Northern Iowa: 2026 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

 

ST. LOUIS -- Trey Campbell hit six 3-pointers in scoring 23 points as Northern Iowa defeated UIC 84-69 on Sunday to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and earn an automatic NCAA bid.

Drake: 2024-25 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

 

ST. LOUIS -- Bennett Stirtz scored 24 points, Tavion Banks added 13 and top-seeded Drake defeated No. 2-seed Bradley 63-48 on Sunday to win Arch Madness for the third consecutive time.

The Bulldogs (30-3) will be making their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth in the past five years. They won the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship for the first time since 2019.

A 3-pointer by Demarion Burch gave Bradley a 27-24 lead with four minutes left in the first half but the Braves did not score again until 15:20 remained in the second half. Drake finished the first half with a 7-0 run to lead 31-27 and the Bulldogs added the first six points of the second half.

Drake led 46-41 with seven minutes left in regulation then Bradley went cold again. The Bulldogs went on a 15-2 run capped by a dunk and a 3-pointer by Stirtz.

Bradley (26-8) went nearly 5 1/2 minutes without a made field goal before Darius Hannah scored in the paint to make it 61-47. Hannah's bucket turned out to be the Braves' only basket in seven attempts over the final 7:17.

Hannah led Bradley with 19 points that included 7-of-11 shooting. Bradley shot 52% in the first half and 28% in the second, finishing at 42% for the game.

Stirtz made 5 of 7 3-pointers and was 7 for 13 overall for Drake. Banks had a game-high nine rebounds. Drake hit on 46% from the field.

Drake: 2023-24 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

 

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Atin Wright went down on his knees and slapped the court with two hands, smiling at his Drake teammates while Tucker DeVries headed to the free-throw line, as the crowd chanted “M-V-P.”

Wright is a newcomer for the Bulldogs, drawn from his native California by the promise of winning. DeVries is the two-time Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, the son of Drake coach Darian DeVries.

Together – and with big plays by Darnell Brodie and Conor Enright – they helped land Drake back in the NCAA Tournament, holding off a late rally by Indiana State for an 84-80 victory Sunday in the Valley championship game at the Enterprise Center.

It was a second consecutive tournament triumph for the Bulldogs, who won’t have to sweat out a week of waiting to find out if they’re going to the Big Dance. They’re in. Again. For a third time in four years.

But it wasn’t easy. Indiana State trailed by double-digits for much of the game. But the Sycamores awoke late, with a 10-0 burst fueled by Isaiah Swope. He had eight points in that stretch, and scored all of his 19 after intermission. His four-point play gave Indiana State a 74-73 lead, its first since 2-0 in the opening minutes.

Drake was unfazed.

Brodie connected on a short hook shot. Enright fought through a screen to draw a foul on the defensive end, then calmly canned a 3-pointer to put Drake back ahead 79-76. Brodie made two free throws late, patiently waiting through a timeout for his opportunity, and DeVries made one to produce the final tally for the Bulldogs, who soon were swarming off of their bench to celebrate what they worked all winter to accomplish.

Drake (28-6), the second seed, was making its fourth consecutive appearance in the Valley title game, only the second school to ever do so (Tulsa, no longer a Valley member, was in six straight from 1982-87). The Bulldogs beat Bradley here a year ago to win this event for only the second time in school history (the first was in 2008).

Top-seeded Indiana State (28-6) last won this tournament in 2011, when they were coached by Iowa native Greg Lansing.

Sunday’s showdown was dazzling from the outset. The first media timeout didn’t come until 12:07 remained in the first half, as the Valley’s top two offensive teams set a frenzied pace early. All five Drake starters scored in the opening 5 minutes, including back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers by Enright, DeVries and Kevin Overton. When play was finally stopped by a deadball situation, Drake, the deeper team, led 21-13 and was able to sub in three fresh players.

Moments later, when Overton and DeVries both went to the bench with two early fouls, Wright took over, nailing a trio of 3-pointers to push Drake ahead 37-23 and prompt an Indiana State timeout. The Bulldogs connected on their first seven 3-point attempts.

Then it was Sycamores guard Ryan Conwell’s turn to assert himself, reeling off seven consecutive points to cut that deficit in half.

Drake pushed its lead to 45-32 at halftime, boosted by 15 points from Wright and 14 from DeVries, and a defensive effort that held the Sycamores scoreless over the final 4:24 of the half. It was Indiana State’s largest halftime deficit this season.

Drake got off to a strong start in the second half as well, making its first three field-goal attempts, two of them by DeVries, as the lead swelled to 53-37. But even that never felt comfortable against the Sycamores, who pushed Drake to the brink.

