Right in the middle of the conference season, two huge rivalry games are on tap for this Saturday. The ‘War on 74’ between Illinois State and Bradley precedes an Ohio Valley Conference reunion between Belmont and Murray State.
First place Bradley (17-3, 8-1) carries a four-game winning streak into its home contest with archrival Illinois State (12-8, 4-5). The ‘War on 74’ features two teams separated by 39 miles along highway 74. Bradley has won five straight in this ancient rivalry and leads the all-time series 73-65. The two teams first played in 1905.
Belmont and Murray State were OVC rivals beginning in 2012 and joined the Missouri Valley in 2022. Their rivalry isn’t near as long as with some other schools, but for the ten years they co-ruled the OVC their games were season-defining affairs.
The War on 74
Saturday’s game at Bradley is huge for both teams. Illinois State is fighting its way up the Valley standings and the Braves are working on a regular season title and national notoriety. To the regional fans this date and the one at Illinois State (February 19) have been circled for months.
While Bradley has won five straight ‘skirmishes’ there was a time when the Redbirds won eight straight and 16 of eighteen contests between 2009 and 2018. These two teams recruit the same geographical region, wear the same colors and fans believe the opposing fan base insufferable.
While the cities are not far from one another, former Peoria Journal Star reporter Dave Reynolds says they view one another with skepticism. Reynolds says Peoria is more ‘blue collar’ and Bloomington-Normal leans ‘white collar’. The hall-of-fame writer says ‘Think Caterpillar versus State Farm’.
Legends Hersey Hawkins (Bradley) and Doug Collins (Illinois State) were participants in ‘The War’. Hawkins scored 3,008 collegiate points and was the consensus 1988 National Player of the Year. Collins scored 1,497 during his two-year stint at Illinois State and was a 1973 consensus all-American. Each was an NBA first round pick.
These are the Valley’s two best three-point shooting teams and play a methodical efficient brand of basketball. Bradley has much more experience, depth and size. Four Braves are averaging double-digits in scoring and all four are seniors or fifth-year players.
Three Redbirds carry the heaviest offensive load and two of those players are sophomores. While Bradley runs 6’9 players in and out of the lineup, second year man Chase Walker is the only player of that size in coach Ryan Pedon’s rotation.
OVC Reunion
After clashing in the Ohio Valley Conference for ten seasons, Belmont and Murray State were something of a package deal, joining the MVC. The two rivals faced each other in five of the ten OVC Tournament title games. Belmont won three of those trophies. The Bruins won two of those contests by one point and another went to overtime.
Eight times the league’s player of the year came from one of those two teams. Thirteen times these two teams were divisional or out right conference champions and they combined to claim six of the ten tournament titles.
Numerous players from each team headed to the NBA. Ja Morant's 36-point performance in the 2019 OVC final was an exclamation point on his collegiate career, sending the all-American Racer to 'the Association'.
Their entrance into the Missouri Valley Conference hasn’t been as celebrated. Casey Alexander’s Bruins have continued to finish in the top third in the league races, posting a Valley record of 32-17. Murray State is 25-24 since the move. The Racers’ recent Iowa road trip netted them their first-ever wins at Drake and at Northern Iowa.
Belmont holds a 15-12 edge in the games between the two and the Bruins have won three of the four played since joining the MVC. The Racers hold an 8-4 advantage on their home floor, where the game will be played Saturday.
Belmont is the Valley’s top scoring team (tied with Indiana State) and Murray State is the league’s fourth best defensive squad. While Belmont is one of the nation’s top three-point shooting teams, the Racers are in an elite category of shutting down triple attempts.
The Racers are a physical, downhill type of team, ranking in the top twenty nationally in free throw attempts, and the Bruins are a space-the-floor, move the ball assist making machine, averaging 17 assists per game. Belmont is fast-paced, and Murray State grinds you down.
These two Missouri Valley Conference rivalries are special, and on Saturday, we are treated to two of them.