The state of the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference

As Wichita State puts its resume together for a mini-dynasty in the Missouri Valley Conferece, the rest of the conference is having varying degrees of success. Wichita State beat writer Paul Suellentrop takes a look at the Valley’s nine other basketball programs and where they stand in terms of budgets, the present and the future. All budget figures from 2013 are from the Office of Postsecondary Education (ope.ed.gov)

BRADLEY

Enrollment: 5,700

Location: Peoria, Ill. (350,000)

Arena: Carver Arena (11,164)

2014-15 average attendance: 5,726

x-2013 budget (most recent year available): $3.8 million

MVC finishes 2011-15: T9th, 10th, T7th, 7th, 10th

Postseason play 2011-14: CIT (2013)

Value-added: Strong, but faded, tradition. Strong, but faded, attendance. Bradley is one of the schools that built the MVC’s glory days with four NIT titles and a second-place finish in both the NCAA and NIT in 1950. It surged again with MVC titles in 1980, 1982, 1986 and 1988. From 1994-2003, Bradley finished first or second in attendance in the MVC. Interest is there. Peoria produces basketball talent and nearby Chicago and St. Louis should be recruiting havens. Bradley opened an on-campus practice facility in 2010 and Carver Arena is an adequate home court, though it could use updates.

It’s a problem: Basketball matters at Bradley and there is no football to distract, but something’s not working. Despite its tradition and support, Bradley last won an MVC title in 1996. It owns two NCAA appearances (1996, 2006) since 1990. The university is in flux with a new president on the way and budget issues. Like Wichita State in 1999, this program seems to be waiting for the right coach and administration. Geno Ford might be the friendliest coach in the MVC, but he owns one winning season in four seasons and the program appears to be regressing since that 18-17 record in 2013. That improvement from a 7-25 record in 2012 dissipated in the two seasons since and the Braves are back at the bottom of the MVC for the second time under Ford.

x-All budget figures from 2013 from the Office of Postsecondary Education (ope.ed.gov)

DRAKE

Enrollment: 5,348

Location: Des Moines (546,599)

Arena: Knapp Center (7,152)

2014-15 average attendance: 3,423

2013 budget: $2.2 million

MVC finishes 2011-15: 7th, T3rd, T7th, T8th, 7th

Postseason play 2011-14: CIT (2012)

Value-added: Drake is a loyal MVC member usually found near the bottom of the standings. Former coach Keno Davis proved in 2008 a coach can win with the right approach. Drake is trying to duplicate that with current coach Ray Giacoletti, who should know how to build at a small, private school after working as an assistant at Gonzaga for six seasons. If his hiring and this season’s additions of a practice facility to the Knapp Center are indications Drake is serious about winning, then Giacoletti is a reasonable bet to succeed. The Knapp Center is one of the MVC’s least-impressive facilities, but fans will pack it given a winner, as they did in 2008.

It’s a problem: The challenges at Drake are numerous and typical of a small private school. They combine to produce a program that can’t consistently finish in the top half of the MVC. It is overshadowed in its own city by larger state universities and Creighton elevated its program by recruiting Iowa athletes to a higher-level private school. The Knapp Center isn’t going to win many recruiting battles, so Giacoletti must target his recruiting time wisely. If he can make Drake a consistent winner, he will be the first since former coach Maury John from 1958-71. Since then, 10 coaches tried and one (Davis) departed with a winning record. He lasted one season and went 28-5 before leaving for Providence.

EVANSVILLE

Enrollment: 2,822

Location: Evansville, Ind. (125,000)

Arena: Ford Center (8,930)

2014-15 average attendance: 4,430

2013 budget: $2.3 million

MVC finishes 2011-15: 6th, T3rd, 4th, T8th, 5th

Postseason play 2011-14: CBI (2011, 2012), CIT (2013)

Value-added: In 1995, Evansville’s addition appeared a great move for the MVC after the Aces played in the NIT or NCAA five times in the previous seven seasons as a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. The Aces led the Valley in attendance in 1995 and 1996 and won the MVC in 1999. Coach Marty Simmons, a former Aces star, put the program on solid ground, finishing in a tie for third in 2012 and fourth in 2013. He is regarded as a master of the motion offense and his teams finished .500 or better in four of the past five seasons in MVC play. The Ford Center, opened in 2011 in downtown Evansville, is a state-of-the-art venue and an upgrade over Roberts Stadium. In 2012, Evansville opened a practice facility on campus. If the past is an indication, support for Aces basketball exists if interest can be rekindled.

It’s a problem: Fan support and success isn’t too far in the past, but Evansville’s reputation as a proud basketball school slipped significantly since its lone NCAA appearance as an MVC member, in 1999. Since then, it finished in the bottom half of the Valley 11 times. Attendance is half of its peak during the 1990s and fans who remember the Jerry Sloan and Don Buse glory days of NCAA College Division success can no longer fill seats. Aces fans don’t bother with trips to St. Louis, understandable since their team is 6-20 in the MVC Tournament and last appeared in the championship game in 1999. Evansville is the MVC’s smallest school and fights the academic and budget issues typical of private schools. Simmons makes the Aces competitive, but the city and school appear to be waiting on a breakthrough season to invest serious emotion. This season’s 9-9 record in the Valley won’t do it. It will likely take several good seasons to recapture the attendance of 15 years ago and it won’t be easy to compete with bigger schools.

