Busting Brackets
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Missouri Valley Basketball: 4 emerging trends early in league play

By Harry Schroeder

Nov 12, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Indiana State Sycamores head coach Josh Schertz gives a thumbs down during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Indiana State Sycamores head coach Josh Schertz gives a thumbs down during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /
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Valparaiso Crusaders forward Ben Krikke Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Valparaiso Crusaders forward Ben Krikke Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

Missouri Valley Basketball teams on the rise

Loyola is exempt from this conversation. The Ramblers haven’t played in a month. Their opponents have been paused by covid.

Who are the Valley’s teams on the rise?

Missouri State has won six of its last seven games. The Bears (10-5) defeated Valley preseason favorite Drake on Sunday and evened their conference mark at 1-1. Dana Ford’s team is playing better defense and with four players averaging double-digit scoring the balanced Bears are difficult to defend.

The return of Sharp is significant. His 3-to-1, assist-turnover-ratio is by far the team’s best. Stars Isiaih Mosley and Gaige Prim are the stars of this team, but both have been plagued with turnovers. Mosley, Jaylen Minnett, Ja’Monta Black, and Isaac Haney all make better than .379 of their shots from deep and Prim is the Valley’s best big man. Sharp is the final missing piece.

MSU’s Sunday defeat of Drake was significant. The Bears were 0-and-3 against the Bulldogs last year and were swept in their two games against Loyola. Losing to the league’s top teams was becoming too routine. Ford’s teams were 1-6 against Drake and had lost three of their last four to the Ramblers.

Valparaiso has won five of its last six games and Sunday’s overtime win without transfer center Kithier, was a gut-check victory for Lottich’s Beacons. The team is 8-3 since All-Valley forward Ben Krikke returned from injury, and 4-1 since wing Kobe King became eligible. Both players are averaging better than 15 points per game.

Six Beacon players are scoring ten or more points per game and the team is sharing the ball to the tune of more than 14 assists per contest. Lottich’s team is playing better defense than last season and is forcing more turnovers.