Peoria, IL -- Bradley Men's Basketball has been named the preseason favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference, with Duke Deen selected as Preseason Player of the Year after the league announced its preseason poll, as voted on by selected media members, coaches, and sports information directors.
Preseason Favorites
Bradley has been chosen as the favorite in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason team poll, receiving a total of 46 out of 49 possible first-place votes. This is the first time Bradley has been selected as the preseason favorite under head coach Brian Wardle and the first time Bradley has been preseason No. 1 since the 1999-2000 season. The top five is rounded out by Northern Iowa in 2nd, Murray State in 3rd, Illinois State in 4th, and Drake in 5th. The complete poll can be found below.
2024 MVC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Bradley (46 first-place votes) -- 597
2. UNI (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 All-Conference Teams
Bradley had a total of three members selected to one of the three preseason All-MVC teams, with Darius Hannah and Duke Deen named to the MVC preseason First Team, and Duke Deen also recognized as preseason Player of the Year. Both Hannah and Deen made significant improvements last season, with Hannah averaging 11.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 1.9 APG in 2023-24, and Duke Deen averaging 13.9 PPG, 3.9 APG, and shooting 44% from the floor. Hannah and Deen were both selected to 2023-24 All-MVC teams last season with Deen earning a first team selection and Hannah on the Most-Improved Team Zek Montgomery was also selected to the MVC preseason Second Team after spending one season away from the MVC at Rhode Island. While at Rhode Island, Montgomery averaged 9.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG, and in the 2022-23 season at Bradley, he earned a spot on the MVC's Most Improved Team.
FIRST TEAM
Duke Deen, Bradley (Preseason Player of the Year)
Tytan Anderson, UNI
Darius Hannah, Bradley
Johnny Kinziger, Illinois State
Cooper Schwieger, Valparaiso
Jacobi Wood, Murray State
SECOND TEAM
Trey Campbell, UNI
Nick Ellington, Murray State
Jacob Hutson, UNI
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
