HBCU Sports
  • SECTIONS
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Bowling
    • Other Sports
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Features
  • BANDS
  • PODCASTS
  • FORUMS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • DONATE
No Result
View All Result
HBCU Sports
  • SECTIONS
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Bowling
    • Other Sports
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Features
  • BANDS
  • PODCASTS
  • FORUMS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • DONATE
No Result
View All Result
HBCU Sports
No Result
View All Result

Home Basketball

Mississippi Valley State, Western Kentucky have a lot in common

Kendrick Marshall by Kendrick Marshall
March 12, 2012
0
37
VIEWS

You might also like

HBCU Sports National Signing Day blog: See how your favorite football team fared

Teniya Morant, Ja Morant’s sister, receives offer from Mississippi Valley State

These are the HBCU football players to watch ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft

When Mississippi Valley State faces Western Kentucky Tuesday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Dayton they will be looking at a mirror image of themselves.

The Hilltoppers (15-18), who won the Sun Belt tournament to secure its automatic bid into the field of 68, have a lot in common with the Delta Devils.

MVSU (21-12) started the regular season 1-11. Western Kentucky started its season 5-11 and fired then head coach Ken McDonald Jan. 5.

Western Kentucky and Mississippi Valley did share non-conference wins over Ohio Valley runner-up Tennessee State, though.

Mississippi Valley State was able to bounce back from their rocky start and win 17 of their next 18 games (all in Southwestern Athletic Conference play) in addition to capturing the regular season and conference tournament crowns.

Under interim head coach Ray Harper WKU won their last two regular season games, and then four more on four consecutive days to take the Sun Belt title. During the improbable run, the Hilltoppers knocked off Eastern Division champion Middle Tennessee State and then overcame a double-digit second-half hole to stun North Texas in the Sun Belt final.

Western Kentucky hasn’t lost since dropping a 61-66 decision to South Alabama Feb. 18.

WKU is the first team to make the tournament field with a losing record since Coppin State of the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference pulled off the feat in 2008. Ironically, that was the last time MVSU made the NCAAs.

“They had a magical run in their tournament,” head coach Sean Woods told the Clarion-Ledger after learning Western Kentucky would be the opponent.

That run coincided with improved production from untested, fresh-faced wide-eyed contributors. A far cry from the veteran-laden rosters that upset tournament regulars like Illinois and Drake just a few short years ago.

WKU has seven freshmen on its roster — one of the youngest teams in the entire tournament — is led by a pair of them. Derrick Gordon, a freshman guard from Plainfield, N.J., leads the team in points per game (11.8), rebounds (6.8) and is second on the team in assists (2.1). Swingman George Fant is second on the team in scoring (10.3) rebounds (6.0) and shoots 47.9 percent from the field.

“We were a team that really had to become a tougher basketball team,” Harper said. “I thought we got better each day. We got tougher and that’s why we’re still playing.”

The winner will take on No.1 overall seed Kentucky in Louisville.



Tags: Mississippi Valley State
Kendrick Marshall

Kendrick Marshall

Kendrick Marshall is an award-winning journalist and a graduate of Jackson State University.

Next Post

Prairie View A&M Women To Face Connecticut In First Round Of NCAA Tourney

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending

  • Albany State coach Quinn Gray apologizes for offering recruit who used N-word
  • HBCU Sports exclusive: Terry Sims says he’s disheartened by turmoil at Bethune-Cookman
  • Bethune-Cookman football team, administrators hold meeting to reconcile issues with program
  • Reggie Theus says Ed Reed has ‘no shot’ to be retained as Bethune-Cookman coach
  • Ex-Morgan State coach Tyrone Wheatley hired by Division II school
  • These are the HBCU football players to watch ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
  • Ex-Alabama A&M wide receiver Brian Jenkins Jr. transfers to SWAC school
  • These former HBCU football players are Super Bowl LVII bound
  • Bethune-Cookman president outlines reasons for school split from Ed Reed
  • Jackson State releases first schedule of new-look T.C. Taylor era

RSS HBCU Sports Forums

  • National Signing Day Thread 2023
  • Is TSU-Prairie View the best hbcu rivalry across all swac sports?
  • It's not good to lie
  • 2023 Football Schedules
  • JSU Football, the TC TAYLOR era!
  • RIP Jared Powell SuTrpt96
  • Rap Instrumentals
  • Encouragement - Motivation February 2023
  • Arena League Re-Launches with Black Commisioner
  • Lighten the Mood 10th Edition
  • TERMS & CONDITIONS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • COMMENT POLICY
  • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
 CONTACT US

© 2022 RASHAD MEDIA - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PARTNER OF IONE DIGITAL / CASSIUS NETWORK

No Result
View All Result
  • SECTIONS
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track & Field
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Bowling
    • Other Sports
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Features
  • BANDS
  • PODCASTS
  • FORUMS
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • DONATE

© 2022 RASHAD MEDIA - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PARTNER OF IONE DIGITAL / CASSIUS NETWORK

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

X