MVC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2023-24 season

MVC basketball coaches recruited waves of talent to offset the league’s heavy transfer and graduation losses. Gone to the Big Ten are all-conference performers Marcus Domask, Ben Krikke, Rienk Mast and Lance Jones. Belmont guard Ben Sheppard left as an NBA first round pick.

Highly rated high school players dot every roster and despite the heavy graduation and transfer losses, stars like Tucker DeVries and Bowen Born are the headliners of a significant contingent of high-level Valley returners.

Valparaiso hired the Valley’s only new head coach. After a successful assistant coaching run at Gonzaga, Roger Powell Jr returns to another place where he enjoyed great success as an assistant. Valpo’s roster is virtually redone and Powell has assembled an impressive coaching staff.

There are expected improvements from retooled rosters by second year coaches Ryan Pedon (Illinois State), David Ragland (Evansville) and Steve Prohm (Murray State).

This is a significant season for one of the nation’s top mid-major conferences. Last season was a down year for the Valley. MVC basketball ranking sixteenth at KenPom.com is unacceptable for MVC fans and Commissioner Jeff Jackson. Last year was a transitional season for the 117-year-old conference. Loyola Chicago left, and Murray State, Belmont and Illinois Chicago arrived. An unbalanced schedule and three new programs made for some interesting results.

Valley teams have scheduled appropriately. While not the most difficult collection of non-conference schedules, MVC teams will face 13 power five conference teams, and numerous upper level, mid-major programs. Three of those power five contests are a part of Northern Iowa’s Battle 4 Atlantis involvement.

While heavy losses sustained by Bradley, SIU and Drake will make it difficult to maintain their high level of success, the UNI and Missouri State rosters are incredibly stable and seem ready to play their best basketball on opening night.