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BradleyFans.com MVC Power Poll (Week 1) (30 votes)
1 - Creighton ( 8 ) - 267 pts
The Bluejays have had a fairly productive 8 days, proving that they can hang with the big boys in a 10 pt loss to Dayton, and then beating both Florida A&M and Arkansas Little Rock by having impressive closing performances in both games with finals of 78-53 and 80-65. In all 3 games, the Jays have proven they can put the ball in the basket. They have also been led so far by JuCo newcomer Darryl Ashford and Freshman newcomer Ethan Wragge, at 6'7" and built from the Kyle Korver mold. The Jays have already knocked down 30 3-pt field goals and forced their opponents into 19 turnovers per game, which bodes well for the Jays seeking a championship.
PoW - Darryl Ashford (12.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg - 17 pts v FLAM)
2 - Northern Iowa (20) - 263 pts
The Panthers haven't exactly looked pretty while opening up to defend their conference championship crown. 2 squeaky wins and a bad loss to a DePaul team not expected to compete in the Big East have some shaking their heads as to what direction the team from Cedar Falls is moving in. Poor shooting efforts from the majority of the guards, poor overall team free throw shooting, and a lackluster effort in defending the 3 have allowed teams to stay in games against the Panthers. That being said, the tandem of Koch and Farokmanesh have both scored in double figures 2 of the 3 games. Eglseder has 2 double-doubles already, but against actual competition in Mac Koshwal, he folded like a cheap suit (2 pts on 1-9 shooting in 21 min). The Panthers have Boston College and Northern Illinois coming up this week so any less than 2-0 after losing to DePaul may be disappointing, especially considering the lackluster 3-pt shooting or ability to get the opponent to turn the ball over thus far.
PoW - Adam Koch (15.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg - 25 pts on 7-10 shooting (5-5 from 3) 6-9 from the line against East Carolina)
3 - Wichita State (1) - 207 pts
The Shox have been fairly impressive in their 2 victories thus far winning both by sizeable margins. The real question is, when will their true test come? Quickly I answer, tonight against the Pitt Panthers. No these aren't your older brothers Pitt Panthers, BUT they are a solid team and well coached nonetheless. The real thrill in watching this team from Kansas has been the combination of the great improvment of Junior JT Durley and the consistent play of star and future MVC PoY candidate, Toure' Murry. Durley's play may come as somewhat of a surprise, but the real shining story is Murry taking the reigns at the point guard position while Clevin Hannah has sat out due to NCAA regulations violation. Murry has exceeded expectations in that area and while still garnering attention with his scoring ability, he has learned to find open teammates to a clip of 14 assists so far (7/g). Enough said, the Shox could open a lot of eyes with a big week against Pitt, a possible matchup for a CBE title v Texas, and they end the week against a tough Cleveland State team.
PoW - Toure' Murry (15.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 7.0 apg - 15 pts, 6 rb, 7 a, 5 stl v Ark-Mon)
4 - Bradley - 203 pts
**I will not write up a column for the Braves this week, however, if you all would like me to do so, let me know along with your vote in the next poll**
5 - Illinois State - 194 pts
This is a typical Jankovich type season for the Birds so far. Haven't played anyone, and will continue to not play anyone this week with games against UIC, Norfolk State, and SEMO. In fact, they don't play a quality opponent until the 3rd week in December, less than 2 weeks short of their Valley opener. That said, the Birds have been solid on the glass and around the rim on defense, outrebounding opponents by 9 per game and blocking 11 shots as a team already. Players wise, they have been led by the usual suspects in Eldridge and Phillips, both returning as what Jankovich hopes as Senior leadership. As its really hard to gauge how far certain guys have come, Tony Lewis and Kellen Thornton have shown up thus far as players that who may progress into starting lineup mainstays as the year progresses. For the week ahead, if ISU goes anything but 3-0 then there will be yet another notch against the Valley of receiving a 2nd bid this year.
