Today In The Valley (Jan. 21)
Indiana State (4-14; 2-5) vs. Southern Illinois (8-10; 3-4)
6:00 p.m.
Hulman Center; Terre Haute, Indiana
Many of us who follow the Missouri Valley closely had a pretty good feeling that Southern Illinois would wake up right in time for the conference race to heat up. SIU played their hearts out against Creighton and had the game won multiple times before falling in overtime. They then hosted a good Bradley team that came into SIU Arena in a tie for first in the Valley and left on the wrong end of a 68-62 battle in white out conditions.
Many of SIU’s fans believe the Creighton game was just what they needed to get their Egyptian Dogs on the right track; a proverbial kick in the pants if you will. Whether that was the impetus the team needed, or rather the defections of Cornelius and Roundtree (dang, that sounds like a law firm or maybe a hero-sidekick cartoon duo), C-Lo has his team headed in the right direction about one-third of the way through conference play.
That right direction points them toward Terre Haute tonight, where they’ll take on the Sycamores. Kevin McKenna’s Sycs have shown some quality spurts during the conference season, with most ending the same way: with a close loss. The latest came as the Trees dropped their second game of the season against an improved Evansville team, despite a double-double from ISU’s Carl Richards. The Sycamores will come into this game as they have for the better part of the season, as underdogs, but will hopefully have a solid home crowd there to support them.
With the current log jam that is the MVC rankings, each team will be playing to leap frog some teams and get back into the mix before the race start to clear up. SIU should walk away with this one, but maybe the Trees can make it close once again.
Picks
Creighton Otter: Southern Illinois
Panon: Southern Illinois
Dance Cam Guy: Southern Illinois
~ Dance Cam Guy
---
Wichita State (7-11; 1-6) vs. Illinois State (16-2; 5-2)
7:00 p.m.
Koch Arena; Wichita, Kansas
Tonight’s matchup features two relative newcomers to the Valley. Sure, we could be talking about Champ Oguchi or Clevin Hannah, or any one of either team’s fresh faces on the court. I’m pointing, instead, to the men inside (or in Gregggggg Marshall’s case, outside) the coaches box.
Both Tim Jankovich and Marshall started their reigns in the Valley last season. And through 1.5 seasons, the only traits they share so far in minimal Missouri Valley action is the slick hair and suits. Jank is 41-12 for the Redbirds; Gregggggg is 18-31. They split the team’s two showdowns last season.
Jank is blessed with two go-to, game-changing scorers in Oguchi and Osiris Eldridge. Marshall’s roster lacks a star, but budding freshman Torre’ Murry continues to impress as he gets further into his first season. The three players are among the top scorers in MVC during conference play.
WSU played pretty well in their last game, a thrashing at home against Creighton. ISU put together a 12-point win over Missouri State. I would be surprised if the Birds dropped this one, but I was more than shocked that the Shox beat CU in such a sound fashion.
Picks
Creighton Otter: Illinois State
Panon: Illinois State
Dance Cam Guy: Illinois State
~ Creighton Otter
---
Missouri State (8-10; 1-6) vs. Drake (13-6; 4-3)
7:00 p.m.
JQH Arena; Springfield, Missouri
This is the classic trap game for Drake. They’re fresh off one of the most humiliating outcomes in recent memory for the Bulldogs, a nationally televised manhandling on behalf of the Northern Iowa Panthers. They hit the road for three of their next four games, including stops Wichita, Omaha, and tonight in Springfield.
Oh, and the Bears have their best player back. And he’s making plays. Chris Cooks is to MSU what Josh Young is to Drake. When UNI pummeled Young and forced him into his worst performance in a long time on Saturday, it looked eerily similar to what the Bears experienced when Cooks was out with concussion-related symptoms to start conference play.
Sure, MSU still has personnel issues, but they are getting stronger as the season progresses. Second semester newcomer Will Creekmore has been great so far in his limited first year of action, and he has quickly ascended to the top of the Bears’ scoring list (averaging 9.7 ppg in 10 games). He’s also grabbing 5.6 rpg, which helps Cooks as he hits the boards for 5.8.
