Men's Basketball picked to finish fifth in MVC preseason poll
10/24/2017 | 8:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Thik Bol named Second-Team MVC Preseason Team
For the first time in five years, Wichita State is not the preseason favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball title. Winners of four-straight conference championships, the Shockers moved to the American Athletic Conference last summer, opening the door for a new team to emerge as the conference standard bearer.With four starters returning, including preseason Player of the Year Alize Johnson, Missouri State hopes to assume that mantle. The Bears, who have never been picked to win the league, were the overwhelming choice to win it this year in a poll of league sports information directors, media and coaches. MSU received 30 first-place votes to out-distance Northern Iowa (8), Loyola (1) and Illinois State (1).Â
Northern Iowa has two players on the MVC Preseason Team — senior forwards Bennett Koch and Klint Karlson. Loyola returns four starters and also has two players on the preseason team in forwards Donte Ingram and Aundre Jackson. Despite losing four starters off last year's squad, Illinois State was still picked to finish in the top half of the league, as the Redbirds return preseason team selection Phil Fayne and welcome two Division I transfers in Milik Yarbrough and Christian Romine.
Southern Illinois was picked to finish fifth, the same spot it was picked to finish last season, although the Salukis ultimately tied Northern Iowa for third place in the standings. SIU returns three starters, including senior forward Thik Bol, who blocked 76 shots a year ago, the third-most in a season in school history. Also returning is fifth-year senior Tyler Smithpeters. He missed all of last season due to injury, but ranks seventh in school history in 3-point shooting (.395 percent) and leads the roster in career starts (63). Southern has a deep back court that includes Armon Fletcher (11.1 points) and Saint Louis transfer Marcus Bartley.The 2017-18 season begins a new chapter in the 111-year history of the MVC as Valparaiso beame the league's 34th member on July 1. With the addition of Valparaiso, the league's new 10-member configuration spans four Midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri).
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