PoW - Osiris Eldridge (21.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.5 apg - 24 pts, 5 a, 4 stl v North Florida)
6 - Southern Illinois (1) - 176 pts
The Salukis are not the same Salukis that have frequented the top of the standings throughout the last decade in the Valley. 3 games into the season and its fairly evident, this team can score the basketball, but its also evident, they do not have a defensive stopper and have various issues in both defending the perimeter and rebounding. The positive outlook for the team from Carbondale is they have the 3 headed monster of Fay, Freeman, and Dillard that can all score, rebound, knock down the 3, and distribute the basketball. The last test the Salukis face before they hit their Valley opener is when they head to Chaifetz Arena to play the much improved Billikens of Saint Louis University. After failing their first test while losing at a slightly above average UNLV, the Salukis would certainly like to roll up 4 more wins before they take to the Sycamores and the conference opener.
PoW - Tony Freeman (11.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.7 apg - 14 pts, 7 rb @ UNLV)
7 - Indiana State - 123 pts
The Trees have started fast out of the gate again this season with the first win of the MWC/MVC Challenge by defeating the Rams of Colorado State. They were defeated by LSU in a very low scoring contest, but came back big the next day with a win by double digits, which may be a sign that the boys in blue from Terre Haute are ready to move out of the Thursday night game in St. Louis. The Sycs were expected to be led by transfer Jake Kelly, and while he has impressed with his ability to get to the foul line, the real impression has been left by another transfer, Sophomore guard Dwayne Lathan who has picked up right about where he left off at Louisiana Tech his Freshman year. Indiana State will go out to face the perenniallly tough Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky this week and that may give all of us a better idea of how close the Sycamores are to contending in the conference.
PoW - Dwayne Lathan (14.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg - 14 pts, 4 rb on 7-7 shooting v Milwaukee)
8 - Missouri State - 114 pts
The Bears have won 4 games convincingly. Do you believe yet? Given their 8th place ranking in the Power Poll, I'm guessing so far the answer is no, and the likelyhood of us starting to believe will need to continue with wins v Tulsa and Air Force, and then maybe take to the road to get a big victory as none of their wins so far have been road wins. The positive aspect for the Bears is that they've been able to play a multitude of new talent and enter some transfer players into the mix. So far, so good for transfers Caleb Patterson and Adam Leonard. This has already and will continue to benefit future star Kyle Weems in playing around complimentary players in Leonard and Patterson. Weems has been very consistent so far in notching double figures in all 4 games and proving he can play with the big boys with a 14/7 output against the Auburn Tigers. The Bears take to the court once this week against a NCAA caliber Tulsa team that has been crushing opponents. A real test awaits in Springfield, MO come Saturday.
PoW - Kyle Weems (15.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg - 23 pts, 6 rb, 3 a & 5-7 from 3 v Citadel)
9 - Evansville - 52 pts
Evansville is going to be the surprising team of the Valley this year. Yes, I said it, I fully believe it, and they are much better than the 7th place finish I voted them as, and better than the 9th place they are currently at in the Power Poll. The key for the Aces this year begins and ends with their underclassmen. The Aces have 5 upperclassmen, only 1 (Lacey) which plays more than 15 minutes per game. Thus far they have been led by Sophomores Bouchie, Haarsma, and Freshman Colt Ryan. The Aces came within an eyelash of upsetting the #10 Butler Bulldogs by using a furious comeback in which the Freshman Ryan scored 12 points in the final minute before they ran out of gas to lose by 4. The Aces have yet another tough game when they go to Oxford, OH to face the Redhawks of Miami Ohio who may have a 1-4 record, but have been beaten by the likes of Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, and New Mexico, all NCAA caliber teams. The Valley may not be quite as strong at the top, but its certainly strong enough to warrant a 2nd bid.
PoW - Colt Ryan (16 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.7 apg - 17 pts, 6 rb, 5 a, 2 stl v Oakland City)
10 - Drake - 51 pts
As per the typical BradleyFans.com way and my polls, the last place team will not be discussed.
Because of the lack of many games being played, I have decided to hold off the voting til the weekend of the 5th and 6th, therefore you will have two weeks worth of games to vote on. Remember, voting consists of current and not so much past results.
Also, be sure to comment within this thread what your thoughts are on the Poll and what your thoughts are on my commentary in general.
And as always, thanks for making BradleyFans.com the best board in the Valley, and thank you for making your voice heard by voting!
