MVC MEN’S BASKETBALL MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE UPDATE MVC Contact: Mike Kern, Associate Commissioner Office: 314.444.4326 • Cell: 314.435.4779 • Email: [email protected] 1818 Chouteau Ave. • St. Louis, MO 63103 WWW.MVC-SPORTS.COM

2017-18 Standings (thru Tuesday, Dec. 26) Non-Conf: 82-44

Missouri Valley Overall Records W L Pct. PF PA W L Pct. PF PA H A t25 STK RPI SOS Missouri State 1 0 1.000 64.0 59.0 11 3 .786 73.1 62.6 6-1 2-1 0-0 Won 2 77 215 Illinois State 1 0 1.000 72.0 66.0 7 6 .538 74.5 75.5 3-2 2-3 0-0 Won 3 65 21 Bradley 0 0 - - - 10 3 .769 69.1 60.9 6-0 2-2 0-0 Lost 1 141 306 Valparaiso 0 0 - - - 9 4 .692 74.6 65.8 5-0 2-4 0-1 Lost 1 148 293 UNI 0 0 - - - 8 4 .667 68.5 60.5 6-1 0-1 0-3 Lost 2 32 4 Southern Illinois 0 0 - - - 8 5 .615 72.7 68.2 6-1 1-3 0-1 Won 1 155 208 Drake 0 0 - - - 6 7 .462 79.5 77.6 4-0 0-5 0-0 Won 1 225 265 Indiana State 0 0 - - - 5 7 .417 74.9 74.7 4-2 1-2 0-0 Lost 2 229 100 Loyola Chicago 0 1 .000 59.0 64.0 10 3 .769 74.8 65.8 6-0 2-3 1-0 Lost 2 132 316 Evansville 0 1 .000 66.0 72.0 10 4 .714 69.5 65.6 8-1 1-2 0-1 Lost 2 119 150

MVC Home Games: 1-1 Non-Conf.: 82-44 (H: 53-7; A: 12-25; N: 17-12) vs. Top-25: 1-6 (Non-Conf.)

Upcoming Schedule MVC Player of the Week Alize Johnson, MSU Thursday, Dec. 28 (Times CENTRAL) Wednesday, Jan. 3 (Times CENTRAL) 6-9, 212, Sr., Fwd. *Southern Illinois at UNI (Panther SN/ESPN3) *Indiana State at Loyola (NBCSCH+/ESPN3) Williamsport (Pa.) Cedar Falls, Iowa • 7:00 p.m. Chicago, Ill. • 7:00 p.m. St. John Neumann *Valparaiso at Indiana State (MVC TV) *Evansville at Southern Illinois (ESPN3) Terre Haute, Ind. • 6:00 p.m. Carbondale, Ill. • 7:00 p.m. Frank Phillips College *Bradley at Drake (Mediacom / ESPN3) *Illinois State at Drake (Mediacom / ESPN3) Johnson posted a pair of Des Moines, Iowa • 7:00 p.m. Des Moines, Iowa • 7:00 p.m. double-doubles as part of a 2-0 *Valparaiso at Bradley (ESPN3) week for the Bears, leading MSU Saturday, Dec. 30 (Times CENTRAL) Peoria, Ill. • 7:00 p.m. in scoring twice. He averaged 18.0 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.0 *Evansville at Loyola (MVC TV Network) Thursday, Jan. 4 (Times CENTRAL) assists on the week, making 41.7 Chicago, Ill. • 3:00 p.m. percent of his 3-pointers. He *UNI at Missouri State (CBS Sports Network) had a game-high 24 points and Sunday, Dec. 31 (Times CENTRAL) Springfield, Mo. • 8:00 p.m. 11 rebounds in the MVC opening *Indiana State at Illinois State (ESPN3) win over Loyola behind a Normal, Ill. • 3:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6 (Times CENTRAL) career-best five 3-pointers. *Drake at Southern Illinois (ESPN3) *Drake at Indiana State (ESPN3) Carbondale, Ill. • 3:00 p.m. Terre Haute, Ind. • 1:00 p.m. MVC Newcomer *Missouri State at Valparaiso (KOZL TV / E3) *Southern Illinois at Valparaiso (MVC TV) Valparaiso, Ind. • 3:00 p.m. Valparaiso, Ind. • 3:00 p.m. *UNI at Bradley (ESPN3) *Bradley at Evansville (ESPN3) Milik Yarbrough, ILS Peoria, Ill. • 1:00 p.m. Evansville, Ind. • 3:00 p.m. 6-6, 230, Jr., Fwd. Zion (Ill.) Sunday, Jan. 7 (Times CENTRAL) Zion-Benton Township *Missouri State at Illinois State (CBS SN) Saint Louis U. Normal, Ill. • 1:00 p.m. Averaged 24.0 points, 5.0 rebounds *Loyola at UNI (ESPNU) and 4.0 assists per game during a Cedar Falls, Iowa • 3:00 p.m. week in which the Redbirds went 2-0. He made 16-of-29 from the field in the two games (55.2 percent), 3-of-9 from long *denotes Conference game range, and 13-of-18 (72.2 percent) from the charity stripe.

