ST. LOUIS -- UNI, which returns all five starters and nine of 10 players from last year's regular-season co-champ and State Farm MVC Tournament winner, has been picked to earn the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball title in 2009-10.
The Panthers are hoping the pollsters are correct, although recent history could suggest otherwise, as only once in the past four years has the pre-season poll correctly picked the regular-season champ (last year Creighton was picked to win and shared the regular-season title with UNI, which was picked to finish sixth.)
The Panthers - also picked to win by The Sporting News College Basketball Preview, Lindy's College Basketball Preview, and Athlon Sports College Basketball Preview - join a small group of defending Missouri Valley men's basketball champs to return all five starters.
Since The Valley began conducting a pre-season poll (1985-86), there have been four defending regular-season champions, including UNI this year, that have returned all five starters for the next season:
• 1991-92 (SIU shared regular-season title with ILS). The Salukis returned all 5 starters and were picked No. 1 for 1992-93 and finished 2nd (1 game behind ILS).
• 1996-97 (ILS won the regular-season title). ILS returned all 5 starters and was picked No. 1 for 1997-98 and won the league (by 4 games over second-place CU).
• 2001-02 (Creighton shared the regular-season title with Southern Illinois). Creighton returned all 5 starters and was picked No. 1 for 2002-03 and finished second behind first-place SIU (by 1 game).
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MVC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
|
| |
School (1st) |
Total |
|
1
|
UNI (38)
|
389
|
|
2
|
Creighton (1)
|
336
|
|
3
|
Illinois State
|
299
|
|
4
|
Southern Illinois
|
272
|
|
5
|
Wichita State
|
216
|
|
6
|
Bradley
|
208
|
|
7
|
Indiana State
|
173
|
|
8
|
Drake
|
105
|
|
9
|
Missouri State
|
92
|
|
10
|
Evansville
|
55 |
| Poll determined by panel of league sports information directors, media, and coaches. |
The Panthers are a near unanimous pick to win this year, receiving 38 of 39 first-place votes in a poll conducted by league coaches, media, and sports information directors. UNI earned 389 out of a possible 390 points and outdistanced Creighton, which received the remaining first-place tally and 336 total points.
A pair of Panthers highlight the six-person pre-season all-conference squad, including senior Adam Koch and junior Kwadzo Ahelegbe. Koch averaged 12.1 points and 5.1 rebounds last year and was a first-team all-MVC choice in 2008-09, while Ahelegbe was a second-team all-conference selection and a member of the league's all-Defensive Team.
They are joined on the unit by Illinois State's Osiris Eldridge, Southern Illinois' Tony Freeman, Drake's Josh Young, and Creighton's P'Allen Stinnett. Eldridge, a first-team all-MVC pick a year ago and the State Farm MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, was chosen as the league's Preseason Player of the Year.
Stinnett is one of three returning Bluejay starters and was a member of the league's all-conference second team last season after averaging 12.5 points while adding 48 steals. Creighton has won 20+ games for a league-record 11-straight seasons and also owns a league record with 12-straight post-season appearances.
Eldridge is the most-high profile player on Illinois State's 2009-10 squad, but the Redbirds also return starters Dinma Odiakosa and Lloyd Phillips and they hope to stretch their post-season streak to three-straight years for coach Tim Jankovich, who has won 49 games in his first two seasons at ISU. Eldridge averaged 14.0 points and 6.2 rebounds last year as the Redbirds reached the NIT.
Southern Illinois' streak of post-season appearances (7) ended last year, but the young Salukis are primed to make a return trip this year and have the services of veteran guard Tony Freeman, an Iowa transfer who was a Third Team all-Big Ten pick in his final season with the Hawkeyes (2007-08).
Wichita State looks to senior guard Clevin Hannah and sophomore guard Toure' Murry - both on this year's pre-season team as honorable-mention picks - to lead Wichita State this year. J.T. Durley joins those two electric guards as returning starters to give Wichita State its most experienced club under third-year coach Gregg Marshall.
Bradley has won 21 games in four-straight seasons, the longest active streak of seasons with at least 21 wins in the MVC. The Braves return four starters, not including Andrew Warren, who missed last year with an injury. One of the four is guard Sam Maniscalco, who is an honorable mention pre-season all-MVC choice this year.
Indiana State returns four starters from last year's club, which finished with six wins in its final eight games. Harry Marshall and Jake Kelly, an all-Big Ten honorable mention pick at Iowa last year, represent the Sycamores as honorable mention picks on the pre-season team.
Drake is looking to reach the post-season again -- for a third-straight year -- and will put a lot of responsibility on Young, who is the league's active leading scorer, with 1,328 career points. Young was a second-team all-MVC pick in 2008-09.
| 2009-10 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team |
| Name, School, Pos., Ht., Wt., Year, Hometown, High School |
| Kwadzo Ahelegbe, UNI, G, 6-2, 200, Jr., Oakdale (Minn.) Tartan High |
| Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State, G, 6-3, 215, Sr., Chicago (Ill.) Phillips Academy |
| Tony Freeman, Southern Illinois, G, 6-1, 195, Sr., Maywood (Ill.) St. Joseph's / Iowa transfer |
| Adam Koch, UNI, F, 6-8, 255, Sr., Ashawubenon (Wis.) High |
| P'Allen Stinnett, Creighton, G, 6-3, 180, Jr., Las Vegas (Nev.) Brewster Academy [N.H.] |
| Josh Young, Drake, G, 6-1, 174, Sr., Lawton (Okla.) Lawton Christian High |
| |
| HM: Kevin Dillard, Southern Illinois; Clevin Hannah, Wichita State; Jake Kelly, Indiana State; Sam Maniscalco, Bradley; Harry Marshall, Indiana State; Toure' Murry, Wichita State |
| |
| Preseason Player of the Year -- Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State |
Missouri State has three starters back from last year and just one senior, but he's a good one: Justin Fuehrmeyer is the league's active career leader with 231 assists.
In two years at Evansville, coach Marty Simmons has taken the Aces from nine wins to 17, including its first post-season appearance since 1999. The Aces return one starter from last year's team.
Pollsters have accurately predicted the league's regular-season champ only 11 times out of 25 since 1985-86, but the pre-season favorite Panthers can take solace in that 22 of those 25 predicted champs have gone on to post-season play, with 15 of those 22 playing in the NCAAs.
Courtesy: The Valley
