Missouri Valley primer

A team-by-team glance at the Missouri Valley Conference heading into the 2008-09 season.

(In predicted order of finish)

1. Creighton

Strengths: Creighton expects to win, as do the 15,000-plus fans who pack the luxurious Qwest Center in downtown Omaha. This is a big-time program that plays in a big-time setting. That, along with coach Dana Altman's presence, is a good starting point for one of the nation's most consistent programs. Guards win, and the Bluejays can play a number of different ways. They have tons of shooters, good defenders, experience and an unselfish passer in Josh Dotzler. P'Allen Stinnett is a star on the rise. Booker Woodfox might not be far behind.

Weaknesses: Dane Watts is a huge loss as Creighton's leading rebounder. Fans did not always appreciate the contributions of Nick Bahe and Pierce Hibma. But all three knew what Altman wanted and knew how to lead. The Bluejays are loaded with returnees, but also still young. New leaders must emerge to continue Creighton's success, especially on the frontline. Kenny Lawson, Chad Millard and Kenton Walker must combine to keep defenses honest. They must avoid foul trouble, play defense and get shots for the guards.

Scouting the newcomers: Creighton needs junior guard Justin Carter to give them a physical presence on the wing. He averaged 20.4 points and 7.0 rebounds at Fullerton (Calif.) College. Freshmen guards Antoine Young and Josh Jones are talented. They will need to be really talented to move ahead of returners. Both are Nebraskans who should play a bigger role in the future.

2. Illinois State

Strengths: The Redbirds have relied on the 3-point shot the past two seasons, setting school records in each. That doesn't figure to change this season, even with the line extended another foot out. Osiris Eldridge sank 84 shots outside the arc last season. Champ Oguchi might have even better range than Eldridge. As a sophomore at Oregon, Oguchi set the Pac-10 tournament record with 14 3-pointers. Lloyd Phillips, senior guard Brandon Holtz, junior guard Landon Shipley and sophomore guard Alex Rubin also are capable 3-point shooters. Eldridge, whose Mohawk haircut was affectionately dubbed the "O-Hawk," is the most versatile player in the Valley. Whenever ISU needs a big shot, everyone in the building knows who is going to take it. Sometimes, that's a 3-pointer, and other times, he takes the ball hard to the basket. The presence of Oguchi on the perimeter might open up even more lanes for Eldridge. What really triggered ISU's resurgence last season was its defense. The Redbirds' field-goal percentage defense, .405, was the second best in school history. Boo Richardson, Dom Johnson and Anthony Slack were top-notch defenders.

Weaknesses: The Redbirds showed a propensity to let large leads slip away last season. Twice, they enjoyed double-digit second-half leads against Drake only to fold down the stretch. Much of the problem stemmed from free-throw shooting. The Redbirds shot a weak .632 at the line and were even worse in Valley games (.618). How quickly the newcomers who will be thrown into the fire and catch on defensively will be critical. The Redbirds might play "small ball" at times with Eldridge at small forward and Oguchi at the power forward spot. How they can hold up defensively with that alignment against bigger squads will be interesting. Brandon Sampay underwent hip surgery in August and will be out until mid-December. The Redbirds simply don't have the size and bulk without him. Jeremy Robinson, who committed to Mississippi as a high school freshman before moving to Illinois, figures to be a standout in the future but must first make a commitment to the weight room.

Scouting the newcomers: If Bobby Hill can be counted as a newcomer, there are seven new faces on the court for the Redbirds. Hill was used mainly as a defensive specialist during his freshman season in 2006-07 and rarely took a shot outside the lane. Coach Tim Jankovich believes Hill's offensive game opened up at Lincoln College and fully expects him to be an offensive threat from 18 feet and in. The Redbirds had a whole season to watch Oguchi in practice last season when he had to sit out and couldn't wait for him to finally put on a uniform. While Oguchi isn't as comfortable or as strong as Eldridge in taking the ball to the basket, his range is deep. Add the fact he shot 84.6 percent at the line his final season at Oregon, and it's no secret Oguchi and Eldridge will have the ball in their hands at all times when protecting the lead in the final stages of games. Lloyd Phillips figures to get the first chance to replace Richardson at point guard. Phillips is only 5-10 but well built and comes out of the competitive Washington, D.C., area. He won't be afraid to put up a 3-pointer if left open. Landon Shipley is a 6-foot walk-on transfer from Austin Peay who sat out last season. Shipley is a deadly shooter but has some defensive deficiencies.

