As the league Tweeted last week, we are less than a month away from Arch Madness. They asked “who’s ready”, but it is kind of hard to be ready with the event still shrouded in so much mystery. Will there be fans? Will all the teams qualify? Will it be held at the Enterprise Center? Will it even happen at all? Openly, I hope that the folks that want to go are able to enjoy the event safely. Selfishly, I hope they don’t allow fans. I have a baby at home and have made the decision not to go this year, and if fans aren’t allowed my 17-event streak will not be snapped! Several other leagues have already made significant adjustments to the locations and formats of their tournaments, and there is even some debate as to whether league tournaments should happen at all (due to safety concerns as well as strict NCAA testing protocols for the big dance). The tournament is less than four weeks away, so I guess we’ll find out the details sooner or later. Anyway, here are this week’s power rankings.
Week 11: MVC Power Rankings
1.) Loyola, 17-3, 12-1, NET 14, BPI 16 (Up One): After two wins over Evansville and a Drake loss to Valparaiso, the Ramblers reclaim the top spot in the rankings on the eve of the conference deciding series with the Bulldogs this weekend. After this week’s games the Ramblers have cracked the top 25, coming in at #22 in the AP and #23 in the coaches poll. Loyola’s computer numbers remain solid as well, and they have positioned themselves as one of the few mid majors who would have a shot at an at-large bid. There is still a lot of work to do, though, to get to that point (Lunardi currently has them as an 8-seed). Game one was a businesslike 68-55 win for the Ramblers who shot 55% and committed just six turnovers while forcing fifteen. The game was close for most of the first half, although Loyola went on a run to end it with a nine-point lead. They more-or-less held a multiple possession advantage for most of the second half and increased the lead to 16 with 12:08 to go. The Aces got within nine but could get no closer as both teams cruised to a low scoring finish (Evansville outscored the Ramblers 14-11 over the final 12 minutes). Cameron Krutwig put on a Larry Bird Trophy-esque performance with 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Ramblers by a wide margin in both categories. Game two played out similarly, as Loyola won for the tenth time in a row, 69-58. It was a close game for about eight minutes before a seven-and-a-half minute scoring drought by Evansville allowed Loyola to build a ten-point lead. The lead was 13 by halftime. Loyola maintained a comfortable edge the rest of the way. UE got within four points on two occasions, but the Ramblers answered and extended the lead both times. After Drake’s loss the two teams should be on even ground in the loss column when they square off this weekend in Des Moines. Saturday’s game will be a morning start (11am central) on ESPN2, while Sunday’s game will be a 2pm start on ESPNU. The league title and possible NCAA Tournament spots are on the line.
2.) Drake, 18-1, 9-1, NET 32, BPI 57 (Down One): The Bulldogs’ spent one glorious moment in the sun as a top 25 team but their winning streak and undefeated status went away this Sunday in a loss to Valpo. The ‘Dogs had been playing with fire a bit recently in games against Valpo, Illinois State and Missouri State, and on Sunday they finally got burned. The loss illustrates the lack of margin for error mid major teams are afforded as their NET dropped 18 spots, BPI dropped eight spots, they dropped from top 25 in both polls to way down the “other’s receiving votes” list and they went from an 8-seed safely in in bracketology to an 11-seed and the sixth-to-last team in the field. After one loss. That said, the Bulldogs are still in the at-large hunt and very much on the bubble. And it starts with a throwdown with Loyola in Des Moines this weekend. In their first game last weekend the Bulldogs struggled but pulled out the win at Valpo, 80-77. Valpo played a good game and led at the half by a score of 43-35. The Bulldogs chipped away but did not take the lead until the 8:33 mark. It was back and forth from there with Valpo leading 69-65 with 4:54 to go. Drake knuckled down in the clutch, holding the Crusaders scoreless for the next 4:18 while the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run to put the game away. Five Bulldogs scored in double figures led by double-doubles by Shanquan Hemphill (18 and 12) and Tremell Murphy (11 and 11). The second game started out similarly, and this time Drake was unable to recover. A close game in the early going, Valpo went on a 13-2 run to take a ten-point lead with eight minutes to go in the half. That lead extended to 13 by halftime and 18 early in the second stanza. The teams mostly traded baskets from there, with Drake never getting within single-digits. Valpo won 74-57. The Bulldogs have three nationally televised games this week. If they can avoid slipping up in a trap game against UNI on Wednesday (6pm on CBSSN), Drake will be on equal footing with Loyola in the loss column when they host the Ramblers at 11am Saturday (ESPN2) and 2pm Sunday (ESPNU) with the MVC title on the line.
