2011 State Farm MVC Tournament

#1 Missouri State Bears (23-7, 15-3 MVC)

•  Quarterfinals - Friday at 12:05 p.m. vs. (8) Southern Illinois 
• (pep rally at 10:30 a.m. at The Hangout)
  
•  Semifinals - Saturday at 1:35 vs. (5) Creighton 
• (pep rally at Noon at The Hangout)
•  Championship - Sunday at 1:05 p.m. vs. (3) Indiana State
• (pep rally at 11:30 a.m. at The Hangout)

Game Outlook:

   Missouri State will begin its quest to capture the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title on Friday at 12:05 p.m. when it meets No. 8 seed Southern Illinois (13-18). For the first time in their 21-year affiliation with the league, the Bears are the top-seeded team for the tournament and will be looking to reach the semifinal round for the first time since 2007.

 Cuonzo Martin’s squad is coming off an emotional and thrilling 69-64 victory over Wichita State at JQH Arena on Saturday (Feb. 26) before a record crowd of 11,077 to clinch its first MVC regular-season crown. Jermaine Mallett (Sr., G, Jackson, Miss.) led a cast of four MSU players in double figures with 18 points and 8 rebounds, while Adam Leonard (Sr., G, Lee’s Summit, Mo.) knocked down five three-pointers -- including the game-winner with 48 seconds left -- to finish with 17 points.

 Missouri State ended the regular season with a six-game winning streak in conference games and capped its home slate with a 15-1 ledger at JQH Arena. The Bears set a new school standard for conference victories by finishing 15-3, an effort that was sparked by a record seven conference road wins in nine tries.

 The Bears are 2-0 this season against both potential quarterfinal opponents and have won three in a row against the Salukis.

 

The Coach:

  Missouri State head coach Cuonzo Martin (Purdue, 2000) is 58-39 (.594) in his third season at MSU and overall. He is 26-28 (.481) in Missouri Valley Conference games, 1-2 in the MVC Tournament and 2-2 in neutral-site contests. Martin is also a combined 6-6 against potential quarterfinal opponents Southern Illinois (3-3) and Illinois State (3-3), 4-4 on Fridays, and 5-2 in the month of March.

 Originally from East St. Louis, Ill., he spent eight seasons as an assistant coach and associate head coach at Purdue (2000-08) where he was a standout player for coach Gene Keady from 1991-95.  Martin, 39, became MSU’s 16th head basketball coach on April 1, 2008. 

 

Bears in the MVC Tournament:

  Missouri State enters its 21st Missouri Valley Conference Tournament as the top seed for the first time.  The Bears are 24-19 (.558) all-time at Arch Madness and have won at least one tournament game every year except 1994, 1995, 2006 and 2009.

 MSU is 1-4 all-time against Illinois State in St. Louis and has lost four straight to the Redbirds at the MVC Tournament, most recently in 2008.  The Bears have had greater success against Southern Illinois, going 3-4 against the Salukis at the league postseason tournament with wins in two straight match-ups, including the most-recent meeting in 2005.

 

  Ten Quick Hits (... and one) relating to the Bears and today’s game:

•  
  • The Bears are seeded No. 1 at the MVC Touranment for the first time. The only other seed Missouri State has not held in their 21 years at the event is No. 9.  MSU is 13-6 all-time in the quarterfinal round.
  • In Monday’s official NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), Missouri State has jumped nine spots over the last week to No. 42, the best in the MVC. Friday’s potential opponents, Southern Illinois and Illinois State rank 211 and 251, respectively.
  • Kyle Weems (Jr., F, Topeka, Kan.) is the first Missouri State player to earn Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors. He is also the first Bear to claim a league player of the year distinction since Lee Campbell (1990) did so in the Mid-Continent Conference.
  • Weems enters this year’s MVC Tournament ranked 20th on Missouri State’s career Valley Tourney scoring list. He has 49 points in three previous MVC Touranment contests and would move into the club’s all-time top 10 with just 29 points this weekend.
  • This season, the Bears set a new home attendance record for MVC games. The club’s average of 8,728 in 9 league games at JQH Arena topped the previous MSU record average of 8,501 in its inaugural MVC campaign (1990-91).
  • Missouri State finished the 2010-11 season with a record 15 conference victories. The Bears surpassed their previous school standard for league wins in a season, achieved in 1986-87 (13-1), 1991-92 (13-5) and 1999-2000 (13-5).
  • As of Monday, the Bears are No. 9 in the nation in turnovers per game, averaging just 10.8 per game. This season, MSU is 11-2 when committing less than 10 turnovers.  
  • The Bears are 10-1 this season when Adam Leonard (Sr., G, Lee’s Summit, Mo.) hits three or more three-pointers. He made eight three-pointers in two games last week, including five against Wichita State on Feb. 26 in the regular-season finale and three at Southern Illinois (Feb. 23).
  • MSU played its 900th game as a Division I program in Saturday’s (Feb. 26) MVC championship-clinching victory over Wichita State. The Bears are now 563-337 (.626) in 29 Division I seasons.
  • The Bears are looking to advance to the MVC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2007.  In 20 previous Valley Tournament appearances, MSU has reached the semis 13 times and the championship game seven times.
  • Missouri State is 16-0 this season and 42-3 in three seasons under Cuonzo Martin when shooting a higher field goal percentage than its opponents. MSU has out-shot four of if its last five opponents headed into the MVC Tournament.

Quick Links: 

• Gameday Guide
• 2010-11 Media Guide
• Listen Live
• Live Stats
• Missouri State MVC Tournament Game Notes
  
• Arch Madness Web Site
• Information for MSU Pep Rally and The Hangout

Thursday, March 3 -- Session I
Game 1 -- #8 Southern Illinois (12-18, 5-13) vs. #9 Illinois State (12-18, 4-14), 6 p.m. [MVC TV Network] [WXOS Radio]
Game 2 -- #7 Drake (13-17, 7-11) vs. #10 Bradley (11-19, 4-14), 8:30 p.m. [MVC TV Network] [WXOS Radio]

Friday, March 4 -- Session II
Game 3 -- #1 Missouri State (23-7, 15-3) vs. Winner Game 1, noon [MVC TV Network] [WXOS Radio]
Game 4 -- #4 UNI (19-12, 10-8) vs. #5 Creighton (18-13, 10-8), 2:30 p.m. [MVC TV Network] [WXOS Radio]

Friday, March 4 -- Session III
Game 5 -- #2 Wichita State (23-7, 14-4) vs. Winner of Game 2, 6 p.m. [MVC TV Network] [WXOS Radio]
Game 6 -- #3 Indiana State (17-13, 12-6) vs. #6 Evansville (15-14, 9-9), 8:30 p.m. [MVC TV Network] [WXOS Radio]

Saturday, March 5 -- Session IV
Game 7 -- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1:30 p.m. [MVC TV Network] [KATZ AM 1600]
Game 8 -- Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 4 p.m.  [MVC TV Network] [WXOS Radio]

Sunday, March 6 -- Session V
Championship -- Winner G7 vs. Winner G8, 1 p.m. [CBS Sports, Westwood One, Sirius XM Radio] [WXOS Radio]