Maybe I’m still suffering from whiplash following last weekend’s trap game succumbed to by the Bluejays, but this game scares me on behalf of the Bulldogs. My colleagues do not agree, however.
Picks
Creighton Otter: Missouri State
Panon: Drake
Dance Cam Guy: Drake
~ Creighton Otter
---
Northern Iowa (12-6; 6-1) vs. Bradley (11-7; 5-2)
7:00 p.m.
McLeod Center; Cedar Falls, Iowa
The lead or share of the Valley lead is on the line here in Cedar Falls. If UNI holds on at home they’ll continue their reign atop the Valley (oxymoron?). If Bradley pulls off the road win, they’ll tie the Panthers (and possibly Illinois State) with a 6-2 record.
UNI has now reeled off an impressive 6 straight Valley wins (4 of which were on the road). While it has opened the eyes of people around the league, myself included, it’s taking the people in Cedar Falls some time to get used to this surprise team. They averaging just 3,488 fans at home games. Whether it is because of the weather, the economy, or Cedar Falls football fans paying too close of attention to hometown hero Kurt Warner, they aren’t showing up at the McLeod Center. Students aren’t showing up either. Attendance is so sparse at some games it makes the Amazon rainforest look good. Give it to the Panthers. They are beating any team on the court no matter who’s in the crowd, no matter what building they’re in.
Those Valley fans who didn’t bother watching the AFC Championship Sunday night probably tuned into the Bradley vs. SIU game on ESPNU. Bradley couldn’t repeat the victory they had over SIU at home on the opening night of Valley play. The Braves might be coming back to Earth a bit following their 5-1 start, which included wins at Wichita, Missouri St, and Indiana St. … the bottom three teams in the Valley. Bradley was able to pull off a win against Illinois St. when the Birds were riding high. Can Jim Les pull off another “stunner?” The Braves lost their first game on Sunday when it held an opponent under 70 points. They need a huge defensive night to stop the Panther attack. UNI is the most balanced team in the Valley and on any given night anywhere between 3 and 5 players could be in double figures.
Picks
Creighton Otter: Northern Iowa
Panon: Northern Iowa
Dance Cam Guy: Northern Iowa
~ Panon
6:00 p.m.
Hulman Center; Terre Haute, Indiana
Many of us who follow the Missouri Valley closely had a pretty good feeling that Southern Illinois would wake up right in time for the conference race to heat up. SIU played their hearts out against Creighton and had the game won multiple times before falling in overtime. They then hosted a good Bradley team that came into SIU Arena in a tie for first in the Valley and left on the wrong end of a 68-62 battle in white out conditions.
Many of SIU’s fans believe the Creighton game was just what they needed to get their Egyptian Dogs on the right track; a proverbial kick in the pants if you will. Whether that was the impetus the team needed, or rather the defections of Cornelius and Roundtree (dang, that sounds like a law firm or maybe a hero-sidekick cartoon duo), C-Lo has his team headed in the right direction about one-third of the way through conference play.
That right direction points them toward Terre Haute tonight, where they’ll take on the Sycamores. Kevin McKenna’s Sycs have shown some quality spurts during the conference season, with most ending the same way: with a close loss. The latest came as the Trees dropped their second game of the season against an improved Evansville team, despite a double-double from ISU’s Carl Richards. The Sycamores will come into this game as they have for the better part of the season, as underdogs, but will hopefully have a solid home crowd there to support them.
With the current log jam that is the MVC rankings, each team will be playing to leap frog some teams and get back into the mix before the race start to clear up. SIU should walk away with this one, but maybe the Trees can make it close once again.
Picks
Creighton Otter: Southern Illinois
Panon: Southern Illinois
Dance Cam Guy: Southern Illinois
~ Dance Cam Guy
---
Wichita State (7-11; 1-6) vs. Illinois State (16-2; 5-2)
7:00 p.m.
Koch Arena; Wichita, Kansas
Tonight’s matchup features two relative newcomers to the Valley. Sure, we could be talking about Champ Oguchi or Clevin Hannah, or any one of either team’s fresh faces on the court. I’m pointing, instead, to the men inside (or in Gregggggg Marshall’s case, outside) the coaches box.