ILLINOIS STATE

Enrollment: 20,271

Location: Normal, Ill. (165,298 including neighboring Bloomington)

Arena: Redbird Arena (10,000)

2014-15 average attendance: 5,519

2013 budget: $2.1 million

MVC finishes 2011-15: T8th, T3rd, 6th, T4th, T3rd

Postseason play 2011-14: NIT (2012), CBI (2014)

Value-added: It’s a crime the Redbirds last played in the NCAA Tournament in 1998, because this situation appears full of advantages. Good arena. Good tradition. Good city. Attractive campus with a big-school feel that is one of two MVC schools (Indiana State the other) within 200 miles of St. Louis, Chicago and Indianapolis. The Redbirds are usually successful, but fans are waiting on something bigger than the NIT. Coach Dan Muller is recruiting good talent, schedules good opponents and improved his MVC record each of his three seasons. Next season offers the potential of a bigger step, one this program needs to take. The Redbirds last won the Valley in 1998 and finished second in 2001 and 2008. Between 1983 and 1998, the Redbirds went to six NCAA Tournaments and four NITs with four Valley titles. Muller played a large role in that success as a player from 1994-98 and his job is to return the Redbirds to that status soon.

It’s a problem: If factors are keeping Illinois State from more success, they are well-disguised in and around Redbird Arena. Losses in the MVC Tournament title game in 2008, 2009 and 2012 represent missed opportunities. Former coach Tim Jankovich elevated the program with NIT trips in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012, but short-changed the program with timid scheduling. Football is important at ISU, as a renovated stadium and last season’s appearance in the Championship Subdivision title game prove. That shouldn’t keep basketball from rising to the top of the Valley, especially with Creighton’s departure leveling the field.

INDIANA STATE

Enrollment: 12,114

Location: Terre Haute, Ind. (59,614)

Arena: Hulman Center (10,200)

2014-15 average attendance: 4,430

2013 budget: $1.6 million

MVC finishes 2011-15: 3rd, 8th, 5th, 2nd, T3rd

Postseason play 2011-14: NCAA, CIT, NIT, NIT

Value-added: The Sycamores finished in the bottom three of the MVC eight straight seasons before former coach Kevin McKenna revived the program and current coach Greg Lansing elevated it. Despite budget and population disadvantages, Indiana State is a solid program. Lansing knows how to recruit the right places, mixing local athletes with an emphasis on Texas and select transfers. Possible renovations to the Hulman Center might help. Lansing isn’t afraid to schedule good opponents and the Sycamores usually play in strong holiday tournaments. Given the program’s shaky history, this run of success is a boost for the MVC. Plus, claiming Larry Bird as a conference great never gets old.

It’s a problem: Indiana State’s ceiling is likely limited by its enrollment and Terre Haute’s population. Its potential for corporate dollars and big donors is minimal compared to some schools. Hulman Center is about 2,000 seats too big to consistently create a good atmosphere. Like most MVC schools, Indiana State fights a losing battle against nearby power conference schools and pro sports. It’s foolish to wish for most MVC schools to drop football and spend more on basketball, but Indiana State is the school where that makes the most sense from an outsider’s perspective. It has invested little in its football stadium and attendance averaged 5,660 last season in a rare successful season.

LOYOLA

Enrollment: 16,040

Location: Chicago (2.6 million)

Arena: Gentile Arena (4,963)

2014-15 average attendance: 1,824

2013 budget: $2.1 million

MVC finishes 2014-15: 10th, 6th

Postseason play 2011-14: None

Value-added: MVC presidents said no to small towns and yes to the potential of Chicago when they added Loyola to replace Creighton in 2013. Loyola sold the MVC representatives on its TV market, endowment, impressive campus, academics and growing emphasis on athletics. If the administration is serious about basketball, the potential is good. Coach Porter Moser recruits Chicago hard and this season’s 18-12 record is the program’s best since 2007. The Ramblers improved from 10th to sixth in the MVC despite an injury to star guard Milton Doyle. With a large enrollment and schools of law and medicine, Loyola might be able to energize boosters like Creighton did 20 years ago and elevate the program. Nine Valley schools are waiting to see how much Loyola can contribute.

It’s a problem: All the talk of potential is hollow for a program that last played in the NCAA Tournament in 1985. If the Ramblers couldn’t win in the Horizon League, skepticism about their ability to win in the MVC is fair. Gentile Arena is the Valley’s smallest arena, by far, and crowds under 2,000 should be beneath a Valley member. Loyola is ignored in Chicago, ranking far behind pro sports, the Big Ten, Notre Dame and DePaul. Its games are not broadcast on the radio and media coverage is minimal. The Valley took a risk on a school with little recent athletic success because it had no better options. It is too early to judge if faith in Loyola is warranted.

