Preseason Polls.indd
news release
OCTOBER 30, 2013
MVC Contact: Mike Kern, Associate Commissioner Office: 314.444.4326 • Cell: 314.435.4779 • Email: [email protected] 1818 Chouteau Ave. • St. Louis, MO 63103 • Fax: 314.444.4356
www.mvc-sports.com MARCH 6-9, 2014
CHICAGO -- Fresh off a 30-win campaign and a trip to the NCAA Final Four, Wichita State has been picked to win the 2013-14 Missouri Valley MVC Preseason Poll Conference men’s basketball crown. The Shockers received all 40 firstSchool (First-Place Votes) Total place tallies, marking just the second time in the past 25 years an MVC 1. Wichita State (40) 400 team was a unanimous choice to win the league. 2. Indiana State 352 3. UNI 318 The Shockers have a pair of student-athletes on the pre-season team, 4. Missouri State 258 including MVC Preseason Player of the Year Cleanthony Early and sopho 5. Bradley 244 more Ron Baker. Early (13.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is one of two returning first 6. Evansville 186 139 team selections from last year’s all-conference squad and Baker (8.7 ppg), 7. Illinois State 8. Southern Illinois 123 despite missing half of the season with an injury, was a key cog for the 9. Loyola 95 Shockers down the stretch and during the postseason. 10. Drake 85 Jake Odum (13.6 ppg, 4.6 apg) of Indiana State is also a returning firstPoll determined by panel of league sports inforteam all-MVC pick, and he is joined on the MVC preseason unit by teammation directors, media, and coaches. mate Manny Arop (12.0 ppg). Arop earned honorable mention recognition. A pair of Bradley student-athletes represent the Braves on this year’s preseason squad, including Walt Lemon Jr., and Tyshon Pickett. Lemon Jr. (15.6 ppg, 75 steals) was a second-team all-MVC selection a year ago while Pickett (11.0 ppg), a transfer from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, was a member of the 2012-13 MVC All-Newcomer Team. Lemon Jr. was also on last year’s All-Defensive Team. Desmar Jackson represents the Salukis on the preseason team after earning All-Newcomer and Honorable Mention honors in 2012-13 in his first year with the Salukis. The transfer from Wyoming averaged 15.1 ppg to lead SIU. UNI’s Seth Tuttle and Missouri State’s Marcus Marshall round out the seven-player preseason first-team unit. Tuttle (11.4 ppg) is third among all active MVC players in both career scoring and career rebounding, while Marshall, a member of last year’s All-Newcomer and All-Freshman teams, set an MSU freshman scoring record (368 points). Drake’s Seth VanDeest was one of three players named honorable mention on this year’s preseason squad. He is the top returning scorer (9.5 ppg) and rebounder (4.8 rpg) for the Bulldogs, who have a new head coach. Ray Giacoletti takes over after serving most recently as an assistant at Gonzaga. He had previous head coaching stints at North Dakota State, Eastern Washington and Utah. Pollsters have accurately predicted the league’s regular-season champ only 13 times out of 28 since 1985-86, but the pre-season favorite Shockers can take solace in that 25 of those 28 predicted champs have gone on to postseason play, with 17 of those 25 playing in the NCAAs. The Shockers, meanwhile, have been picked to win the MVC three previous times since 1985, and in those years, they finished second each time. Wichita State does, however, own seven outright MVC crowns, fourth-best all-time.
2013-14 MVC Preseason Team Ron Baker, Wichita State Cleanthony Early, Wichita State Desmar Jackson, Southern Illinois Walt Lemon, Jr., Bradley Marcus Marshall, Missouri State Jake Odum, Indiana State Seth Tuttle, UNI Honorable Mention Selections: Manny Arop, Indiana State Tyshon Pickett, Bradley Seth VanDeest, Drake
So. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr.
G F G G G G F
6-3 6-8 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-8
Scott City (Kan.) High Middletown (N.Y.) Sullivan JC Warren (Ohio) U. of Wyoming Chicago (Ill.) Julian St. Paul (Minn.) Johnson Terre Haute (Ind.) South Vigo Sheffield (Iowa) West Fork
Sr. G/F 6-5 Edmonton (Alberta) Gonzaga Sr. F 6-6 Passaic (N.Y.) High Sr. C 6-11 Bettendorf (Iowa) High
Preseason Player of the Year: Cleanthony Early, Wichita State (pictured at right)
Team determined by panel of league SIDs, media, and coaches.
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MVC News release OCTOBER 30, 2013
u BRADLEY The Braves enter the third year of the Geno Ford era hoping to improve upon their 18-17 (7-11 MVC) record. Returning for his senior season is Walt Lemon Jr., the conference’s active leader in total points and Bradley’s active leader in nearly every statistical category. In 2012-13 he joined the great Hersey Hawkins as the only player in league history to record at least 500 points, 100 rebounds, 100 assists, and 70 steals in one season. u DRAKE Drake will begin a new era under Coach Ray Giacolleti this season. Three key players from last year’s 9th place squad (15-17, 7-11 MVC) return, including starters Seth VanDeest and Richard Carter. Giacoletti brings a wealth of coaching experience to the Bulldogs, having spent the last six years under the guidance of Mark Few at Gonzaga. Drake will hope to surprise opponents with its blend of experience and new talent in 2013-14. u EVANSVILLE In spite of the departure of Colt Ryan, one of the most prolific scorers in MVC history, the Purple Aces will be looking to build upon their 21 victories in 2012-13, their most since 1999. They face the difficulty of losing four starters, yet many experienced players return ready to take the helm. Sophomores DJ Balentine and Egidijus Mockevicius and juniors Jaylon Moore and Ryan Sawvell all saw action in 35 or more Evansville’s contests last season, with Balentine and Mockevicius averaging more than five points per game. In addition, Mockevicius brings defensive tenacity to the table, as he tallied 64 blocks last season, the most of any returning player. u ILLINOIS STATE What the Redbirds will bring to the table in 2013-14 is largely unknown.
All five starters are gone from last year’s team. However, Coach Dan Muller has proven well-equipped to deal with difficult circumstances, as his 2012-13 squad bounced back from an 0-6 start in league play to finish sixth in the conference. Sophomores Nick Zeisloft and Kaza Keane return after appearing in the vast majority of Illinois State’s tilts last season as well, providing needed experience. u INDIANA STATE The Indiana State Sycamores are one of the early favorites to contend for the MVC Championship. After spending a large part of the 201213 season on the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Sycamores bring back veteran leadership and depth, including Larry Bird Trophy candidate Jake Odum. As a junior, Odum averaged 13.6 points per game and tallied the most assists of any returning player in The Valley. Coach Greg Lansing’s team has participated in a post-season tournament each of the last four years, and will try to make sure that appearance number five is announced on Selection Sunday. u LOYOLA Newcomer Loyola Chicago adds a variable to The Valley equation, and it comes at a perfect time for the Ramblers. Bringing back what was one of the youngest squads in the nation last year, the Ramblers are led by junior Joe Crisman, junior Christian Thomas, and sophomore Devon Turk. Head Coach Porter Moser will no doubt be prepared for the increased challenge of battling Valley competition, having spent four seasons as the coach of Illinois State u MISSOURI STATE The Bears bring back an experienced squad for 2013-14 thanks in large part to the exciting announcement of the return of Keith Pickens. Senior Jarmar Gulley, too, is back after missing all of last year. He was a starter two seasons ago.
Paul Lusk enters his third year at the helm and has nine letterwinners back, including five with starting experience. Marcus Marshall was the MVC Freshman of the Year, the first MSU player to earn that since 2004. u NORTHERN IOWA Ben Jacobson’s Panthers bring back two starters and a host of letterwinners for 2013-14 and appear to be one of the early frontrunners to contend for the MVC title. The fashion in which the 2012-13 season ended gives the Panthers great cause for hope going forward, as they reached the semifinals of the CIT and completed their fifth-straight 20-win season. Juniors Seth Tuttle and Deon Mitchell will lead the way as UNI aims to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010. u SOUTHERN ILLINOIS Entering their second season under Head Coach Barry Hinson, the Salukis appear ready to continue their journey back to prominence in the MVC. During the final stretch of the 2012-13 slate, SIU was one of the hottest teams in The Valley, winning six of their final eight regularseason games. Starters Desmar Jackson and Anthony Beane Jr. join four other 201213 letterwinners that will comprise the core for this year’s team. u WICHITA STATE The team to beat in the MVC this year is undoubtedly the Shockers of Wichita State. Coming off of their Final Four appearance, the Shockers are led by Larry Bird Trophy favorite Cleanthony Early, who enters his second year at Wichita State, sophomore sharpshooter Ron Baker, and junior Tekele Cotton. Wichita State brings back a total of eight letterwinners. After setting a school record with 30 victories, excitement in Wichita is at an all-time high, and the Shockers look to prove that last year was only the beginning.