3. Southern Illinois

wizardking: The Missouri Valley Conference has been one of the best mid-major conferences for a few years running. Led by the Salukis of Southern Illinois, the MVC has boasted good seasons from nearly of all its teams in the last few years (not you, Indiana State and Evansville). That shouldn't change this year, as the Valley continues its tradition of harvesting the best talent the Midwest has to offer. There is no shortage of talent in the MVC. No, not many players in the Missouri Valley are household names, if any. Yes, it's hard to name every team in the conference without dashing for your computer. But think about how this conference has performed on the big stage in recent years. Bradley knocked off Kansas and Pittsburgh in the 2006 Tournament. Wichita State did likewise. In 2007, Southern Illinois put together a great season, and Drake came from obscurity last year to win the conference. Look for more of the same from the MVC this year. Read more

Strengths: Opponents often come out of games against Southern Illinois complaining about the Salukis' stifling defense, which sometimes resembles hand-to-hand combat. There wasn't as much griping last season. Coach Chris Lowery mentioned on more than one occasion that his team's defense had slipped a notch. Bryan Mullins keys the defense with his ability to cut off drives and take away passing lanes. The Salukis must find someone to replace Randal Falker, who was the Valley's top defender in 2007, in the middle.

Weaknesses: No one knew how much the Salukis would miss Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young until they weren't around. When a basket was needed, Southern Illinois didn't have a dependable go-to player as it did in the past. When the Salukis went cold from the outside, opponents packed it in against Falker and the offense bogged down. Mullins didn't particularly fare well as the primary offensive threat on the perimeter. Kevin Dillard could quickly become that player, while Justin Bocot won't be shy in taking the big shot, either. Anthony Booker is an inside-outside threat who could develop into a star. Carlton Fay didn't step out of the shadow of Falker and Shaw last year. That could change this season as he becomes the inside force the Salukis need.

Scouting the newcomers: Kevin Dillard earned Illinois Mr. Basketball honors last season at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, the first Saluki recruit to accomplish the feat. He brings athleticism that has been missing at the point. Booker is a quick jumper who can score inside and outside. He figures to be an all-Valley player in a short time. Bocot decided not to go the junior college route and might have to shake the rust off after not playing a year. Ryan Hare impressed those at a summer all-star game with his brute strength, although he must improve his outside shooting. Torres Roundtree will give Lowery another option on the perimeter.

4. Drake

Strengths: Drake was one of the most difficult teams in the country to cover last season because of Adam Emmenecker's ability to take his defender into the lane and either go to the basket or kick out. The Bulldogs showed a knack last season for not panicking when they fell behind. Some of that was because of Emmenecker's composure, but Josh Young and Jonathan Cox are cool customers, too. If Josh Parker or Craig Stanley can play the Emmenecker role, Drake has a chance to compete again for the Valley title. An overlooked fact of Drake's success last season was its defense. The Bulldogs threw a variety of traps and presses at opponents. Whether they can do so again remains to be seen.

Weaknesses: Seniors such as center Brent Heemskerk and guard Jacob Baryenbruch were role players last season. Whether they can step up is an unknown. Parker and Stanley also have a lot on their shoulders trying to replace Emmenecker. Leonard Houston was the best athlete on Drake's team last season. He was often overlooked because of the success of Emmenecker and Young. Drake could have a hard time finding a player to do the same things that Houston did, creating a shot for himself or jumping over defenders with his lean 6-3 frame.