3.) Missouri State, 11-5, 7-5, NET 109, BPI 144 (No Change): The Bears were able to shake off their disappointment in their 0-4 performance against Loyola and Drake to rebound and take both games in Normal this weekend. Although they aren’t really NCAA or NIT contenders, the wins put MSU in the driver’s seat in the race to be the “best of the rest” and claim the 3-seed at Arch Madness. In game one, MSU pulled away late to beat the Redbirds in a contest that was competitive throughout. Other than a short blip where MSU led by 7, no one led by more than 3 in a back and forth first half. MSU went on a 10-1 run early in the second half to take a 53-44 lead, but ISU battled back to cut the lead to one with 5:34 to go. An 8-0 run over the next 3 minutes gave Missouri State a 67-58 lead with 2:29 to go and that put the game away. Isiah Mosley scored 19 points and Gaige Prim added a double-double (14 and 11) to secure the road win for MSU, 74-67. Damarcus Sharp and Jared Ridder also scored 15 each for the Bears. The second game played out similarly, as the contest was back and forth for much of the first half until MSU pulled away for an eight-point lead at the break. The Bears went cold early in the second half, and Illinois State used an 11-0 run to briefly take a one-point lead. MSU responded with a 10-2 run to take a seven-point led, and never trailed from there although the Redbirds cut it to two at one point. Missouri State won 72-62. Isiaih Mosley scored 24 and nabbed eight rebounds, while Gaige Prim scored 16 points and grabbed six boards. Missouri State hosts travel partner Southern Illinois on Wednesday before wrapping up their home schedule against Bradley on Saturday and Sunday.
4.) Indiana State, 11-8, 8-6, NET 123, BPI 163 (No Change): Indiana State’s seven-game winning streak was snapped in the cold of Cedar Falls on Sunday, but the Trees are still in good position for a top half MVC finish after this weekend’s results. That’s not a bad place to be for a team that started the league slate 0-4. ISU shrugged off a sluggish start to win the first game 61-57. Trailing 18-9 with 12 minutes to go in the first half, Indiana State turned it on defensively allowing just ten points over the next 12 minutes (including a lucky off balance last-second shot by UNI at the buzzer) while forcing eight turnovers. That continued into the second half as the Sycamores allowed only five points over the first eight minutes giving them a 20-minute run where they allowed just 15 UNI points. Still, they were only able to build a 40-33 lead in that time. ISU held a multiple possession lead for most of the remainder of the game and UNI never seriously challenged. Tyreke Key scored 31 points on 12-18 shooting, good for over half of ISU’s points. Indiana State was not able to shrug off a sluggish finish in game two, losing to UNI 70-67. The Trees held the lead for most of the first half, but UNI was able to hang around and close the half down only four, 35-31. After trading baskets to start the second half, ISU’s defense kept UNI mostly off the board for five minutes allowing Indiana State to build a 54-41 lead. UNI’s offense woke up from that point forward while ISU went as cold as the temperatures outside the McLeod Center. After a Cam Bacote three-pointer gave the Sycamores a 57-47 lead with 10:08 to go, ISU did not score a basket from the field again for over nine minutes. By that time, their lead had turned into a deficit. They didn’t give up though and had a three-pointer in the air at the buzzer that would have tied the game. It missed, and the Trees’ winning streak came to an end. ISU Blue has completed more of their schedule than anyone else in the MVC. They have just one game this week, Sunday at Evansville.
