Helena Frye
The Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, also known as Arch Madness, is a postseason basketball tournament. The tournament is usually held the week before Selection Sunday and completes the season in the Missouri Valley Conference. The 2025 tournament took place from March 6-9 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, marking the 35th time the tournament has been held in the city.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament |
| Nickname | Arch Madness |
| Year | 2025 |
| Dates | March 6-9, 2025 |
| Venue | Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Number of Teams | 12 |
| Notable Teams | Drake, Bradley, Northern Iowa |
| Champion | Drake |
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What You'll Learn
The tournament took place from March 6-9, 2025
The Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, also known as "Arch Madness", took place from March 6-9, 2025. The tournament was held at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, marking the venue's 31st time hosting the tournament. This year's event featured a 12-team field, including Indiana State, Southern Illinois, Missouri State, Illinois State, Evansville, Murray State, Valparaiso, UIC, Drake, Bradley, Northern Iowa, and Valparaiso.
The tournament served as the postseason competition for the 2024-25 season in the Missouri Valley Conference. It is traditionally held the week before Selection Sunday, and its unique, long-standing association with St. Louis has earned it the nickname "Arch Madness." The tournament is known for its potential to send multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament, although this occurrence is not frequent.
Drake entered the 2025 tournament as the favourite to win, aiming for a historic three-peat. They boasted an impressive 27-3 record and displayed dominant performances throughout the season, with wins in 15 of their last 16 games. Drake's defence was particularly notable, allowing only 59.2 points per game, ranking third in Division I. Their performance secured them the conference's automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The tournament games were closely contested, with Indiana State and Southern Illinois kicking off the competition, followed by Missouri State against Illinois State, Evansville against Murray State, and Valparaiso against UIC in the first round. The games progressed with intense competition, leading to Drake's ultimate victory and their third consecutive Arch Madness title.
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Drake won the tournament
The Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, also known as "Arch Madness", took place from March 6–9, 2025, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Drake won the tournament, earning its third consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title.
Drake's victory was largely due to the exceptional performance of Bennett Stirtz, who led his team to the most victories in the program's history. Stirtz, a junior guard, scored 24 points in the final game, making 5 of 7 3-pointers and 7 of 13 shots overall. He was supported by Tavion Banks, who added 13 points and had a game-high nine rebounds.
Drake's win against Bradley, with a final score of 63-48, secured their place in the NCAA Tournament. This was Drake's eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and their fourth in the past five years. The team's success can also be attributed to the leadership of coach Ben McCollum, who guided the team to a 30-3 record, despite having a roster composed mostly of new players with Division II backgrounds but D-I talent.
The Missouri Valley Tournament victory marked a significant achievement for Drake, showcasing the team's resilience and determination. Their performance in the tournament, particularly in the final game, highlighted their ability to adapt and execute effective strategies, such as their patient, slow-tempo style of play. Drake's victory also underscored the impact of strong teamwork and the integration of new players into the lineup, contributing to their success in the 2024–25 season.
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The tournament took place at the Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri
The Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, known as "Arch Madness", took place at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, from March 6–9, 2025. The tournament has been held annually since 1995, and the Enterprise Center has been its home for 31 of those years.
The Enterprise Center is an 18,096-seat arena located in downtown St. Louis. It was known as the Kiel Center when it first opened in 1994, and it has since undergone several name changes. The arena is primarily used by the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, but it also hosts NCAA basketball, NCAA hockey, concerts, professional wrestling, and other events. The facility is frequently chosen by the NCAA to host championship events, and it has a long history of hosting the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.
The 2025 tournament was the 35th St. Louis-based postseason championship and featured a 12-team field. The winner, Drake, received an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The tournament followed a seeding process based on conference records, with ties broken by head-to-head records and, if necessary, NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings.
The Enterprise Center has ample parking available within a short distance, and it offers reserved seating for guests with disabilities, with convenient entry and exit and accessibility to restrooms and concession stands. The center also provides private suites, club seats, and a private restaurant, all accessible to guests with disabilities.
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Drake beat Murray State to win the 2025 tournament
The Missouri Valley Conference, popularly known as "Arch Madness", is an annual postseason men's basketball tournament. The 2025 tournament took place from March 6 to March 9 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, marking the 35th occasion that St. Louis has hosted the event.
Drake entered the 2025 tournament as the regular season champion and was projected to receive an automatic bid in the USA TODAY Sports Bracketology. They faced stiff competition from Bradley, which beat the Bulldogs the previous month, and Northern Iowa, which nearly defeated Drake in overtime the month prior.
In a thrilling final, Drake beat Murray State to win the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference tournament. The win gave Drake its third consecutive tournament victory, a feat last achieved by Southern Illinois in the 1993-95 season.
The game was a close contest, with Drake pulling ahead around the 13-minute mark of the second half. Five straight field goals gave the Bulldogs a 15-point lead with 8:43 left to play. Tucker DeVries led the Bulldogs with 27 points, while Roman Penn contributed 16 points and dished out 10 of Drake's 18 assists. Murray State's Rob Perry posted 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Jamari Smith added 12 points for the Racers.
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The tournament is also known as 'Arch Madness'
The Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament is popularly known as "Arch Madness". The name is a play on words with the colloquial name for the NCAA tournament, "March Madness", and it takes its name from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, where the tournament has been held since 1991. The tournament has been commonly referred to as Arch Madness for over a decade. With 35 straight years at the same neutral site, Arch Madness is the second-longest neutral site tenured collegiate tournament in the nation. The 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, for example, was held at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, from March 6 to 9, 2025, completing the 2024-25 season in the Missouri Valley Conference.
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Frequently asked questions
The 2025 Missouri Valley Basketball Tournament took place from March 6 to March 9, 2025.
The tournament was held at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
The winner of the 2025 tournament was Drake, who received an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The tournament is popularly known as "Arch Madness", especially among Valley fans.
All 12 Valley members participate in the tournament.
