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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:
- Drake
- Bradley
- Southern Illinois
- Missouri State
- Northern Iowa
- Belmont
- Indiana State
- Murray State
- Valparaiso
- Illinois State
- UIC
- Evansville
COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-Drake is the consensus favorite to win the conference and they could do more than just that. With four starters back from a team that won 25 total games last year, they could be good enough to land inside the bubble and not need the auto-bid from the conference tournament. As good as they were last year, some of us (myself included) were expecting them to be even better. They are a great defensive team with a lot of balance and will likely be dangerous.
-Bradley was a modest 17-14 overall last year, but with far more experience this year the expectations appear to be higher. Four of their top five scorers are back and we could see the Braves make quite a bit of noise this season.
-Southern Illinois was probably better than their 9-9 conference record due to how many close games they lost and how they appeared to improve down the stretch. Two of their top scorers are back and they have also added some pretty decent looking transfers. Being picked to finish 3rd may seem high but I still think this team will be much improved this year.
-Missouri State had a decent year last year, but many of us (myself included) were expecting them to be an NCAA Tournament caliber team, and they just were not. They did make the NIT after winning 23 games, but most of the key players from last year are gone and the Bears appear to be rebuilding.
-I am always expecting big things out of this Northern Iowa team. They were 14-4 in the league last year and finished first but were nowhere near making the NCAA Tournament. While they return a few key players, there is still a lot that needs to be replaced and it could be a long year for the Panthers.
-Belmont always seems to be on the cusp of having the kind of team that can make the NCAA Tournament and then make a run. Despite winning 25+ games for the last four seasons, they have only made it once and never got past the Round of 64. Joining the Missouri Valley should provide a step up in competition and hopefully raise their metrics and their resume. They are kind of in rebuilding mode this year, though, with just one starter returning.
-All five starters are back for Indiana State this year, but seeing as how they were just the 9th place team a year ago the expectations are not all that high despite them having so much experience.
-Murray State was a fantastic story last year. They won 31 games, finished the regular season in the Top-25, earned a #7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and advanced to the Round of 32. Unfortunately, nearly all of the pieces they had last year, including their head coach, are gone. The do have Steve Prohm back, who has previously been the head coach, and they add some decent looking transfer players. I think we will see this program at or near the top of the MVC on a fairly regular basis in the future…but not this year.
-Valpo has had back-to-back years of unspectacular play and it looks like they are going to make it three in a row this year. They won just 14 total games last year and lost some of their key players.
-Illinois State is coming off an 8th place finish from a year ago and has just one starter back. This program has hovered around 200th in the metrics for the last four seasons. It seems like they should be better than what they are but are showing no signs of improving on that all that much this year.
-UIC had a rather unspectacular year in the Horizon League last year and I do not expect them to be all that much better this year.
-After winning just six total games a year ago, Evansville now has a new coach in David Ragland. He certainly has his work cut out for them as they will require a major rebuilding job.