@MVCSPORTS / MISSOURIVALLEYCONFERENCE / MISSOURIVALLEYVIDS / MVCSPORTS @VALLEYHOOPS MVC BASKETBALL DECEMBER 26, 2017 PAGE 2

Sign of Things to Come? Winning the First One a Key MVC Player of the Week Only 11 times in the past 40 seasons Since 1993-94, only one team (UNI, (since 1978-79) has the MVC had a bet- a 2008-09 co-champ) has won at least Alize Johnson ter non-conference regular-season winning a share of the MVC regular-season title Missouri State percentage than this year’s .651 (82-44) without winning its league opener. In fact, 23 of the last 25 regular-season champs 6-9, 212, Sr., Fwd. ledger. Here are the 15 best in that span, Williamsport (Pa.) with notable post-season success. (or co-champs) have opened 2-0 or better in MVC play, with UNI in 2008-09 and St. John Neumann Non-Conf Regular-Season Bests (Last 40 Years) Wichita State in 2011-12 the exceptions. Frank Phillips College 2006-07 87-32 .731 2 NCAA, 2 NIT 2005-06 73-28 .723 4 NCAA, 2 NIT Johnson posted a pair of 2004-05 74-30 .712 3 NCAA, 2 NIT Four Teams Reach 10 Wins double-doubles as part of a 2-0 week for 2009-10 83-35 .703 UNI - Sweet 16* Four MVC teams reached 10 non-confer- the Bears, leading MSU in scoring twice and 1984-85 71-32 .689 3 NCAA, 1 NIT ence regular-season wins for just the 12th posted a season-high in scoring in the Valley 1980-81 81-37 .686 Tulsa - NIT title time in the league’s 111-year history. A opener. He logged 12 points and 14 rebounds in MSU’s non-conference finale over Wright 1998-99 60-30 .667 3 NCAA, 1 NIT total of 17 teams all-time have won 10 or 2007-08 78-40 .661 1 NCAA, 3 NIT^ State with a game-high 4 assists. He followed 1983-84 65-34 .657 2 NCAA, 2 NIT more non-conference games in a season that effort with a game-high 24 points and 11 1979-80 61-32 .656 1 NCAA, 2 NIT (inclusive of post-season games). rebounds in the MVC opening win over Loyola behind a career-best five 3-pointers (5-for-10) 1978-79 60-32 .652 Indiana State - Final 4 Year w/4+ Teams w/10+ Non-Conference Wins 2017-18 82-44 .651 effort from 3-point range. He averaged 18.0 2012-13 82-45 .646 Wichita State - Final 4 6 - 1956 (Houston, SLU, OSU, TU, Detroit, BU) points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists on the 2008-09 77-44 .636 1 NCAA, 2 NIT~ 5 - 1954 (OSU, WSU, Tulsa, SLU, Detroit) week, making 41.7 percent of his 3-pointers. 2011-12 77-45 .631 2 NCAA, 2 NIT 5 - 1955 (Tulsa, SLU, WSU, Houston, Detroit) 5 - 1961 (Cincy, Bradley, Drake, SLU, WSU) *Missouri State won CIT title in 2010 5 - 1963 (Cincy, WSU, Bradley, Tulsa, SLU*) ^Bradley reached CBI championship series in 2008 MVC Newcomer of the Week ~Bradley lost CIT championship game in 2009 5 - 2013 (WSU, CU, Bradley*, UE*, UNI*) 4 - 1951 (Oklahoma St., Bradley, SLU, Detroit) Milik Yarbrough 4 - 1962 (Cincinnati, Bradley, WSU, Drake) MVC Rated No. 8 4 - 1964 (Wichita St., Drake, Bradley, Cincy) Illinois State The Conference ranks No. 8 in the 4 - 1975 (Louisville, Bradley, Tulsa, Drake) 6-6, 230, Jr., Fwd. RPI, while UNI leads the way in the team 4 - 1987 (Tulsa, WSU, Drake, Illinois State*) Zion (Ill.) 4 - 2008 (Drake, Creighton, ILS*, Bradley*) Zion-Benton Township rankings, at No. 32. The MVC hasn’t 4 - 2009 (Creighton, ILS, Drake, Bradley*) been as high as No. 8 in a season-ending 4 - 2010 (Missouri St., UNI, WSU, Illinois State) Saint Louis U. RPI since the 2012-13 season. After a 4 - 2012 (Creighton, UNI, ILS*, Wichita State) Averaged 24.0 points, 5.0 stretch of seasons in which the MVC 4 - 2015 (Evansville, Loyola, UNI, Wichita St.) rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game during a ranked in the Top 10 in the conference 4 - 2018 (Bradley, Evansville, Loyola, MSU) week in which the Redbirds went 2-0 (71-70 rankings in nine of 11 seasons, the *denotes fewer than 10 during regular-season over UIC, 72-66 over Evansville). Made 16- league was No. 13 and No. 12 in the of-29 from the field in the two games (55.2 past two seasons. Below is a quick com- percent), 3-of-9 from long range, and 13-of-18 parison of this year, and the last two. M*A*S*Hed (72.2 percent) from the charity stripe. Also The league recorded non-conference added three steals and two assists over 17-18 16-17 15-16 success despite a rash of injuries and the two games. Against UIC he scored 20 points with seven rebounds and five assists. Conference RPI 8 12 13 illnesses that hit the starting lineups. No. of Top 100 3 2 3 He made 8-of-15 shots against the Flames, No. of Top 150 7 3 5 During the regular-season non-league while adding two blocked shots and a steal. No. of Sub 225 1 2 4 slate, a total of 63 games were missed by In the team’s MVC opener against Evansville No. of Sub 300 0 1 2 starters (or projected starters). he scored 28 points, including 20 in the first half. He made 8-of-14 shots overall from the field, 3-of-7 from long range, and all nine of 10-Win Teams Open Sked Home Sweet Home his free throw attempts. For just the second time in 111 The MVC concluded its regular-season seasons, two MVC teams with 10+ wins non-league slate with a 53-7 home record. opened up their league schedule against The league was just 44-16 at home in MVC Players of the Week one another as Missouri State (10-3) non-league play last season. Inclusive Player Newcomer hosted Loyola (10-2) on Dec 22. The of all games (non-conference and confer- N13 Brenton Scott, Ind. St. Kavion Pippen, S. Illinois only other time since 1907 in which two ence), the MVC is a combined 54-8 at N20 Keyshawn Evans, Ill. St. Marques Townes, Loyola N27 Donte Ingram, Loyola Tywhon Pickford, UNI 10-win MVC teams opened up league home this year, sixth-best in the nation. D4 Bennett Koch, UNI Kavion Pippen, S. Illinois play against one another was in 2014-15 Conference Games W-L Pct. D11 Dru Smith, Evansville Cameron Krutwig, Loyola when 10-2 Evansville beat 11-1 UNI on D18 Milik Yarbrough, ILS Milik Yarbrough, ILS 1. Big East 76 70-6 .921 D26 Alize Johnson, MSU Milik Yarbrough, ILS Jan. 1, 2015, 52-49. The Loyola-Missouri 2. Big 12 77 70-7 .909 State game was the only, though, to tip 3. Atlantic Coast 114 101-13 .886 off a league season (UNI-UE was the first 4. Southeastern 99 87-12 .879 game for both teams but a conference 5. American 87 76-11 .874 game had been played the night prior.) 6. Missouri Valley 62 54-8 .871

BRADLEY • DRAKE • EVANSVILLE • ILLINOIS STATE • INDIANA STATE • LOYOLA • MISSOURI STATE • UNI • SOUTHERN ILLINOIS • VALPARAISO MVC BASKETBALL DECEMBER 26, 2017 PAGE 3