PoW - Ryan Wedel (14.4 ppg - 23 pts v IUPUI)
The Bluejays have had a fairly productive 8 days, proving that they can hang with the big boys in a 10 pt loss to Dayton, and then beating both Florida A&M and Arkansas Little Rock by having impressive closing performances in both games with finals of 78-53 and 80-65. In all 3 games, the Jays have proven they can put the ball in the basket. They have also been led so far by JuCo newcomer Darryl Ashford and Freshman newcomer Ethan Wragge, at 6'7" and built from the Kyle Korver mold. The Jays have already knocked down 30 3-pt field goals and forced their opponents into 19 turnovers per game, which bodes well for the Jays seeking a championship.
PoW - Darryl Ashford (12.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg - 17 pts v FLAM)
2 - Northern Iowa (20) - 263 pts
The Panthers haven't exactly looked pretty while opening up to defend their conference championship crown. 2 squeaky wins and a bad loss to a DePaul team not expected to compete in the Big East have some shaking their heads as to what direction the team from Cedar Falls is moving in. Poor shooting efforts from the majority of the guards, poor overall team free throw shooting, and a lackluster effort in defending the 3 have allowed teams to stay in games against the Panthers. That being said, the tandem of Koch and Farokmanesh have both scored in double figures 2 of the 3 games. Eglseder has 2 double-doubles already, but against actual competition in Mac Koshwal, he folded like a cheap suit (2 pts on 1-9 shooting in 21 min). The Panthers have Boston College and Northern Illinois coming up this week so any less than 2-0 after losing to DePaul may be disappointing, especially considering the lackluster 3-pt shooting or ability to get the opponent to turn the ball over thus far.
PoW - Adam Koch (15.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg - 25 pts on 7-10 shooting (5-5 from 3) 6-9 from the line against East Carolina)
3 - Wichita State (1) - 207 pts
The Shox have been fairly impressive in their 2 victories thus far winning both by sizeable margins. The real question is, when will their true test come? Quickly I answer, tonight against the Pitt Panthers. No these aren't your older brothers Pitt Panthers, BUT they are a solid team and well coached nonetheless. The real thrill in watching this team from Kansas has been the combination of the great improvment of Junior JT Durley and the consistent play of star and future MVC PoY candidate, Toure' Murry. Durley's play may come as somewhat of a surprise, but the real shining story is Murry taking the reigns at the point guard position while Clevin Hannah has sat out due to NCAA regulations violation. Murry has exceeded expectations in that area and while still garnering attention with his scoring ability, he has learned to find open teammates to a clip of 14 assists so far (7/g). Enough said, the Shox could open a lot of eyes with a big week against Pitt, a possible matchup for a CBE title v Texas, and they end the week against a tough Cleveland State team.
PoW - Toure' Murry (15.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 7.0 apg - 15 pts, 6 rb, 7 a, 5 stl v Ark-Mon)
4 - Bradley - 203 pts
**I will not write up a column for the Braves this week, however, if you all would like me to do so, let me know along with your vote in the next poll**
5 - Illinois State - 194 pts
This is a typical Jankovich type season for the Birds so far. Haven't played anyone, and will continue to not play anyone this week with games against UIC, Norfolk State, and SEMO. In fact, they don't play a quality opponent until the 3rd week in December, less than 2 weeks short of their Valley opener. That said, the Birds have been solid on the glass and around the rim on defense, outrebounding opponents by 9 per game and blocking 11 shots as a team already. Players wise, they have been led by the usual suspects in Eldridge and Phillips, both returning as what Jankovich hopes as Senior leadership. As its really hard to gauge how far certain guys have come, Tony Lewis and Kellen Thornton have shown up thus far as players that who may progress into starting lineup mainstays as the year progresses. For the week ahead, if ISU goes anything but 3-0 then there will be yet another notch against the Valley of receiving a 2nd bid this year.
