GLVC releases men's basketball preseason poll
INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has released the Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll as voted on by the league’s 15 head coaches. Bellarmine, Quincy and Rockhurst have been selected as the favorites to finish atop their respective divisions as the GLVC moves to a three-division format in 2009-10.
Bellarmine garnered 64 total points in the poll and received 12 first-place votes as the favorite to claim the GLVC East Division. Northern Kentucky followed the Knights in the voting with 52 total points and the remaining three first-place votes in the east. Kentucky Wesleyan (35 total points), Southern Indiana (33) and Indianapolis (16) rounded out the divisional voting.
Quincy has been selected as the favorite to take the North Division title. The Hawks picked up 59 total points and nine first-place votes to edge Lewis in the voting. The Flyers collected 54 total points and five first-place votes. Lewis was followed by Saint Joseph’s (45), which collected the final first-place vote, UW-Parkside (23) and Illinois-Springfield (19).
Rockhurst collected 65 total points to headline the West Division. The Hawks, who received 13 first-place votes, topped Drury who finished second in the poll with 50 points and two first-place votes. Missouri-St. Louis (40), Missouri S&T (31) and Maryville (14) followed Drury in the voting.
Bellarmine, ranked first in NCAA Division II in The Sporting News preseason poll and fifth in the Division II Bulletin preseason poll, posted a 26-7 overall record in 2008-09 and advanced to the final of the Midwest Regional. The Knights were 13-5 in league play and posted a 10-0 mark at Knights Hall.
Quincy recorded a 16-12 overall record a year ago and finished third in the GLVC West Division. The Hawks, which have been selected to claim the newly formed North Division, were 8-9 in the GLVC last season.
Rockhurst posted a 19-11 overall record in 2008-09 and finished second to Southern Indiana in the GLVC West Division. The Hawks, who finished conference play with a 13-4 mark, return last season’s GLVC Player of the Year and 2009-10 Preseason All-American Aaron Hill.
The 2009-10 GLVC schedule will begin on December 3. Each team will play the teams in its division twice and each team in the other two divisions once for an 18-game slate. The top three teams from each division and three wild cards will advance to the 2010 GLVC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. The tournament will be held over two weekends with the four teams from quarterfinal action advancing to the semifinals and final to be held at the TRAC on the campus of Illinois-Springfield on March 6-7.
The complete 2009-10 GLVC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll follows:
East Division
Team (First-place votes) Total Points
1. Bellarmine (12) 64
2. Northern Kentucky (3) 52
3. Kentucky Wesleyan 35
4. Southern Indiana* 33
5. Indianapolis 16
North Division
Team (First-place votes) Total Points
1. Quincy (9) 59
2. Lewis (5) 54
3. Saint Joseph’s (1) 45
4. UW-Parkside 23
5. Illinois-Springfield* 19
West Division
Team (First-place votes) Total Points
1. Rockhurst (13) 65
2. Drury (2) 50
3. Missouri-St. Louis 40
4. Missouri S&T 31
5. Maryville* 14
*Ineligible for GLVC Tournament