The Bulldogs didn’t blink. They’re champions again, with two nets and a trophy to show for it.

Drake: 2022-23 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

ST. LOUIS — Drake men's basketball won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Sunday, the Bulldogs' first league tournament title since 2008.

The Bulldogs beat Bradley, 77-51, to win the title and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Braves were the regular-season conference champions, beating Drake 73-61 in the finale. But it was all Bulldogs in the championship.

This will be Drake's sixth NCAA Tournament appearance. The previous trips were 1969, 1970, 1971, 2008 and 2021.

"You never know what will happen in the tournament," Drake's D.J. Wilkins said. "We didn't know if we'd get the opportunity to play Bradley again, so just to be able to do it on this stage for all the marbles, we wouldn't want to have it any other way."

Drake didn’t make a field goal for the first 4 minutes and 43 seconds of the game, and that drought ended when Darnell Brodie separated himself from Rienk Mast and sank a turnaround jumper.

After starting 0-for-5 from the field, the Bulldogs went on a 12-0 run to go up 14-3 on Bradley. Drake’s defense kept the Braves scoreless for 4 minutes and 28 seconds while building its lead.

Drake held a 41-21 lead at halftime. The Bulldogs’ 20-point advantage was the third-largest halftime lead of any MVC Tournament championship game. That was also the second-largest halftime deficit for Bradley this season; the largest was Drake’s 22-point lead when the Bulldogs beat the Braves, 86-61, in January in Des Moines.

But even a 20-point lead isn’t safe in tournament play. Drake was up by double digits in the semifinal against Southern Illinois, and the Salukis went on a 13-2 run to start the second half.

Zek Montgomery kicked off the scoring in the second with a 3-pointer, and Garrett Sturtz responded with two points for Drake. The Bulldogs were able to respond most times that Bradley scored, keeping the lead in the teens or twenties for all of the second half.

Bradley pulled most of its starters with under four minutes to play, as Drake held a 30-point lead.

"Really proud of our guys," Drake coach Darian DeVries said. "They had an unbelievable fight tonight. Played extremely well, maybe as complete a game as we've had on both ends of the floor. So, an incredible moment."

Tucker DeVries led the Bulldogs with 22 points. Sturtz and Brodie each added 12 points in the win.

Drake advanced to the championship game for the third straight year after beating Southern Illinois, 65-52, in the semifinal. Roman Penn led Drake with 16 points in the victory and Brodie pulled down 17 rebounds.

Loyola Chicago: 2021-22 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

Loyola Chicago isn't exactly Duke or Kentucky, but the Ramblers are now a familiar name in the NCAA tournament bracket.

Loyola Chicago has only been to the NCAA tournament twice since 1985, but it has made both trips count. The first time the Ramblers had one of the most shocking Final Four runs ever, in 2018. Last season they upset No. 1 seed Illinois in the second round to go to the Sweet 16. Along the way, they've won bettors at BetMGM some money with big upsets.

Loyola Chicago is back in the bracket. The Ramblers beat Drake 64-58 on Sunday to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and get the auto bid to the NCAA tournament.

Loyola will probably be a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament, and not one anyone wants to see in the first round.

Ramblers punch another NCAA ticket

This Loyola Chicago team isn't as good as the previous two NCAA entrants, but it's still a quality team capable of winning a game or maybe even two.

The Ramblers were at their best in the semifinals of the MVC tourney. Against top-seeded Northern Iowa, a team that beat Loyola Chicago 102-96 un overtime of the regular-season finale, the Ramblers crushed UNI in a 66-43 win. The Ramblers are an efficient team on both ends of the floor, and their defense was phenomenal against Northern Iowa.

In Sunday's MVC final, Drake came out shooting it well and took an early 18-8 lead. Loyola answered with a 19-0 run. It was the type of stretch that validates all the sleeper love Loyola will get after the bracket is revealed. They played great defense, getting turnovers and turning that into points. For about seven minutes they completely overwhelmed a solid Drake team that came in with a 24-9 record. Drake battled in the second half and it wasn't an easy win for Loyola, as the Bulldogs cut Loyola's lead to as little as two points in the final 30 seconds, but the Ramblers held on to win.

Loyola does a bit of everything well. They shoot it well from inside and outside the arc. They are an active defensive team. Early in the season the Ramblers lost by just 2 points to Michigan State and 9 to Auburn, and also had 10 wins against teams that were in the top 100 of KenPom going into Sunday's games.

In other words, there are a lot of single-digit seeds that are hoping to avoid Loyola Chicago in the first round.

