The MVC's moment

Good morning! The start of the season keep getting closer as Wednesday brought the first conference media day event of the fall. Let’s get into it.

1. Despite player transfers, Missouri Valley hoops ‘an incredible product’

The Missouri Valley’s always been a place for basketball success — MVC teams are 12-3 in their first game in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 2012 — and player development. But the latter has changed the formula in today’s MVC.

Only one of 16 all-conference players from last season returned to their Missouri Valley program (Bradley’s Duke Deen). The rest have fallen to the portal poachers of power conferences.

“We’re going to do what we need to do to be as good as we can be every year,” MVC commissioner Jeff Jackson said Wednesday at the conference’s media day. “Our programs, because of the commitments that they’ve made — from their coaches, to their facilities, to their communities — we are always going to be vibrant. We are always going to be very good in this sport. The names may change, protect the innocent, but Valley basketball will still be pretty special.”

No argument here.

First, the league this year will be fresh. Four new head coaches join the conference (Ben McCollum at Drake, Matthew Graves at Indiana State, Cuonzo Martin at Missouri State and Scott Nagy at Southern Illinois) and rosters will look way different than they did a season ago when Drake and Indiana State were the class of the league.

Take a few minutes hours and watch The Field of 68’s media day coverage. You’ll see coaches answer honestly about challenges and expectations for this season.

Here’s a prediction of how league coaches, SIDs and select media think the MVC will finish.

1. Bradley — 597 (46)

2. Northern Iowa — 527 (2)

3. Murray State — 473 (1)

4. Illinois State — 397

5. Drake — 388

6. Belmont — 373

7. Southern Illinois — 337

8. Indiana State — 207

9. Evansville — 199

10. Valparaiso — 173

11. Missouri State — 116

12. UIC — 110

MVC Preseason All-Conference First Team:

• Duke Deen — Bradley (POTY)

• Tylan Anderson — UNI

• Darius Hannah — Bradley

• Johnny Kinziger — Illinois State

• Cooper Schwieger — Valparaiso

• JaCobi Wood — Murray State

Some of the familiar names might be gone, but expect the league to still be among the Top 10 conferences in college hoops.

“This is without a doubt one of the best leagues in the country,” Murray State coach Steve Prohm said. “A lot has changed, but one thing hasn’t: Missouri Valley basketball is an incredible product.”

2. Baylor lands another 5 star (what else is new?)

Scott Drew is making a habit of landing 5-star prospects. He’s secured one in five straight years: Kendall Brown (2021), Keyonte George (2022), Ja’Kobe Walter (2023), VJ Edgecombe (2024) — and now Tounde Yessoufou in 2025.

Pretty remarkable recruiting run for Drew and company.

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