Projecting the 2022-23 Missouri Valley

by **SalukiWorld** » March 6th, 2022, 6:00 pm

Obviously a lot can change with the transfer portal, but I was curious with fans of other teams who they expect to come back next year (especially players going pro or getting the extra COIVD year) and where people think teams will be placed without knowing how the offseason will unfold.

For me, I'm thinking Drake, Murray State, and Bradley will be considered favorites and then some combination of Northern Iowa, Missouri State, Belmont, and SIU in the 2nd tier with work to do in the offseason.

Valpo seems to be in their own tier where they might get the talent to jump up into the 2nd tier but it's likely they won't be good enough to get into that tier or not bad enough to be in the tier with the rebuilding teams like Indiana State, Illinois State, Evansville, and UIC.
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For Southern Illinois, we have one open scholarship right now with Ben Coupet leaving and we're hoping for a point guard that can move Lance Jones to the 2 and run the offense. We're not expecting any of the big players to leave but might lose a rotational bench player to transfer because SIU really needs multiple high-impact transfers to compete in my opinion.

Extra COVID year players returning: N/A
Leaving for sure: Ben Coupet (last year), Anthony D'Avanzo (last year), Sekou Dembele (medically retiring)
On the bubble: Ben Harvey (has had health problems after COVID and we're not sure on his status)
Joining the team: 6'11 3 star HS Senior Cade Hornecker from Texas, redshirt Foster Wonders, redshirt Scottie Ebube
Open Scholarships: 1

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by **Fetz86** » March 6th, 2022, 6:53 pm

Yeah it’s still too early imo to pick, I want to see who is coming back, coming in, and if all the coaches stay the same first. If KJ Williams comes back and they keep their coach Murray is my #1, but they could end up losing both and more if they make a deep run.

by **BCPanther** » March 6th, 2022, 7:43 pm

Expecting a semi-rebuild at UNI.

Don't expect Green and Phyfe back. Berhow and Pickford are done. Noah Carter has some people without his best interest in mind in his ear and I'll be more surprised if he's back than if he's not.

Time to build around Born, Heise and RS Freshman Michael Duax. I also expect incoming freshman PG Trey Campbell to have a pretty important role immediately. Jake hasn't really hit the portal very hard before but he's going to need a big.

Probably enough there to be at the 'top of the middle' if you will. Something like 11-9 or 12-8 in the league.

by **tribecalledquest** » March 6th, 2022, 7:44 pm

BCPanther wrote:Expecting a semi-rebuild at UNI.

Don't expect Green and Phyfe back. Berhow and Pickford are done. Noah Carter has some people without his best interest in mind in his ear and I'll be more surprised if he's back than if he's not.

Time to build around Born, Heise and RS Freshman Michael Duax. I also expect incoming freshman PG Trey Campbell to have a pretty important role immediately. Jake hasn't really hit the portal very hard before but he's going to need a big.

Probably enough there to be at the 'top of the middle' if you will. Something like 11-9 or 12-8 in the league.

Noah Carter is right where he needs to be. Now - he can be a decent role player on a team that is for sure going to the NCAA. Fine. But it isn’t going to make him a better player.

Is AJ going pro or going to Iowa State?

by **DUBulldog** » March 6th, 2022, 7:57 pm

No clue what Drake's team will look like. The guys who are gone for sure on Tremell Murphy, Tank Hemphill, Ayo Akinwole and Jonah Jackson. Murphy and Hemphill will be hard to replace, two of the most athletic guys to ever play at Drake. Neither put up huge numbers, but Bulldogs will definitely miss them.

There are four seniors who could come back if they want....Garrett Sturtz, DJ Wilkins, Darnell Brodie and Roman Penn. As of now, nobody is sure which of these guys will be back. If they all come back, Bulldogs should be tough again next season. I'm fairly confident Sturtz will be back. If Penn doesn't come back, Bulldogs will need to look for either a juco point guard who can step right in, or a transfer point guard.

If all four seniors come back and no one transfers, Bulldogs are out of scholarships.

Next year, they'll add three redshirts (Kwieczinski, Burns and Enright), a guy who was injured all season (Samake) and two new recruits (Will Lovings-Watts and Sardaar Calhoun).

I expect there will be some further roster movement.

by **BCPanther** » March 6th, 2022, 8:02 pm

tribecalledquest wrote:
BCPanther wrote:Expecting a semi-rebuild at UNI.

Don't expect Green and Phyfe back. Berhow and Pickford are done. Noah Carter has some people without his best interest in mind in his ear and I'll be more surprised if he's back than if he's not.

Time to build around Born, Heise and RS Freshman Michael Duax. I also expect incoming freshman PG Trey Campbell to have a pretty important role immediately. Jake hasn't really hit the portal very hard before but he's going to need a big.

Probably enough there to be at the 'top of the middle' if you will. Something like 11-9 or 12-8 in the league.

Noah Carter is right where he needs to be. Now - he can be a decent role player on a team that is for sure going to the NCAA. Fine. But it isn’t going to make him a better player.

Is AJ going pro or going to Iowa State?

The smoke around Iowa State has increased about 10-fold in the last 10 days. I believe he'll be in Ames and that his sister will transfer there as well. I get it, it's disappointing, but we got 3 years and 2 titles out of him.

Totally agree on Carter, however his dad thinks he should be at a P6. He'll end up at that level but he'll have nowhere near the impact or career he'd have had here.

by **tribecalledquest** » March 6th, 2022, 8:20 pm

I had heard the Iowa State stuff from a good source this weekend as well. I get it. He did spend four years on campus. He did his part to be honest. He had a great career.

For every Jake LaRavia having really nice success up a level there are 10 Joseph Yesefu’s.

by **MissouriValleyUnite** » March 6th, 2022, 8:28 pm

Yesufu was talented enough to win POY once Green and Mosley were gone. Instead, he’s scoring 2 ppg under a coach who’s always recruiting over you with his pick of 5-stars. Probably the worst transfer decision a Valley player has made.

by **BCPanther** » March 6th, 2022, 8:39 pm

tribecalledquest wrote:I had heard the Iowa State stuff from a good source this weekend as well. I get it. He did spend four years on campus. He did his part to be honest. He had a great career.

For every Jake LaRavia having really nice success up a level there are 10 Joseph Yesefu’s.

He'll have a fantastic year at Iowa State. Tyrese Hunter is a legit PG to play with and there's a pretty good chance Brockington comes back. If they can find a big that can do anything they'll finish in the top 3 in the Big 12.

It was always going to be an uphill battle to get drafted from UNI. A good year at Iowa State in a role where he doesn't have the ball all the time will make him that draft pick.

by **9628** » March 6th, 2022, 9:15 pm

BC, if what you say is true you guys are not looking at a "semi-rebuild", you are looking at a total rebuild. I would say Evansville level results: 3-17 maybe 6-14.