What Is 2014 MVC men's basketball tournament

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Last updated: April 15, 2026

Quick Answer: The 2014 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Men's Basketball Tournament was held from March 7–10, 2014, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Wichita State won the tournament, defeating Indiana State 68–60 in the final to earn an automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

Key Facts

The 2014 MVC tournament took place from March 7–10, 2014, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
Wichita State won the tournament by defeating Indiana State 68–60 in the championship game.
Wichita State entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed with a perfect 18–0 conference record.
The tournament champion received an automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
Brad Underwood, then head coach of Illinois State, was named MVC Coach of the Year in 2014.

Overview

The 2014 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Men's Basketball Tournament was the postseason championship event for the MVC's 2013–14 men's basketball season. Held from March 7 to March 10, 2014, the tournament took place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, a traditional neutral-site venue for the MVC tournament since 1991.

Wichita State emerged as champions, defeating Indiana State 68–60 in the final to secure the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Shockers entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed after completing a perfect 18–0 run in conference play, becoming the first MVC team to go undefeated in league play since 1964.

Wichita State won the tournament as the top seed, finishing the regular season with an unblemished 18–0 MVC record, a rare achievement in modern conference play.
The championship game was held on March 10, 2014, at the Scottrade Center, drawing over 17,000 fans for the final matchup.
Wichita State defeated Indiana State 68–60 in the final, avenging a regular-season loss to the Sycamores from earlier in the year.
As tournament champions, the Shockers earned the MVC's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the Round of 32.
Wichita State finished the 2013–14 season with a 35–1 overall record, marking one of the most dominant single seasons in MVC history.

How It Works

The MVC tournament follows a single-elimination format involving the top eight teams in the conference standings based on regular-season performance. Seeding is determined by win-loss records, with tiebreakers applied as needed to determine final placements.

Format: The tournament uses a single-elimination bracket with eight teams, where each loss results in immediate elimination from contention.
Seeding: Teams are seeded 1 through 8 based on their final regular-season conference records, with head-to-head results used as the primary tiebreaker.
Location: Since 1991, the MVC tournament has been held annually at the Scottrade Center (now Enterprise Center) in St. Louis, Missouri.
Bid Allocation: The tournament champion receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, regardless of at-large chances.
Game Structure: Quarterfinals are played on Thursday, semifinals on Saturday, and the championship game on Selection Sunday, the same day as NCAA bracket announcements.
Eligibility: Only the top eight teams in the final MVC standings qualify, ensuring competitive balance and rewarding regular-season performance.

Comparison at a Glance

Below is a comparison of the 2014 MVC tournament results with key statistics and outcomes:

Team	Seed	Result	Score	NCAA Berth
Wichita State	1	Champions	68–60 (vs. Indiana State)	Yes (automatic)
Indiana State	2	Runner-up	60–68 (vs. Wichita State)	No
Illinois State	3	Semifinalist	Lost 56–60 (vs. Wichita State)	No
Northern Iowa	4	Semifinalist	Lost 63–70 (vs. Indiana State)	No
Missouri State	5	Quarterfinalist	Lost 61–68 (vs. Northern Iowa)	No

The 2014 tournament highlighted the dominance of Wichita State, who remained the only MVC team to complete an undefeated conference season in the modern era. While Indiana State and Illinois State showed strong performances, no other team was able to secure an at-large NCAA bid, underscoring the importance of winning the tournament for postseason access.

Why It Matters

The 2014 MVC tournament had significant implications for team legacies, NCAA Tournament representation, and conference prestige. Wichita State’s victory reinforced their status as a national powerhouse, while the tournament format emphasized the high stakes of postseason play in mid-major conferences.

Wichita State’s 35–1 season included a 31-game winning streak, making them a national talking point and earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The MVC tournament is one of the longest-running neutral-site events in college basketball, contributing to consistent attendance and media exposure since 1991.
Winning the tournament ensured the MVC’s only automatic NCAA bid, as no other team received an at-large invitation that year.
Brad Underwood’s leadership at Illinois State earned him MVC Coach of the Year honors, launching a career that later included head coaching roles in Power Five conferences.
The tournament’s placement on Selection Sunday creates dramatic tension, as the winner learns their NCAA fate moments after winning the title.
Wichita State’s undefeated MVC run and tournament win solidified their place in conference history and boosted MVC national perception.

The 2014 MVC tournament remains a landmark event due to Wichita State’s historic season and the high stakes of the single-bid league format, illustrating how conference tournaments can define a program’s legacy.