Season in Review
After years of having great teams like Creighton, Wichita State, Northern Iowa, and Loyola-Chicago, the MVC was down this season. The Ramblers tied atop the conference with Drake at 12-6, and the 9 seed Valparaiso is 7-11, so there is the potential for absolute anarchy in the conference tournament. Obviously, the Ramblers will be the favorites after last season's tournament appearance, although this team in nowhere near what they were last season. I also want to address Drake here since the Bulldogs are the 2 seed, but they have been ravaged by injuries, losing UAB grad transfer Nick Norton earlier in the season, and recently DJ Wilkins went down, so their backcourt is looking thin. I didn't include them as one of my favorites because of this, but they had a very good season with first year head coach Darian DeVries and could still make noise. Illinois State was a huge disappointment for me this season, as they have all the talent in the world, but have struggled with off the court issues and inconsistency on the court. This is a conference where I wouldn't be shocked by 8 different teams winning this game, so I am excited to see what happens in Arch Madness.
Bracket
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Contenders
Loyola Chicago (19-12, 12-6)
I'm sure most of you know about the Ramblers' incredible Final Four run last season, when Sister Jean and their tram captured the hearts of America before losing to Michigan. Naturally, they came into this season with high expectations, including being the first team left out of the original AP Poll. They failed to live up to those lofty expectations, going 7-6 in the non-conference and never really looking all that impressive. They were better in conference play, tying for the conference title, but it still felt a little bit underwhelming. However, this is still a good team, even if it doesn't stand up to the previous iteration of the Ramblers. They have Clayton Custer, Lucas Williamson, Marques Townes, and Cameron Krutwig back from the team last season, and they still have that beautiful offense they ran last season. It hasn't been as effective, but they have the sixteenth best effective field goal percentage, and they run their stuff very well. They have gotten better as the season has gone along, so they could be peaking at the right time, and should be the favorite to win Arch Madness.
Southern Illinois (17-14, 10-8)
The Salukis were touted as one of the favorites heading into the season thanks to an experienced group of players who had success, and they more or less performed to expectations. While they struggled early on in Missouri Valley play, they have since turned things around and enter the tournament having won three straight games. They play four out, and they employ multiple players who shoot well from deep, with four key rotation players shooting over 37% from three. Those four play around Kavion Pippen, who is the nephew of Scottie Pippen, and he has been very good this season. Their experience and talent intersect in a way that make them a dangerous opponent in the conference tournament.
Sleeper Team
Illinois State (16-15, 9-9)
As I briefly spoke about earlier, the Redbirds are one of the most talented teams in the conference, but they have failed to play to that talent level far too often this season. They've been pretty disastrous offensively, and that's a big reason they lost five straight games in conference play at one point. The talent level of Milik Yarbrough, Phil Fayne, Keyshawn Evans, and Zach Copeland is pretty obvious, and they have put on some impressive performances at times, beating teams like BYU, Loyola, Drake (twice), and Southern Illinois this year. However, they have had off the court trouble and the chemistry doesn't seem to be there. Still, this is perhaps the most talented team in the Valley and they could create havoc.
Indiana State (15-15, 7-11)
I don't know if the Sycamores will even win one game, but I think they are very intriguing. They have a very talented backcourt in Jordan Barnes and Tyreke Key, plus Butler transfer Cooper Neese and Iowa transfer Christian Williams on the wing. They play at the fastest pace in the Valley, and do a really good job of getting to the foul line. Defense has been an issue to say the least, but they have a top four that is comparable to the best in the conference and in a league where the unexpected has become the ordinary this season (shoutout Jon Rothstein), they have the potential to knock off a top team.
Players to Watch
Marques Townes
Stats: 15.9 PPG, 5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 48.8/37.1/76.3
Townes transferred over from Fairleigh Dickenson and has played two seasons for the Ramblers. He's been pretty successful, and after helping them make a Final Four, he earned Conference Player of the Year Honors this season. He stuff the stat sheet as you can tell, doing a little but of everything for Loyola, and I think he's primed to have a big tournament. Early in the season, he struggled as a go-to option, but as the team figured out their roles, he settled in and has been a force. He elevates his game in big moments, as we saw last year, and this season, when he posted a 32/8/5 game against Drake to help the Ramblers knock off their challenger. He also played really well on his senior night, scoring 26 points, and he should lead the charge for Loyola as they look to head back to March.
Nick McGlynn
Stats: 15.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 54.3/23.5/75.2
While Drake has some backcourt injuries, they should be more than OK in the front court, as McGlynn has been a consistent force for the Bulldogs. While he doesn't shoot it well, he does pretty much everything else well, and it is very hard to contain the big man. He's excellent on the glass, and additionally has become a better passer as he gets the ball in his hands more while Drake runs the offense through him. McGlynn has also been playing some of his best basketball of the season lately, as in his last seven games, he is averaging 16.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks a game, so he looks ready to carry the Bulldogs deep into the tournament.