Battle for Illinois All-Around Leaders Top Performances Last Week Introduced Dec. 22 by the respective Alize Johnson of Missouri State leads Reed Timmer, Drake -- Averaged 16.0 points, athletic departments for Bradley, Illinois the league in total points-rebounds- 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game on the State, Loyola and Southern Illinois, the assists per game average (27.6) this week … shot 5-of-11 from the three-point arc season. Illinois State leads the league on the week to remain one of the nation’s most inaugural Battle for Illinois competition accurate three-point shooters. begins on New Year’s Eve, when the with three in the Top 10 of the P-A-R lead- erboard, while Indiana State also has two Bennett Koch, UNI -- Koch scored a game-high Illinois State women’s basketball team 26 points in only 23 minutes of action in UNI’s hosts Bradley. The men’s and women’s among the Top 10. 77-67 loss to No. 9-ranked Xavier. Koch was basketball teams for the four universities Top MVC “P-A-R” Leaders (thru 1/26) 8-of-12 from the field and 10-of-12 from the free will accrue points through head-to-head Player, School RPG APG PPG TOT throw line against the Musketeers. competition. Alize Johnson, Missouri St. 10.5 2.4 14.7 27.6 Brenton Scott, Indiana State -- Reached the Milik Yarbrough, Illinois St. 5.5 4.4 17.2 27.1 20 point mark against Elon by hitting seven field Reed Timmer, Drake 4.0 2.9 19.4 26.3 goals from the field, including four from long dis- Winning with Defense Keyshawn Evans, Illinois St. 3.1 4.4 18.5 25.9 tance. He added six rebounds and three steals Jordan Barnes, Indiana St. 3.8 4.3 17.1 25.2 against the Phoenix. Six MVC schools rank among the NCAA Phil Fayne, Illinois State 6.9 0.9 16.8 24.6 leaders (Top 60) in scoring defense this Bennett Koch, UNI 7.4 0.3 15.1 22.8 Sean Lloyd, Southern Illinois -- Named to the season, led by UNI (8th) and Bradley Dru Smith, Evansville 3.8 5.5 12.4 21.7 All-Tournament team at the Las Vegas Invita- (9th). Also, four MVC teams rank among Brenton Scott, Indiana St. 5.7 1.9 13.8 21.4 tional. In three games last week, he averaged Donte Ingram, Loyola 7.1 1.7 11.9 20.7 15.7 points, 4.7 rebounds made 14-of-27 (.519) the Top 22 in FG percentage defense, led from the field, 4-of-8 (.500) from 3-point, and by UNI, which is No. 12 nationally at 37.5. 15-of-18 (.833) from the free throw line in wins Teams in the Top 10 nationally in scoring Off the Bench over North Carolina A&T and Duquesne, and a defense have a collective winning percent- Valparaiso leads the MVC and ranks loss to Nevada. He also added eight assists and six steals. age of 79.0 (98-26). Teams in the Top 10 22nd nationally in bench scoring. The nationally in FG percentage defense have Crusaders have averaged 30.1 points per Darrell Brown, Bradley -- Led the Braves during game from their non-starters. the final week of non-conference play, averaging an impressive collective winning percent- 17.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds in a age of 86.2 (106-17). MVC, Bench Scoring G Pts. PPG pair of games against Southeast Missouri State NCAA Leaders/Scoring Defense 1. Valparaiso 13 1159 30.9 and Ole Miss. The point guard tallied a team- 2. Bradley 13 1044 28.1 best 18 points in the Braves’ win against the Team W-L PPG 3. Missouri State 14 984 25.9 Redhawks before following up with 16 points and five assists versus the Rebels of the SEC. 1. Virginia (ACC) 11-1 52.3 4. Drake 13 904 25.2 5. Indiana State 12 959 23.0 2. Miami (FL) (ACC) 10-1 57.0 Reggie Scurry, Missouri State -- Averaged 10.0 6. Evansville 14 863 19.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game off the bench 3. Texas Tech (Big 12) 11-1 58.7 7. UNI 12 733 18.8 4. Rutgers (Big Ten) 10-4 59.5 in just 16.5 minutes, while helping the Bears to 8. Southern Illinois 13 768 18.7 a 2-0 week. He notched a career-high 18 points 5. Cincinnati (AAC) 11-2 60.0 9. Loyola Chicago 13 808 18.3 on 8-of-13 shooting with 7 rebounds in the club’s 6. Grand Canyon (WAC) 9-4 60.3 10. Illinois State 13 891 15.8 win over Loyola in the MVC opener. 7. Texas (Big 12) 9-3 60.4 8. UNI (MVC) 8-4 60.5 MVC Leaders, Bench Scoring, Last 20 Seasons Tyreke Key, Indiana State -- Posted seven points and seven rebounds, as he hit a pair of 1. Creighton (2007-08)^ 33 1218 36.9 9. Bradley (MVC) 10-3 60.9 3-pointers and added two steals in the non- 2. Wichita St. (2016-17)* 36 3054 33.6 10. Old Dominion (C-USA) 9-3 61.0 conference finale against Elon. 3. Creighton (2001-02)* 32 1049 32.8 19. Missouri State (MVC) 11-3 62.6 4. Wichita State (2010-11)^ 37 1173 31.7 Cameron Krutwig, Loyola -- Recorded a season- 52. Evansville (MVC) 10-4 65.6 5. Valparaiso (2017-18) 13 1159 30.9 high 18 points, five rebounds, two assists, two 59. Loyola (MVC) 10-3 65.8 6. Creighton (1997-98)^ 28 855 30.5 blocks and a pair of steals in a 64-59 loss at 59. Valpo (MVC) 9-4 65.8 7. Creighton (2002-03)* 34 1012 29.8 preseason league favorite Missouri State. For the year, Krutwig is averaging 9.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, *NCAA Tournament team; ^NIT Tournament team 2.5 apg and 0.9 bpg, while draining 60.9 percent NCAA Leaders/FG Percentage Defense (42-for-69) of his field goal tries. Team W-L FG Def. Dangerous From Deep 1. Michigan St. (Big Ten) 12-1 33.4 Evansville leads the nation in 3FG ac- 2. Miami (FL) (ACC) 10-1 35.3 curacy, connecting on 46.3 percent of its 3. Virginia (ACC) 11-1 35.9 shots beyond the arc. Loyola (21st/41.1) 4. Texas Tech (Big 12) 11-1 35.9 and Drake (23rd/40.9) are also among 5. Texas A&M (SEC) 11-1 36.1 the NCAA leaders in 3FG percentage. In- 6. Rutgers (Big Ten) 10-4 36.4 dividually, Jordan Barnes of Indiana State 7. Florida St. (ACC) 11-1 36.9 (t4th/49) and Keyshawn Evans of Illinois 8. San Diego (WCC) 9-3 37.0 State (t7th/46) are in the Top 10 nation- 9. St. John’s (NY) (Big East) 10-2 37.3 10. Cincinnati (AAC) 11-2 37.4 ally for three-pointers made. 11. Texas (Big 12) 9-3 37.4 MVC All-Time Team Leaders, 3FG Pct. 12. UNI (MVC) 8-4 37.5 Evansville (2017-18) 87 188 46.3 15. Bradley (MVC) 10-3 37.6 Illinois State (1986-87) 110 240 45.8 21. Missouri St. (MVC) 11-3 38.2 Wichita State (1987-88) 194 428 45.3 22. Valparaiso (MVC) 9-4 38.2 Illinois State (1987-88) 134 302 44.4 Illinois State (2002-03) 188 427 44.0 Evansville (1994-95) 181 424 42.7

