Missouri Valley Basketball: Can anyone challenge Loyola Chicago for title?

Preseason contenders struggling at the moment

Drake was the league’s preseason favorite, but has struggled some in the non-conference season and now has lost all-Valley point guard Roman Penn to a similar foot injury that ended his season a year ago.

The Bulldogs are uber-talented from player one through six. However, depth is not their friend. Losing Joseph Yesufu to Kansas in the transfer season was difficult and now the loss of Penn is crippling. Coach Darian DeVries is one of the top coaches in America and his team competed outstandingly well during a recent game against Clemson, without Penn.

They took the Tigers into overtime before losing 90-80 on a neutral court in Atlanta. Five players played 36 or more minutes and six were double-figure scorers. Rookie sensation Tucker DeVries (19 points) is the new pacesetter on offense, but the lack of a true point guard and one fewer trusted player in the rotation is difficult to overcome.

Loyola will run ten talented players at the Bulldogs without missing a beat. The depth issue causes us to believe it is a stretch to think DU can challenge the Ramblers.

Northern Iowa is deeper than Drake, but they too are without a key piece to their rotation. Former all-league center Austin Phyfe is dealing with what coach Ben Jacobson calls long-term, residual effects of covid. Phyfe contracted the virus during the summer but hasn’t had the ability to breathe deeply enough to compete. He could recover any time, but it is a significant waiting game for Phyfe and the Panthers.

Jacobson is employing different lineups for different situations. Reserve center Cole Henry is getting more playing time and Noah Carter, typically a wing in UNI’s four-out offenses is getting time in the post. Phyfe played a major role in the team’s upset of then nationally ranked St. Bonaventure but played just 11 minutes (none in the second half) in a loss to Bradley and did not participate in the team’s narrow loss to Richmond or their Tuesday win over Jackson State.

Star guard A.J. Green has topped the 20-point mark three of the last four games and twice hit for 30, but Phyfe’s absence in the middle makes UNI vulnerable.

While UNI doesn’t know when or if Phyfe can return to the lineup. Without their 6’9 enforcer the Rambler post rotation of Jacob Hutson, Chris Knight, and Tom Welch will make life miserable for UNI interior defenders.