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'Arch Madness' time for Missouri Valley Conference

JUST ONE league starting Thursday and it's one of the better ones at the mid-major level. The Missouri Valley Conference coined its tournament "Arch Madness" because it takes place in St. Louis. It also frequently provides hair-raising action, such as last year when top-seeded Wichita State fell in the semifinals and Creighton won the championship in overtime.

Creighton's Doug McDermott grabs a rebound against Wichita State in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, March 2, 2013. (Nati Harnik/AP)
Creighton's Doug McDermott grabs a rebound against Wichita State in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, March 2, 2013. (Nati Harnik/AP)Read more
    by ED BARKOWITZ
    Published 

JUST ONE league starting Thursday and it's one of the better ones at the mid-major level.

The Missouri Valley Conference coined its tournament "Arch Madness" because it takes place in St. Louis. It also frequently provides hair-raising action, such as last year when top-seeded Wichita State fell in the semifinals and Creighton won the championship in overtime.

Missouri Valley

Regular-season champ: Creighton, which had been ranked as high as 11th back in November, beat Wichita State on the final day of the regular season to claim its first outright crown since 2001.

Les Mizz: Creighton's Doug McDermott had 41 in the finale, was named the league's player of the year for the second straight season . . . Colt Ryan, of Evansville, actually is the MVC's leading career active scorer. But he's a senior and McDermott's a junior . . . Tyler Brown is one of three Illinois State players to score 1,000 points over two seasons. Tarise Bryson and Doug Collins are the others.

Big Dance prospects: Wichita State, the No. 2 seed, might have a better resume than Creighton. If both get to the conference final, both should get into the NCAAs. But if one stumbles beforehand, it'll make for a nervous week leading up to Selection Sunday.

Friday's previews: America East, Colonial, MAAC, Southern, Summit, Sun Belt.