None of the other preseason previews seemed to think much of anyone individually on Bradley and none gave more than a mere mention to any particular Bradley player.
This group of Missouri Valley coaches, AD's and media people think otherwise. They like Sam Maniscalco and gave Sam a spot on the 2nd Team (HM) Preseason All Conference Team.
But I think what's most surprising is who was left off.
http://www.mvc-sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=36371&SPID=2901&DB_OEM_ID=7600&ATCLID=204819191
Both Dinma Odiakosa and Jordan Eglseder, two of the three best big men in the Valley didn't get a mention. Neither did Kyle Weems of Missouri State, possibly one of the best two forwards. In other words....10 of the 11 players (only Adam Koch as the exception) on the All Valley teams is a guard. I think the ISU and UNI fans might have a gripe.
Also - of course time will tell, but the voters placed two guys on the All Conference teams (Tony Freeman and Jake Kelly) who haven't played a game yet in the Valley.
In a year when Valley returning talent is better than most years, this is kind of a slap at the Valley's talent...saying that Big Ten bottom dwellers' talent would be stars in the MVC.
I guess we'll have to wait and see. I have a friend who is a Drake fan who's shaking his head at this...
He saw his team play Iowa last year and Jake Kelly was held in check easily. Just put some defense on him. But then nobody had to put much defense on Iowa all season, as they went 15-17.
http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2008-2009/iowa12.html
In one other game I can recall watching, Iowa at U of I, likewise Kelly was sort of invisible.
http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2008-2009/iowa22.html
I know later in the season Kelly was putting up 20 every night, but note that Iowa also lost all but 4 of their final 17 games (and 3 of the 4 wins were OT wins) suggesting teams may not have focused as much on him as they were beating the Hawkeyes anyway!
But, as I said, time will tell...........but in the MVC Kelly will be guarded by each opponents' best defender every game...so we'll see.
"Pollsters have accurately predicted the league's regular-season champ only 11 times out of 25 since 1985-86"
and the team picked 2nd has only won it twice in that interval.
And it's been a while since the preseason POY was actually the real POY as well......so I guess we can officially say that this Valley preseason polling is an inexact science.
All in all, having read the discussions on every one of the Valley teams' boards, I'd say most are happy with their spots as voted...with the most surprised fans being the Salukis...
"I'm stunned we're ranked that high"...read one poster's opinion...
and the Sycamore fans think they deserved more respect!
(One message board - guess which - had a bunch of posters arguing back and forth whether a team's voters could vote or were allowed to vote for themselves....and they seemed unable to come to a consensus. However note that the answer is obvious to anyone with a little bit of observation...that all but one of 39 voters gave their 1st place vote to UNI...and since we know each team has four votes - barring one guy who was absent - thus proving plainly that at least two of the UNI voters HAD TO vote for themselves.... I guess the obvious has never occurred to some message boarders, ;))
I know most BU fans are even fairly satisfied although most think BU has the chance to be much better than 6th...it's just what they all expected, and it means there really aren't much in any way of expectations or pressure.
By the way...there's a lot talk being recorded on the MVC Media Day "Live Blog"...
http://www.mvc-sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=36371&SPID=2901&DB_OEM_ID=7600&ATCLID=204819718
Here are just a few cuts...
"Thoughts on "no-charge" area?"
Altman: doesn't like it. Feels it gives the officials a "bail out"(...should the league fine him for this??)
Jacobson: ditto - needs to have marks on the floor.
Gregg Marshall: Good rule but should use a line on the floor.
"Thoughts on NCAA At-Large bids"
the coaches have two thoughts...win more and lobby harder...
(oddly, Coach Jankovich didn't respond to this question!)
Of the six members on the 1st Team All Conference, all were in attendance except Kwadzo & P'Allen...no mention of why.
Question for Osiris Eldridge:
"What did he learn after being preseason POY last season?"
Ans: "Don't put so much pressure on myself. The end of the year matters."
Another for Osiris:
Q: "You looked at the NBA, talk about that process."
Ans: "I had no intentions of leaving. Coach was nervous. I just used it to evaluate where I was against the other guys."
Then Doug Elgin talks for 20 minutes bragging heavily on the Valley for this year!
Then he says he's happy with BracketBuster...but...
"Some of our coaches don't love it, but you have to give them credit for putting faith in another's hands. I think it's no longer viewed as an elimination tournament. What we would like to do is get better conferences to participate. We've had conversations with ESPN to bring in other leagues. We're committed through the end of next year (contract term), then we'll look and evaluate."
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Go BU...and keep voting for Zach.......
http://www.cbphuesca.net/
and for Bradley in this poll
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/poll-who-will-win-mvc-167352
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