Missouri Valley Basketball: Storylines for league after Loyola-Chicago's exit

Missouri Valley Basketball: Storylines for league after Loyola-Chicago’s exit

Mar 21, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The Loyola Ramblers wave to Sister Jean after their win over the Illinois Fighting Illini in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Loyola Ramblers won 71-58. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

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Missouri Valley Basketball Loyola Ramblers Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

The Ramblers leaving left the MVC with big shoes to fill

Yes, it is true that the MVC is one of the deepest conferences in the country, but the loss of Loyola-Chicago has left the conference with a big hole to fill. Despite being in the conference for just nine seasons, the Ramblers amassed six wins in the NCAA Tournament, which is tied for most of any school remaining in the conference.

All of that damage was done in three trips to the Big Dance in 2018, 2021, and 2022 and over that time the Ramblers averaged over 21 wins per year with first Porter Moser and now Drew Valentine at the helm.

With Loyola-Chicago out of the way, it opens the door for MVC contenders such as Drake, Northern Iowa, Missouri State, and Bradley. But in this age of constant conference reshuffling, if you don’t keep up you will be left behind so even though the MVC still has a strong foundation, filling the void left by the Ramblers would become a necessity.

So, the conference jumped into the realignment ring in an attempt to not only replace the Ramblers but strengthen the conference’s standing in the college basketball landscape and they did so by bringing in three members that will give the conference a different look this season.