BRADLEY • DRAKE • EVANSVILLE • ILLINOIS STATE • INDIANA STATE • LOYOLA • MISSOURI STATE • UNI • SOUTHERN ILLINOIS • VALPARAISO Bradley (10-3, 0-0) Drake (6-7, 0-0) Best in 11 Seasons Best Since 2013-14 The Braves finished the non-conference Drake closed its non-conference season season with a 10-3 record – the most wins with a win and a 6-7 record for its best out of league for BU since also claiming 10 non-conference record since 2013-14 … wins in 2006-07 and matching the pro- additionally, the Bulldogs played a non-con- gram’s most since claiming 11 during the ference schedule that ranks in the top 140 1987-88 season. In 66 seasons as a member of the Missouri Valley in the nation according to KenPom … among Valley teams, only UNI, Conference, it marks just the 18th time that Bradley has won 10 Illinois State and Indiana State played higher ranked non-conference non-conference games and just the fifth time in the last 50 years. Of schedules … Drake’s 11 Division I non-conference opponents boast a the previous 17 times that Bradley has won at least 10 games out of combined record of 80-73 with seven having winning records to date league play, the Braves averaged an MVC finish of 2.4, including 11 … three of those non-conference opponents were projected to finish top-two finishes. in the top three of their respective conferences in preseason polls. MVC Openers Timmer Moving Up Charts Bradley is set to open its 66th season of Missouri Valley Confer- - Senior Reed Timmer become one of just 17 active NCAA Division ence play on Thursday at Drake. The Braves are 36-29 all-time in MVC I players to have 1,600 or more career points … additionally, he openers and the two longest-tenured members of the conference are become just the fifth Bulldog to reach that mark after passing Lewis set to meet for the 10th time in Bradley’s first conference game of the Lloyd for fifth all-time in career scoring at Drake … with his five free season. The Braves are 8-1 all-time against Drake in its MVC season throws in the win against Maryland Eastern Shore, he moved into a debut, including a 3-1 record in Des Moines. tie for first all-time at Drake with 439 career free throws, but did so in 80 fewer attempts than Melvin Mathis, who he is tied with. Improving from 3-Point Land The biggest turnaround during the three years under Coach Wardle 11 Three-Pointers (Again) is from beyond the 3-point arc. After Bradley made just 28.0 percent Drake converted on 11 three-pointers in the win over Maryland of its attempts during the 2015-16 season (ranking 343rd nationally), Eastern shore to mark the sixth time this season the team has con- BU improved to 35.6 last season before hitting on 39.9 percent of verted on 10 or more three-pointers … the Bulldogs are 5-1 in those its shots during the non-conference season this year – ranking 33rd contests and have shot 80-of-177 (.452) in those games. nationally. The Braves currently feature the top two 3-point shooters in the Missouri Valley Conference in sophomore Jayden Hodgson (57.1 percent) and junior Luuk van Bree (53.6 percent). 20-Point Scoring Games Reed Timmer’s 20-point performance against Maryland Eastern Shore was his sixth of the season and the 10th by a Bulldog this year… His total leads the Valley while Drake is second among Valley 2017-18 Basketball Schedule teams in 20-point performances behind only Illinois State with 11. Date Opponent Result Record N11 IUPUI W, 68-53 1-0, 0-0 2017-18 Basketball Schedule N14 Delaware W, 61-53 2-0, 0-0 N17 #vs. Vermont L, 64-65 2-1, 0-0 Date Opponent Result Record N18 #vs. UTSA W, 71-69 3-1, 0-0 N11 #Coe College W, 101-54 1-0, 0-0 N19 #vs. Weber State W, 70-64 4-1, 0-0 N17 #vs. Wake Forest W, 77-74 2-0, 0-0 N22 #Missouri S&T W, 79-47 5-1, 0-0 N18 #vs. Colorado L, 81-86 2-1, 0-0 N25 Georgia Southern W, 62-57 6-1, 0-0 N19 #vs. Drexel W, 90-88 (2ot) 3-1, 0-0 D1 Eastern Illinois W, 67-56 7-1, 0-0 N26 Chicago State W, 79-67 4-1, 0-0 D3 ^at San Diego State L, 52-75 7-2, 0-0 N29 at Omaha L, 73-75 4-2, 0-0 D13 Little Rock W, 86-46 8-2, 0-0 D2 ^at Wyoming L, 89-96 (2ot) 4-3, 0-0 D16 at Chicago State W, 84-58 9-2, 0-0 D6 at South Dakota L, 63-93 4-4, 0-0 D20 at SE Missouri W, 75-67 10-2, 0-0 D9 Omaha W, 93-74 5-4, 0-0 D22 at Mississippi L, 59-82 10-3, 0-0 D11 at Minnesota L, 67-68 5-5, 0-0 D28 *at Drake [ESPN3] Des Moines, Iowa 7:00 p.m. D16 $vs. Iowa L, 64-90 5-6, 0-0 D31 *UNI [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 1:00 p.m. D19 at South Dakota State L, 74-87 5-7, 0-0 J3 *Valparaiso [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. D22 UMES W, 81-57 6-7, 0-0 J6 *at Evansville [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 3:00 p.m. D28 *Bradley [Mediacom/ESPN3] Des Moines, Iowa 7:00 p.m. J9 *Southern Illinois [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. D31 *at Southern Illinois [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 3:00 p.m. J13 *at Loyola [MVC TV] Chicago, Ill. 3:00 p.m. J3 *Illinois State [Mediacom/E3] Des Moines, Iowa 7:00 p.m. J17 *at Illinois State [MVC TV] Normal, Ill. 6:00 p.m. J6 *at Indiana State [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 1:00 p.m. J20 *Evansville [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J10 *at Valparaiso [ESPN3] Valparaiso, Ind. 7:00 p.m. J23 *Missouri State [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J13 *Evansville [ESPN3] Des Moines, Iowa 2:00 p.m. J28 *at Indiana State [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 1:00 p.m. J16 *at UNI [ESPN3] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. J31 *Loyola [MVC TV] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J20 *Missouri State [MVC TV] Des Moines, Iowa 3:00 p.m. F3 *Drake [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J24 *Loyola [Mediacom/ESPN3] Des Moines, Iowa 7:00 p.m. F7 *at UNI [ESPN3] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. J27 *at Evansville [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 1:00 p.m. F11 *at Southern Illinois [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 3:00 p.m. J30 *S. Illinois [Mediacom/ESPN3] Des Moines, Iowa 7:00 p.m. F14 *Illinois State [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F3 *at Bradley [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F17 *at Valparaiso [MVC TV] Valparaiso, Ind. 8:00 p.m. F7 *at Loyola [ESPN3] Chicago, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F21 *at Missouri State [MVC TV] Springfield, Mo. 