Valley media breaks down preseason poll

MBB: There's nothing better than media interviewing media -- right?!?

ValleyHoopsInsider.com’s Harry Schroeder talks with Murray State’s JaCobi Wood at Missouri Valley Conference Media Day. (Photo: Murray State Athletics)

As the dust settles on Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Media Day, we are now fewer than three weeks away from officially playing games in the 2023-24 season. In case you missed the preseason Valley poll, here is how the media, coaches and sports information directors voted, with first place votes in parentheses: 

1. Drake (24) — 558

2. Northern Iowa (19) — 524

3. Bradley (3) — 487

4. Indiana State — 402

5. Belmont — 400

6. Missouri State (1) — 386

7. Murray State — 292

8. Illinois State — 237

9. Southern Illinois — 218

10. UIC — 157

11. Evansville — 95

12. Valparaiso — 66

After the poll came out, I caught up with a trio of the Valley’s best reporters to get their thoughts on the preseason rankings. My first question was if when they saw the finished preseason poll, if anything surprised them — good, bad, or indifferent.