Busting Brackets
Fansided

Missouri Valley Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2018-19

By TJ Miller

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Loyola Ramblers fans cheer before the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal against the Michigan Wolverines at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Loyola Ramblers fans cheer before the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal against the Michigan Wolverines at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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WICHITA, KS – FEBRUARY 22: Forward Jacob Jensen (R) of the Drake Bulldogs grabs a defensive rebound with teammate Trevor Berkeley #10 against the Wichita State Shockers during the first half on February 22, 2014 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
WICHITA, KS – FEBRUARY 22: Forward Jacob Jensen (R) of the Drake Bulldogs grabs a defensive rebound with teammate Trevor Berkeley #10 against the Wichita State Shockers during the first half on February 22, 2014 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

9. Drake Bulldogs

2017-18 season: 17-17 (10-8)

Drake managed to finish tied for 3rd place in the Valley after spending the two years prior in the basement. In fact, the Bulldog’s 10-8 league record this past year is their best in a decade.

Unfortunately, 1st-year coach Nico Medved decided to bolt to fill Colorado State’s head coach vacancy. This leaves newly hired Darian DeVries with a lot of work to do. The longtime Creighton assistant won’t have 4 of last year’s top 5 scorers for a team that led the MVC in ppg. Reed Timmer (19.2 ppg), a 1st team all-conference selection and arguably the best shooter in the league, is now gone after a sensational senior season.

Nick Norton and Brady Ellington join the team as grad transfers and might help shoulder the loss of Timmer. Nick McGlynn (11.8 ppg), a 6’8 forward, will likely need to step into a larger role as the only returning upperclassman. Much like Evansville, the Bulldogs are likely to regress but hope to build some momentum for the future.

The rest of the roster will comprise of a few of JUCO players and a couple incoming freshman as Coach DeVries will look for a positive start with a whole host of fresh faces.