2022-23 Preseason MVC picks

[Da Coach]

The 2022-23 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook picks the Missouri Valley -
https://mvc-sports.com/news/2022/9/7...-favorite.aspx

The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook has picked Drake to win the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball title in 2022-23 as announced by the organization Sept. 7.
BLUE RIBBON FORECAST
1. Drake
2. Southern Illinois
3. Bradley
4. Belmont
5. Indiana State
6. UNI
7. Missouri State
8. Valparaiso
9. Illinois State
10. Murray State
11. UIC
12. Evansville

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
F-Ben Krikke, SR, Valparaiso
F-Marcus Domask, SR, Southern Illinois
G-Tucker DeVries, SO, Drake
G-D.J. Wilkins, SR, Drake
G-Cooper Neese, SR, Indiana State

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tucker DeVries, SO, Drake

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Rod Perry, JR, Murray State

Bradley is picked 3rd behind Drake and SIU. Drake at #1 makes sense, but I wouldn't have picked SIU at #2.
SIU finished 9-9 last season, in 6th place, 2 games behind Bradley.
They appear to be a little better this year, but they lost some key players- 2 of their top 4 scorers, 3 of their top 6 rebounders, and their top 2 three point shooters.
The other picks I would not quite agree with-
Indiana State at #5- Indiana State finished 9th last year, 10 games under .500 (4-14, 11-20). Only Evansville had worse MVC and overall records. Tyreke Key isn't coming back, but they do return most of their production from last year, except point guard and 4th leading scorer Micah Thomas. And, they did add Jayson Kent. So they should be a little better, but not 5th.
Murray State at #10- I can understand why they picked Murray State 10th. They lost essentially their entire team, plus their coach. But they have reloaded nicely, and should finish at least in the middle of the pack or maybe higher, IMO.

[bradleyfan124]

Mast will be first team All-conference

[Nashville Cat]

SIU's got a very good dynamic duo with Jones and Domask. I've got them 2a to BU's 2.

[LittleBrave]

Holy crap - if those guys are our 1st team MVC by season's end, it will be the weakest that I can remember.
BU will get at least one 1st-teamer - maybe 2
BOOK IT!

[LittleBrave]

Mast will be first team All-conference

If he's not, then 2nd team, and another Brave will be 1st team.

I'm absolutely thinking we have a legit shot to win the Valley this year barring major injuries.
This is the year when "The Brave ones rise to the top"

I feel that Hickman, Mast, and Henry are among the best 10 in the league, with Leons potentially being our X-factor.

The big question will be our outside shooting (what killed us last year) and the PG play is an unknown, but those 2 newcomers seem like great fits.

[Da Coach]

Here's another preseason ranking from a blogger who appears to do a pretty good job of researching each team-

https://staringatthefloorboards.wordpress.com/2022/09/17/missouri-valley-2022-23-season-preview/

It's a long article with a lot of details.
Here is his ranking-
1. Drake
2. Bradley
3. Belmont
4. SIU
5. Missouri State
6. Murray State
7. Indiana State
8. Northern Iowa
9. Valparaiso
10. Illinois State
11. UIC
12. Evansville

[Bradley3342]

Here's another preseason ranking from a blogger who appears to do a pretty good job of researching each team-

https://staringatthefloorboards.wordpress.com/2022/09/17/missouri-valley-2022-23-season-preview/

It's a long article with a lot of details.
Here is his ranking-
1. Drake
2. Bradley
3. Belmont
4. SIU
5. Missouri State
6. Murray State
7. Indiana State
8. Northern Iowa
9. Valparaiso
10. Illinois State
11. UIC
12. Evansville

Really in-depth research on all the teams in the league.

[Nashville Cat]

Really in-depth research on all the teams in the league.

Looks like a pretty accurate ranking. Belmont fans down here in Nashville think their Bruins are undervalued. In my opinion SIU is the most undervalued team in MVC.

[yoda]

SIU is the most undervalued team in MVC.

Maybe so, but what would make people pick them higher?

in his final four years Barry finished 4th, 3rd, 2nd, & 3rd and overall was 23 games over .500
in his first 3 years Mullins went 5th, 9th, & 6th and is sub-.500 overall. (against non-conference Strength of Schedule of 306 last year and 280 the yr before and 325 the year before that)!
I know they have their top two guys back but didn't they lose 5 of their top 8 scorers and have 8 new guys.

[Nashville Cat]

Can't disagree much, but their two best returning players are all conference caliber and historically SIU plays exemplary defense.

[tecon89]

I think the schedule may play a big role in the final standings. Whoever doesn’t have to play Drake twice. Who only gets to play Evansville once and so on so forth

[NashvilleBU]

My expectation is that Bradley needs to finish Top 4 to stay out of the play-in games in STL.

[Da Coach]

Another preseason college basketball magazine, "The Almanac" picks Bradley to finish 2nd in the MVC this season-

https://twitter.com/bradleyumbb/status/1575506012743745536

They also pick Rienk Mast as a 1st team All-MVC, and Coach Wardle as the "Best X-and-O Coach (voted by peers)".

The Almanac is compiled by a number of very good college basketball sportswriters, and can be ordered online for $19.99-

https://thealmanac.gumroad.com/l/almanac

[Da Coach]

Another preseason college basketball magazine, "The Almanac" picks Bradley to finish 2nd in the MVC this season-
https://twitter.com/bradleyumbb/stat...06012743745536

They also pick Rienk Mast as a 1st team All-MVC, and Coach Wardle as the "Best X-and-O Coach (voted by peers)".

The Almanac is compiled by a number of very good college basketball sportswriters, and can be ordered online for $19.99-
https://thealmanac.gumroad.com/l/almanac

I finally got a look at The Almanac preseason basketball magazine.
Here is how they picked the MVC-
1) Drake
2) Bradley
3) SIU
4) Mo St
5) Belmont
6) UNI
7) Indiana St
8.) Murray St
9) Valpo
10) Illinois St
11) UIC
12) Evansville

[Da Coach]

Another preseason ranking- has Bradley #2

https://bustingbrackets.com/2022/10/06/mvc-basketball-preseason-power-rankings-2022-23-season/