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MVC Player of the Week: Fred King, Murray State
MVC Newcomer of the Week: Quel’Ron House, Southern Illinois
MVC Freshman of the Week: Roman Domon, Murray State
Weekly Notebook (PDF)
| Monday, Feb. 9 |
Network |
Time (CT) |
| *Southern Illinois at Indiana State |
ESPN+ |
6:00 PM |
| *Valparaiso at Drake |
MC22/ESPN+ |
6:30 PM |
| *Belmont at Bradley |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
| *Illinois State at Evansville |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
| *UNI at Murray State |
CBS SN |
9:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Thursday, Feb. 12 |
Network |
Time (CT) |
| *Murray State at Indiana State |
ESPN+ |
6:00 PM |
| *Valparaiso at Illinois State |
MVC TV/ESPN+ |
6:00 PM |
| *UIC at Drake |
ESPN+ |
6:30 PM |
| *Evansville at Southern Illinois |
ESPN+ |
7:00 PM |
| *UNI at Belmont |
MVC TV/ESPN+ |
8:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Sunday, Feb. 15 |
Network |
Time (CT) |
| *Bradley at Southern Illinois |
ESPN+ |
1:00 PM |
| *Indiana State at Valparaiso |
ESPN+ |
1:00 PM |
| *Illinois State at UIC |
ESPN+ |
2:00 PM |
| *Drake at UNI |
CBS SN |
2:00 PM |
| *Belmont at Murray State |
ESPN2 |
5:00 PM |
|
|
|
| *denotes MVC contest; MVC TV = cleared on Gray Media affiliates, non-affiliate stations, and ESPN+ |
Nothing But NET: MVC at 9 -- The Missouri Valley Conference is ranked No. 9 as a conference in the NCAA NET ratings (Feb. 9). Belmont (56) headlines nine MVC programs that rank in the Top 175. The Bruins are joined by Illinois State (81), Murray State (88), and UNI (99) in the Top 100. Belmont’s 53 WAB (wins above bubble) tops the Conference.
NET Ratings, By Conference (Leaders)
1. SEC
2. Big 12
3. Big Ten
4. ACC
5. Big East
6. Mountain West
7. Atlantic 10
8. West Coast
9. Missouri Valley
10. American
| Metrics, MVC Leaders |
|
|
|
|
| Team |
NET |
KP |
BPI |
KPI |
SOR |
WAB |
| BEL |
56 |
58 |
96 |
41 |
52 |
53 |
| ILS |
81 |
87 |
90 |
97 |
106 |
109 |
| MUR |
88 |
92 |
102 |
77 |
82 |
81 |
| UNI |
99 |
107 |
103 |
89 |
122 |
127 |
| KP - KenPom; BPI - ESPN Power Index; SOR - Strength of Record; WAB - Wins Above Bubble; |
Road Warriors -- Belmont is 10-1 in true road games this season after going 9-4 in true road games last year. The Bruins have three regular-season road games remaining on this year’s schedule. Here are the MVC men’s basketball leaders for true road wins in a season (since 1975-76).
MVC MBB “True” Road Wins, Since 1975-76
13 -- Bradley (1985-86)* [NCAA Tournament]
12 -- Wichita State (2013-14)* [NCAA Tournament]
11 -- Bradley (1981-82)* [NIT Champions]
11 -- Southern Illinois (2003-04)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Belmont (2025-26)
10 -- Indiana State (1978-79)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Wichita State (1982-83)* [NCAA probation]
10 -- Bradley (1987-88)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Tulsa (1993-94)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Illinois State (1997-98)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Evansville (1998-99)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Southern Illinois (2006-07)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Drake (2007-08)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Creighton (2011-12) [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Wichita State (2011-12)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Wichita State (2014-15)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Wichita State (2016-17)* [NCAA Tournament]
10 -- Drake (2024-25)* [NCAA Tournament]
*denotes MVC regular-season champ
Getting to 20 Wins -- In MVC men’s basketball history, there have been 210 programs to reach 20 wins in a season, including four teams last year. Belmont is just the fifth, however, to reach its 20th victory by Jan. 31. Murray State is two wins shy of reaching its 20th win.
