Indiana
A look at the Missouri Valley Conference basketball race and Bradley’s place in it
The Bradley Braves begin the final stretch of the 2023-24 Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball season with six games remaining — three at home and three on the road.
Bradley is 17-8 overall and 9-5 in the MVC, behind first-place Indiana State (22-3, 13-1) and second-place Drake (20-5, 11-3). The Braves are one game ahead of fourth-place Southern Illinois.
“We’ll be fighting for (a top-four) place every game now,” Bradley guard Duke Deen said Saturday after a 74-67 loss to Drake. “We could have created a little separation between the top 3 if we’d won it. Now we just gotta lock in every game.”
How good was Bradley in January? Really good according to this computer model
Bradley’s MVC schedule
The Braves close with home games against Illinois-Chicago, Illinois State and Southern Illinois, the latter a potential big game as the Salukis are now one game back of BU. The Braves also have road games with UNI, Missouri State and Drake, the latter 13-0 at home this season.
“You want to finish in the top 4, you want to get a bye at Arch Madness, that’s what I think everyone’s trying to do,” Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. “I think it will be hard to catch Indiana State with their schedule. But everyone is playing each other close right now, so anything can happen.
“We need to find a way to play defense for two halves, and play smarter. If we can do that and stay healthy, I love our chances come March.”
Bradley’s Malevy Leons agrees, saying the lessons learned from games like Drake will be beneficial come the MVC tournament, scheduled for March 7-10 in St. Louis. Bradley won Arch Madness in 2019 and 2020 and finished second last season.
“This is what we’re going to see in St. Louis, tough physical battles,” Leons said. “We got to learn from this and take it with us and make it fuel us and motivate us.”
MVC and the NCAA Tournament
The winner in St. Louis gets an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Yet with Indiana State, Drake and Bradley in control of the top three spots in the Valley race, is there a chance the MVC could be a multi-bid league for the dance? MVC commissioner Jeff Jackson — who was in attendance Saturday for the nationally televised game between Drake and Bradley — thinks so, especially with how well Indiana State is playing right now.
“Yes,” Jackson said. “I think Indiana State has proven to be at a special level. Certainly, the team is NCAA tournament-worthy if it doesn’t win the MVC tournament in March.”
After Indiana State, Drake is the next likely candidate for any potential at-large berth in the NCAAs for the Valley, which last got multiple NCAA bids in 2021 when Loyola-Chicago and Drake made the field of 68. Before that, the MVC had a stretch of four multi-bid seasons in five years between 2012 and 2016.
“The standings are what they are. I just think the league is really good,” Drake coach Darian DeVries said. “We knew what this was going to be like. We have to treat every game like it’s the one we need for a conference title.”
Indiana State is No. 20th in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, while Drake is 51st and Bradley 60th. The Sycamores are 1-3 against teams in the top 25 percent of the rankings (Quad 1) and a combined 11-0 against the next 50 percent (Quad 2 and Quad 3). Drake is 3-1 vs. Quad 1 and 2-1 vs. Quad 2, while Bradley is 1-2 vs. Quad 1 and 2-2 vs. Quad 2.
NET RANKINGS: How the NCAA ranks its college basketball teams
Indiana State also is among the teams receiving votes in The Associated Press and USA TODAY coaches polls. CBS Sports has the Sycamores at No. 19 in its most recent poll.
“I think people have no clue how good the Missouri Valley is or how good basketball is at this level,” Indiana State coach Josh Schertz said during the MVC coaches conference call on Feb. 5. “It’s just the way it works. So anytime you get recognition, it’s very much appreciated. Hopefully a credit not just to Indiana State but the Missouri Valley as a whole.
“It’s very much appreciated. The most important part of any story is how it ends. That’s all anybody remembers.”
Indiana
Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark
Indiana Fever win season series over Phoenix Mercury with late heroics
The game was up for grabs late, and without Caitlin Clark, it was Ty Harris delivering alongside the stars. IndyStar Fever insider Chloe Peterson details.
PHOENIX — The Indiana Fever barely eked out of Mortgage Matchup Arena with a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night on the second night of a back-to-back.
Caitlin Clark (rest) did not play after making her return on a minutes restriction on Wednesday against Los Angeles. Aliyah Boston, who missed the game against L.A. for precautionary reasons, finished with 19 points and eight rebounds against the Mercury.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting, adding on eight assists. She hit the game-winning layup with 10 seconds left. Tyasha Harris finished with 15 points and five assists, including a stretch of nine of 11 Fever points to close the gap.
Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas had 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Kahleah Copper added 22 points and five rebounds.
Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.