Scouting the newcomers: Adam Templeton was a two-year starter for UC Irvine, averaging 8.0 points and 3.9 rebounds as a sophomore while making 59 3s. He figures to take Houston's spot in the starting lineup and fits nicely into the 3-point attack Drake has favored. Craig Stanley averaged 11.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds for his junior college team last season. He isn't big at 5-11 but has shown he isn't afraid to take the ball inside. Sean Jones is a 6-11 freshman center from Carson City, Mich., who runs the floor well and is an athletic big man. Jones signed with Keno Davis last fall and kept his commitment after Davis left for Providence and was replaced by Mark Phelps. Cory Parker, a 6-7 forward, was the Colorado Class 3A Mr. Basketball who will be a walk-on with the Bulldogs. Another walk-on is 6-6 Greg Whitaker of Fairfax, Va.

5. Bradley

Strengths: The Braves will live and die with their backcourt. Sam Maniscalco proved to be a capable playmaker when he was thrown into the fray when Daniel Ruffin first went down. When Ruffin came back, Maniscalco played some as the off-guard. He sank 55 shots outside the arc while scoring 7.7 points and handing out 3.0 assists. Andrew Warren enjoyed a breakout season, even though he often served as a complementary player to Ruffin and Crouch. He was named to the Missouri Valley's most improved team and is the league's fourth-best returning scorer. With his long arms, Warren should also improve on his 3.6 rebounding mark. The Braves figure to launch plenty of 3-pointers again, even with the line pushed back a foot. Whether Bradley can make 346, as it did last season, is a pressing question.

Weaknesses: The Braves need two or three players to emerge in the frontcourt next to Theron Wilson, especially on the defensive end, where they could be in serious trouble if that doesn't happen. Rebounding was Bradley's Achilles' heel last season. David Collins showed some flashes in the CBI. Sam Singh has had three years to develop and looks to be a 10-minute-per-game player. Will Egolf and Anthony Thompson have the chance of a lifetime to become prominent players now and in the future for coach Jim Les. Their development could mean the difference between a mediocre season and a team contending for a postseason tournament berth. Ruffin's play-making ability gathered much of the attention. But his ball-hawking defense was just as important. Maniscalco, Dodie Dunson, Eddren McCain and Darian Norris must be focused as much on the defensive end as Ruffin was.

Scouting the newcomers: The Braves' five newcomers won't have time to ease into the rotation. Les is counting on most of them to make up for the loss of Ruffin, Jeremy Crouch and Matt Salley. Dunson appears to be most ready to make a significant early contribution. He played in 31 games at Iowa State in the 2006-07 season, averaging 5.2 points with a high game of 19 points at Missouri. Dunson was third on the Cyclones with 30 3-pointers. Chris Roberts has a big body and won't get pushed around. He should play major minutes off the bench and could even be used in the frontcourt on occasion, especially when Les decides to go small. McCain and Norris both have shown quickness and athleticism in preseason workouts. McCain's high school coach described him as a scoring point guard. Travis Brown could be the wild card for Les. His father, Ricky, played five seasons in the NBA before heading to Europe. Brown went to Bevill State (Ala.) Community College after graduating form high school in suburban Atlanta in 2007, but was hurt in the preseason and returned home to train under his father.

6. Northern Iowa

Strengths: There is no doubt UNI's bread and butter will remain its defense. The Panthers ranked 17th nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.395) and 14th in scoring defense (60.3 ppg). They allowed only six opponents to score more than 68 points and held the opposition to 50 points or less six times. The frontcourt of Jordan Eglseder and Adam Koch has the potential to keep Valley coaches up at night wondering how to cover them. For a league known more for its perimeter players, UNI will force opponents to pack it in against Eglseder and Koch. Whether their teammates can hit open outside shots could determine how much space will be available inside for the pair to operate.

Weaknesses: Kwadzo Ahelegbe or junior college transfer Ali Farokhmanesh must show they are able to handle the rigors of running a team on the Division I level. Getting some points out of the point guard would help as well, but for right now coach Ben Jacobson would like to find someone dependable at that position to make his teammates better. The Panthers lost their two best 3-point shooters in Jared Josten and Adam Viet. Senior swingman Travis Brown, who sank 32 outside the arc last season, will be asked to produce more along with sophomore guards Kerwin Dunham and Jon Montgomery.

