Murray State 3rd in preseason MVC poll
MBB: Wood named to Preseason All-Conference First Team
For the first time in 25 years, Missouri Valley Conference coaches, sports information directors and media have made Bradley the preseason pick to win the Valley this season. The conference released their preseason poll on Wednesday morning.
In their third season in the Missouri Valley, Murray State earned their highest preseason ranking as they came in third in the poll, picking up one first place vote in the process.
Individually, Bradley’s Duke Deen, the only returning player in the Valley that earned All-Conference honors last season, is this year’s Preseason Player of the Year. The 5’8 senior guard averaged a career-high 13.9 points per game last season for the Braves.
Murray State’s JaCobi Wood also found himself on the Preseason All-Conference First Team. Wood was one of 42 players in the country last season to average at least 12.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He has started all 64 games for the Racers in the last two seasons.
Racer big man Nick Ellington earned a spot on the Preseason All-Conference Second Team. Starting all 32 games last year after transferring in from Eastern Illinois, Ellington averaged 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds a night for Murray State.
The Racers will open their season November 4th at home against Bethel.
Preseason MVC Men's Basketball Poll
1. Bradley (46 first-place votes) — 597
2. Northern Iowa (2) — 527
3. Murray State (1) — 473
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
Preseason MVC Men's Basketball Preseason Teams
FIRST TEAM
Duke Deen — Bradley (Preseason Player of the Year)
Tytan Anderson — Northern Iowa
Darius Hannah — Bradley
Johnny Kinziger — Illinois State
Cooper Schwieger — Valparaiso
JaCobi Wood — Murray State
SECOND TEAM
Trey Campbell — Northern Iowa
Nick Ellington — Murray State
Jacob Hutson — Northern Iowa
Zek Montgomery — Bradley
Malachi Poindexter — Illinois State
THIRD TEAM
Kennard Davis Jr. — Southern Illinois
Ali Dibba — Southern Illinois
Cam Manyawu — Drake
Filip Skobalj — UIC
Bennett Stirtz — Drake
A first place vote! And IL ST at 4th makes a lot more sense.