 17th nationally.
Close Games in MVC Play
Thirty of the league’s 120 regular-season contests were decided by three points or less (or in OT). Sixteen additional games were decided by six points or less [46 of 120 -- 38 percent -- decided by six or fewer points]. MVC records in games decided by 3 or fewer (or OT):
Murray State (6-0); UNI (3-1); Missouri State (5-3); Belmont (3-2); Drake (4-3); Bradley (2-2); Indiana State (2-3); Illinois State (2-3); UIC (1-4); Southern Illinois (2-3); Valparaiso (0-6)
Nation’s Second Oldest
Founded in 1907, the Missouri Valley Conference is the nation’s second-oldest Division I athletic conference (behind only the Big Ten). The MVC is celebrating its 116th season in 2022-23.