5.) Evansville, 8-10, 6-6, NET 230, BPI 261 (No Change): I decided not to punish Evansville for two moderately competitive road losses to the top team in the league (plus there aren’t a lot of good options behind them), so they will stay put right here at #5. They didn’t get a win, or really even come close, but the Aces began the most difficult portion of their schedule by at least avoiding embarrassment in Rogers Park. In the first game UE showed decently despite a 13-point loss. Playing on the road against a Loyola team that has simply been blowing everybody out, the Aces went back-and-forth with Loyola until a late Rambler run gave them a 9-point lead at the half. UE cut the lead to three early in the half before another Loyola run extended the lead to 16. From there the teams cruised to a 68-55 Rambler win. Noah Frederking was the Aces best player with 15 points. UE committed 15 turnovers to Loyola’s six and only shot one free throw to Loyola’s 13. The second game played out similarly, ultimately finishing in a 69-58 win for Loyola. A close game early on, UE went nearly eight minutes without a point midway through the first half. This allowed Loyola to build a five-point lead that eventually ballooned to 13 by halftime. The Aces did claw back twice in the second half. They got within four points at both the 11:34 and 5:12 marks of the game. Unfortunately for the purple and orange, Loyola was able to respond both times and the game never got within a single possession in the second half. Shamar Givance (17), Jawaun Newton (16) and Noah Frederking (14) led the scoring for UE. Evansville’s lone game this week comes at home against Indiana State on Sunday.
6.) Valparaiso, 7-12, 4-6, NET 235, BPI 252 (Up One): I nearly overreacted and moved Valpo up two spots to fifth (and four spots up from where they were two weeks ago) after their win over 25th ranked Drake. Then I remembered how Valpo just got swept by Evansville last week and decided not to move the Crusaders above UE. Still, it was a huge win for Valpo knocking Drake from the likes of the unbeatens. Not just from the standpoint of getting a top-25 win, but also from the standpoint of play-in avoidance. That game could end up being the difference when the dust has settled. It was looking like the Crusaders were on their way to an upset in game one as well, as they led the Bulldogs for most of the contest at the ARC. Unfortunately, they went dry late in an 80-77 loss. Trailing by six early on, Valpo outscored Drake 38-24 over the last 16 minutes of the first half, shooting over 50% from deep in the first frame. VU extended its lead to as much as ten early in the second half and continued to hold the lead until the 8:33 mark. With 4:54 to go, a Sheldon Edwards 3-pointer gave VU a 69-65 lead. But the Crusaders would fail to score for over four game minutes, as Drake went on an 11-0 run to pull away for the win. The freshman Edwards led four double-digit scorers for VU with 20, while Ben Krikke added 16. Valpo would get off to another early lead in game two, and this time they didn’t take their foot off the gas. An early 13-2 run gave the Crusaders a 24-14 lead with 7:55 to go in the first half. They never really looked back from there. After Valpo took a 34-23 lead with just under three minutes to go in the half, the lead never fell into single digits again. VU increased their lead to 18 early in the second half and basically cruised from there. The closest Drake could get was 60-50 at the 4:26 mark. VU went on to win 74-57. The Valpo defense held Drake to 2-15 shooting from deep (6-45 on the weekend) and made 24 of 29 free throws (Drake was just 9-17). Ben Krikke led a balanced attack with 15 points while Donovan Clay had a monster day on the boards with 14 to go along with his 9 points. Valpo hosts a big play-in avoidance game with Bradley on Wednesday in a rematch of their exciting double OT game from two weeks ago. They head to Cedar Falls to face UNI on the weekend.
7.) Southern Illinois, 9-7, 3-7, NET 199, BPI 231 (Down One): Despite playing without Marcus Domask for the sixth straight game, SIU showed well in a split at Bradley over the weekend. Domask is, apparently, close to returning. For that reason, I still give SIU the benefit of the doubt as they have gone 2-4 playing mostly on the road without their leader. The first game was very back-and-forth for most of the game until Bradley pulled away at the end for the win. The Salukis trailed by nine early in the first half, but quickly recovered playing it even the rest of the way and trailing at the break by just one. The Braves again went on a little run early in the second half, but SIU again closed the deficit. The bulk of the second half played out similarly to the first with the teams going back-and-forth, but Bradley was able to get a little bit of separation with an 11-3 run to take a seven-point lead with 3:49 to go. From there both teams cruised to the finish and the Braves won 74-66. Lance Jones (15) and Steven Verplancken Jr (14) led the way for the Salukis who were 11-22 from deep, but just 11-29 inside the arc and 11-19 from the foul line (while Bradley was 20-21). The Salukis got their revenge in game two. Bradley led for most of the first half, building a lead as big as eight and holding a six-point lead at the break. Floorburn U kicked in in the second half as the Bradley offense stalled for large portions of the frame. After an early BU basket, SIU outscored the Braves 23-8 over ten minutes early in the second half to claim an 8-point lead. Leading 64-55 with 8:10 to go, SIU’s offense then followed Bradley’s and stalled. They had to depend on their defense to hang on. The Salukis went nearly four minutes without a basket, but when they scored again at the 4:18 mark they still held a four-point lead. With 3:50 to go they scored to take a 68-62 lead but were only able to score one point the rest of the way. With the score tied at 68, Lance Jones was able to make the second of two free throws with two seconds to go and SIU held on for a 69-68 win. Three Salukis played 36+ minutes (Brown, Jones and Verplancken), while another (Filewich) played 30. That group included three sophomores and a freshman and none of them were their BEST underclassman in Domask. Trent Brown led all scorers with fourteen points. Southern will play at Missouri State on Wednesday before hosting Illinois State on Saturday and Sunday.
