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Missouri Valley Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

By Jason Burgess

Mar 7, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Loyola Ramblers pose for a photo after defeating the Drake Bulldogs in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Loyola Ramblers pose for a photo after defeating the Drake Bulldogs in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Missouri Valley Basketball Illinois State Redbirds guard Josiah Strong Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Missouri Valley Basketball Illinois State Redbirds guard Josiah Strong Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Illinois State Redbirds

2020-21 record: 7-18 overall, 4-14 in the MVC

The Illinois State Redbirds struggled to a 7-18 record last season after finishing 3rd in the conference two seasons ago under head coach Dan Muller. If there was a silver lining for the Redbirds it is the fact that 11 of their 14 league losses were by 10 points or less.

In a conference known for its defense with eight of the 10 teams giving up less than 70 points per game, Illinois State gave up a league-high 74.8. They also had a hard time creating turnovers, that in combination with their turnover issues (over 13 per game) led to a turnover margin of -1.84 which was second-worst in the MVC.

The Redbirds’ roster took a hit this summer when three of their top five scorers, including DJ Horne who led the team in scoring at 15.1 points while shooting over 42% from distance and forward, and leading rebounder Dusan Mahorcic who decided to transfer to Utah. The team’s other double-digit scorers guards Josiah Strong (11.5) and Antonio Reeves (12.4) do return to lead the squad.

In a year when thousands of players switched teams, the Redbirds welcome two potential impact transfers, guard Kendall Lewis who averaged nine points and four rebounds in nine games during his sophomore season at Appalachian State, and Mark Freeman who was a Swiss Army knife for Tennessee State last season with 17 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and two steals.

While the additions are nice, the rest of the rotation is likely to be made up of players who have averaged no more than five points per game. In a defensive-minded conference like the MVC, having a question of where your points may come from is not a question you want to be answering.