Men's Basketball

MVC Men's Basketball Notebook (11.18.24)

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:   KyeRon Lindsay, Murray State
NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:  Vincent Brady II, Missouri State
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK:  Sam Orme, Belmont

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MVC Weekly -- 11-18-24  

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE 2024-25 MEN’S BASKETBALL (@ValleyHoops)
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Monday, Nov. 18 Network Time CT
North Dakota State at Southern Illinois ESPN+ 7:00 PM
 
  • METRICS -- Through games of Sunday, Nov. 17, the Missouri Valley Conference ranks No. 11 in KenPom as a league (the MVC was 10th last season among Division I conferences.)
  • Racers’ Improved Offense -- Murray State’s offensive efficiency rating is 61 -- a big jump for the Racers who were at 150 at season’s end a year ago.
  • Sycamores are Fast Paced -- Indiana State’s offense leads the league in tempo, ranking 11th best in the NCAA -- ISU leads the nation with most of its points coming from beyond the arc (52.2 percent of ISU’s points are three-pointers.)
  • Long-Range Bombers -- Illinois State drained 20 three-point baskets in its win against Trinity Christian on Sunday, Nov. 17. It ties for the fourth-most in a game in the NCAA this year, and is tied for second-best all-time in MVC history. Illinois State’s 20 three-point makes are a new school record, breaking the previous of 17, set three different times. ISU’s Jack Daugherty had eight makes in that game, tied for 14th-best in MVC history.
  • Working Overtime -- Missouri State’s 111-106 victory over Tulsa on Nov. 16 took three overtimes. It’s the longest game in the NCAA this year. Drake and UIC played a three-overtime game on Feb. 28 of last season (won by Drake, 107-105). The league’s most-recent four-overtime game occurred on Nov. 19, 2017, as Ohio outlasted Indiana State, 96-94. And Bradley fell to Cincinnati on Dec. 21, 1981, in what is still the longest game in NCAA history. The Bearcats beat the Braves, 75-73, in a 7-overtime contest.
  • MTEs Get Underway -- Several league schools are participating in multi-team events (MTEs) as early as this week. The MVC combined for a 23-11 in MTEs last season, which included four teams with perfect marks: Bradley, Evansville, Indiana State, and Missouri State.
  • Solid Shooting -- Four MVC teams are shooting better than 50 percent from the field so far. Murray State ranks 7th nationally by connecting on 55.8 percent of its tries
  • Home Cooking -- Drake’s current 24-game homecourt winning streak is tied for best in the nation. Drake has a 46-game non-conference homecourt winning streak - third-best in MVC history.
  • Road Warriors -- Belmont is one of only seven DI schools to win its first two road games of the season. Belmont earned victories at Lipscomb and at Air Force to start 2-0 away from home. Other 2-0 teams include: UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Columbia, Liberty, Princeton, and St. Bonaventure
  • MVC in the NBA -- Five MVC alums are playing for NBA teams:  Malevy Leons, Bradley (OKC); Ben Sheppard, Belmont (Indiana); Fred VanVleet, Wichita State (Houston); Doug McDermott, Creighton (Sacramento); and AJ Green, UNI (Milwaukee).  Murray State has two also (played at Murray State prior to MVC membership):  Ja Morant, Murray State (Memphis); Cameron Payne, Murray State (NY Knicks)
 
The Valley Runs Deep
• The Conference has a rich tradition of success in postseason play. In league history, 18 teams have reached the men’s NCAA Final Four, and the MVC owns four NCAA men’s basketball titles and seven NIT crowns.  Indiana State reached the title game of the NIT in 2024.
• Notably, MVC teams are 12-4 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 11 NCAA championships and has earned multiple bids 16 times since 1994.
• MVC teams have 42 total wins in the NCAA Tournament since 1994 with 12 Sweet 16 trips and two Final Four appearances. Notably, 31 of 42 victories have been against Power conferences, and the league has a winning record in that span against Big 12 and SEC schools.
• In 2023-24, the Missouri Valley Conference sent a total of four teams to postseason play as Drake competed against Washington State in the NCAA Tournament, Bradley and Indiana State participated in the NIT, and Evansville played in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The Valley posted a total of five NIT victories, as Indiana State reached the title game, collecting wins over SMU, Minnesota, Cincinnati and Utah.  Bradley defeated Loyola in the first round of the NIT.  Evansville split a pair of games in the CBI.