Missouri Valley Basketball: Ranking incoming 2022 recruiting classes

CHARLESTON, SC - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Dana Ford of the Missouri State Bears signals to his players during a first round Charleston Classic basketball game against the Miami Hurricanes at the TD Arena on November 21, 2019 in Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

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Isiaih Mosley left Missouri State Bearsni414 /

Immediate eligibility in the transfer portal has been viewed by some as the death of mid-major basketball conferences, but Missouri Valley Basketball teams have done a nice job of replenishing their rosters. Today we are ranking recruiting classes of the now, 12-team league.

Make no mistake the portal pandemic hit the Valley hard. Five of the league’s top six scorers either transferred or graduated. The conference’s top two ‘distributors’ are also gone. Coupled with Loyola Chicago’s departure, there has been a serious talent loss in the 115-year-old conference. Even one of Valparaiso’s better players (Sheldon Edwards) transferred to Loyola while they were moving to the Atlantic Ten Conference.

Missouri State’s Isiaih Mosley narrowly won the scoring title over Illinois State’s Antonio Reeves. Both have left the conference. Northern Iowa’s A.J. Green and Mosley’s teammate Gaige Prim each graduated and are turning pro. Green’s teammate and the Valley’s sixth-leading scorer, Noah Carter has followed Mosley to the University of Missouri.

Bradley’s Terry Roberts (4.1 assists per game) and Evansville’s Shamar Givance (3.9) have also moved on.

Valley teams hit the portal hard and also landed some outstanding prep players. While Missouri State and Murray State were creating almost completely new rosters, Northern Iowa largely stood pat.