7:00 p.m. F10 *UNI [MVC TV] Des Moines, Iowa 3:00 p.m. F24 *Indiana State [TV TBD] Peoria, Ill. TBD F14 *Indiana St. [Mediacom/E3] Des Moines, Iowa 7:00 p.m. M1-4 State Farm MVC Tournament St. Louis, Mo. TBD F18 *at Missouri State [E3/ESPNU] Springfield, Mo. 3:00 p.m. *MVC Games; #Island of the Bahamas Showcase (Coastal Carolina, Iona, F21 *at Illinois State [ESPN3] Normal, Ill. 7:00 p.m. Duquesne, N. Kentucky, UT-San Antonio, Vermont, Weber State); ^Mountain F24 *Valparaiso [TV TBD] Des Moines, Iowa TBD West-MVC Challenge; ESPN3 Indicates “The Valley on ESPN3” contest. M1-4 State Farm MVC Tournament St. Louis, Mo. TBD *MVC Games; #Paradise Jam; $Hy-Vee Classic (Wells Fargo Arena); ^Moun- tain West-MVC Challenge; ESPN3 Indicates “The Valley on ESPN3” contest. Evansville (10-4, 0-1) Illinois State (7-6, 1-0) Back on the Floor Redbirds Streaking After missing seven games due to injury, With its win over Evansville, Illinois State Ryan Taylor made his way back onto the floor has now won its last three MVC openers, against Illinois State on Saturday. In his including two straight to open the Missouri return, Taylor scored a team-high 22 points, Valley Conference against Evansville. Illinois his fifth 20-point game in eight outings. State has also been leading the Missouri Valley Conference for each of the last 10 weeks of the season dating Efficient at the Line back to last season’s first week. UE senior Dalen Traore is coming off of the best game in his UE career against Illinois State. Traore registered a career-high 11 Marked Improvement points while hitting an efficient 9-of-10 free throws. He also grabbed Last season, Keyshawn Evans was named Illinois State’s most six boards in the contest. improved player; however, this year he looks to add to his accolade list. Evans came into the season with 212 career points, and through 13 games of this season, he has scored 240, averaging a team-best Valley Opener 18.5 points per game, while he is also nearing his previous season- Evansville opened up its 24th season in the MVC on Saturday. high in three-point field goals (53 last season, 46 this season). With a 72-66 loss to the Redbirds, the Aces dropped to 10-14 in their conference openers. Head coach Marty Simmons is 4-7 in his open- ing 11 MVC games since starting at UE in 2007. Big Trio Illinois State’s trio of Keyshawn Evans (18.5), Milik Yarbrough (17.2), and Phil Fayne (16.8) combine to average 52.5 points, which is tied for the fourth-highest single-season trio total in Missouri Valley 2017-18 Basketball Schedule Conference history, and tied for ninth-highest in Illinois State history. The Missouri Valley Conference record is held by Bradley’s 1987-88 Date Opponent Result Record season total of 60.6 from Hersey Hawkins (36.3), Donald Powell N10 Arkansas State W, 77-63 1-0, 0-0 (12.3), and Anthony Manuel (12.2). The Illinois State record of 57.1 N13 UNC Central W, 68-55 2-0, 0-0 was set in 1971-72 by Doug Collins (32.6), Ron deVries (12.7), and N16 #SE Missouri State W, 66-50 3-0, 0-0 Jim Smith (11.8). N18 #Binghamton W, 66-61 4-0, 0-0 N21 #Fresno State W, 59-57 5-0, 0-0 N22 #Louisiana Tech L, 61-63 5-1, 0-0 2017-18 Basketball Schedule N29 ^at New Mexico L, 59-78 5-2, 0-0 D2 Oakland City W, 98-56 6-2, 0-0 Date Opponent Result Record D5 at Bowling Green W, 91-76 7-2, 0-0 N11 at Florida Gulf Coast L, 87-98 0-1, 0-0 D9 Canisius W, 65-58 8-2, 0-0 N16 #vs. South Carolina W, 69-65 1-1, 0-0 D16 Austin Peay W, 78-74 (ot) 9-2, 0-0 N17 #vs. Boise State L, 64-82 1-2, 0-0 D17 Midway W, 79-52 10-2, 0-0 N19 #vs. Tulsa W, 84-68 2-2, 0-0 D20 at #3 Duke L, 40-104 10-3, 0-0 D23 *Illinois State L, 66-72 10-4, 0-1 N22 Quincy W, 86-57 3-2, 0-0 D30 *at Loyola [MVC TV] Chicago, Ill. 3:00 p.m. N25 Charleston Southern L, 62-64 (ot) 3-3, 0-0 N29 ^at Nevada L, 68-98 3-4, 0-0 J3 *at Southern Illinois [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J6 *Bradley [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 3:00 p.m. D2 Tulsa W, 65-58 4-4, 0-0 J10 *Missouri State [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 7:00 p.m. D6 at BYU L, 68-80 4-5, 0-0 J13 *at Drake [ESPN3] Des Moines, Iowa 2:00 p.m. D9 Murray State L, 72-78 4-6, 0-0 J17 *Indiana State [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 7:00 p.m. D16 at Mississippi W, 101-97 (ot) 5-6, 0-0 J20 *at Bradley [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. D19 UIC W, 71-70 6-6, 0-0 J24 *at Valparaiso [ESPN3] Valparaiso, Ind. 7:00 p.m. J27 *Drake [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 1:00 p.m. D23 *at Evansville W, 72-66 7-6, 1-0 J31 *UNI [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 7:00 p.m. D31 *Indiana State [ESPN3] Normal, Ill. 3:00 p.m. F3 *at Illinois State [ESPN3] Normal, Ill. 3:00 p.m. J3 *at Drake [ESPN3] Des Moines, Iowa 7:00 p.m. F7 *Valparaiso [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 7:00 p.m. J7 *Missouri State [CBSSN/EU] Normal, Ill. 1:00/3:00p F10 *at Missouri State [ESPN3] Springfield, Mo. 2:00 p.m. J10 *Loyola [ESPN3] Normal, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F13 *at UNI [ESPN3] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. J13 *at Southern Illinois [CBSSN] Carbondale, Ill. 5:00 p.m. F18 *Loyola [ESPN3/ESPNU] Evansville, Ind. 3:00 p.m. J17 *Bradley [MVC TV] Normal, Ill. 6:00 p.m. F21 *at Indiana State [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 6:00 p.m. J20 *at Indiana State [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 1:00 p.m. F24 *Southern Illinois [TV TBD] Evansville, Ind. 1:00 p.m. J24 *at UNI [ESPN3] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. M1-4 State Farm MVC Tournament St. Louis, Mo. TBD J27 *Valparaiso [ESPN2] Normal, Ill. 9:00 p.m. *MVC Games; #Cancun Challenge, Cancun, Mexico (Evansville, George Ma- J30 *at Missouri State [ESPN3] Springfield, Mo. 7:00 p.m. son, Louisiana Tech, Fresno State); ^Mountain West-MVC Challenge; ESPN3 F3 *Evansville [ESPN3] Normal, Ill. 3:00 p.m. Indicates “The Valley on ESPN3” contest. F8 *Southern Illinois [CBSSN] Normal, Ill. 8:00 p.m. F11 *at Valparaiso [ESPNU] Valparaiso, Ind. 3:00 p.m. F14 *at Bradley [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F17 *UNI [ESPN2] Normal, Ill. 5:00 p.m. F21 *Drake [ESPN3] Normal, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F24 *at Loyola [TV TBD] Chicago, Ill. TBD M1-4 State Farm MVC Tournament St. Louis, Mo. TBD *MVC Games; #Puerto Rico