MVC Teams To Record 20th Win By Jan. 31
2013-14 -- Wichita State (Jan. 22) -- final record: 35-1
1985-86 -- Bradley (Jan. 25) -- final record: 32-3
2011-12 -- Creighton (Jan. 28) -- final record: 29-6
2014-15 -- UNI (Jan. 31) -- final record: 31-4
2025-26 -- Belmont (Jan. 31)
Percentage of Opportunities -- As of Monday, Feb. 9, there are 35 teams in the Top 60 of the NET that have three or more wins against the top two quadrants AND a +.500 record vs. Q1/Q2. Only Arizona (14-0) and Belmont (3-0) are unscathed in games against Q1 & Q2. Of the top five teams (for winning percentage against Q1/Q2), Belmont is the only one not ranked in the AP Top 25. The Bruins have three more regular-season games against Q2 teams, including Monday’s contest at Bradley.
| Top 5 (Winning Percentage vs. Q1/Q2) |
|
| Belmont |
MVC |
3-0 |
1.000 |
| Arizona |
Big 12 |
14-0 |
1.000 |
| Michigan |
Big Ten |
16-1 |
0.941 |
| Gonzaga |
WCC |
9-1 |
0.900 |
| Iowa State |
Big 12 |
14-2 |
0.875 |
Bruins’ Win Streak Reaches Nine -- Belmont enters Monday’s action with a nine-game win streak. That ranks sixth in the nation among active streaks. The nine-game streak is the second-longest in the MVC this season.
Longest Winning Streaks By MVC Teams, 2025-26
12 -- Murray State (11-25-25 -- 1-17-26)
9 -- Belmont (1-7-26 -- active)
8 -- UIC (1-7-26 -- 1-31-26)
8 -- Belmont (11-3-25 -- 11-30-25)
7 -- Bradley (11-26-25 -- 12-29-25)
7 -- Illinois State (11-16-25 -- 12-6-25)
Longest NCAA Win Streaks (Active), 2025-26
24 -- Miami (Ohio)
23 -- Arizona
17 -- Saint Louis
14 -- Liberty
10 -- Winthrop
9 -- Belmont
9 -- SFA
9 -- St. John’s
Stretch Run -- Belmont holds a two-game lead in the standings with six MVC games remaining. Since 1991-92, there have been 52 total teams that were in first place (sole possession or tied for first) with six MVC games left. That has resulted in 36 NCAA bids and 12 NIT bids for those teams. Only Illinois State (1993), Belmont (2023) and Southern Illinois (2023) were not in post-season play after leading the MVC race with six games remaining. UNI was also in first place in 2020 with six games left, but all post-season play was canceled that year.
20 Something: Elite Company -- Belmont joins Gonzaga in exclusive company as programs to win 20 or more games in 16 consecutive seasons (Kansas and Oregon can join). Through games played Feb. 6, Belmont is tied with Arizona, UConn, Gonzaga, and Saint Louis with 22 victories – second in America.
Doing it With Defense -- Belmont ranks 20th nationally in field goal percentage defense (39.6), while UNI is 25th (39.8) in the NCAA. UNI continues to lead all of DI in scoring defense (60.0 ppg). The Panthers have made the NCAA Tournament in each of the previous three seasons when giving up 60 points a game or fewer. The Panthers also lead the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage defense (26.8). And Bradley is eighth nationally in turnover margin (+4.6).
Scoring Defense, NCAA Leaders
1. UNI (MVC) -- 60.0
2. Houston (Big 12) -- 61.6
3. UT Martin (OVC) -- 62.6
4. Marist (MAAC) -- 62.6
3FG Percentage Defense, NCAA Leaders
1. UNI (MVC) -- 26.8
2. Saint Louis (Atlantic 10) -- 27.0
3. Marist (MAAC) -- 27.3
4. UT Arlington (WAC) -- 27.4
Turnover Margin, NCAA Leaders
1. High Point (Big South) -- 8.1
2. McNeese (Southland) -- 7.1
3. Houston (Big 12) -- 6.6
4. North Dakota (Summit League) -- 5.2
5. Gonzaga (WCC) -- 4.8
5. Purdue Fort Wayne (Horizon) -- 4.8
7. Iowa St. (Big 12) -- 4.7
8. Bradley (MVC) -- 4.6
Johnson Leads the Braves -- Jaquan Johnson continues to rank in the top three in the MVC in both scoring (16.2 points per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6). He’s tied for second nationally with 69 total steals. As a team, Bradley leads the conference in turnover margin (+4.56) and steals (8.24 per game). With six regular-season games remaining, the Braves will host three of the MVC’s top five teams at Carver Arena: Belmont, Illinois State, and Murray State.
NCAA Leaders, Steals Per Game
1. Javontae Campbell, Bowling Green -- 3.29
2. Tyler Cochran, Rhode Island -- 3.00
3. TJ Burch, Wright St. -- 2.83
3. Aaron Nkrumah, Tennessee St. -- 2.83
5. Duke Miles, Vanderbilt -- 2.78
6. Jaquan Johnson, Bradley -- 2.76
Defensive-Minded Birds -- On the analytical website KenPom, “Defensive Efficiency” statistic calculates the number of points allowed per 100 possessions. ISU’s total in MVC games this season - 97.0 - is the sixth-lowest in the Redbird history of the KenPom era (1996-97 to present), and this season’s squad is on pace to be just the third team to lead the MVC in defensive efficiency.