MISSOURI STATE

Enrollment: 24,489

Location: Springfield, Mo. (151,580)

Arena: JQH Arena (11,000)

2014-15 average attendance: 5,300

2013 budget: $2.2 million

MVC finishes 2011-15: 1st, T3rd, T7th, T4th, 8th

Postseason play 2011-14: NIT (2011), CIT (2014)

Value-added: The Bears joined the MVC in 1991 and immediately joined the list of the conference’s top programs with NIT berths in 1991 and 1993 and an NCAA bid in 1992. MSU finished fourth or better 15 times in 25 MVC seasons and its basketball tradition is strong, highlighted recently by a 1999 trip to the Sweet 16. It can recruit St. Louis and Kansas City and is the MVC’s most active school in Oklahoma and Arkansas, places other schools rarely venture. JQH Arena opened in 2008 and it is as impressive as any Valley venue with a large and vocal student section for big games. As Charlie Spoonhour, Steve Alford, Barry Hinson and Cuonzo Martin proved, the right coach can win at MSU. Current coach Paul Lusk pushed the Bears in the right direction by going 20-13 last season. Injuries and discipline problems ruined this season and Lusk must regroup.

It’s a problem: The Bears haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1999 or the NIT since 2011. It needs to energize its fans with an NCAA trip. Like Southern Illinois, MSU should be a solid MVC program, not an RPI-killer. Like most Valley football schools, resources are always an issue and the looming decisions on cost-of-attendance stipends and other potential budget drains are particularly taxing for these schools. Spoonhour, Alford and Martin departed for bigger paydays and that lack of coaching continuity is a frequent obstacle. MSU’s attendance slipped under 7,000 the past three seasons after peaking at 8,173 in 1991.

NORTHERN IOWA

Enrollment: 12,159

Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa (100,000 including neighboring Waterloo)

Arena: McLeod Center (6,650)

2014-15 average attendance: 5,726

2013 budget: $2.3 million

MVC finishes 2011-15: T4th, T3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd

Postseason play 2011-14: CIT (2011), NIT (2012), CIT (2013)

Value-added: Valley loyalists threw a fit when UNI joined in 1991 because of its minimal basketball tradition. Those concerns look short-sighted now. It took the Panthers 12 seasons to consistently escape the bottom half of the MVC standings. Starting in 2004, they finished in the top half every season with titles in 2009 and 2010 and second-place finishes in 2004 and 2015. UNI knows exactly what it is and coach Ben Jacobson knows how to recruit and win at his school. The McLeod Center is the perfect size. UNI grew into the Valley’s most reliable program outside of WSU. While the Panthers lose four seniors after this season, five rotation players return and Jacobson will have several players strengthened by a redshirt season.

It’s a problem: Iowa’s population and Cedar Falls’ location are not ideal, but Jacobson doesn’t let those factors get in the way. Twelve players on his roster are from Iowa and he has a history of grabbing players from Minneapolis. Every MVC school can throw excuses around. UNI’s consistency — not to mention the 2009 and 2010 NCAA Tournaments — make most of them look weak.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Enrollment: 17,964

Location: Carbondale, Ill. (26,367)

Arena: SIU Arena (8,339)

2014-15 average attendance: 4,897

2013 budget: $1.7 million

MVC finishes 2011-15: 8th, 9th, 10th, T4th, 9th

Postseason play 2011-14: None

Value-added: The Salukis made the NIT or NCAA 15 times in 20 seasons between 1989 and 2008. Along with Creighton, SIU carried the MVC from 2002-07 and SIU Arena loomed as the conference’s most-feared venue. While the Salukis are struggling since, the history of program suggests they are capable of recovering in a big way. SIU Arena was recently renovated and former athletic director Mario Moccia left a legacy of facility improvements that include an impressive football stadium and a new baseball stadium. Judging by those investments, athletics matter at SIU. Coach Barry Hinson won consistently during his stay at Missouri State from 1999-2008. The Bears finished in the top half of the MVC seven times in nine seasons, second three times. He should be a good fit at SIU, able to recruit nearby St. Louis and bond with the athletes from smaller towns and cities in the area. It’s possible to win at SIU and the success is still fresh enough to show the way. The MVC needs this program to rebound and fill seats in Scottrade Arena.

It’s a problem: SIU fell hard when former coach Chris Lowery ran out of answers after three NCAA Tournament appearances. The school stretched its wallet to keep him around after early success and that created hard feelings when the program crashed. Hinson is still dealing with some of the fallout, including a budget that sometimes asks him to scrimp on travel. Carbondale is the MVC’s smallest city and the rural location isn’t for everyone. Because of that lack of population, corporate support will never match other programs in the MVC. Like most of the Valley public schools, state budget cuts are an ongoing issue and football competes for resources. SIU took a step back in Hinson’s third season. It will require patience for him to get his team back into MVC contention.

This story was originally published March 5, 2015 at 11:44 AM with the headline "The state of the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference."