Busting Brackets
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Missouri Valley Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2019-20 season

By TJ Miller

ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 4: Matt Hein #5 and Phil Fayne #10 of the Illinois State Redbirds defend against Cameron Krutwig #25 of the Loyola Ramblers during the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournament Championship at the Scottrade Center on March 4, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 4: Matt Hein #5 and Phil Fayne #10 of the Illinois State Redbirds defend against Cameron Krutwig #25 of the Loyola Ramblers during the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournament Championship at the Scottrade Center on March 4, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
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ST. LOUIS, MO – MARCH 8: Members of the Missouri State Bears huddle up prior to playing against the Wichita State Shockers during the MVC Basketball Tournament Semifinals at the Scottrade Center on March 8, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Shockers beat the Bears 67-42. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO – MARCH 8: Members of the Missouri State Bears huddle up prior to playing against the Wichita State Shockers during the MVC Basketball Tournament Semifinals at the Scottrade Center on March 8, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Shockers beat the Bears 67-42. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

1. Missouri State

2018-19: 16-16 (10-8)

The Bears come into this season hyped as the most talented team in the Missouri Valley. Tulio Da Silva and Keandre Cook both return for Missouri State. Da Silva led the Bears in scoring and rebounding last season and joins Cameron Krutwig as the only First Team All MVC returner. Cook is a solid 6-5 guard who did a little bit of everything last season for Coach Dana Ford.

Joining Da Silva and Cooke will be transfers Tyrik Dixon, Lamont West, Gage Prim, and Josh Hall. All will be eligible and have the talent to end up all-conference players. The question, of course, comes with how these new faces will fit in. Dixon and Hall fulfilled important roles for fantastic mid-major programs, Dixon as a PG for Middle Tennessee State and Hall as a slasher on the wing for Nevada. The backcourt should function just fine for the Bears, but it’s the frontcourt that gives Ford the most talented MVC squad this season.

Lamont West comes to Missouri State after being a key player for Bob Huggins at West Virginia. West is a 6-8 forward but could really play the 3, 4, or 5 for the Bears if needed. Gage Prim put up huge numbers at South Plains JUCO as the 6-8, 250-pound big man averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Next. Top mid-major stars for 2019-20. dark

The three-headed monster of Da Silva, West, and Prim gives Ford a crazy amount of depth and freedom, and it’s difficult to see the Bears losing the rebounding margin in more than a handful of games this season. We’ve seen preseason hype is no guarantee of much of anything in the MVC, but I’ll bet on Dana Ford in the Bears to take home the Missouri Valley regular-season crown.