To many casual basketball fans, Dan McLaughlin may be the face — and voice — of Missouri Valley Conference basketball. A regular television play-by-play voice for the St. Louis Cardinals, McLaughlin spends his off-season broadcasting numerous college basketball games around the country, including right here in The Valley.
Beginning with tonight’s Southern Illinois-Illinois State game, McLaughlin will do the play-by-play for five games at Arch Madness, including Creighton’s quarterfinal tilt with Northern Iowa. We caught up with the St. Louis native ahead of the tournament to talk about the Bluejays’ chances and what the rest of the weekend will hold.
White & Blue Review: Creighton and UNI will be facing off for the second time in 6 days and the third time this season; what adjustments do you think each team will need to make to come out on top?
Dan McLaughlin: I don’t think it comes down to adjustments, I think each team needs to simply focus on their strengths and execute what they have been doing all year. UNI has had some great guard play all year and they will continue to pressure Creighton on the wings.
WBR: Who would you say are the possible impact players that could put either team over the top?
DM: For Creighton I would have to say [Kenny] Lawson. He has had a real up and down season and if he can come out and play the way we all know he can, he can be a real force with his size and ability. For UNI, I think the biggest factor is the loss of Lucas O’Rear, as he would have been the man that needs to step up. But with him out, the guards, lead by Kwadzo [Ahelegbe], will really need to play well to make up for the size disadvantage down low.
WBR: If you had to pick a team to run the table as an underdog, who would you pick?
DM: Indiana State or Evansville. Evansville hit a bit of a stride toward the end of the regular season and are playing very well. Marty [Simmons] really has his team playing some good basketball right now and with some wins before the tournament and one of their higher seeds in a while, they should have some good confidence as well. As for Indiana State, they are playing some good, hard basketball. They have some good conference wins that have shown they can play with anyone. Like Evansville, they are in a better seed than they are used to, and that should bring some confidence as well.
WBR: If Wichita State and Missouri State play in the final, does the Valley get two bids to the dance this year, or are win a one-bid league?
DM: I think that if Wichita State beats Missouri State in the final it would be pretty hard for the committee to keep the Bears out. However, if Missouri State should beat Wichita State in the final, I think the possibility of Wichita State getting an at-large is much less.
WBR: You have been doing the Valley Tournament for over 15 years now, what is it like to broadcast a weekend event like this?
DM: Awesome. I have been doing this for a long time and every year it is a great experience. Being from St. Louis, I really enjoy seeing the local community really embrace the tournament. You will always have the die-hards at the tournament but when the locals embrace the event, it is really great to see.
WBR: With your long history of broadcasting the tournament, could you tell us your favorite memory?
DM: Wow, that is a really tough question. I don’t know that I could pinpoint a specific play or game, but the buzzer beaters are always great to watch. You have two seasons on the line and in a split second you see two extreme reactions. You have the young men on one side jumping up and down and on the other side, you have a group that has put in all that effort and time and it is all over. It is crazy to watch those two reactions all happening at once.
WBR: Final question, and we have to ask; who do you see winning it all in St. Louis?
DM: I think it will be very tough to beat Wichita. They are a very athletic team and they always bring a good crowd to the tournament. In my opinion, they are the team to beat.