Tip-Off, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; ^Mountain West- MVC Challenge; ESPN3 Indicates “The Valley on ESPN3” contest. Indiana State (5-7, 0-0) Loyola (10-3, 0-1) Open Season Moser Looking for 100 The Indiana State Sycamores open Mis- needs one more win to souri Valley Conference play on December 28 become just the sixth head coach in program at home against league newcomer Valparai- history to notch 100 victories at Loyola. so. The Sycamores are 17-23 all-time in MVC openers, including 13 wins all-time in MVC Ingram Nears Milestone openers which occur inside Hulman Center. Indiana State has won Donte Ingram, is on the cusp of becoming just the 19th player in four of its last six Missouri Valley Conference openers. This is ISU’s Loyola history to accumulate 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his first meeting in a Missouri Valley Conference contest as the Crusad- career. Entering this week’s action, the Chicago native, who was a ers just joined the league this past summer. This is not the first time Third Team All-MVC pick a year ago, needs 29 points to reach 1,000 the two schools have faced off as league foes as Indiana State and points and has already surpassed the 500-rebound plateau. Valparaiso were both members of the Indiana Collegiate Conference from 1950 through 1968. Behind the Numbers After winning 10 of its first 11 contests for its best start since Lansing Reaches No. 125 1965-66, Loyola has dropped its last two games to fall to 10-3 Indiana State’s 85-63 win over Green Bay was career victory No. overall. The Ramblers, who averaged 77.9 points per game and shot 125 for eighth-year head coach . He is now all alone in 53.4 percent (307-for-575) from the field and 44.6 percent (90-for- third place all-time at ISU. He needs nine more wins to catch Royce 202) from three-point range, in the first 11 outings of the year, has Waltman for second at 134 and the school record is held by Duane managed just 57.5 ppg on 41.3 percent (43-for-104) accuracy from Klueh who owns 182 career victories. Lansing also owns 65 victories the field, including just 20.6 percent (7-for-34) from beyond the arc, in in Missouri Valley Conference play which is just four off the school their two-game slide. record of 69 held by Indiana State’s second all-time winningest head coach Royce Waltman (1997-2007). Lansing has led the Sycamores to the MVC Championship Game twice in his tenure. Super Start With his solid play all season, but especially of late, center Camer- on Krutwig is putting his name in the conversation for MVC Newcomer Scott -- Making Threes of the Year. The 6-foot-9 freshman put up a season-high 18 points Brenton Scott is just the third Sycamore to ever record at least 200 at Missouri State on December 22, and over the last four outings career 3-pointers. He now sits at 233 for his career. Scott has joined is producing 13.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 bpg and 1.3 spg, while school record holder Michael Menser (1997-2001) who owns 283 shooting 70 percent (21-for-30) of his field goal attempts. Krutwig is career trifectas and Jordan Printy (2008-12) who hit 215 as the only accounting for 9.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg and 0.9 bpg. Sycamores to post at least 200 career trifectas. Scott is in eighth place on the ISU all-time scoring list with 1,477 career points. He needs 78 more points to catch Eddie Bird for seventh. 2017-18 Basketball Schedule Date Opponent Result Record 2017-18 Basketball Schedule N10 Wright State W, 84-80 1-0, 0-0 Date Opponent Result Record N12 Eureka W, 96-69 2-0, 0-0 N16 at UMKC W, 66-56 3-0, 0-0 N10 at Indiana W, 90-69 1-0, 0-0 N16 #vs. Auburn L, 64-83 1-1, 0-0 N19 #Samford W, 88-67 4-0, 0-0 N17 #vs. Old Dominion L, 44-62 1-2, 0-0 N21 #Mississippi Valley State W, 63-50 5-0, 0-0 N19 #vs. Ohio L, 94-96 (4ot) 1-3, 0-0 N24 #vs. UNC-Wilmington W, 102-78 6-0, 0-0 N22 Missouri-St. Louis W, 75-58 2-3, 0-0 N25 #vs. Kent State W, 75-60 7-0, 0-0 N25 Ball State L, 85-93 2-4, 0-0 N28 ^at Boise State L, 53-87 7-1, 0-0 N29 ^Air Force W, 74-64 3-4, 0-0 D2 UIC W, 85-61 8-1, 0-0 D6 at North Texas L, 76-79 (ot) 3-5, 0-0 D6 at #5 Florida W, 65-59 9-1, 0-0 D9 Indianapolis W, 79-75 4-5, 0-0 D9 Norfolk State W, 80-52 10-1, 0-0 D12 Green Bay W, 85-63 5-5, 0-0 D16 at Western Kentucky L, 65-81 5-6, 0-0 D16 at Milwaukee L, 56-73 10-2, 0-0 D22 Elon L, 68-73 5-7, 0-0 D22 *at Missouri State L, 59-64 10-3, 0-1 D28 *Valparaiso [MVC TV] Terre Haute, Ind. 7 p.m. ET D30 *Evansville [MVC TV] Chicago, Ill. 3:00 p.m. D31 *at Illinois State [ESPN3] Normal, Ill. 4 p.m. ET J3 *Indiana State [NBCSCH/E3] Chicago, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J3 *at Loyola [ESPN3] Chicago, Ill. 8 p.m. ET J7 *at UNI [CBSSN/ESPNU] Cedar Falls, Iowa 1:00/3:00p J6 *Drake [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 2 p.m. ET J10 *at Illinois State [ESPN3] Normal, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J10 *UNI [MVC TV] Terre Haute, Ind. 7 p.m. ET J13 *Bradley [MVC TV] Chicago, Ill. 3:00 p.m. J14 *at Missouri State [ESPN3] Springfield, Mo. 3 p.m. ET J17 *S. Illinois [NBCSCH+/ESPN3] Chicago, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J17 *at Evansville [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 8 p.m. ET J21 *at Valparaiso [E3/ESPNU] Valparaiso, Ind. 3:00 p.m. J20 *Illinois State [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 2 p.m. ET J24 *at Southern Illinois [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 8 p.m. ET J24 *at Drake [ESPN3] Des Moines, Iowa 7:00 p.m. J28 *Bradley [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 2 p.m. ET J28 *UNI [ESPNU] Chicago, Ill. 3:00 p.m. J31 *at Valparaiso [ESPN3] Valparaiso, Ind. 8 p.m. ET J31 *at Bradley [MVC TV] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F3 *at UNI [MVC TV] Cedar Falls, Iowa 4 p.m. ET F3 *Missouri State [CBSSN] Chicago, Ill. 1:00 p.m. F6 *Missouri State [MVC TV] Terre Haute, Ind. 7 p.m. ET F7 *Drake [NBCSCH/ESPN3] Chicago, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F10 *Loyola [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 2 p.m. ET F10 *at Indiana State [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 1:00 p.m. F14 *at Drake [ESPN3] Des Moines, Iowa 8 p.m. ET F14 *Valparaiso [ESPN3] Chicago, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F17 *Southern Illinois [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 