INDIANAPOLIS – The Bellarmine University and Quincy University men’s basketball teams have been selected to win the East and West Divisions, respectively, for the upcoming 2016-17 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 eight squads across both divisions earned at least one first-place vote.
Bellarmine (23-7, 15-3 GLVC in 2015-16) earned nine of the 15 possible votes as conference policy prohibits coaches from casting a vote for their own team. The Knights accumulated 114 points to earn the top spot in the East and has been nationally ranked No. 1 by Division II Bulletin. After sharing the East Division crown with the University of Wisconsin-Parkside last season, the Knights garnered the No. 1 seed in the GLVC Championship Tournament and a bid in the NCAA Midwest Regional. Bellarmine will be paced by senior guard Rusty Troutman, who was named as a DII Bulletin Super 16 Selection, following NABC All-America honors after leading the Knights last season in scoring (18.2), three-point percentage (46.9) and three-pointers made (61).
UW-Parkside garnered the second spot in the East with 90 points and two first-place votes. The Rangers went 25-6 overall last year and earned hosting rights for the NCAA Midwest Regional. Defending GLVC Champion Lewis University and University of Indianapolis shared the third spot with 88 points each, while the Flyers picked up three first-place votes to the Greyhounds’ one. University of Southern Indiana was slotted fifth, having picked up the final first-place vote. Rounding out the division is McKendree University (46), University of Illinois Springfield (34), and Saint Joseph’s College (32).
Quincy (20-10, 12-6) picked up nine first-place votes and totaled 113 points to take the top spot in the West, just four markers ahead of Drury University (109), which picked up six first-place votes. The Hawks tied Truman State University for second in the West last year. Quincy won 20 games for the first time since 2010 and clinched a spot in the GLVC Championship Tournament semifinals as the No. 7 seed for the first time since 2008. Two returners, senior forwards Joseph Tagarelli and Evan McGaughey, were named All-GLVC players a season ago.
Truman State (94) picked up the final first-place vote in the West and landed in the third spot, while Rockhurst University (70) and University of Missouri-St. Louis (63) were slotted fourth and fifth, respectively. Rounding out the division is Maryville University (54), William Jewell College (35), and Missouri S&T (30).
The 2016-17 GLVC men’s basketball season officially opens Friday, Nov. 11, with Bellarmine, Maryville, Missouri-St. Louis, Quincy, Saint Joseph’s and Truman State in action.
The complete 2016-17 GLVC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll follows:
| 2016-17 Men's Basketball East Division Preseason Poll |
| 1. Bellarmine |
114 (9) |
| 2. UW-Parkside |
90 (2) |
| 3. Lewis |
88 (3) |
| Indianapolis |
88 (1) |
| 5. Southern Indiana |
76 (1) |
| 6. McKendree |
46 |
| 7. Illinois Springfield |
34 |
| 8. Saint Joseph's |
32 |
|
| 2016-17 Men's Basketball West Division Preseason Poll |
| 1. Quincy |
113 (9) |
| 2. Drury |
109 (6) |
| 3. Truman State |
94 (1) |
| 4. Rockhurst |
70 |
| 5. Missouri-St. Louis |
63 |
| 6. Maryville |
54 |
| 7. William Jewell |
35 |
| 8. Missouri S&T |
30 |