Scouting the newcomers: There are now two Kochs on the roster; Adam's younger brother, 6-8 Jake, is among five freshmen on the roster. Another big body is 6-10 Austin Pehl, who also knows the program well, growing up in the Panthers' hometown of Cedar Falls. Koch is a better outside shooter than his brother. Freshmen Anthony James and John Moran could see significant playing time in the backcourt. Moran is a pure point guard with the ability to also look for his offense. He set a single-season school record for assists last season at Jacobs High in the Chicago suburb of Algonquin and scored almost 17 points per game. James sank 55 percent of his 3-point attempts as a senior at Normandy High in St. Louis while averaging 20.7 points. Ali Farokhmanesh was a first-team Division II junior college All-American while helping Kirkwood to third place in the national tournament. He averaged 16.5 points while shooting almost 50 percent from 3-point range and handing out almost five assists per game.

7. Indiana State

Strengths: The loss of junior guard Harry Marshall's -- he is ineligible for the first semester of the season -- may have a silver lining: Junior college transfer Rashad Reed will get more playing time. It might be rough early but could pay off later in the season. If Reed matures quickly, and Marshall returns at full speed, the Sycamores will be adequately stocked at guard by January. Carl Richard is the team's top recruit and should help. Freshman Tyler Cutter might also be needed to help at the point. Redshirt freshman Jordan Printy is a shooter. Sophomore Aaron Carter started three games and made 32.4 percent of his 3s.

Weaknesses: Junior guard Marico Stinson left the team for personal reasons just weeks before the season was set to start. Stinson was to be the Sycamores' leading returning scorer after averaging 12.0 points last season. The Sycamores weren't tough enough on defense or on the backboards to win away from home. Coach Kevin McKenna needs to fix that without guard Gabe Moore, his toughest force last season. Jay Tunnell is bulky but slow and injury-prone. Isiah Martin and Josh Crawford are tall, but slim. Unless the Sycamores can get tougher on defense in a physical conference, they will continue to struggle on the road.

Scouting the newcomers: One scouting service ranked Carl Richard the No. 11 senior in Illinois. He is billed as an exciting athlete who can shoot. Indiana State could use an explosive scorer off the bench. Reed averaged 12.2 points and 4.3 assists in junior college. He is used to winning after two seasons at Vincennes (Ind.), and the Sycamores need that attitude. Center Josh Crawford needs to provide depth in the middle. Freshman guard Tyler Cutter needs to be ready to contribute since Marshall is out.

8. Wichita State

Strengths: The Shockers sometimes had to use coaches to scrimmage last season. They are deeper, and coach Gregg Marshall's plan to press should make that an asset. Practices should be more competitive and more rewarding. Playing time, unlike last season, will go to those who earn it, not to the next healthy body. In the backcourt, Marshall can play a variety of ways. Inexperience will be a problem, but at least he has the depth to try different combinations. In addition to the newcomers, sophomore Graham Hatch is a shooter who can be a dangerous weapon off the bench. Almost all of WSU's limited experience is in the frontcourt. Ramon Clemente, Aaron Ellis, J.T. Durley and A.J. Hawkins have a lot to prove. All four at least know what to expect in Division I basketball. Senior forward Mantas Griskenas, recovering from his second serious knee injury, is an excellent shooter. Freshman Garrett Stutz, a 7-foot center, is a skilled shooter who can pose matchup problems.

Weaknesses: The Shockers total seven seasons of Division I experience, five in the Missouri Valley Conference (Hawkins played two seasons at St. Bonaventure). Expect a lot of rookie mistakes. It will not be easy to take this group into hostile arenas and expect it to perform consistently. Much of the pressure will fall on new guards Clevin Hannah and Reggie Chamberlain, who must get the Shockers organized. Junior college transfers typically need an adjustment period. WSU has no choice but to rely on them for leadership and direction. WSU is bigger than last season but still not overwhelmingly powerful in the post. Clemente is 6-6. Durley is a poor defender. Garrett Stutz is a freshman who needs to grow stronger and quicker. The Shockers need to develop a defensive stopper inside, play solid defense and avoid foul trouble.

