CSNbbs

MVC Men's Basketball Notebook - Dec. 30


And It Begins
 The nation’s second oldest Division I athletic conference begins its 107th season of basketball on Jan. 1, with three conference games scheduled on New Year’s Day. By Sunday (Jan. 5), each league team will have played two MVC games.

Still Perfect
 Through games of Sunday, Dec. 29, a total of eight Division I teams are unbeaten:

13-0: Arizona, Ohio State, Wichita State, Wisconsin
12-0: Oregon, Syracuse, Toledo
11-0: Iowa State

Best Starts Ever
 Wichita State (13-0) will next look to extend a school record with a 14th victory to start a season when the Shockers open conference play at Southern Illinois. Counting WSU, a total of 18 MVC teams have started a season 13-0 or better; the last was Illinois State in 2008-09 (The Redbirds started 14-0 that year). Only 11 teams in the MVC’s 106-year history have started a season with 14 straight wins.

Perfect on Jan. 1 ... ?
 Since 1994-95 (the previous 19 seasons), there have been 114 total NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams that were unbeaten on Jan. 1. Notably ...
•90 of those 114 made the NCAA Tournament
•52 of those 90 teams reached the Sweet 16
•17 of those 52 reached the Final Four
•5 of those 17 won the national title

Picked Last, Great Start
 Drake has the league’s second-best RPI (71) and fourth-best non-conference schedule strength (143). Drake’s three losses have been at Saint Mary’s (by 4 points), to nationally ranked Iowa, and an overtime loss to New Mexico State. The Bulldogs were 3-1 on the road; the last time Drake won three road non-league games was during 2007-08 (when it went 28-5, won the league, and went to the NCAA Tournament).

Shockers at No. 7 This Week
 Wichita State is ranked No. 7 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 8 in the AP Poll this week (Dec. 30). The Shockers finished 2012-13 ranked No. 4 in the coaches poll but were not ranked in the final regular-season AP poll. Only five MVC teams have cracked the AP Top 10 in the past 20 years, and before this year (Dec. 23) Wichita State was the last to do it -- in 2006.

Valley of Doom?



For the first time in its history, Illinois State defeated a Big East school, a ranked school, and a Big Ten school in the same year. Wichita State’s resume includes two SEC wins and a Big East win. A list of key wins in 2013-14:

N17 -- Indiana State 83, #21 Notre Dame 70
N17 -- Illinois State 68, Northwestern 64
N25 -- Wichita State 90, DePaul 72
N29 -- Missouri State 73, Texas A&M 67
D7 -- Illinois State 81, #25 Dayton 75
D14 -- UNI 77, VCU 68
D14 -- Wichita State 70, Tennessee 61
D17 -- Wichita State 72, Alabama 67
D22 -- Illinois State 69, DePaul 64

http://www.mvc-sports.com/mbasketball/ne...---dec-30/

MVC Men's Basketball Notebook - Jan. 6


And Then There Were Six
 Just six Division I teams remain perfect, through games of Jan. 5. At 15-0, Wichita State is tied with Arizona, Ohio State and Wisconsin for the nation’s best record:

Shockers at No. 6 This Week
 Wichita State is ranked No. 6 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 6 in the AP Poll this week (Jan. 6). The Shockers finished 2012-13 ranked No. 4 in the coaches poll but were not ranked in the final regular-season AP poll. Only five MVC teams have cracked the AP Top 10 in the past 20 years, and before this year (Dec. 23) Wichita State was the last to do it -- in 2006. The last MVC team to climb as high as No. 6 was Tulsa on Feb. 16, 1982.

MVC’s Top 10 (AP) Teams in Last 20 Years
J5, 2014 - No. 6 - Wichita State
D30, 2013 - No. 8 - Wichita State
D23, 2013 - No. 10 - Wichita State
D18, 2006 - No. 8 - Wichita State
D11, 2006 - No. 8 - Wichita State
D4, 2006 - No. 10 - Wichita State
J20, 2002 - No. 10 - Creighton
M4, 1986 - No. 9 - Bradley

Last 5 Years With an MVC Team in Top 5 (AP)
1981-82 -- Wichita State (highest rank at No. 2)
1978-79 - Indiana State (highest rank at No. 1)
1977-78 - Indiana State (highest rank at No. 4)
1974-75 - Louisville (highest rank at No. 2)
1972-73 - Louisville (highest rank at No. 4)

Welcome to the MVC
 Loyola University Chicago is the 33rd member all-time in the MVC, and the first from the city of Chicago. The Ramblers picked up their first MVC win on Sunday, Jan. 5, in their first ever home MVC game (against Missouri State). Here’s what the last five new MVC members did in their first seasons in the conference.

http://www.mvc-sports.com/mbasketball/ne...k---jan-6/

WSU is looking to be the first to 20 tonight as they head to Normal to take on ISU.