The season opener in the Missouri Valley has come and gone for all 11 teams. The league had a mostly good start to the season, but there was one major statement made, and it was by the league favorites.
Murray State looked every bit as good as some thought it could be in their Field of 68 Tip-Off matchup with Tennessee State. The Racers hammered the Tigers 94-64 in an 84-possession game. Both teams wanted to play fast and were successful in doing that, but it was Murray State that was able to control
the chaos.
Roman Domon was the KenPom MVP of the game, and while he made his fair share of mistakes (four turnovers), the French sophomore showed why he was the preseason favorite for Missouri Valley Player of the Year. Domon finished with 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting and was 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. He will have games where he will get to the line more often than he did, but there were moments where he displayed his basketball IQ by drawing fouls.
The Racers were way more than just Domon on Monday, and that’s what makes them so scary. Talis Soulhac and Kaden Magwood both impressed playing point, as Soulhac got to the line plenty and Magwood showcased his on-ball skill.
The Racers didn’t even have touted point guard Mark Padjen, who is sidelined with a knee injury. Brigham Rogers displayed nice passing out of the post, but maybe the most interesting thing Murray State did on Monday was Ryan Miller playing 12 players before the game was legitimately out of hand.
Elsewhere around the Missouri Valley
The other super notable result in the league took place in Moraga, California. Illinois State was firing on all cylinders on Monday night, and it looked like the Redbirds might pull off the opening night upset over new-era Saint Mary’s. The Gaels, however, were resilient and fought back to force overtime and eventually won 90-85. Illinois State shot 13-for-27 from distance and benefited from a 30-piece from Johnny Kinziger, but it wasn’t enough to get them over the hump. It looks like the Redbirds are still going to hedge ball screens, and I think that hurts their defense.
Other Eye-Opening Performances
Despite a losing effort, Karmani Gregory had 29 points and eight assists for Indiana State as the Sycamores battled with a good Charlotte team.
Belmont picked up an opening night victory over Southern Indiana behind 24 points and 4 assists from Jack Smiley. Smiley should be one of the top scorers in the league.
Another breakout candidate, JT Pettigrew, had 18 points in 24 minutes for Valpo in a comfortable win over Western Illinois. Keep an eye on Valpo freshman Rajon Roberts, who looked like an impactful piece for Roger Powell Jr.’s group.
UIC, Bradley, Evansville, SIU, Drake, and Northern Iowa all took down non-D1s to open the season.
