MVC Games Week 11

[Bearvision]

Prim got COVID or similar illness and it really impacted him. Even when he came back, he didn’t look like himself again until last game. Then he actually injured his ankle last game and didn’t return to the game, so he played this game with a sprained ankle and played well.

The Bears turnaround this season has counciddd with two things:

1. A better attitude from Mosley, who has embraced what the coaches were asking of him in defense. You’ll remember it came to a head against BYU, where he played seven minutes and went scoreless.

2. After that game, they had a come-to-Jesus meeting and Ford and Mosley adjusted the offense from a play through Prim at the high-post offense, to more of a 1-on-1 isolation offense that gives the ball to Mosley to create and give space with lots of shooters.

After those two changes, to my eyes, the Bears look the best they’ve looked in years. Probably the best in the Valley, currently. That’s a moniker that several teams have held thus far (Drake to start, Loyola, UNI when they got healthy, now the Bears).

Can the Bears hold it? How will they react when Mosley has an off-night?

[Birdfan2018]

So the Bears lost at home to Northern Iowa, but you think the Bears are the best in the Valley?

[Bearvision]

So the Bears lost at home to Northern Iowa, but you think the Bears are the best in the Valley?

In an extremely high-variance game that had most every break go UNI’s way at the end.

I said playing the best at this moment.

[VUGrad1314]

Who even knows anymore? Loyola almost lost to Valpo who got crushed by UNI and Missouri State and then got revenge by eating UNI who beat Missouri State who just beat Loyola. At this point all I can say is that we have a crazy highly competitive league as usual but as for who the best team is that's anyone's guess. I think it's still Loyola but Missouri State and UNI when they are healthy can and have made cases. I'm just glad to see Valpo start to be competitive. Three out of the last four have been really good showings including two wins one on the road. Good stuff. I don't know if two bids is a possibility for the MVC at this point. Maybe if Missouri State is consistently good the rest of the year and meets Loyola in the finals at Arch Madness (they'd probably have to win that game unless they sweep the Ramblers). Loyola can't take too many losses beforehand either. We saw how a Drake team that had more Q1+Q2 wins than any bubble team had to settle for being the last team in last year and how underseeded last year's Ramblers were. The Selection committee is not kind to the Valley even when it does throw us a bone. We have to earn every ounce of respect we get nationally and the resolve these teams have to do just that is a big reason why I love this league so much and even though it sucks that the Ramblers will be gone after this year I'm still super excited about the league's future. Belmont's gotta tighten it up a bit though they haven't done so well recently but I'm really impressed by what Murray State has shown and even UIC has improved a bit the past couple of weeks. Things are looking up. Hoping for two bids but not holding my breath. It's possible but a lot has to go right.

[Campbellproud]

Who even knows anymore? Loyola almost lost to Valpo who got crushed by UNI and Missouri State and then got revenge by eating UNI who beat Missouri State who just beat Loyola. At this point all I can say is that we have a crazy highly competitive league as usual but as for who the best team is that's anyone's guess. I think it's still Loyola but Missouri State and UNI when they are healthy can and have made cases. I'm just glad to see Valpo start to be competitive. Three out of the last four have been really good showings including two wins one on the road. Good stuff. I don't know if two bids is a possibility for the MVC at this point. Maybe if Missouri State is consistently good the rest of the year and meets Loyola in the finals at Arch Madness (they'd probably have to win that game unless they sweep the Ramblers). Loyola can't take too many losses beforehand either. We saw how a Drake team that had more Q1+Q2 wins than any bubble team had to settle for being the last team in last year and how underseeded last year's Ramblers were. The Selection committee is not kind to the Valley even when it does throw us a bone. We have to earn every ounce of respect we get nationally and the resolve these teams have to do just that is a big reason why I love this league so much and even though it sucks that the Ramblers will be gone after this year I'm still super excited about the league's future. Belmont's gotta tighten it up a bit though they haven't done so well recently but I'm really impressed by what Murray State has shown and even UIC has improved a bit the past couple of weeks. Things are looking up. Hoping for two bids but not holding my breath. It's possible but a lot has to go right.

The league is totally up for grabs. I have no clue who might win it. But it looks like Loyola isn’t going to run away with it. With Bradley beating SIU right now, all four games today were upsets in my opinion (whether they were on paper, I don’t know). And we should give some credit to Valpo. They have come along this year, which is good to see.

[glm38]

We’ll Missouri State just took Loyola to school in Chicago and Mosley went for 40

Barring any dramatic changes, I don’t see how any player can compete for POY with him. It is interesting though that Prim may not be a first teamer…. Still good but I feel like he did more last year.

He is unreal. One of the more dynamic scorers the Valley has ever seen. He basically scored at will today, especially once Lucas Williamson got in foul trouble. Hand him the Larry Bird trophy now.

Bears are a hell of an offensive team. Will be interesting to see how the Ramblers respond.[/quote

I don't think Williamson bothered Mosely at all. He (Mosely) was frequently double teamed and that didn't matter much either.

[goramblers2011]

I don't think Williamson bothered Mosely at all. He (Mosely) was frequently double teamed and that didn't matter much either.

If you look at his numbers when Lucas was on the court today and his two games last year vs Loyola, Lucas definitely makes a difference. I think Mosley's offensive game has developed enough such that Lucas can't guard him 1v1 (no one can) but Lucas is the best defender in a while in the Valley (ask Ayo).

How in God's name did MSU lose to the likes of SEMO.

[Action10]

How in God's name did MSU lose to the likes of SEMO.

It might be the same reason that Memphis loses to East Carolina and Tulane...

[glm38]

I don't think Williamson bothered Mosely at all. He (Mosely) was frequently double teamed and that didn't matter much either.

If you look at his numbers when Lucas was on the court today and his two games last year vs Loyola, Lucas definitely makes a difference. I think Mosley's offensive game has developed enough such that Lucas can't guard him 1v1 (no one can) but Lucas is the best defender in a while in the Valley (ask Ayo).

How in God's name did MSU lose to the likes of SEMO.

I wasn't saying Williamson isn't a good defender. He is. Just that he can't guard Mosely.

And Bears fans have no clue how we lost to SEMO.

[Blers42]

I don't think Williamson bothered Mosely at all. He (Mosely) was frequently double teamed and that didn't matter much either.

If you look at his numbers when Lucas was on the court today and his two games last year vs Loyola, Lucas definitely makes a difference. I think Mosley's offensive game has developed enough such that Lucas can't guard him 1v1 (no one can) but Lucas is the best defender in a while in the Valley (ask Ayo).

How in God's name did MSU lose to the likes of SEMO.

I wasn't saying Williamson isn't a good defender. He is. Just that he can't guard Mosely.

And Bears fans have no clue how we lost to SEMO.

He locked Mosley down last year and only played 22min today. Mosley is a rare talent, and is playing historically well. If Lucas and Aher didn’t get into foul trouble early, I don’t think Mosley would have dropped 40. I’m by no means saying Lucas is going to lock Mosley up completely, but he’s not going to score as much when the MVC DPOY is guarding him.