ST. LOUIS ? Bradley senior forward Marcellus Sommerville was a repeat selection for the Missouri Valley Conference 2005-06 Preseason Team and the Braves were picked to finish sixth in the 10-team league race, according to a poll of the Valley's 10 head coaches, sports information directors, radio play-by-play personalities and primary beat writers released Tuesday.
For the first time in league history, Northern Iowa has been chosen as the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball pre-season favorite. UNI received 379 total points and 23 first-place tallies in the poll, conducted by league coaches, media, and sports information directors.
MVC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
School (First-Place Votes) Total
1. UNI (23) -- 379
2. Creighton (15) -- 372
3. Southern Illinois (1) -- 311
4. Missouri State -- 252
5. Wichita State -- 244
6. Bradley -- 226
7. Drake -- 141
8. Indiana State (1) -- 118
9. Evansville -- 90
10. Illinois State -- 67
Poll determined by panel of league sports information directors, media, and coaches.
2005-06 Preseason Team
Nate Funk, Creighton, G, 6-3, 205, Sr., Sioux City (Iowa) Heelan High
Ben Jacobson, UNI, G, 6-3, 205, Sr., Sioux City (Iowa) East High
David Moss, Indiana State, G, 6-5, 195, Sr., Chicago (Ill.) Thornwood High
Marcellus Sommerville, Bradley, F, 6-7, 225, Sr., Peoria (Ill.) Central High
Jamaal Tatum, Southern Illinois, G, 6-2, 175, Jr., Jefferson City (Mo.) Helias High
Preseason Player of the Year -- Ben Jacobson, UNI
The Panthers, one of three Valley teams that reached the NCAA tournament last year, return all five starters from last year's 21-11 team. UNI, which tied for third in The Valley standings a year ago, is led by pre-season Player of the Year pick Ben Jacobson. He has also been honored by being named to the 2005 pre-season Wooden All-America watch list, the first Panther ever to receive mention among the best college basketball players in the country. UNI's highest previous pre-season pick was last year -- the Panthers were picked for a third-place tie with Creighton.
Creighton, meanwhile, was just behind UNI in the pre-season picks for 2005-06. The Bluejays received 372 points and 15 first-place votes. The Bluejays also have a first-team pre-season player in senior guard Nate Funk. Funk was runner-up to Jacobson for the pre-season player-of-the-year designation. Creighton returns four starters from last year's NCAA Tournament team and has been to post-season play eight-straight seasons.
Southern Illinois, meanwhile, is picked third in the pre-season poll. The Salukis are four-time defending conference regular-season champions and are led by pre-season all-conference selection Jamaal Tatum. Tatum was a second-team all-league pick as a sophomore last year and averaged 12.3 points and led the squad with 71 three-pointers. The Salukis will be gunning for a fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance under second-year head coach Chris Lowery.
Missouri State and Wichita State also reached post-season play a year ago, as each played in the NIT. The Bears are picked fourth in this year's preseason poll, narrowly edging Wichita State, which is fifth. The Bears have won 19 games in each of the past two seasons, reaching the finals of the State Farm MVC Tournament both years. Wichita State, meanwhile, has only one starter returning (senior Paul Miller), but the Shockers have shown an increase in wins in each of coach Mark Turgeon's first five seasons, which included a 22-win season a year ago.
Bradley's Marcellus Sommerville hopes to lift the Braves into the upper division in 2006. The Braves are picked sixth in the poll, and Sommerville -- a member of this year's pre-season team and a two-time first-team all-MVC selection -- is one of five starters returning for coach Jim Les. Drake is seventh in the pre-season predictions, and is followed by Indiana State, Evansville and Illinois State.
The Bulldogs, Aces and Sycamores each return three starters from last year's squads. David Moss of Indiana State returns for his senior season and is a member of the league's five-player pre-season unit. He was a second-team all-Valley selection a year ago.
Porter Moser's Illinois State club has just one starter returning, but the ?Birds are coming off a 17-win season from a year ago.
Founded in 1907, the Missouri Valley Conference is the nation's second oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference. The Valley continues to lead by example as one of college athletics' most progressive conferences, and it will celebrate its 100th anniversary during the 2006-07 season.
Athletic accomplishments on the men's side include four national men's basketball championships, 17 trips to the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four, a 1989 national baseball championship and 19 trips to the College World Series. Additionally, four men's soccer teams have reached the College Cup, while two Women's Final Four appearances and two WNIT basketball championships highlight achievements on the women's side.