Armon Fletcher
Stats: 15.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 52.6/42.5/72.8
Speaking of players who have been playing well recently, look no further than Fletcher. He was injured for about a month during December and into January, but when he's been on the court, he's arguably been Southern Illinois' best player. Over the last six contests, he is scoring 22.8 points while getting 8.2 rebounds, so he is also getting hot at the right time. He recently tied a career high set back in January with 34 points in their penultimate regular season game, and when Fletcher gets going, the Salukis become really hard to stop.
Milik Yarbrough
Stats: 16.8 PPG, 7 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 47.5/34.8/77.7
I touched on Yarbrough as one of the many talented players on Illinois State, but he may embody the Redbirds program in a way that no one else does. He got into legal trouble for multiple different instances prior to the season, and was suspended for most of the offseason. When he's been on the court though, he's been tough to stop. He's a great athlete and in a league where some of the best teams play four guards, he can guard a smaller player on the perimeter while using his size to take advantage of them on the offensive end. He had 28 and 9 in a recent game against Missouri State, showcasing what he is capable of, and he is capable of that every game, which makes the Redbirds very dangerous come Arch Madness.
My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: Tyreke Key, Indiana State
G: Marques Townes, Loyola-Chicago
F: Nick McGlynn, Drake
F: Milik Yarbrough, Illinois State
F: Cameron Krutwig, Loyola-Chicago
Second Team
G: AJ Green, Northern Iowa
G: Darrell Brown, Bradley
F: Phil Fayne, Illinois State
F: Tulio Da Silva, Missouri State
F: Armon Fletcher, Southern Illinois
My Pick: Southern Illinois over Missouri State
That's right, I don't think either of the two highest seeds and conference co-champions makes the final. I have the Salukis taking down a Bears team that I haven't talked about yet, but I should have. Dana Ford has done a very good job in his first season, and he has taken several newcomers, like Texas Tech transfer Josh Webster and South Florida import Tulio Da Silva, and made them one of the top defensive teams in the Missouri Valley. I think they knock out Loyola in the semifinals, while Drake is dispatched by Illinois State in the quarters. The Redbirds talent wins out in that game, but it isn't enough to knock off the Salukis, who I think have the most complete team and make a tournament appearance for the first time since 2007.
After years of having great teams like Creighton, Wichita State, Northern Iowa, and Loyola-Chicago, the MVC was down this season. The Ramblers tied atop the conference with Drake at 12-6, and the 9 seed Valparaiso is 7-11, so there is the potential for absolute anarchy in the conference tournament. Obviously, the Ramblers will be the favorites after last season's tournament appearance, although this team in nowhere near what they were last season. I also want to address Drake here since the Bulldogs are the 2 seed, but they have been ravaged by injuries, losing UAB grad transfer Nick Norton earlier in the season, and recently DJ Wilkins went down, so their backcourt is looking thin. I didn't include them as one of my favorites because of this, but they had a very good season with first year head coach Darian DeVries and could still make noise. Illinois State was a huge disappointment for me this season, as they have all the talent in the world, but have struggled with off the court issues and inconsistency on the court. This is a conference where I wouldn't be shocked by 8 different teams winning this game, so I am excited to see what happens in Arch Madness.
Bracket
Contenders
Loyola Chicago (19-12, 12-6)
I'm sure most of you know about the Ramblers' incredible Final Four run last season, when Sister Jean and their tram captured the hearts of America before losing to Michigan. Naturally, they came into this season with high expectations, including being the first team left out of the original AP Poll. They failed to live up to those lofty expectations, going 7-6 in the non-conference and never really looking all that impressive. They were better in conference play, tying for the conference title, but it still felt a little bit underwhelming. However, this is still a good team, even if it doesn't stand up to the previous iteration of the Ramblers. They have Clayton Custer, Lucas Williamson, Marques Townes, and Cameron Krutwig back from the team last season, and they still have that beautiful offense they ran last season. It hasn't been as effective, but they have the sixteenth best effective field goal percentage, and they run their stuff very well. They have gotten better as the season has gone along, so they could be peaking at the right time, and should be the favorite to win Arch Madness.
Southern Illinois (17-14, 10-8)
The Salukis were touted as one of the favorites heading into the season thanks to an experienced group of players who had success, and they more or less performed to expectations. While they struggled early on in Missouri Valley play, they have since turned things around and enter the tournament having won three straight games. They play four out, and they employ multiple players who shoot well from deep, with four key rotation players shooting over 37% from three. Those four play around Kavion Pippen, who is the nephew of Scottie Pippen, and he has been very good this season. Their experience and talent intersect in a way that make them a dangerous opponent in the conference tournament.
