MVC Games Week 9 2023-24

[BigMacAttack]

Having rivalries is fun and awesome for the league.

Not when you pack your stadium with 8,000 and get thumped at home by 22. I've had more fun at the dentist.

Trivia: Which UE opponent has played the most games at the Ford Center since it opened for the 2011-2012 season. Hint: No current or former MVC teams from that season.
Answer: Murray State. The Ford Center is a second home to Murray State which has an 11-4 record here.
3-2 against the Aces and 8-2 in OVC tournament games.

[bradley_townie]

After starting the season 6-0 with wins against some really solid mid-majors (Utah State, UAB, Tulane, Vermont) Bradley went on a 5 game losing streak (partially due to Hickman's absence with an ankle injury). Now Hickman is back and they have rattled off 4 straight wins and just throttled Valpo and Missouri State by 25 and 26 points, respectively.

A lot of people wrote them off during the losing streak because they looked absolutely atrocious. But now with Hickman back, they are playing some really good basketball. If they can stay healthy, they absolutely look like a contender for one of the top 4 spots at Arch Madness.

[TylerDurden]

Huge Racers win at Evansville 81-59! Murray St has won three in a row and Steve Prohm has got this team playing strong defense, better shot selection and playing a deeper bench! Awesome win today against a very good Evansville team at Ford Center! Love this arena! Go Racers!

The “very good” Evansville team to which you allude was without their best player today.

"Very good" is very debatable as well. BUT...it's a road win in league play and, based off of how Murray has played, he's entitled to be happy about that even if his enthusiasm is disproportionate to the accomplishment.

[AcesAces]

Huge Racers win at Evansville 81-59! Murray St has won three in a row and Steve Prohm has got this team playing strong defense, better shot selection and playing a deeper bench! Awesome win today against a very good Evansville team at Ford Center! Love this arena! Go Racers!

The “very good” Evansville team to which you allude was without their best player today.

"Very good" is very debatable as well. BUT...it's a road win in league play and, based off of how Murray has played, he's entitled to be happy about that even if his enthusiasm is disproportionate to the accomplishment.

I'm not calling Evansville a very good team. They are definitely much better than the last several years, but as we all know, they were one of the worst teams in the country during that period.

From an MVC standpoint, they lack quickness, not in running up and down the court, but in moving their feet on defense, being alert, reacting, passing, jumping for rebounds and to block shots, shooting the 3, decision-making, and hands on defense. Plus, they are not very strong with the ball. As we saw against Murray State, Cincinnati, Missouri State, and Indiana State, they are downright slow and weak in these categories.

Regardless, they should end up having a decent year. 5-8 MVC wins is what I project. Instead of very good, I'm going to go with "decent team".

[tribecalledquest]

After starting the season 6-0 with wins against some really solid mid-majors (Utah State, UAB, Tulane, Vermont) Bradley went on a 5 game losing streak (partially due to Hickman's absence with an ankle injury). Now Hickman is back and they have rattled off 4 straight wins and just throttled Valpo and Missouri State by 25 and 26 points, respectively.

A lot of people wrote them off during the losing streak because they looked absolutely atrocious. But now with Hickman back, they are playing some really good basketball. If they can stay healthy, they absolutely look like a contender for one of the top 4 spots at Arch Madness.

In the "no s***" area health is a major concern for Bradley (like all teams I know). But Bradley has three scholarship guards on the roster right now. Three. And they all play. Any injury to Duke Deen, Connor HIckman or Demarion Burch and Bradley can't reach the top four. If those three stay healthy - it is for sure a possibility.

[MissouriValleyUnite]

Belmont's stifling defense suffocates Drake 87-65.

ISU picks up a 77-66 win at UNI behind a workhorse 24/13 afternoon from Jayson Kent.

[MissouriValleyUnite]

4-0 ISU
3-1 Drake, SIU, Murray, Belmont
2-2 Bradley, ISU
1-3 MSU, UNI, UIC, Evansville
0-4 Valparaiso

[DUBulldog]

Worst Drake performance in the DeVries' era. Offense was terrible. Defense was terrible. Game plan was beyond terrible.

Props to Belmont.

[sivert]

Ugh. Props to Indiana State.

I don’t know what is going on with this UNI team. It’s like we’re trying to apply Art of War by Gen. Custer to basketball. Hmmm… what if we just don’t guard the 3 point line? Think that will work?

Bowen seems to have had a good game (27 pts, +13 BPM). But. He had 1 assist. 1. In 34 minutes of play. Some of his scores were really impressive. Laid it up against 1 good defenders twice and +1. But he needs to use those drives to draw double teams and throw it to an open shooter.

We shot 1-abillion from 3. Because our shooters didn’t get open shots.

We’re worse than last year.

[BCPanther]

Ugh. Props to Indiana State.

I don’t know what is going on with this UNI team. It’s like we’re trying to apply Art of War by Gen. Custer to basketball. Hmmm… what if we just don’t guard the 3 point line? Think that will work?

Bowen seems to have had a good game (27 pts, +13 BPM). But. He had 1 assist. 1. In 34 minutes of play. Some of his scores were really impressive. Laid it up against 1 good defenders twice and +1. But he needs to use those drives to draw double teams and throw it to an open shooter.

We shot 1-abillion from 3. Because our shooters didn’t get open shots.

We’re worse than last year.

You can't leave Swope. You can't leave Avila. You can't leave Larry. You take your chances with Kent and, to his credit, he knocked down shots. The plan was right and it was executed well, they just hit shots.

If we hit open shots, it's a game decided in the last few possessions. That's basketball.