Both Tim Jankovich and Marshall started their reigns in the Valley last season. And through 1.5 seasons, the only traits they share so far in minimal Missouri Valley action is the slick hair and suits. Jank is 41-12 for the Redbirds; Gregggggg is 18-31. They split the team’s two showdowns last season.
Jank is blessed with two go-to, game-changing scorers in Oguchi and Osiris Eldridge. Marshall’s roster lacks a star, but budding freshman Torre’ Murry continues to impress as he gets further into his first season. The three players are among the top scorers in MVC during conference play.
WSU played pretty well in their last game, a thrashing at home against Creighton. ISU put together a 12-point win over Missouri State. I would be surprised if the Birds dropped this one, but I was more than shocked that the Shox beat CU in such a sound fashion.
Picks
Creighton Otter: Illinois State
Panon: Illinois State
Dance Cam Guy: Illinois State
~ Creighton Otter
---
Missouri State (8-10; 1-6) vs. Drake (13-6; 4-3)
7:00 p.m.
JQH Arena; Springfield, Missouri
This is the classic trap game for Drake. They’re fresh off one of the most humiliating outcomes in recent memory for the Bulldogs, a nationally televised manhandling on behalf of the Northern Iowa Panthers. They hit the road for three of their next four games, including stops Wichita, Omaha, and tonight in Springfield.
Oh, and the Bears have their best player back. And he’s making plays. Chris Cooks is to MSU what Josh Young is to Drake. When UNI pummeled Young and forced him into his worst performance in a long time on Saturday, it looked eerily similar to what the Bears experienced when Cooks was out with concussion-related symptoms to start conference play.
Sure, MSU still has personnel issues, but they are getting stronger as the season progresses. Second semester newcomer Will Creekmore has been great so far in his limited first year of action, and he has quickly ascended to the top of the Bears’ scoring list (averaging 9.7 ppg in 10 games). He’s also grabbing 5.6 rpg, which helps Cooks as he hits the boards for 5.8.
Maybe I’m still suffering from whiplash following last weekend’s trap game succumbed to by the Bluejays, but this game scares me on behalf of the Bulldogs. My colleagues do not agree, however.
Picks
Creighton Otter: Missouri State
Panon: Drake
Dance Cam Guy: Drake
~ Creighton Otter
---
Northern Iowa (12-6; 6-1) vs. Bradley (11-7; 5-2)
7:00 p.m.
McLeod Center; Cedar Falls, Iowa
The lead or share of the Valley lead is on the line here in Cedar Falls. If UNI holds on at home they’ll continue their reign atop the Valley (oxymoron?). If Bradley pulls off the road win, they’ll tie the Panthers (and possibly Illinois State) with a 6-2 record.
UNI has now reeled off an impressive 6 straight Valley wins (4 of which were on the road). While it has opened the eyes of people around the league, myself included, it’s taking the people in Cedar Falls some time to get used to this surprise team. They averaging just 3,488 fans at home games. Whether it is because of the weather, the economy, or Cedar Falls football fans paying too close of attention to hometown hero Kurt Warner, they aren’t showing up at the McLeod Center. Students aren’t showing up either. Attendance is so sparse at some games it makes the Amazon rainforest look good. Give it to the Panthers. They are beating any team on the court no matter who’s in the crowd, no matter what building they’re in.
Those Valley fans who didn’t bother watching the AFC Championship Sunday night probably tuned into the Bradley vs. SIU game on ESPNU. Bradley couldn’t repeat the victory they had over SIU at home on the opening night of Valley play. The Braves might be coming back to Earth a bit following their 5-1 start, which included wins at Wichita, Missouri St, and Indiana St. … the bottom three teams in the Valley. Bradley was able to pull off a win against Illinois St. when the Birds were riding high. Can Jim Les pull off another “stunner?” The Braves lost their first game on Sunday when it held an opponent under 70 points. They need a huge defensive night to stop the Panther attack. UNI is the most balanced team in the Valley and on any given night anywhere between 3 and 5 players could be in double figures.
Picks
Creighton Otter: Northern Iowa
Panon: Northern Iowa
Dance Cam Guy: Northern Iowa
~ Panon
posted by Creighton Otter at 12:06 AM
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