Each week, the Missouri Valley Conference will provide an update on the top Jackie Stiles Trophy candidates from each MVC school. This week's update is through women's basketball games of Jan. 25.

ST. LOUIS -- 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 Jan. 25.

Illinois State, 2011’s regular season champion, has been picked as this year’s pre-season favorite in Missouri Valley Conference softball as voted by the league’s coaches. The Redbirds earned 96 points and seven first-place votes. UNI took two first-place votes and second-place (87 points) with Southern Illinois

Illinois State's Chris McIntyre, a track & field student-athlete, was selected as the recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference's Most Courageous Award, and was honored during halftime of the men's basketball game Wednesday evening.

A total of six Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer standouts were selected in the 2012 Major League Soccer SuperDraft and Supplemental Draft last week in Kansas City.