The Missouri Valley Conference is a league in transition. After an offseason that saw 15 of sixteen all-conference players leave by graduation or the transfer portal, five programs have new coaches.
But the league is not without star power and outstanding coaches. The league’s only all-conference returner Duke Deen (Bradley) and the league’s reigning ‘Freshman of the Year’ Cooper Schwieger (Valparaiso) return along with the exciting Johnny Kinziger (Illinois State).
Head coaches with proven track records abound. UNI’s Ben Jacobson has won over 300 games and is the ‘Dean’ of the Valley coaches. During his 18 seasons the Panthers have won four regular season championships and played in four NCAA Tournaments.
Bradley’s Brian Wardle has won three Valley titles in nine years. Drake’s new head coach Ben McCollum won four Division II national titles and Southern Illinois’ new head man Scott Nagy has collected 334 wins and six regular season conference titles.
Murray State’s Steve Prohm is in his second tour of duty with the Racers and has claimed four conference titles. Cuonzo Martin returns for his second opportunity at Missouri State after tours at Tennessee, California and Missouri.
Eleven Division 1 transfers have entered the league after earning some kind of all-league honors in their previous conferences. Talent abounds and solid leadership is in tact. In a league that was seemingly ravaged by the portal, each program has made great progress on the NIL front.
The race will be wide open and any number of teams could contend for an upper division finish, but one team seems to be poised to claim the top prize.