2 p.m. ET F18 *at Evansville [E3/ESPNU] Evansville, Ind. 3:00 p.m. F21 *Evansville [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 7 p.m. ET F24 *at Bradley [TV TBD] Peoria, Ill. TBD F21 *at Southern Illinois [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F24 *Illinois State [TV TBD] Chicago, Ill. TBD M1-4 State Farm MVC Tournament St. Louis, Mo. TBD M1-4 State Farm MVC Tournament St. Louis, Mo. TBD *MVC Games; #Gildan Charleston Classic, Charleston, S.C.; ^Mountain West- MVC Challenge; ESPN3 Indicates “The Valley on ESPN3” contest. *MVC Games; #Savannah Invitational, Savannah, Ga.; ^Mountain West-MVC Challenge; ESPN3 Indicates “The Valley on ESPN3” contest Missouri State (11-3, 1-0) UNI (8-4, 0-0) Locking It Down Tough Schedule In its 11 wins this season, MSU is giving According to data supplied by the NCAA, up just 61.2 points per game and holding UNI has played the second-toughest sched- opponents to just 36.6 percent from the ule in nation during its non-conference play. field. For the season, MSU ranks in the top UNI’s opponents have combined for a record 20 nationally in both categories, surrender- of 78-33 (.703). Texas Southern is No. 1 with ing just 62.6 points per game overall with a 38.2 defensive field goal its opponents record of 99-34 (.744). percentage. Top-Four Finishes in the MVC Bench Mark UNI extended its streak of top-four finishes in the MVC to a ninth The Bears are getting 25.9 points per game from their bench this straight season with its third-place finish in 2016-17. season, accounting for 35.5 percent of the club’s scoring. When MSU’s bench outscores its opponents subs, the Bears are 10-2 this season. In the Upper Half UNI recorded its 14th straight upper-half finish Missouri Valley Conference last season. It is the longest active streak in the league. Kreklow Emerges Prior to the 2003-04 season, when the current streak began, UNI had Junior guard Ryan Kreklow returned to the starting lineup last week, finished in the top half of the MVC on two occasions (1993-94 - 5th, helping the Bears to a 2-0 run behind his 9.0 points per game in a 1996-97 - 4th) since joining the league in 1991-92. starting role. Kreklow knocked down 4-of-8 3-pointers on the week and became just the 15th MSU player to reach 100 career threes in the win over Wright State. He topped that with 10 points and a ca- 15-Straight Years of 9 or More MVC Wins UNI also extended its streak of nine or more MVC victories in reer-high 5 assists against Loyola while eclipsing 500 career points. a season to 14 straight years in 2016-17. It is the longest active streak in the league. 2017-18 Basketball Schedule MVC Openers Under Jake Date Opponent Result Record UNI has posted a 5-6 mark, including a 3-3 record at home, in MVC N10 at Western Kentucky W, 85-80 1-0, 0-0 openers under 12th-year head coach . N15 Southern W, 86-58 2-0, 0-0 N17 North Dakota State L, 54-57 2-1, 0-0 N20 #vs. Georgia Southern L, 73-74 2-2, 0-0 2017-18 Basketball Schedule N21 #vs. Manhattan W, 69-65 3-2, 0-0 N22 #vs. Florida Atlantic W, 71-60 4-2, 0-0 Date Opponent Result Record N24 #Evangel W, 80-48 5-2, 0-0 N10 at #9 North Carolina L, 69-86 0-1, 0-0 N28 ^Colorado State W, 77-67 6-2, 0-0 N13 Alcorn State W, 73-45 1-1, 0-0 D2 at South Dakota State W, 73-53 7-2, 0-0 N15 Wartburg W, 72-43 2-1, 0-0 D4 at North Dakota State W, 71-58 8-2, 0-0 N18 #Chicago State W, 82-44 3-1, 0-0 D8 Hampton W, 88-75 9-2, 0-0 N22 #vs. SMU W, 61-58 4-1, 0-0 D10 at Oral Roberts L, 66-73 9-3, 0-0 N23 #vs. North Carolina State W, 64-60 5-1, 0-0 D19 Wright State W, 66-50 10-3, 0-0 N24 #vs. #5 Villanova L, 50-64 5-2, 0-0 D22 *Loyola W, 64-59 11-3, 1-0 D31 *at Valparaiso [KOZL/ESPN3] Valparaiso, Ind. 3:00 p.m. N29 ^UNLV [ESPN3] W, 77-68 (ot) 6-2, 0-0 J4 *UNI [CBSSN] Springfield, Mo. 8:00 p.m. D7 UT Arlington W, 62-58 7-2, 0-0 J7 *at Illinois State [CBSSN/EU] Normal, Ill. 1:00/3:00p D10 Dubuque W, 80-47 8-2, 0-0 J10 *at Evansville [KOZL/ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 7:00 p.m. D16 %vs. Iowa State L, 65-76 8-3, 0-0 J14 *Indiana State [KOZL/ESPN3] Springfield, Mo. 2:00 p.m. D22 #8 Xavier L, 67-77 8-4, 0-0 J17 *Valparaiso [ESPN3] Springfield, Mo. 7:00 p.m. D28 *S. Illinois [PSN/ESPN3] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. J20 *at Drake [MVC TV] Des Moines, Iowa 3:00 p.m. D31 *at Bradley [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 1:00 p.m. J23 *at Bradley [KOZL/ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J27 *Southern Illinois [ESPNU] Springfield, Mo. 5:00 p.m. J4 *at Missouri State [CBSSN] Springfield, Mo. 8:00 p.m. J30 *Illinois State [ESPN3] Springfield, Mo. 7:00 p.m. J7 *Loyola [CBSSN/ESPNU] Cedar Falls, Iowa 1:00/3:00p J10 *at Indiana State [MVC TV] Terre Haute, Ind. 6:00 p.m. F3 *at Loyola [CBSSN] Chicago, Ill. 1:00 p.m. F6 *at Indiana State [MVC TV] Terre Haute, Ind. 6:00 p.m. J13 *Valparaiso [ESPN2] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. F10 *Evansville [ESPN3] Springfield, Mo. 2:00 p.m. J16 *Drake [PSN/ESPN3] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. F14 *at Southern Illinois [MVC TV] Carbondale, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J21 *at Southern Illinois [E3/EU] Carbondale, Ill. 3:00 p.m. F18 *Drake [E3/ESPNU] Springfield, Mo. 3:00 p.m. J24 *Illinois State [ESPN3] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. F21 *Bradley [MVC TV] Springfield, Mo. 7:00 p.m. J28 *at Loyola [ESPNU] Chicago, Ill. 3:00 p.m. F24 *at UNI [TV TBD] Cedar Falls, Iowa TBD J31 *at Evansville [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 7:00 p.m. M1-4 State Farm MVC Tournament St. Louis, Mo. TBD F3 *Indiana State [MVC TV] Cedar Falls, Iowa 3:00 p.m. *MVC Games; #Gulf Coast Showcase, Estero, Fla. (Georgia Southern, Man- F7 *Bradley [ESPN3] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. hattan Univ., UMKC, Penn, Northern Illinois, Towson, Florida Atlantic); ^Moun- F10 *at Drake [MVC TV] Des Moines, Iowa 3:00 p.m. tain West-MVC Challenge; ESPN3 Indicates “The Valley on ESPN3” contest. F13 *Evansville [PSN/ESPN3] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. F17 *at Illinois State [ESPN2] Normal, Ill. 5:00 p.m. F20 *at Valparaiso [CBSSN] Valparaiso, Ind. 8:00 p.m. F24 *Missouri State [TV TBD] Cedar Falls, Iowa TBD M1-4 State Farm MVC Tournament St. Louis, Mo. TBD *MVC Games; #Battle 4 Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas; $Hy-Vee