The Bradley basketball programs were picked to finish at opposite ends of the conference in the MVC preseason polls released this week, with the men expected to be second from the top and the women picked second from the bottom in 11th.
“We want expectations,” Bradley men’s basketball head coach Brian Wardle said. “Obviously, it’s a sign of respect to the talent we have in the gym but every season is a new roller coaster ride.”
Receiving 542 points and one first place vote, the men’s team came in right behind Drake in Wednesday’s poll, which amassed 52 of the 54 first-place votes. Voters included coaches, sports information directors and media members. Returning three graduates and two seniors, the Bulldogs are one of the oldest teams in the country but are led by a young phenom in sophomore Tucker DeVries, who was named the Valley’s Preseason Player of the Year after averaging 13.9 points per game a year ago.
Following Drake are the Braves and the Southern Illinois Salukis. Both of the latter teams return three starters from a year ago as well as adding four transfers, giving little surprise that their ranking was separated by just five points.
Bradley junior forward Rienk Mast was named to the preseason All-MVC First Team, the only Brave to earn preseason honors from the conference. Leading the league with 8.4 rebounds a game last year, Mast was a part of the All-MVC Third Team a season ago and became one of just two underclassmen to capture league honors.
“I think [Mast] is the most versatile big man in our league,” Wardle said. “He’s a very underrated defender. Rienk hardly gives up any points at all.”
Rounding out the poll, Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Belmont all took the four-through-six spots in order. Indiana State, Murray State, Valparaiso and Illinois State begin the bottom-half of the conference, with Illinois-Chicago and Evansville rounding out the twelve teams.
In the women’s poll released Tuesday, the Braves clock in at 11th with MVC newcomer Belmont expected to come away with the crown in their first year in the league. Last year, the Bruins won their fifth Ohio Valley Conference regular season title in six years and return three starters from that squad, including First-Team All-OVC performer Destinee Wells and her 16.7 points per game. Wells was named this year’s MVC Preseason Player of the Year in Tuesday’s release.
The Braves are in uncharted territory with a staff overhaul and roster revamp following a four-win season in 2021-22. Head coach Kate Popovec-Goss oversees a plethora of new faces –two freshmen and four transfers– but will rely on MVC Freshman of the Year Caroline Waite to lead the group.
“Winning is really hard, but it is also so worth it,” Popovec said in her introductory press conference in April 2022. “I have held up championship trophies and there is nothing like it. I want to bring that feeling back to Bradley.”
Since the MVC recently expanded to 12 teams this season, the 11th place spot is the lowest preseason ranking for the Braves in program history. The last time Bradley was picked to finish 10th was in 2014, where they had a 6-24 record.
As for the rest of the poll, reigning champion Illinois State was slated second and Drake was picked third, while Murray State was given the nod over Northern Iowa and Missouri State was selected sixth. The Lady Bears were selected as the preseason favorites for the last two seasons.
Southern Illinois, Indiana State, Evansville, Valparaiso, the Braves and UIC rounded out the bottom-half of the rankings.
Preseason Valley voters have correctly picked the champion 59% of the time on the women’s side and 49% of the time on the men’s side, although the men’s voters have been right in six of the last 10 years.
Both teams will take the court soon for exhibition matches, with the men taking on Illinois Wesleyan on Nov. 2 and the women battling McKendree one day later.