Home Cooking -- MVC teams are 44-30 (.595) in MVC home games this year after going 65-54 (.546) last year. For all games, Murray State is 11-1 at home this season, which leads the Conference.
Approaching 1,000 Points -- Fifth-year Valpo senior Owen Dease is within striking distance of the 1,000-point milestone with 976 career points, all at the Division I level. Dease scored 645 points over three seasons of action at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Dease would become the first Beacon to score his 1,000th career point in a Valpo uniform during the Roger Powell Jr. Era.
On Target -- Belmont’s Tyler Lundblade leads the MVC and ranks fourth nationally with his 93.7 free throw percentage accuracy. That figure currently ranks fourth-best for a single season in MVC history. Notably, Lundblade also ranks fifth nationally in three-pointers made (85) and attempted (219).
MVC Single-Season Leaders, FT Percentage
.975 -- Blake Ahearn, Missouri St., 2003-04
.949 -- Rick Fields, Indiana State, 1982-83
.947 -- Blake Ahearn, Missouri St., 2004-05
.937 -- Tyler Lundblade, Belmont, 2025-26
.936 -- Blake Ahearn, Missouri St., 2005-06
.930 -- Mike Glenn, Southern Illinois, 1976-77
.925 -- Blake Ahearn, Missouri St., 2006-07
NCAA Leaders, FT Percentage
1. Kenny Noland, Columbia (Ivy League) -- 95.4
2. Rhyjon Blackwell, Marist (MAAC) -- 95.3
3. Joshua Dent, Saint Mary’s (CA) (WCC) -- 93.9
4. Tyler Lundblade, Belmont (MVC) -- 93.7
5. Miles Barnstable, Tulsa (American) -- 92.9
Roster Rebuilds -- Only three MVC teams returned more than half of their playing roster from last season -- of the league’s total 166 roster spots in 2025-26, 61.4 percent of the players are new to their programs. ESPN research indicates Murray State is one of just nine DI programs with no players returning from last year’s roster.
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 119th season in 2025-26.
Four Postseason Teams in 2025 -- The Missouri Valley Conference had four teams in postseason play in men’s basketball as Drake (NCAA), Bradley (NIT), UNI (NIT), and Illinois State (CBI) represented the MVC. MVC schools have combined for 12 wins in post-season play the past two seasons. The six postseason wins in 2024-25 matches the ninth-best total in league history.
13-4 in NCAA First Round -- Including Drake in 2025, MVC teams are 13-4 in their first game in the NCAA tourney dating back to 2012. The league has combined for 21 wins in the NCAA Tournament in the past 12 NCAA championships and has had multiple bids 16 times since 1994.
MVC Player of the Week
Fred King, Murray State
C, 6-9, 267, Sr., Mangrove Cay, Andros, Bahamas | Creighton
King led the Racers to a 2-0 week with averages of 16.5 points per game and a league-best 11.5 rebounds per game. He was an efficient 12-of-17 from the field (70.6) in victories against UIC and Southern Illinois. Against the Flames, King scored 16 points (6-of-9 from the field), while adding 14 rebounds, two steals, a block and a steal. In the win in Carbondale against Southern Illinois, he had 17 points, nine rebounds and made six of eight field goals.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Quel’Ron House, Southern Illinois
G, 6-0, 180, So., Louisville, Ky. (Seneca HS) | Jacksonville State
House averaged 24.0 points per game on 55 percent shooting this past week against Illinois State and Murray State. In a 54-50 win over Illinois State, he accounted for nearly half of Southern’s points with 22 in a gutsy performance on the road. He followed that up with a career-high 26-point performance against Murray State on Saturday night. The Louisville native was clutch from the free-throw line, knocking in 11-of-12 (91.6%) on the week.
MVC Freshman of the Week
Roman Domon, Murray State
G/F, 6-9, 225, Fr., Dreuil Les Amiens, France (BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque)
Murray State posted wins against UIC and Southern Illinois this past week. Domon led the Racers in scoring by averaging 17.5 points per game. He added 6.5 rebounds per game and collected six assists and three steals in the two wins. Domon had 18 points in the UIC victory and added eight rebounds and three steals against the Flames. He scored 17 against the Salukis with five boards and three assists. He was 12-of-14 from the free throw line in the two games.