For those new to the site, this “The Student Section Supports” segment takes a look at one specific matchup that has the potential to either be a surprising upset or an extremely tight game between two evenly matched teams. Generally speaking, this segment will steer clear of the top, marquee matchups due to the fact that there will be plenty of press about those games anyway. There’s about 15 games on television on Saturday, but this isn’t one of them. The Redbirds and the Bulldogs are the only undefeated teams in conference, so the winner really (temporarily) puts themselves in the driver’s seat in terms of an at-large war. What you need to know about both of these teams and what this game means for the Missouri Valley is behind the curtain.

When: Saturday, 8:30 ET.

ILLINOIS STATE (14-3): Fresh off of their 21-point slashing of Wichita State on Wednesday, Illinois State goes on the road really trying to prove a point here. They haven’t been relevant inside the conference in years and now seem to have caught magic in a bottle. But, like has happened to so many in this conference in recent times, quick starts can also be predecessors to quick falls. Will one loss cause a domino effect? I really can’t say with this team right now.

Could win because…They are a rare breed of mid-major in that they are pretty damn deep. ISU consistently runs out 10 guys and all of them are averaging upwards of 11 minutes/game. Osiris Eldridge (love that name, so throwback) leads the team in scoring (15.6/game) and also is grabbing nearly 6 boards/game as well. He’s an all-around player that ISU looks towards yet it doesn’t hurt them when facing other defenses because this team can get the baskets they need from about four players at any time. An added bonus: This is the best rebounding team that no one talks about.

Could lose because…You could make the argument that they might stiffen a little due to the newness of their relevancy. Then you see the opponent and notice that Drake isn’t exactly an age-old veteran in these circumstances, either. So what’s ISU’s weakness? I have to admit, I haven’t seen enough to really identify one. A road game inside the conference might be the biggest factor on Saturday.

DRAKE (15-1): The MVC is just wacky this year. Southern Illinois can’t catch a break and Wichita State is only shocking us for the bad reasons. Enter: Drake Bulldogs. They’ve got an astonishing-yet-almost-mandatory-MVC-appearance in the upper echelons of the RPI with a current ranking of 17. Their sole loss came in a road game against St. Mary’s back in November when the Gaels were playing about as crisp as anyone left of the Mississippi River.

Could win because…No one has beaten them at home so far this year (9-0). Like Iowa State, they are an excellent defensive team (both schools are allowing under 60 points per game) and although they have a schedule strength of 134 (according to kenpom.com) this team has been soundly defeating opponents up until their one-point win over Bradley on Wednesday. Their closest home win was a four point defeat of Atlantic 10 rep Duquesne. Aside from that, almost everything has been double-digit (and sometimes upwards of 25 point) wins.

Could lose because…Could the Bradley loss be a sign of some tired legs in a mid-season marathon? I don’t know, Bradley, regardless of their record, always hassles people in this conference. As for Drake’s weakness, well, they no longer have their go-to guy and top scorer Josh Young. His absence was immediately felt in the Bradley game. So you’ve got to assume that their could be a little bit of an identity problem for the Bulldogs over the next 7-10 days.

Friday, January 18th, 2008 @ 1:59 pm Student Section Supports
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