ST. LOUIS — With just three weeks before the official start of the 2022-23 men’s basketball season, the Missouri Valley Conference released its preseason poll and all-conference team Wednesday.
The poll of head coaches, media and communications personnel picked Missouri State to finish fourth in the 12-team league.
Drake received 52 of the 54 possible first-place votes and 646 total points to earn the coveted position as MVC preseason favorite with Bradley (542) and Southern Illinois (537) each picking up one first-place vote in the second and third positions, respectively.
Missouri State (418) edged out defending champion Northern Iowa (416) for the No. 4 position with Valley newcomer Belmont (388) tabbed sixth. The remainder of the poll includes Indiana State (344), Murray State (324), Valparaiso (234), Illinois State (186), UIC (109) and Evansville (68) in positions 7-12.
Missouri State standout Donovan Clay (Sr., Alton, Ill.) is the Bears’ sole representative on the Preseason All-MVC Team, earning a second-team honor. One of the top lock-down defenders in the league, Clay compiled 36 blocks and 21 steals last season and ranked third in the MVC in blocks per game (1.1). He averaged 8.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in his first season at Missouri State while converting an impressive 53.7 percent of his field goals. In the final MVC rankings, Clay finished sixth in rebounding, ninth in FG percentage and ninth in minutes per game (32.3).
In addition to landing as The Valley’s preseason favorite, Drake landed four players on the Preseason All-MVC Team with Tucker DeVries and Roman Penn anchoring the first team, Garrett Sturtz landing on second team and D.J. Wilkins positioning himself on the third team. Also joining DeVries and Penn on the first team were Valpo’s Ben Krikke, Bradley’s Rienk Mast, SIU’s Marcus Domaask and Belmont’s Ben Sheppard. DeVries was named Preseason Player of the Year.
Clay was joined on the second team by UNI’s Bowen Born, SIU’s Lance Jones, Indiana State’s Cooper Neese and Sturtz of Drake. The third team includes Rob Perry of Murray State, Kobe King of Valpo, Cameron Henry of Indiana State, Austin Phyfe of UNI and Drake’s Wilkins.
Missouri State is coming off a 23-11 campaign in which the Bears finished as runners-up in the Missouri Valley Conference, earning a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) for the first time since 2011. Coach Dana Ford’s fifth season in Springfield will feature a revamped roster that includes Clay and fellow senior Dawson Carper along with a cast of 14 newcomers in the fold.
PRESEASON POLL
1. Drake (52) .. 646
2. Bradley (1) .. 542
3. Southern Illinois (1) .. 537
4. Missouri State .. 418
5. UNI .. 416
6. Belmont .. 388
7. Indiana State .. 344
8. Murray State .. 324
9. Valparaiso .. 234
10. Illinois State .. 186
11. UIC .. 109
12. Evansville .. 68
FIRST TEAM
Tucker DeVries, Drake
Marcus Domask, Southern Illinois
Ben Krikke, Valparaiso
Rienk Mast, Bradley
Roman Penn, Drake
Ben Sheppard, Belmont
SECOND TEAM
Bowen Born, UNI
Donovan Clay, Missouri State
Lance Jones, Southern Illinois
Cooper Neese, Indiana State
Garrett Sturtz, Drake
THIRD TEAM
Cameron Henry, Indiana State
Kobe King, Valparaiso
Rob Perry, Murray State
Austin Phyfe, UNI
D.J. Wilkins, Drake
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tucker DeVries, Drake
