Missouri State is in its best position in more than a decade to return to its first NCAA Tournament since 1999 when it takes the court this week at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis.
The second-seeded Bears' path to possibly winning the Arch Madness title is as simple as ever as they begin their tournament on Friday at 6 p.m. against the winner of Thursday's game between Valparaiso and Evansville.
The Bears are 8-0 against the teams on their side of the bracket, they have two of the best players in the league and the roster is as strong as it's been since the Kyle Weems-led team reached the MVC title game in 2011 and came up just short.