2013 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament schedule and bracket: Arch Madness kicks off
Every year, the Missouri Valley Conference puts on one of the best shows in college basketball in what fans know as Arch Madness. St. Louis has played host to the MVC tournament since 1991, with the Scottrade Center as the venue since 2006. This year the tournament features two teams likely to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament if they don’t win the automatic bid in Creighton and Wichita State.
Both Creighton and Wichita State made the big dance last year, with Creighton winning the conference tournament and winning its first game in the NCAA Tournament as well. SB Nation’s Chris Dobbertean has Creighton as a nine-seed and Wichita State as a 10-seed in his latest bracket projections.
MVC teams have a history of success in the NCAA Tournament. On top of a Creighton victory last year, Northern Iowa made a Sweet 16 run in 2010 and Southern Illinois doing the same in 2007.
The first round features the bottom four teams in the conference, but the MVC was tightly packed this year and any team is capable of knocking of anyone else over the course of the weekend.
First Round – Thursday, March 7 (all times central)
No. 8 Bradley Braves vs. No. 9 Drake Bulldogs – 6 p.m., MVC TV
No. 7 Missouri St. Bears vs. No. 10 Southern Illinois Salukis – 8:30 p.m., MVC TV
Quarterfinals – Friday, March 8
No. 1 Creighton Bluejays vs. Game 1 winner – 12 p.m., MVC TV
No. 4 Evansville Aces vs. No. 5 Indiana St. Sycamores – 2:30 p.m., MVC TV
No. 2 Wichita St. Shockers vs. Game 2 winner – 6 p.m., MVC TV
No. 3 Northern Iowa Panthers vs. No. 6 Illinois St. Redbirds – 8:30 p.m., MVC TV
Semifinals – Saturday, March 9
Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner – 1:30 p.m., MVC TV
Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner – 4 p.m., MVC TV
Championship – Sunday, March 10
Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner – 1 p.m., CBS
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