BRADLEY • DRAKE • EVANSVILLE • ILLINOIS STATE • INDIANA STATE • LOYOLA • MISSOURI STATE • UNI • SOUTHERN ILLINOIS • WICHITA STATE
Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Basketball - Previous Preseason Polls 1985-86 (Coaches Poll) 1. Bradley (7) 2. Wichita State (1.5) 3. Tulsa (.5) 4. Illinois State 5. Indiana State 6. West Texas 7. Drake 8. Creighton 9. Southern Illinois
62 55.5 51.5 44 32 29 26 16 8
1986-87 (Media Poll) 1. Tulsa (24) 2. Bradley (1) 3. Illinois State 4. Wichita State 5. Drake (1) 6. Creighton 7. Indiana State 8. Southern Illinois
206 165 143 131 130 62 56 43
1987-88 (Media Poll) 1. Bradley (32) 2. Wichita State (1) 3. Illinois State (2) 4. Tulsa 5. Southern Illinois 6. Drake 7. Creighton 8. Indiana State
277 229 202 194 114 103 84 57
1988-89 (Media Poll) 1. Wichita State (22) 2. Bradley 3. Drake 4. Southern Illinois 5. Illinois State 6. Tulsa 7. Creighton 8. Indiana State
176 156 109 92 89 83 80 27
1989-90 (Media Poll) 1. Creighton (20) 2. Tulsa (8) 3. Southern Illinois (1) 4. Illinois State 5. Drake (1) 6. Wichita State 7. Bradley 8. Indiana State
235 215 180 142 135 102 68 40
1990-91 (Coaches Poll) 1. Creighton (6) 2. Southern Illinois (1) 3. Tulsa (1) 4. Missouri State (1) 5. Illinois State 6. Indiana State 7. Bradley 8. Drake 9. Wichita State
61 53.5 51.5 48 29 23.5 23 18 16.5
1991-92 (Media Poll) 1. Southern Illinois (27) 2. Wichita State (3) 3. Missouri State (1) 4. Drake Indiana State 6. UNI 7. Tulsa 8. Illinois State 9. Creighton 10. Bradley
305 267 251 182 182 146 134 131 60 54
1992-93 (Media Poll) 1. Southern Illinois (17) 2. Tulsa 3. Missouri State 4. Illinois State 5. Wichita State 6. Indiana State
170 140 136 132 94 84
7. UNI 8. Bradley 9. Creighton 10. Drake
64 46 38 31
1993-94 (Media Poll) 1. Illinois State (11) 2. Southern Illinois (5) 3. Bradley (3) 4. Missouri State (2) 5. Tulsa (3) 6. UNI (1) 7. Wichita State 8. Drake 9. Indiana State 10. Creighton
212 209 187 181 174 106 98 81 61 58
1994-95 1. Southern Illinois (15) 2. Bradley (8) 3. Tulsa (4) 4. Evansville (5) 5. Missouri State (1) 6. Illinois State 7. Wichita State 8. UNI 9. Drake 10. Creighton 11. Indiana State
330 318 305 290 223 191 151 122 103 84 57
1995-96 1. Bradley (22) 2. Tulsa (7) 3. Illinois State (3) 4. Evansville 5. Southern Illinois 6. Wichita State 7. Drake 8. Missouri State UNI 10. Creighton 11. Indiana State
338 314 300 216 210 179 166 122 122 84 59
1996-97 1. Illinois State (22) 2. Missouri State (3) 3. Bradley (4) 4. Evansville 5. Creighton 6. UNI (1) 7. Southern Illinois 8. Wichita State 9. Indiana State 10. Drake
291 252 226 224 179 140 124 95 63 58
1997-98 1. Illinois State (26) 2. Missouri State (3) 3. Bradley 4. Wichita State 5. Evansville 6. UNI (1) 7. Creighton 8. Southern Illinois 9. Indiana State 10. Drake
306 270 196 193 174 164 157 92 60 48
1998-99 1. Creighton (17) 2. Missouri State (9) 3. Illinois State (3) 4. Wichita State (1) 5. Bradley 6. Evansville 7. Indiana State 8. Southern Illinois 9. UNI 10. Drake
280 272 231 200 179 162 120 104 59 42
1999-00 1. Bradley (20)
288
2. Evansville (4) 3. Indiana State (2) 4. Missouri State (3) 5. Creighton (1) 6. Southern Illinois 7. Illinois State 8. Wichita State 9. Drake 10. UNI
229 228 199 178 171 125 102 77 52
2000-01 1. Creighton (25) 2. Evansville (2) 3. Indiana State (1) 4. Southern Illinois 5. Missouri State (1) 6. UNI 7. Illinois State 8. Bradley 9. Drake 10. Wichita State
285 244 223 210 159 116 109 105 64 55
2001-02 1. Illinois State (26) 2. Creighton (1) 3. Indiana State (1) 4. Southern Illinois (1) 5. Missouri State (1) 6. Bradley 7. Evansville 8. Drake 9. Wichita State 10. UNI
293 232 224 212 184 155 122 117 70 41
2002-03 1. Creighton (25) 2. Southern Illinois (5) 3. Wichita State 4. Illinois State 5. Drake 6. Bradley 7. UNI 8. Missouri State 9. Indiana State 10. Evansville
290 274 208 205 178 132 118 116 71 53
2003-04 1. Wichita State (24) 2. Creighton (4) 3. Bradley 4. Missouri State (1) 5. Southern Illinois 6. UNI (1) 7. Illinois State 8. Evansville 9. Drake 10. Indiana State
290 254 224 210 200 135 99 96 87 55
2004-05 1. Southern Illinois (23) 2. Wichita State (13) 3. Creighton (1) UNI (1) 5. Missouri State 6. Drake 7. Bradley 8. Evansville 9. Indiana State 10. Illinois State
357 349 265 265 253 195 123 107 98 78
2005-06 1. UNI (23) 2. Creighton (15) 3. Southern Illinois (1) 4. Missouri State 5. Wichita State 6. Bradley 7. Drake 8. Indiana State (1) 9. Evansville 10. Illinois State
379 372 311 252 244 226 141 118 90 67
2006-07 1. Creighton (29) 2. Southern Illinois (9) 3. Wichita State (2) 4. Missouri State 5. UNI 6. Evansville 7. Drake 8. Bradley 9. Illinois State 10. Indiana State
386 354 325 289 223 163 150 136 125 48
2007-08 1. Southern Illinois (39) 2. Bradley 3. Missouri State 4. Creighton 5. Illinois State 6. Wichita State 7. UNI 8. Indiana State 9. Drake 10. Evansville
390 311 283 266 235 210 197 110 80 63
2008-09 1. Creighton (36) 2. Southern Illinois (2) 3. Illinois State (1) 4. Drake 5. Bradley 6. UNI 7. Indiana State 8. Evansville 9. Wichita State 10. Missouri State
386 322 309 274 219 186 137 122 105 85
2009-10 1. UNI (38) 2. Creighton (1) 3. Illinois State 4. Southern Illinois 5. Wichita State
389 336 299 272 216
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Bradley Indiana State Drake Missouri State Evansville
208 173 105 92 55
2010-11 1. Wichita State (33) 2. Missouri State (1) 3. UNI (3) 4. Creighton 5. Bradley (2) 6. Illinois State 7. Indiana State 8. Drake 9. Southern Illinois 10. Evansville
382 313 289 282 264 165 136 121 120 73
2011-12 1. Creighton (29) 2. Wichita State (7) 3. Indiana State (4) 4. UNI 5. Evansville 6. Missouri State 7. Drake 8. Illinois State 9. Southern Illinois 10. Bradley
389 350 331 245 234 216 159 111 90 75
2012-13 1. Creighton (38) 2. Illinois State (2) 3. UNI 4. Wichita State 5. Evansville 6. Drake 7. Indiana State 8. Missouri State 9. Bradley 10. Southern Illinois
398 327 316 298 240 184 165 122 84 66
Valley Favorites & Champions*
Favorite (Postseason)
Champion*
1985-86 1986-87 1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Bradley (NCAA) Tulsa (NCAA) Bradley (NCAA) Wichita State (NIT) [t2] Creighton (NIT) [t2] Creighton (NCAA) Southern Illinois (NIT) S. Illinois (NCAA) [2] Illinois State (none) [4] S. Illinois (NCAA) [t2] Bradley (NCAA) Illinois State (NCAA) Illinois State (NCAA) Creighton (NCAA) [t2] Bradley (none) [5] Creighton (NCAA) Illinois State (none) [3] Creighton (NCAA) [2] Wichita State (NIT) [t2] Southern Illinois (NCAA) UNI (NCAA) [5] Creighton (NCAA) [2] S. Illinois (NIT) [3] Creighton (NIT) [t1st] UNI (NCAA) Wichita State (NIT) [2nd] Creighton (NCAA) [2nd] Creighton (NCAA)
Bradley Tulsa Bradley Creighton Southern Illinois Creighton S. Illinois & Illinois State Illinois State Tulsa Tulsa Bradley Illinois State Illinois State Evansville Indiana State Creighton S. Illinois & Creighton Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Wichita State Southern Illinois Drake Creighton & UNI UNI Missouri State Wichita State Creighton
*--Regular-season champion Regular-season finish, if not 1st, noted in brackets.
OCTOBER 30, 2013
MVC Contact: Mike Kern, Associate Commissioner Office: 314.444.4326 • Cell: 314.435.4779 • Email: [email protected] 1818 Chouteau Ave. • St. Louis, MO 63103 • Fax: 314.444.4356
www.mvc-sports.com MARCH 6-9, 2014
CHICAGO -- Fresh off a 30-win campaign and a trip to the NCAA Final Four, Wichita State has been picked to win the 2013-14 Missouri Valley MVC Preseason Poll Conference men’s basketball crown. The Shockers received all 40 firstSchool (First-Place Votes) Total place tallies, marking just the second time in the past 25 years an MVC 1. Wichita State (40) 400 team was a unanimous choice to win the league. 2. Indiana State 352 3. UNI 318 The Shockers have a pair of student-athletes on the pre-season team, 4. Missouri State 258 including MVC Preseason Player of the Year Cleanthony Early and sopho 5. Bradley 244 more Ron Baker. Early (13.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is one of two returning first 6. Evansville 186 139 team selections from last year’s all-conference squad and Baker (8.7 ppg), 7. Illinois State 8. Southern Illinois 123 despite missing half of the season with an injury, was a key cog for the 9. Loyola 95 Shockers down the stretch and during the postseason. 10. Drake 85 Jake Odum (13.6 ppg, 4.6 apg) of Indiana State is also a returning firstPoll determined by panel of league sports inforteam all-MVC pick, and he is joined on the MVC preseason unit by teammation directors, media, and coaches. mate Manny Arop (12.0 ppg). Arop earned honorable mention recognition. A pair of Bradley student-athletes represent the Braves on this year’s preseason squad, including Walt Lemon Jr., and Tyshon Pickett. Lemon Jr. (15.6 ppg, 75 steals) was a second-team all-MVC selection a year ago while Pickett (11.0 ppg), a transfer from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, was a member of the 2012-13 MVC All-Newcomer Team. Lemon Jr. was also on last year’s All-Defensive Team. Desmar Jackson represents the Salukis on the preseason team after earning All-Newcomer and Honorable Mention honors in 2012-13 in his first year with the Salukis. The transfer from Wyoming averaged 15.1 ppg to lead SIU. UNI’s Seth Tuttle and Missouri State’s Marcus Marshall round out the seven-player preseason first-team unit. Tuttle (11.4 ppg) is third among all active MVC players in both career scoring and career rebounding, while Marshall, a member of last year’s All-Newcomer and All-Freshman teams, set an MSU freshman scoring record (368 points). Drake’s Seth VanDeest was one of three players named honorable mention on this year’s preseason squad. He is the top returning scorer (9.5 ppg) and rebounder (4.8 rpg) for the Bulldogs, who have a new head coach. Ray Giacoletti takes over after serving most recently as an assistant at Gonzaga. He had previous head coaching stints at North Dakota State, Eastern Washington and Utah. Pollsters have accurately predicted the league’s regular-season champ only 13 times out of 28 since 1985-86, but the pre-season favorite Shockers can take solace in that 25 of those 28 predicted champs have gone on to postseason play, with 17 of those 25 playing in the NCAAs. The Shockers, meanwhile, have been picked to win the MVC three previous times since 1985, and in those years, they finished second each time. Wichita State does, however, own seven outright MVC crowns, fourth-best all-time.
2013-14 MVC Preseason Team Ron Baker, Wichita State Cleanthony Early, Wichita State Desmar Jackson, Southern Illinois Walt Lemon, Jr., Bradley Marcus Marshall, Missouri State Jake Odum, Indiana State Seth Tuttle, UNI Honorable Mention Selections: Manny Arop, Indiana State Tyshon Pickett, Bradley Seth VanDeest, Drake
So. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr.
G F G G G G F
6-3 6-8 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-8
Scott City (Kan.) High Middletown (N.Y.) Sullivan JC Warren (Ohio) U. of Wyoming Chicago (Ill.) Julian St. Paul (Minn.) Johnson Terre Haute (Ind.) South Vigo Sheffield (Iowa) West Fork
Sr. G/F 6-5 Edmonton (Alberta) Gonzaga Sr. F 6-6 Passaic (N.Y.) High Sr. C 6-11 Bettendorf (Iowa) High
Preseason Player of the Year: Cleanthony Early, Wichita State (pictured at right)
Team determined by panel of league SIDs, media, and coaches.
