2024-25 Missouri Valley Basketball Preview

Conference Overview

Join us for our 2024-25 Missouri Valley Basketball Preview, spotlighting a conference packed with exciting moments and premier mid-major programs. Last season, the Missouri Valley Conference featured two standout teams in Indiana State and Drake. The championship game saw an epic battle, with Drake claiming the title and an auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament, while Indiana State, despite being snubbed from March Madness, earned an NIT bid and reached the final before falling to Seton Hall. However, both teams’ coaches left this offseason for Saint Louis and West Virginia, taking star players Robbie Avila and Tucker DeVries with them. With these changes, a new cast of contenders is set to emerge, promising an electrifying season.

Bradley looks particularly strong, coming off two consecutive seasons with winning conference records. This season, they return Player of the Year favorite Duke Deen, the only returning all-conference selection from last season, teams back up with standout defender Darius Hannah. Adding to their strength, Bradley picked up former Brave, Zek Montgomery, a key transfer acquisition.

Northern Iowa also brings back star power in forward Tytan Anderson and secured perhaps the best transfer in the league in Leon Bond III, a former four-star recruit from Virginia expected to be a dominant force in the conference.

Murray State added its own four-star recruit in KyeRon Lindsay, a Texas Tech transfer, alongside returning starters Jacobi Wood and Nate Ellington, forming a cohesive core for the Racers. Drake, despite losing its star coach and player, brought in potential breakout Cam Manyawu and introduced Ben McCollum, a new head coach with four Division II National Championships, who brings a crop of experienced players.

Southern Illinois, while losing prolific scorer Xavier Johnson, reloaded in the transfer portal, including former four-star recruit Drew Steffe, who’s likely to make a significant impact as a freshman. Belmont has taken a similar approach, replenishing its roster with high-level transfers who were top recruits, hoping to offset the loss of their three top scorers to Power 5 programs.

Illinois State retained key backcourt players Dalton Banks and Johnny Kizinger but will rely on improved frontcourt play to move up in the standings. UIC enters with a fresh lineup from the transfer portal, with expectations high for Xavier transfer Sasa Ciani to make an impact at center.

Evansville strengthened their frontcourt with Butler transfer Connor Turnbull and JUCO star Ramondo Battle, while Valparaiso leans on returning top scorers Isaiah Stafford and Cooper Schweiger, aiming for more consistency from the rest of the roster.

Indiana State has an entirely new look with a new coach and will rely on transfer acquisitions to create a cohesive unit, while Missouri State features a starting lineup that includes three highly-rated JUCO transfers, and their performance will hinge on how quickly they can adapt.

With coaching changes across the board and substantial talent infusion, the 2024-25 Missouri Valley Basketball Preview details a conference deeper than ever, setting the stage for a thrilling season.

Missouri Valley Basketball Preview: Projected Standings

1. Bradley
2. Northern Iowa
3. Murray State
4. Drake
5. Southern Illinois
6. Belmont
7. Illinois State
8. UIC
9. Evansville
10. Valparaiso
11. Indiana State
12. Missouri State

Missouri Valley Basketball Preview: Projected Award Winners

Player of the Year: Duke Deen, Bradley

Defensive Player of the Year: Darius Hannah, Bradley

Newcomer of the Year: Leon Bond II, Northern Iowa

Freshman of the Year: Drew Steffe, Southern Illinois

Coach of the Year: Brian Wardle, Bradley

Missouri Valley Basketball Preview: Projected All-Conference First Team

Duke Deen, Bradley

Leon Bond II, Northern Iowa

Cam Manyawu, Drake

Tytan Anderson, Northern Iowa

Darius Hannah, Bradley

Belmont Bruins

Projected Starters:

PG: Carter Whitt (7.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.5 apg @ Furman)

SG: Brody Peebles (10.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.7 apg @ Liberty)

SF: Isaiah Walker (5.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.9 apg)

PF: Aidan Noyes (2.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.1 apg @ Richmond)

C: Brigham Rogers (4.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.0 apg)

6M: Jonathan Pierre (1.8 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.2 apg @ Memphis)

Bradley Braves

Projected Starters:

PG: Duke Deen (13.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.9 apg)

SG: Connor Dillon (21.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.9 apg @ D2 Winona State)

SF: Zek Montgomery (9.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg @ Rhode Island)

PF: Christian Davis (7.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.8 apg)

C: Darius Hannah (11.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.9 apg)

6M: Almar Atlason (4.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.7 apg)

Drake Bulldogs

Projected Starters:

PG: Isaiah Jackson (7.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.6 apg @ D2 Northwest Missouri State)

SG: Bennett Stirtz (15.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.5 apg @ D2 Northwest Missouri State)