Clas- sic, Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa; ^Mountain West-MVC Challenge; ESPN3 Indicates “The Valley on ESPN3” contest; PSN includes KCRG-TV, WHO-TV, KGCW-TV, CFU, NBC Chicago, and KSMO TV in its network. Southern Illinois (8-5, 0-0) Valparaiso (9-4, 0-0) Series vs. UNI Tipping Off Valley Play The Salukis are 21-7 at home all-time Valpo begins a new era on Thursday, as against Northern Iowa and 7-21 on the road. the Crusaders’ game at Indiana State marks SIU is 0-11 in the McLeod Center, which the program’s first MVC conference game. opened in 2007. SIU has lost 14-straight The Crusaders are looking to carry over the overall at Northern Iowa. The last win came success they’ve had in the past two-plus on Jan. 22, 2003 under head coach , an 88-78 overtime decades into the Valley. Most recently, in 10 years as a member of victory. the Horizon League, Valpo claimed five regular season and two tour- nament titles. Prior to that, in its final 13 years in the Mid-Continent Conference, Valpo won nine regular season and eight tournament Hinson in Exempt Tournaments championships. In six seasons at SIU, is 5-8 in exempt tournament games played at neutral sites. The wins were against Nicholls State (2012), Stetson (2013), UIC (2014), Portland (2015) and Duquesne Exceeding Expectations (2017). The Crusaders were picked to finish sixth in the MVC in preseason polling in October. Valpo has made it a habit to out-perform expec- tations in recent years, as in each of the last seven seasons, the Saluki Offense Hits on All Cylinders Crusaders have at least matched their preseason projections in the Southern Illinois scored 102 points against North Carolina A&T on final standings - including winning regular season titles each time Dec. 19 — the most points scored in a game since 1998. The Salu- they were preseason favorites. kis made 14 shots from 3-point, which was a Hinson-era high. It was a team effort, as six players scored in double figures and six players made two or more 3-pointers. SIU shot 61 percent from the field with Familiar Foes 24 assists and just six turnovers. The 38-point margin matched the While the MVC is a new conference this year for the Crusaders, biggest in the Hinson era, equalling the SIUE margin in 2016. they kick off conference play with a pair of familiar opponents. One of its most common foes all-time, Valpo will take on Indiana State for the 82nd time and faced the Sycamores in non-conference play each of the last two seasons. The Crusaders have then faced Mis- 2017-18 Basketball Schedule souri State in four of the last seven years, including most notably a BracketBusters game with Dick Vitale on color commentary from the Date Opponent Result Record ARC in 2011. N10 at Winthrop W, 81-66 1-0, 0-0 N18 Illinois-Springfield W, 69-64 2-0, 0-0 N21 at #18 Louisville L, 42-84 2-1, 0-0 2017-18 Basketball Schedule N25 at Murray State L, 73-81 2-2, 0-0 N29 SIU Edwardsville W, 86-59 3-2, 0-0 Date Opponent Result Record D2 ^San Jose State W, 76-58 4-2, 0-0 N10 North Park W, 88-46 1-0, 0-0 D6 at Saint Louis L, 69-74 4-3, 0-0 N13 Trinity Christian W, 83-46 2-0, 0-0 D9 SE Missouri State L, 69-75 4-4, 0-0 N15 at SIU Edwardsville W, 94-69 3-0, 0-0 D13 Jackson State W, 69-51 5-4, 0-0 N19 #SE Louisiana W, 83-50 4-0, 0-0 D17 #Lamar W, 71-61 6-4, 0-0 N21 #Samford W, 88-67 5-0, 0-0 D19 #North Carolina A&T W, 102-64 7-4, 0-0 N24 #vs. Kent State W, 77-67 6-0, 0-0 D22 #vs. Nevada L, 64-86 7-5, 0-0 N25 #vs. UNC-Wilmington W, 79-70 7-0, 0-0 D23 #vs. Duquesne W, 74-64 8-5, 0-0 D28 *at UNI [ESPN3] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. N28 ^Utah State W, 72-65 8-0, 0-0 D31 *Drake [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 3:00 p.m. D7 at #21 Purdue L, 50-80 8-1, 0-0 J3 *Evansville [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 7:00 p.m. D9 at Ball State L, 70-71 8-2, 0-0 J6 *at Valparaiso [MVC TV] Valparaiso, Ind. 3:00 p.m. D14 at Northwestern L, 50-84 8-3, 0-0 J9 *at Bradley [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. D18 at Santa Clara W, 76-68 9-3, 0-0 J13 *Illinois State [CBSSN] Carbondale, Ill. 5:00 p.m. D20 at UC Riverside L, 60-73 9-4, 0-0 J17 *at Loyola [ESPN3] Chicago, Ill. 7:00 p.m. D28 *at Indiana State [MVC TV] Terre Haute, Ind. 6:00 p.m. J21 *UNI [E3/ESPNU] Carbondale, Ill. 3:00 p.m. D31 *Missouri State [ESPN3] Valparaiso, Ind. 3:00 p.m. J24 *Indiana State [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J27 *at Missouri State [ESPNU] Springfield, Mo. 5:00 p.m. J3 *at Bradley [ESPN3] Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J30 *at Drake [ESPN3] Des Moines, Iowa 7:00 p.m. J6 *Southern Illinois [MVC TV] Valparaiso, Ind. 3:00 p.m. J10 *Drake [ESPN3] Valparaiso, Ind. 7:00 p.m. F3 *Valparaiso [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 7:00 p.m. F8 *at Illinois State [CBSSN] Normal, Ill. 8:00 p.m. J13 *at UNI [ESPN2] Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:00 p.m. F11 *Bradley [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 3:00 p.m. J17 *at Missouri State [ESPN3] Springfield, Mo. 7:00 p.m. F14 *Missouri State [MVC TV] Carbondale, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J21 *Loyola [E3/ESPNU] Valparaiso, Ind. 3:00 p.m. F17 *at Indiana State [ESPN3] Terre Haute, Ind. 1:00 p.m. J24 *Evansville [ESPN3] Valparaiso, Ind. 7:00 p.m. F21 *Loyola [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 7:00 p.m. J27 *at Illinois State [ESPN2] Normal, Ill. 9:00 p.m. F24 *at Evansville [TV TBD] Evansville, Ind. 1:00 p.m. J31 *Indiana State [ESPN3] Valparaiso, Ind. 7:00 p.m. M1-4 State Farm MVC Tournament St. Louis, Mo. TBD F3 *at Southern Illinois [ESPN3] Carbondale, Ill. 7:00 p.m. *MVC Games; #Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic, Las Vegas, Nevada F7 *at Evansville [ESPN3] Evansville, Ind. 7:00 p.m. (Southern Illinois, Duquesne, Nevada, San Francisco, Lamar, North Carolina F11 *Illinois State [ESPNU] Valparaiso, Ind. 3:00 p.m. A&T, Radford, UC Davis); ^Mountain West-MVC Challenge; ESPN3 Indicates F14 *at Loyola [ESPN3] Chicago, Ill. 7:00 p.m. “The Valley on ESPN3” contest. F17 *Bradley [MVC TV] Valparaiso, Ind. 8:00 p.m. F20 *UNI [CBSSN] Valparaiso, Ind. 8:00 p.m. F24 *at Drake [TV TBD] Des Moines, Iowa TBD M1-4 State Farm MVC Tournament St. Louis, Mo. TBD *MVC Games; #Savannah Invitational, Savannah, Ga.; ^Mountain West-MVC Challenge; ESPN3 Indicates “The Valley on ESPN3” contest.