Busting Brackets
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Missouri Valley Basketball: 2021 Conference Tournament preview

By Joey Loose

Drake junior guard Roman Penn fires a shot over Loyola's Cameron Krutwig in the first half on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.20210213 Drakevsloyola
Drake junior guard Roman Penn fires a shot over Loyola's Cameron Krutwig in the first half on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.20210213 Drakevsloyola /
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Drake senior forward Tremell Murphy 20210213 Drakevsloyola
Drake senior forward Tremell Murphy 20210213 Drakevsloyola /

Teams to Lookout For

Team to beat: Loyola-Chicago

The Ramblers have spent the last few weeks ranked in the top 25 in the nation and the national metrics love this team as well. They’ve spent most of conference play beating down the opposition. They played exceptional defense and have a balanced offense where almost anyone on this roster can play second fiddle to Krutwig and put up points in a hurry.

Top contender: Missouri State

This spot should belong to Drake, but their injuries and recent play have revealed a flawed team that could struggle to win three big games in St. Louis. Missouri State has a fantastic big man in Prim and an ability to score in a hurry, especially when Mosley is on his game. Even at the 3 seed, this Bears squad is very dangerous.

Team likeliest to surprise: Indiana State

As the only other team to win more than 7 games in conference play, it may not be a surprise to see Indiana State as the other contender in this tournament. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance all season, including a big win against Loyola two months ago. With Key back in the lineup, this team can absolutely pull off a few wins in St. Louis, even in a rematch with the Ramblers.

As last season showed us, anything can happen in this conference tournament. Loyola has looked dominant and teams like Drake and Missouri State have shown that brilliance all season, but it can all fall apart in one game. The matchups will be very important as will the heart that these teams play with.