MVC Player of the Week: Xavier Johnson, Southern Illinois, Gr., G
MVC Newcomer of the Week: Myles Foster, Illinois State, Sr., F
MVC Freshman of the Week: Jahari Williamson, Valparaiso, G
- MVC Ranks No. 9 -- The Missouri Valley Conference ranks No. 9 as a league in the NET rankings (Jan. 2). Indiana State leads nine MVC teams among the Top 153 as ISU sits at No. 31. The MVC finished 15th as a league in the Conference NET last year. (The Valley is also up six spots from 16 to 10 in the KenPom league rankings.)
- Efficiency = NCAAs -- Indiana State is 34 in offensive efficiency in KenPom. Since 2012, 10 of 12 MVC teams in the Top 35 of KenPom’s OE have earned a spot in the NCAA Tourney (UNI, 2020 - COVID; MOST, 2022 - played in the NIT).
- Home Cooking -- The Valley won 83.3 percent of its non-MVC home games (55-11) -- that percentage matches the 14th best in the MVC in the past 50 seasons. Drake earned a win in its final non-league home game of the year (vs. Alcorn State) and extended its non-conference homecourt winning streak to 43 games - the third-best in MVC history.
- Block Party -- UIC leads the nation in blocks per game (7.0). Only one MVC team since 1987 has recorded 5.0 blocks per game for an entire season.
Blocked Shots -- Season
Since 1986-87 (Per Game)
7.00 UIC, 2023-24
5.11 Wichita State, 2013-14
4.89 Bradley, 2004-05
4.88 Illinois State, 2016-17
4.75 Southern Illinois, 2001-02
- Defending the Shot -- Since 2010, all but three teams that have led the MVC in FG percentage defense have played in the NCAA Tournament. UIC’s current 37.8 figure leads the MVC and ranks 14th nationally.
- Sweet Shooting -- Indiana State leads the nation in effective field goal percentage (61.6) and ranks in the Top 5 for FG percentage (5th, 51.7) and 3FG percentage (4th, 41.2). The Sycamores’ 51.7 accuracy ranks among the best all-time in MVC history and is the MVC best in the shot clock era.
Single-Season MVC FG Pct.
Shot-Clock Era (1986-present)
.517 Indiana State (2023-24)
.515 Bradley (1985-86)*
.507 Loyola (2017-18)*
.505 Evansville (1998-99)*
.504 Bradley (1987-88)*
*MVC regular-season champion
- Non-Conf Success -- The MVC finished the non-conference regular-season schedule with an 84-48 (.636) record. The +36 ledger (games over .500) is the best in MVC men’s hoops since the 2017-18 campaign, when the Valley was 87-46 (+41), which included post-season play.
- Charity Tosses -- Drake ranks No. 8 in the NCAA in free throw percentage (78.9). That figure would tie for fourth-best in MVC history (the record is .797 by Missouri State in 2021-22.)
- Johnson is No. 2 -- Xavier Johnson of Southern Illinois ranks No. 2 in the NCAA in scoring (24.6 ppg). He trails only Denver’s Tommy Bruner (24.7 ppg). Hersey Hawkins of Bradley was the last MVC player to lead the nation in scoring (1987-88).
NCAA Scoring Leaders (Jan. 2)
24.7 Tommy Bruner, Denver
24.6 Xavier Johnson, Southern Ill.
24.1 Jalen Blackmon, Stetson
23.2 Zach Edey, Purdue
23.0 Tyson Acuff, Eastern Mich.
- Valley Runs Deep -- Notably, MVC men’s teams are 12-3 in their first game in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 2012. The league has now combined for 20 wins in the NCAA Tournament in the past 10 NCAA championships and has earned multiple bids 16 times since 1994. Since 2013, The Valley has had two Final Four appearances, and an MVC team has reached a Sweet 16 a total of 12 times since 1985.
- Nation’s 2nd 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 117th season in 2023-24.
| Tuesday, Jan. 2 |
Network |
Time (CT) |
| *Belmont at Southern Illinois |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
| *UIC at Murray State |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
| *Illinois State at Drake |
CBSSN |
8:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Wednesday, Jan. 3 |
|
|
| *Evansville at Indiana State |
ESPN+ |
6:00 PM |
| *Bradley at Valparaiso |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
| *UNI at Missouri State |
MVC TV/ESPN+ |
8:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Saturday, Jan. 6 |
|
|
| *Murray State at Evansville |
ESPN+ |
1:00 PM |
| *Missouri State at Bradley |
MVC TV/ESPN+ |
3:00 PM |
| *Valparaiso at UIC |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
| *Southern Illinois at Illinois St. |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Sunday, Jan. 7 |
|
|
| *Drake at Belmont |
ESPN2/ESPN+ |
2:00 PM |
| *Indiana State at UNI |
ESPN+ |
2:00 PM |
*denotes MVC game