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What I liked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury
- Early 3-point shooting: One of Boston’s main focuses this offseason was improving her 3-point shot, and it’s coming to fruition. She made two 3-pointers in the first quarter, helping lead the Fever to six total makes beyond the arc in the opening 10-minute period. Harris, starting in place of Clark, had two 3-pointers in the first quarter, as well, with Lexie Hull and Mitchell each making one. At the time, it was big for the Fever to maintain a lead.
- Roaring back in the third quarter: Basketball is a game of runs, and the Fever embodied that. They led by 12 in the first, then trailed by four at halftime, then went on a 20-9 run over seven minutes in the third quarter to take a one-point lead by the end of the third. Mitchell was the one to lead that comeback, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting along with three assists in that quarter. The third was crucial for the Fever not just to get back into the lead, but, especially on a back-to-back, to try and have the mental fortitude to close the game out.
- Tyasha Harris coming in clutch: Harris’ role has expanded since Clark has been out (or limited), and she is making the most of her minutes. She scored nine points in the fourth quarter alone, including a 3-pointer with three minutes left to take the lead, then four straight points to give the Fever the lead again with 44 seconds left. She finished the game with 15 points and five assists, being the facilitator the Fever need while Clark recovers.
What I disliked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury
- Second-quarter slide: For the second straight game, the Fever held a double-digit lead in the first quarter then were trailing by halftime. The Fever allowed the Mercury to shoot 12 of 20 from the field in the second quarter (and 5 of 8 from 3-point range), completely negating the Fever’s six 3-pointers from the first quarter. Phoenix went on a 12-2 run over the final three minutes of the quarter, too, taking advantage of the Fever’s off the mark shots.
- Silly mistakes: In a close game like this, every possession matters. And every mistake compounds. The Fever had a few in the second half, including a shot-clock violation from Harris where she wasn’t even in shooting motion yet, a defensive three-seconds foul from Aliyah Boston, a backcourt violation from Kelsey Mitchell, and another shot clock violation from Raven Johnson to start the fourth quarter. All of those mistakes gives Phoenix extra points or extra possessions. While the Fever ultimately won the game, it made it closer than it needed to be.
What the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury means
Indiana (13-9) is a strong team offensively, but recently, the Fever haven’t been able to get out of their own way on defense. It showed in the runs they gave up to Phoenix, flip-flopping the lead and forcing the Fever to continue to play from behind. It worked out for Indiana this time around, finding what they needed when they needed it, but it won’t be sustainable long term.
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
Indiana
Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis on an attempted murder charge after police say he fired seven to eight rounds into a white GMC SUV occupied by three adults and four children last month in Bloomington before fleeing the area.
A news release issued Thursday from the Bloomington Police Department said members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s special weapons and tactics team took Kafern P. Johnson, 32, into custody near the intersection of West 84th Street and Allison Avenue in Indianapolis without incident.
The arrest came more than two weeks after the June 23 shooting in the 1000 block of North Summit Street. That’s in a residential area next to Crestmont Park in Bloomington.
Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch received 911 calls at 7:41 p.m. June 23 reporting gunfire in the area.
Responding patrol officers and detectives determined Johnson had fired into the SUV following a verbal fight with the vehicle’s driver. Police said the dispute stemmed from an argument over a relationship.
No injuries were reported despite the number of people inside the vehicle.
Following his arrest, Johnson was taken to an IMPD facility for questioning and later booked into the Marion County jail. On Thursday morning, he was booked into the Monroe County jail.
The release said Johnson could face felony charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a firearm, and pointing a firearm. No formal charges have yet been filed, according to online court records.
Bloomington police asked anyone with additional information to call 812-349-3324.
This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.
Indiana
FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME
Fairfield native, David K. Wells, 69, and his wife Aileen, were found dead inside their home in Newburgh, Indiana, Monday night. Warrick County Sheriff Michael Wilder said that deputies responded to the residence just before 8:00 p.m. after dispatch received a call around 7:40 p.m. from a friend of the family requesting a welfare check. When officers didn’t get an answer at the door, they entered through the back of the home and found the couple deceased. Officers cleared the home and waited for detectives to arrive. Investigators also obtained a search warrant to do a further examination of the residence. Authorities were able to notify family members and conduct interviews to gather additional information. Sheriff Wilder said investigators believe the couple had been dead for less than 24 hours before they were found. He also said there is no indication of any forced entry or an intruder. Sheriff Wilder has not made a formal determination as to what happened. Autopsies for the couple were scheduled for yesterday morning to help determine a cause. David Wells grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1975. He had a long career in television commercial production in Evansville and had more recently operated the Cigar! Cigar! tobacco store in Evansville.
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