8.) Bradley 10-11, 4-8, NET 151, BPI 117 (No Change): Bradley was able to end their losing streak, but was only able to pull off a split at home to the Domask-less SIU Salukis. I think it is time to start ringing the play-in game panic bell in Peoria. Now sitting with a 4-8 record and with losses to Illinois State, UNI, SIU and Valpo in the books, the Braves might be in trouble. The losing streak did finally come to an end as the Braves toppled Southern Illinois 74-66 on Saturday at home. This game was back-and-forth for most of the contest. BU went on a mini run early in both the first and second halves to get a little separation, only to see SIU battle back in both instances and trade baskets with the Braves. This game was within three points one way or the other for most of the way, but the Braves did go on another mini-run with about five minutes left in the contest to get separation for a third time. This time it stuck, and they were able to cruise to a win. Terry Nolan’s 23 points led all scorers while Elijah Childs had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. BU made 20 of 21 free throws by six different guys. That was probably the difference as SIU was just 11-19 from the charity stripe. On Sunday, the Braves were unable to get a sweep as SIU pulled out a close 69-68 win. Bradley led early, pulling out to a 34-26 lead with 7:11 to go in the first half and maintaining a 43-37 halftime lead. They went ice cold in the second half, scoring just nine points in an 11:50 stretch over the second half that saw SIU take the lead. The Braves lost even though they were able to hold SIU to five points over the last 8:10 of the contest. Lance Jones hit the second of two free throws (after a questionable call) to allow SIU to hang on 69-68. Elijah Childs was kept quiet (7 points, 6 rebounds) but Rienk Mast (14 and 8) and JaShon Henry (17 and 5) stepped up for the Braves in the loss. BU has a big game (if they want to dig out of the play-in hole) at Valpo on Wednesday before they head to Springfield to face Missouri State on Saturday and Sunday. The time is now for BU if they want to salvage the season.
9.) Northern Iowa, 6-12, 4-8, NET 191, BPI 165 (No Change): The Panthers continued to be streaky offensively, but had enough to end Indiana State’s winning streak and get a split with the red-hot Sycamores in Cedar Falls. Despite the team’s struggles (and they look REAL BAD sometimes) the Panthers continue to give extended minutes to four freshmen and a couple sophomores whose experience will hopefully prove fruitful in the next couple years. Extended periods of nothingness have become commonplace for the UNI Panthers, and it cost them again in game one at home against Indiana State. UNI played a solid first eight minutes both offensively and defensively in jumping out to an 18-9 lead. Then they went into nothing mode. For the next 12 minutes UNI scored just ten points (including an acrobatic unlikely buzzer beater) and committed eight turnovers. The chill continued into the first eight minutes of the second half where UNI was able to score just five points and committed three more turnovers. That equaled to a 20-minute stretch where the Panthers scored 15 points and committed 12 turnovers (and were outscored 31-15). UNI recovered to play a little better for the remainder of the game, but never seriously challenged ISU in a 61-57 loss. The UNI defense allowed Tyreke Key to go off for 31 points on 12-18 shooting. Northern Iowa was once again were abysmal at the line (8-15) and were led in scoring with 11 each from Trae Berhow (who was just 4-13 from the floor) and Austin Phyfe (who personally committed more turnovers than the entire Loyola team did Saturday….7 to 6). Sunday was the same story, but in reverse as Indiana State suffered a prolonged drought and UNI was able to rally from down 13 in the second half for a 70-67 win. The Panthers were behind for most of the first half, trailing by as many as ten points at one juncture, but rallied to close within four at the break. UNI went cold to start the second half as Indiana State built a lead as big as 54-41 with 11:24 to go. Just over a minute later Cam Bacote made a three for ISU to give them a 57-47 lead, but that would be the last made basket ISU would score for nearly ten game minutes. As the Sycamore offense floundered, UNI slowly chipped away. An 8-0 run got the Panthers within one, 59-58, with 4:34 to go. After trading free throws for a couple minutes, UNI finally broke through with a Trae Berhow three-pointer and an and-one by Noah Carter to give UNI a 68-63 lead. ISU would battle back to have a 3 in the air to tie, but it missed, and UNI held on for a 70-67 win. Noah Carter has emerged as an X-factor for Northern Iowa. The Panthers’ best performances seem to coincide with big days from the streaky forward. Carter scored 25 points, hitting five threes, and grabbed 13 rebounds in Sunday’s Panther win. Austin Phyfe added 17 and 8 (on 6-8 shooting) for UNI who followed the blueprint they need to follow to have success. UNI hits the road to face Drake on Wednesday before coming home for a pair with Valpo on Saturday and Sunday.
