Southern Illinois (8-7, 2-2) vs. Illinois St. (8-7, 0-4)
SIU Arena; Carbondale, IL
2:05 PM CST
ESPN3.com
One of the best ways to put a loss behind you is to get on the court as soon as you can. It has been two days since Southern Illinois lost in overtime at home to Creighton. Facing Illinois St. today, they can rebound with a win in front of their fans. Gene Teague played 17 minutes against the Jays as he battles back from a sprained ankle. Getting him healthy will provide some instant success.
The tough start to league play continues for the Redbirds who now have lost their first four games after falling at home to Wichita St. Traveling to SIU won’t be much easier. Austin Hill was the only player in double figures in that game against the Shockers. The Redbirds and Braves are the only winless teams in the Valley.
Drake (7-8, 2-2) vs. Indiana St. (8-7, 3-1)
Knapp Center; Des Moines, IA
5:05 PM CST
Indiana St. is off to a fast start in the conference, feeding on teams in the lower half of the standings. On Friday night, the Sycamores used a 16-0 run to gain control of the game against the Panthers on the way to a 25 point win. It has been a smooth transition for Coach Lansing. At Drake today then at Bradley Wednesday, ISU could be on its way to a 5-1 start.
Drake has split its four games this year winning two at home and losing two on the road. Their guards will have to be ready to defend against the Sycamores today. If Jake Kelly and Dwayne Lathan are out for ISU, Drake’s work may not be as difficult today. Seth VanDeest had 17 against Bradley on Friday. If VanDeest can control the paint, one would have to like Drake’s chances.
Northern Iowa (10-6, 1-3) vs. Bradley (6-9, 0-4)
McLeod Center; Cedar Falls, IA
6:00 PM CST
A pair of close losses to start the season and the Panthers are struggling. On Friday, Indiana St. scored 70 points in a 70-45 UNI loss on the road. That marks the first time a Panther opponent has scored 70 or more against the Panthers this season. Coach Jacobson will have his hands full trying to get things straightened out. They take on a Bradley team that is struggling more than the Panthers are. A win here and they build momentum for the new few games.
Bradley is still searching for their first conference win. The Panthers and their fans make the McLeod Center a tough place for opponents. On Friday in Des Moines, Andrew Warren scored 20 for the Braves and Dodie Dunson chipped in 12. Those two will need some help if the Braves want to succeed this year. They are still adjusting to playing without two of their starters who are out with injuries.
Wichita St. (13-2, 4-0) vs. Missouri St. (12-3, 4-0)
Koch Arena; Wichita, KS
7:35 PM CST
ESPNU
The premiere game of the season happens tonight in Wichita. The early season favorites battle it out for the top spot in the conference. Based on home court advantage, the edge goes to the Shockers. The big three for the Shockers; David Kyles, J.T. Durley, and Toure’ Murry are all averaging double figures. The Shockers have scored 91 and 82 points in their last two home games, although that was against Evansville and Drake.
Missouri St. will have to lock in defensively to keep the crowd out of the game early. They cannot afford another slow start like they did in Omaha last week. Against Evanville, the Bears managed just a one point lead at halftime. All three Bear losses have been on the road. Coach Martin will need to get his team ready to go from the tipoff.
