Men's Basketball

MVC MBB Postseason Notebook

Four Teams Represent the Missouri Valley Conference in Postseason Play

Four MVC teams (Bradley, Drake, Evansville, Indiana State) will represent the Missouri Valley Conference in postseason men's basketball action.
  • NCAA: Notably, MVC teams are 12-3 in their first game in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 2012.  Since 1985, the MVC has 29 victories in the NCAA tournament while facing a higher-seeded team - those lower-seeded MVC teams have combined for seven Sweet 16 trips and two Final Four appearances.
  • NCAA: In league history, 18 teams have reached the NCAA Final Four (including two in the past 10 NCAA Tournaments); the MVC owns four NCAA men’s basketball titles and seven additional NIT crowns.  And an MVC team has reached a Sweet 16 a total of 12 times since 1985.
  • NCAA: The league has combined for 20 wins in the NCAA Tournament in the past 10 NCAA championships and has earned multiple bids 16 times since 1994. All-time, the MVC has recorded 107 victories in NCAA Tournament play; Drake's six NCAA Tourney wins are tied with Southern Illinois for the most by a current MVC member.
  • NCAA: MVC teams are 31-41 against teams from Power Conferences in the NCAA Tournament since 1994, which includes a 2-4 mark against Pac-12 opponents (Drake faces Washington State in the first round).  The MVC has 42 total NCAA Tournament wins since 1994 (11-9 against non-P6 programs in that span).
  • NIT:  The MVC has a storied history in the NIT, recording 82 all-time wins in that tournament -- Bradley's 25 wins as an MVC member leads the way for MVC programs.  Indiana State is 1-4 all-time in the NIT.  MVC programs have seven NIT titles, including an MVC-high four by Bradley. The MVC has multiple berths into the NIT field for the second time in three seasons.
  • NIT: Bradley has faced Loyola Chicago previously in the NIT, losing to the Ramblers in 1949 (55-50).  The MVC is 1-0 against SMU in the NIT (Missouri State beat the Mustangs, 77-64, in a 2000 meeting).
  • CBI:  Evansville is making its third appearance in the CBI (College Basketball Invitational).  The Aces are 1-2 all-time in the event and last played in the CBI in 2012.  The MVC owns one championship (Loyola Chicago in 2015) and two runner-up finishes (Bradley in 2008, Creighton in 2011) in the CBI.
  • The Missouri Valley Conference is the nation’s second-oldest NCAA Division I conference, celebrating its 117th season in 2023-24 (behind only the B1G).
 
NIT
Wednesday, March 20
SMU (20-12) at #1 Indiana State (28-6), 6 pm CT (ESPN+)
Loyola Chicago (23-9) at #3 Bradley (22-11), 6 pm CT (ESPN+)
 
NCAA
Thursday, March 21 [Omaha, Neb.]
#2 Iowa State (27-7) vs. #15 South Dakota State (22-12), 6:35 p.m. CT (truTV)
#10 Drake (26-8) vs. #7 Washington State (24-9), 9:05 p.m. CT (truTV)
 
CBI
Sunday, March 24 [Daytona Beach, Fla.]
#11 Evansville (16-17) vs. #6 Quinnipiac (24-9), 4:30 p.m. CT (FloHoops)