Missouri Valley Conference report

SportsLine.com Report
April 10, 2000

The Missouri Valley Conference, trying to establish itself among the top leagues in NCAA Division I basketball, didn't hurt itself in the 1999-2000 season.

The MVC sent two teams to the NCAA Tournament after squeezing three in the year before. Two others advanced to the National Invitation Tournament. The Missouri Valley's overall rating dropped off, but only slightly.

As expected, the race came down to the final weekend, and veteran coaches around the league were saying the MVC's strength from top to bottom was at its best in recent memory. It was so up for grabs that fourth-seeded Creighton won the postseason tournament, and few people called it an upset.

Conference champion

Indiana State coach Royce Waltman took his five returning starters and did what he was supposed to do with them -- win. The Sycamores got off to a solid start and never looked back, finishing with a 14-4 MVC mark and a 22-10 record overall. In Terre Haute, they celebrated their first MVC championship and first NCAA Tournament berth since 1979.

Creighton then used the MVC tournament as its time to shine for the second straight year. The Bluejays, the No. 4 seed, knocked off fifth-seeded Bradley, first-seeded Indiana State and second-seeded Southwest Missouri State to gain the league's automatic NCAA bid.

Biggest disappointment

Call this one a tie between Bradley and Drake. The Braves were the unanimous preseason pick to win the Missouri Valley, but never quite got on track and finished fifth, and stayed home for the postseason. Drake had high hopes with four returning senior starters, but the Bulldogs weren't able to avoid finishing in last place for the fourth straight year.

Biggest surprise

Southern Illinois didn't exactly shock people with its third-place finish and NIT appearance, but if nothing else the Salukis showed they intend to be around for a while. Second-year coach Bruce Weber went out and recruited some quality freshmen, and the university has liked enough of what it's seen to reward him with one of the best contracts in the league.

Player of the year

Senior Nate Green didn't have to put Indiana State on his back, but instead just take the Sycamores by the hand and guide them. That's what he did. Green finished in the top six in the MVC in scoring, assists, steals and blocked shots. Green is one of three seniors Indiana State must replace, but the hole will be tough to fill. Runner-up was Wichita State senior Jason Perez, who averaged 20.2 points a game and helped the Shockers save a disastrous season with six wins in February.

Newcomer of the year

Southern Illinois freshman Kent Williams lived up to his billing after the Salukis made a huge recruiting score by getting him out of Mt. Vernon, Ill. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 13.3 points and started all 33 games for SIU, and establish himself as a possible future scoring champ in the league. Best of the rest was Creighton freshman Kyle Korver.

Coach of the year

Give it to Indiana State coach Royce Waltman, not only for what he did in the 1999-2000 season but for his first three years with the Sycamores. No Indiana State team had managed a winning record since 1979-80 until Waltman came. This season, he led ISU to an upset of Indiana, an MVC regular-season title and the school's first NCAA trip since 1979.

The Future

The Missouri Valley Conference continues to fight to be among the best of the mid-majors. Keeping its "name" head coaches and taking a step up in recruiting will be the deciding factors, but look for the league to remain steady into the early 2000s.