SF: Tavion Banks (10.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.6 apg @ JUCO Northwest Florida State)

PF: Cam Manyawu (7.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 0.9 apg @ Wyoming)

C: Nate Ferguson (3.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.6 apg)

6M: Kael Combs (2.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.7 apg @ Wyoming)

Evansville Purple Aces

Projected Starters:

PG: Tayshawn Comer (7.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.0 apg @ Eastern Kentucky)

SG: Cam Haffner (4.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.0 apg)

SF: Tanner Cuff (7.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg)

PF: Ramondo Battle II (14.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.8 apg @ JUCO Walters State CC)

C: Connor Turnbull (4.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.2 apg @ Butler)

6M: Joshua Hughes (6.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.1 apg)

Illinois State Redbirds

Projected Starters:

PG: Dalton Banks (8.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.7 apg)

SG: Johnny Kizinger (8.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.8 apg)

SF: Landon Wolf (4.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.5 apg @ Northern Iowa)

PF: Boden Skunberg (14.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.1 apg @ North Dakota State)

C: Brandon Lieb (3.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.5 apg)

6M: Malachi Poindexter (8.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Indiana State Sycamores

Projected Starters:

PG: Samage Teel (13.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.7 apg @ Presbyterian)

SG: K’Mani Doughty (4.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.6 apg @ Utah Valley)

SF: Jahni Summers (18.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.6 apg @ JUCO Coffeyville)

PF: Aaron Gray (1.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.1 apg)

C: Markus Harding (10.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.5 apg @ Central Michigan)

6M: Jaden Daughtry (3.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.2 apg)

Missouri State Bears

Projected Starters:

PG: Mozae Downing-Rivers (6.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.7 apg @ JUCO Barton CC)

SG: Dez White (7.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.0 apg @ Austin Peay)

SF: Michael Osei-Bonsu (12.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 0.8 apg @ JUCO Vincennes)

PF: Jalen Hampton (13.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 1.9 apg @ JUCO South Plains)

C: Allen Udemadu (7.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 0.9 apg @ Morgan State)

6M: Vincent Brady II (9.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.7 apg @ IU Indy)

Murray State Racers

Projected Starters:

PG: JaCobi Wood (12.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.1 apg)

SG: Terence Harcum (12.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.0 apg @ Appalachian State)

SF: Kylen Milton (17.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.9 apg @ Arkansas Pine-Bluff)

PF: KyeRon Lindsay (2.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.1 apg @ Texas Tech)

C: Nick Ellington (11.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.7 apg)

6M: AJ Ferguson (8.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.9 apg @ Southern Illinois)

Northern Iowa Panthers

Projected Starters:

PG: Max Weisbrod (17.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.4 apg @ D2 Northern Michigan)

SG: Trey Campbell (9.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 apg)

SF: Leon Bond III (4.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.6 apg @ Virginia)

PF: Tytan Anderson (11.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.0 apg)

C: Jacob Hutson (9.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.3 apg)

6M: Ben Schwieger (1.3 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.7 apg @ Loyola Chicago)

Southern Illinois Salukis

Projected Starters:

PG: Elijah Elliott (16.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.0 apg @ UTRGV)

SG: Drew Steffe (R-FR @ Texas Tech)

SF: Ali Dibba (15.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.2 apg @ Abilene Christian)

PF: Davion Sykes (11.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.2 apg @ Texas State)

C: Jorge Moreno (10.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.5 apg @ JUCO Lee College)

6M: Kennard Davis, Jr. (4.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.9 apg)

UIC Flames

Projected Starters:

PG: Jordan Mason (12.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.8 apg @ Texas State)

SG: Javon Jackson (4.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.5 apg @ Utah State)

SF: Tyem Freeman (5.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.6 apg @ Kent State)

PF: Filip Skobalj (8.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 apg)

C: Sasa Ciani (2.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.8 apg @ Xavier)

6M: Ahmad Henderson II (11.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.9 apg @ Niagara)

Valparaiso Beacons

Projected Starters:

PG: Darius DeAveiro (7.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.3 apg)

SG: Isaiah Stafford (16.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.1 apg)

SF: Tyler Schmidt (23.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.3 apg @ NAIA Olivet Nazarene)

PF: Isaiah Shaw (2.6 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.2 apg @ Grand Canyon)

C: Cooper Schweiger (13.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.0 apg)

6M: Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (8.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.1 apg @ Western Michigan)

Coming Next

Thank you for reading the 2024-25 Missouri Valley Basketball Preview. To view the conference preview release schedule, keep up to date with us on X @collegehoopsrpt. If you haven’t already, feel free to check out one of our other conference previews linked below! Next up is the Mountain West Conference. Thank you for reading, and we appreciate all the support!

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Cover Image: Photo Credit: Missouri Valley Conference