Legendary Coach Dies: Will Robinson died Monday at age 96. He was the first black Division I coach and was known for discovering Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman while scouting for the Detroit Pistons. Robinson broke through the racial barrier when he was named coach of Illinois State in the the 1970s. He scouted for the Pistons for 28 years, and the team renamed its locker room after him en route to their third title during the 2003-04 season. He had been sick for 15 months and had been in a nursing home for more than a year.
[4/30/08]
Mark Phelps to Take Over at Drake: Mark Phelps, an assistant coach at Arizona State, has been named the new head coach at Drake. Phelps was hired less than a week after former Drake coach Keno Davis left for Providence. Phelps, a longtime assistant to Herb Sendek, has big shoes to fill. Davis, a first-year coach, earned the Bulldogs their first NCAA Tournament entry since 1971, went 28-5 and won both the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles.
[4/23/08]
Keno's Stay at Drake Is Brief: After being selected as the Associated Press National Coach of the Year and leading Drake to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1971, Keno Davis opted to become Providence's new coach. In his first year as a head coach, Drake received its first national ranking in 33 years to go along with a 28-5 record. Davis is inheriting a team that has had two NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 10 seasons and finished with a losing record in three out of four seasons. The team is returning its core group of starters but has a lot of work to do after finishing 6-12 in the Big East.
[4/19/08]
Salukis Lose Two Reserves: Southern Illinois granted forward Jordan Armstrong and guard Brandon Wood permission to continue their basketball careers elsewhere. Armstrong completed three years as a Saluki but still has two years of eligibility remaining after redshirting in 2006. Wood played one season and suffered a stress fracture in his leg that ended his season in mid-December.
[4/19/08]
Missouri State Raids Purdue's Roster for New Coach: Purdue associate coach Cuonzo Martin filled the void left by former Missouri State coach Barry Hinson, fired earlier this month after nine NCAA Tournament-less seasons. Martin played at Purdue until 1995 before jumping to the NBA. Purdue hired him as an assistant in 2000 and promoted him to associate coach last year. He's scheduled to make more money that his predecessor. Martin, 36, is the 16th coach in the program's history.
[3/31/08]
West Region - First Round: Freshman guard Trumaine Johnson hit a driving jump shot with less than two seconds to go in overtime to lift No. 13 San Diego to a 70-69 upset of No. 4 Connecticut. The Toreros become the worst seed to advance so far, displacing No. 12 Western Kentucky, which beat Drake on the same court in Tampa earlier in the day. Junior forward Gyno Pomare was 10-of-12 from the field to lead San Diego with 22 points. Despite having a significant rebounding advantage, the Huskies could not overcome the loss of starting point guard A.J. Price to an injury early in the game. The Huskies committed 15 turnovers in the game, and Price played only nine minutes. Sophomore guard Jerome Dyson helped the Huskies get to overtime by hitting two game-tying free throws in regulation. He hit two more in overtime with 10 seconds remaining to give Connecticut a 69-68 lead and set up Johnson's heroics. The Toreros will play Western Kentucky, ensuring that a double-digit seed will reach the Sweet 16 this season.
No. 12 Western Kentucky pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament in the best game of the tournament so far, beating No. 5 Drake 101-99 in overtime. Trailing by one with five seconds remaining, senior guard Ty Rogers hit a long buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the Hilltoppers the win. Western Kentucky led most of regulation before Drake went on a furious 29-14 run to end the second half and force overtime. Junior forward Jonathan Cox hit a three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining to tie the game, and Western Kentucky couldn't win it regulation. Cox finished with 29 points to lead the Bulldogs, and Western Kentucky senior guard Tyrone Brazelton led everyone with 33 points. [3/21/08]
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship: No. 1 Drake dismantled No. 2 Illinois State 79-49, casting doubt on the Redbirds' worthiness for an at-large bid. The Bulldogs return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 37 years as junior forward Jonathan Cox led the team with 20 points. Drake went on a 22-2 run to end the first half, blowing open a close game. [3/09/08]
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Semifinals: Major conference bubble teams have to be happy about the results of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament so far. No. 1 Drake handled No. 4 Creighton 75-67 to prevent the Blue Jays from moving in on an at-large bid. Missouri Valley Player of the Year senior guard Adam Emmenecker had 20 points and 11 assists to lead the Bulldogs. Drake will play No. 2 Illinois State for the Missouri Valley championship Sunday after the Redbirds beat No. 6 Northern Iowa 56-42. The Panthers shot only 31.8 percent from the field. Sophomore guard Osiris Eldridge scored 13 points to lead the Redbirds, who will try to beat the Bulldogs for the first time this season after losing the first two meetings by a combined nine points. [3/08/08]
Missouri State Fires Hinson: Missouri State will buy out the contract of Barry Hinson for $150,000 and dismiss the Bears' coach after nine seasons. The Bears finished the season with a 16-16 record after losing to Illinois State in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Friday. Missouri State averaged 19 wins per season under Hinson and made the NIT three times, but the Bears never earned an NCAA Tournament bid. [3/08/08]
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Quarterfinals: No. 1 Drake handled No. 8 Indiana State 68-46 in the quarterfinals to advance in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Bulldogs held the Sycamores to 25 percent shooting from the field and got 16 points from senior guard Leonard Houston. Drake will play No. 4 Creighton in the semifinals after the Blue Jays beat No. 5 Bradley 74-70. The last time the two played March 1, Creighton won 111-110 in double overtime. Sophomore guard Cavel Witter led Creighton in the recent rematch with 15 points and eight assists.
