You’d probably never guess which conference boasts 17 Final Four appearances and a quartet of National Titles.OK, here is a hint: This conference has a 71-30 record against non-conference foes this season. That record is the sixth best non-conference winning percentage of the 31 conferences in Division I. Still unsure – here’s another clue: This conference had five teams with at least 17 total victories when the week began. The only other conferences to have as many teams with that many victories – the Big Ten, Conference USA and the Southeastern Conference.Still stumped? Last clue: Nicknames from this conference include Shockers, Sycamores, Purple Aces and Salukis.The Missouri Valley Conference is deep. It’s full of good nicknames and it’s full of teams that could destroy your bracket selections later next month. Consider yourself warned.’We have shown that we can play with anyone,’ said Southern Illinois Head Coach Chris Lowery.With March less than a week away, it is time to let the madness begin. And at the center of that madness could be the MVC.’Look at Wichita State,’ Illinois State head coach Porter Moser said. ‘They don’t have anybody with unbelievable numbers, per se, but they are so balanced. They have three or four guys who could be on the (conference) first team.’The MVC has sent two teams to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five years. It has been 26 years since Larry Bird led Indiana State to the national title game against Michigan St. (a 75-64 loss). But this year – with top-heavy leagues like the Pac-10 and Big Ten, it is entirely plausible that the MVC gets three teams invited to the tournament.Consider that by season’s end, the league could have five teams with 20 or more wins. The league’s strong non-conference record – with a winning percentage above 70 – includes wins over Iowa State, Ohio State, Xavier, UTEP, Missouri and Vanderbilt. All of those teams have records above .500.This conference doesn’t appear to have a Final Four team – such as Bird’s Sycamores – but there are sleepers, which shouldn’t be overlooked.Start with Southern Illinois. The Salukis (an Egyptian dog) sit atop the mid-major conference (22-6, 12-3). They have won five in a row and seven of eight as well as beating the likes of UTEP (20-7) and Vanderbilt (16-10). SIU has an RPI of 13.’They win,’ Northern Iowa head coach Greg McDermott said. ‘They don’t get rattled, they don’t get shook. As a result they keep on playing and executing very well.’In Carbondale (Ill.) the fans have a great understanding and are very passionate about the game of basketball, and that makes it a very difficult place to go and play.’The Salukis – looking for their fourth straight league title – are perhaps the most recognizable MVC team. They’ve gone dancing three consecutive years, and in 2002 they found their way to the Sweet 16 by upsetting Bob Knight’s Texas Tech team and Jim Harrick’s Georgia squad. Then-head coach Bruce Weber would leave a year later for Illinois, and the Salukis haven’t won in the NCAAs since.’They have kept the system intact,’ Bradley head coach Jim Less said. ‘Although the faces at the end of the bench are different, they have an understanding of the players and of their system.’Creighton (17-10) is tied for fourth in the conference (8-7), but if it gets on a win streak and into the tournament, beware. The Blue Jays hit 20 3-pointers – a school record – in a 100-68 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga last Saturday. ‘We have shot the ball awfully well,’ said Creighton head coach Dana Altman. Their leader is Nate Funk (18.3 ppg). The 6-foot-3 guard is a 48.7-percent 3-point shooter. In two games last week, Funk scored 55 points on just 22 shots.Selection Sunday is just two and a half weeks away, but the MVC still has a regular season title to be claimed and a conference tournament in St. Louis.The 2005 MVC might not have Oscar Robertson, Bird, Walt Frazier or Xavier McDaniel. But experts – based on the RPI system – have ranked this league above Conference USA, the Atlantic 10, the Western Athletic Conference and the Mountain West. Just remember the Salukis, Shockers, Purple Aces and Sycamores. And watch out.’It’s a good part of the year,’ Altman said. ‘The guys are excited because there’s not much practice. They wanna play the games and everyone is getting ready for the conference tournament in St. Louis which has become quite an event.’

Numbers of the week: 5.7Deng Gai of Fairfield has averaged 5.7 blocks per game and has 149 this season. The 6-foot-9 senior forward leads the nation in blocks and has 426 in his career.

Happy anniversary Bob KnightThe day Feb. 23, 1985, probably doesn’t mean much. To Bob Knight it might not either. What is meaningful was the red plastic chair that Knight, then the head coach at Indiana, hurled onto the floor at Assembly Hall 20 years ago today.Knight’s Hoosiers were playing Purdue when Knight was called for a technical foul five minutes into the game. He was arguing over a play he felt should have been called a jump ball, but instead a foul was whistled.After tossing the chair, Knight left the floor to a standing ovation.