Missouri Valley Basketball has turned into the “Hunger Games”

Key notes on bottom-half teams of MVC

Similarly, the bottom five teams keep fooling us. The minute we throw dirt on one of those teams, they rise from the dead and win a game we know they will lose. They lose a key player and then they bounce back and win a game.

Once we think one of those teams is on the rise, they lay an egg.

When Evansville (6-18, 2-11) lost its first six conference games, with the seventh coming by 38 points to Illinois State. They looked like a team that was laying down and playing out the string, then the Purple Aces bounced back with a gutty, low-scoring victory over that same Redbird squad. After losing three straight to three of the top five teams, they knocked off Indiana State and then lost to INS in double overtime. Evansville has become a tough out.

That Illinois State (11-15, 4-9) team then lost by one point in overtime to Drake and its next four games.  During that stretch, they lost center Sy Chatman for the rest of the season. Out of nowhere, the Redbirds defeated Valparaiso and then built a huge lead over Indiana State in their next game only to collapse and lose by three points. Sunday, head coach Dan Muller was fired. The ten-year coach will finish the season at the Redbird helm and will be replaced after the season ends.

Muller (167-150) was a star Redbird player and coached Illinois State to the Valley’s 2017 regular-season championship. After winning just ten games in 2019-20 and seven last season, the eleven wins this season were apparently not enough improvement for ISU administration.

Southern Illinois (13-13, 6-8) seems the safest of the bottom five. The Salukis are 6-0 against the bottom four in the league, but winless (0-8) against the top five. SIU’s remaining schedule includes only bottom four teams. They should easily avoid Thursday night in St. Louis.

Indiana State (11-14, 4-9) has been shorthanded most of the season, and just when they were getting healthy, they lost to Evansville in a game that Josh Schertz said was his most disappointing loss as a head coach. The Sycamores then won two straight games to pull closer to SIU. INS’ Cooper Neese responded to that Evansville loss by scoring 63 points during those two victories. Earlier this season the Sycamores defeated Bradley and Missouri State and lost in overtime at Northern Iowa.

Valparaiso (11-14, 4-9) and Illinois State lead the nation in overtime games. The Missouri Valley Conference difference between victory and defeat and two or three spots in the standings is razor-thin. Valpo’s six overtime games have included two double-overtime opportunities. They came within an eyelash of defeating Loyola (losing in double-overtime) and beat UNI utilizing one overtime period.

Guard Trevor Anderson is out for the season and after missing four straight games, starting center Thomas Kithier has returned to the Beacons’ lineup. Valpo and Indiana State are getting healthy at the right time and could be dangerous St. Louis entrants.

The Missouri Valley Conference Hunger Games are making for a thrilling finish to the Valley league race and lead right into one of the most competitive Arch Madness tournaments ever.