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5 MVC games Wednesday, Jan. 2

All 5 games will be interesting and one of the beauties of ESPN+ is you can switch between games or actually have more than one game on at a time. Besides the Bradley game the game that has also caught my attention is the Indiana State game at Loyola (Chicago). Loyola was the Mo Valley preseason favorite. Indiana State was picked 6th and are scary as to what they have been able to achieve his season. Indiana State continues to lead the nation in 3 point efficiency - https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/team/152 Indian State will vault above their 6th place preseason prediction with a win at Loyola Chicago - and hold on to your hats because Indiana State is Bradley's next opponent this Saturday at Indiana State.
 
MVC games on opening night - Wednesday January 2

7 pm - Northern Iowa at Bradley - Bradley is listed as a 7.5 point favorite

6pm - Drake at Evansville - Drake is 2.5 point favorite - the only MVC road team favored tonight
7pm - Illinois State at Valparaiso - Valpo a 2.5 pt favorite- they haven't always played well or faced good opponents but they have FIVE starters averaging double digits..
...and ISU is the worst defense in the MVC, giving up 78 points per game and getting both outshot & outrebounded,,,
7pm - Missouri State at SIU - SIU a 6.5 point favorite
8pm - Indiana State at Loyola - Loyola is listed as a 7.5 point favorite but I think it'll be closer
 
Other MVC results-

Valparaiso 58 Illinois State 56-
Illinois State lead most of the game at Valpo, including a 10 point lead (54-44) with under 2 minutes left in the game. But then Illinois State suddenly went cold and scored just 2 points in the final 2 minutes while Valpo scored 14 points in the final 1:57 to win 58-56. Valpo fouled Zach Copeland intentionally with 2 seconds left. He missed the free throw and Markus Golder rebounded and won it for Valpo with a miracle half court 3-pointer at the buzzer.
MVC second leading scorer Milik Yarbrough had only 6 points and 6 turnovers.
Video- https://twitter.com/ValleyHoops/stat...62542307999744
Stats- http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=237495

Southern Illinois 75 Missouri State 70-
SIU played without their top star Armon Fletcher and shot 50% at home for the game, and 48% from three.
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...meId=401089255

Evansville 82 Drake 77-
Evansville pulled away in the 2nd overtime at home to win-
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...meId=401089253

Loyola annihilated Indiana State in Chicago 79-44-
The MVC leading scorer Jordan Barnes was scoreless for the game. Indiana State was 1-12 from three (8.3%). Loyola lead at halftime 46-12.
The starting lineup for Indiana State scored only 23 points, and 21 of them were from Tyreke Key. The other 4 starters combined for just 2 points and 4 rebounds. Indiana State doesn't have much of a bench, but Greg Lansing benched 4 starters and played reserves most of the game. Loyola coasted from the opening tip.
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...meId=401089257
 
Drake’’s Nick Norton went down in the first half with what appeared to be a career-ending knee injury.

not only was he Drake’s best player, but that leaves the Bulldogs with only 8 scholarship players for the rest of the season.
 
DUBulldog said:
Drake’’s Nick Norton went down in the first half with what appeared to be a career-ending knee injury.
not only was he Drake’s best player, but that leaves the Bulldogs with only 8 scholarship players for the rest of the season.
Click to expand...

This is terrible news for Norton and for Drake fans.


Here is another video of the remarkable ending of the Illinois State-Valparaiso game. I can't tell for sure, but it appears that ISU's Zach Copeland may have intentionally missed his free throw with 2 seconds left and the score 56-55 in favor of ISU to make it more difficult for Valpo to set up for a final shot. The ball bounced right to Markus Golder who took three quick dribbles and heaved a shot from behind the half court line that banked in as time expired for a 58-56 Valpo win.
https://twitter.com/currenrr/status/1080660979107725312

IMO, Dan Muller may have made a couple mistakes that cost ISU the game- one big mistake was not putting a single ISU player in the rebounding positions while Copeland was shooting his free throw with 2 seconds left, and instead positioning them way downcourt. Valpo wouldn't have had time to move the ball all the way down court in 2 seconds anyway, so that decision only cleared out the frontcourt and made it easier for a Valpo player to rebound the missed free throw, move downcourt easier, and get off a clear shot.
And, if he did have Copeland miss his free throw intentionally by throwing up a hard shot that clanked out, then that was mistake #2. Both mistakes contributed to Golder getting an easy rebound and an open path downcourt.


Here is an interesting graph of the "win probability" for Valparaiso in tonight's game.
Dv9MJ8BUYAAmWFU.jpg:small
 
It was indeed a weird night - and not just talking the game outcomes...

Drake and Indiana State were both considered among the better MVC teams after non-conference play and yet both got beat last night - Indiana State getting absolutely pummeled. Illinois State got beat by a Valpo team that played a horrible game! Valpo shot just 37.7% and 33% from the arc and hit just 11 of 20 FTs

Also-
As noted here last night-
https://www.bradleyfans.com/forum/s...mvc-games-wednesday-jan-2?p=481051#post481051

It is officially known now that Drake's best player Nick Norton suffered a torn ACL and is out 6-8 months. (he has played 14 games so doubtful he will get a medical waiver)

Here are the stat lines on some of the MVC's best players...

- Nick Norton 5 pts, 2 asst
- Shea Feehan 0-6, zero points, zero assists, 3 turnovers
- Milik Yarbrough (2nd in league scoring) 6 pts, 2 assists, 6 turnovers, 4 fouls
- Keyshawn Evans 4 pts, zero rebounds
- William Tinsley zero points, 1 rebound, zero assists
- reigning MVC Player of the Week Wyatt Lohaus 3 pts, zero assists
- DLO zero pts, 3 rebounds
- Darrell Brown, Jr. 2 pts, 3 asst
- Emondre Rickman (Indiana State center) zero pts, 1 rebound, 3 turnovers
- MVC scoring leader Jordan Barnes zero points, 1 rebound, zero assists
- Christian Williams zero pts, 1 rebound
- Missouri State's Jarred Ridder 3 pts on 1-6
- Marcus Bartley 3 pts, 2 reb in 34 minutes
 
Barry Hinson also had some interesting comments about the opening night in the Valley

"It's not going to be easy," Hinson said. "It's going to be an unbelievable year for fans to watch Valley Basketball,
and it's going to be a Kaopectate and Pepto Bismol year for every head coach in this league."

Hinson could well win the MVC and get fired if you believe the stuff their press & fans are saying --
they want to get rid of him no matter what - he is on the final year of his most recent extension according to their media
 
tornado said:
official statement from Drake on Nick Norton's season ending injury
https://godrakebulldogs.com/news/20...norton-suffers-season-ending-knee-injury.aspx
Click to expand...

Drake will try to appeal to get Nick Norton another year of eligibility
https://twitter.com/KCCITabbert/status/1081280293116485634

Norton tore his ACL during his junior season (after just one game) and got a redshirt year for that season
BUT- he has already played 14 games this season - so if he gets a waiver it would have to be a DOUBLE WAIVER ...
First - he'd have to get a waiver for the 5 years to complete 4 seasons of eligibility-rule and he'd need a rare 6th year...
But 2nd - he'd also need a waiver for the rule that NCAA says you cannot qualify for a medical waiver if you have played more than 30% of scheduled games.
Norton has already played 4 more than 30% (he's played 45% of their games already) - so it would be pretty unprecedented for NCAA to grant another year but Norton is a coach's son - so I would not rule it out
 
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