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MVC News release OCTOBER 30, 2013
u BRADLEY The Braves enter the third year of the Geno Ford era hoping to improve upon their 18-17 (7-11 MVC) record. Returning for his senior season is Walt Lemon Jr., the conference’s active leader in total points and Bradley’s active leader in nearly every statistical category. In 2012-13 he joined the great Hersey Hawkins as the only player in league history to record at least 500 points, 100 rebounds, 100 assists, and 70 steals in one season. u DRAKE Drake will begin a new era under Coach Ray Giacolleti this season. Three key players from last year’s 9th place squad (15-17, 7-11 MVC) return, including starters Seth VanDeest and Richard Carter. Giacoletti brings a wealth of coaching experience to the Bulldogs, having spent the last six years under the guidance of Mark Few at Gonzaga. Drake will hope to surprise opponents with its blend of experience and new talent in 2013-14. u EVANSVILLE In spite of the departure of Colt Ryan, one of the most prolific scorers in MVC history, the Purple Aces will be looking to build upon their 21 victories in 2012-13, their most since 1999. They face the difficulty of losing four starters, yet many experienced players return ready to take the helm. Sophomores DJ Balentine and Egidijus Mockevicius and juniors Jaylon Moore and Ryan Sawvell all saw action in 35 or more Evansville’s contests last season, with Balentine and Mockevicius averaging more than five points per game. In addition, Mockevicius brings defensive tenacity to the table, as he tallied 64 blocks last season, the most of any returning player. u ILLINOIS STATE What the Redbirds will bring to the table in 2013-14 is largely unknown.
All five starters are gone from last year’s team. However, Coach Dan Muller has proven well-equipped to deal with difficult circumstances, as his 2012-13 squad bounced back from an 0-6 start in league play to finish sixth in the conference. Sophomores Nick Zeisloft and Kaza Keane return after appearing in the vast majority of Illinois State’s tilts last season as well, providing needed experience. u INDIANA STATE The Indiana State Sycamores are one of the early favorites to contend for the MVC Championship. After spending a large part of the 201213 season on the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Sycamores bring back veteran leadership and depth, including Larry Bird Trophy candidate Jake Odum. As a junior, Odum averaged 13.6 points per game and tallied the most assists of any returning player in The Valley. Coach Greg Lansing’s team has participated in a post-season tournament each of the last four years, and will try to make sure that appearance number five is announced on Selection Sunday. u LOYOLA Newcomer Loyola Chicago adds a variable to The Valley equation, and it comes at a perfect time for the Ramblers. Bringing back what was one of the youngest squads in the nation last year, the Ramblers are led by junior Joe Crisman, junior Christian Thomas, and sophomore Devon Turk. Head Coach Porter Moser will no doubt be prepared for the increased challenge of battling Valley competition, having spent four seasons as the coach of Illinois State u MISSOURI STATE The Bears bring back an experienced squad for 2013-14 thanks in large part to the exciting announcement of the return of Keith Pickens. Senior Jarmar Gulley, too, is back after missing all of last year. He was a starter two seasons ago.
Paul Lusk enters his third year at the helm and has nine letterwinners back, including five with starting experience. Marcus Marshall was the MVC Freshman of the Year, the first MSU player to earn that since 2004. u NORTHERN IOWA Ben Jacobson’s Panthers bring back two starters and a host of letterwinners for 2013-14 and appear to be one of the early frontrunners to contend for the MVC title. The fashion in which the 2012-13 season ended gives the Panthers great cause for hope going forward, as they reached the semifinals of the CIT and completed their fifth-straight 20-win season. Juniors Seth Tuttle and Deon Mitchell will lead the way as UNI aims to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010. u SOUTHERN ILLINOIS Entering their second season under Head Coach Barry Hinson, the Salukis appear ready to continue their journey back to prominence in the MVC. During the final stretch of the 2012-13 slate, SIU was one of the hottest teams in The Valley, winning six of their final eight regularseason games. Starters Desmar Jackson and Anthony Beane Jr. join four other 201213 letterwinners that will comprise the core for this year’s team. u WICHITA STATE The team to beat in the MVC this year is undoubtedly the Shockers of Wichita State. Coming off of their Final Four appearance, the Shockers are led by Larry Bird Trophy favorite Cleanthony Early, who enters his second year at Wichita State, sophomore sharpshooter Ron Baker, and junior Tekele Cotton. Wichita State brings back a total of eight letterwinners. After setting a school record with 30 victories, excitement in Wichita is at an all-time high, and the Shockers look to prove that last year was only the beginning.