10.) Illinois State, 5-14, 2-11, NET 258, BPI 275 (No Change): The only teams that failed to get a win this weekend were Evansville (who faced Loyola in Chicago) and Illinois State. While they played two competitive games with MSU at home, they were not able to get over the hump and end their six-game losing streak. In game one, the Redbirds again gave it a ride, but again came up short in a 74-67 loss to Missouri State at home. This one was a close and exciting affair throughout much of the contest. With one short exception, neither team led by more than 3 points until the 15-minute mark of the second half. At that point, MSU went on a 10-1 run to pull ahead by nine. But ISU did not give up. With 5:34 to go, the Redbirds had closed the cap to 59-58. But they would never get over the hump. MSU went on an 8-0 run to take a nine-point lead with 2:29 to go, and cruised from there for the win. The Redbirds, who played without Josiah Strong, were led by 23 from DJ Horne and 17 from a resurgent Antonio Reeves. Strong returned for game two, as Illinois State was again competitive in a 72-62 loss. A back-and-forth first half ended with a late MSU run that put ISU down by eight at the break. The second half started well for Illinois State who began the half on a 13-4 run over the first eight minutes which gave them the lead briefly, 47-46. Unfortunately for ISU, while they kept it close for much of the remainder of the game, they were unable to ever retake the lead. They were down just three with 4:24 to go, and within four with under two minutes to go, but were never able to reclaim the lead in the loss. DJ Horne led the Redbirds with 18 points, while Josiah Strong scored 14 off the bench in his return from injury. Dusan Mahorcic only scored 5 points but contributed a monster 15 boards. ISU has a pair at SIU this weekend.
MID MAJOR TIDBITS
A rundown of some of the nation’s top mid-majors is below. If numbers are in parenthesis it is their NET Rankings/BPI Ranking. I did this over the course of a few days so the rankings may be a little wonky in places the same way a panorama picture can look a little odd.
-American: Houston (5/4) was being considered for a one-seed before they took a surprising L at East Carolina who was 2-6 in the league. They did rebound for a 112-46 win over…..would you look at that…OUR LADY OF THE LAKE. That L has them penned into a 2-seed in bracketology right now. No other AAC teams are listed in the field on bracketology, although SMU (57/55) has cracked the “next four out” list as the 7th team out after handling East Carolina. Memphis (60/52) handled their business and does have two more shots at Houston on the schedule starting this Sunday. Wichita State (75/109), and Tulsa (103/96) continue to be NIT bubble teams, but they aren’t in the NCAA discussion.
-A-10: The saga of the Saint Louis Billikens (43/38) continued this week. They must be having one of the most unique seasons in a year full of unique seasons. After a 34-day layoff in which they became ranked, they returned last week for one game (a loss) before the next one was again cancelled. They played twice this week, losing to 8-11 La Salle only to recover for a win over league leading Saint Bonaventure (40/55). They are currently the second team out in bracketology, and they are going to have to make the most of their limited remaining schedule to make the committee’s life difficult. As for the Bonnies, their loss to SLU was their only game this week and they are still listed as the A-10’s automatic representative in bracketology since they lead the league. Their 11-seed would put them on the bubble, as that is the same seed line of the bottom four. VCU (41/69) snuck by Rhode Island this week and are listed as the last team in, playing Oregon in the First Four. Richmond (51/44) who hasn’t played since January 26th, is listed as the sixth team out. Davidson (67/47) also hasn’t played since December 24th and is more likely an NIT team. Rhode Island (88/82) is an NIT candidate and can still be a decent win for teams. Same with Dayton (86/87) and Umass (104/103).
