All league schools will play one Conference game this week -- most will not play their second MVC contest until after Christmas.
Winning the First One: 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, 27 of the last 33 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.
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MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE 2024-25 MEN’S BASKETBALL (@ValleyHoops)
2024-25 MVC Stats (PDF) |
NCAA Statistics |
MVC Standings
MVC Media Guide |
MVC Composite Schedule |
MVC NBA Draft Database
NET Rankings & NET Archive |
RPI Archive |
Rankings Summary (Sort by Team or Conf)
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Duke Deen, Bradley
NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK: Dez White, Missouri State
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: All Wright, Valparaiso
| Tuesday, Dec. 3 |
Network |
Times (CT) |
| *Evansville at Murray State |
MVC TV/ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
| *Bradley at Southern Illinois |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Wednesday, Dec. 4 |
Network |
Times (CT) |
| *Illinois State at Belmont |
MVC TV/ESPN+ |
6:00 PM |
| *UNI at UIC |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Thursday, Dec. 5 |
Network |
Times (CT) |
| *Drake at Valparaiso |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Saturday, Dec. 7 |
Network |
Times (CT) |
| Western Kentucky at Evansville |
ESPN+ |
1:00 PM |
| Southern Indiana at Southern Illinois |
ESPN+ |
2:00 PM |
| Middle Tennessee at Belmont |
ESPN+ |
2:30 PM |
| Northern Illinois at UNI |
ESPN+ |
5:00 PM |
| Pacific at Illinois State |
Marquee/ESPN+ |
6:00 PM |
| *Indiana State at Missouri State |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Sunday, Dec. 8 |
Network |
Times (CT) |
| Southeast Missouri at Murray State |
ESPN+ |
3:00 PM |
| Dartmouth at UIC |
ESPN+ |
4:00 PM |
*denotes league game
- Nothing But NET: The NCAA’s first installment of the NET has been issued and the Missouri Valley Conference has nine teams rated in the Top 175, and three in the Top 88. The MVC is 21 games over .500 in non-league play, and nine teams are over .500 through games of Sunday, Dec. 1. Evansville (47) leads the league in NET Strength of Schedule, while UNI (72), Southern Illinois (87), and Murray State (91) also rate in the Top 100 for SOS. The MVC ranks No. 11 in KenPom’s conference rating -- the league finished 10th in 2023-24.
- Drake 7-0: Drake, winning its seventh straight game to open the season, is off to the best start in school history since the 2020-21 team won its first 18 games. Drake is one of just 17 unbeaten teams.
- In the MTEs: In addition to Bradley’s and Drake’s 3-0 MTE championships at the Myrtle Beach Invitational and Charleston Classic, respectively, Belmont, Evansville, Indiana State and Valparaiso earned two wins in their respective MTEs. Murray State (Diamond Head) has yet to play its first MTE contest. The league has recorded an 18-14 collective record in MTE play this season so far.
- Coming Back: An MVC team has fallen behind by 11 or more points in a game this year and rallied to win six times this season. Four of those came at the hands of Belmont.
- Power Wins: With wins over Miami (ACC) and Vanderbilt (SEC), Drake is the fifth MVC team in the past six seasons to have multiple wins against “Power” teams. Indiana State had three-such wins last season (Minnesota, Cincinnati, Utah).
- Homecourt Win Streak No. 1: Drake’s current 25-game homecourt winning streak is best in the nation (thru games of Dec. 1). Drake has a 46-game non-conference homecourt winning streak - third-best in MVC history.
- Off the Bench: UIC leads the MVC and ranks 16th nationally with 35.25 points per game coming from its non-starters. Three other league schools rank among the Top 60 in the NCAA for Bench Scoring
- Efficient Shooting: Led by Bradley at 61.1 percent, eight MVC teams rank in the Top 80 in the NCAA in effective field goal percentage (through games of Sunday).
- Long-Range Bombers: Four times this season, an MVC team has made 17 or more three-pointers in a game. Bradley’s 22 makes against Judson (Nov. 29, 2024) is a league record, while Illinois State’s 20 makes vs. Trinity Christian is tied for third all-time.
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.