Shockers yet to make case as an elite Valley player

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Road teams in the Missouri Valley Conference face a wider variety of atmospheres than in many conferences. They range from the plush, NBA-style Qwest Center in Omaha, to the on-campus classics at Wichita State and Southern Illinois to the half-empty arenas in Evansville and Terre Haute.

Then there's Drake, where it seems as if the game is interrupting a phys ed class.

Winning in those inconsistent atmospheres is all about consistency. With the MVC schedule at the halfway point, first-place Northern Iowa is again leading the conference in consistent play on the road.

"They're just a very efficient, well-oiled machine," Indiana State coach Kevin McKenna said. "They're just head and shoulders above everybody right now."

Second-place Wichita State is the team with the most realistic chance to push the Panthers. The Shockers (17-4, 6-3 MVC) trail UNI by two games and own a win over the Panthers. WSU opens the second half of the conference schedule tonight against Illinois State (14-6, 5-4) at Koch Arena.

The Shockers, by virtue of two road wins and the win over UNI, can remain above the crowded middle of the MVC with a win tonight.

The first nine games of the conference schedule proved Northern Iowa a worthy choice as preseason favorite and winless Evansville as hopelessly buried at the bottom of the MVC. Six teams are within two games of the Shockers and also within two games of ninth place.

By the end of the season, the ones who finish in the upper division will be the ones that can grab a few precious road wins. It's something Northern Iowa is expert at ? it is 4-1 this season and 12-2 the past two (with both losses at Koch Arena).

The Panthers don't do anything fancy, says coach Ben Jacobson. It's important to play defense and rebound on the road, to make up for the inevitable shooting slump. Like their coach, the Panthers don't get excited or intimidated on the road. They're ready to play, just like a regular day.

"They do a great job of just taking things in stride and really preparing themselves every day," Jacobson said. "It's something I talk about all the time ? being consistent."

Almost everybody else in the MVC is working on that goal. WSU made a major move with a win over UNI, then lost big at Drake. Drake started 0-4 before winning five straight. Bradley won three straight after losing four of five. Missouri State is 4-5 since building a 10-1 record.

The Panthers, with three seniors and a fourth-year junior in the starting lineup, roll along.

"People don't talk enough about their talent," Drake coach Mark Phelps said. "They have some very, very talented basketball players, some guys that will make money playing after college."

There is no clear answer to the season's biggest question ? will the MVC land an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament. Northern Iowa, with a top-20 power rating and a 17-2 record, is in a strong position. Mock brackets include the Panthers as the MVC's representative.

WSU hurt its case with the loss at Drake and saw its power rating drop from No. 44 to No. 51 in Jerry Palm's RPI simulation. It is the only other MVC team with a chance of rebuilding its NCAA at-large resume.

"In my opinion, UNI and Wichita State are very worthy teams to be in the NCAA Tournament," Phelps said. "Those two teams have really good players who could play anywhere in the country."

Orukpe to return ? WSU recruit Ehimen Orukpe will play Saturday for Three Rivers (Mo.) Community College against Moberly (Mo.).

Orukpe, a 7-foot center, missed seven games with a stress fracture in his left foot. In 14 games, he averaged 5.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks.

 

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Illinois State-Wichita State scouting report

Illinois State: Eldridge made 6 of 9 threes in Illinois State?s 72-57 win over Wichita State on Dec. 29 in Normal, Ill. He scored 26 points and handed out five assists with no turnovers. He is coming off a 5-of-21 shooting performance in Saturday?s 81-80 overtime loss at Southern Illinois.?.?.?. The Redbirds lost three of their past five games, two on the road. They are 1-3 in MVC road games, with their win at 0-9 Evansville.?.?.?. Junior F Tony Lewis could be up for a promotion to starter. He averaged 14 points and 5.5 rebounds in two games last week. He scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Illinois State?s win over WSU.?.?.?. Illinois State has outrebounded WSU in the past three meetings.

Wichita State: Hannah has made 42 consecutive free throws, a school-record streak. He leads the nation with a 96.4 percentage (54 of 56). Appalachian State?s Donald Sims is second at 94.5 percent (86 of 91).?.?.?. Coach Gregg Marshall hopes Saturday?s loss at Drake woke up the Shockers to the reality of playing as the favorite. ?That?s something they?re not used to, for sure, and certainly didn?t handle it well,? he said. ?Hopefully we can stay in a position where we are the hunted and have the target on our back. It?s going to take a lot better performance than what we had in Des Moines.??.?.?. Illinois State has won five of the past seven meetings, but the Shockers have won seven of eight in Wichita.

RPIs as of Tuesday: WSU 51, ISU 118

 

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ISU men need Phillips on court at end


- Lloyd Phillips had a front-row seat on Saturday. He didn't like the view.

Illinois State's senior point guard fouled out with 2:50 left in overtime at Southern Illinois - the first time in two seasons that Phillips had fouled out. He hopes to avoid that fate again starting with Wednesday's game against Wichita State at Koch Arena.

"I hated it. There's nothing you can do. You're basically like a cheerleader," said Phillips as ISU dropped an 81-80 decision. "That team was out there fighting for a win, a win that we really needed, and there's nothing I could do."

ISU (14-6, 5-4) could have pulled into a second-place tie with Wichita State (17-4, 6-3) in the Missouri Valley Conference standings. Instead, the Redbirds are in a four-way tie for third at the league's halfway point.

Phillips' leadership would have been useful in the final minute. ISU had three chances to take the lead, but Osiris Eldridge put up three long jumpers that failed.

