With Wichita State out of the way, MVC coaches see opportunity

The Missouri Valley Conference is no longer top heavy in men’s basketball.

That is good and bad and it is up to the nine schools that remain and addition Valparaiso to determine which wins out. In March, the nation will either view the MVC as an underdog story that surprised critics or a conference fading from the national scene.

“We have to make basketball more important on each campus,” Indiana State coach Greg Lansing said on a conference call Tuesday. “Each program in the league has to do that, if they want to fight for some NCAA berths and some championships … we have to go out of our element and not go with the status quo.”

The remaining members can study their MVC history for encouragement. Valparaiso is the 27th MVC member since the founding in 1907. The Valley survived those departures and faces another chance to demonstrate its staying power.

Creighton departed in 2013 for the Big East and Wichita State in April for the American Athletic Conference. With outstanding fan support, great coaching hires and consistent winning, both programs outgrew the MVC.

“It’s an investment,” Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. “They invested. Whether it’s facilities, whether it’s salaries, whether it’s travel. You saw Wichita State really go in that direction and it really benefited them and paid off.”

That’s the way of the MVC — dominant teams move on.

Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) won eight of 14 titles before leaving in 1957. Cincinnati won seven titles from 1958-1966 before moving from the MVC in 1970. Louisville and Memphis State dominated before they left in the early 1970s.

“The Valley has always risen when teams have left,” Loyola coach Porter Moser said. “One thing about the Valley — they’ve always had great culture programs. Basketball traditions. Fan bases. I saw Valpo when they were in the Horizon and they have that.”

Those departures hurt. They also gave other programs room to grow. MVC schools that saw little chance of competing with the financial might of Creighton and WSU can look forward to a more level playing field.

“Most coaches in the league are saying ‘Why not us,’ ” Wardle said.

Missouri State is the likely choice for MVC favorite. The Bears return All-MVC forward Alize Johnson and are helped by the return of guard Ronnie Rousseau III, who played 14 games last season before leaving the team for personal reasons.

The two teams that pushed WSU the most in recent seasons should also remain near the top. Illinois State, which shared the 2017 title with WSU, must replace its top three scorers. Northern Iowa will miss leading scorer Jeremy Morgan.

Without the Shockers looming over the conference, January and February feel more open to upsets and surprises. It will take a 10-team effort with strong non-conference scheduling and unexpected victories to push MVC teams into consideration for NCAA Tournament at-large bids.

“I think you’re looking at the wild, wild West next year,” Southern Illinois coach Barry Hinson said. “You’re looking at, possibly, one of the greatest Valley races that we’ve had in quite some time.”

The MVC made the best move possible to repair its reputation by grabbing Valparaiso, which played in the NIT the past two seasons.

“It’s a recognizable name brand,” said Mark Adams, who broadcasts MVC games for ESPN. “My gut tells me the Valley’s not done. The MVC is going to aggressively look at, possibly, two more members.”

The Crusaders played in the NCAA Tournament in 2013 and 2015. They won 20 or more games in six of the past seven seasons and won or shared Horizon League regular-season titles in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

“We have a lot of motivated young men that are dialed in and excited about a new challenge,” Valpo coach Matt Lottich said. “I expect us to be competitive. We also understand it’s a step up.”

Shockers add Eagles — Wichita State will play Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 22 at Koch Arena, according to athletic director Darron Boatright.

Florida Gulf Coast is coached by former Kansas assistant Joe Dooley. The Eagles went 26-8 last season and won the Atlantic Sun title before losing to Florida State in the NCAA Tournament.

This story was originally published June 20, 2017 at 5:31 PM with the headline "With Wichita State out of the way, MVC coaches see opportunity."