More Friday Night Recaps

Auburn 75, Missouri State 60
A somewhat under-the-radar game that will have implications for both the Missouri Valley and the SEC. For Missouri State, this seems to reinforce the idea that they're not quite ready to contend in the Valley. If they were going to be an at-large contender, this would be the type of game that they'd win. For Auburn, on the other hand, this is a pretty encouraging result. Not only the win, but the return of Korvortney Barber, who had been averaging 14 points and 7 rebounds per game last year when he was knocked out for the season on December 29th. Barber came back with a vengeance in this one, leading the way with 22 points and four offensive boards. Also, 20 assists on 28 made baskets from the field says a lot about the way this team plays together. They don't have the overall talent of the top SEC teams, but Auburn might just work their way into the bubble picture before all is said and done.

Virginia Tech 65, Gardner Webb 62
A somewhat discouraging start for a Virginia Tech team with Tournament hopes for this coming season. Of course, Gardner Webb isn't necessarily a pushover. Just ask Kentucky. In the end, the Hokies avoided a bad early season loss, and will hopefully improve as the season goes along. Malcolm Delaney seems to have established himself as a key ball handler for the Hokies, and A.D. Vassallo is picking up where he left off last season. A 19 point and 9 rebound performance from Jeff Allen is also encouraging. The Hokies will get tested again soon, as they head to the Puerto Rico Shootout. We'll see soon whether this game was a bump in the road, or a sign of a disappointing season for Virginia Tech.

Bradley 67, Illinois-Chicago 61
You may not be aware, but Bradley went down to Division III Wisconsin-Platteville this past Sunday. Even for an exhibition, a very disappointing performance for a team expected to contend for the Missouri Valley title this coming season. But exhibitions don't count, and games like this do, and Bradley is 1-0 as far as official records go. UIC is no pushover, and this is a solid early season victory for the Braves. Led by senior Theron Wilson (12 points, 13 rebounds), Bradley overcame some poor shooting to just find a way to win. And that's the way the Missouri Valley seems to be won every season, isn't it? It's always about which team can just find a way to win. Of course, Bradley steps up their strength of schedule pretty quickly, and they play Florida in Gainesville on Sunday.