PoW - Osiris Eldridge (21.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.5 apg - 24 pts, 5 a, 4 stl v North Florida)
6 - Southern Illinois (1) - 176 pts
The Salukis are not the same Salukis that have frequented the top of the standings throughout the last decade in the Valley. 3 games into the season and its fairly evident, this team can score the basketball, but its also evident, they do not have a defensive stopper and have various issues in both defending the perimeter and rebounding. The positive outlook for the team from Carbondale is they have the 3 headed monster of Fay, Freeman, and Dillard that can all score, rebound, knock down the 3, and distribute the basketball. The last test the Salukis face before they hit their Valley opener is when they head to Chaifetz Arena to play the much improved Billikens of Saint Louis University. After failing their first test while losing at a slightly above average UNLV, the Salukis would certainly like to roll up 4 more wins before they take to the Sycamores and the conference opener.
PoW - Tony Freeman (11.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.7 apg - 14 pts, 7 rb @ UNLV)
7 - Indiana State - 123 pts
The Trees have started fast out of the gate again this season with the first win of the MWC/MVC Challenge by defeating the Rams of Colorado State. They were defeated by LSU in a very low scoring contest, but came back big the next day with a win by double digits, which may be a sign that the boys in blue from Terre Haute are ready to move out of the Thursday night game in St. Louis. The Sycs were expected to be led by transfer Jake Kelly, and while he has impressed with his ability to get to the foul line, the real impression has been left by another transfer, Sophomore guard Dwayne Lathan who has picked up right about where he left off at Louisiana Tech his Freshman year. Indiana State will go out to face the perenniallly tough Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky this week and that may give all of us a better idea of how close the Sycamores are to contending in the conference.
PoW - Dwayne Lathan (14.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg - 14 pts, 4 rb on 7-7 shooting v Milwaukee)
8 - Missouri State - 114 pts
The Bears have won 4 games convincingly. Do you believe yet? Given their 8th place ranking in the Power Poll, I'm guessing so far the answer is no, and the likelyhood of us starting to believe will need to continue with wins v Tulsa and Air Force, and then maybe take to the road to get a big victory as none of their wins so far have been road wins. The positive aspect for the Bears is that they've been able to play a multitude of new talent and enter some transfer players into the mix. So far, so good for transfers Caleb Patterson and Adam Leonard. This has already and will continue to benefit future star Kyle Weems in playing around complimentary players in Leonard and Patterson. Weems has been very consistent so far in notching double figures in all 4 games and proving he can play with the big boys with a 14/7 output against the Auburn Tigers. The Bears take to the court once this week against a NCAA caliber Tulsa team that has been crushing opponents. A real test awaits in Springfield, MO come Saturday.
PoW - Kyle Weems (15.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg - 23 pts, 6 rb, 3 a & 5-7 from 3 v Citadel)
9 - Evansville - 52 pts
Evansville is going to be the surprising team of the Valley this year. Yes, I said it, I fully believe it, and they are much better than the 7th place finish I voted them as, and better than the 9th place they are currently at in the Power Poll. The key for the Aces this year begins and ends with their underclassmen. The Aces have 5 upperclassmen, only 1 (Lacey) which plays more than 15 minutes per game. Thus far they have been led by Sophomores Bouchie, Haarsma, and Freshman Colt Ryan. The Aces came within an eyelash of upsetting the #10 Butler Bulldogs by using a furious comeback in which the Freshman Ryan scored 12 points in the final minute before they ran out of gas to lose by 4. The Aces have yet another tough game when they go to Oxford, OH to face the Redhawks of Miami Ohio who may have a 1-4 record, but have been beaten by the likes of Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, and New Mexico, all NCAA caliber teams. The Valley may not be quite as strong at the top, but its certainly strong enough to warrant a 2nd bid.
PoW - Colt Ryan (16 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.7 apg - 17 pts, 6 rb, 5 a, 2 stl v Oakland City)
10 - Drake - 51 pts
As per the typical BradleyFans.com way and my polls, the last place team will not be discussed.
Because of the lack of many games being played, I have decided to hold off the voting til the weekend of the 5th and 6th, therefore you will have two weeks worth of games to vote on. Remember, voting consists of current and not so much past results.
Also, be sure to comment within this thread what your thoughts are on the Poll and what your thoughts are on my commentary in general.
And as always, thanks for making BradleyFans.com the best board in the Valley, and thank you for making your voice heard by voting!
PoW - Ryan Wedel (14.4 ppg - 23 pts v IUPUI)
Nice synopsis of each team as well.
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