Bradley’s Demarion Burch makes a move with the ball, while UIC’s Steven Clay defends during last Saturday’s game at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago. (Photo courtesy: Bradley Athletics)
Jason Barnes
Staff Writer
Another busy week of Missouri Valley Conference basketball concluded with a pair of dynamite games, Sunday night at Illinois State and Murray State. Both home teams battled, but eventually lost in tough contests against Valparaiso and Northern Iowa.
The Sunday games were proceeded by four Saturday matchups, where the road team won three of them. Bradley, Missouri State, and Drake all won on the road, while Indiana State was the lone home team to win on Saturday.
Bradley has been playing particularly well lately. The Braves have won six straight and are now 12-5 on the season. They are also 4-2 in MVC play, which is tied for third place with Belmont, Murray State, and Southern Illinois.
Drake and Indiana State, who are both 14-3 overall, are tied for first with 5-1 league marks.
Weekly Honors
Player of the Week: Tucker DeVries, Drake
DeVries averaged 31.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists over two wins last week. He matched his career-high of six made 3-pointers contributing to his 29 points while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out four assists in the 89-78 win over Indiana State on Wednesday. DeVries topped that performance going 12-20 from the field for 34 points, seven rebounds and two assists as the Bulldogs defeated Southern Illinois on the road, 76-58. DeVries has scored 30 or more points five times in his career (three so far this season).
Newcomer of the Week: Ryan Conwell, Indiana State
Conwell provided all-around consistency in Indiana State’s two games, averaging 33.5 MPG, 16.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.5 AST/G, and 3.0 threes-per-game. Conwell finished the two games shooting 42.9% (6-for-14) from deep. The guard also scored a steal in each game. With double figures in both games, Conwell has scored 10+ points 15 of the 16 games he has played. Conwell scored 17 points for ISU at Drake, tied for the team-high, while knocking down three triples. In the 30-point victory versus Belmont, Conwell scored 15 points and made another trio of threes, recorded four rebounds, and tallied two assists.
Freshman of the Week: Cooper Schwieger, Valparaiso
Schwieger averaged a double-double with 12.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game this week. He scored a team-high 16 points in Sunday’s victory at Illinois State as the Beacons earned their first MVC win and first road win. Schwieger went 6-for-6 at the free-throw line and 5-for-7 from the field against the Redbirds. He made key contributions on the defensive end as Valpo turned in its best defensive field goal percentage in a road game in eight years. He also pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds against the Redbirds to form his first collegiate double-double.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS
| SCHOOL | MVC | PCT. | OVERALL | PCT. | HOME | AWAY | NEUT | L10 | STREAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | 5-1 | .833 | 14-3 | .824 | 9-0 | 2-2 | 3-1 | 8-2 | W2 |
| Indiana State | 5-1 | .833 | 14-3 | .824 | 7-0 | 3-3 | 4-0 | 8-2 | W1 |
| Bradley | 4-2 | .667 | 12-5 | .706 | 7-2 | 3-2 | 2-1 | 6-4 | W6 |
| Southern Illinois | 4-2 | .667 | 12-5 | .706 | 9-2 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 7-3 | L1 |
| Belmont | 4-2 | .667 | 11-6 | .647 | 7-0 | 3-5 | 1-1 | 7-3 | L1 |
| Murray State | 4-2 | .667 | 7-10 | .412 | 5-4 | 2-4 | 0-2 | 4-6 | L1 |
| Northern Iowa | 3-3 | .500 | 9-8 | .529 | 5-2 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 7-3 | W2 |
| Missouri State | 2-4 | .333 | 10-7 | .588 | 5-2 | 2-5 | 3-0 | 4-6 | W1 |
| Illinois State | 2-4 | .333 | 8-9 | .471 | 6-3 | 1-4 | 1-2 | 4-6 | L5 |
| Evansville | 1-5 | .167 | 10-7 | .588 | 6-2 | 3-5 | 1-0 | 4-6 | L5 |
| Illinois-Chicago | 1-5 | .167 | 8-9 | .471 | 4-4 | 2-4 | 2-1 | 3-7 | L2 |
| Valparaiso | 1-5 | .167 | 5-12 | .294 | 4-6 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 1-9 | W1 |
Tuesday, January 17, 2024
| Away | Home | Time | Location | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Missouri State |  Indiana State | 6:00 PM | Terre Haute, Ind. | TV: Bally Sports |
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
| Away | Home | Time | Location | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Drake |  Illinois State | 7:00 PM | Normal, Ill. | TV: ESPN+ |
 Valparaiso |  Evansville | 7:00 PM | Evansville, Ind. | |
 Murray State |  Illinois-Chicago | 7:00 PM | Chicago, Ill. | TV: ESPN+ |
 Bradley |  Southern Illinois | 7:00 PM | Carbondale, Ill. | TV: ESPN+ |
 Northern Iowa |  Belmont | 8:00 PM | Nashville, Tenn. | TV: CBS Sports Network |
Saturday, January 20, 2024
| Away | Home | Time | Location | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State | Missouri State | 1:00 PM | Springfield, Mo. | TV: ESPN+ |
| Belmont | Bradley | 1:00 PM | Peoria, Ill. | TV: Bally Sports/ESPN+ |
| Illinois-Chicago | Valparaiso | 3:00 PM | Valparaiso, Ind. | TV: ESPN+ |
| Evansville | Drake | 5:00 PM | Des Moines, Iowa | TV: ESPN+ |
| Southern Illinois | Northern Iowa | 7:00 PM | Cedar Falls, Iowa | TV: CBS Sports Network |
Sunday, January 21, 2024
| Away | Home | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana State | Murray State | 4:00 PM | CFSB Center |