WhoÂ’s Bret Vandergard and whatÂ’s he done for us lately?

[Wayne23]

Ya can't miss with a name like Cleveland Brown! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

[PointGuard]

Ya can't miss with a name like Cleveland Brown! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

This hasn't been officially confirmed but sources say that Cleveland Brown has had a bit of a falling out with his family and is considering legally changing his name to Baltimore Raven.

[PointGuard]

Game #20, Feb. 1, 2019: Illinois State Redbirds (8-11, 5-5) at Missouri State Bears (11-8, 5-5)

After taking a bath on that Missouri State loss a couple weeks ago, I laid off betting on their games. But their inconsistent play has created a golden opportunity. Also Illinois State has won 4 of their last 5 games. Although the Bears are favorites to beat a team they lost to by 4 points earlier this year, that was an away game for the Bears and the book for this game has a very low spread, so low that I think a bet on the Bears is my chance to make up what I lost earlier. Also, when I took him out to lunch yesterday, I picked up from Bret Vandergard that Bart McCain has recuperated and will start at PG again tonight. That’s not news that others know yet. So I’m plunging in again and the Bears better deliver this time.

Both teams come out slow, but the Bears put on a big run to pull out to a 15-4 lead with 12:25 on the clock in the half. Missouri State dominated all aspects of the game in the first half and stormed off to a 37-19 halftime advantage. SG Brent Gregory topped their scoring with 11 points.

In the 2nd half, Missouri State quickly opened a 20 point lead then the lead oscillated between 15 and 20 points throughout most of the rest of the game. The Bears won with ease and I pocketed a wad of money.

Final Score: Missouri State (12-8, 6-5, 2nd place tie)—74, Illinois State—61.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-16 pts, 2 assists, 6 reb, 2 steals; SF Quinton Asbury-11 pts, 4 reb; PG Bart McCain-10 pts, 6 assists, 1 reb, 2 steals; PF Ricky Lee-10 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: SG Brent Gregory-16 pts, 2 assists, 6 reb, 2 steals.

For Illinois State: PG John Gresham-26 pts.

[PointGuard]

Game #21, Feb. 4, 2019: Drake Bulldogs (15-7, 6-5) at Missouri State Bears (12-8, 6-5)

The Missouri State Bears came into last night’s game wanting some revenge. Their opponents, the Drake Bulldogs had beaten the Bears earlier in the season by 5 points and now were tied with the Bears for 2nd place in the conference standings.

Led by Brent Gregory’s 12 points, the Bears gradually pulled away to a 39-25 halftime lead.

The Bears expanded their lead to 23 points after just 4 minutes of play in the 2nd half. They then held the Bulldogs off to score a big win at home. The Bears outshot Drake 52% to 33%, controlled the boards to the tune of 34-25, and held a 16-13 turnover advantage.

Final Score: Missouri State (13-8, 7-5, 2nd place tie)—71, Drake—51.

Leading players for Missouri State: SG Brent Gregory-22 pts, 3 assists, 4 reb, 2 steals; PG Bart McCain-11 pts, 6 reb, 1 steal; PF Ricky Lee-8 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: SG Brent Gregory-22 pts, 3 assists, 4 reb, 2 steals.

Award: SG Brent Gregory was announced as the MVC Player of the Week.

[PointGuard]

Things are going well with us here in Springfield. Bret has been great with Tommy. He’s spent far more time with Tommy than I expected. Tommy revels in the attention, and I think Bret really enjoys doing things with Tommy. They often just play, but have also gone bowling, to miniature golf, and laser tag as well as practicing basketball. Tommy still doesn’t like school but Bret has also been helping Tommy with his homework so maybe that will change. What Tommy really loves is when Bret takes him to practice sessions with the Bears. The players treat Tommy like a little king so what child wouldn’t love that. And Tommy is getting pretty good handling and shooting the basketball. Bret wants Tommy to participate in a youth league next year.

Meaghan Kriley has also spent time with Tommy, although she’s not over here as much as I’d expected. Last week she took Tommy to the TV station where he got a great tour and even got to aim the cameras and push some buttons in the control room before one of the programs. But the job Tommy said he really wants is the guy who goes out to get food and drinks for the TV personalities. Meaghan says that guy is part of Craft Services and is a “Runner” for the station and is the lowest paid person on the staff. My son has really high goals, huh!

[PointGuard]

Hey Bears fans! This is Steve Praholm. After practice this afternoon, I caught up with Brent Gregory, who leads the Bears in scoring this season. Here’s a replay of my interview:

SP: Hey Brent, congratulations on your selected as the conference player of the week! Your play led the Bears to a couple crucial wins.

BG: Thanks. But the entire team picked up their level of play. We weren’t happy at all with how we had been playing.

SP: Well, you’ve climbed up the conference standings. Are you going to be able to catch up with Southern Illinois?

BG: The Salukis have been playing solid ball and don’t seem about to let up. So all we can do is give it our best each and every game and let the chips fall where they may. The main thing is to continue to improve our record and then win the conference tournament to ensure we make it to the Big Dance. The main thing is for us to play with more intensity in our road games. We’re 2-and-4 thus far on the road in conference play and that sucks!

SP: You also were recently selected as a quarterfinalist for the Norton Award. That puts you in some pretty impressive company and is a big honor for Missouri State also since we’ve never had anyone in the running before.

BG: Yes, I’m truly honored to be considered for that award. There are some big name players who are the favorites to win it though, but I’m happy to have gotten this far.

