MVC Preseason poll

[tornado]

Bradley picked 7th

http://www.bradleybraves.com/documents/2017/10/23//2017_18_Preseason_Poll.pdf

Place School (First-Place Votes) Total
1 Missouri State (30) 381
2 UNI ( 337
3 Loyola (1) 321
4 Illinois State (1) 256
5 Southern Illinois 226
6 Valparaiso 214
7 Bradley 182
8 Indiana State 116
9 Evansville 88
10 Drake 79


and Preseason honors- Darrell Brown, Jr. 2nd Team All Conference- the only sophomore so honored

http://www.bradleybraves.com/news/2017/10/23/mens-basketball-darrell-brown-earns-preseason-all-mvc-honors.aspx

[Da Coach]

From MVC.org - full report on preseason poll and complete All MVC teams

http://www.mvc-sports.com/news/2017/10/20/arch-madness-missouri-state-picked-to-win-mvc-mens-basketball.aspx

Women's-

http://www.mvc-sports.com/news/2017/10/19/WBB_Preseason_Poll.aspx

[pfcmsh]

Bradley

Bradley will finish higher than 7th. They could be 3 or 4 or higher. It is not always about stats. The team has matured a lot, they have leadership in Jayden Hogdson and I think they have great chemistry. So, the intangibles will allow them to finish at least in 4th place which would be continuing the rise from the awful mess we were in before Coach Wardle and Dr Reynolds took the reigns.

[BUSongwriter]

Without a dominant team, I think it will be an exciting year in the Valley. There isn't a lot separating these teams, or so it seems at this point, which will make every game important. I agree with pfc that team chemistry will be a factor in a lot of the close games, as will depth as the season wears on, and I think we have both this year.

Expectations are always high at the beginning of the year, but I think Top 4 (or higher) is a very attainable goal. 7th place would be a huge disappointment.

[Da Coach]

I wonder who was the only one who voted Illinois State #1?

[tornado]

from some of the comments I have seen at the Media Day

-kinda sad that Loyola - right in the middle of all the action in Chicago - did NOT have a reporter from either of the two main Chicago newspapers present...
sad commentary on Chicago media considering some pick Loyola to win the Valley!

-Barry Hinson seemed a little ticked that there's a conspiracy among the big programs to ignore requests to schedule mid-majors..
and that the MVC is going to have to add members and go to a 20-game conference schedule for the lack of any good opportunity in non-conference scheduling

-Marty Simmons, even tho his team is picked 9th - still thinks he's got a chance "have a chance to compete for a championship"

-some are interpreting Dan Muller's words as meaning Christian Romine won't be available at all and that also perhaps Elijah Clarance won't either...will have to rely a ton on guards Evans, Williams and Tinsley plus Yarbrough

[Da Coach]

In an interview with Harry Schroeder of ValleyHoopsInsider.com, Muller said Isaiah Clarance "will take a while to get in game shape but should contribute"

https://twitter.com/FatherHarry1/status/922918612062449665

[pfcmsh]

Without a dominant team, I think it will be an exciting year in the Valley. There isn't a lot separating these teams, or so it seems at this point, which will make every game important. I agree with pfc that team chemistry will be a factor in a lot of the close games, as will depth as the season wears on, and I think we have both this year.

Expectations are always high at the beginning of the year, but I think Top 4 (or higher) is a very attainable goal. 7th place would be a huge disappointment.

Well said, BUSongwriter. It really is much more wide open than it has been for many years.

[tornado]

this year seems like the MVC has a lot more transfers coming in from other 4-year and DI's...

Bradley doesn't have any who came direct from another DI but we do have Jojo McGlaston who was previously at Utah State (we also had Alex Foster last year but he transferred out again) and I believe Evansville is the only other MVC team without a 4-year transfer...

but ISU has four (Martin, Romine, Yarbrough, Chastain), Valpo has four (Burton, Evelyn, Helm, Fazekas), Loyola has three (Shanks, Townes, Uguak), Missouri State has three (Miller, Bhullar, Ridder) and most of the other MVC schools have at least one or two that will play a key part (McDermott at UNI, Davis at Indiana State, Townes at Loyola, Bartley at SIU...)


Speaking of Bartley at SIU - Coach Hinson mentioned he could be out due to an injured hand - getting an MRI today..

[braves16]

Saluki Basketball
#Salukis coach Barry Hinson said junior G Marcus Bartley will be out 6-8 weeks with a broken bone in the wrist of his shooting hand

[Da Coach]

Story

http://thesouthern.com/sports/college/salukimania/bartley-out---weeks-with-broken-bone-in-wrist/article_4a1d8888-9021-519b-9149-7947b8996ec2.amp.html

[tornado]

gotta be a tough break - yesterday Hinson said there was no fracture but if an MRI confirms there is and it's in the wrist, then it's gotta be in one of the small bones, and those can be trouble sometimes because of possible interruption of the small blood supply...so occasionally they are pinned or fixed with rods that are then casted into place...

either way, it is his shooting hand so if he doesn't dribble or shoot a basketball for 6-8 weeks, then he may not be at proper form again until January...