Scouting the newcomers: Junior Clevin Hannah and sophomore transfer Reggie Chamberlain will do most of the ball-handling. They should give WSU two good shooters who can also penetrate and pass. They are quick enough to be pests on defense and stick with some of the MVC's best guards. Freshman Toure Murry is a smooth scorer who looks ready to help. Freshman David Kyles is a good athlete who may take more polishing. Freshman center Garrett Stutz is a quick learner and a shooter with range behind the 3-point arc. Opponents will beat him physically this season. However, Stutz is a future star if he can improve his quickness and strength.

9. Evansville

Strengths: The combination of Jason Holsinger and Shy Ely will make Evansville dangerous in most games, especially at home. They will be even more effective if more threats develop in the lane and off the bench. Holsinger averaged 12.3 points and made 41.8 percent of his 3s despite being the focus of defenses. The new 3-point line will not be a problem for him. Ely grew into a more prominent role throughout the season. Both are seniors who should give the Aces good efforts each game. Returners Kavon Lacey and Darin Granger are experienced guards who can score.

Weaknesses: Evansville's big men are a major issue. The Aces finished last in the MVC in rebound margin, shooting defense and scoring -- all indications of a weak inside game. Senior forward Nate Garner is too small to get things done. Center Pieter van Tongeren needs to get stronger and quicker. Both must avoid foul trouble (Garner fouled out six times, van Tongeren five). Sophomore Clint Hopf played in 27 games but is a step slow.

Scouting the newcomers: Expect the freshmen to play a lot. Coach Marty Simmons needs them to help this season and be ready to take major roles as sophomores. Guard Kaylon Williams averaged 17.4 points and 8.1 assists in high school. Guard Denver Holmes should be ready for college basketball. His older brothers played at Yale, and his father played professionally overseas. Forwards James Haarsma and C.J. Erickson will likely need time to adjust to the physical game in college.

10. Missouri State

Strengths: Shane Laurie, Spencer Laurie and Justin Fuehrmeyer form a veteran backcourt. They are used to winning (some Bears fans may debate that), comfortable playing on the road and ready for big games. They will not overwhelm with speed or agility, but they keep the Bears in games by limiting turnovers and organizing their young teammates. All three are adequate 3-point shooters. Freshman Deron Hobbs may give this unit a missing ingredient with his quickness.

Weaknesses: Small forward Chris Cooks (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) is MSU's only proven inside scorer. Cooks can drive and is strong enough to post up. He can't do it all, however. Senior Wade Knapp (6-foot-8) averaged 2.4 points and shot 41.1 percent. Sophomore Ryan Jehle played in only 11 games. Transfer Will Creekmore will help when he becomes eligible second semester, but he played a small role at Boston University before transferring. Coach Cuonzo Martin welcomes three freshman big men who will get their chance to contribute. Redshirt freshman Kyle Weems is an unknown who might be able to play inside and on the wing.

Scouting the newcomers: Isaiah Rhine, John Hayward-Mayhew and Dominick Brumfield are on the clock. They need to contribute to give the Bears depth. Rhine is the only true center in the group, and injuries limited him to 11 games as a senior in high school. Hayward-Mayhew is an inside player. Brumfield is a wing who may be forced to play out of position. Sophomore Will Creekmore is eligible at semester break after transferring from Boston University. He played four games for Boston and averaged 12.5 minutes in 2007. Forward Kyle Weems redshirted last season. He may be talented enough to force his way into playing time. Guards Derron Hobbs and Cardell McFarland will play behind more experienced returners. Hobbs' quickness could be an asset. McFarland made 44 percent of his 3-pointers in high school and chose MSU over hometown MVC rival Evansville.