"In overtime you could see the change when I wasn't there. We looked kind of funny running our offense," said Phillips. "That's because I'm usually there running our offense. People are used to playing certain spots."

Phillips had an up-and-down junior season with the Redbirds, leaving the team for personal reasons for a couple games in February. It was the first time in his basketball career he had ever played the point, and he struggled with the transition.

This season, Phillips has looked more comfortable from the first game. He is third in the Valley in assists (4.3 per game) and first in steals (1.9), in addition to being ISU's third-leading scorer (10.4 points).

"Lloyd has played awfully well most of the year," said ISU coach Tim Jankovich. "To look up and not have him in overtime was certainly a big blow. I thought we handled it very well. But no question we were playing at a disadvantage."

ISU is basically a couple possessions away from being 7-2 in the Valley. However, the Redbirds couldn't finish off two games on the road.

The Redbirds took the lead with 1:33 left at Missouri State on Jan. 1, but couldn't get a defensive stop and lost, 68-64. ISU led 80-77 with two minutes left in overtime on Saturday and failed to score again.

"You don't get extra points for how close you get," said Jankovich. "We have to continue to try to improve and find ways to get over the hump a couple times. It's an amazingly competitive team race."

Winning at noisy Koch Arena might be ISU's most difficult chore of the season.

Wichita State is 12-0 on its home court, where fans are almost right on top of the action, and averaging near-capacity crowds of 10,371. The Shockers have lost two of their last three games, but the victory was a 60-51 win over league-leading Northern Iowa eight days ago at Koch Arena.

"It's loud. We have a little more bounce in our step and little more urgency in our approach (at home)," said Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall. "It's sad I cannot get them to approach games on the road the same way all the time, but we're working on that."

ISU used Eldridge's hot shooting, 6-of-9 on 3-pointers, and 26 points to beat Wichita State, 72-57, in the Valley opener at Redbird Arena on Dec. 29.



Redbird essentials

Illinois State vs. Wichita State



About the Shockers: Wichita State leads the Missouri Valley Conference in several categories. The Shockers are tops in field goal percentage (.453), field goal percentage defense (.401), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.304), rebound margin (6.2), assists (15.1 per game) and steals (7.7) ? Clevin Hannah leads the nation in free throw percentage at .964 and has made 42 straight, a school record and seventh best all-time in the Valley. Hannah also is second in the league in assists at 4.8 per game ? The Shockers have nine players seeing at least 10 minutes per game. Toure? Murry is the leader at 30.0 minutes.

 

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Valley coaches say multiple NCAA bids likely


-- Missouri Valley Conference coaches are confident the team yelling "We're No. 1!" in St. Louis on March 7 won't be the one and only Valley school in the NCAA tourney.

After two straight years of one Valley team in the NCAA field, Northern Iowa and Wichita State seem to have positioned themselves for possible at-large bids should they fail to win the league's automatic berth by winning the Valley tourney.

UNI is 17-2 and leading the Valley with an 8-1 mark at the midway point of the league race, while Wichita State (17-4, 6-3) is right behind the Panthers.

"Those two teams have really good players who can play anywhere in the country, and with that they're winning at a high level," said Drake coach Mark Phelps, a former assistant at North Carolina State and Arizona State. "Those two have a great resume going and, certainly, there is time for other teams in the league who had early success to be there as well, namely Illinois State."

ISU (14-6) and the other five teams who are 5-4 or 4-5 in the league likely would need to win almost every game and go far in the Valley tourney to warrant any at-large consideration. The Valley is No. 9 among 32 conferences in the RPI rankings.

Southern Illinois' victory over Western Kentucky on Monday gave the Valley a 75-32 record against nonconference opponents. Last year, the league's nonconference record was 82-51 counting postseason play. All 10 Valley teams have a nonconference game left in the ESPNU BracketBusters next month.

"The league is much better than it was a year ago. It's much deeper and much more experienced," said UNI coach Ben Jacobson. "Our league is in much better position this year than to get just the automatic."

Stinnett future in doubt? There are many around the Valley who believe junior guard P'Allen Stinnett has played his last game in a Creighton uniform.

Stinnett was suspended indefinitely Monday by Coach Dana Altman for "conduct not acceptable to the team." Stinnett, a preseason all-Valley first-team selection who is averaging 9.2 points, received his ninth career technical foul in Sunday's victory over Missouri State.

Altman didn't shed any more light on Stinnett's suspension during Tuesday's Valley coaches teleconference. Creighton (10-10, 5-4) faces Bradley (10-9, 5-4) tonight in Peoria.

Lathan still ?day to day': Indiana State has been hit harder by injuries than any Valley team. Jake Kelly was lost in late December with a season-ending knee injury. Leading scorer Dwayne Lathan has been out the last five games with a lower leg strain.

"He's day to day. He hasn't practiced full yet," said Indiana State coach Kevin McKenna. "He's not close."

The Sycamores (11-9, 3-6) have lost four straight, dropping to ninth in the league ahead of Thursday's home game against Southern Illinois. Illinois State still has to play the Sycamores twice -- Feb. 3 in Terre Haute and Feb. 24 in Normal.

Valley tourney update: There were 5,913 all-session tickets sold through league schools before Jan. 1 for the Valley Tournament, which will be held March 4-7 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. That was down from last year's figure of 6,624. Most of the drop-off came from Creighton, which fell from 1,550 to about 1,000.

BracketBusters announcement: Pairings for the ESPNU BracketBusters, which will be held Feb. 19 or 20, will be made Monday. ISU will have a home game.