Loyola Chicago has experience

While Loyola has lost a lot of good players from both of its previous tournament appearances, it is still an experienced team. Plenty of the players who were part of the upset of Illinois last season are back. Four seniors took advantage of the NCAA offering an another year of eligibility to 2021 seniors due to COVID-19 and returned to Loyola for an extra season. Loyola's coach Porter Moser left for Oklahoma in the offseason, but new coach Drew Valentine did a great job to keep Loyola on track. This version of the Ramblers won't be overwhelmed by March Madness.

Just like last season, those who rely on analytics will note that Loyola is under-seeded and a good upset pick. The betting line for the Ramblers' first-round game could be lower than similar seed matchups, because Loyola had a No. 24 ranking in KenPom, which influences point spreads. By the numbers Loyola should be closer to a No. 6 seed, but it would be surprising if they're higher than a 10.

You'll hear a lot about Loyola Chicago as the bracket gets analyzed and people pick upset favorites. By now, hearing about the Ramblers won't be so unusual. We already know what success for Loyola Chicago in the NCAA tournament looks like.

Loyola-Chicago: 2021 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

The Ramblers are going dancing again this March. After a 75-65 win over Drake to win the Missouri Valley conference tournament, Loyola Chicago earned an automatic bid to this year’s March Madness tournament.

This will mark Loyola’s second tournament in the last four years. Back in 2018, they were the underdog darlings of the bracket. They knocked off Miami, Tennessee, Nevada and Kansas State en route to their first Final Four appearance since 1963, when the Ramblers won their one and only NCAA Championship. The 2018 team also charmed the nation with their enthusiastic superfan, Sister Jean.

This year’s team is led by leading scorer Cameron Krutwig, who averages 14.8 points a game. And while Sister Jean wasn’t able to attend the MVC tourney this year, she told the Loyola Phoenix that she was “with them in prayer and in spirit.”

“I ask God to bless their hands so that they have control of the ball to get it into the baskets,” Sister Jean said via the Phoenix. “To keep it from turnovers, to get the rebound and convert the rebounds to points.”

Bradley: 2019-20 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

ST. LOUIS -- Bradley guard Darrell Brown was not happy with his selection to the Missouri Valley Conference all-league second team earlier in week.

He displayed his displeasure in a big way on Sunday.

Brown scored 21 points and Elijah Childs added 17 to lead fourth-seeded Bradley to its 10th NCAA Tournament with an 80-66 win over seventh-seeded Valparaiso in the MVC championship game.

Ja'Shon Henry scored 16 points for the Braves, Nate Kennell chipped in with 14 points and Ville Tahvanainen added 10.

Javon Freeman-Liberty paced Valparaiso with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Bradley (23-11) claimed its fourth MVC title and became the ninth team in history to defend its tournament crown

Brown, who came into the contest averaging 15.3 points per game, was certain he deserved first-team honors.

The perceived snub bothered him.

Bradley coach Brian Wardle made sure to keep Brown properly motivated. He jokingly called Brown, "second-team," at every opportunity during the days leading up to the contest.

"In the hotel he kept calling me that," Brown said. "I thought it was funny. But, I'm a self-driven person. He really didn't have to do that. I felt disrespected. So, I took upon myself to prove everybody wrong."

Wardle's actions paid off.

"He came in with a chip on his shoulder and he proved it," Wardle said. "There's nothing better than when you see true hard work pay off. He let everyone see what he was made of -- it was great."

Brown hit on six of 14 shots including a 4 of 6 effort from 3-point range. He kick-started a 38-18 run over the final 12 minutes and 2 seconds with a jumper that the game 49-all. His 3-pointer later in the run pushed the lead to 62-52. He also added nine assists.

"He can carry us when he gets hot like that," Childs said.

Valparaiso (19-16) led 48-42 before the Braves took charge,

Bradley rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit to beat Northern Iowa 57-54 in last year's MVC final.

The six-point hole on Sunday was nothing for the Braves, who have played well down the stretch over the past month.

"It's one possession at a time and everyone contributing," Brown said. "It's not like we panic when we get down. We knew what we had to do and we did it."

Tahvanainen hit a big 3-pointer to cap off a 7-0 run that put the Braves ahead for good 56-51.

Valparaiso used a 9-2 blitz over the last 3:37 of the first half to take a 38-36 lead into the break.

"We've got a locker room full of guys that just laid it out on the line," Valparaiso coach Matt Lottich said. "When you give your hearts into something and it doesn't work out, it hurts."

The Braves were a 15th-seed in last year's NCAA Tournament and lost to Michigan State 76-65 in the opening round.

"I already told the guys, "this is the year we want to go make some noise," Wardle said.

