*2025-2026 Other games of Interest*

[CyCarp]

I don't know if Northern Illinois figured something out or if Loyola is that bad, but that's a lopsided one. Ducommun's first game of the season was against us, he might be a huge part of that team.

[Purple member]

Evansville and Drake both beat the Beavers today. Slightly more impressed with Evansville

[Wxcpanther]

I don't know if Northern Illinois figured something out or if Loyola is that bad, but that's a lopsided one. Ducommun's first game of the season was against us, he might be a huge part of that team.

It's both. Loyola isn't very good, but NIU used the same rotation they used for the first time against us. They might have found something.

[Fran McCrabby]

NIU was making everything from 3 it was crazy

[GarretW1797]

Evansville and Drake both beat the Beavers today. Slightly more impressed with Evansville

If Evansville wasn't coached by Ragland they would be a top half MVC team.

[MVCBeat]

Remember when fans wanted to add Arlington to the MVC? Oof.

OK but think of all the kids who would have enrolled at MVC schools!

[sevelev711]

Still makes more sense than the Valpo add.

Though my goodness, the Belmont and Murray State adds were fantastic choices. Right now it's us and then them two for the rankings by metric in the conference.

[sevelev711]

Speaking of conferences, it's very early in the season still, obviously, but so far, the MVC as a whole is rated as the 10th overall conference according to Torvik's model. And very close to catching the American conference, of which we'll have one for sure, probably two matches against teams from them ourselves. If, big if, the conference can hold strong and end up as the 9th best conference, there might actually be room for multiple bids. Lots of ifs, obviously.

[BCPanther]

Bad loss for Murray tonight against Middle Tennessee. Gave up 90 to a 200+ offense.

They've been scored on at will against the two teams they've played with a pulse.

Illinois State blew out a Coastal Carolina team playing their 3rd game in 3 days.

[sevelev711]

Sidenote, looked up Tulsa, they're...hard to make out, but I'm leaning towards "we should beat them." A one point victory to an abysmal Oral Roberts, but a one point loss to an pretty alright K-State team, and a game that mirrors our NIU game against Austin Peay, ie, they ended up winning by 9 but it was tied with around five minutes to go.

In my opinion, we're the clear best team in our pool at this event, and we should go 2-0. We already played the toughest team that we were going to play on this trip. But again, you don't play the game on paper, blah blah.

[06panther10]

I don't think we are at the point yet where any game is a given. Loyola has not been good to start the year, but I certainly don't think that game is going to be easy.

[nonstopoffense]

I don't think we are at the point yet where any game is a given. Loyola has not been good to start the year, but I certainly don't think that game is going to be easy.

Yep. Even if they're bad, if they play defense with any sort of effort, they'll stay in the game.

[06panther10]

Right, something you have to remember, if we are going to play these low possession basketball games, its going to be hard to blow anyone out even if you play pretty well. And if we aren't hitting our 3's, its almost a lock that the game will be close and potentially come down to the FT line.

[BCPanther]

Yep. Even if they're bad, if they play defense with any sort of effort, they'll stay in the game.

Defense has been their issue. 311 in KenPom. Woof.

[PantherAlum09]

Defense has been their issue. 311 in KenPom. Woof.

That's rough, but NIU was also terrible on defense until they stepped it up against us. No let downs!