The Missouri Valley Conference has officially reached that time of year where the standings do not tell the full story. Every night feels unpredictable, every road trip feels dangerous, and every fan base is scoreboard-watching. With the regular season ending Sunday, March 1, the Valley has turned into a pressure cooker, and nobody is cruising.
Monday night summed it up perfectly. Bradley outlasted Belmont in overtime, and Evansville stunned Illinois State. Two games, two very different results, both with ripple effects across the league.
Bradley is built for moments like this
Bradley’s 95-84 overtime win over Belmont felt bigger than just one night in the standings. This is a team that looks comfortable when games get tight, and that starts at the top with head coach Brian Wardle.
Wardle’s teams always seem to find another gear late in the season, and this group is no different. The Braves did not flinch against the league leader, made plays when it mattered, and walked out with a win that could loom large come March.
At 10-5, Bradley is right where it wants to be. Not chasing. Not coasting. Just right in the thick of it.
Belmont still leads, but the margin is gone
Belmont remains in first place at 12-3, but life at the top is getting uncomfortable. The Bruins are used to controlling tempo and dictating terms, yet the loss to Bradley showed how thin the margin has become.
Based in Nashville, Belmont has been one of the Valley’s most consistent programs for years, but even consistency does not buy you breathing room in this league. Northern Iowa coming to town is not a tune-up. It is a test.
The Bruins still control their path, but nothing feels automatic anymore.
Murray State and the quiet climb
Murray State does not always grab headlines, but the Racers keep stacking wins. Sitting at 10-5, they are right alongside Bradley and feel very much like a team no one wants to see in a tournament setting.
A trip to Indiana State is the kind of game that can undo weeks of good work if handled casually. Murray State knows that. The Valley has made that lesson clear.
Illinois State feeling the weight of expectations
Illinois State’s season has not matched the preseason hype. At 8-6, the Redbirds are still very much in the mix, but this was supposed to look smoother.
The loss to Evansville was a gut punch. For a preseason favorite, that is the kind of result that sticks, especially this late in the year. Ryan Pedon’s team now faces Valparaiso with very little margin for error. Style points are gone. Wins are all that matter.
Evansville delivers a reminder
Evansville may be sitting near the bottom of the standings, but Wednesday night was a reminder that the Valley does not hand out easy wins. The Purple Aces’ victory over Illinois State was not just noise. It was a warning.
Now Evansville heads to Southern Illinois with confidence it has not had much of this season. Spoiler season is real, and Evansville has nothing to lose.
Thursday night games that matter
Thursday’s schedule feels like a mini elimination round.
- Murray State at Indiana State
- Valparaiso at Illinois State
- UIC at Drake
- Evansville at Southern Illinois
- Northern Iowa at Belmont
Every one of those games affects someone’s path, whether it is at the top, the middle, or the bottom.
What comes next keeps the pressure on
The next stretch does not let up.
Bradley travels to Southern Illinois. Indiana State visits Valparaiso. Drake heads to Northern Iowa. Illinois State goes to UIC. Belmont finishes with a massive matchup at Murray State.
There are no soft landings left.
Missouri Valley Conference standings
- Belmont 12-3
- Murray State 10-5
- Bradley 10-5
- UIC 8-6
- Illinois State 8-6
- Northern Iowa 8-6
- Valparaiso 7-7
- Drake 6-9
- Southern Illinois 5-9
- Indiana State 3-11
- Evansville 2-11
This is the Missouri Valley at its best. Tight races, meaningful games, and pressure everywhere you look. With March just around the corner, the Valley is doing exactly what it always does, making teams earn everything.