Bradley's 23 victories is the most since the 1993-94 team went 23-8 under coach Jim Molinari.

BIG PICTURE

Valparaiso: The Crusaders, in their third season in the MVC, will be hoping for an NIT or other berth.

Bradley: The Braves, located in Peoria, Illinois, seem to thrive in the underdog role. They were seeded fifth when they upset Northern Iowa in last year's championship game.

"We like it better when no one expects anything from us," Childs said.

LONG STRETCH

Valparaiso played its fourth game in as many days for the first time in its post-season tournament history.

"I wouldn't blame it all on fatigue," Freeman-Liberty said.

The Crusaders won the Horizon League championship in 2015 with a 54-44 win over Green Bay.

Bradley: 2018-19 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

ST. LOUIS -- Bradley rallied from an 18-point deficit in the second half and earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2006, beating Northern Iowa 57-54 Sunday in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game.

Elijah Childs scored 16 points and Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye added 13 for fifth-seeded Bradley (20-14). The Braves advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time overall -- in their last appearance, as a 13th seed, they beat Kansas and Pittsburgh before losing to Memphis.

Bradley trailed 35-17 with 17 minutes left to play. The Braves used a 12-0 run to get close, then scored six straight points to go up 55-50 on a layup by Childs with 1:41 left. Lautier-Ogunleye had four free throws during the late surge.

Luqman Lundy had 11 points as Bradley won the MVC Tournament title for the first time 1988.

AJ Green led sixth-seeded Northern Iowa (16-18) with 23 points.

The Panthers rushed to a 14-2 lead. Bradley had separate stretches of nearly nine minutes and more than six minutes where it didn't score in the first half, then hit 15 of 26 shots after the break.

ON TARGET

Northern Iowa went 8 of 20 from 3-point range and has made at least one 3-pointer in 628 successive games, the longest streak among MVC teams.

Loyola-Chicago: 2017-18 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

ST. LOUIS -- Step aside, Northwestern. Take a seat, DePaul.

For now, Loyola-Chicago is the king of Windy City basketball.

The Ramblers earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 33 years with a 65-49 win over Ilinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game on Sunday.

Donte Ingram scored 18 points and Cameron Krutwig added 11 points and nine rebounds for Loyola-Chicago (28-5), which reached the Sweet 16 in its last NCAA tourney appearance, in 1985.

"We've got much respect for all of the other programs in Illinois and Chicago," Ingram said. "But we're here now and we're going to enjoy this one and think about what we have moving forward."

Mailk Yarbrough and Phil Fayne led Illinois State (18-15) with 12 points each. Fayne added 12 rebounds.

Loyola-Chicago, which has won 10 in a row, had been an afterthought in Chicago-area basketball circles the past few years.

"It feels awesome," Krutwig said. "It means everything to me right now. Obviously, we're going to celebrate."

Ingram, who earned tournament MVP honors, hit five of 11 shots including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. His four-point play with 6:21 left in the first half capped a 7-2 run that put the Ramblers up 27-18.

"It really changed the outcome of the game," Ingram said. "That was one of those momentum swings. When I get my shot I'm confident and I'm going to take it."

Loyola-Chicago scored eight of the first 11 points in the second half to take a 43-30 lead.

The Ramblers were appearing in their first conference title game since 2002, when they were members of the Horizon League.

"Tonight we had a laser-like focus to come and get it done," Ingram said. "And we just didn't look back."

Loyola-Chicago never trailed and raced out to a 9-2 lead after a 3-pointer from Ben Richardson.

"I'm just so happy for these kids. They're doing it the right way," Loyola-Chicago coach Porter Moser said. "This will connect them for the rest of their lives."

The Ramblers' 10-game winning streak is the longest in Moser's seven years at the helm.

Illinois State, which missed 14 of its first 17 shots, lost in the title game for the third time in the last four years.

"We missed some shots right around the rim," Illinois State coach Dan Muller said. "I think it might have been nerves or a little fatigue."

CLOSE CALLS

The championship game was the only contest in the nine-game tournament decided by 10 points or fewer.

BIG PICTURE


Loyola-Chicago: Moser became the second coach in MVC history to win a title as a player and coach. He played for the Creighton title team in 1988-89. Chris Lowery of Southern Illinois also achieved the feat.

"I'm going to be honest, it was probably more fun as a player," Moser said. "That's why I'm so happy for these guys."

Illinois State: The Redbirds are hoping to receive a berth in the National Invitational Tournament. It would be their 15th NIT appearance overall and second in a row. The Redbirds began play on Sunday with a 78 RPI.

"I'm very, very hopeful for the NIT," Muller said. "We're the eighth-best league in the country."