BRADLEY • DRAKE • EVANSVILLE • ILLINOIS STATE • INDIANA STATE • LOYOLA • MISSOURI STATE • UNI • SOUTHERN ILLINOIS • WICHITA STATE
Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Basketball - Previous Preseason Polls 1985-86 (Coaches Poll) 1. Bradley (7) 2. Wichita State (1.5) 3. Tulsa (.5) 4. Illinois State 5. Indiana State 6. West Texas 7. Drake 8. Creighton 9. Southern Illinois
62 55.5 51.5 44 32 29 26 16 8
1986-87 (Media Poll) 1. Tulsa (24) 2. Bradley (1) 3. Illinois State 4. Wichita State 5. Drake (1) 6. Creighton 7. Indiana State 8. Southern Illinois
206 165 143 131 130 62 56 43
1987-88 (Media Poll) 1. Bradley (32) 2. Wichita State (1) 3. Illinois State (2) 4. Tulsa 5. Southern Illinois 6. Drake 7. Creighton 8. Indiana State
277 229 202 194 114 103 84 57
1988-89 (Media Poll) 1. Wichita State (22) 2. Bradley 3. Drake 4. Southern Illinois 5. Illinois State 6. Tulsa 7. Creighton 8. Indiana State
176 156 109 92 89 83 80 27
1989-90 (Media Poll) 1. Creighton (20) 2. Tulsa (8) 3. Southern Illinois (1) 4. Illinois State 5. Drake (1) 6. Wichita State 7. Bradley 8. Indiana State
235 215 180 142 135 102 68 40
1990-91 (Coaches Poll) 1. Creighton (6) 2. Southern Illinois (1) 3. Tulsa (1) 4. Missouri State (1) 5. Illinois State 6. Indiana State 7. Bradley 8. Drake 9. Wichita State
61 53.5 51.5 48 29 23.5 23 18 16.5
1991-92 (Media Poll) 1. Southern Illinois (27) 2. Wichita State (3) 3. Missouri State (1) 4. Drake Indiana State 6. UNI 7. Tulsa 8. Illinois State 9. Creighton 10. Bradley
305 267 251 182 182 146 134 131 60 54
1992-93 (Media Poll) 1. Southern Illinois (17) 2. Tulsa 3. Missouri State 4. Illinois State 5. Wichita State 6. Indiana State
170 140 136 132 94 84
7. UNI 8. Bradley 9. Creighton 10. Drake
64 46 38 31
1993-94 (Media Poll) 1. Illinois State (11) 2. Southern Illinois (5) 3. Bradley (3) 4. Missouri State (2) 5. Tulsa (3) 6. UNI (1) 7. Wichita State 8. Drake 9. Indiana State 10. Creighton
212 209 187 181 174 106 98 81 61 58
1994-95 1. Southern Illinois (15) 2. Bradley (8) 3. Tulsa (4) 4. Evansville (5) 5. Missouri State (1) 6. Illinois State 7. Wichita State 8. UNI 9. Drake 10. Creighton 11. Indiana State
330 318 305 290 223 191 151 122 103 84 57
1995-96 1. Bradley (22) 2. Tulsa (7) 3. Illinois State (3) 4. Evansville 5. Southern Illinois 6. Wichita State 7. Drake 8. Missouri State UNI 10. Creighton 11. Indiana State
338 314 300 216 210 179 166 122 122 84 59
1996-97 1. Illinois State (22) 2. Missouri State (3) 3. Bradley (4) 4. Evansville 5. Creighton 6. UNI (1) 7. Southern Illinois 8. Wichita State 9. Indiana State 10. Drake
291 252 226 224 179 140 124 95 63 58
1997-98 1. Illinois State (26) 2. Missouri State (3) 3. Bradley 4. Wichita State 5. Evansville 6. UNI (1) 7. Creighton 8. Southern Illinois 9. Indiana State 10. Drake
306 270 196 193 174 164 157 92 60 48
1998-99 1. Creighton (17) 2. Missouri State (9) 3. Illinois State (3) 4. Wichita State (1) 5. Bradley 6. Evansville 7. Indiana State 8. Southern Illinois 9. UNI 10. Drake
280 272 231 200 179 162 120 104 59 42
1999-00 1. Bradley (20)
288
2. Evansville (4) 3. Indiana State (2) 4. Missouri State (3) 5. Creighton (1) 6. Southern Illinois 7. Illinois State 8. Wichita State 9. Drake 10. UNI
229 228 199 178 171 125 102 77 52
2000-01 1. Creighton (25) 2. Evansville (2) 3. Indiana State (1) 4. Southern Illinois 5. Missouri State (1) 6. UNI 7. Illinois State 8. Bradley 9. Drake 10. Wichita State
285 244 223 210 159 116 109 105 64 55
2001-02 1. Illinois State (26) 2. Creighton (1) 3. Indiana State (1) 4. Southern Illinois (1) 5. Missouri State (1) 6. Bradley 7. Evansville 8. Drake 9. Wichita State 10. UNI
