At the start of league play this week, only two games separate third place from eighth place in the MVC race. Only once in league history (1926-27) have the league standings been fewer than three games from third to eighth at season's end.

Missouri State senior Kyle Weems and Creighton sophomore Doug McDermott are two of 25 finalists nationwide for the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year Award. The award, sponsored by POINT 3 Basketball and CollegeInsider.com, will be determined by several criteria, including fan voting.

Each week, the Missouri Valley Conference will provide an update on the top Larry Bird Trophy candidates from each MVC school. This week's update is through men's basketball games of Feb. 15.

Wichita State senior center Garrett Stutz picked up his 10th double-double of the season, leading the No. 24 Shockers to a 73-58 win against Missouri State Wednesday at Charles Koch Arena. With the victory, WSU secured at least a share of the MVC regular-season crown.

Wichita State can clinch at least a share of the league's title with a win Wednesday. The Shockers have a two-game lead in the standings with three games to go, and WSU holds the non-conference schedule-strength tiebreaker against Creighton. Both have one non-MVC game remaining.