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Opening Round: No. 9 Wichita State's bench outscored No. 8 Indiana State's 27-0, but the Sycamores got 18 points apiece from junior forward Jay Tunnell and senior guard Gabriel Moore as all five Indiana State scorers reached double figures in a 71-67 win. The Syacmores advance to the semifinals to play No. 1 Drake. Meanwhile, No. 7 Missouri State blew out No. 10 Evansville 69-46 to move into the quarterfinals against No. 2 Illinois State. Senior forward Deven Mitchell led the Bears with 16 points, and senior forward Drew Richards had 14 rebounds, helping Missouri State to a 46-19 rebounding advantage. [3/06/08]
Bradley Brings Back Ruffin: Bradley guard Daniel Ruffin can return to the team while awaiting the outcome of his legal problems. Ruffin, who averages 15 points per game, was arrested Saturday after his ex-girlfriend accused him of cutting her lip as he was forcing her out. Police charged Ruffin with misdemeanor domestic battery, and he will appear in court March 17. [2/28/08]
Missouri Valley Leading Scorer Sprains Ankle: Drake sophomore guard Josh Young, the Missouri Valley Conference's leading scorer, sprained his right ankle in the the Bulldogs' 75-50 win against Indiana State Wednesday. There is no timetable when he will return to the lineup for the Bulldogs, who are 13-1 in their best start in team history. Young is a critical contributor to Drake's success, averaging 16.3 points per game. [1/11/08]
Xavier-Creighton Game Delayed by Lighting Problem: Lights went off for Xavier's player introductions before their match against Creighton, but didn't come back on for a while, causing a 20-minute delay Wednesday night. Players from both teams stretched and shot around, illuminated only by security lights while the problem was being fixed at the Cintas Center. Once the power came back, they were given time to warm up before the game started. Xavier won 79-66.
[12/07/07]
Texas A&M Names Turgeon Coach: Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon is now the new head coach of Texas A&M, taking over Billy Gillispie’s position after he left for Kentucky. Turgeon previously coached for seven seasons at Wichita State, leading the team to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. He also was an assistant under Larry Brown and Roy Williams at Kansas. Gillispie had success at Wichita State with a 70-26 record and also led his team to the Sweet 16. [4/11/07]
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Bradley Braves Peoria, Illinois Coach: Jim Les  Creighton Bluejays Omaha, Nebraska Coach: Dana Altman Drake Bulldogs Des Moines, Iowa Coach: Keno Davis Evansville Purple Aces Evansville, Indiana Coach: Marty Simmons Illinois State Redbirds Normal, Illinois Coach: Tim Jankovich Indiana State Sycamores Terre Haute, Indiana Coach: Kevin McKenna Missouri State Bears Springfield, Missouri Coach: Barry Hinson Northern Iowa Panthers Cedar Falls, Iowa Coach: Ben Jacobson Southern Illinois Salukis Carbondale, Illinois Coach: Chris Lowery Wichita State Shockers Wichita, Kansas Coach: Gregg Marshall |
| More Info: MVC Official Site |
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Neal Heston previews the Missouri Valley, where new faces are prevalent on the floor and the sideline. |
Despite its success this season, the perception of the Missouri Valley Conference may be unchanged. |
Creighton's road to the NCAA Tournament wasn't easy, but the Bluejays are going again nevertheless. |
The matchup for the final is set as a big crowd gathered, and a couple of teams wait on the postseason. |
Day two of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament saw all four top seeds advance. |
Live from St. Louis, a look at day one of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. |
February 28th - Neal Heston previews Arch Madness, with three teams dancing and the Bears the happiest of them all. |
February 18th - Neal Heston has brackets busted, especially those of Bears, Shockers and slumping Panthers. |
January 26th - Neal Heston has Salukis on top, others with winning records, and Iowa the center of attention. |
January 16th - Neal Heston has a close race for the top - real close - with one team getting back in the race. |
January 8th - Neal Heston a surprising unbeaten, Bears and Salukis on a roll and Shockers falling fast. |
December 7th - Neal Heston says it's now or never to buy stock in the Valley, especially with the defense of its teams. |