293 232 224 212 184 155 122 117 70 41
2002-03 1. Creighton (25) 2. Southern Illinois (5) 3. Wichita State 4. Illinois State 5. Drake 6. Bradley 7. UNI 8. Missouri State 9. Indiana State 10. Evansville
290 274 208 205 178 132 118 116 71 53
2003-04 1. Wichita State (24) 2. Creighton (4) 3. Bradley 4. Missouri State (1) 5. Southern Illinois 6. UNI (1) 7. Illinois State 8. Evansville 9. Drake 10. Indiana State
290 254 224 210 200 135 99 96 87 55
2004-05 1. Southern Illinois (23) 2. Wichita State (13) 3. Creighton (1) UNI (1) 5. Missouri State 6. Drake 7. Bradley 8. Evansville 9. Indiana State 10. Illinois State
357 349 265 265 253 195 123 107 98 78
2005-06 1. UNI (23) 2. Creighton (15) 3. Southern Illinois (1) 4. Missouri State 5. Wichita State 6. Bradley 7. Drake 8. Indiana State (1) 9. Evansville 10. Illinois State
379 372 311 252 244 226 141 118 90 67
2006-07 1. Creighton (29) 2. Southern Illinois (9) 3. Wichita State (2) 4. Missouri State 5. UNI 6. Evansville 7. Drake 8. Bradley 9. Illinois State 10. Indiana State
386 354 325 289 223 163 150 136 125 48
2007-08 1. Southern Illinois (39) 2. Bradley 3. Missouri State 4. Creighton 5. Illinois State 6. Wichita State 7. UNI 8. Indiana State 9. Drake 10. Evansville
390 311 283 266 235 210 197 110 80 63
2008-09 1. Creighton (36) 2. Southern Illinois (2) 3. Illinois State (1) 4. Drake 5. Bradley 6. UNI 7. Indiana State 8. Evansville 9. Wichita State 10. Missouri State
386 322 309 274 219 186 137 122 105 85
2009-10 1. UNI (38) 2. Creighton (1) 3. Illinois State 4. Southern Illinois 5. Wichita State
389 336 299 272 216
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Bradley Indiana State Drake Missouri State Evansville
208 173 105 92 55
2010-11 1. Wichita State (33) 2. Missouri State (1) 3. UNI (3) 4. Creighton 5. Bradley (2) 6. Illinois State 7. Indiana State 8. Drake 9. Southern Illinois 10. Evansville
382 313 289 282 264 165 136 121 120 73
2011-12 1. Creighton (29) 2. Wichita State (7) 3. Indiana State (4) 4. UNI 5. Evansville 6. Missouri State 7. Drake 8. Illinois State 9. Southern Illinois 10. Bradley
389 350 331 245 234 216 159 111 90 75
2012-13 1. Creighton (38) 2. Illinois State (2) 3. UNI 4. Wichita State 5. Evansville 6. Drake 7. Indiana State 8. Missouri State 9. Bradley 10. Southern Illinois
398 327 316 298 240 184 165 122 84 66
Valley Favorites & Champions*
Favorite (Postseason)
Champion*
1985-86 1986-87 1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Bradley (NCAA) Tulsa (NCAA) Bradley (NCAA) Wichita State (NIT) [t2] Creighton (NIT) [t2] Creighton (NCAA) Southern Illinois (NIT) S. Illinois (NCAA) [2] Illinois State (none) [4] S. Illinois (NCAA) [t2] Bradley (NCAA) Illinois State (NCAA) Illinois State (NCAA) Creighton (NCAA) [t2] Bradley (none) [5] Creighton (NCAA) Illinois State (none) [3] Creighton (NCAA) [2] Wichita State (NIT) [t2] Southern Illinois (NCAA) UNI (NCAA) [5] Creighton (NCAA) [2] S. Illinois (NIT) [3] Creighton (NIT) [t1st] UNI (NCAA) Wichita State (NIT) [2nd] Creighton (NCAA) [2nd] Creighton (NCAA)
Bradley Tulsa Bradley Creighton Southern Illinois Creighton S. Illinois & Illinois State Illinois State Tulsa Tulsa Bradley Illinois State Illinois State Evansville Indiana State Creighton S. Illinois & Creighton Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Wichita State Southern Illinois Drake Creighton & UNI UNI Missouri State Wichita State Creighton
*--Regular-season champion Regular-season finish, if not 1st, noted in brackets.