[PointGuard]

Game #22, Feb. 8, 2019: Missouri State Bears (13-8, 7-5) at Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (11-10, 5-7)

I graduated from Missouri State 10 years ago and moved to Chicago where I’m now a Buyer at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. I’ve been following the Bears since graduating, but even more so since Coach Vandergard took over the reins and brought hope for some success that has long eluded Missouri State in basketball. I’ve always liked basketball, even though I could never play it well. I’m particularly interested to see how Marquis Hollins, the big 7-1 freshman that Vandergard recruited, plays and ultimately develops for the Bears. My job doesn’t allow me much free time so I can only see the Bears play when they come to Chicago each year.

Watching the pregame warmup, Hollins looks even bigger than his 7-1, 275 pounds. Loyola-Chicago has a 6-11 center, Brian Burroughs, so I can’t wait to see how Hollins matches up against him.

Hollins comes off the bench after the first 5 minutes with the score tied at 10-10. While he doesn’t do anything offensively, defensively he’s intimidating inside. The Bears take an 18-15 lead in the 5 minutes he’s on the court. Hollins comes back into the game with about 4 minutes to play in the half and scores 5 points to help the Bears rally from a 5 points deficit to take a 42-39 halftime advantage. SF Quintin Asbury leads the Bears offensively with 11 points.

The refs begin to work over the Bears in the 2nd half. But the Bears are able to maintain a very small lead until late in the game when the Ramblers and their 6th men (the refs) break through to take a small lead. Missouri State battle back though and retakes a 70-69 lead with 3:35 remaining. With 40 seconds left, Aaron Wells is fouled and knocks down both shots to put the Bears on top 78-76. The Bears apply great defense, preventing the Ramblers from shooting until 17 seconds remain and then forcing a miss. After the Bears rebound, the Ramblers are forced to foul Joey Jones with 14 seconds on the clock. Jones makes the first but misses the 2nd shot and then Loyola-Chicago hits a 3 to tie the game. Vandergard calls a time out to set a play. Even though he gets a good screen, Bart McCain 12 footer rattles out at the buzzer.

In overtime, a combination of stone-cold shooting and repeated turnovers by the Bears together with frequently whistled fouls by the refs to put the Ramblers on the line spells disaster. Coach Vandergard is increasingly apoplectic on the sidelines during the OT. As a fan, I'm depressed by the loss.

Final Score: Loyola-Chicago-89, Missouri State (13-9, 7-6, 2nd place tie)—81 (OT).

Leading players for Missouri State: C Joey Jones-12 pts, 1 assist, 7 reb, 1 steal; SF Quintin Asbury-13 pts, 1 steal; SG Brent Gregory-11 pts, 3 assists, 5 reb, 2 steals; SF Aaron Wells-10 pts, 1 assist, 4 reb, 1 steal; C Marquis Hollins-9 pts, 2 assists, 2 reb, 3 steals; PF Ricky Lee-9 pts, 2 assists, 4 reb, 1 steal.

Player of the Game: Loyola-Chicago’s SF Ricardo Canty-22 pts, 2 assists, 3 reb, 1 steal.

[PointGuard]

After last night’s loss, Coach V was upset not only how the team folded in overtime, but how they took the loss so lightly. Today he reviewed film of the game with the team pointing out weaknesses, mistakes, and lack of effort of individual players. Soon some of the players began rationalizing or providing excuses and then players began to cut down the lack of effort of their teammates and got on other players cases about their play. By the end of the review, all the players were upset and arguing. To say there was a lot of tension in the room is a gross understatement.

After the players left, I asked Coach V what that was all about. He said, the team was flat and lacking a killer instinct and they needed a spark to awake them.

[PointGuard]

During the subsequent day’s practice, the players initially displayed antagonistic attitudes toward one another as a residue of the previous day’s encounter. Then Coach V and I began riding the players hard, really hard. Soon the players banded together as a means of countering what Coach V and I were doing to them. Bret and I turned aside and smiled at each other.

We’ll see if the renewed chemistry and effort results in better play in our upcoming game.

[PointGuard]

Game #23, Feb. 11, 2019: Evansville Purple Aces (9-13, 5-8) at Missouri State Bears (13-9, 7-6)


The Bears have been playing inconsistently during conference play. Tonight they take on a team that has had alternating wins and losses in their last 8 games. So, I guess the question for both teams is which team will show up tonight?

The Bears came out of the blocks on fire and quickly built a 29-14 lead. By the end of the half, Missouri State was on top by an astounding 60-39 score. The Bears had hit 60% of their shots, owned a 15-10 rebounding advantage, had turned the ball over just 1 time (while forcing the Purple Aces to make 7 turnovers). And the lead would have been even larger had the refs not called 17 fouls against the Bears, putting Evansville on the line 27 times where they scored 23 of their 39 points. PG Bart McCain tossed in 15 points.

The Bears held Evansville at arms distance throughout the 2nd half and cruised to an easy victory. The Bears looked like a different team than the one that has shown up for their recent games.

Final Score: Missouri State (14-9, 8-6, 2nd place tie)—92, Evansville—76.

Leading players for Missouri State: PG Bart McCain-17 pts, 5 assists, 1 reb, 1 steal; C Marquis Hollins-14 pts, 3 assists, 3 reb, 2 steals; SF Aaron Wells-14 pts, 2 assists, 5 reb; SG Brent Gregory-11 pts, 3 assists, 1 reb, 2 steals; PF Kenneth Grandison-10 pts, 1 assist, 1 reb.

Player of the Game: PG Bart McCain-17 pts, 5 assists, 1 reb, 1 steal.

For Evansville: PF Jonathan Robinson-20 pts, 9 reb.

Award: C Marquis Hollins was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman Player of the Week.

Injury: PG Bart McCain strained his calf in practice and may miss the next 3 or 4 games.