With three newcomers, the Missouri Valley Conference will look a bit different in 2022-23.
But that doesn't mean one of those three will earn the conference crown.
There's one squad that has earned the right to be the heavy favorite — and that team should be one of the best mid-majors in the nation.
Let's dive into the full MVC preview below.
Hotline Bling
Drake Bulldogs
Two years removed from an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, the Bulldogs are at the top of the Valley food chain.
Head coach Darian DeVries has led Drake to 20-plus wins in each of his four seasons at the helm, and now looks to dominate the conference with five of his top seven players from 2021-22 returning.
DeVries’ son Tucker is the odds-on favorite to win MVC Player of the Year. He’s making the juicy freshman-to-sophomore leap and is as versatile a player as you’ll find in mid-major basketball.
He’s joined by point guard Roman Penn, big man Darnell Brodie and tough-minded wing Garrett Sturtz.
The question may not be whether Drake can snatch the Valley auto-bid, but rather if it can make the conference a multi-bid league once again.
Top Contenders
Bradley Braves
The Braves might have lost their best player in Terry Roberts, but they bring back four starters, led by all-conference big man Rienk Mast.
Head coach Brian Wardle is one of the best X's and O’s minds in the league and always leads a team known for its physicality and defensive effort.
6-foot-6 wing Ja’Shon Henry will look to bounce back after an injury held him out for the majority of last year.
Meanwhile, rising sophomore Connor Hickman will look to expand on an all-rookie campaign.
Southern Illinois Salukis
After undergoing a patient rebuild, the Salukis may finally be ready to break out in Bryan Mullins’ fourth season at the helm.
Once a league power that made six consecutive NCAA Tournaments under Bruce Weber, Matt Painter and Chris Lowery, SIU has gone 16 seasons without an invitation to the Big Dance.
Marcus Domask and Lance Jones are back to contend for all-conference honors and lead a deep roster.
Also, Mullins reached into the transfer portal and reeled in two productive guards in Xavier Johnson (George Mason) and Jawaun Newton (Evansville).
A Muddled Middle
Any one of these teams can make a surprise run to the top of the league this season.
You could do worse with your lunch money than make a flyer bet on one of them to win the Valley.
Missouri State Bears
The Bears lost two of the Valley’s best players in Gaige Prim and Isiaih Mosley — plus most of their 2021-22 production.
But head coach Dana Ford wasted no time rebuilding the roster, bringing in a whopping seven transfers from the Division I level.
From a sheer talent perspective, Missouri State is near the top of the league. But can Ford mesh all the new pieces into a winning product on the court?
As a gambling man, I’d be wary of putting my coin on the Bears in the preseason.
Belmont Bruins & Murray State Racers
Two of the three new kids on the block, Belmont and Murray State, come to the Missouri Valley after dominating the Ohio Valley for the past several seasons.
The Bruins are led by Casey Alexander — who has amassed a 77-19 record as head coach — while Murray State brings back Steve Prohm to replace current LSU head coach Matt McMahon.
Prohm coached Murray for four seasons from 2012 to 2015, earned a bid to the NCAA tournament and notched a record of 104-29.
The Valley is a major step up in competition for both programs, and both lose major pieces from their excellent teams last season.
Will the move be a wake-up call for two teams accustomed to winning? Or will it be business as usual for Belmont and Murray State as they traverse “the valleys"?
Northern Iowa Panthers
Head coach Ben Jacobson enters his 17th season as the longest-tenured Valley coach and one of the longest tenured coaches in the nation. His Panther squads can usually be found near the top of the Valley standings, but this year presents a challenge without the services of current pro AJ Green.
Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Bowen Born is ready to take control of the offense, but there’s concern if his big man partner in crime, Austin Phyfe, will be fully healthy after dealing with long-COVID last season.
This will be one of the younger and more inexperienced UNI squads in recent memory. It will take a masterful coaching job by Jacobson (a very real possibility) for the Panthers to take home the conference crown.
Indiana State Sycamores
Few teams nationally dealt with the number of injuries and COVID complications as the Sycamores did last season.
This derailed head coach Josh Schertz’s debut after enjoying wild success in the Division II ranks.
Hellbent on proving last season was a fluke, Schertz will look to lead a roster loaded with experience and scoring ability to the Valley apex.
DePaul transfer Courvoisier McCauley (actual name) is the guy to watch. He starred for two seasons at Lincoln Memorial under Schertz — earning All-America honors — and now he’ll look to lead the Sycs to the promised land.
If you’re looking for a flyer to win the Missouri Valley this season, look no further.
The Lower Tier
Valparaiso Beacons
If college basketball was a 2-on-2 sport, Valpo might just win the Valley in 2022-23.
Former Wisconsin guard Kobe King and big man Ben Krikke are two of the best players in the conference and shoo-ins to earn postseason honors.
Unfortunately, Valpo’s supporting cast leaves much to be desired. The once-dominant Horizon League program has yet to find its footing in the MVC, and likely won’t again this season.
Illinois State Redbirds
Former Ohio State assistant Ryan Pedon takes over as head coach, looking to breathe some life into the once-proud Redbird program.
The roster talent, led by former San Jose State / LSU / BYU wing Seneca Knight, is good enough to compete in the upper half of the league. But can Pedon take control of a group of unfamiliar faces in time to gel for Valley play?
UIC Flames
Tabbed to replace Loyola as the Valley’s Chicago program, UIC has an uphill battle before it, especially with the late offseason loss of Damaria Franklin.
Franklin, the Flames’ leading scorer and best player last season, opted to transfer to Memphis in August, leaving head coach Luke Yaklich with more questions than answers.
The UIC program has the coach and geographical location to be good in the Valley, but it will be at least a couple more years before it’ll contend seriously for a conference title.
Evansville Purple Aces
Evansville made a fantastic hire this offseason when it brought in local legend David Ragland, a former Valpo and Butler assistant.
Unfortunately, that’s about the only positive thing you can say about this program heading into 2022-23.
The Aces have a dearth of talent and continuity, which means they’ll almost certainly spend another season as the league’s doormat.
