The ARCH Stands Alone

The Buffet tries to be without bias. The writing staff is well-aware that several of its readers consider themselves arch-enemies of several of college basketball more perennial successes. But there's just four days out of the year that the Buffet isn't big enough to stay out of the fray:

THE MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE TOURAMENT -- LIVE FROM SAINT LOUIS..

IT'S ARCH MADNESS...

At times, it seems this conference is only on the radar because the nation underrates them, so they get a bid underseeded and the force themselves in bright flashing lights and Michael Winslow sound-effect radar noises on it by taking down NCAA heavyweights in games they were overqualified to be in. The Buffet used to think Florida saved its best basketball for November. Turns out, the MVC just saved theirs for when they were gifted enough to be a 5-9 seed, but the selection committed was biased and blind enough to make them 11-14 seeds. Now, no one ignores them anyore, but looking biased and blind isn't cool (like Bucknell) anymore.

The thing is, people still don't get this conference. When a team like Southern Illinois, scrapping for a tourney bid, and they point to a loss @Indiana State in double-OT, and only see a loss to the 124th ranked team in the country. Well, guess what? When thousands of people pack into tine fieldhouses and gynasiums, these are not arenas, with basketball being a religion, you don't just roll into the Hullman Center in Terre Haute, and expect the Syc-Syc-Sycamores to roll over, won't happen. So this conference will continue to be underrated, and the Buffet will continue to belove it.

Want to know how cool this conference is? The Conference Player of the Year is averaging under 8 points per game. And he registered his first double-double as the Buffet was composing this preview.

Conference review: Question of the year in the MVC: Where did they come from?

Drake University. It makes perfect sense right? They finish the season 16-15 v. Division 1 and 6-12 in conference, returning just 3 seniors, and lose their top to scorers, top rebounder, and top assist guy. So, naturally, this team immediately finds their stride. win the Missouri Valley Conference by 2 full games. I mean, if there's a better head coaching job this season in college hoops, the Buffet needs a good argument (hush Bruce Pearl, hush Rick Barnes, hush Sean Miller). The upstart Bulldogs are led by sophomore Josh Young (16.3 pts, 2.5 rebs, 45% from behind the arch), the Trio of Seniors, Adam Emmenecker (7.7 pts, 4.4 rebs, 6.1 asts, 81% FT), Klayton Korver (yes, and endless supply of Korvers DOES exist in the MVC -- 9.9 pts, 4 rebs), and Leonard Houston (14.2 pts, 4.3 rebs), and the junior forward Jonathan Cox (11.6 pts, 8.3 rebs, and a block). After a 6-point loss to St. Mary at the Gaels own home tournament, Drake went on a tear, winning 21-straight, including wins @Wisconsin-Milwaukee, @Iowa, over Iowa State, @Bradley, @Creighton, and @Illinois St. Now some of those wins may seem unimpressive, but several of those teams are consistent tournament qualifiers, and all Drake can do is schedule road games against them and win them, and they did. The kicker came on February 23, a raucous Hinkle Fieldhouse was ready for BracketBuster Saturday -- but Drake was more ready, walking away as the better Bulldogs, with a 71-64 victory. A classic letdown loss (after MVC reg season crown was won) on the road against Missouri State, that was remedied by a 10 point season ending win over Wichita State. Keno Davis, Dr. Tom's son, has been magnificent, not turning it over, sharing it well, the free throw percentage is the best in the conference, and they're scoring, on average, 11 more points than they are allowing. This is a good team.

Illinois State: It's March 2007, you just finished a 14-16 season, you had one double-digit scorer, and he's graduating. The only incoming freshman is a 185 lb 6'1 guard who clearly isn't ready to get pushed around, grinded upon, and jeered at by when feels like a 100,000 toppling on top of you, night in and night out. So, you're thinking .... hey boys, let's get ready for an NCAA tourney bid next season, right? Well, luckily blind optimism filled the Redbirds locker room, and spread to the floor, the box scores, and now every prognosticator is on board. Defense! Defense! Defense! Illinois State found a way to give up less points per game than Southern Illinois, are the second best defensive FG % team. The rapid ascent of Osiris Eldridge, the big step forward of Anthony Slack, and the minions of contributors off the bench who have made this 67 point per game team the top FG% shooters ... and suddenly, they are a quarterfinal win over Missouri State (See: Don't Sleep On) from virtually being assured of a trip from the Waiting Line to the Buffet line.

Southern Illinois. 25 point loss against Southern California, 5 point loss at Saint Louis. 16 point loss at Western Michigan, 15 point loss at Charlotte. 13 point loss at Indiana. This couldn't possibly be a tournament at-large team, could it? It's funny what 2008 will do to a team's fortunes. A 5 game winning streak (including wins over Drake, Nevada, and @Bradley) has put the Salukis back in tournament bid talk.. This is the last run of a great one for Randal Falker, Matt Shaw and Tyrone Green, as they pass the torch to Bryan Mullins. They still play ugly Saluki ball, but as long as ugly ball gets to the MVC final, and only drops that game to Drake, the Salukis could find a way to erase the first three lines of this review and find themselves dancing. Against the MVC? Second toughest defense to score on, yet again.

Don't Sleep On: Missouri State enters the tournament as the second hottest team in the MVC (4 game winning streak), which includes a nice home win over conference champ Drake. Seniors Dale Lamberth (14.4 pts, 5.3 rebs), Deven Mitchell (14.2 points, 6.1 rebs) and Spencer Laurie (7.9 pts, 2.1 rebs, and 3.2 assists) have watch as the last two editions of Bear basketball has been arguably jobbed out of tournament berths, and they are hungry, and late February/early March was evidence of it.

Stay up for: Creighton. Josh Dotzler might have found a way to be at Creighton longer than Nate Funk was, and somehow he's just a junior. This is a young Creighton team, Dane Watts is the only senior with a significant role -- otherwise it is freshman (and Buffet all-name nominee) P'Allen Stinnett (random, unnecessary apostrophes will get you everywhere with the Buffet, that's why the Buffet may be done with American Idol after Asia'h whatever was voted off last night) who leads in scoring (12.2 points), and then all-name nominee Booker Woodfox (Junior), Dotzler (junion), and Cavel Witter (sophomore) ... This could be the opportunity for Dana Altman, who spurned several job opportunities this past off-season, to bring together his young squad and run the MVC table (and make life miserable for the Syracuses, Ohio States, Arizona States and UABs of the world)....

Who Will Win: The Buffet sees Drake outlasting a surprise run from Missouri State to win the MVC tourney...