-West Coast: Gonzaga (2/2) is still the best. BYU’s (28/30) numbers got a big bump, up ten spots in both, with a win over Portland and a loss at home to Gonzaga. This despite games with San Diego and Saint Mary’s getting postponed. They are currently listed as a 9-seed on Bracketology. No other WCC teams are serious contenders. Saint Mary’s (63/93) is still sitting at 2-3 and hasn’t played since January 23rd. Same for San Francisco (84/92) who still clings to their win over Virginia.
-Mountain West: The top of the Mountain West standings continues to be a mess. Utah State (49/49) sits atop the standings with an 11-2 record after getting a win over Fresno. Their second game with Fresno and their series this week with Wyoming has been cancelled. They are listed as the MWC automatic bid and a 12-seed, which would be the last seed line for an at-large. Although they are technically in 4th place, the computers favor San Diego State (21/19) who has wins over UCLA and Arizona State, beat San Jose State this week, and are currently listed as a 9-seed in bracketology. Boise State (36/48) had a real rough week losing twice to Nevada. They are now listed as the 5th-to-last team in as an 11-seed. The other team factoring in is Colorado State (47/74) who swept Wyoming this week. They are listed as the first team out. Nevada (106/106) is putting together a nice season but is not an NCAA factor.
-Conference USA: Not much changed in the C-USA this week. While they don’t lead the league and the computers don’t care for them, Western Kentucky (78/84) continues to be on Joe Lunardi’s radar as the 8th team out although they haven’t played since January 24th. The Hilltoppers losses are to West Virginia, Louisville, Charlotte and Louisiana Tech, while they carry wins over the likes of Memphis and Alabama. The most likely path for them is still winning the CUSA Tournament, but it appears their noncon gives them hope if they fail to do that. UAB (69/78) swept UTEP to remain atop the league standings. They are listed as the CUSA autobid, and as a 13-seed it looks like they wouldn’t be an at-large contender at this time according to bracketology. Marshall (71/70) took a loss to Old Dominion and is looking like an NIT bubble team at this point with a 4-4 league record. North Texas (79/78) and Louisiana Tech (105/100) are also decent C-USA teams and they split with each other this week.
-Other Interesting Squads: Winthrop (81/101) did not play this week and remains as one-loss team. Despite this, they fell from the 12 line to the 13 line in bracketology which would mean they would not be in the at-large discussion at this time. Furman (85/96) currently sits in 4th in the SoCon after taking an L to Wofford (99/104). Greensboro (102/86) was in first briefly until they lost to the Paladins to fall into second. Despite a loss to VMI earlier in the week, Wofford retained the league lead and are listed as a 13-seed. East Tennessee State (120/145) has found its way into the middle of this ruckus as well with a 7-3 league record. Colgate (15/65) out of the Patriot League continues to defy math with its 15 NET ranking despite nothing remarkable in their schedule. They didn’t play this week and wont until February 20th. Colgate isn’t even currently listed as the Patriot League’s auto bid due to being half a game behind Navy (listed as a 14 seed) who also won’t play until February 20th. Toledo (61/75) took an L to Ball State but is still winning the MAC and is still listed as a 12-seed autobid by bracketology. Kent State (90/115), Buffalo (95/98) and Akron (87/109) also have provided decent MACtion. Belmont (69/79) is now 20-1 in the OVC after road wins at EIU and SIUE and were bumped to the 12 line from the 13 line (which puts them in the bubble conversation as well). In the Big West, UC Santa Barbara (53/72) has built a solid computer profile, but it is actually UC-Irvine (112/95) who listed as the Big West’s rep in bracketology (14-seed) due to their sweep of the Gauchos earlier in the season. Wright State (56/64) is still technically a game behind Cleveland State (156/206) in the Horizon, which has the Vikings listed as a 15-seed by Lunardi.
-Our Lady of the Lake Update: Seemingly done for the year, the Saints emerged from the lake for the first time since December 20th to provide 5th ranked Houston with a 112-46 win. OLOTL now has played nine games, all of which were against DI teams. Every game against teams at their level has been cancelled, and there are only two more listed. This is such a weird squad, and there is little to no information as to why their season has gone the way it has anywhere. Stay tuned as we continue to peel this onion.