Sleeper Team
Illinois State (16-15, 9-9)
As I briefly spoke about earlier, the Redbirds are one of the most talented teams in the conference, but they have failed to play to that talent level far too often this season. They've been pretty disastrous offensively, and that's a big reason they lost five straight games in conference play at one point. The talent level of Milik Yarbrough, Phil Fayne, Keyshawn Evans, and Zach Copeland is pretty obvious, and they have put on some impressive performances at times, beating teams like BYU, Loyola, Drake (twice), and Southern Illinois this year. However, they have had off the court trouble and the chemistry doesn't seem to be there. Still, this is perhaps the most talented team in the Valley and they could create havoc.
Indiana State (15-15, 7-11)
I don't know if the Sycamores will even win one game, but I think they are very intriguing. They have a very talented backcourt in Jordan Barnes and Tyreke Key, plus Butler transfer Cooper Neese and Iowa transfer Christian Williams on the wing. They play at the fastest pace in the Valley, and do a really good job of getting to the foul line. Defense has been an issue to say the least, but they have a top four that is comparable to the best in the conference and in a league where the unexpected has become the ordinary this season (shoutout Jon Rothstein), they have the potential to knock off a top team.
Players to Watch
Marques Townes
Stats: 15.9 PPG, 5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 48.8/37.1/76.3
Townes transferred over from Fairleigh Dickenson and has played two seasons for the Ramblers. He's been pretty successful, and after helping them make a Final Four, he earned Conference Player of the Year Honors this season. He stuff the stat sheet as you can tell, doing a little but of everything for Loyola, and I think he's primed to have a big tournament. Early in the season, he struggled as a go-to option, but as the team figured out their roles, he settled in and has been a force. He elevates his game in big moments, as we saw last year, and this season, when he posted a 32/8/5 game against Drake to help the Ramblers knock off their challenger. He also played really well on his senior night, scoring 26 points, and he should lead the charge for Loyola as they look to head back to March.
Nick McGlynn
Stats: 15.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 54.3/23.5/75.2
While Drake has some backcourt injuries, they should be more than OK in the front court, as McGlynn has been a consistent force for the Bulldogs. While he doesn't shoot it well, he does pretty much everything else well, and it is very hard to contain the big man. He's excellent on the glass, and additionally has become a better passer as he gets the ball in his hands more while Drake runs the offense through him. McGlynn has also been playing some of his best basketball of the season lately, as in his last seven games, he is averaging 16.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks a game, so he looks ready to carry the Bulldogs deep into the tournament.
Armon Fletcher
Stats: 15.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 52.6/42.5/72.8
Speaking of players who have been playing well recently, look no further than Fletcher. He was injured for about a month during December and into January, but when he's been on the court, he's arguably been Southern Illinois' best player. Over the last six contests, he is scoring 22.8 points while getting 8.2 rebounds, so he is also getting hot at the right time. He recently tied a career high set back in January with 34 points in their penultimate regular season game, and when Fletcher gets going, the Salukis become really hard to stop.
Milik Yarbrough
Stats: 16.8 PPG, 7 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 47.5/34.8/77.7
I touched on Yarbrough as one of the many talented players on Illinois State, but he may embody the Redbirds program in a way that no one else does. He got into legal trouble for multiple different instances prior to the season, and was suspended for most of the offseason. When he's been on the court though, he's been tough to stop. He's a great athlete and in a league where some of the best teams play four guards, he can guard a smaller player on the perimeter while using his size to take advantage of them on the offensive end. He had 28 and 9 in a recent game against Missouri State, showcasing what he is capable of, and he is capable of that every game, which makes the Redbirds very dangerous come Arch Madness.
My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: Tyreke Key, Indiana State
G: Marques Townes, Loyola-Chicago
F: Nick McGlynn, Drake
F: Milik Yarbrough, Illinois State
F: Cameron Krutwig, Loyola-Chicago
Second Team
G: AJ Green, Northern Iowa
G: Darrell Brown, Bradley
F: Phil Fayne, Illinois State
F: Tulio Da Silva, Missouri State
F: Armon Fletcher, Southern Illinois
My Pick: Southern Illinois over Missouri State
That's right, I don't think either of the two highest seeds and conference co-champions makes the final. I have the Salukis taking down a Bears team that I haven't talked about yet, but I should have. Dana Ford has done a very good job in his first season, and he has taken several newcomers, like Texas Tech transfer Josh Webster and South Florida import Tulio Da Silva, and made them one of the top defensive teams in the Missouri Valley. I think they knock out Loyola in the semifinals, while Drake is dispatched by Illinois State in the quarters. The Redbirds talent wins out in that game, but it isn't enough to knock off the Salukis, who I think have the most complete team and make a tournament appearance for the first time since 2007.
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