crunifan
November 4th, 2006, 09:02 PM
1. Creighton (29) -- 386
2. Southern Illinois (9) -- 354
3. Wichita State (2) -- 325
4. Missouri State -- 289
5. UNI -- 223
6. Evansville -- 163
7. Drake -- 150
8. Bradley -- 136
9. Illinois State -- 125
10. Indiana State -- 48
For the first time in four years, Creighton has been chosen as the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball pre-season favorite, as announced by the conference office. Creighton received 386 total points and 29 first-place tallies in the poll, conducted by league coaches, media, and sports information directors.
The Bluejays, one of six Valley teams that reached the postseason last year, return four starters from last year’s 20-10 team. Creighton, which tied for second in The Valley standings a year ago, is led by pre-season Player of the Year pick Nate Funk.
Funk is joined on the six-player pre-season unit by teammate Anthony Tolliver, Missouri State’s Blake Ahearn, UNI’s Grant Stout, and a pair of Southern Illinois seniors - Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young. Two student-athletes from last year’s regular-season champ, Wichita State, are pre-season honorable mention this year: PJ Couisnard and Kyle Wilson.
n terms of the team prognostications, Creighton will be gunning for its first regular-season title since the 2001-02 season when Dana Altman’s club shared the crown with Southern Illinois. With 13 all-time league regular-season titles in men’s basketball (shared or outright), CU trails only Oklahoma A&M, which won 15 titles during its Valley tenure.
The Bluejays will be gunning for a league-record 10th-straight trip to post-season play in 2006-07. Meanwhile, Southern Illinois -- picked second in this year’s poll with 354 points and nine first-place tallies -- will be looking to reach its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament, which would match a league record. Cincinnati reached a league-record six-straight NCAA Tournaments from 1957-63. The Salukis tied for second in the league race last year and return all five starters from last season’s NCAA tourney team.
Defending regular-season MVC champion Wichita State is picked third in this year’s poll and received two first-place nods and 325 points. The Shockers lost 2006 Larry Bird Player of the Year Paul Miller to graduation, but four starters are back from last year’s team, which won 26 games and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
Missouri State also returns four starters from last year’s post-season squad, which reached the quarterfinals of the NIT Tournament, and the Bears are picked fourth in this year’s pre-season MVC poll. At 22-9 a year ago, Missouri State was one of a league-record six teams to win 20-plus games in 2005-06.
Another 20-game winning team from a year ago is UNI. The Panthers, who are picked fifth in this year’s poll, went 23-10 and went to their third-straight NCAA Tournament in 2005-06.
Evansville is picked sixth in this year’s pre-season poll, and the Aces return five starters from last year’s seventh-place team. Drake follows Evansville in the poll as the Bulldogs return four starters from last year’s squad and add Klayton Korver, who missed last year with an injury.
Bradley, coming off an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 run in 2005-06, is picked eighth in this year’s pre-season poll and returns two starters from last year’s 22-11 squad.
Greg Dilligard is the lone returning starter for Porter Moser’s club as Illinois State is picked ninth in the pre-season poll, while Indiana State rounds out the poll. The Sycamores return three starters from last year’s 13-16 team.
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http://www.mvc-sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7600&ATCLID=660743
It will be another cut throat year in the MVC. Looking for another 4 teams in the NCAA!
2. Southern Illinois (9) -- 354
3. Wichita State (2) -- 325
4. Missouri State -- 289
5. UNI -- 223
6. Evansville -- 163
7. Drake -- 150
8. Bradley -- 136
9. Illinois State -- 125
10. Indiana State -- 48
For the first time in four years, Creighton has been chosen as the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball pre-season favorite, as announced by the conference office. Creighton received 386 total points and 29 first-place tallies in the poll, conducted by league coaches, media, and sports information directors.
The Bluejays, one of six Valley teams that reached the postseason last year, return four starters from last year’s 20-10 team. Creighton, which tied for second in The Valley standings a year ago, is led by pre-season Player of the Year pick Nate Funk.
Funk is joined on the six-player pre-season unit by teammate Anthony Tolliver, Missouri State’s Blake Ahearn, UNI’s Grant Stout, and a pair of Southern Illinois seniors - Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young. Two student-athletes from last year’s regular-season champ, Wichita State, are pre-season honorable mention this year: PJ Couisnard and Kyle Wilson.
n terms of the team prognostications, Creighton will be gunning for its first regular-season title since the 2001-02 season when Dana Altman’s club shared the crown with Southern Illinois. With 13 all-time league regular-season titles in men’s basketball (shared or outright), CU trails only Oklahoma A&M, which won 15 titles during its Valley tenure.
The Bluejays will be gunning for a league-record 10th-straight trip to post-season play in 2006-07. Meanwhile, Southern Illinois -- picked second in this year’s poll with 354 points and nine first-place tallies -- will be looking to reach its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament, which would match a league record. Cincinnati reached a league-record six-straight NCAA Tournaments from 1957-63. The Salukis tied for second in the league race last year and return all five starters from last season’s NCAA tourney team.
Defending regular-season MVC champion Wichita State is picked third in this year’s poll and received two first-place nods and 325 points. The Shockers lost 2006 Larry Bird Player of the Year Paul Miller to graduation, but four starters are back from last year’s team, which won 26 games and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
Missouri State also returns four starters from last year’s post-season squad, which reached the quarterfinals of the NIT Tournament, and the Bears are picked fourth in this year’s pre-season MVC poll. At 22-9 a year ago, Missouri State was one of a league-record six teams to win 20-plus games in 2005-06.
Another 20-game winning team from a year ago is UNI. The Panthers, who are picked fifth in this year’s poll, went 23-10 and went to their third-straight NCAA Tournament in 2005-06.
Evansville is picked sixth in this year’s pre-season poll, and the Aces return five starters from last year’s seventh-place team. Drake follows Evansville in the poll as the Bulldogs return four starters from last year’s squad and add Klayton Korver, who missed last year with an injury.
Bradley, coming off an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 run in 2005-06, is picked eighth in this year’s pre-season poll and returns two starters from last year’s 22-11 squad.
Greg Dilligard is the lone returning starter for Porter Moser’s club as Illinois State is picked ninth in the pre-season poll, while Indiana State rounds out the poll. The Sycamores return three starters from last year’s 13-16 team.
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http://www.mvc-sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7600&ATCLID=660743
It will be another cut throat year in the MVC. Looking for another 4 teams in the NCAA!