It’s Northern Iowa on top, Evansville at the bottom and everybody else in between. Where we are halfway to St. Louis:
Best team - Northern Iowa. They’re experienced, unselfish and unflappable in every gym except Koch Arena. Quite capable of winning at least one NCAA Tournament game. In fact, it will be a disappointment if the Panthers don’t win at least one.
MVP – UNI’s Adam Koch. He can shoot from three-point range. He can score inside. He wrecks defenses by drawing fouls. Teammates Jordan Eglseder and Kwadzo Ahelegbe are also candidates. I’ll take Koch for his all-around skills. Had WSU beaten Drake, Clevin Hannah might have been my choice. He is clearly the most important player on the MVC’s second-best team.
Top freshman – Evansville guard Colt Ryan. He is the MVC’s second-leading scorer at 15.1. He rebounds and passes. His shooting percentages aren’t great, but all defenses are focused on him. In a draft, however, I might take Illinois State’s Jackie Carmichael. He will be a force in the MVC before he is finished.
Top newcomer - Missouri State junior forward Jermaine Mallett. A battler who can score inside and out. He is out-performing teammate Adam Leonard in MVC games.
All-MVC team
- Adam Koch, UNI
- Kwadzo Ahelegbe, UNI
- Jordan Eglseder, UNI
- Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State
- Clevin Hannah, Wichita State
- Toughest guy to leave off: Missouri State’s Kyle Weems. Having a superb season as a sophomore.
Biggest team surprise - MSU’s 10-1 non-conference record accelerated high expectations for the Bears under coach Cuonzo Martin. Watch out next season.
Biggest player surprise - Drake’s Adam Templeton averaged 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds as a junior. Looked like an average guy. This season, he averages 12.3 and 7.8 in MVC games and is a major headache for defenders because he can shoot the three and drive. He’s a senior who is playing with senior hustle and grit.
Biggest team disappointment - Creighton cost the MVC valuable RPI points and prestige with its non-conference flops against a tough schedule. Props for the schedule, but if you’re Creighton, you need to win some of those games.
Biggest player disappointment - Creighton coach Dana Altman suspended junior P’Allen Stinnett, who has picked up two technicals in his past three games. Has it reached the point where T’Allen is on his way out of Omaha? It would not be a surprise.
Biggest game of the first half – WSU 60, UNI 51. Without that, there is no suspense until St. Louis.
Game of the first half - Indiana State trailed Missouri State by 24 points in the second half. The Sycamores made 11 of 14 threes in the second half to force overtime before losing 99-92 in Springfield.
Comeback player - Bradley’s guard Andrew Warren. Averages 16.1 points in the MVC games after missing last season with a broken right foot.
Player to watch - Missouri State guard Nafis Ricks. Martin is waiting for Ricks to grab the point guard job. He is getting close, and when he does the Bears are a better team.