INDIANAPOLIS – The Bellarmine University and Drury University men’s basketball teams have been selected to win the East and West Divisions, respectively, for the upcoming 2015-16 Great Lakes Valley Conference season, it was announced by the Conference office Thursday. The annual GLVC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll was voted on by the league coaches and ranks the top-eight teams in each of the conference’s two divisions. A total of seven squads across both divisions earned at least one first-place vote.
Bellarmine (31-4, 17-1 GLVC in 2014-15) earned 14 of the 15 possible votes as conference policy prohibits coaches from casting a vote for their own team. The Knights accumulated 119 points to earn the top spot in the East and was ranked Tuesday as the No. 4 team in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division II NCAA Division II Preseason Poll. After earning the GLVC East Division crown last season, the Knights captured the Midwest Region Championship, an Elite Eight trip, and advanced to their third national semifinal appearance in the last five years. Among Bellarmine's returnees are juniors Josh Derksen and Rusty Troutman, who both averaged more than 11 points a game last year, and senior George Suggs, who led the GLVC in blocked shots last season and made 46.8 percent of his 3-pointers—also a league best.
The University of Indianapolis, which spent two weeks as the No. 1 team in the country en route to its winningest season in 51 years, has been picked to finish second in the GLVC East with 101 points, including one first-place vote. The University of Southern Indiana garnered the remaining first-place vote and is slotted at No. 3 in the East with 87 points. Rounding out the division is Lewis University (81), University of Wisconsin-Parkside (71), University of Illinois Springfield (41), McKendree University (35) and Saint Joseph’s College (33).
Defending GLVC Champion Drury (21-9, 12-6) sits atop the West as one of four teams to earn first-place votes. The Panthers amassed 115 points and 11 first-place markers in the poll. Drury is coming off a postseason run where it earned its second GLVC title in three years and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in 10 years. On Tuesday, the Panthers earned the No. 16 spot in the NABC/Division II Preseason Poll. DU will be led this season by senior All-GLVC standout Kameron Bundy, who averaged 17.5 points per game last year.
Truman State University (92) and Quincy University (91) both earned two first-place votes in the West, however the Bulldogs earned the slight advantage in points and enter the season picked to finish second. The University of Missouri-St. Louis (82) trails Quincy in fourth, having picked up the remaining first-place vote. Rounding out the division is Maryville University (70), William Jewell College (45), Missouri S&T (38) and Rockhurst University (35).
The 2015-16 GLVC men’s basketball season officially opens Friday, Nov. 13, with Drury, Illinois Springfield, Indianapolis, Lewis, Maryville, Missouri S&T, Southern Indiana, Truman State and William Jewell in action.
The complete 2015-16 GLVC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll follows:
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2015-16 GLVC Men's Basketball East Division Preseason Poll |
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1. Bellarmine |
119 (14) |
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2. Indianapolis |
101 (1) |
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3. Southern Indiana |
87 (1) |
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4. Lewis |
81 |
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5. UW-Parkside |
71 |
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6. Illinois Springfield |
41 |
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7. McKendree |
35 |
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8. Saint Joseph's |
33 |
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2015-16 GLVC Men's Basketball West Division Preseason Poll |
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1. Drury |
115 (11) |
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2. Truman State |
92 (2) |
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3. Quincy |
91 (2) |
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4. Missouri-St. Louis |
82 (1) |
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5. Maryville |
70 |
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6. William Jewell |
45 |
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7. Missouri S&T |
38 |
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8. Rockhurst |
35 |