Happy 25th, Arch Madness: Our silver anniversary All-MVC tourney team
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Before Kyle Korver was the toast of Hotlanta, he was the toast of St. Louis.
Actually, he was the toast of St. Louis twice over. As a junior with the Creighton Bluejays in March 2002, he scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and collected five assists in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship, helping the Jays clinch their third MVC tourney crown in four years.
The next March was almost as good: A title game line that included 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as Creighton made it four crowns in five seasons. The 6-foot-7 Iowa native set a new bar for the Valley tournament -- and so did the Jays.
Arch Madness turns 25 years old this week, a landmark anniversary of one of the nation's longest neutral-site collegiate postseason tourneys, now a St. Louis staple and a launching point for the weeks of insanity to come. In honor of 25 straight years in the Gateway City, FOXSportsMidwest.com decided to celebrate by putting together our list of the best of the best over the past quarter century under the Arch.
Now keep in mind: The following list isn't about regular-season or NBA resumes; it's about what transpired (or didn't) over a long, crazy weekend in downtown St. Louis. And looking back, one thing is clear: The Jays (and their fans) may not be around Arch Madness anymore, but their spirit -- and shadows -- loom large. Still.
FOX SPORTS MIDWEST'S ARCH MADNESS 25TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM
First team
Kyle Korver, F, Creighton (2000-03): Still the all-time leading Arch Madness scorer (166 points), the big man from Pella, Iowa, cemented Scottrade Center as Omaha South.
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Doug McDermott, F, Creighton (2011-13): With 160 career points in Arch Madness over eight games, Dougie Fresh would've passed fellow Jays star Korver on the all-time MVC tournament scoring charts ... if Creighton hadn't bolted for the Big East before his senior season.
Osiris Eldridge, G, Illinois State (2007-10): Arguably the best MVC player of the last 15 years to have never appeared in the NCAA Tournament, the Little O in 2009 became just the second player in Arch Madness history to notch Most Outstanding Player honors with a losing team in the title game.
Jamaal Tatum, G, Southern Illinois (2004-07): For more than half a decade, the Salukis were one of the toughest -- and certainly the most physical -- outs in Arch Madness, and Tatum, who scored 158 points in St. Louis, was a big reason why.
Darren Brooks, G, Southern Illinois (2002-05): The engine that launched the Saluki dynasty under Bruce Weber, Matt Painter and Chris Lowery, Brooks averaged 14.6 points and 1.5 steals in 10 Arch Madness tilts.
Second team
Marcus Timmons, F, Southern Illinois (1992-95): A rare three-time selectee to the all-tournament team, Big Marcus is still the MVC tourney career leader in rebounds (105 over 11 games) and among the top 10 in career steals (21).
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Rico Hill, F, Illinois State (1996-98): His 29-point night against UNI in the semis in 1997 is still considered one for the ages; averaged 18.1 points in eight Arch Madness contests.
Chris Carr, F/G, Southern Illinois (1992-95): The tourney's MOP in 1995 netted 22 points to knock off Tulsa in the title game and clinch the Salukis' threepeat -- the first in Arch Madness history.
Nate Funk, G, Creighton (2003-07): A bridge between the Korver and McDermott eras, Funk netted 51 points, combined, in the semis and finals to lift the Jays to their sixth Arch Madness crown.
Ryan Sears, G, Creighton (1998-01): The straw that stirred the Jays, the Iowa native still ranks among the all-time Arch Madness leaders in assists (42 in nine games) and steals (23).
Third team
Randall Falker, F, Southern Illinois (2004-07): Strong and relentless, the 6-7 big man was the Starsky to Tatum's Hutch, as well as the tourney's MOP in 2006.
Ashraf Amaya, F, Southern Illinois (1990-93): A decade before Falker, there was Amaya, a grinder and enforcer (12 career Arch Madness blocks) who notched MOP honors in 1993.
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Bob Harstad, F, Creighton (1988-91): The first breakout star of Arch Madness (MOP in 1991) and the first flag planted by the Jays in the Gateway City, thanks to his 16 points and nine boards in the title game.
Ben Walker, G, Creighton (1998-01): A 6-2 guard who rebounded like a 6-8 power forward, the Wisconsin native teamed with Sears to form one of the greatest backcourts and outside-inside combos in Arch Madness history.
Ben Jacobson, G, Northern Iowa (2003-06): Benny J's 26 points in the MVC final in '04 put Panthers basketball back into the Big Dance and onto the map -- where they've been for most of the 11 years since.
Honorable mention
Most Outstanding Player
Korver, F, Creighton (2000-03): Mr. Arch Madness made the Scottrade Center his personal showcase, becoming the first player to win MOP honors in back-to-back years ('02, '03) ... and the standard by which all other MVC tournament performances are judged.
Coach
Dana Altman, Creighton (1994-2010): If the Jays are the Steelers of Arch Madness, then Altman -- who sported a 21-9 record at the MVC tourney -- was its Chuck Noll, notching six titles, twice as many as any other former or active Valley coach at this event. For almost a decade, beating Creighton in Scottrade Center meant something, and it meant something special -- because it didn't happen often.
Honorable mention: Greg McDermott, Northern Iowa/Creighton; Kevin Stallings, Illinois State; Rich Herrin, Southern Illinois.
You can follow Sean Keeler on Twitter at @SeanKeeler or email him at seanmkeeler@gmail.com.
