For Missouri Valley Conference teams Thanksgiving is a time to boost their national profiles. While the first round of national evaluation tool rankings are released in early December Valley teams look to make a final ‘good impression’ during their Thanksgiving MTE opportunities.
Ten of the eleven MVC programs will be involved in Thanksgiving MTE action. While six will be venturing to Florida, one to California and one to Louisiana, two teams will head to the islands. Evansville participates in the Paradise Jam (Virgin Islands) and Murray State heads to the Cayman Islands Classic.
Seizing the opportunities to play quality competition prior to the first publication of the NET rankings is critical for KenPom.com’s tenth rated league.
Drake and Bradley earned MTE championships last season. The Bulldogs swept the Charleston Classic with two of their three victories coming against power five conference teams. Bradley was the Myrtle Beach Invitational champion, knocking off three mid-major teams.
If the MVC has any hopes of landing more than one team in next spring’s NCAA Tournament, its teams need to make some noise during these Thanksgiving MTE opportunities.