Missouri Valley Conference Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2024-25

No. 6 – Illinois State Redbirds

Ryan Pedon’s third season at Illinois State should be his best yet. Returning guards Johnny Kinziger, Malachi Poindexter and Dalton Banks all averaged over eight points per game and Kinziger is poised to become an all-league player. 

The 5’11 sophomore was named to the Valley’s all-freshman and all-bench teams last year and is a preseason first team selection. During a season when the Redbirds made only 29 percent from deep, Kinziger buried forty from long range and converted 39 percent of the time. 

Poindexter and Banks are both grad students that stuck around to see Illinois State break through. Poindexter is a preseason second-team honoree. 

When shopping in the portal, Pedon was looking for shooters and he found some. North Dakota State grad-transfer Boden Skunberg can score in every way imaginable. After tallying 1,142 Summit League points, Pedon says the 6’5 sharp-shooter also likes to post up his defenders. 

Northern Iowa transfer Landon Wolf is a proven long distance sniper. The former Valley all-bench team player converted 43 percent of his shots from deep. 

Pedon expects to employ a three-headed monster up front. Chase Walker, Brandon Lieb and Caden Boser each bring something different to the post and Pedon believes his team can prosper with that rotation. Walker battled injuries and played just 17 games last season, but came to Normal, Illinois with great expectations. Pedon says he has put on muscle and looks like the player they originally recruited. 

Rookies Cade Norris and Jack Daugherty come with suitcases filled with high school press clippings. Norris is the younger brother of former Loyola guard Braden Norris. 

Redshirt freshman transfer Camron Barnes is an intriguing player. The Ole Miss transfer is a 6’9 forward who was once touted as one of the best players in the State of Texas.