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Missouri Valley Basketball: 2022 Conference Tournament preview

By Harry Schroeder

Isiaih Mosley, of Missouri State, goes up for the shot during the Bears 78-73 loss to Drake at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.Bearsdrake23
Isiaih Mosley, of Missouri State, goes up for the shot during the Bears 78-73 loss to Drake at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.Bearsdrake23 /
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Missouri State junior Gaige Prim Tbears Bb00207
Missouri State junior Gaige Prim Tbears Bb00207 /

Who will win the conference tournament?

Whoever comes out of the Bradley/Loyola game will have expended so much energy in that ‘royal rumble’ that I believe Northern Iowa will benefit so greatly that they will win the semifinal match. It won’t be easy. As stated, they split with those two high-level teams earlier in the season.

Regardless of who wins the Drake/SIU game, Missouri State should prevail in the second semifinal. The Bears swept those two teams during the regular season and Dana Ford’s crew is on a mission to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Neither Drake nor SIU has the manpower to slow down Prim in the middle and that means the Bears’ perimeter players will be free to fire away.

The championship game should be epic. With the Valley’s two highest-scoring teams locked in a battle for their post season lives, this will be classic. While the Bears seemingly have more fire-power, UNI has been here so many times. Jacobson’s teams captured the Arch Madness title in 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2016.

Missouri State hasn’t won the St. Louis-based tournament since 1992 (the second year it was conducted in St. Louis). They haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1999.

Our call here is that the drought ends for the Bears. UNI swept the Bears this season, including an amazing game on January 8. The Panthers won 85-84 with A.J. Green scoring 33 points and Isiaih Mosley tallying 43.

Next. Predicting winners of all 32 conference tournaments. dark

It is that kind of game we are looking for on March 6 as the Valley gauntlet comes to an end.